This 2-day / 1-night course is designed to teach the fundamentals of wilderness survival so that you can expedite your rescue and return home with pride.
The goal of Basic Wilderness Survival is to provide you the skills and knowledge to respond with confidence to emergencies in remote or austere environments. We will accomplish this by teaching you the same approach to survival that is taught in the U.S. military to bring home its valuable personnel. We will emphasize proper preparedness, adaptability, and a realistic approach to improvisation. We will also help you to make better decisions by showing you how to best manage the Seven Priorities of any wilderness emergency.
Shelter Lesson
You will learn in an active and hands-on way. After a short hike to our base camp, you’ll immediately jump into learning: from basic knots and lashings to building an emergency shelter to discovering the Kearns Method to confidently starting a “knee-high fire in five minutes in the pouring rain” … Trust us, it can be done!
And don’t worry, you’ll get the best of military survival training without the hardships! You will sleep in your own tent, use a sleeping bag, and may bring plenty of food and snacks. You can cook using your stove, or, if you are feeling adventurous, learn to cook over open coals with your instructor. All while having some fun while learning.
From our anonymous course evaluation.
This course is geared towards participants of all skill levels and backgrounds so no particular experience, prerequisites, or athletic ability is necessary. We only require that you bring the necessary equipment, your sense of adventure, and your Positive Mental Attitude. From there, we will work together to take care of the rest.
Course Overview
- Course Duration: 2-Days / 1- Night
- Start / End Times: 9:00 a.m. Day One / 1:00 p.m. Day Two
- Fee: $275 per person
- Location: Quebec Run Wild Area (see below for more detail).
- Maximum Group Size: 10
- Description of the Level of Physical Difficulty – Moderate: This course involves hiking with laden backpacks, walking, and other activities over varying distances at a steady pace over varying terrain that will 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 in good physical condition. If you have any questions, or would like some guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when I register? We will personally follow up with you with three quick and easy forms for you to complete and return. We will send you a detailed course information sheet which will contain all of the applicable details that you’ll need to prepare and arrive for your training.
Quebec Run Wild Area – Click to enlarge.
Where is Quebec Run Wild Area located? Quebec Run Wild Area is a 7,441 acre reserve within Forbes State Forest, located roughly 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, along the West Virginia border.
Does True North run this course as a private one? Yes! While we offer many open enrollment survival courses, most are run for private groups. So we regularly work with families, scouting groups, and schools. The many benefits include personalized training which can be tailored to your specific needs. We can do this by structuring the program in a variety of time formats, running it in various locations, either your location or ours, or for a mix of ages. To learn more, just contact us.
Are bathroom facilities available during the course? Since Quebec Run is a designated “wilderness area” there is no infrastructure whatsoever, including toilets. Relax, before we set out into the wild woods, we’ll teach you what’s needed to feel just like you are at home. Almost.
What kind of gear do I need to bring? Since our primary goal is to provide you a safe and comfortable learning experience that helps to minimize your costs, we really don’t require much beyond appropriate clothing and footwear, your food, and a means to stay warm and dry overnight while you sleep, like a sleeping bag and a tent or hammock. When you register, we’ll send you a detailed course information sheet that will list the required and suggested items.
Besides, one of our goals is to give you a chance to “test drive” gear and supplies that we bring so that you can make better purchases after the course.
Many previous clients have also used these resources to rent gear: