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Survivalist Training

Survivalist training involves the development of psychological and physical capabilities to ensure survival in emergency situations. The importance of a positive attitude is taught as a fundamental requirement to maintaining control in a survival situation. You are also taught how to find materials for your basic needs. Finding shelter, starting fires (even in a downpour) and finding food sources are all basic requirements that you will master regardless of conditions or environment.

  1. The Psychology of Survival

    • According to the "U.S. Army Survival Handbook" by Matt Larsen, survivalist training teaches the importance of your state of mind in survival situations as a core survival principle. Survival requires more than just basic survival skills and knowledge; ultimately, survival is determined by how you handle stressors and the actions you take while under distress. The innate functions of fight or flight play the lead role in how we all function in the face of a crisis or a catastrophe.

    Basics for Survival

    • Basic survival training includes first aid, building shelters, fire crafting, locating water and food sources. Shelter is based on an understanding and knowledge of your surroundings. Fire crafting involves building a fire regardless of weather conditions. Identifying potential food sources and learning how to set snares and traps or lures for catching fish, birds, snakes and rabbits are vital skills for survival. Locating water sources and purifying water are essential skills taught in survival training. First aid skills including the use of tourniquets, splints and wound care are covered in survival training courses.

    Different Types of Training

    • Survivalist training is taught in many forms, including ocean, jungle, desert, land and Arctic, as well as industrial and warfare survival training.

      Arctic conditions mandate the survivalist learn about navigating frozen tundra, avoiding hypothermia and creating shelter. Conversely, desert survivalists will learn how to adapt to the barren landscape and find water, the highest priority in an environment where water is scarce.

      A jungle survivalist will need to learn how to avoid the various poisonous insects and reptiles they might encounter, construct shelters that can withstand frequent rains or elevate their shelter off the jungle floor.

      Ocean survival emphasizes converting seawater to drinking water to prevent dehydration, signaling for rescue and constructing shelter.

    Who Needs Survival Training?

    • Survival training courses are filled with people from all walks of life. Professionals, teachers, students, Boy Scouts, law enforcement officers and elite soldiers attend survival courses.The focus of survival courses center around the principle of preparedness. Wilderness expertise is not necessary for taking survival training courses. The Mountain Shepherd Wilderness Survival School located in Catawba, Va., employ instructors who are graduates of the world-famous U.S. Air Force Survival (SERE) Instructor School.

    Choosing a Survival School

    • When choosing a survivalist training course, consider the choices offered by the various programs, the climate that interests you and the location. Some are family friendly and enhance your camping and wilderness knowledge and capabilities, while others focus on survival challenges and evasive techniques used in hostile environments. You can find a survival training course for any type of survival training you are interested in by visiting http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/wilderness-survival-training.html

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