The Key Factor in Survival

The Key Factor in Survival

Around the globe there are people who practice “survival skills”. From many traditions and cultures stemmed many different techniques to make living in the wilderness successful. Today schools are everywhere teaching “survival skills”. There are even TV shows about people going of to brave the wilderness areas of this world to compete against the wild and “survive”. The whole point to their philosophy is that the wilderness is something to fear, something aggressive and dangerous. That philosophy can never bring peace of mind and body, but rather launch a persons entire existence into a state of struggle and fighting.

I have mentioned many times before that the word “survival” immediately invokes a percentage of fear in the mind. Instead of the word “survival” I prefer the word “living”. Of course many times I have found I had to use the word “survival” in my advertising because that is what people today are conditioned to associate with Wilderness Schools and Teachers. No matter which word is used, it comes down to the skills being taught. That being said, what does it come down to in a primitive setting? Do your skills count for everything? Does the amount of practice you have invested into the skills you know count for everything? Or perhaps it is how much money and time you have spent studying that counts. The simple fact is that none of the above are what really counts.

Let us think a moment. Think to the many types of environments that are in this world. There are many. Now go a bit further and let us look into the actuality of having to live for a time in a primitive situation in these wild area. Let’s assume that you have studied “survival skills” and you have been to many schools. Your skills are decent, though you never had to actually use them in a “survival” situation…yet.

1- You find yourself deep in the northern boreal forests. It’s summer. The days are warm, but nights are cool. The insects travel in horded and eat anything that possesses warm blood. There is no cover from them. They are out day and night. You cannot leave your skin exposed without hundreds of the feasting on a couple square inches.

How do your survival skills fair now?

2- Knee deep in the southern swamps you land. Water everywhere and what is not in water is coated in thick mud or tangled branches and roots. Poison snakes, insects and plants are all over the area. That doesn’t cover the fact that there are also alligators living in the murky waters. All wood you find is wet and molded.

How do your survival skills fair now?

3- High in the alpine tundra you wander. It is fall. The days are crisp with the blistering sun, but the howling winds that sweep the barren landscape are always cold. The nights are below freezing. Snow is coming and once it get there you will be snowed in for the winter. Nights that seem to last forever and wind that never stops. Cold that cracks the huge boulders that have stood for millions of years.

Will your survival skills be enough?

4- Lost in the deserts you find yourself. It is late spring and the day time temps are rising into the high 90’s. Water is slim and the main plant is creosote bush. Not many cactus in the area. Poison snakes roam the shadows and scorpions roam the nights. There is nothing for miles upon miles except empty desert land. You will be there for a while.

Will your skills in survival be enough to see you through?

5- Maybe it is just in the Northeast wilderness areas of America where the vegetation gets so think in summer that feelings of the world closing in around you could easily set it. Heavy rains that soak the grounds and not much sun penetrating the thick canopy to dry it out. Heavy humidity settles in upon you and the insects come out in force.

The fact is that survival skills or any physical skills we may possess are not nearly enough to ensure our survival in one of those situations. Yes if we have practiced long and hard our skills may be to a point that we can use them to meet our most basic physical needs. However, when those long, dark nights come again and again…when that wind never rests and the insects never tire of feeding…when everything on us is wet to the bone and just when we find a dry branch to hang out on- it rains torrents…the skills we have are not enough.

Under severe circumstances the skills we have practiced can assist us greatly, but it is not the physical skills that will help us attain a comfortable level of living. They won’t even help us attain a comfortable level of “survival”. The key factor in these types of situations lies within the mind. It is our ability to be able to control our minds completely. If we cannot control our minds, our emotions will get the best of us and all our skills will be for not. In any true wilderness survival or wilderness living study, a serious focus on the mind and how to work mental techniques/skills to allow us to gain full control, remain in full control and capitalize on the power of our mind is essential. I have taught many students and each and everyone has gone away with this knowing and these skills. I make it very clear that physical skills alone will not be enough to ensure our “survival” in a primitive, wilderness “emergency” situation for more than a couple-few days. This is why so many “survival” oriented schools try to focus on skills and mind sets that will help a person survive for 3-4 days before helps arrives…because they do not teach the deeper aspects of the mind and how important it is in any “survival” situation.

Without full control of our minds and the understanding of how to utilize techniques to retain this control, the energy of the “emergency, primitive” situation will eat through our skills and consume us. I have known many who have tried to go primitive and take their skills to the wilderness for long term time frames. They all returned within a maximum of 2 weeks because they came to understand they did not have what it took in the mind to live under those circumstances. Fear, guilt, depression, and anger are just some of the emotions that can take over the mind in a situation of solitude.

One of the main focus points of Ways Of The Wild Institute is the skills of the mind. It is heavily laced in with all the teachings we do here in Vermont. If you are ever interested in coming to visit, make sure to check our website to see what we offer.

Wulamallessin (be well and happy)

White Wolf

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Wilderness Survival level 3

Wilderness Survival- level 3- Surefoot

This wilderness survival workshop will entail 2 full days and one night of wilderness survival skills and practice. Students who have successfully completed the first two levels of wilderness survival workshops go on in this third one to practice and hone their techniques in real time situations. This is a situational survival scenero

We begin with a fire circle meeting on the first evening. The next day students return and begin their journey.

During this workshop students take into the forest only the bare minimal and must utilize only these minimals and their learned skills to live for two days and one night in the wilderness. The instructor will be occasionally present but this is a real time wilderness survival situational course in which students must use their skills as well as individual and team efforts to live.

The skills will be graded and thoroughly assessed by the instructor. They are graded with the following in mind-

• mind set
• skill level
• practicality level
• emotional level
• ingenuity level
• teamwork
• individual effort
• scope of intent
• among other areas…

This course is designed to give students a taste for an actual survival situation in a wilderness setting under the supervision of an instructor. This allows students to find out where their strengths and weaknesses are in a wilderness survival situation so that they can focus on what they need to so they may advance to higher levels and approach Advanced Survival Training. This course assists the student in assessing not only strengths and weaknesses but also allows them to experience a situation not normally embarked upon in modern society and thus gain self confidence in the wilderness. Details of wilderness survival skills are discovered that can only be found in a real time survival situation where the individual and group are forced to utilize their skills for actual survival.

The days will begin early and run late. Students should be prepared to work long hours and be prepared for any weather.

This workshop is geared to the modern individual who wishes to learn how to survive in the wilderness setting for the purpose of emergency wilderness survival, primitive camping, primitive trekking or simply extended and intended stays in the wilderness

Students must be at least 18 years of age and have successfully completed the first two Wilderness Survival courses. Wilderness Survival Level 1 and Wilderness Survival level 2.

Students will be staying the night in the wilderness within the shelters they construct.

A complete equipment list will be emailed to students upon registration. Pre-registration is required for this wilderness survival course. Pre-registration requires a $75.00 non-refundable deposit. You can make your deposit here.

Total cost for the course is $420.00. Once you pay the deposit of $75.00 the remaining cost of $345.00 can be paid below through paypal or with money order.

All payments can be made by money order, cash upon arrival or Paypal.

 This is a certified wilderness survival workshop. Students who successfully complete the workshop will be mailed a Certificate of completion from Ways Of The Wild Institute.

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