Bushcraft Courses & Classes - The Pathfinder School
While survival skills rely on short-term solutions, bushcraft takes those same practical skills and layers them for long-term, comfortable living. If you were ever wondering: are there any bushcraft courses for me? Fret not, at SRO, we have plenty of options for you.
If you enroll in a bushcraft skills course, your instructors will likely begin by teaching the core competencies that define survival: fire making, water collection and purification, and shelter-crafting.
These core skills are applicable to any and every outdoor scenario, including situations that quickly become life or death. For bushcraft, wilderness skills at the foundational level become that much more important. If you can't forge a fire with limited resources or cook a hearty meal waterside, you won't last more than a night, even with modern tools.
In Self Reliance Outfitters bushcraft classes, you'll find real ways to spend time in the great outdoors without worrying about basic survival. Experienced instructors teach classes from Bushcraft 101 all the way up to advanced wilderness bushcraft training, so each adventurer can find comprehensive training that matches their skillset.
What Is Bushcraft?
Bushcraft is the fuel for exploration. It embodies the key skills that make a person an explorer: compass skills, purifying water, hunting, and foraging. It takes the natural landscape from a string of picturesque rivers, woods, and waters to an all-around source for survival.
Want to do more than just survive? Try out one of our world-renowned bushcraft training courses built to help you embrace the core unpredictability of outdoor life. Core survival skills will depend on the person, though there are many skills that our instructors teach from class to class.
Foundational bushcraft skills that our instructors use to instill long-term confidence in outdoorspeople include:
- Firecraft
- Woodcraft & Tool Use
- Shelter Building
- Foraging
- Water Procurement and Purification
- Natural Navigation
These core skills are based on SRO’s co-founder and experienced explorer, Dave Canterbury's 5 Cs of Survivability. They operate in line with SRO's key bushcraft skills, introducing a curated list of simple tools survivalists can use from day to night. Easily, they'll be able to carve out a space for eating, sleeping, or gathering clean water with ease.
The 5 Cs of Survivability thrive on these core competencies:
- Cutting Tools (Knives)
- Combustion Device (Fire Starter)
- Cover (Shelter)
- Container (Water)
- Cordage
SRO Bushcraft Survival Classes by Level
Self Reliance Outfitter's survival training collection features a wide array of adventure-ready courses, each incorporating a natural mix of integral wilderness skills. From camping to time spent gathering food, these classes offer students hands-on guidance through nature using a craftsman mindset: survive when necessary, thrive where allowed.
There is no shortage of practice with our survival classes, as each course provides students with real-time feedback on their work, allowing students to develop new skills at every corner. Whether you're a seasoned survivalist or a first-time outdoorsman looking to learn lifetime skills, SRO's bushcraft classes can show you the way.
Note: All gear must be bought by students and in their hands at least two weeks prior to the course. While the gear list for each class varies, you can find most items at SRO.
Intro Survival Class
Our core survival class is the introductory or Basic Survival Class. Here, you start from the bottom with foundational skills, like building a shelter or learning how to be fire safe. Instead of learning how to purify water right off the bat, you'll start by learning how to find it in the resources around you.
This level focuses on planning, procurement, and sustenance. Explorers can then use these skills for multi-day survival without straining for resources. Core skills taught in our Intro Survival Class might look like:
- Basic Tool Navigation
- Scouting Natural Resources (Water, Food, Shelter)
- Compass Skills
- Planning
You do not need any prior survival or wilderness experience to take this course. In fact, we recommend that students come with as little prior knowledge as possible, in order to gain real, actionable knowledge they can promptly put to the test.
Once you graduate (and receive your certificate of completion) from our intro or Basic Survival Class, you'll move on to the layered Intermediate Survival Class.
Intermediate Survival Class
If you're a fan of 'fieldcraft', this instructor-led mid-level survival class is the way to go. A step up from our basic-level course, the Intermediate Survival Class builds on key skills by simulating real-life scenarios at a faster pace, with greater efficiency, and with a greater emphasis on self-reliance.
Outdoor skills at this level will require students to work with precision: precise knife work, fire construction for extended periods, and building semi-permanent shelters that won't collapse in rain or high winds.
The intermediate course requires students to do more than just be there. They must respond quickly to more complex scenarios with the following mid-level skills:
- Tool Mastery: Precision Knife Skills, Woodworking, Felling Basics
- Upgraded Shelter Construction: Raised Beds, Lean-To Variations
- Complex Water Sourcing
- Expanded Plant Knowledge
- Cordage & Multi-Day Campcraft
Where our introductory course might have had you listening and watching, the intermediate course puts you right in the middle of it all: harsh weather, depleted resources, or limited time. Some adventurers choose to stop here, although our experts recommend expanding upon these skills even further in the SRO Advanced Survival Class.
Advanced Survival Class
The Advanced Survival Class is the closest we offer to actually being in a life-or-death situation. Students commit to three to four days out in the woods with minimal instruction, leaving them to source, craft, and survive all on their own. This is the true way to obtain full self-reliance for any outdoorsman.
Students in this course are required to complete all prerequisites, including our intermediate course, to ensure they are prepared for the complex tasks that will inevitably arise. Students are not allowed to use their own gear; only naturally sourced resources are allowed.
The goal of this course is to naturally combine each core skill taught in the courses prior: cordage to shelter or navigation to resource procurement.
- Friction Fire Building (Limited or Resource-Free)
- Terrain-Based Navigation
- Weather-Resistant Shelter Construction
- Self-Sourced Water Collection & Disinfection
- Complete Skill Integration
Bushcraft 101
Similar to our advanced course, Bushcraft 101 asks survivalists to spend four days and three nights in the woods, honing a strong list of core skills. The only difference is the intention: survival courses guarantee students can survive in stressful situations, while bushcraft courses teach students how to survive for longer.
This course strictly follows our 5 Cs of Survivability, teaching students core bushcraft skills that they can use to thrive in the unknown. Even if you're here to learn how to camp better, this course can be an enriching way to "get lost" in the world of survival.
Stack your skills for long-term or multi-day survival.
- Wooden Tool Crafting
- Resource Selection & Use
- Raised Bed Construction
- Preparing Medicinal Simples
- Non-Conventional Water Collection
Tools for this class are not provided. Even so, SRO has a curated bushcraft tools and gear list that outlines the specific gear each student must bring. Ensure you have all tools at least 2 weeks before your class's start date.
Bushcraft Classes FAQs
What bushcraft classes do you offer?
Our survival training courses accommodate all levels of adventurers. Even if you know nothing about wilderness exploration, SRO has a course fit to your needs and experience level.
Self Reliance Outfitters offers the following core bushcraft and survival classes:
- Intro or Basic Survival Class
- Intermediate Survival Class
- Advanced Survival Class
- Bushcraft 101
For task-specific survival classes, browse our entire survival class collection.
Is required gear provided?
No, all bushcraft tools and gear must be purchased either directly from SRO or from a third-party seller prior to your class start date. No gear can be shipped to class grounds, so make sure that you have them well ahead of time.
To find the required gear for each course, head to the course's specific page.
How long are the classes?
Class durations vary, though most average 4 days, with 3 nights spent on the course grounds. Bushcraft 101 and our advanced course are guaranteed to follow that timeline. For the basic and intermediate courses, this timeframe will depend on the number of students present.
Where are the classes located?
SRO's main training facility is located in Jackson, Ohio. All courses will take place in or around our main property unless otherwise specified.
