Looking for a good survival course

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Muskett

Forager
Mar 8, 2016
131
3
East Sussex
Its really word of mouth to which course gives a good experience for your money. Unless you have been on a particular course then its difficult to comment because they vary so much and offer such different structures.
First aid courses are always worth the time.
Bushcraft orientated courses are great if you want to play in the woods.
Survival Courses vary as the environment can vary so much. They should be "how do I get out of this mess to civilisation safely".
Escape and Evasion is much more military based and how to escape from hostile humans let alone the environment!

The former two are very educational and should be enjoyable. The latter are usually far more arduous and when done well very uncomfortable.

Basically, you need to read the course notes to see what you are actually getting and are those things what you want.
The cost is no worse than any other leisure organised holiday. A week playing golf or a week in the woods being instructed. If the course gives you what you want then they are a bargain. If you expect something completely different like making spoons when you wanted to be chased by attack dogs then its going to be disappointing.

Get yourself to a Bushcraft meet and ask about. That way you will get recommendations and leeds to who is putting on a good show for your bucks. The more established courses have good tried and tested formats and the better instruction. Much of the experience of any course is who turns up on the day and what level they can go at.
So there will be a bit of luck involved but no worse than any other holiday booking.

Lastly, all credit to those that run courses as there is a lot of effort put into the better ones to make the experience a good one.
 
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MMarshall

Full Member
Jan 10, 2017
17
0
Lancashire
I guess you decided by now max83 which course was right for you, but I can echo what others have said re:Woodsmoke. Having completed I think 4 of their courses over the years, the standard of content and instruction/instructor was very high indeed. Kerne's quote re: differences between survival and bushcraft is one I have heard myself on at least one their courses and sums things up nicely I think.
 

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,185
1,801
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
Check out Paul Kirtley's website or YouTube posts. These will help to define more closely what you are looking for. They are very informative and entertaining in their own right but his "Ask Paul Kirtley" series on Youtube will give you some idea of the most common concern people have.
 
The two companies I can recommend most highly are Backwoods Survival (Patrick is a legend) and Woodsmoke. I have been involved in some capacity with these folks in the past and highly recommend them not just for their breadth of knowledge, attention to detail on the course but also for their approach-ability.
 

Pepper16

Member
Jan 16, 2017
18
0
Derbyshire
These people seem to do a good range of bushcraft courses as opposed to "survival" courses. The comments on their website seem genuine and they seem to have a good knowledge. They have a shop close to us in the Peak District in Bakewell and the staff in there are also usually the instructors, and they have a sensible understanding on this type of living. They also co-sponsor the Bushcraft show at the end of May. Just my two-penny worth :) https://www.woodland-ways.co.uk/book-courses-90.html
This website seems to be aimed more at "survival" rather than living with nature as their courses covers things upto being rescued. https://truewayssurvival.com/survival-courses
There is also http://www.peakinstruction.com/index.htm who run bushcraft courses in the Peak District.
 
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Jaeger

Full Member
Dec 3, 2014
670
24
United Kingdom
Aye Up max83,

Join the regular British Army and they will PAY YOU to learn everything you need to know about self-reliance/survival, plus throw a bit of travel and 'adventure' in for free! :lmao:

OR - join the reserves, get PAID a bit less but still have access to the regular army training opportunities.

At 32 you are still young enough.
 

VonNoelio

Full Member
Sep 25, 2008
10
0
52
Devon
Hi Max83,

10 years ago I attended one of https://www.survivalschool.co.uk/ bushcraft courses, slept out under my own built shelter in February even with a thunderstorm raging over head, awesome.
I would agree with Chris The Cat, Johnny Crockett is a top bloke and very knowledgeable to boot, they also run survival/bushcraft training for the military. I have just signed on for one of their tracking courses.
My thought is they wouldn't still be going if they were not any good.
Wholeheartedly recommend.

Good luck and enjoy whatever course you decided on.
 
I have been on all of the Trueways courses, from the basic to the advanced plus the advanced Navigation and their medical course.
Why only TW you may ask?
Well i first went with my 15 year old son as a birthday present, a weekend away, flying to the UK and spending the weekend near where I grew up ( coincidence the TW course was there )
Was very impressed with the no nonsense approach, we were aware that it was NOOT a bushcraft course but a survival course, so throw out the myths and face the realities.
This fred up my long dormant interest in the subject that began as a youth scouting and ended on the Brecon Beacons in my 20's with my unit getting truly knocked about.

As luck would have it a working contract starting and ending every time after a tour in the UK coincided with a TW course, so to wind down i enlisted for the entire run over the year.
I like to follow a series , i believe that once you decide on a direction or school of thought that you should follow it through to it's conclusion.
So as far as TW is concerned I can say the following:
Their training is based on a set of proven skills.
The survival courses are not bushcraft, it's about dealing with the unexpected.
Value for money - spot on.

It worked for me and i'm proud to have their qualifications on my wall.

The whole experience of rediscovery and realization that it was a dormant passion has led me to re connect not only to Survival skills but also to the world of bushcraft or wood lore and back woods man skills but also to start a new venture training youth over here too.

So for Survival - read some Lofty Wiseman and check out TWys

Simon
 

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