This article is part of
Wilderness Way
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 3.
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Wilderness Learning Center Winter Survival Skills Course Review
by Kevin Estela
Survival Instructor
A fresh dusting of powder muffled all noise; the cold dry air cut aggressively into the students’ lungs. Everything seemed to stand perfectly still as few signs of life were noticeable this morning. Their comfort level was brought down by heavy layers of clothing, difficulty in hydrating and a seemingly endless chill. As the students gathered for another day of learning, I wondered what possessed them to endure 6 days of intensive winter survival training. The reasons were all different but by the end of the training, the understanding of winter survival and the correct application of winter knowledge was a common thread that united the winter training group at the Wilderness Learning Center’s Winter Survival Skills Course.
As a survival instructor for the Wilderness Learning Center, I regularly teach students about survival philosophy, emergency kits, fire making, water purification, shelter craft, emergency signaling, and other essential skills. Normally easy to grasp, but all of these lessons quickly became compounded with more difficulty as temperatures dropped below freezing. The students in this course held in February, 2009 were subjected to freezing temperatures with little warm refuge other than a kerosene heated tent for temporary shelter.
As chief instructor Marty Simon pointed out, “You have to condition your body to the cold.” But this proved difficult, even with clothing and warm food, as some students struggled to handle life without constant heat and exposure to the natural world. The students’ ability to perform simple tasks was hindered by cold hands and stinging cold and stress brought on by fear. Even the simple task of flicking a Bic lighter was difficult with gloved hands and temperamental butane lighters that refused to work.
During
the Winter Survival Course, students were instructed in
reviewing prior knowledge including fire starting, shelter
craft, water purification and signaling. In addition to
these, students were introduced to specialized winter
clothing, proper use of an axe and bow saw, winter survival
shelters, hypothermia care, winter travel safety, homemade
snow shoes and goggles, and much more. The students were
instructed by Marty, Bobby, and me on all aspects of
survival and how to address emergency priorities.
To regularly assess the students’ understanding of the skills, we routinely challenged the students to problem solving scenarios like building a fire and boiling water in under 30 minutes, building emergency signal fires, and winter navigation through thick terrain. Students had the opportunity to reflect on their performance and share what they learned in the process. During the fire and boiling water challenge, one student accidentally bumped his suspended cup of water and spilled it on his fire.
Seeing this experience, I was reminded of the Jack London short story, “To Build a Fire,” and was happy the student learned the hard way in a controlled setting instead of when his life is on the line. Unlike the protagonist in the story, this student could walk out of the woods and live to tell his story another day.
For 6 days, students settled into the routine of constant instruction, highly caloric meals provided by Aggie Simon, and regular challenges to their outdoor skills. Each lesson had a clear objective posted and students eagerly took notes with each. From one day to the next, they moved from gathering hemlock twig bundles to constructing primitive tip-ups for ice fishing to emergency litter construction using nothing more than two sturdy poles and a wool blanket. Along the way, the instruction was complemented by impromptu taste tests of traditional and modern pemmican, knife testing, and gear show and tell. At the end of each day and early in the night, the regular campfire fun was curtailed as most students passed out from exhaustion thanks to full days of learning.
The winter course taught on the school’s mixed terrain of dense woods, open fields, and swampland also highlighted the importance of travel safety. One ice crossing technique I demonstrated, but warned students from trying unless in a controlled setting, was lying prone to distribute weight evenly and crawling over a section on a frozen pond. I also explained the importance of carrying a long pole to prop yourself up on in case of falling through. Students learned to navigate winter terrain on both primitive and modern snowshoes and with the aid of compasses. Students made their own emergency snow goggles with nose protection and learned how to build two types of emergency snowshoes. The class discussions included where to find thick versus thin ice on a pond and river and how to travel in a group over open ice. Students even had the opportunity to tie their own Swiss seat harnesses to use for winter travel in dangerous conditions or in an egress situation. Vehicle emergencies and specialized winter kits were taught, and students learned recovery techniques hands-on. Students learned to rig a recovery strap with various anchor points, use a come-a-long, and how to use a High-Lift jack in a variety of methods.
In the winter, familiar edible plants become covered with snow. Normally tolerable activities become uncomfortable with cold and the limited daylight creates a sense of urgency in completing tasks before dark. Time was a constant concern for students, and every attempt to maximize instructional opportunities was taken. Students studied by lantern and headlamps when the sun set and when classroom instruction ended for the day, informal lessons began around the campfire or at the dinner table. With proper training, the students learned winter becomes more welcoming and less of a challenge to cope with. As the week progressed, the students built upon their existing wilderness skills. In a week’s time, the students learned to live more comfortably with the cold and travel with confidence in winter conditions.
When the course began, I was unsure of my students’ ability to survive in the outdoors in winter conditions. After a week of instruction and demonstrations of ability, I became more confident. Their ability to handle adverse winter conditions and their laughter eased my concerns. If your winter adventures find you venturing out into the cold or traveling in unforgiving conditions, the Wilderness Learning Center Winter Survival Course may be the right choice for you. As an instructor, I urge you to look into our school and determine if it is the right choice for you. The winter survival skills we teach save lives, and the life you will learn to save may be your own.
Contact information for the school: Wilderness Learning Center, 435 Sandy Knoll Road, Chateaugay, New York 12920; phone: (518) 497-3179; website: www.weteachu.com
