This post won't be like the ones I normally post.
With more and more people realizing our society is on the verge of collapse, prepping and survival training have become a flourishing, rapidly growing industry. Most people assume prepping and survival is carried out only by tin-foil-hat wearing "conspiracy theorists" (I DETEST that term!) who are preparing for a Doomsday event. They assume wrong.
Prepping and survival training isn't about a Doomsday event. It's about being self reliant in any crisis or emergency, eliminating the fear factor, knowing what to do in said crisis that you keep your wits about you while everyone around you is losing their minds in a panic because they don't know what to do. It's about self empowerment. It's about developing communities of like-minded people and developing a new respect for nature and our symbiotic relationship with it. And it's being practiced by everyday people just like you and I in rapidly increasing numbers.
As a CERT team instructor, I remember all too well the first thing they taught us about riot control in a crisis situation.
Within 1 hour of the masses becoming aware they are in a crisis, the majority will begin to panic and completely clear off store shelves.
With each passing hour of the crisis, their fear will increasingly escalate as they go into Fight or Flight mode.
When their Fight or Flight mode/fear peaks, they lose all reason and logical thought and will kill you over a can of beans to eat, without so much as a second thought.
Think that can't and doesn't happen? We've already seen it...and it was completely and utterly senseless.
The above is just one reason a person should be trained in survival skills - to deal with the masses in that irrational fear-induced panic mode that you and your family will find yourself surrounded by.
My dad began teaching me bushcraft skills before I was even in kindergarten. By the time I was four I could out-fish nearly any adult, scavenge for food, build a lean to shelter, operate any boat, build a fire, and even tap trees to make maple syrup. So I suppose it was only natural I'd eventually get into prepping and survival training.
One summer I decided I'd attend survival school again - not just to brush up on my skills but to get my instructor certification. Much to my surprise, when Jay learned of my plans he said he wanted to go along.
Being a "I'm spending my summer on the golf course" kinda guy I never imagined he'd ever even get into survival training! Promising him to sneak a couple of rounds of golf in during our trip was a small price to pay for his company.
He wanted a sort of crash course in survival so we decided to make the rounds of a few notable survival training facilities in the East to scope them out and pass our findings on to you.
Is survival training expensive? YES! Because it's such a booming industry now these schools can pretty much write their own ticket as far as curriculum cost as they have no shortage of customers. It's rather difficult now to find deals and discounts on survival training courses and camps. Purchasing gear is more reasonable but it's still a challenge financially to outfit yourself sufficiently.
Generally speaking, we found a 1 day survival course runs around $150. Five to 7 day courses start around $600 and go up from there. Month long camps run into the thousands of dollars.
But at the end of this article, I'll give you some tips to hopefully help cut costs in training and gearing up.
In all, we toured 7 of the survival training facilities considered to be among the top survival schools in the nation - starting in Jay's home state of New York, then moving on to Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgie, Missouri and finally, an annual survival expo in Ohio.
We decided to start in Jay's home state, New York, at Mountain Scout Survival School. I loved the array of course they offered and you had the option of doing them over a day's time or over a weekend.
Money $aving Tip: Children under 12 attend FREE if accompanied by an adult.
Larger parties can receive group discounts on their courses.
They offered a FREE lecture, Wilderness Survival the Big Picture, held at Bowdoin Park: 85 Sheaf Road
Wappingers Falls, NY.
This lecture covers the big spectrum of 'Wilderness Survival' as a whole. Breaking down the various major and minor subjects of 'Primitive/Bushcraft, Wilderness Survival vs. Wilderness Living.
Subjects include:
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Shelter, and variations.
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Water, location/Purification.
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Fire, the preparations and the variety of methods of lighting it.
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Food, 3 different categories.
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Tracking, the science of it and why its so important to know.
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Awareness, not matter the skill at hand, you must remain aware at all times.
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Movement, every single movement matters in the wilderness. Knife skills to moving through the landscape.
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...and Shadow...
It was a good place for Jay to start, with the very basics or what we call "The Rule of 3".
The Rule of 3 is a guideline that helps prioritize survival needs in life-threatening situations. It serves as a
framework for understanding how long a person can survive without essential resources, allowing individuals to make informed decisions during emergencies.
There was a second FREE lecture I felt would be of benefit to both of us: Native Navigation.
Native navigation is having the ability to move silently through the landscape without the use of map or compass - as the Native Americans did.
This lecture was held in Bowdoin Park as well.
With those lectures under our belts we signed up for Wilderness Survival for Couples - a one day class that covered the seven arrows of survival: Shelter, Water, Fire, Food, Tracking Awareness & Movement....and 'smores.
It would give Jay a short course to give him a taste of survival training and decide if it was really something he wanted to pursue. (He loved it)
WILDERNESS 1
Wilderness 1 is the pre-requisite for all of the classes. Whether you plan to enjoy a hike in the woods, go on camping trip, learn some basic survival skills, or start on your way to becoming a true scout. This class will awaken you to how capable you truly are, and show how fulfilling it is to shed the need for today's amenities that we, as a society, have grown so dependent on.
(This is important if the grid goes down!)
This course will cover the basic subjects of survival, which includes Shelter, Water, Fire, Food, Tracking, Awareness, and Movement.
Cost for a couple per person: $230
I live in the wilderness, Jay in an urban setting so I felt it was important he be introduced to Urban Emergency Preparedness.
Photo credit: Mountain Scout Survival
This program is presented in and around the New York City area. This program is intended for the 70% of Americans who reside in and around cities and urban environments. Usually when presented with an emergency situation and/or disaster, we are faced with the question “should I stay or should I go?” (Bug in or bug out?) This class prepares you for those types of situations.
This course covers the following 5 essential topics:
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Communications – options and protocols
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“Go Bags” “Emergency Bags” There are many varieties and types of emergency bags/kits and these are reviewed and discussed
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Paths of Travel and Rendezvous Points
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Available Resources
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Safety and Security
Jack Mountain Bushcraft School is located in the Northeast region of the US in Masardis, Maine, it’s been considered one of the top schools in the industry for 20 years. Their Field School: 82-Acres Off The Grid In Masardis, Maine - above. You really are out in the middle of nowhere, very close to the Canadian border. The closest town (if you can even call it that) is 9 miles away and consists of nothing more than a diner and general store.
We decided to park the Beast at Aroostook River Lodge & Campground because it bordered the golf course of the Aroostook Country Club so Jay decided that's where we were staying, end of discussion. I had no problem with it, it was a beautiful RV park with all of the amenities anyone could need.
Survivalists are a tough bunch by nature and had we rolled into camp into a 35+ foot luxury RV we would have been laughed out of the camp before the course even started. Smart decision on our part.
This survival school is more intense than Mountain Scout and its instructors are SERE instructors. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape military instructors), We wouldn't actually be put out in a field survival scenario as it was too soon for Jay to do that...but you wouldn't have most of the common conveniences you're accustomed to either and there was more preparation one had to do for this camp.
That began with your gear list you had to bring to camp. The more experience you have, the more you probably have your own ideas about gear and what works for you. The less experience you have, the closer you should follow their recommendations. Summer/Autumn Woodsman Gear List
I already had all the necessary gear so we went shopping before leaving home to get the gear Jay needed.
But if you want to rent gear, see this link.
During residential programs students live in Moose Vegas, the student camp. You can drive to Moose Vegas to pick up and drop off gear and supplies, but parking is a few hundred yards down the road. Moose Vegas has a well, outdoor shower stall, humanure outhouses and a large field and outdoor cooking area.
Students stay in their own tent. You will also build a variety of different shelters and stay in them for several days, or for the duration of your stay if they choose. You will not be carrying your tent any distance, so plan to get one that’s comfortable even if it’s heavy and bulky.
Bringing or buying an extra tarp to keep your gear dry, both at the field school and on trips, is a great plan. They have no inside storage. In extended periods of wet weather, your tent should be large enough so that your sleeping bag doesn’t touch the tent wall. If it touches, it gets wet, regardless of how much you spent on your tent. They recommend that if you’re taller than 5’6″, you consider getting a 4-person tent to use solo.
But I'd done my homework so we'd invested in a large CORE 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent - 18' x 10' tent with plenty of room for us to move around in and to store our gear without it getting wet.
There was a further method in my madness that I'll get to...
While that may sound excessive, we were thinking ahead and about the fact Ashley may be joining us in the tent on a future trip at some point. There is room inside for 3 queen sized mattresses. Not that we'd put 3
queen sized mattresses in there but we would need sufficient room for 3 people and the gear for 3 people.
Bathing and Hygiene
Everyone is expected to maintain an acceptable level of hygiene during the course. This is accomplished by swimming in the river (without soap or shampoo), bucket baths (with soap and shampoo) and sunshowers. Regardless of what it says on the label, absolutely no soap, even if it is “biodegradable” or camping soap, is to be used within 250 feet of the river, pond, or stream, or any other natural source of water.
If you’d like to have your own personal hot shower whenever you want it, consider bringing a sunshower. (There are numerous models running from $10-$40.) Fill it in the morning and by afternoon you’ll have 5 gallons of hot water to use in their shower enclosure.
There are also modern, indoor showers available nearby.
Before the course begins, each student is encouraged to read a Compost Toilet System Condensed Instruction Manual. The condensed instruction manual introduces the composting toilet system they use, and will answer any questions you might have about procedures, pathogens and safety. If using a composting toilet makes you significantly uncomfortable, then field school programs are probably not a good option for you.
They have five outhouses at the field school. If you want to upgrade your personal accommodations to include your own private toilet for your tent or shelter, consider bringing your own toilet seat and 5 gallon bucket (or 2 buckets). These Luggable Loo toilet seats clip onto a bucket.
Our tent could be separated into 3 separate rooms - one of them being a bathroom. The heck if people Jay's and my age want to be stumbling around in the pitch dark among 82 acres of off the grid wilderness looking for one of the outhouses in the middle of the night! So there was a method to our madness in buying that large of a tent.
Yes, initially the other survivalists snickered at us - until they discovered we had a bathroom in our tent!
And they quickly discovered we weren't the fossil-aged "softie wussies" they'd assumed we were and that we old farts were nothing to be messed with!
The school has reconfigured its classes from 9 weeks in the field to being able to do a week in the field at a time as your schedule allows, which is what we wanted to be able to do. Classes start on a Sunday afternoon and end on the following Saturday morning.
Here's what you'll do this week:
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Wilderness Survival 101
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Introduction To Bushcraft
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Fire Making: The Five Stages With An Emphasis On 1-Match Fires
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Primitive Fire: Fire By Friction And Percussion
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Bushcraft Tools: Axe, Knife, Saw And How To Care For And Maintain Them
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Basic Axemanship: The 4 Major Processes (Felling, Limbing, Sectioning And Splitting)
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Safe Knife Use And Carving
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Sawing Technique And Building Bucksaws
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Shelter Theory, Design, And Construction
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Navigation With Map And Compass
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Open Fire Cooking: Hanging A Pot, Baking In A Reflector, Using A Dutch Oven
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Cordage, Rope Making And Essential Knots
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Group Sanitation And Composting Toilets
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Purifying Water
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Principles Of A Simple Solar Power System
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Introduction To Field Ecology: Edible And Medicinal Plants, Mammal Tracking, The Night Sky, Weather Forecasting, etc.
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Optional final exercise of spending the night in a shelter you construct. (Go for it! We did!)
Probably the most difficult part of the class will be finding your way to the field.
First, you need to get to our headquarters at 1041 Garfield Road, in Masardis, Maine. You can plug this into any map software or GPS.
If coming from Masardis, they are 4.3 miles down the Garfield Road from route 11. If coming from Ashland, we are 7.1 miles from the bridge over the Aroostook river. Your landmark to look for is the big stone sign shown below.
Pull in, the driveway loops around the stone sign. Then get back onto Garfield Road and turn right. in a little over 100 yards, you’ll see a road on the left. That is Smith Farm Road, the access road to the field school. Turn down it. It is about 0.6 miles down to the field school. You will see a road on the right. Take it, then turn left to park.
It is best if you arrive between 1 and 3 pm. and NOT BEFORE 1 PM or you may find no one is there as they're in town getting last minute supplies. Also, if you can avoid it, don’t arrive after dark as it is harder to get the lay of the land, set up camp, etc.
Also, be sure to read the school's food section! They provide no meals during their programs unless specifically stated in the course description. They do provide some staple foods that students can cook for themselves. These are dry goods that they buy in bulk, and while it can be done it is not likely that you will be satisfied with a diet consisting solely of them.
If you want to score friends very quickly, I'll give you the recipe to make pineapple upside down cake in a cast iron dutch oven in a campfire. I made two of them for the group...INSTANT FRIENDS! LOL Even the instructors were impressed.
Ingredients
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1/2 cup butter
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3/4 cup brown sugar
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1 (20 oz.) can pineapple slices will use approximately 8 slices
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8 maraschino cherries
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3 eggs
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1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Reserved pineapple juice and additional water to equal 1 1/4 cups of liquid
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1 (16 oz.) box yellow cake mix
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1/2 cup chopped pecans
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1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Step 1. Start the campfire or charcoal briquettes. You will be baking this Dutch oven camping dessert in a regular-depth 12-inch oven. You can use campfire coals or charcoal briquettes for cooking.
Step 2. When making your fire, you will need approximately 25 total coals = 17 top/8 bottom. The top coals will go around the lid lip on your dutch oven. You want to build your fire IN THE GROUND, deep enough to cover your Dutch oven.
You can preheat your Dutch oven if you like, but I usually don't bother with this.
Step 3: Melt your stick of butter then the brown sugar in a separate pan.
Step 4: Add the pineapple rings and cherries. Line the bottom of the Dutch oven with the pineapple rings. Make sure you reserve the juice for the batter! Place a cherry inside of each pineapple ring.
Work fast here. You don’t want to have to light a second set of coals (if you are using briquettes) during the baking process. If you are using campfire coals, the timing is not as critical … as long as you have a big enough fire.
Step 5. Mix the batter. In a bowl, you will mix all of the ingredients for the batter: eggs, vanilla, pineapple juice/water, cake mix, pecans and coconut.
Step 6. Pour batter over pineapple topping. Now it is time to pour the batter evenly over the pineapple topping. It will be a thin enough consistency that you can pour the batter around the Dutch oven without having to spread it with a spoon.
Step 7. Cover and bake. Place the cover over the Dutch oven and add the top coals for baking. Remember, you’ll be using approximately 25 total coals = 17 top/8 bottom.
Step 8. Rotate during cooking. To ensure even baking of this Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside Down Cake Camping Recipe, just rotate the lid and oven 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10-15 minutes or so using a Camp Dutch Oven Lid Lifter.
Temperature and elevation play a role in baking time but you should expect this recipe will be done in approximately 25-30 minutes. If you have some toothpicks you can insert one to make sure the cake is done.
Step 9. Let cool, flip, slice and eat. The flipping is the slightly messy part of this easy camp recipe! When the cake is finished baking, you’ll remove it from the heat and remove the lid to let it cool slightly.
Then you’ll run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Put on your heat-proof gloves because the oven will still be quite warm! Now, place the serving plate on the oven and flip it over. Gently tap the oven to loosen as much of the topping as possible before you lift off the oven.
Just use a fork to replace any of the topping that has fallen off of the cake or stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Slice and serve.
Be aware the smell of this cake baking will waft through the camp and you'll have everyone in camp gathered in your campsite asking "Is it done yet?" So be sure you make enough for everyone in your group! I made 2 cakes for 12 people.
There. Now you have an ace up your sleeve that will prevent you from looking like a survivalist newbie.
There were rough spots in the week as would be expected but overall we had a blast and made some new friends. Jay really got into learning survival skills, which was good to see.
You'll have a few days before the next course begins the following Sunday so you can spend it exploring Presque Isle and the surrounding area after you break camp Saturday morning.
We'd barely begun exploring Presque Isle when one of the local shopkeepers tipped Mr. Golf Fanatic off to the fact that not 10 miles away was a disc golf course. Goodbye Presque Isle, hello Maple Ridge Disc Golf Course!
I'm giving you a head's up here in case you want to go there to play disc golf...
I had to laugh when Jay made a new friend on the golf course.
I saw it ambling toward him and slowly began backing away. He was so engrossed in the game he hadn't seen it.
When it began heading right in his direction (behind him) I said "Jay FREEZE! Don't move a muscle! DO... NOT... MOVE!"
At that point his new found buddy walked around and in front of him and he saw it.
I swear I saw that man turn into a pillar of salt right before my eyes and the look on his face was a Kodak Moment!
When I could finally stop laughing I said to him "That'll learn ya to kvetch about gators on your golf courses!"
If looks could kill...
Green Fees
$8 daily pass - play ALL DAY!
$1 disc rentals
Ages 10 & under PLAY FREE
Skunk aside, we spent the afternoon playing disc golf.
While we're on the subject of golf and for you golfers:
It is at Aroostook Valley Country Club where the Stars and Stripes and Maple Leaf fly side by side; where you can tee off on holes #1 (The International), #2 (The Grove) or #9 (Old Ironsides) and literally hit it "out of the country". It is where the US-Canada international boundary divides the18-hole course between the State of Maine (USA) and the Province of New Brunswick (Canada).
I take great pleasure in spilling the beans on Jay at this point! He went home and bragged to his golfing buddies he drove his golf ball so far he hit it from the U.S. into Canada - all without getting sprayed by the skunk that was directly behind him.
*EYE ROLL!*
Yeah, put your hip waders on at this point!
I'm sure if Maine had alligators, he would've added that into his tall tale as well, claiming he made that 'miraculous' shot while being chased by an alligator that was the length of the entire Eastern Seaboard. And made a Hole In One on that drive to boot. (Did I mention Jay has a vivid imagination?)
But back to survival school...
I let him choose the next course we took and he chose Introduction To Canoe Expedition Skills. This isn't your typical learn canoeing course as you might think of it, for which I was glad. (I used to be a canoeing instructor at a camp and Jay is an expert kayaker, which is a bit more complex than canoeing.)
This course teaches you the technical canoeing skills while also gaining significant real-world experience managing a group of people in a remote setting, cooking over a campfire, and the countless little things that add up to a successful trip. Basically, it's the preparation class for the Professional Canoe Guide Training Course.
Photo credit: Jack Mountain Bushcraft School
The curriculum builds each day, with day 1 on the school's pond, day 2 in the river, day 3 in faster water, day 4 in faster water still. The graduation exercise is to pole up and down a class 2+ rapid in total control of your boat.
First, you’ll learn and refine the skills of paddling, poling and lining canoes on increasingly challenging water. The second curriculum focuses on the management and leadership of a group and the skills of keeping them comfortable. This isn’t a theoretical course on leadership like what is commonly offered through outdoor clubs; instead it’s focused on the crucial skills that make or break a trip taught by professional, working guides. You’ll cover navigation with a map and compass, what to do if someone in your party gets lost, how to plan, pack and prepare meals over an open fire, trip equipment and how to use, care for and maintain it, and how to light a fire under any conditions. Learn to stand in a canoe, pole up and down rapids, cook over an open fire, read the river to determine safe passages and gain the most useful asset a guide can have; experience.
It was a great choice! We both learned a whole lot and did manage to pole up and down class 2 rapids in control of our canoes and pass our graduation exercise.
This survival school markets itself as the “center for wilderness awareness, survival, self-reliance, and nature connection.” A lot of people will prefer the “earth living” focus over the doomsday mentality, which is used at other survival schools. They have youth programs so we'd arranged Ashley would join us for some of her own survival training that took a more balanced perspective than the doomsday mentality. (She was joining us as the result of her own request to join us.)
We also liked that Maine Primitive was more family oriented than other survival programs. After all, a crisis or emergency will normally involve the entire family.
Most courses are over the span of one day or weekend. The courses we elected to take:
Survival 1: Foundations Details
A One-Day Return to Self-Reliance
This fast-paced, immersive day reconnects you with your most basic needs—shelter, warmth, and a sense of direction—through hands-on training and quiet observation. Whether you’re stepping outside for the first time or rekindling old skills, you’ll leave this course more aware, more capable, and more alive.
What You’ll Experience:
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Nature Connection: Learn to read the land and settle into its rhythm.
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Survival Routines: Establish patterns that keep you safe, calm, and alert in the wild.
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Knots & Lashings: Build confidence with simple cordage skills that hold things together—literally and metaphorically.
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Emergency Shelters: Build a quick, functional shelter using materials around you.
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Fire-Making Basics: Practice lighting fires with matches, lenses, lighters, and ferro rods—then test which method works best for you.
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Fire Lays: Understand how fire structure impacts your warmth, cooking, and morale.
Survival 2: Earth Living
This is where survival becomes lifestyle. Survival 2 is a deeper invitation to live with the land—not just in it. Through daily routines and repeated practice, you’ll build comfort, confidence, and rhythm in wild spaces. Learn to construct insulated shelters, start fire with friction, identify food and medicine, and navigate with presence. Taught by Michael Douglas or his hand-trained team, this course invites you to develop long-term comfort, resilience, and place-based living. (1 day program)
Survival 3: Advanced Earth Living
This is where it all comes together. Survival 3 integrates every core skill—shelter, fire, food, tools, movement—into a seamless, sustainable off-grid practice. You’ll construct seasonal structures, transport fire, use cob and thatch, build water systems, and engage in ancestral hunting techniques. Designed for those seeking advanced readiness and deep personal challenge. (We chose the 1 day program)
While it might sound like a lot of repetition among these schools, it is only to a degree. There are several methods one can use in performing any one survival skill and you have to find what works best for you.
Each school also teaches you something you didn't learn in the other survival schools. For example, transporting fire (more difficult than you think) wasn't covered in any of the schools we attended apart from Maine Primitive.
So we spent 3 days at Maine Primitive and I have to say I really enjoyed this school because of its approach to survival being a family affair.
Founder and director Tim MacWelch first started sharing his passion for heritage skills with children in 1995, running his own educational programs for schools, churches and Scouts. In 1997, Tim began running classes for adults under the brand Earth Connection.
Since those early days, Tim added the Advanced Survival Training brand, as well as many new classes. Today, Advanced Survival Training is known throughout the industry for providing hands-on training and real world self-reliance techniques.
He has also been a featured survival expert for National Geographic, CNN, Good Morning America, Conde Nast Traveller, the Washington Post, Men's Journal, FOX 5 DC and several other organizations. Tim has been writing for
Outdoor Life magazine since 2010, as well as other publications. He has also written thirteen books on outdoor skills and self-reliance, three of these being New York Times Bestsellers.
As the name of his school suggests, Tim offers some more advanced classes beyond typical Survival 101.
Jay was anxious to expand his horizons by this point so we took two 1 days classes in foraging wild edible plants and Herbal Medicines Intensive, a class in foraging medicinal wild plants and making medicines with them. Each class cost $149 per person.
The Herbal Medicine Intensive will only spend about 20% of the time doing wild plant ID and the remaining time will be spent on medicine production.
Learn how to:
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make a salve to help dry, itchy skin
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brew tannic acid skin wash from oak bark
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create an immune boosting syrup
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craft flavorful teas that are loaded with Vitamin C
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make tinctures, a medicated oil, and much more!
You'll make and go home with 10 natural remedies and even receive a detailed wild medicine manual - only available in this class.
Although survival skills are incorporated into their programs, this is more of an adventures camp for those who'd like to pick up some skills but not go into hardcore survival. Their campus is a beautiful 100 acres.
There's nothing real rustic about Mountain Shepherd Adventure School. Their lodge has both rooms for u to 4 people and bunkhouses that accommodate 8 available for rent, a private cabin for rent, a "pub" of sorts with a full kitchen, an outdoor stage, a firepit patio, and the food served is hardly of the MRE variety,
They also provide camping gear for those who want to camp.
They offer a great variety of courses, some geared toward women only and their GEMS program is designed for girls going into grades 6th-9th, with backcountry survival skills training, environmental education, and adventure activities.
We decided to give their overnight Family Adventure Weekend a try and weren't disappointed. On Saturday, we explored the Mountain Shepherd trail system on a family-friendly nature hike, had some splashy fun in the creek, and ended our day with a cookout, campfire, s’mores, and story time. Choose your level of adventure with the option to tent out under the stars, or reserve a bunkroom for your family in the lodge. Sunday morning we fueled up with Mountain Shepherd’s famous pancakes before learning survival skills to stay safe while playing outside. Lodging, camping gear, and all meals provided. It was a nice mix of adventure combined with survival skills geared specifically toward families with the group size being limited to 5 families max.
The activity level is easy so even the little ones can handle the course. Cost: $100-$195.
Money $aving Tip: 15% Off Mountain Shepherd Survival School Coupon (2 Discount Codes)
Sigma 3 Survival School - MO
Sigma 3 is considered the "Ivy League" of U.S. survival schools. It is hardcore SERE and endurance, with most classes lasting 7 days/6 nights from 8 am to 5 pm. It is the most intense civilian tactical course in the country!
Trust me when I say SERE training is not for the faint of heart.
Yet having come from law enforcement, I can tell you that kidnapping and human trafficking is THE most prolific and profitable business in existence in the U.S. and Americans worldwide are targeted.
This is why tactical training is a must now, even for Americans just traveling!
Tactical survival is an entirely different challenge than just surviving under normal conditions. When people seek to hurt you and it’s necessary to escape and evade, you sure as hell don’t want it to be the first time you have ever done it. Training is key! You’ll always perform to your lowest level of training in any real-life scenario.
I kind of threw Jay from the frying pan into the fire on this one, given he was just learning the basics, but I also knew he'd be a prime kidnapping target given his financial status, that he travels so much and the fact he lives in an urban area. He had to know evasion and escape tactics.
I signed us up for SERE Urban and Wilderness. As I said, this is not for the faint of heart. You are put in a kidnapping situation, hooded and interrogated. The instructors do not tell you "OK, now we're going to kidnap you so you know what it's like". They take you by surprise so it feels very real.
The course covers how to handle a variety of scenarios and utilize tactical survival skills in both an urban and wilderness environment.
The scary thing is that, statistically, a civilian is exponentially more likely to be kidnapped and killed than a military member. Kidnapping is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide, and this course will teach you the skills you need to know to survive in whatever hostile area you might find yourself.
Course description:
"This course will take a normal civilian and transform them into someone capable of escaping illegal custody and disappearing back into a safe zone. When traveling, you have to be aware of the tactics that criminals use, so that you don’t end up becoming a victim. We will teach you the counter tactics you can use to protect you and your family. These skills could be used in a SHTF scenario, being kidnapped, economic breakdown, being stuck in a hostile country, evading capture, natural disaster, and much more! This is not a course designed for military personnel, though all the information is pertinent to military operations as well. In this course, you will learn the tactics of special forces in a package every civilian can use! Do you think you have what it takes to make it through SERE?" Cost $795 per person.
SERE Urban and Wilderness is a level 3 course.
Sigma 3 offers more basic and beginner level courses as well.
By unanimous agreement, our favorite survival school.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first laid eyes on Byron Kerns.
He's a big strappin' guy, an Air Force Survival Instructor - SERE, Class 71-02, during the Viet Nam era, he had worked at the famous USAF Survival School in the state of Washington, has owned and run 3 survival schools of his own.
Over the past thirty years, Byron has designed wilderness survival classes and provided small group behavior and overnight wilderness survival training to more than 800 groups: Air Force pilots and air crew members, government personnel, law enforcement, parks & recreation, Boy Scouts, forest rangers, a very
special SEAL team, and folks of all ages from all walks of life.
At first sight I thought to myself Oh man, this is it! We're gonna die at this camp!
Byron's the exact opposite of what I thought he was. He's one of the most gentle men I've ever met, softspoken, always cheerful, is witty with a great sense of humor and is always assessing himself and his surroundings. I never once saw him lose his cool. He exudes a calm demeanor that's infectious.
He is not your typical ex military SERE instructor and I loved his philosophy: having the ability to help one another is the best way to help yourself whether in the wilderness or in civilization. He's so right!
I also loved that he added stressors into our sessions because in an actual survival situation, the stress one must deal with is phenomenal and you have to know how to handle that stress.
His core curriculum is present in every class he teaches: Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) - faith, the will to survive, fears, stressors. Wilderness First Aid - snakebite, bleeding, cold and heat injuries, dehydration, insect bites, stings. Shelter - emergency action shelters, knots, hitches, lashings. Fire - the fire triangle, tinder, kindling, and fuel, the ferro rod and steel, the Platform and Brace Method to start a fire, the teepee fire, the log cabin fire, cooking on a fire. Signaling - how to attract attention to yourself, the International Distress Signal, the mirror, the whistle. Water - viable sources of water, collecting water, purifying water, disinfecting water, filters. Food - foraging for plants, the berry rule, bugs (six legs or less) vs. plants. Short-term and long-term survival. Rule of 3's. Personal survival kit. And improvisation.
Survival 101 is his most popular class:
Tuition: $175.
Location: Madison, GA.
Start time: Sat, 10 a.m.
End time: Sun, noon.
Class size: 8 max.
Adults 18+.
Teens, ages 14-17, may attend accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Survival 101 GEAR LIST.
CORE CURRICULUM, plus there will be several survival challenges during the class and a written test will be administered near the conclusion. A top scorer will be awarded bragging rights and awarded a suitable prize. Each student successfully completing the class will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.
Photo credit: Byron Kerns Survival School
Bottled water will be provided; students bring their own food. Bathroom nearby at cabin.
Although often difficult for him to arrange due to kids' busy schedules, we were fortunate that his Kindred Spirits class was being held for kids 10-13 so that Ashley could participate.
Kindred Spirits
The class for kids ages 10-13.
Very similar to Survival 101
Tuition: $200 per youth & adult combo.
Location: Madison, GA.
Start time: Sat, 10 a.m.
End time: Sun, noon.
Class size: 8 max (Four 2-person teams).
Adults, 18+.
Ages 10-13 may attend with a parent or guardian.
Kindred Spirits GEAR LIST.
As far as I'm concerned, Byron is the best survival
instructor out there. Apparently others feel the
same way as his classes book up really quickly.
He also offers an Instructors class.
Old School Survival Bootcamp - OH
Held each May or June: 3 Days that could change your life!
Heritage Skills USA Homesteading Summit is 3-day interactive weekend camp filled with hands-on trainings, immersion courses, presentations by survival experts from around the country, homesteading skills demonstrations, and nightly entertainment. Attendees will be able to choose from more than 50 classes at Ohio prepping, survival, homesteading, and bushcraft event.
Heritage Skills USA Homesteading Summit weekend will take place at the main event venue – Vinton County Fairgrounds, as well as offering immersion experiences and trainings at the On Guard Defense Gun Range and Training Center, Raccoon Creek Outfitters, and a Secrets of the Amish interactive farm tour.
Survival, bushcraft, and homesteading courses and experiences offered are designed not only for newbie preppers but for experienced self-reliance folks, too. Attendees will have more than 50 classes to choose from over the course of the weekend. This is not an expo, it is a way of life.
Money $aving Tip from 2025 Expo so watch for it in 2026:
Get a 25% discount coupon for this show sent to your email address.
Survival Training
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Look for survival classes in your vicinity to save on travel expenses. Unfortunately, there is no list by state of all of the survival schools in the country, Google "Best survival schools near me" and "Survival Skill Courses Near Me" to find instruction near your geographical location.
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Look for freebie lectures. Some schools will hold free lectures as an enticement to get you to their schools or camps. Take advantage of freebies when you find them.
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Check for package deals and group rates at survival schools you're interested in attending.
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Take some online courses.
Practical Primitive is located in New Jersey and teaches survival from the standpoint "You don’t need to become a “Prepper”— You DO need to Be Prepared!" in online courses.
In their Ultimate Masterclass they hand over the EXACT questions, processes, work sheets and execution guides they’ve used to help thousands of families, workplaces and individuals create their Ideal Personal Preparedness Plan to meet every unexpected situation they may encounter.
Please note though...you will not become a proficient survivalist by merely watching videos or taking online courses! You must get out in the field and practice your skills to the point they become second nature to you. However, some training is better than no training and online classes fill that void.
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Before booking at a survival school, check their website to see if they're offering any discount for booking early.
Gearing Up
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Check out TruPrepper for deals and discounts on prepping.
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Become a survival gear tester to get free gear.
To become a survival gear tester and receive free gear, follow these steps:
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Sign Up: Visit the testing program websites of companies like Agilite, Maxtacs, Arctix, or OutdoorCrunch.
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Apply: Complete the application form and provide details about your interests and experience with survival gear.
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Selection: Be selected to receive product samples or surveys to provide feedback.
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Test: Use the gear under real-life conditions and document your experiences.
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Review: Submit detailed reviews and feedback to help shape the future of survival gear.
By participating in these programs, you can gain valuable insights and contribute to the development of high-quality survival gear while at the same time getting free gear to outfit yourself.
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Don't rush out and buy all new gear at one time. Start with used gear in good condition until you know what gear is going to work best for you. Then over time, replace the used gear with new gear. Military surprlus stores are a good place to find used gear.
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Buy multitools whenever possible - one tool with several other tools as part of it, that serve several functions at once. This saves on the amount of gear you have to buy and makes pack weight lighter.
Multitool Shovel