Wilderness Survival Course

Lesson 1 • Goal Setting and Positive Self-Talk

Teaches structured short-term goal setting and internal dialogue to sustain motivation. Directly counters the will-to-live erosion seen in prolonged survival scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Psychology of Survival Situations

Examines how stress, fear, and denial impair decision-making in emergencies. Establishes the mental baseline all subsequent skills depend on.

Lesson 3 • The Survival Priority Framework

Introduces the universal priority order: protection, rescue, water, fire, food. Students apply this hierarchy to triage any wilderness emergency.

Lesson 1 • Topographic Map Fundamentals

Covers contour lines, map scale, and terrain feature identification. Provides the spatial literacy required for all subsequent navigation techniques.

Lesson 2 • Navigation in Low Visibility Conditions

Addresses night, fog, and dense vegetation navigation challenges. Students apply core skills under degraded conditions to maintain directional accuracy.

Lesson 3 • Natural Navigation Techniques

Covers sun, star, shadow, and vegetation cues for direction finding. Provides backup navigation when map and compass are unavailable.

Lesson 4 • Compass Use and Orienteering

Teaches baseplate compass operation, declination adjustment, and bearing travel. Students integrate compass work with map reading for accurate route planning.

Lesson 1 • Heat Loss Mechanisms and Body Temperature

Explains conduction, convection, radiation, evaporation, and respiration heat loss. Frames all shelter and clothing decisions around preventing hypothermia and hyperthermia.

Lesson 2 • Site Selection for Shelter

Teaches criteria for choosing shelter locations that minimize wind, flooding, and hazard exposure. Good site selection multiplies the effectiveness of any shelter type.

Lesson 3 • Improvised Shelter with Modern Materials

Applies tarps, emergency blankets, and cordage to rapid shelter construction. Bridges natural skills with gear-assisted techniques for faster protection.

Lesson 4 • Clothing as a Survival System

Treats layering, moisture management, and improvised insulation as active shelter. Students learn to optimize available clothing for maximum thermal protection.

Lesson 1 • Fire Safety and Extinguishment

Addresses site preparation, fire containment, and complete extinguishment protocols. Prevents wildfires and ensures students leave no hazardous fire remnants.

Lesson 2 • Fire Triangle and Fuel Preparation

Establishes the combustion triangle and the role of tinder, kindling, and fuel. Proper fuel preparation is the single greatest predictor of fire-starting success.

Lesson 3 • Primitive Fire-Starting Techniques

Teaches bow drill, hand drill, and flint-and-steel methods for fireless-kit scenarios. Builds self-reliance when modern ignition tools are lost or depleted.

Lesson 4 • Fire Lay Designs and Applications

Covers teepee, log cabin, star, and long fire lays for different survival needs. Matching fire lay to purpose maximizes heat, cooking efficiency, and fuel economy.

Lesson 1 • Water Collection Techniques

Covers rain catchment, solar still construction, and transpiration bag methods. Provides collection options when surface water is absent or inaccessible.

Lesson 2 • Water Storage and Rationing

Addresses improvised containers, contamination prevention, and rationing under scarcity. Connects water management to overall survival priority planning.

Lesson 3 • Purification Methods and Comparison

Evaluates boiling, chemical treatment, filtration, and UV purification for field use. Students select the appropriate method based on available tools and water source.

Lesson 4 • Hydration Physiology and Dehydration Signs

Covers daily water requirements, dehydration stages, and field assessment. Establishes urgency and motivates disciplined water management throughout a survival event.

Lesson 1 • Caloric Needs and Survival Nutrition

Covers basal metabolic needs, activity multipliers, and macronutrient priorities in survival. Frames food procurement as energy management rather than preference.

Lesson 2 • Edible Plant Identification

Teaches universal edibility test and identification of common edible plants by region. Emphasizes conservative identification to prevent poisoning from look-alike species.

Lesson 3 • Insects and Small Invertebrates as Food

Covers high-protein insect species, safe collection, and preparation methods. Insects are calorie-dense and widely available, making them a primary survival food source.

Lesson 4 • Trapping and Snaring Techniques

Teaches primitive snare construction, placement strategy, and trap maintenance. Students apply animal behavior knowledge to maximize catch probability.

Lesson 1 • Evacuation Decision-Making

Covers criteria for urgent versus delayed evacuation and improvised litter construction. Students integrate medical assessment with navigation and signaling skills.

Lesson 2 • Environmental Illness Management

Addresses hypothermia, hyperthermia, frostbite, and altitude sickness treatment. Each condition links directly to shelter, fire, and hydration skills from prior chapters.

Lesson 3 • Wound Care and Infection Prevention

Covers irrigation, closure, dressing, and infection monitoring for field wounds. Remote wound management must compensate for delayed professional medical access.

Lesson 4 • Fractures, Sprains, and Improvised Splinting

Teaches assessment of musculoskeletal injuries and construction of field splints. Effective splinting enables patient self-rescue or assisted evacuation over terrain.

Lesson 1 • Search and Rescue Operations Overview

Explains how search and rescue teams operate, search patterns, and probability of detection. Understanding rescuer behavior helps survivors position and signal more effectively.

Lesson 2 • Stay or Move Decision Framework

Provides criteria for deciding whether to shelter in place or self-rescue by moving. This decision is among the highest-stakes choices in any survival scenario.

Lesson 3 • Pre-Trip Survival Planning

Covers trip filing, gear checklists, communication plans, and risk assessment. Proactive planning dramatically reduces the severity and duration of survival events.

Lesson 4 • Visual Signaling Techniques

Covers signal mirrors, ground-to-air symbols, fire and smoke signals, and color contrast. Visual signals are the most universally effective method for attracting aerial rescuers.