Hello all
I'm from Portugal.
I'm thinking of taking a survival course, but I realized that there are so many. Can you please advise me the best? (in Europe)

Also has anyone been with Bushmasters in Guiana? (Jungle survival course)

Thanks in advance

First of all, welcome to the party NewGuy!!!

Here are some questions:

What type of training do you already have that a survival course is going to augment?

Have you had first-aid or CPR training?

Were you ever the U.S. equivalent of a Boy Scout?

What kinds of environments do you find yourself in mostly? Urban, Suburban, Countryside, Remote areas?

Once you go through these and possibly some other questions you should be able to narrow you possible choices.

My $.02

Again, welcome to the Forum and have fun!!

Paying someone else to make you feel cold, tired, wet, hungry and miserable out in the wilds doesn't make much sense to me as you can be cold tired, wet, hungry and miserable all by yourself.

You will soon learn what works and what doesn't so that you are not cold, tired, wet hungry and miserable.

http://www.survival-school.org/Portals/10/EPB-Course.pdf

i.e. should have brought along a tent.

I'm always amazed how many folks are willing to spend hard earned cash to be taught how to skin a rabbit, catch and gut a fish or even light a fire.

Spending cash on a PADI dive course at a nice 5 star hotel on the shores of the Red Sea makes much more sense.

Saying that I really wouldn't mind going on one of those corporate survival course events. That would be pretty entertaining watching your boss getting in a stressful state because he was tired, wet, hungry and miserable.

While I enjoy and understand that statement, I don't fully agree.

1) Not only is there safety in numbers, but you learn much more quickly through discussion and watching each others mistakes as well. And it's about 15 times more fun to be freezing together with others.

2) If you don't know anyone who shares your (newly found?) interest in outdoors survival - where will you find partners for your outdoors quest? At those survival courses....

3) There is much to be said about pushing boundaries in a controlled environment, under supervision of people who know what they are doing - as oposed to seeking out "realistic survival training" led only by information learned from the internet or TV shows. Remember that guy in Canada that froze to death this winter? He did exactly that.

4) I think practicing bleeding is about as productive as practicing freezing, being wet and cold and utterly miserable. There is some truth about learning how you respond to extreme situations, but I would primarily focus on learning the skills needed NOT to go freezing, wet, cold and utterly miserable. There is so much more to be gained through learning to controlling your micro climate (shelter/clothes) so that you're at least moderately comfortable. If you're freezing - you're doing it wrong, in my opinion.


My best tip for learning outdoors survival? Go camping as often as you can. Go hiking and sleep outdoors in an area near to you. Bring your friends when you can, go alone whenever that feels right. All those fancy shelter building, fire building and food gathering stuff can be done with the comfort of your tent and sleeping bag waiting for you to crawl in.

You specified "Europe."

Ray Mears enjoys a good reputation in the UK. He's hosted a couple of different outdoor/survival/bushcraft television series. Also conducts survival/bushcraft courses.

Learn more about him here. His website has info on various courses' content and schedules: RayMears.com

You can get some sense of what he's about -- and whether or not he might offer what you're looking for -- by going to YouTube and searching his name. You'll find a number of videos, some with portions of his television series.

Friend of mine was on an outward bound course to improve his social skills. He was an experiened walker, so when he was handed the group leadership acted like the systems programmer he was.
He mumbled "this way" and started walking. One member of the team was an executive who of course had to question it.
Manager: "Well I'm going this way"
My friend: "OK" starts to walk off.
Manager: "Err what will happen if I go this way>"
My friend: "It's getting dark in the hills in February, You'll be dead by morning". carries on walking off.
Few members of the group who stood by manager rapidly decide to follow my friend.

Manager follows friend.



>I really wouldn't mind going on one of those corporate survival >course events. That would be pretty entertaining watching your >boss getting in a stressful state because he was tired, wet, >hungry and miserable.