Hello

[EternallyDeveloping]

Hi I'm Kirk. I'm 24 and born and raised in Montana. I've been in the service for 6 years so far, and continuing.

I'm on this site for two reasons, both pertaining to research.

My first is I want to increase my personal survival knowledge.
As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as knowing too much, though one can over think a situation.

As for my second and more pertinent due to time sensitivities. I am working on writing a character bio.
I love the wilderness, from day trips to week to two week outings into the woods but I'm also on the nerd end of the scale. This character is for a tabletop roleplaying game. Not to be published, but with my character bio I will be putting a citation sheet... Just to be safe.

This campaign is very... Nitpicky on the details. So I want to make sure I lay out his back story accurately.

I want him to have been a survival instructor, but I'm having trouble finding WHERE to get the certs to be a survival instructor. I've got it covered on him having the knowledge, through extensive training through a series of courses and experience having to put survival training to use. But getting the certs... That has eluded me. I've found references to "get this cert or that one" but not WHERE one can get it, how long it takes, etc.

I know that was long winded but I figured that since my issue is not being able to find something, I'd make sure to detail my situation.

Once I've completed this project I can return to just personally expanding my survival knowledge for real world use.

Thanks!!!

[Rick]

Welcome home and thank you for your service.

[crashdive123]

Hello and welcome. Thank you for your service. Good luck with your research.

[Antonyraison]

Welcome aboard.
I might be able to help. I am busy with finishing up my "certs" for survival instructor and will soon be one.. been on many many courses over the past 2 and a half years with a survival school in southern Africa and been out on many trips and have had some experience teaching as well... so yeah pop me any questions hopefully I can help.
Here is a few of the examples :
I been in survival situations in practice and in real life.. I have survived a mugging a hijacking (at gun point by 3 armed men) a 2 hour house robbery I was tied up and held hostage whilst they robbed the house. And I have done many survival trip outings in southern Africa as practice for wilderness survival situations and I have been out in the bush and lost a full day hiking and using celistal navigation to make my way back.

[EternallyDeveloping]

Thanks guys! Antonyraisin, I'll start with that and inbox you any questions. Even just there, I got a better idea of what I need to have in it time frame wise.

[Antonyraison]

Thanks guys! Antonyraisin, I'll start with that and inbox you any questions. Even just there, I got a better idea of what I need to have in it time frame wise.

cool. hope I can help out.

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.....From Wisconsin.
Thank you for your service.

Not sure if I would be any help of finding who, what, where, "certs" ar earned or granted?...or who would recognize them?

[Antonyraison]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.....From Wisconsin.
Thank you for your service.

Not sure if I would be any help of finding who, what, where, "certs" ar earned or granted?...or who would recognize them?

Heheh yeah I have kinda already explained that in a pvt message.

[hunter63]

Heheh yeah I have kinda already explained that in a pvt message.

LOL...Thanks....you didn't copy ME ....LOL
But you are "The Guy...."

[Antonyraison]

LOL...Thanks....you didn't copy ME ....LOL
But you are "The Guy...."

Hahahahaha. aye well sorrry
but yeah just to be clear and I leave it here for reference for others in the future.
There are schools that do training, you can get a certificate for each "module" or section you choose to do,
they all hands on practical courses, with some theory.
But regardless of that there is no governing body or university or any formal institution that can or will back it,
there is no such thing as a doctorate or masters or whatever in Survival. ( you dont need one really) the only way you can really back up what it is you know is with experience and dirt time, the Wilderness is your university, and Surviving it well is your degree hahah.
That being said, and it likely applies to most schools.
You have levels that you do, from basic all the way through, to a level of instructor, which can take years to get there (money and time)
and even then the chief instructor of the school would only allow certain individuals to become instructors, as they need to have proven themselves via their ladder and be shown to have the right stuff. (that is how our school works..) I am just awaiting the dates and info on when I get to do my next requirement which is a 1 on 1 survival mission with our instructor to move to the level of "Ranger" and then I need to log 100 hours teaching.
And then from there I can be slotted into teaching on courses more permanently

The list I gone through to get here spans about 2 and a half years, going in to a course about every 2-3 months average course 48 - 72 hours long. and limited people of like about 10 max on each course, and well it costs money to do them, I have got certificates for all issued by the school, along with badges, like scouts) the courses are not always available, as you need to have completed a basic before advanced, and so forth... so sometimes I have waited like 6 months to just do one requirement to get to the next step to get to ranger level.
Basic
Advanced
Extreme ( I have done 2 of these ones, and going to do a 3rd one in the desert for a week)
Bushcraft
Navigation
2night solo
72 hour alone in wild challenge
Wild foods
Wild medicine
Bushmedic (1st aid)

[hayshaker]

welcome fr mn