Heading 1Alberta Centre for Trapping and Bushcraft
DATES SCHEDULED
Three day introductory course is highly recommended before taking other courses.
The three day course is a solid beginner course that teaches everything a person would want to know to survive in the wilderness. From Survival Psycholgy, through expedient Fire-making and Shelter-building, to Foraging for Survival, Cordage, Knots, and Lashings, to a plethora of tops and tricks.
Bring your tent and self-cater or stay in hard accommodation on the ranch. There will also be an opportunity to stay in the shelters we build.
All of the skills of a Basic Bushcraft Course, but in a winter context. Shelters will include the super shelter and quinzee shelter, in addition to the conventional lean-to shelter.Â
Emphasis will be placed on conserving energy, keeping warm, and rescue.
Whether you access the wilderness as a hunter, hiker, trapper, snowmobiler, or wilderness camper.
Recipients of this training will subsequently see the wilderness very differently, enabling them to relate to their surroundings more readily, while more easily identifying nature’s abundant resources, and responding to risk situations more capably.
This three-day course will be conducted entirely outdoors and topics will include:
Survival Psychology
Tool Techniques and Safety (knife, axe, and saw, improvised tools)
Fire (including improvised fire-starting methods)
Introduction to Shelter
Food and Water
Introduction to Foraging
Personal Survival Kit
Clothing
Weather
Cordage, Knots and Lashings
Introduction to Wilderness First Aid
Rescue Protocols
Predator Awareness
Here’s a list of suggested kit (bearing in mind you’ll be outdoors all day (7-8 hours) and it could be -30C, albeit you’ll be able to get warm by the fire):
Warm clothing (plus spares). Plan to layer!
Warm boots.
Warm hat (plus spare)
Windproof outer shell.
Gloves (plus spares).
Knife (fixed blade) optional.
Weatherman/Gerber tool (optional)
Sunglasses.
Chap stick
Headlamp
Back-up light
Washing/shaving kit (there’ll be an opportunity to go to the ranch in the evenings for a shower, etc. This is also a great time to charge your phones!).
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If you're staying outside in a tent:
Tent
Sleeping mat
Cot (optional)
Sleeping bag
Sleeping bag liner
Pillow
Stove
Fuel
Cooking pots/utensils.
Camp chair
Any personal items you’d like.
Note: If you’re staying in a tent, but would rather eat at the ranch, please fill out the meals form.
If you’re on any kind of medication, please bring enough for the duration of the course, plus a day or two.
Cell phone coverage is not good. Although the main Lodge at Teen Time Ranch has wifi. The password for which will be available upon arrival.
INSTRUCTOR RUSS MEADES, FORMER CANADIAN RANGER COMMANDING OFFICER
Russ Meades grew up in rural England and spent all of his spare time exploring and learning about the countryside.
He acquired many skills in improvisation from local characters that would later serve him well in the military.
Formal exposure to the concepts of survival was gained while training with the British Army in the early 1980s.
He took a keen interest in the subject and began teaching basic survival to British Army troops in 1987.
Following immigration to Canada and transfer to the Canadian Army in the early 1990s, Russ maintained and developed his survival skills which were useful on his many solo hunting and hiking trips as well as in his military activities.
In 2007, Russ transferred to the Canadian Rangers as their Operations and Training Officer and was able to gain further knowledge from many very experienced Rangers.
In 2017 Russ led the design team that produced the Canadian Rangers’ advanced survival course. In 2019, Russ was honoured by the great Mors Kochanski by being certified as a Wilderness Living and Survival Instructor.
CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM OUR WORKSHOPS
"If you have taken a course or workshop at the Alberta Centre for Trapping & Bushcraft and would like to leave a review on Google, here is the link to share your experience"Â
https://g.page/r/Cayw1DhGQ7itEB0/reviewÂ