okay! I hope I'm not over steping my bounds but herre is one we're doing in June
Due to many emails and other correspondence asking us about live classes, concerning wilderness skills and survival, Christopher Nyerges, Dude McLean, and Alan Halcon burned the midnight oil to see what we could put together for our Wilderness Way readers.
Many phone calls, emails and meetings later, with potential instructors, ideas for classes and other details at last fell into place. What remained was a prime location.
After several hundred miles of scouting for the place that would offer a wilderness experience and yet be accessible for everybody, we found a great place, quietly nestled in the Sequoia National Forest amongst some of the biggest trees in the world.
With the location secured, we finalized the logistics of classes, instructors, dates and time.
The end result is an assembly of some of the top wilderness skills instructors in the country in some of the most beautiful country.
Instructors
Ron Hoodthe Woodsmaster Famous for his in depth knowledge and the Hoods Woods award winning survival skills video series. Ron has taught at two Universities, UCLA and California State University Northridge, consulted for television shows such as MacGyver, designed and field tested product for Jansport. Ron Hood is the owner/operator of Survival.com and has been featured in Wilderness Way
Christopher Nyergesinternationally known and recognized as a premiere survival skills instructor and has been teaching the skills since 1974. He is the editor and a writer for "Wilderness Way" magazine and is enjoying the release of his 9th book, "How To Survive Anywhere". Christopher has had over 2500 articles, all related to the survival skills, published in his career.
John McCannrecognized by his popular book Build the Perfect Survival Kit, Former Drill Instructor with the United States Marine Corps, and a NY State licensed guide, certified in Wilderness First Aid and Water Safety. John has also written for Wilderness Way and is the owner/operator of be Survival Resources and can be found at bepreparedtosurvive.com
Paul Campbellknown for his bookSurvival Skills of Native California, he teaches primitive skills at Wintercount and Rabbitstick and is a sought after speaker on the subject of primitive skills. Paul has also been featured in Wilderness Way, and is enjoying the release of his latest book Earth Pigments and Paint of the California Indians
Joe Aboman BigleyAuthor of Abomans Guide to Survival and Self-Reliance, and owner of Salmon Outdoor School, has more than twenty years experience with outdoor/survival skills. Retired from the U.S. coast Guard, Joe had many opportunities to deal firsthand with the staggering demands of emergency and disaster response in a variety of situations. An experienced manager with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), and an instructor at Wintercount and Rabbitstick, he brings an unusual breadth of perspective, knowledge and experience to Survival and Self-Reliance. Joe has also been a contributing writer for Wilderness Way
George HedgepethGeorge has taught primitive and survival skills all over the United States for the last 18 years. He founded the Great Lakes Primitives, which hosts primitive skills events in Michigan, in 1992. Currently, George and Kerri Hedgepeth operate Briar Patch Outdoors teaching survival, primitive, and traditional skills,
http://www.briarpatchoutdoors.com
Web CrittendenWeb is an active climber, guide and hiker in New York State. Having climbed on four continents and in many countries, he still loves the variety of his native Northeast. He is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School and several professional training programs. He has taught everything from Heavy Rescue to mud pies to diverse groups ranging from professional soldiers to mobs of toddlers. He has helped build, train and field SAR teams as well as develop training programs in several fields.
Brian PhaneufBrian got his start in the outdoors growing up in the Quebec Laurentians. After serving as an Infantryman (ABN) with the Canadian Armed Forces, Brian studied Prehospital Emergency Medicine He has served as a tactical medic, tactical response team leader, rural ambulance paramedic and as an EMS examiner. Currently pulling duty as a Sheriff, where he has taken on the role of Intelligence Officer and regional training co-ordinator for Southern Alberta, Canada.
A co-founder of Immediate Action Services, an Alberta based EMS company, Brian is the founder and executive officer of Remote Areas Emergency Medicine and Survival (raems.com), an Alberta training entity focused on emergency medical and survival training for the public. He has brought 37 years of wilderness first aid experience to his classes. A large part of the company's time is devoted to providing emergency medical talent for various Rocky Mountain events, such as cross country motorcycle races and rock scrambling events.
Dave DennisDavid Dennis is a retired U.S. Army Soldier and presently is a Defense Contractor. His range of experience is includes: Logistics Specialist, Range Safety Officer, Training Specialist. He has taught competitive shooting skills including shotgun (Trap), rifle and pistol, and has competed in cooking competitions in Arizona and California winning several local awards. Dave is going to be our chef as well as one of our instructors.
Dude McLeanDude is a former United States Marine and his depth of knowledge of modern and primitive survival skills spans over 50 years. He is a field editor, writer and photographer for "Wilderness Way" magazine, A Los Angeles City Emergency Response Team Member, and Survival Instructor. Dude is a sought after speaker and consultant in emergency preparedness, whos credits include consulting in the entertainment industry.
Alan HalconAlan is a field editor, writer and photographer for "Wilderness Way" magazine. Record holder of the handdrill at 3.5 seconds, author of the informative booklet, "The Hand Drill," (available at survivalbiz.com or the handdrill.com) a member of the City of Los Angeles's Emergency Response Team, a Survival Instructor, and a proud certified instructor/provider for The American Red Cross CPR and First-Aid Training, is FEMA certified in NIMS, As well as a consultant in the entertainment industry.
Tap Current military survival instructor whose experience and expertise adds a unique learning experience.
SigWhether he is making baskets, carving out a spoon, or tillering a bow; Sig is a masterful artisan with an eye for detail that will help put the finishing touch on any project.
Classes
With so much to teach, we found it important to have an even mixture of both primitive and modern skills.
Land Navigation
Fire-making (primitive and modern)
First-aid (focus on delayed response and extended care)
Caches
Tarps
Shelters
Survival kits
Stone tool hafting
Wild plant identification
Gourd bowl making
Survival critical thinking
Cooking (solar, dutch oven, jerky)
. And more
Location
We chose a nice, quiet, private location in The Sequoia National Forest, home to some of the largest and oldest trees in the world, with trees exhibiting a base of up to 32 feet in diameter, and ages of more than 2500 years old.
The Sequoia's landscape is as spectacular as its trees. Soaring granite monoliths offer world class climbing glacier-torn canyons are a sight to behold. The roaring whitewater of the Kern River makes for spectacular white water rafting fun. Fishing in the nearby streams and ponds is exciting and fun for the whole family. All this and more await your discovery at the Sierra Nevada's southern end. Elevations range from 1,000 feet in the foothill region to peaks over 12,000 feet in the rugged high country, providing visitors with some of the most spectacular views of mountainous landscape in the entire west.
Sponsors
Were also proud to offer prizes and awards from some of the manufacturers whose products we trust, believe, and endorse.
Wilderness Way premiere magazine in wilderness skills. Each issue is filled with how-to and tips that will help make your back country experience safer and enjoyable. Visit us at wwmag.net
Hoods Woods Hoods Woods has been offering the best survival information on the Internet since 1992 when Ron grabbed the Survival.com domain name. Their award winning video series has received accolades from industry professionals across the nation. Aside from calling the Hoods friends, were also proud to have them as one of our prestigious sponsors. For more info on their products, visit survival.com
Tops knives Are tools designed and built with the knowledge and real life experience of operators in Military, Law enforcement, Outdoor Professionals, and Martial Arts. Having used the knifes ourselves, we stand by their products, and therefore proud to have them as one of our prestigious sponsors. You can find more information about Tops knives at topsknives.com
Legacy Knives specialize in providing the highest quality custom, semi-custom and production knives to Charitable and Non-profit Organizations for their fundraising and marketing needs. Many of their knives have been designed with the help of real life legends like Larry Dean Olsen and David Alloway. Other models, like their High Country Hunter have been designed with the help of professional outfitters and guides from around the Intermountain West. For more information on their products, visit legacyknives.com
Maxpedition When it comes to hard use gear, Maxpedition rises to the top as one of the industries top manufacturers in packs and bags. Maxpedition packs and bags have earned respect as some of the toughest bags on the market. Their attention to quality, detail and commitment to excellence is why we are proud to have them as prestigious sponsors of Dirttime 2008. For more information on this tough brand, visit Maxpedition.com
Mountain House Foods Mountain House, the #1 brand of backpacking foods has been the choice of backpackers, hikers, campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts for over 30 years. When it comes to long-term food storage for activities like camping, hiking, backpacking, hunting, and emergency preparedness, Mountain House is the #1 choice. That's because Mountain House has been recognized as the best tasting freeze dried meal. Mountain House, is convenient, easy to prepare and has a long shelf life. For this reason it is our pleasure to have Mountain House as one of our prestigious sponsors. For more information, visit mountainhouse.com
Adventure Medical Kits is the choice for professional adventurers. Whether youre looking for a first aid kit or survival kit, AMKs products are some of the most well thought out in the industry. With countless, positive reviews, its obvious why they are the best. Recently, Alan wrote about the AMK HEATSHEET. Hands down, He felt it was the best emergency survival blanket he has used and tested, in its category. We are proud to have Adventure Medical Kits as one of our prestigious sponsors. For more information, visit adventuremedicalkits.com
Equinox Coronado Fairly new to the scene, this company is quickly gaining recognition for their tomahawks. Designed with the operator in mind, these high speed low drag hawks are what you want. Made of a secret composite, these hawks are virtually indestructible and are backed by a lifetime warranty. We are proud to have Equinox Coronado as one of our prestigious sponsors. For more key features and information about their hawks visit equinoxcoronado.com
Major Surplus and Survival Home of Voodoo Tactical and Mil-spec Adventure Gear, Major Surplus is also one of our favorite preparedness resource centers. Their wide range of product is sure to fit your preparedness needs. From books to MREs, Major surplus also has everything you need for your back country adventure. We are proud to have Major Surplus as one of our prestigious sponsors. For more information, visit majorsurplus.com
Meals
Understanding folks will be coming in from different parts of the country, making travel a little more restrictive, we are providing breakfast and dinner for everyone in attendance. Each meal is going to be unique and prepared by our very own Dave Dennis. His cooking has received countless accolades from other attendees at various past events, as well as numerous awards at cook-offs. From his Dutch oven cooking, to smoked beef brisket, Daves meals are sure to put a smile on your face.
Lunch will be the responsibility of the attendee. However, we will have a food vendor selling lunch plates on the premises; or if one likes, they can bring their own.
Fees
This first time event, including meals (breakfast and dinner), instruction, prizes and awards, and camping amongst the giant sequoias for 5 days and 4 nights is as follows
Adults $200 per person
17 and under $75 per person
Note: anyone 17 and under must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian
for registration please contact
Alan@dirtiime.com
).
that sounds like a great time... lots of cool folks and some great classes...