Courses and Educational Offerings

Fun learning adventures in survival.

Please contact us for more information by email or by phone at 434-238-3718. We would be glad to answer any questions you may have regarding each course, availability, etc.

Scheduled courses conducted throughout the year:

SURVIVAL 101
Tuition : $295.00

A beginning course for adults to learn important life-saving wilderness skills, acquire confidence, and eliminate wilderness fears.

Two days, one night, coed, 18+. Students gain a solid foundation in wilderness survival skills and knowledge. Instruction focuses on our seven priorities of survival: positive mental attitude, wilderness first aid, shelter, fire craft, signaling, water, and food. You will learn knots and lashings, and will be introduced to topographic maps and compasses. Students will become proficient in fire craft; they will learn to start and maintain a knee-high fire in the pouring rain using flint and steel. Wilderness safety, preparedness, and camping skills are included in the curriculum. Students overnight in personal backpacking tents and will use camp fires for dinner and breakfast. A complete equipment list will be sent upon registration. This course is a "modern" survival course; we encourage proper equipment, preparedness, and the expectation of rescue within 72 hours.

Wilderness First Aid 101
Tuition : $195.00

A beginning course for adults to learn basic knowledge to administer first aid for yourself and others until help arrives.

Two Days, one night, coed, 16+. Instruction focuses on safety always! Designed for the outdoor enthusiast, backpacker, dayhiker or wilderness survivalist with little first aid knowledge. Students learn in-depth wilderness first aid skills and priorities of injuries. Learn practical hands-on treatments for basic wounds, heat and cold injuries, common injuries such as sprains, strains and abrasions to burns, dislocations, fractures and spinal injuries. Learn to select and assemble your individual first aid kit (IFAK). Students leave this course prepared to administer first aid on yourself, family member, friend or foe. Never enter the wilderness without being prepared to help others.

Mountain Shepherd’s Wilderness First Aid 101 course also qualifies those students who are certified National Registry Paramedics/EMT’s and Commonwealth of Virginia Certified Paramedics/EMT’s with 16 hours of CAT II continuing education hours. Those students wishing to receive CAT II hours must notify Mountain Shepherd Wilderness Survival School of intent to attend +30 days in advance of course date to receive CAT II hours.

WILD COMFORTS
Tuition : Adults - $195.00 Kids - $100.00

A survival course for youth and parents to learn how to be safe in the woods, cope with wilderness emergencies, develop confidence in camping skills, and have fun as a family in the outdoors.

Two days, one night, coed, children ages 10-17, with parent(s). Specifically designed for children attending with one or both parents. Families will learn to help each other in a wilderness setting. Participants will develop better camping skills and gain confidence through hands-on experience. Instruction focuses on our seven priorities of survival: positive mental attitude, wilderness first aid, shelter, fire craft, signaling, water, and food. The course is fun, gentle, and a great opportunity to practice campfire cooking. Students overnight in personal backpacking tents. A complete equipment list will be sent upon registration. This course is a "modern" survival course; we encourage proper equipment, preparedness, and the expectation of rescue within 72 hours.

HUMBLE THUNDER
Tuition : $550.00

A survival course for adults that includes our complete survival curriculum, moderate hiking, map and compass, and survival challenges. Our most difficult, yet most popular course. 

Four days, three nights, co-ed, 18+. Specifically designed for those seeking a longer and challenging training experience. Tents will not be used; students will overnight in improvised shelters. Students may bring plenty of food; use campfires for dinner and breakfast. Students will hike to their camps as a group and in two-person teams, using learned map and compass skills. Instruction will include our seven priorities of survival: positive mental attitude, wilderness first aid, shelter, fire craft, signaling, water, and food. You will learn knots and lashings and will become proficient in using a topographic map and compass, and fire making. A complete equipment list will be sent upon registration. This course is a "modern" survival course; we encourage proper equipment, preparedness, and the expectation of rescue within 72 hours.

HIDDEN PURSUIT
Tuition : $550.00

A survival course for adults that includes moderate hiking, map and compass, and escape and evasion tactics. 

Four days, three nights, coed, 18+. Training emphasizes evasion and basic needs. Participants should be in good physical condition. Day One covers hands-on training that includes the seven survival priorities: positive mental attitude, wilderness first aid, shelter, fire craft, signaling, water, and food. Day Two covers map and compass, camouflage and concealment, hiding spot selection, evasion shelters (hides), and evasion movement techniques. On Day Three, students will begin their escape and evasion exercise using an aggressor force and partisan network. This exercise will continue until the end of training on Day Four. Exercise goals are to successfully evade capture and locate an assigned rescue point. A complete equipment list will be sent upon registration.

Additional educational offerings conducted on a request basis:

Team Building / Leadership Development

Team building and survival training designed for corporations and their employees, colleges, high schools as well as adult and youth organizations. These programs foster a sense of team, good decisions, proper leadership and camaraderie using a scenario featuring a real wrecked aircraft. Courses can be created and developed just for your team or corporate group to insure that the needs of your business, school or organization are met. Read more...

PERSONAL INSTRUCTION

Many people prefer private instruction. We provide personal instruction at our training area or off-site at client locations.  Contact Mountain Shepherd for more information.

SEMINARS / COURSES OFF-SITE

Whether providing a classroom presentation to thirty Georgia-Pacific foresters or speaking before eight hundred NRA members, Mountain Shepherd is equipped and prepared to travel off-site to conduct training.

While most of our training is done in a wooded environment, we do offer a comprehensive PowerPoint classroom training program. We also offer combined
instruction − in the classroom and in a wooded area. Seminars and off-site training can be survival, map and compass, and/or elements of survival, such as fire craft, shelters, etc. Mountain Shepherd accepts weekday and weekend requests for training. Seminars can be for a couple of hours, half-day, one-day, several days, one week, or several weeks, and for a single individual to a large group.

BOY SCOUTS of AMERICA
Tuition : $120.00

Two days, one night. For several years, Mountain Shepherd has conducted training for Boy Scout troops, Venturing Crews, and BSA leaders from VA, NC, and MD. Certified by the Blue Ridge Mountain Council, our instructors provide training above and beyond what is required for the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge. Our Boy Scout Survival Camp is conducted at our training area in the Catawba, VA, or off-site at various BSA Camps. Affordable group rates apply.

YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS
Tuition : Fees vary

One day; or two days, one night. Youth organizational training is conducted as a one-day seminar or as a two-day, one-night course. Longer sessions, up to five days, may be arranged. Custom training, which may include survival challenges, survival team-building events, and wilderness scavenger hunts using a map and compass, can be designed for any youth organization.

Groups that have attended our programs include church organizations, 4-H clubs, inner city youth groups, city and county parks and recreation groups, and YMCAs.

To discuss and schedule any of the above educational offerings that Mountain Shepherd conducts on a request basis, please contact Reggie Bennett by email or by phone at 434-238-3718.