This 1-Day course is designed to provide the perfect introduction to the fundamentals of wilderness survival.
The goal of Wilderness Survival 101 is to introduce you to the skills and information that you’ll need to better deal with an emergency in the outdoors. We will accomplish this by teaching you the same “modern” approach to wilderness survival that is taught in U.S. military survival schools. Whether you are new to the outdoors or highly experienced, we’re confident that you’ll walk away feeling better prepared for your next outdoor adventure.
Firecraft lesson
You will accomplish this by learning about basic skills, equipment, and preparedness in an active and hands-on way. You will learn about the Seven Priorities of dealing with any emergency, anywhere, anytime. Your training will place particular articular emphasis on shelter construction, fire-craft, and signaling. By the end of the the day you’ll feel confident and more comfortable in the outdoors … and eager to continue your learning!
And don’t worry, just like all of our other survival courses, you’ll get the best of military survival training without the hardships! You will learn during a mix of “classroom” time and field training in an easily accessed, central location. You’ll really like our instructors, who each work hard to provide a comfortable learning environment. And you’ll get a chance to work with a diverse mix of other clients, who typically share the same passion for learning.
From our anonymous course evaluation.
This course is geared towards participants of varying skill, experience, fitness, and backgrounds so no prerequisites are required. We only require that you bring the necessary equipment, your sense of adventure, and plenty of Positive Mental Attitude. From there, we will work together to take care of the rest. Please note the “Level of Physical Difficulty” description below so that we can all get the most out of the program.
Here is an overview of the program:
- Course Duration: One Day (7 hours)
- Start / End Times: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Fee: $140 per person
- Location: Harrison Hills County Park (roughly 25 miles northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh)
- Maximum Group Size: 10
- Minimum Group Size: The course requires a minimum of four persons to run this training. If we are unable to meet this size, True North will fully refund your payment with as much advance notice as possible.
- Minimum Age: Children 15-17 years old are welcome when accompanied by a parent or guardian. In our private courses, there is no set age requirement as it depends on the specific group’s needs and goals.
- Description of the Level of Physical Difficulty – Easy: This course involves some walking and other activities over short distances at a steady pace over varying terrain that may include off-trail sections, rough spots, unexpected obstacles, and low to steep inclines and declines. This course is conducted in varying weather conditions, including hot, cold, humid, rain, wind, and snow, or a mixed combination. This course is best suited for those ready for an active day. If you have any questions, or would like some guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Check Out these Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
What happens when I register? One of our instructors will personally follow up with you regarding your contact information, basic medical information (for safety purposes), and our waiver. Then we will send you a detailed course information sheet which will contain all of the applicable details, like required and recommended gear, exact gathering point, general driving directions. For an overview of the gear list now, check it out further down.
Do you run this course for private groups? Yes, just contact us for information and details.
Are bathroom facilities available? Bathroom facilities are available at this location.
What about the Coronavirus? True North continues to follow all Center for Disease Control and Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines to minimize transmission of COVID. We recommend that you bring a face-covering to wear for those brief handful of times when you cannot socially distance.
Course Equipment List – Click to enlarge.
What kind of gear do I need to bring? If you would like a better sense of what gear you need to bring on the course, or optional gear to consider, then check out the equipment list that will be included with the course information sheet.
However, since one of our course goals is to teach you about survival and camping gear, plus offer you a chance to “test drive” it before you buy it, if you don’t have an item, don’t necessarily feel compelled to buy it right away … especially if it’s expensive. Instead, contact us to see if we can loan you an item or make a recommendation for purchase.