Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) Opinions?

Noshtero

Noshtero

Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Messages
1,551
Has anyone attended one of the courses at BOSS? What was your opinion? Worth the large amount of money (well over $3k for the 28-day course)?
Were there people there with little to no bush experience? Did they keep up?
A specific course you would recommend?

Thanks.
 
Or maybe this school?

http://www.apathways.com/

Basically I'm looking for a week-ish long "teach Noshtero how to be less of a noob when it comes to being outside"

An interesting note for all you blade lovers. Both schools have a company store where the sell suitable gear for their excursions, and both stores only carry Frost Moras.
 
http://www.hikingforums.net/forums/general/2054-boulder-outdoor-survival-school.html

This is one of the few forums where I found this place discussed. Seems like mostly favorable reviews. I wasn't aware that the tragic incident a while back occurred there. Seems like kind of an intense trek for someone new to the wilderness.

http://www.weteachu.com/

I think the Wilderness Learning Center seems like a very cool place and would like to take a class or two there when I get time/money. I've heard a lot of good reviews. It also seems a less 'Rambo-ey' that some other places I read about, which really gets old quick.

[Sorry I can't be more helpful, I haven't any experience with these wilderness schools. Just wanted to offer some findings!]
 
Ya I'm liking the course at apathways.com
Here's the main difference I see:
BOSS believes in this "Push yourself passed boundries non-sense" so they do these massive 10-30 mile one day hikes as part of their week-long course.
Apathways believes that it's more important to learn and practices the skills, so they do 1-2 mile hikes.

Personally, I'd rather spend 10 hours of my day learning, and 2 hours hiking rather than vice versa. Plus, being 1-2 miles away from the base camp is a LOT more comfortable in case something goes wrong. If I'm focusing on learning skills, then as long as base camp is only there for emergencies, it can be 100 yards away for all I care. I understand that part of the BOSS training is training your mind, and in a real life survival situation, you need to know what it feels like to be 30 miles from help or whatever.

For me, however, I don't plan to backpack in the far wilderness. Where I'll be going (at least to begin with), the worst situation I can think of is losing my pack (short of breaking my legs or something which no survival school can prepare you for). In this situation, I would need to build a shelter for the night, and then hike to safety the next day. I would feel really dumb if I died because the training course I was taking was 10 times worse than any situation I could get myself into in real life :)
 
It seems a lot of Cody's stuff is more geared to primative living, and not "survive long enough to get the hell out of the situation". Like, if I lose my pack and need to get to safety, I probably won't weave an intricate grass mat to sleep on. I'll probably just pile up a bunch of grass.
 
Noshtero said:
Personally, I'd rather spend 10 hours of my day learning, and 2 hours hiking rather than vice versa. Plus, being 1-2 miles away from the base camp is a LOT more comfortable in case something goes wrong. If I'm focusing on learning skills, then as long as base camp is only there for emergencies, it can be 100 yards away for all I care. I understand that part of the BOSS training is training your mind, and in a real life survival situation, you need to know what it feels like to be 30 miles from help or whatever.......



It seems a lot of Cody's stuff is more geared to primative living, and not "survive long enough to get the hell out of the situation". Like, if I lose my pack and need to get to safety, I probably won't weave an intricate grass mat to sleep on. I'll probably just pile up a bunch of grass.
Click to expand...

So if it's more important to get to safety wouldn't the long distance walking part be more valuable than learning skills?
 
Nah because I already know how to walk. If endurance hiking is all I'm worried about, I'll throw a pack on and hike around my local park.

I guess if the choices are
1) learn skills to survive in an environment that doesn't really push your body to the edge of exhaustion
2) Push your body to the edge of exhaustion, and learn a few skills on the way

I'll take 1).
I can push my body in plenty of ways that don't cost $3,000. Know what I mean?
 
Noshtero said:
It seems a lot of Cody's stuff is more geared to primative living, and not "survive long enough to get the hell out of the situation". Like, if I lose my pack and need to get to safety, I probably won't weave an intricate grass mat to sleep on. I'll probably just pile up a bunch of grass.
Click to expand...


I have spent time with Lundin in the field and it is far from true that he is just primitive skills. Yes he can do the primitive thing extremely well, but he is all about modern methods AND EQUIPMENT when it comes to survival and self-reliance.

He has a new book coming out soon...

http://www.amazon.com/When-All-Hell...0424732?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185997365&sr=8-1
 
Noshtero said:
Personally, I'd rather spend 10 hours of my day learning, and 2 hours hiking rather than vice versa.
Click to expand...

I understand your reasons, but you can learn a lot (about yourself for example) by pushing your limits. You will need to push your limits in a survival situation too. You will panic then, or just think "well i was in worst conditions at BOSS, and im alive, so i will survive this situation too".
Please don't take this as an offence, that "You" is not personally you.
 
If you want a good course, without having to worship the earth or paint yourself in mud, these guys:http://http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/index.html Will give you a no nonsense, technology friendly, common sense course, workshop, or seminar. Plus, Mr. McCann wrote a great book on survival kits.
 
your bottom line should be going somewhere and coming back alive and should you have problem in a "school", you should be able to count on the instructors to help you. After all, you are paying them to be there.

I would drop BOSS from your consideration completely.
 
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