Desert Survival Course

5479 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Expeditioner, Sep 29, 2009

desert_tom

Discussion Starter · Dec 6, 2008

After searching extensively for advanced survival courses in my area ( southern nevada ) i started thinking. it was a pretty long thought train, since i was pissed that i couldnt find anything. well i got to thinking that refining my own desert survival skills might be as good as learning more advanced things. i also thought that teaching people is the best way to refine skills already learned and to learn new things from new people.

anyway, i have been working out a lesson plan for a beginning desert survival class for 10-12 people. i have a friend on board who is also a "survivalist". my question is, is there anyone here who has given instruction on survival or wilderness training? is their anything specific i need to do legality wise ( business license, insurance, yada yada BS ) any tips or pointers would be great.

and also, once everything is set and done, what is a good price to charge for this service? not that im too terribly worried about the money, but time isnt free and people may feel jipped if they dont pay.

thanks for the advice

-thomas

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JeepHammer

· #6 · Dec 14, 2008

desert_tom said:
After searching extensively for advanced survival courses in my area ( southern nevada ) i started thinking. it was a pretty long thought train, since i was pissed that i couldnt find anything. well i got to thinking that refining my own desert survival skills might be as good as learning more advanced things. i also thought that teaching people is the best way to refine skills already learned and to learn new things from new people.

anyway, i have been working out a lesson plan for a beginning desert survival class for 10-12 people. i have a friend on board who is also a "survivalist". my question is, is there anyone here who has given instruction on survival or wilderness training? is their anything specific i need to do legality wise ( business license, insurance, yada yada BS ) any tips or pointers would be great.

and also, once everything is set and done, what is a good price to charge for this service? not that im too terribly worried about the money, but time isnt free and people may feel jipped if they dont pay.

thanks for the advice

-thomas

I have Military Buddies that did exactly what you are doing, and they couldn't make a living at it.
They were military Jungle (Mayflower), SERE, and 'Special Forces' and the insurance was so incredibly high they simply would have to charge too much.

You might want to change your focus a little.

Instead of 'Survival', consider 'Outward Bound' type program or Corporate Team Building Exercises.
That pays BIG money and the Insurance/bonding is MUCH less! (doesn't have the word 'Survival' in it!)

Offer
"Desert Navigation & LIVING Skills",
"Basic Desert LIVING Skills",
"Aboriginal LIVING Skills" classes.
(you say 'Indian' and I'll want to punch you in the nose!)

To say 'Survival' means there is a distinct possibility that one will NOT Survive, and that makes insurance companies gun shy!

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JeepHammer

· #8 · Dec 17, 2008

My military buddies had a student that decided to play with a Coral Snake and got bit and died.
The law suit from his family was HORRENDOUS!

They sued for 25 Million,
Got 6.8 Million in settlement for a guy that was 28 years old, dropped out of high school, no advanced education, and hadn't kept a job more than 9 months his entire life, and had spent 3 years of a 6 year sentence in jail for drugs...
His parents purchased the 'Survival School' for him to try and get him to dry out...

HE'S OFF THE DOPE NOW!

I think the crying widow and two snot suckers he fathered were the deciding factor for the lawyers...

Put me on the jury and they wouldn't have got a dollar...
--------------------------

Endurance, those SPOT and like transponders are becoming pretty standard equipment at a lot of hunting lodges now!

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JeepHammer

· #10 · Dec 17, 2008

The ones they gave us in Montana on a hunting trip they could 'Ping' like a satellite pager to find your exact location if you didn't respond.
The ping is responded with your coordinates.

You have like 15 minutes to respond, and if someone 'Pings' you, and you don't respond, the system sets search & rescue in motion...

There was an 'Emergency' button on it too.

The only thing I didn't like about them is they have a little antenna wire sticking up that got in the way if it was on your belt, and if you put it on the pack or something, you might not hear/see the 'Ping' notification.

Kind of like a boat or aircraft EPRB, but they can locate you remotely without you having to activate it.

I hear they have saved HUNDREDS in Alaska already at the hunting lodges!
(Stupid tourists like me getting lost!)

Anyway, I've been messing with my very first personal GPS device, I'm still a map & Compass guy!
(Old farts are like that!)

What does the 'SPOT' and services cost a year?

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