Primitive and ancestral skills
Single Day Adventures
The Zen of Fire
Learn to make fire by rubbing sticks together! This workshop covers the psychology of fire making as well as basic fire-making skills using a variety of resources ranging from dryer lint to wooden sticks. Curriculum will include a meditation and discussion surrounding the nature of fire, how to start a one match fire, modern fire-starting survival techniques, and an analysis of primitive fire-starting methods.
Duration: Five to seven hours
Location: Colorado Front Range region
Prerequisites: None
Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse
Modern survival in changing times. This two part workshop will teach you to be more prepared for any emergency up to and including the zombie apocalypse! This workshop covers the psychology of survival and modern survival techniques and equipment. We begin this workshop by exploring the principles of survival in a classroom setting. Then we put these skills to the test with an additional three hours of practicum experience in the back country. Turn your wristwatch into a compass. Practice emergency signaling and create your own “possibilities kit” that will give you a leg up in any emergency situation.
Duration: Two hours of lecture, three hours practicum
Location: Denver, CO
Prerequisites: None
Seeking Shelter
Make a house out of the tree branches you find on a backcountry hike. This workshop will focus on building shelters as a means to understanding the basic psychology of survival. Students will analyze the terrain, choose a location, gather natural resources, and build a primitive shelter. The course will look at how to maximize one’s chances of staying warm and alive through a night spent in the wild.
Duration: Seven to eight hours
Location: Colorado Front Range
Prerequisites: Moderate fitness level. This workshop will involve a lot of carrying and collecting of resources.
Yucca Cordage Making
Multi Day Adventures
Survival Without Suffering
Immerse yourself in the challenge and victory of a three to five day backpacking adventure through some of Colorado’s most beautiful forests and mountains. Participants will learn basics of backpacking including how to pack, how to stay warm, backcountry cuisine, Leave No Trace, and map and star orientation. We will greet each day with a series of yoga and mindfulness exercises to ready our bodies and minds for the challenges ahead. Throughout the day, while hiking, we might explore such topics as fire making, psychology of survival, team building and leadership. At night we will create great backcountry cuisine while learning from each other through debate and storytelling. This trip is appropriate for the beginner through the advanced backpacker and can be tailored to suit a variety of groups and sizes.
Duration: Three to five days
Location: Rocky Mountains
Prerequisites: No previous camping or backpacking experience required. Adequate fitness to hike and carry a pack required.