Basic Survival Class
Build the essential skills, practical experience, and mental resilience needed to face a wilderness emergency with confidence.
The Pathfinder School Basic Survival Class is an intensive three-day, two-night field course focused on practical, proven survival techniques. Using the Pathfinder School system, students receive hands-on instruction in fire craft, shelter building, water procurement, navigation, first response, and the mindset required to remain calm and effective under pressure.
This is not a classroom-based seminar. You will spend most of the weekend outdoors, learning and practicing skills in real wilderness conditions across our 4,500-acre training facility.
Basic does not mean easy. It means learning the essential skills that form the foundation for every level of Pathfinder School training.
Course Details
- Price: $500 per student
- Duration: 3 days and 2 nights, Friday through Sunday
- Class Size: Limited to 20 students
- Registration Deadline: Two weeks before the class start date
- Location: Pathfinder School training facility
- Physical Intensity: Moderate to intense
Age Requirements
- Students must be at least 13 years old (any younger must have prior authorization from the school)
- Students under 18 must attend with a registered adult
- Minors may not be repeatedly left alone at camp or placed under the supervision of staff
- A parent or guardian may be asked to leave the course if a minor is repeatedly left behind
- Anyone bringing a minor who is not their child must provide a signed Emergency Care Authorization form from the child’s parent or legal guardian
The required authorization form will be referenced in the registration confirmation email.
Additional Class Information
Please review the following before attending:
- Class meeting location and arrival instructions - Click Here
- Complete required gear list - Click Here
- Cabin rental information - Click Here
- Cancellation and rescheduling policy - Click Here
If you have any other questions not covered in the information below please contact our Lead Instructor, Ty Barker at (304) 237-2173 or email at tybarker73@yahoo.com
What You Will Learn
Fire Craft
Learn multiple methods of starting and maintaining a fire in varying weather conditions. Instruction includes tinder preparation, fire-lay construction, and using fire for warmth, cooking, signaling, and water purification.
Shelter Construction
Build emergency shelters using natural materials and basic tools found in the landscape. You will learn how to select an effective shelter location and construct a protective structure suited to changing weather conditions.
On the second night, you will sleep in a temporary shelter you build using the techniques taught during the course.
Water Collection and Purification
Learn how to locate, collect, and safely purify water from natural sources. Students will practice multiple purification methods and discuss hydration strategies for emergency and long-term survival situations.
Self-Aid and First Response
Develop practical first-aid skills for wilderness emergencies. Learn how to assess injuries, address immediate medical concerns, and make critical decisions when professional assistance may be hours or days away.
Navigation and Terrain Assessment
Build confidence moving across varied terrain using traditional navigation principles. Students will complete navigation exercises over ground that may be muddy, steep, or uneven while developing greater situational awareness and decision-making skills.
Mindset and Mental Resilience
Survival is as much mental as it is physical. Learn how to manage stress, remain focused, think clearly, and make effective decisions during difficult or uncertain situations.
Class Format and Instruction
The course follows the Pathfinder School EDI teaching method:
- Educate students on the skill or concept
- Demonstrate proper execution
- Guide students as they imitate and practice the skill
The pace of the course is influenced by the students. Our instructors are committed to helping every participant who continues to put forth genuine effort.
If you do not give up on yourself, we will not give up on you.
Physical Activity Level
Students should be prepared for moderate to intense physical activity throughout the weekend.
You may be required to:
- Hike approximately 3–4 miles total while carrying your gear
- Carry a pack weighing approximately 35 lbs
- Walk segments of 1–2 miles throughout the day
- Gather sticks and natural materials for fires and shelter projects
- Navigate muddy, uneven, or challenging terrain
- Train in heat, cold, rain, or snow
- Complete timed exercises individually and as part of a team
The Challenge Night Experience
During the second night of the course, students will sleep in a temporary shelter they construct using the skills learned during training.
You will have access to limited equipment to help simulate a real emergency situation. Participation in Challenge Night is a required part of the course. Exceptions will not be made unless the student leaves the course entirely.
What Is Provided
Your registration includes:
- Access to our 4,500-acre forested training facility
- Professional instruction from trained wilderness survival instructors
- Potable water at base camp
- Port-a-Pots located approximately 400 yards from base camp
- All Instructors are WFA or WFA Instructor Level
- HAM radio and satellite emergency communications
- Certificate of Completion or Certificate of Training, as applicable
What You Need to Bring
A detailed class gear list is here - CLICK LINK. Each student is responsible for bringing all of those items on that list:
- Appropriate clothing for three days in the field
- Personal medications and first-aid items
- Sleeping gear for two nights
- On-the-Go Food items
- Water containers for refilling
- Personal hygiene items
- Required survival and training equipment
- A pack weighing approximately 35 lbs when fully loaded
Instructor Credentials
Visit our Instructor Bio page - click here
Preparing for Success
Pathfinder School training is physically and mentally demanding. Students are strongly encouraged to begin preparing one to three months before attending, depending on their current fitness level.
Recommended preparation includes:
- Walking at least 3–5 times per week
- Completing regular 5K-distance walks
- Hiking over uneven terrain
- Gradually increasing pack weight
- Working toward comfortably carrying a 50 lb pack before class
- Spending time outdoors in varying weather conditions
Physical preparation can significantly improve your safety, performance, confidence, and overall experience.
Medical Considerations
Students who require prescription medications must bring an adequate supply and keep those medications accessible throughout the course.
Critical Safety Notice: Do not attempt this course if you have undergone surgery or experienced a hospital stay within 30 days of the class start date.
Regardless of your current experience or skill level, this is an intense course. Students should honestly evaluate their health and physical ability before registering.
Property and Safety Policies
Due to property insurance restrictions:
- Camping is not permitted before the class begins
- Camping is not permitted after the class concludes
- Students may not remain at camp without an instructor present
- All personal equipment must be removed at the end of the course
Items left behind cannot be shipped and will be considered abandoned.
Your safety and learning experience are our highest priorities. Self Reliance Outfitters is a division of The Pathfinder School, LLC, and is committed to providing professional, practical training designed to develop confidence, self-reliance, and dependable outdoor skills.
This was the first class I've taken with SRO. I learned a lot, had a great time, and this class got me hooked. I've since taken a couple other classes and have my next one scheduled.
Just returned back from the December Basic Training and have to say that while it was hard, it’s definitely do-able and the instructors were there every step of the way! I am very impressed with their patience, attention to detail, and skill. They truly won’t give up on you if you don’t give up on them! I’ll be practicing what I learned at home. I loved the “free chickens” (including land nav in the dark and skinning a deer leg) and am excited to come back for another class soon.
I took this course for a number of reasons, one for the challenge. Second, to change things up a bit in life as I work from home. And third, I just wanted to get out there and see what I could do. The class delivered all that and SOOOOO much more.
What I think I enjoyed the most was the comradery built during shared challenges. The course is very well done, you are going to get your monies worth. The instructors are a wealth of knowledge and experience and provide practical, working solutions to real outdoor challenges.
If you taking this course do the "Highly recommend" from the course description - and then some:
Hiking: uneven terrain will provide the most benefit.
Walking: (at least 3-5 times weekly) for 5K
Work your way up to a pack weight of 50lb before the class begins
Thanks to Dave and the SRO crew!
Recently patched in the May 2-4 2025 class. If you are entertaining the idea of taking this-just do it!!! Be prepared though. The class IS physical. The instructors are knowledgeable, and want you to succeed-but, you WILL be under pressure for the deliverables. The course is designed to induce stress, so be aware. Its definitely achievable though. Dave and his staff are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. If you are looking to learn some basic skills, test yourself, work with the environment (it rained all 3 days for us!!), and come out with a better skillset than you went into it with-this is the class to take!!!
100% recommend this course. Dave and his cadre of super experienced and professional instructors were outstanding! We booked a private course for a military reunion we did. It had been 20 years since we had gotten together as a group, so we wanted to see if we still "had it". The basic course was challenging, but also a lot of fun and surpassed our expectations.
You do a lot of walking/rucking. You are taught a lot of skills and then tested in them individually. The last "mission" was great where we put all of the skills we learned during the course to the test. We had guys who were in their 40's, 50's and one who was in his early 60's. Totally recommend it if you are into survival, or want to try something different with your friends. It's a great 3 days of learning and doing!
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