Survival School Courses - help

[gcckoka]

Hello guys , as you know I live in Georgia , country located in the caucasus mountains and also I am the first person in Georgia who knows what Bushcraft means and has knowledge in Survival .
I have a Georgian youtube channel , which I started 3-4 months ago and only have 5 videos but people like me because this stuff is new to them and they are very interested in it , already by 2 persons I was requested to make survival courses and many will ask for it in the future , so I am planing to do it in 2016.
I need advices in next :
what should be the topics of basic course (when people have 0 knowledge)
I think I will make a 2 day counrse (saturday sunday) and a 5 day course
Give me advices about were should I start , just give me the topics , I know much but I don't know were to start from
thank you

[MrFixIt]

I would start with basic bushcraft topics, such as fire, shelter, water purification, and knife/edged tool safety.
As you stated, the persons attending your class (es), have zero knowledge. I would concentrate on skills needed so that they don't have to survive...

[gcckoka]

Yes I know that I have to sy basic thing but , in 2 day course how much will be enough? for ex. in firecraft , how to start fire with ferro rod +tiner types + flint and stricker + bow drill , will it be to much ? I mean I want to know the amount of things that should be enough for the basic class I want to know how much will be too much ?

[kyratshooter]

Shelter, water and fire are your three primary concerns. To often people get their priorities mixed up.

We often refer to the "Rule of three" when discussing the primary needs.

A person can survive for:

three minutes without air
three hours without shelter (which includes fire)
three days without water
three weeks without food

So your two day course should concentrate on good improvised shelters for your geography, building fire in two or three ways, and processing water.

That much has filled volumes of print, so it should fill a weekend.

And do not forget that many people in today's world can not start a fire with an atom bomb. So concentrate on preparation of the wood, laying the fire and starting the blaze with lighter/matches/ferro rod before diving into fire-bows, spindles or other "primitive" methods. You might even skip the "primitive" completely on a two day course and save that for a week long experience. Or offer a weekend set aside just for primitive fire starting where you use fire-bows, old fashioned flint and steel, electrical sparks, chemical agents, worn out lighters.

Our experiences here have shown that many people try to use the more difficult methods when they have not accomplished fire with the conveniences of modern life.

[Rick]

I agree with Kyrat. Put a syllabus together and walk through it a few times so you have the timing down. Don't forget to explain the "why" as well as the "how".

[kyratshooter]

And in your planning do not forget the time of year. In the summer you will have a 14 hour teaching day, in the winter no more than 8-10 hours.

And keep the program down to minimal basic gear; a simple knife, a ferro rod, and a tin can cooker so these beginners do not have to buy a buttload of gear just to take your class.

You will also need to factor in breaks, meals, food prep and a lot of other activities that might not be directly related to the course but can add to the learning experience.

You get a fire started as part of the program at 11:00 and let it burn down to coals, then add a hobo meal for each student, wrapped in tin foil, and let it cook for an hour and have lunch. Not only do they have lunch they have acquired a new outdoor cooking skill.

I have seen Crash make a big foil wrapped pod of food that was enough to feed 20 and dump it right in the middle of the fire. All kinds of veggies, corn on the cob, carrots, potato chunks, peppers and onions and a hand full of his assorted spices. Makes a good meal!

[hunter63]

You planning on keeping them over night?

[blackthorne]

just my two cents worth but, a couple hours in instruction on how not to get into a survival situation might be prudent. basic land navigation, planned routes of travel, letting loved ones know itenerary of trip, checking back trail, the basics before getting in the woods.

[gcckoka]

kyratshooter

Yeah , thats what I was going to do , rule of threes
Maybe add primitive navigation? how to use a compass , how to use a watch and how to navigate at night?

Hunter63

yes , I have a hotel on a ski resort 2,5 hours from the capital and I will make it there

[Batch]

You have two people already interested. Why are they interested and what is it they want to learn.

A 2 day course is an overnight camp trip. What is it that will draw students to your course? Are these the folks that watch survival shows and want to "Do That?"

Then just do the ferro rod, shelter, water purification. If you introduce a person to one wild edible in a weekend they talk about it for years. I cut grape vines for water for people and they are amazed that I know which vines are grape vines. They will probably never cut a vine for water.

but people like me because this stuff is new to them and they are very interested in it

Your teaching beginning bushcraft. Keep the people comfortable and make the trip enjoyable. A lot of people can't poop in the woods at first. This is uncomfortable.

Most people can't build a fire correctly no matter what they start it with. Firecraft is a big winner with folks. You teach them to build a fire and light it with a ferro rod and let them keep the ferro rod and you are golden.

The new folks will be happy to do what they have seen on TV.

[gcckoka]

Batch

yeah I am thinking about that to give something as a gift to everyone.
They are interested because big amount of people love camping , hiking , hunting and just outdoor activities but they can't even start a fire with a ferro rod.
I mean they want to know but here noone teaches such things maybe someone somewhere does but its not a survival course, I will be the first one to do this , they can check things in the internet but not everyone knows english so well and also if they search it in georgian , I am the only one whos videos will appear. I have the knowledge needed for this , I have a place for doing this , I have the gear to do this and why not do it?
I know that 2 day course is not much , but I want it that way because most of people are working and don't have more time for this , in summer I will make a 5 or 7 day course which will have everything on beginner level from fire and navigation till traps, skinning and cooking lessons , but I think 2 day will be enough for teaching firecraft (tinders , types of woods , ferro rods and so on) water purification , primitive shelter , navigation in day and night and I am thinking what to add to this list.

[gcckoka]

maybe also add a few most needed knots?

[Rick]

Knots are not a big deal, IMO. While they certainly make life easier anyone can tie a double overhand knot in a survival situation. I would focus on the basics as outlined above. If you find yourself needing to fill in material for the two days I think you'd be better off expanding on the basics.

[gcckoka]

I will tell you now how much it will be , on saturday 8am they will move from the capital and at 11 the will be on place so on 12 we will start and till 6-7pm we will have time for everything , on the place were we will be sitting I have good lights so dark won't be a problem and after everything about 1 hour or less for night navigation and that will be for the first day on second day we will start at 8am and we will have time till 3pm and then 4pm they will be in transport which will take them to the capital will this time be enough or should I extend the second day and try to find different transport which will take them little bit later?

[hunter63]

Before you get real committed to times....
Make a list of and outline of your schedule

What the subject is.....what materials you need....how much time it will take......then try out each subject....and see f it fits.

[gcckoka]

Than this sunday I am going in the mountains and I will make everything till that and when arrive I will see how much time I will need for this or that

[kyratshooter]

I will tell you now how much it will be , on saturday 8am they will move from the capital and at 11 the will be on place so on 12 we will start and till 6-7pm we will have time for everything , on the place were we will be sitting I have good lights so dark won't be a problem and after everything about 1 hour or less for night navigation and that will be for the first day on second day we will start at 8am and we will have time till 3pm and then 4pm they will be in transport which will take them to the capital will this time be enough or should I extend the second day and try to find different transport which will take them little bit later?

OK Gocckoka, as a 35 year classroom instruction, museum director and skills demonstrator I am going to throw a problem into your plan.

Not only will the schedule be at the mercy of what you need to teach, it will also be controlled by the individual students. A survival instructor does not just show the skill and move to the next topic on the schedule. Well, they do on the internet, but not in real life in a face to face situation. That is one of the reasons we have so many computer commandos running around today getting lost in the woods, attacked by animals, and sometimes dying. They watched someone else complete a skill, so they think they know how to do it too.

All teaching efforts involve proof of learning, a test, and in the hands on skills of survival that means preforming the skill.

It might only take you 15 minutes to prep wood and build a fire, but it will take an hour for everyone in the class go prep, build and start a fire, if you are lucky! More than likely, in a group of rank beginners, you will have at least one person that can not strike a match on the side of the box. If you have 4-5 students plan at least a half day for learning three ways to build a fire; matches, lighters, ferro rods, with each student prepping and laying a new fire for each method of fire building.

Survival skills are a "hands on" learning experience and each student will need to develop the skill and demonstrate their mastery of that skill. If you have one student that takes a full hour of each segment you are going to face a decision. Do you abandon that student to their own devises or slow the entire class down to their speed.

It is the age old problem faced by every teacher of groups of people since time began. I am sure that cave men all over the nation of Georgia ambled back into the cave after a hard day teaching the boys, flopped down by the fire and mumbled to the wife, "that boy ain't going to make it!"

If you are charging a fee for the class you can not hold back the faster students but you feel obligated to drag the slow one forward and it comes down to a money decision and getting referrals from the good students or trash talk on the computer from the bad ones.

Many instructors have an assistant that can take charge of the slow ones as a separate group for more direct attention.

BTW, I would hope you will limit your "night navigation" to finding the north star and Orion the Hunter. Do not try to navigate through the woods at night with beginners. It never works out well.

Knots are not a mandatory skill, but they make a nice time killer. If you finish way earlier than you anticipated you can use a knot session to fill a big gap in the schedule at the end. Same with "primitive fire". Hold the fire spindle and other tricks for a time killing demo at the end of the two day deal.

[gcckoka]

kyratshooter

First of all thank you for taking time and helping me , I really appreciate that and I thank all of you guys.
yes ofcourse after I show and explain they will have to do it on there own and I can not know how much time will they need for that , I think that if I will have such students which needs really much time for it than I will leave him untill he will do it right and tell my father to help him while I go on with others and after the day when all will go for rest I will explain to him one on one all of the topics which he didn;t listen while was making one for long time.
Yes I know but I wanted to add knots in the case if I will have spare time , it will be my plan b

[Rick]

And you will be at the mercy of the weather, getting lost at night, misplacing a student in the dark, someone turning an ankle, etc. No plan survives first contact with the enemy.

[hayshaker]

i want to learn how to survive too. i did camp out a couple of time all by myself.
does that count or no?