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View Full Version : Anyone have experience/info on these classes?



g8trh8tr
12-13-2005, 22:19
I am looking to attend the Survival Skills course next summer with my son. I think it would be a great experience for him and a chance for us to do some quality father/son bonding. I am sure my son(13) will do fine with the curriculum since he is my regular hiking partner but before I fork out that kind of money I was wondering if anyone has any information or first hand knowledge with this person/family owned business. That name of the business is the Nature Awareness School and here is the link to the site. Any information would be appreciated.

http://www.natureawarenessschool.com/

K-Man
12-14-2005, 17:06
I haven't heard anything about the Nature Awareness School, but I have a friend who attended one of Tom Brown's survival classes and spoke very highly of it. http://trackerschool.com/

SGT Rock
12-14-2005, 17:28
Seems sort of expensive, I would rather go hiking and spend the money on gear/food/gas.

hikerjohnd
12-14-2005, 17:36
Seems sort of expensive, I would rather go hiking and spend the money on gear/food/gas.

Agreed - buy a few books, and take them with you on a trip - you'll save a ton of money and still have a positive experience.

Trail Dog
12-16-2005, 07:36
I believe a good way to learn how to survive is to learn how to rescue. I plan on doing something along these lines with my wife when I get back home.

Wilderness First Responder is the industry standard for guides. You can get certified at SOLO http://www.soloschools.com/
or
Wilderness Medicine http://www.wildmed.com/.

Getting first aid and CPR certified is also very useful and in my opinion is something more people should do no mater what your lifestyle or where you live. On your own learn your knots, practice first aid, and maybe even pick up the US Army ranger handbook (ignore all the tactics part unless you’re planning for WWIII) but there are lots of great survival methods in there:

i.e. gathering water with water stills, animal trapping methods, how to determine what plants are edible when in an unfamiliar environment, Navigation, contents of small cigar size survival kits, first aid, knots, fording rivers ect.

A good read is Deep Survival with a great rule book of things to in order to avoid a bad situation and then what to do when something goes wrong. The best lesson of this book is the greatest survivors are those who prevent the need to survive.

Tha Wookie
12-16-2005, 12:31
I am looking to attend the Survival Skills course next summer with my son. I think it would be a great experience for him and a chance for us to do some quality father/son bonding. I am sure my son(13) will do fine with the curriculum since he is my regular hiking partner but before I fork out that kind of money I was wondering if anyone has any information or first hand knowledge with this person/family owned business. That name of the business is the Nature Awareness School and here is the link to the site. Any information would be appreciated.

http://www.natureawarenessschool.com/

Although I do not have any personal experience with this school, I can tell you that if have never taken a Tom Brown course or any other such school, the lessons you will learn will be simply invaluable.

The cost is reasonable for what you will learn. I don't know this teacher, but I know his material. It has the potential to expand your connection with the natural world like you could never imagine.

I have to completely disagree with the suggestion that just bringing a book camping is a reasonable substitute for personal instruction from the direct line of Tom Brown, and before him, Stalking Wolf.

Also, the suggestion about Search and Rescue, although a good idea to do sometime, is way different than this type of course. Doors will open you never even knew existed. There is a good reason people pay big money to attend Tom's Tracker School. It is FAR more than learning survival. Survival is just the infantile beginning.

Go and do it -if not at this school, then another.

It passes down the Ten's of thousands of years of what people mistakingly call "primitive" knowledge. In many ways, it is far more advanced than what we think of today as advancement. The benefits are absolutely endless, because above all, it teaches you to learn -to ask the Sacred Question.

I will be hosting a course on this material in Athens Ga in the Spring, details will be announced later -it could another option for you. it will also be less expensive. However, we will not be offereing anything as in-depth as what I saw on the weblink you have. Ours will be more introductory for the world of ancient skills in nature, and part of what we seek to do is to promote schools like this one. I say go for it, don't look back, and listen closely.

:D

g8trh8tr
12-16-2005, 18:39
Thanks for all the feedback.

Wookie I totally agree with your comments. To me it is hard to put a price on learning/experiencing this kind of knowledge. I am really doing this for my son to get these skills that will serve him for the rest of his life. Having spent 12 years in the Army and attending the Army and Air Force SERE(Survival Evason Resistance and Escape) courses I know 1st hand how important it is to be exposed to this information/training(minus the sleep depervation, interrogation and slapping around that is involved with the military version). I know how much I took away from those courses and want to give my son that same opportunity. Honestly that is why is surprised me so much that Sgt. Rock submitted the post that he did. Anyway thanks for all the honest feedback.

Rain Man
12-16-2005, 18:47
Those prices ($600 - $800 per week) seem in-line with most "regular" summer camps my daughters attended or thought of attending.

Rain:sunMan

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