Teh Google is littered with them, so I’m looking for recommendations.
The more hard core the better, ideally ones that include instruction on how to trap/hunt and skin/cook animals along with all the other stuff you need to know to make it in the wild.
Boulder Outdoor Survival School. Based out of Boulder, Utah. THey have different length courses, but this company fits the need of exactly what you’re looking for.
One thing to consider is the environment you’re likely to spend the most time in. ie if you live in the Southeast, there’s little use for desert survival skills. Something local to where you spend most of your outdoor time would probably be best and most specific to what you’re wanting.
Marines
.
Tried that. Not applicable.
Camden N.J., cardboard box optional upgrade
.
Oh - Boulder Utah. Ok - see, I came across that online and thought it was Boulder, CO, and discounted it because their idea for wilderness survival means learning how to grow your own weed.
…
Having now really read through it carefully, I am very interested in the 14 day field course, probably in June after Eagleman.
Thanks for the advice.
Camden N.J., cardboard box optional upgrade
Hah…second that.
Learn,
Pick this book up before you go…
Baby steps. You must walk before you run. Plus you can earn cool patches and badges and stuff.
A second for B.O.S.S. but be warned that the “graduation exercise”, a walk-about with a blanket and a stick, is a booger. Also, if you have an aversion to cleaning game in the field you won’t like this.
http://www.forbestraveler.com/adventure/extreme-survival-schools-story.html
It really depends on what you want to learn. Do you want to only hunt and skin an animal? A survival school won’t be necessary, a good hunting outfit can accomplish that. Do you want to survive in a rain forest, desert, mountains, out in the ocean…figure out what you really want to do and find a school that offers that. Otherwise…pack a backpack, fly to Wyoming and start walking. It’s amazing what insticnts and common sense can do for a person. If you choose this option, it will go this way…first you get cold then you figure out how to get warm next you’ll get hungry, then you’ll figure out how to get full. Easy as pie.
Try NOL’s National Outdoor Leadership school.
x2
NOLS is one of the best outdoor ed you can get in the civvy world. Back in the 90’s, I had a friend who took a year off from “college” to do one semester with NOLS, and then spent the spring semester hiking from Washington state to Alaska- with nothing more than a backpack and the essentials.
Little history on the guy- he was a “wanna-be” outdoor guy (you know the type- they have a North Face jacket and hiking boots with tons of equipment that stays brand new, subscribe to Outside mag, yet haven’t spent more than 1 day hiking or ascended more than 2000ft), and by the time he was back he was free climbing, trapping rabbits, and building fires with a knife and flint/steel.
Changed his life- last I heard we was still living the life and working in climbing/outdoor shops from NM to WY, living the nomad life and loving every minute of it.
Since then, I can’t imagine them not surviving as a company w/o a solid program.
I know when I started this thread that someone would come and make an amusing post like this. Much appreciated.
Though this is more what I was expecting:
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_central/what_is_gs/daisy.asp
The greater my natural aversion to it the more I know I need to do it.
Thanks for the info.
Marines
yes the suck
very low entry fee
big return
great tats
bad food
the best shooting skills
nothing like the 29 stumps e club
band of brothers for life.
my second post was serious. there was a great link too.
but if the girl scouts meet your needs, go for it. they seem to produce some wonderful survivors and have a great reputation. the cookies are good too. Just remember to set aside some thin mints and samoas for me.
Marines
? You serious? Hunting and trapping and how to skin an animal. Yeah, lots of that going on at Pendleton and Paris Island (or anywhere else in the Corp for that matter). Get real.
B.O.S.S. or just go to West Virginia and pay some old time, poor Appalachian mountain man (moonshine might do), leave all your stuff at home, and you will learn all you need to know …
I loved my time in the military, even “elite schools”, but nothing was garnered there that surpassed my father’s tutelage with hunting, skinning, trapping (when pelt’s had real value in the 60’s/70’s), etc. We still hunt together (post Thanksgiving tradition) and I’m about to introduce my son to his first .410 
Good luck in your “quest”
Go to ChuckNorris.com shoot him an email asking him to give you guidence, Chuck knows all he is a bad Arse!
Marines
? You serious? Hunting and trapping and how to skin an animal. Yeah, lots of that going on at Pendleton and Paris Island (or anywhere else in the Corp for that matter). Get real.
B.O.S.S. or just go to West Virginia and pay some old time, poor Appalachian mountain man (moonshine might do), leave all your stuff at home, and you will learn all you need to know …
I loved my time in the military, even “elite schools”, but nothing was garnered there that surpassed my father’s tutelage with hunting, skinning, trapping (when pelt’s had real value in the 60’s/70’s), etc. We still hunt together (post Thanksgiving tradition) and I’m about to introduce my son to his first .410
Good luck in your “quest”
Actually the Marines have a great survival school in Bridgeport, CA. It is the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. I did a 2 week mountain survival/medicine course there 10 years ago. Great stuff. Their mountain leader course is world class. The cold weather survival stuff in the winter is also great. I went in August. It was 100 degrees plus during the day and fell to the upper 20s at night. Base camp is about 8500 feet. The course covers rock climbing, swift water rescue, basic survival, trapping game, navigation and all manner of mountain survival skills and is taught on the back side of Yosimite natnl park. Doesn’t help the OP though, unless he is ready for a SERIOUS commitment ; )
Mike
Yeah, I’m going with BOSS. I have a few friends out there I will try to get in on it.
I sent BOSS an email to see if they’ll let me take my communicator with me because I would be hesitant to be completely out of contact with my clients/companies/employees for two weeks.
I’m also concerned about my vision since I wear contact lenses and the idea of changing in the wild with them is not appealing. Although if the world goes all Mad Max, I probably won’t be able to get them anymore. About time to get them lazered, I suppose.
Ahh - girl scouts. My mom was a troop leader and later a field executive for them. My house was cookie storage central. Back in the day, I could eat an entire box of thin mints or the peanut butter chocolate cookies in one sitting. That’s something like 5000 calories of sugar.