PROFESSIONAL SURVIVAL
TRAINING COURSES
Overview
Survival Training South Africa trains a wide variety of people in basic survival. Our courses are based on the techniques used by the Royal Air Force to train their aircrews but can easily be adapted to meet specific needs.
For example, members of the Mountain Club South Africa may wish to do a Winter Mountain Survival course prior to a July Camp in the mountains (we offer discount to registered MCSA members).
Perhaps you work as a pilot flying in remote areas of the African continent who often wonder what would happen if the engine ever did fail.
Alternatively, you may want to come on a course as part of a Management Team Building exercise in which case we will adjust the itinerary accordingly. You will still learn many of the core survival principles of fire-lighting, shelter building, procuring water and food as well as exploring the concept of survival psychology.
Perhaps your industry involves your personnel working in wilderness areas and you’d like them to be better prepared for a survival situation. Why not send them on a course with us?
We even provide Schools Expedition Survival Training and Equipment Preparation. You can book one of our instructors to come to your school and assess your expedition preparedness and, if the situation warrants it, have the instructor accompany you.
Whatever your needs, we can design a Survival Course for you that meets them. The last thing to bear in mind is that with enough notice, we can conduct a course in whichever part of the country suits your requirements.
That said, all of our courses listed below take place close to Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape.
| Course | Duration |
|---|---|
| Survival Course | 2 Nights |
| Desert Survival Course | 2 Nights |
| Mountaineering Survival Course | 2 Nights |
| Instructors Course | 6 Nights |
| Team Building Courses | 2/3 Nights |
| School Expedition Training | 2 Nights |
SURVIVAL COURSE
Basic bushcraft starts on a Friday afternoon and finishes around lunchtime on the Sunday. You have two full nights out, the first with minimal equipment, the second with not much at all! You will leave at the end of your weekend with all the basic skills needed to survive.
Core subjects include:
- Psychology of Survival
- Basic shelter building
- Natural vegetation shelters
- Fire lighting.
- Location devices
- Water – location and filtering/purification
- Food – sources of nutrition
Min course size: 8 students.
Max course size: 16 students.
Duration: 2 nights
Price: R2500 per person.
-15% discount for MCSA members
-50% discount kids under 12.
| Basic Bushcraft |
|---|
| 2-4th November 2018 |
| Enquire about this course>> |
DESERT SURVIVAL COURSE
Similar to our standard Survival course above, yet this take place in the Karoo with an extra emphasis on water/survival in a dryer climate.
Core subjects include:
- Psychology of Survival
- Basic shelter building
- Natural vegetation shelters
- Fire lighting.
- Location devices
- Water – location and filtering/purification
- Food – sources of nutrition
Min course size: 8 students.
Max course size: 16 students.
Duration: 2 nights
Price: R3500 per person.
-15% discount for MCSA members
-50% discount kids under 12.
| Desert Survival |
|---|
| 1-3 February 2019 |
| Enquire about this course>> |
MOUNTAINEERING SURVIVAL COURSE
The aim of the course is to train mountain hikers/climbers how to prepare for and then combat a survival situation in the mountains, arguably one of the least hospitable and changeable environments known to man. This is a specialist course and limited to 4 people per course. Note that participants need to be fit, experienced hikers/climbers with a proven track record. The course will involve planning and executing a trek through the Western Cape mountains with training delivered en route.
Core subjects include:
- Route Selection
- Training and reactions to a variety of emergency scenarios (unplanned night out on the mountain side, injury, lost procedure).
- Psychology of Survival
- Protection from the environment (emergency shelters, effective clothing technique, emergency fires)
- Fire lighting.
- Location devices (use of flares, signal fire-set, radios, GPS tracking software, ground signalling).
- Water – location and filtering/purification
- Food – sources of nutrition
Min course size: 4 students.
Max course size: 4 students.
Duration: 2 nights
Price: R2500 per person.
-15% discount for MCSA members
| Mountaineering Survival |
|---|
| Nov 2018 / Feb 2019 |
| Enquire about this course>> |
Instructor Courses
A six night course that teaches the student how to teach each core subject module. Each participant will be expected to deliver a wide range of effective field presentations to other course members and instructor staff. The course will take place in a variety of outdoor locations ranging from Karoo-type arid through to high mountains as well as indigenous South Cape forest. Note that in all but the most exceptional circumstances, participants will have had to complete a Basic Survival Course prior to being accepted as a student. Note that this is a pass/fail course.
Max course size: Student dependent.
Duration: 6 nights
Price: R4900 per person.
| Instructor Survival Course |
|---|
| Enquire about this course>> |
Team Building Courses
Team-Building Courses take place starting on a Monday through to departure on either Thursday or Friday. The first night will be in chalet-style team houses and the following two nights moving to the great outdoors. Participants will gradually be introduced to survival skills with the emphasis being on operating as a team in order to survive. This is a simple concept to instill as survival in a group very much depends on Teamwork. Teams that split up or can’t agree in a real life survival situation don’t succeed. The course is a lot of fun and, come the last day, delegates will experience a real sense of achievement through the learning of new skills as well as forging new relationships in the face of adversity. What's more, delegates also have the option of extending their stay to include a night or two in Plettenberg bay, one of South Africa’s top tourist destinations.
Core subjects include:
- Team Survival Psychology
- Basic shelter building
- Natural vegetation shelters
- Fire lighting.
- Location devices
- Water – location and filtering/purification
- Food – sources of nutrition
- Survival Trust
- Survivor-TV-Style Team games.
Max course size: Negotiable.
Duration: 2 nights
Price: R2500 per person plus 1 night accommodation. *
Duration: 3 nights
Price: R3100 per person plus 1 night accommodation. *
| Team Building Survival Course |
|---|
| Enquire about this course>> |
School Expedition SURVIVAL Courses
More and more schools are starting to venture to remote areas for expeditions, either in South Africa or, increasingly, overseas locations. Anthony has led 3 school expeditions to Brazil, Sulawesi and Madagascar and is in a strong position to advise on equipment preparation/survival training. We can even put together a pre-expedition survival course, tailor made to your destination. Our instructors are also available to deploy as part of the expedition, should it be required by the school.
Core subjects include:
- Psychology of Survival
- Team Building
- Expedition Leadership – the effects of stress on judgment.
- Basic shelter building
- Natural vegetation shelters
- Fire lighting.
- Location devices
- Water – location and filtering/purification
- Food – sources of nutrition
- Expedition Survival Equipment preparation
Max course size: Negotiable.
Duration: 2 nights
Price: R2000 per person neg.
School Presentation quotes available on request.
| School Expedition Preparation |
|---|
| Enquire about this course>> |
Tailor Made Courses
Remember we can tailor make a package to suit your needs and location.
NOTES
Note # Course costs negotiable depending on total numbers
Note * All courses include food and survival accommodation except for Team Building Courses which spend the first night in Chalet-style accommodation for which the client pays.
AM I TOUGH ENOUGH?
The courses are not ‘hardcore’ in that we won’t push you beyond your limits. Sure, you will be hungry at times and at times uncomfortable.
However, we found long ago that people tend to switch off if you make life too difficult and stop learning. We don’t want you in survival mode during your experience with us; we want you in learning mode so that you can remember how to survive if the situation ever arises.
Again, we’ll tailor the courses to your needs and if you come and do one of the Survival Instructor Courses, we’re going to push you close to your limits (the cream of the Instructor Courses will have the opportunity to work as an instructor at Survival Training South Africa). Similarly, we will continue to train Mountain Rescue Team members and their training experience with us is going to be tougher than most, for obvious reasons.
If you’re a private or commercial pilot looking for some skills to keep you alive should your aircraft go down in the middle of nowhere then we’ll make conditions realistic but not push you to the point where you stop learning!
More FAQ's here>>
DO I NEED SPECIAL KIT?
The training is not super-technical.
You don’t need mountains of kit to survive in most environments and by the time you complete your course with us you will have your own tried and tested lightweight survival kit that you know will keep you alive.
It’s a very different feeling packing your expedition rucksack or your Mountain Rescue pack knowing that when you throw in your survival pack at the end, you’ve already tried tested every item during one of our courses.
Confidence in your ability to keep yourself alive, making the right decisions and anticipating the array of psychological challenges that your brain will throw at you are key components to survival. That’s what all of our courses will give you. Now choose one that suits your needs.
More FAQ's here>>
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