Equipped To Survive Equipped To Survive® Presents
The Survival Forum
Where do you want to go on ETS?

Page 3 of 5 < 1 2 3 4 5 >
Topic Options
#264545 - 10/21/13 05:51 AM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: hikermor]
AKSAR Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/31/11
Posts: 1233
Loc: Alaska
Originally Posted By: hikermor

Who, me? Facetious? What ever is the world coming to...
hikermor pulling you leg? I'm shocked.......shocked I say! smile
_________________________
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more."
-Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz

Top
#264546 - 10/21/13 12:32 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Bingley]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
Originally Posted By: Bingley


As for DIY -- I don't think I'm alone in this. I read survival books. I buy gear. I stock up. But it's hard to drag myself out, train myself and practice. I don't get out to nature much as it is, thanks to my job and my duties. Paying good money for a class and having an instructor and fellow students will drag me away from work. It will be good for morale, and it will provide a reasonable learning curve for those of us who are less experienced. I definitely could use the practice time.


I have a hard time lining up 4 schedules to be able to get out and do anything. I do most of me learning and practice in the back yard. learning new ways to make fire for example is done on the ring of the firepit. Kids like to it too since they get to "play with fire".

Top
#264548 - 10/21/13 01:55 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Bingley]
Pete Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/20/09
Posts: 1372
" I do most of me learning and practice in the back yard"

I do a lot of that too. I've got a family, so it's not easy to get away for the long distances. The thing is, though, once you've got a lot of experience then you can figure out how to test techniques in your own backyard. but without that experience, it's pretty hard to tell what makes sense and what does not.

Pete2

Top
#264553 - 10/21/13 04:53 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Bingley]
gonewiththewind Offline
Veteran

Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 1517
The back yard is great. It is close, the family can participate, you can pull out more different gear if you need it (forgetting it is not a problem). It takes no time to get there. You can turn off your phone to alleviate distractions.

I will ALWAYS practice a skill in the back yard before I try it anywhere else!

Top
#264555 - 10/21/13 05:07 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Bingley]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
Some people don't have a backyard. I can try things out in a public parking lot, I guess, but starting a fire or making a shelter there might get you weird looks at least, and possibly a trip to the police station. I can just imagine --

Police: "What's going on here? Why are you hiding between cars?"

Me: "I was looking for ASSS, but I got nothing. These old guys on the internet tell me I should do it by myself. So I'm just trying different things here -- condom in a sock, rubbing the stick really fast, lying low under the lean-to so people can't see me..."

Police: "You have the right to remain silent..."

Top
#264556 - 10/21/13 05:20 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Bingley]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Parking lot? Probably not. Public park? Sure, I see that stuff all the time. Here in SOCAL we have what is referred to as interstitial wilderness, open areas in the midst of suburbia. Just don't start any fires you can't/don't put out. This makes much more sense than spending $600 on someone of questionable credentials.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

Top
#264558 - 10/21/13 07:20 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Fyrediver]
Outdoor_Quest Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/17/09
Posts: 305
Loc: Central Oregon
I agree with Montenaro's earlier posts on the two references.

I teach a program at the local community college.

My students are generally those getting back into the outdoors after an absense of many years.

Montenaro is spot on with his recommendation of Kummerfeldt's book. It's a great practical read to get you going in the right direction.

Visit Kummerfeldt's web site at www.outdoorsafe.com

Blake
www.outdoorquest.blogspot.com


Edited by Outdoor_Quest (10/21/13 07:22 PM)

Top
#264562 - 10/21/13 10:42 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Pete]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
Originally Posted By: Pete
" I do most of me learning and practice in the back yard"

I do a lot of that too. I've got a family, so it's not easy to get away for the long distances. The thing is, though, once you've got a lot of experience then you can figure out how to test techniques in your own backyard. but without that experience, it's pretty hard to tell what makes sense and what does not.

Pete2


Yea, I mean for the initial learning. I'll try to practice a few skills between times when we finally get to take a real trip then I have a list of what to try in real life.

Teaching the kids different knots with scrap baling twine before using the more expensive paracord for on a real trip for example.

Top
#264563 - 10/21/13 11:01 PM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: Bingley]
BruceZed Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 01/06/08
Posts: 319
Loc: Canada
I think the level of training/instruction you receive is very dependent on what type of Survival Training you are looking for? Survival Instruction is very different depending on the philosophy, training, and curriculum of the instructor and the school. Modern Wilderness Survival training will be different than a Primitive Survival Training.

As a community we cannot agree on what constitutes 'Survival Training' and/or "Survival Instruction'. There are no governing bodies or legislation in either US or Canada that over see the industry. It is also unlikely that a governing Body can come into existence that is not simply a small group of instructors getting together and certifying themselves as instructor training they way it is done in the SCUBA Business. In Canada their is a group just like that which has been operating for a few years and it has not raised standards, it has simply gotten a few instructors some work.

Anyone can put up a shingle, start teaching, and only word of mouth can really tell you how good they really are. All certification based on the quality and professionalism of the organization. Even the credit course I took at the and the University of Alberta in survival training really were simply training not true accreditation. We live (US/Can) in democracies that value the open market and internet can make your school look very professional. Even 'Participant Comments' which I put up at BWI(boreal.net) could be faked.

You need to ask all instructors/schools what training you will actually receive? What skills will you actually learn? That is what is important, not who they have trained or trained with.

A few years ago I wrote an article about Becoming a Professional Survival Instructor which may be of some interest when you begin to compare the many and varied Survival Schools in North America. I also have a resource page on our Wilderness Instructor Development that might be interesting as well. Cody Lundin also wrote an article that may be of some interest; Choosing a Credible Survival Instructor. Personally I think that he emphasizes book publishing a little to much. Even with my survival book only a few months away, I still believe it emphasizes the senior instructors over the junior ones who may provide good value for the money. Also i have know some very talented instructors who had no interest in book publishing, but were very good instructors.

Remember we are all on a journey and we may be anywhere on that journey when we start instructing or receiving instruction in Wilderness Survival. If we want to learn real skills we need to ask, question, and research before we leap.
_________________________
Bruce Zawalsky
Chief Instructor
Boreal Wilderness Institute
boreal.net

Top
#264566 - 10/22/13 12:38 AM Re: How to vet a wilderness survival instructor? [Re: BruceZed]
Outdoor_Quest Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/17/09
Posts: 305
Loc: Central Oregon
Originally Posted By: BruceZed
I think the level of training/instruction you receive is very dependent on what type of Survival Training you are looking for? Survival Instruction is very different depending on the philosophy, training, and curriculum of the instructor and the school. Modern Wilderness Survival training will be different than a Primitive Survival Training.



The last sentence is so well said and on the mark.

Great information.

Blake

Top
Page 3 of 5 < 1 2 3 4 5 >



Moderator:  Alan_Romania, Blast, chaosmagnet, cliff 
March
Su M Tu W Th F Sa
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
Who's Online
0 registered (), 474 Guests and 15 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
GallenR, Jeebo, NicholasMarshall, Yadav, BenFoakes
5367 Registered Users
Newest Posts
Zippo Butane Inserts
by NAro
Today at 11:57 AM
What did you do today to prepare?
by dougwalkabout
03/27/24 11:21 PM
Question about a "Backyard Mutitool"
by Ren
03/17/24 01:00 AM
Problem in my WhatsApp configuration
by Chisel
03/09/24 01:55 PM
New Madrid Seismic Zone
by Jeanette_Isabelle
03/04/24 02:44 PM
EDC Reduction
by EchoingLaugh
03/02/24 04:12 PM
Newest Images
Tiny knife / wrench
Handmade knives
2"x2" Glass Signal Mirror, Retroreflective Mesh
Trade School Tool Kit
My Pocket Kit
Glossary
Test

WARNING & DISCLAIMER: SELECT AND USE OUTDOORS AND SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT, SUPPLIES AND TECHNIQUES AT YOUR OWN RISK. Information posted on this forum is not reviewed for accuracy and may not be reliable, use at your own risk. Please review the full WARNING & DISCLAIMER about information on this site.