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Wilderness Survival Immersion
Ongoing Mentoring Program

A 1 weekend-a-month outdoor immersion program in wilderness survival!

Join a learning community for intensive nature connection and skills training. Train in wilderness survival with the expert mentors at Trackers Earth. Learn to craft shelters, find water, make fire without matches, forage for wild foods, and much more! This program develops hands-on skills through immersive experiences in bushcraft and animal tracking.

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Wilderness Survival Immersion

This program is a 9-month intensive that teaches essential outdoor skills. Learn Wilderness Survival, Tracking, and Stealth with a community of like-minded peers. Led by expert Trackers Guides, you get hands-on, active training in the following core elements:

Wilderness Survival: Build shelters for short and long-term wilderness living. Learn various methods of finding and purifying water. Practice lighting fires in all weather conditions and with no matches. Learn to find, identify, gather, and forage for wild foods.

Tracking & Wayfinding: Discover the timeless art of tracking and nature awareness. Follow wildlife such as elk, bobcat, fox, and more into their own world as you trail them! Hone your skills to identify, interpret, and follow tracks of both animals and humans.

Stealth & Invisibility: Learn to live and travel lightly on the land. Get artistic and creative with the art of camouflage to stay hidden in the landscape. Train to blend and become invisible within the forest and meadows if needed.

Need a shorter, single-day option? Try our 1-day Wilderness Survival Basics!



Our Mentors

This program is led by Evan Prairie, who has over 10 years of experience. It also includes guest instruction from other skilled Trackers staff, including Tony Deis, Founder of Trackers Earth. Core qualifications of all our educators include:

  • Expertise in mentoring and Trackers skills.
  • Low student-to-guide ratio facilitating personal, team-based learning.
  • Background checked with First Aid & CPR certification.
  • Trained in outdoor safety and the Trackers Earth curriculum.

Our Place

For Immersion, we provide transport in vans from Trackers Basecamp to wilderness field sites and campsites specific to the day's activities. Our destinations may include Trackers' private 351-acre wildlife park and our 100-acre farm and forest. When the weather calls for it, we might choose to stay closer to home, learning hands-on folk crafts in our art studios and utilizing nearby natural areas. Students can optionally self-transport to field sites if they wish.

Program FAQ

See below to read our Wilderness Survival Immersion FAQ.



Choose Your Schedule

Field Days: 5 total, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Camping Overnights: 4 total, Friday - Sunday

We offer make-up days for weather-related postponements.

Schedule



SCHEDULE - Immersion Overnight

  • September 20-22, 2024 - Camping Overnight
  • October 11-13, 2024 - Camping Overnight
  • November 2, 2024 - Field Saturday
  • December 7, 2024 - Field Saturday
  • January 11, 2025 - Field Saturday
  • February 8, 2025 - Field Saturday
  • March 8, 2025 - Field Saturday
  • April 11-13, 2025 - Camping Overnight
  • May 16-18, 2025 - Camping Overnight



Frequently Asked Questions

Does this program require prior experience?
No, it can be useful for students to be familiar with Trackers or bushcraft activities, but all skill levels are welcomed!

What are the sleeping accommodations?
Students bring their own 3-season sleeping bag, pad, and tent—we provide equipment recommendations if needed. Almost all activities take place outdoors. This is an authentic camping experience.

What kind of meals are served?
Trackers provides the Saturday community dinner. Breakfasts and lunches are the responsibility of the student—outdoor cooking facilities are provided. Depending on the season and program logistics, food may be cooked over an open fire or on propane camp stoves. Meals feature menus common to overland expedition kitchens, for example, hearty stews. Please note that if you have specific dietary restrictions, you may need to bring your own dinner due to the rugged nature of this program. We might eat food we have butchered, foraged, or processed from the wild.

What gear should we pack?
We provide recommendations for the ideal camping kit (Gear & Clothing) to outfit you to camp in all weather. The camping kit you assemble will include a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, outdoor clothing, and other personal gear. Before the program begins, we send you packing recommendations with links so you can stock your kit efficiently and cost-effectively.

What am I getting myself into?
Our foundation is built on deep outdoor skills, best learned through rigorous training comparable to, if not more comprehensive than, martial arts. Such training demands focus and diligence from the student. The practice of ecological thinking, particularly in animal tracking, cultivates an ability to understand complex systems and the workings of the world, fostering humility, patience, and strategic thinking.

What is the role of program mentors?
Our program mentors are among the best at Trackers, responsible for directing and developing the curriculum and logistics for our field days. They adapt their mentoring to each team, regularly checking in to gauge the well-being of students in the program. They are readily available for advice on skills, independent study locations, or updates on your progress.

Have Questions?

For any questions, please feel free to contact our Family Success team.

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