Survive to Thrive

Survive to Thrive offers an exhilarating and transformative journey, elevating your wilderness living skills to the next level. Immerse yourself in ancient practices and techniques, mastering the art of living with nature and providing for your needs with minimal modern equipment. This course equips you with essential skills and knowledge to thrive in the great outdoors, guiding you on a journey of self-reliance where you learn to adapt, survive, and thrive in various challenging situations.

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Learning Through Experience

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We prioritize hands-on learning. While some instruction will be given in a lecture format, the majority takes place in the field. Here, you'll see what you're learning and practice your skills in a natural environment.

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​Course Overview: This comprehensive wilderness survival course covers a wide array of techniques and essential principles. Through primitive methods and natural materials, our intensive, hands-on program is tailored for individuals eager to expand their survival expertise. Led by seasoned experts in primitive living and survival techniques, the course challenges you to embrace the simplicity and self-sufficiency inherent in primitive living skills.

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Delve deeply into foundational skills such as friction fire, primitive shelter construction, foraging, trap-making, and crafting woodland tools. Our experienced instructors possess extensive outdoor skills knowledge and aim to empower you with the confidence and skills needed to navigate unexpected challenges in remote and unpredictable environments.

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Discover and apply ancient wisdom, connecting deeply with the wilderness to awaken your primal instincts and cultivate a profound bond with nature. Journey towards self-reliance and a deep connection to the natural world through this transformative experience.

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Prerequisites: This course is tailored for individuals keen to explore wilderness living and master primitive survival techniques within a structured and supportive environment. Given the substantial time spent in the field and sleeping in primitive shelters, a basic understanding of camping and survival skills is strongly recommended. If you have limited experience in these areas, we encourage you to enroll first in our Introduction to Survival Training Course.

Wilderness Skills & Topics Covered:

• Plant & Tree Identification
• Foraging & Natural Remedies
• Navigation & Wayfinding
• Knife Skills & Cutting Techniques
• Primitive Shelter Construction (Long-term & Short-term)
• Water Purification & Procurement
• Primitive Cooking Techniques
• Primitive Fire Making
• Primitive Trapping & Food Procurement
• Keeping Bugs at Bay
• Basket Making
• Burn Bowls & Containers
• Cordage Production from Natural Materials
• Pitch Glue Making
• Introduction to Flint Knapping
• Woodland & Bone Tool Construction

Course Outlook: During this course, you will engage in both individual and paired tasks following comprehensive demonstrations by instructors. Initially, training and sleeping will take place near our base camp location for the first three days. Each day, we will depart from base camp to hike into the wilderness area, practicing skills and sourcing natural materials. On the evening of day three, we will move to the furthest part of our training area to construct shelters and spend the night. On day four, we will travel away from our training location and then hike into a remote area to spend a night along the river's edge.

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All food for the course will be provided, and students will cook and prepare meals using provided items as well as any food source caught or foraged. We ensure a balanced diet including meat, grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Please inform us in advance of any food allergies, dietary restrictions, or medical conditions.

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Expect bugs and weather to influence your experience; you will sleep on the ground or in a shelter. We will teach you natural methods to repel bugs and find comfort, though it won't be as comfortable as home.

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Is this course for everyone? Yes, if you have a genuine desire to experience life as our ancestors did and to deepen your understanding of nature. This course isn't about testing your endurance, but about learning and experiencing under expert guidance how to step beyond your comfort zone and overcome challenges. What better way to connect with nature than with knowledgeable instructors guiding you every step of the way?

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Eligibility Requirements: Students must be at least 16 years old

Course Expectations: Survive to Thrive is an immersive and demanding course that includes extensive hands-on training, overnight stays in primitive shelters away from a base camp setting, and wilderness excursions. Participants will gain a profound understanding of primitive survival techniques. Safety remains paramount throughout the course, with expert instructors guiding you every step of the way.​

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A South Carolina Fishing License is required for this course: Purchase

Meetup Location: Students need to meet our staff near The Brick House Campground, 49 Brick House Rd, Whitmire, SC 29178 between the hours of  9:00 AM and 9:30 AM Monday.

Directions:  From I-26, take exit #60 (SC 66), drive east for 3.5 miles. Turn right onto Forest Service Road 358 and drive .1 miles. There is a field just a short drive to your left. You will see our staff members parked at the entrance of the field to meet you. Turn in and they will provide you with instructions. (This is the meetup location unless otherwise noted). From there you will be led to the school property.

Early Arrivals: If you plan to arrive early. There are several hotels near by and The Brick House Campground has primitive camping available with some sites first come first serve and others available for registration.