Northwest School of Survival:: Wilderness Survival Programs

NWSOS Wilderness Survival Training

All of our survival courses - Wilderness, Cold Weather (snow), Primitive and Desert, will provide you with enough skill and knowledge to properly take care of yourself on all future backcountry endeavors, regardless of weather, location, or available equipment. The extensive individual skill-building focus of each event will dramatically increase your confidence level as you progress through a series of exciting courses. If you are unsure how much training you need for specific applications, we can help you identify which courses will best meet your needs.

Training Type	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Wilderness Survival Seminar Saturday/Indoors: Sandy, OR (8am-11am)	Apr 27 Jul 27 Aug 31 Oct 5	Apr 25 Jul 25 Aug 29 Oct 3	Apr 24 Jul 24 Aug 28 Oct 2	Apr 23 Jul 23 Aug 27 Oct 1	Apr 22 Jul 22 Aug 26 Oct 1	Apr 20 Jul 20 Aug 24 Sep 28	Apr 19 Jul 19 Aug 23 Sep 27
Wilderness Survival 1 (Sat/Sun)	May 4-5 Jul 6-7 Sep 7-8	May 2-3 Jul 4-5 Sep 5-6	May 1-2 Jul 3-4 Sep 4-5	Apr 30-May1 Jul 2-3 Sep 3-4	Apr 29-30 Jul 1-2 Sep 2-3	Apr 27-28 Jun 29-30 Aug31-Sep1	Apr 26-27 Jun 28-29 Aug30-31
Wilderness Survival 2 (Mon/Tues)	May 6-7 Jul 8-9 Sep 9-10	May 4-5 Jul 6-7 Sep 7-8	May 3-4 Jul 5-6 Sep 6-7	May 2-3 Jul 4-5 Sep 5-6	May 1-2 Jul 3-4 Sep 4-5	Apr 29-30 Jul 1-2 Sep 2-3	Apr 28-29 Jun30-Jul1 Sep 1-2
Wilderness Survival 3 (Wed/Thur)	May 8-9 Jul 10-11 Sep 11-12	May 6-7 Jul 8-9 Sep 9-10	May 5-6 Jul 7-8 Sep 8-9	May 4-5 Jul 6-7 Sep 7-8	May 3-4 Jul 5-6 Sep 6-7	May 1-2 Jul 3-4 Sep 4-5	Apr30-May1 Jul 2-3 Sep 3-4
Comprehensive Wilderness Survival (#’s1-3) (Sat-Thurs)	May 4-9 Jul 6-11 Sep 7-12	May 2-7 Jul 4-9 Sep 5-10	May 1-6 Jul 3-8 Sep 4-9	Apr 30-May5 Jul 2-7 Sep 3-8	Apr 29-May4 Jul 1-6 Sep 2-7	Apr27-May2 Jun29-Jul4 Aug31-Sep5	Apr26-May1 Jun28-Jul3 Aug30-Sep4
Instructor Certification for Wilderness Survival (Fri-Sun)	Aug 2-4 Oct 4-6	Jul 31-Aug 2 Oct 2-4	Jul 30-Aug 1 Oct 1-3	Jul 29-31 Sep 30-Oct 2	Jul 28-30 Sep 29-Oct 1	Jul 26-28 Sep 27-29	Jul 25-27 Sep 26-28

Wilderness Survival Seminar

This is an informative pre-trip seminar that will provide an overview of a variety of important survival topics.

Content of training:

Pre-trip planning and prerequisites.
What to do and what not to do in emergency settings.
Determining priorities in emergency settings.
Establishing clear and concise plans that work.
Hypothermia: prevention, recognition and treatment.
Dealing with stress and fear.
Fire skills for adverse conditions.
Emergency shelter basics.
Rescue signal devices.
Water procurement and disinfection.
Survival kits, clothing and equipment for multiple environments.
Slides, DVD’s and survival equipment recommendations will supplement this training.

Prerequisites - None

Wilderness Survival 1

Our Wilderness Survival 1 course is an excellent introduction to the basic skills necessary for surviving in a remote wilderness setting. The following topics will be covered during the course:

Pre-trip planning and preparation
Equipment, clothing and survival kits
Hypothermia: prevention, recognition and treatment
Determining priorities in an emergency
Selecting a safe shelter site
Emergency shelter basics
Fire skills for adverse conditions
Cooking with hot coals
Rescue signal devices
Water procurement

Prerequisites - None

Length: 2 Days/1 Night

Ratio: 6:1

Wilderness Survival 2

This course will expand on the skills covered in Wilderness Survival 1 as well as teach more advanced techniques. The following topics will be covered:

Introduction to wild edibles
Nature observation: one on one with your surroundings
Knots and lashings
Shelter Construction: the wickiup
Throwing-stick construction and use
Introduction to animal stalking
Fire skills: wind screens and heat reflectors
Rescue signaling: making yourself big
Cooking method: rock frying and/or spit

Prerequisites - Wilderness Survival 1

Length: 2 Days/1Night

Ratio: 6:1

Wilderness Survival 3

This course will expand further on the skills previously covered and provide the participant with techniques for minimizing the equipment required for surviving in a wilderness setting. The following is a list of topics to be covered:

Water procurement
Shelter construction: debris huts
Using “hot rocks” for warmth
Cooking method: baking in a rock oven
Navigating by sun and stars
Fire by friction: bow and drill
Rescue signaling: smoke generator

Prerequisites - Wilderness Survival 2

Length: 2 Days/1 Night

Ratio: 6:1

Comprehensive Wilderness Survival

Join us for a memorable experience in the Mt Hood National Forest while you spend 6 days and 5 nights with your instructor learning all of the survival techniques covered in Wilderness Survival 1-3.

Prerequisites - None

Length: 6 Days/5 Nights

Ratio: 6:1