I volunteer with Ground Search and Rescue in my area and do the survival training for my team.
The requirement is for basic three + day survival skills. The focus is on finding/building shelter, making/using fire and getting safe water.
We don't do wilderness living skills, trapping, cordage making, abo skills etc. We teach to realistic conditions and expectations for our area and for our SAR duties (ie: spend a night out caring for a victim until air assets can do a pick-up in the morning).
I was supposed to teach a two hour theory phase last Wed but it got cancelled due to weather.
I adjusted my training and did the theory on Sat morning, since I was doing the field phase that day anyway.
I had an even dozen for the classroom and I had seven in the field.
In the classroom we covered:
1. Priorities (Based on Rule of Threes)
2. Psychology
3. First Aid
4. Shelter: Clothing, Structures, Fire)
5. Water
6. Signals
7. Survival kits
8. Food
One problem I always had with the theory component was that it was designed to be given as a PowerPoint lecture: blah, blah, blah.
I finally got around to redoing the whole thing from scratch and this was my first time presenting it with interactive components designed with adult education principles in mind. There was some lecture, some question and answer, some group work, some exercises, a video, board work, group presentations etc. ,I'm quite proud of it, and now know where more tweaking needs to occur. More importantly, I was very proud of the students, as all of the required knowledge was existent in the group. They just needed to be asked the right questions to get it out there. I finally got to be a facilitator instead of a droning teacher.
We then went into the field for the practical skills phase. Because of the rescheduling, I decided to focus on one specific skill well instead of covering a bunch in less detail. I divided the seven remaining students into three groups of two and one solo, and gave them each a shelter kit. I had prepared these a few weeks ago and they all contained a small garbage bag, a few hanks of various lines, cords, strings, ropes, para chords etc. (Usually about three arm-spans in total). As well, the kit might contain a space blanket, emerg bivy, piece of plastic sheeting, Tyvek, tube tent, tarp, etc. The idea was each group would have different materials to work with and come up with a different shelter from the others.
I gave them the "lost-hiker(s)-one-hour-before-sunset-and-rain-is-coming" scenario and set them off to find a location and build a shelter for two (or one in one case). Everyone finished within about 40 minutes and then the group toured the shelters and the builders gave an explanation of what they were given, why the chose their area and how they constructed their shelter.
I must say, lots of learning occured and it was not just limited to the students. I feel very privileged to be allowed to instruct my
team-mates and as always I am amazed that the old saying "the best way to learn is to teach" is so true.
I now have to find schedule time in the Spring for another theory session and another field phase. I think the next field phase will focus primarily on fire and water.
Does anyone here have experiences to share either as instructors or as students?
Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions of what they'd like to see in a practical survival course?