Youth Wilderness

Weekend

These monthly classes are designed for ages 10-15. You may be wondering how 10 and 15 year olds can both have a quality learning experience while being so different in ages. In these classes, students learn what it means to be a leader as well as a follower, of Chiefs and Indians. :) Both are important to be a productive part of society. In order to lead, you must first follow. When we have older and younger students in class, we take the opportunity to let the elder students practice leadership and communication.

These classes cover not only wilderness safety & survival skills, but also life skills. So many of the wilderness skills can be used to taught life lessons and to develop life skills. For example. Stranger danger and knife use have things in common. With a knife, we teach the children how important it is to know your surroundings from up, down and all around before taking a knife from its sheath. This applies to the real world. To be safe, it’s always wise to know your surroundings so you may avoid danger and avoid getting lost.

The children learn all about knife and saw safety, how to build fires and shelters, how to lead and follow, how to develop self respect and respect for others.

The curriculum for this class is on-going. In the semi-annual Survival Summer Camp, we hold strong to our programming and cover the basics of specific topics.

In these monthly youth classes, we are able to dive into and spend ample time on each skill. Above is a list of just some of the things that are covered throughout the year.

Youth Wilderness Weekend

  • Edible & Medicinal Plants

    Plants are food and medicine. When we teach on this topic, it’s designed for making food and/or medicine on the go. In this portion of classes, you’ll learn how to identify plants, trees and fungi in a digestible and easy-to-remember style.

    In class, you’ll sometimes make medicine from scratch with minimal gear. You’ll also learn what plants and leaves are edible and delicious.

  • Fire Craft

    Fire is crucial. With the right materials, conditions & tools, fire can be quite easy. But what about when these are not in ideal conditions. Can you make a fire without a lighter or matches?

    Can you build a fire in the rain?

    In worst case situations, can you build a fire in the rain with friction?

    These are some concepts we address and teach on in classes.

  • Water Purification

    Without potable water, we die. It’s that simple. Have you ever gone days with minimal water in a wilderness setting? It’s rough!! And dangerous.

    You will learn how to make dirty water safe to drink with primitive methods, some of which you can do with only sticks.

  • Shelter Building

    Shelters are crucial and often not included in our “If I get lost” plans. We teach hasty shelter building, all the way up to long term shelter building for staying weeks in the wild.

    Whether you need shelter in the heat of the summer or the bite of the winter, we’ve got you covered.

    Did you know some woods in the forest have twice the insulation value as others? You’d be surprised to find out which types of trees that hold warmth better than others.

  • Navigation

    This is the Survival Conundrum. While most neglect learning navigation skills because it’s not all that exciting, it’s the Number 1 Survival Skill.

    Take a moment to think about this. If you understand navigation, whether it be with map & compass, or using the sun, moon and stars, then you’ll likely never get lost. If you’re never lost, you’ll never need to implement true survival skills.

    You’ll just go home.

  • Bushcraft with Knife & Saw Safety

    Bushcraft definitions are quite vague and ambiguous.

    We define bushcraft as the skill or art of using natural materials to build or create what is needed in survival. This pertains mostly to shelter, trap and tool building.

    When learning bushcraft in our classes, you’ll be learning knife, saw and axe use, along with knot tying. You’ll also learn how to build just about anything you’d realistically need in a survival setting.

  • Fishing & Primitive Cooking

    There are rules to success when fishing and cooking in the wild. Learn what to avoid and when to strike. You’ll learn how to catch, clean and cook fish with no cook wear. You’ll learn about animal behavior, track tracking, butchering and small game traps. Please know, that Protein is king in survival. It’s what connects our nerves from our brains to our bodies. Without it, we suffer and wither away.

  • First Aid

    In regard to time in the woods, medical concerns are rare. But….when medical attention is needed, that’s all that matters at that moment. Knowing the basics will aid in keeping you alive until help arrives. It can even help aid in your own self-rescue.

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