Day 1–2 Basecamp
Training begins at Basecamp, where foundational and intermediate wilderness survival skills are introduced, practiced, and reinforced in a structured outdoor learning environment.
WILDERNESS READINESS
WOODSRUNNER SCHOOL / THREE-DAY COURSE
SURVIVE TO RESCUE
The First 72 Hours
Prepare Well. Think Clearly. Return Home.
Most wilderness emergencies are shaped by the choices you make, not just the situation you face. When conditions change, your readiness matters.
THE COURSE
Survive to Rescue
Survive to Rescue is a three-day wilderness survival and readiness course focused on the first 24 to 72 hours of an emergency. Whether the challenge comes from changing weather, injury, becoming lost, equipment failure, or an unexpected overnight stay, the decisions you make during those first hours often determine the outcome.
Throughout this course, you'll learn the principles that guide effective decision-making during those first critical hours. Through realistic field training, you'll learn how to recognize developing problems, establish priorities, evaluate your options, and take deliberate action before a manageable situation becomes a survival emergency.
More importantly, you'll leave with a better understanding of how preparation, observation, sound judgment, and experience shape the decisions you make in the outdoors.
PREPARATION
Why This Course Matters
Most people never expect to find themselves in a survival situation. Yet every year, hikers, hunters, campers, anglers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts face unexpected situations that force them to spend hours—or even days—in the outdoors with limited resources.
The goal of Survive to Rescue isn't to prepare you for television-style survival. It's to prepare you for the situations that are far more likely to happen: becoming disoriented, spending an unexpected night outdoors, dealing with severe weather, responding to an injury, or adapting when your original plan no longer works.
Preparation isn't about expecting the worst.
It's about being ready when the unexpected happens.
SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
What You'll Learn
Decision-Making & Survival Psychology
- Survival priorities
- Decision-making under stress
- Managing fear, uncertainty, and fatigue
- Time and energy management
Shelter & Protection
- Emergency shelters
- Shelter systems
- Weather and exposure management
Fire & Water
- Firecraft in changing conditions
- Water sourcing
- Water purification
Navigation & Movement
- Basic field navigation
- Lost-proofing
- Terrain awareness
- Signaling
Equipment & Fieldcraft
- Clothing and gear selection
- Knife safety and field tool use
- Self-care and field hygiene
IN THE FIELD
Your Three-Day Training Experience
Training at Woodsrunner is progressive by design. Each lesson builds on the one before it, helping you develop the knowledge, skills, and judgment needed to respond effectively during the first 24–72 hours of a wilderness emergency.
You'll begin at Basecamp, where you'll learn the principles behind each skill through instructor discussion, demonstration, guided practice, and hands-on application. As the course progresses, individual skills are combined into realistic wilderness scenarios that teach you not only how to perform a skill, but when, why, and under what circumstances it should be used.
Throughout the course, the focus remains the same:
Stay calm. Assess the situation. Respond effectively.
Evening Day 2 Field Application
As your training progresses, instruction shifts into realistic, scenario-based field exercises.
Day 3 The Final Scenario
The final day brings together everything you've learned throughout the course.
STUDENTS
Who This Course Is For
- Hikers and backpackers
- Hunters and anglers
- Campers
- Paddlers
- Scout leaders and outdoor volunteers
- Search and Rescue volunteers
- Landowners and outdoor professionals
- Families who enjoy spending time outdoors
- Anyone who believes preparation is part of responsible outdoor travel
THE WOODSRUNNER WAY
Why Train with Woodsrunner?
At Woodsrunner School, we believe wilderness education is about far more than learning individual skills.
We don't simply teach people how to survive. We help prepare capable, confident, and responsible outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen.
COURSE INFORMATION
Course at a Glance
- Duration
- 3 Days
- Skill Level
- Beginner to Intermediate
- Prerequisites
- None
- Minimum Age
- 16+
- Location
- Woodsrunner School – Clinton, South Carolina
- Training Environment
- Outdoor, field-based instruction in a variety of weather conditions
- Lodging
- Basecamp with transition to field application
BEFORE REGISTERING
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need previous survival experience?
No.
Do I need to own survival gear?
No.
Will we spend the entire course outdoors?
Yes.
Is this course physically demanding?
Yes.
What happens if it rains?
Training continues in most weather conditions.
STUDENT PREPARATION
Before You Arrive
We'll provide the training equipment used throughout the course.
UPCOMING TRAINING
Survive to Rescue Dates & Registration
Choose an upcoming date and follow the registration link to reserve your place.
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