There is a small wilderness survival school in my area. (Actually, there are three or four schools in the 100-mile radius, but these seem to be run by gun people who think because they've hunted a few times and watched some zombie movies, they can teach survival. So I'm not considering them at all.) The instructor for this school has done formal training -- Tom Brown, Wilderness Awareness School, etc. His website is coherently written. He seems sensible and rational. His school seems to have a nature lover's bent (a good thing in my book). I have no idea whether he knows his stuff, whether he knows how to run a class, etc.

I'm planning to call him up and talk to him before I sign up for his classes. But I'm not sure how to vet a survival instructor. What questions would you ask him? How do you tell a good survival instructor from a bad one?

My exposure to real wilderness is... none. Like most people, I've seen only the part of nature that's been made safe for tourists. So I'm not sure I'd be a good judge. Thus I appeal to the wisdom of ETS!