Basic Survival Training Course

 

Jan's report

The checklist supplied by Survival Training South Africa for their Basic Survival course was self-explanatory for the greater part.  However, some items listed appeared puzzling at first: why would you need tampons, condoms, and a foldable saw? Why, I wondered rhetorically, would one not rather pack freeze-dried food, water-bottles, possibly cold beer and lots of solar powered gadgets?  The thinking went that modern armies carry tons of the latter stuff and they seem to survive just fine.

Despite being allowed to take some food on the course, it was really very hard to overcome the instinctive reaction to not worry about food - and deliberately not pack any food or water.  I took the philosophical stance that one never knows when you are going to be placed in a survival situation.  Likely, your food and water would have been consumed long before you were even in the nasty situation. 

Likely also you would be dressed in non-ideal types of clothing, with no idea that things were about to go horribly wrong. I therefore deliberately dressed in cotton and brand new shoes. I expected to be taught how to survive in the most realistic manner possible, whilst being out of luck in the nutrition and proper clothing side of things.

Eventually the mind-set was that I would set out to learn how to obtain water and food from nature using the contents of only my survival bag. If it really came down to it I would simply confess that I am not as tough as I think I am, and would simply beg food from everyone who had been clever enough to pack lunch. I would rather swallow my pride, admit failure, and fail when failure was still an option.

My long term friend Lindes and I had, prior to arrival, discussed at length what might be expected to be on the menu of nature.  We agreed eventually that whatever was food available, it only had to go past your tonsils and your stomach would hopefully do the rest.  Sadly, shortly before the course started, Lindes confessed that his tonsils had been removed at an early age. This, I believed, could further leave me at a distinct disadvantage when push came to shove.

After having packed my survival bag it was amazing to see how small the pack initially appeared. My survival bag seemed really tiny. It was chosen because it was bright yellow and totally waterproof.  The pack would also serve as my pillow as well as a 30-liter emergency flotation device.   In retrospect it is clear that you could likely keep a whale afloat with those specs.  A roll of toilet paper was packed right on top inside the bag for instant access.  It is accepted that most people think of food first when contemplating  survival training.  Surely, the second question then asked is: “What exactly do you use for toilet paper?”

Later, during the course, it was realized that my survival pack contained enough gear for the long-term survival requirements of approximately four persons, accompanied by their extended family and friends. I had comprehensively strayed off the checklist and believed that backing up on back-ups would be prudent action.  Worse still was that Lindes had followed my example and with minor exceptions packed what I had. 

Upon arrival at the venue we were attended to immediately by Anthony and the instructors with utmost efficiency and purpose.  We were then guided to the initial training area. En route to the first lecture, details were observed which emphasized the deep respect the instructors hold for nature.  Lindes and I had seen similar designs for emergency shelters as those now shown to us. - so far so good then. The sample shelters appeared so low to the ground that I doubted that I would fit into one of them.  In the alternative, that even if I managed to fit inside, the emergency blanket shelter shown to us would likely be ripped to shreds as I turned through the night.

Within minutes the instructors had already taught us how to select a proper location for a shelter, what to use for soft bedding material, the names of various trees; how many hours of sunlight remained and how we were orientated relative to the cardinal points on the compass.  The unspoken lesson was just as clear: You have to be a fast, adaptable and flexible learner in a survival situation. 

Scrape marks on the trunk of the tree to which our paracord was tied, and immediately above our finished shelters, was reportedly made by a wild-boar. The choice of a good spot was thus similar to ideal property considerations, namely location, location, location.  We tried out the natural insect repellent we had been taught to make in between the activity of building the shelters for the first night.  To our total surprise angry choirs of mosquito’s mere feet from our position appeared massively disinterested in us.  We joked that they were only warming up for a painful ambush later that night as surely no plant rubbed all over your face could be that good an insect repellent.  We also then heard other course members arriving and setting off to build their respective shelters.  The crinkle of emergency space blankets soon filled the air.  The last light was fading fast and the cold air made a grand entry.

All instructors assisted and served us with excellent advice continually during all the activity of building our shelters and we soon felt most welcome.

The following morning I woke up finally at about five when a rooster crowed. Not one mosquito bite, all limbs still attached and surprisingly my shelter was fully intact also.  During the night I had woken several times. So you woke up because it was that cold and wet and uncomfortable you ask?  No. I woke up because a fellow Survivor was snoring.  The whole night long.  Despite the latter, the brief moments of being awake allowed me to marvel at the intensity of the stars. Interestingly, my first thought of the morning was that being cold did not equate to freezing. 

Saturday was a busy day.  Hunger had disappeared sometime overnight.  At home I normally raid the kitchen every weekend but here I felt no need to do so.   Instead I felt quite energized and was looking forward to the activities of the day.  As the day progressed we started interacting more with our fellow-students, and we received stimulating lectures on collecting and filtering water. Later it was time for a brilliant lecture on my favourite survivor subject: Fire!

Prior the Course I had studied the subject of making fire to massive depth.  To make fire from only rubbing sticks together was to be the pinnacle of me being a survivor.  My thinking always came down to the following: You were cold? Make fire.  You are drenched? Make fire.  Unsure if you can stomach what you have collected? Burn the hell out of it with fire like Sigourney in Aliens and then try to eat what was left….  In summary, by the time I attended the course I had attempted approximately 12 different and (allegedly primitive) ways of making fire.  All attempts failed repeatedly despite the most excruciating effort.  I started thinking in the most sarcastic terms that maybe I have convincingly demonstrated 12 primitive ways of creating blisters- and that the videos on YouTube demonstrating fire-making technique were all fake and part of a grander alien conspiracy theory.

Surprisingly, every person who witnessed my futile attempts over the period of a year asked dryly if I wished to borrow their lighter instead.  I refused every offer stubbornly as I believed it was  they that missed the point.  After the incredible lectures on fire and practical sessions afterwards, it stood fast that I was the one who had missed the point the whole time.  Rather pack the,flint and steel.  More important lessons learnt: always listen to good advice given by persons who think logically, accept help when offered and do not overcomplicate things.

To read on the topic of Survival remains distinctly different from actually practicing those skills. On the course we could practice all new-found skills (or should that rather be long forgotten skills) extensively. The trapper-fire (known also as the Dakota or Snake Hole Fire) taught proved to be a particularly potent design.  The effect of the design is to turn a tiny little flame into a roaring turbine-engine.  Some smoke is generated, as can be expected, but the predominant result of the design is a blow-torch-like blade of fire. From being a naughty child who liked to blow stuff up to the serious lawyer with no soul whatsoever that I am today, the no-nonsense efficiency and physics underlying the trapper-fire was especially appealing. 

Reading this may lead you to conclude that it all seems so very basic and straightforward to make fire or at least collect water in a forest during times of winter.  Not so.  Before the water and fire lessons I stood still for a few moments and looked around for water and food.  I could see nothing which I believed could be edible or drinkable.  Subsequent expert input from the instructors and supported by vegetarians Jantie and Michelle turned the Magic Southern Cape Forest into a platter of delight.  They allowed me to experience different foods which had aromas and flavours like nothing I have ever tasted before.  I know food well. That may sound a bold statement, but consider that I served for 10 years as a manager for a national retailer known for their elite food-markets. Part of their expensive training is designed to generate specialists in foods. One also becomes a specialist in ladies lingerie but that may not really be relevant in this context.  I thought I had sampled it all long before and that you would have to work very hard to impress me with any new flavour. But impressed I was.

I refrain deliberately from setting out further details of each lecture as it should ideally remain a surprise for future students.  It shall suffice to say that all topics were deeply thought-provoking, especially the sessions on Survival Psychology.   A quick review of all survival topics quickly shows that the mental or psychological element is largely the determining factor of who lives and who does not.  The will to survive must be the most absolutely awesome tool to have ready when faced with a survival situation  The message I got from Googling Professor John leach, one of the worlds leading experts on Psychology and Survival, is that Survival is really all in the mind, albeit a mind supported by professional training long before things had even gotten nasty.

Building the natural vegetation shelters was crazy fun. If you send money, I shall send you schematics of the bright orange igloo-styled shelter Lindes, Nick and I built from Blackwood saplings. It sleeps four comfortably and has an amazing view. During the building of the shelter it was remarked dryly that our shelter was so cool that it deserves its own Facebook page. 

Protection against the elements for one night, incredible location in the un-spoilt South Cape Forest, within walking distance of water and food- in return for the money into my account you will get an amazing deal by any standard.  But that's not all! The design incorporated a fire-place ringed with stones which Nick stealthily carried one by one after collection from the instructor's shelter to our new-found home.  In all fairness however, the shelter built by Michelle, Jantie and Tom was even better. The hard work they put into building that shelter was evident to all and they deserve heaps of compliments.

Later that evening we were invited to take part in STSAs version of Master Chef! It remains a mystery as to how Michelle and Jantie crafted their delicious Asian inspired dish out of nothing. Since enjoying that dish I have been craving chillies and have not stopped eating everything since thoroughly sloshed with sauce that burns

At the start of the last morning of the course I realized with a shock that my wedding ring was gone.  I had idiotically lost it somewhere in the activity of obtaining water, making fire and building shelters.  Everyone searched for that ring. 

My wife, Leonie, was most understanding and we later upgraded the lost stainless steel ring with one forged from titanium.  In the same sense that a ring is symbolic of marriage, the new ring is symbolic of how I had grown during the course.  Titanium is exponentially tougher, stronger, lighter, and more durable than stainless steel could ever hope to be. Yes, and Titanium also seem to have a bigger ego.  It is squarely acknowledged that the latter may be a big problem in a real Survival situation.

Lastly, a few tips to help you through the Course:

1. Bring a friend who does not snore;
1.1 Bring earplugs if your only real friend is someone who snores violently;
1.2 Use two tampons creatively if you cannot get hold of earplugs or a new real friend;
2. Stick to the check-list for equipment;
3. Bring duct-tape to replace the roll I stole from the instructors;
4. Secure your ring with paracord around your neck;
5. Bring a camera because nobody is going to believe you;
6. Read up on knives (and a strange band called Infected Mushroom) as you will safely be exposed to lots of cold steel by blade-maestro Erez and the instructors overall;
7. Develop a weird sense of humour;
8. Anything bright is a bonus.  The goal is to get rescued not get camouflaged;
9. Use checklists and to-do lists as it keeps the mind focused and actions directed; and
10. Use your brain. The brain should always remain the ultimate Multi-tool for the Ultimate Survivor,-not gadgets.

What's next? The Aviation Survival Course as a start.  Whilst wearing my flight-suit. Later there may be Everest- but first I shall have to stop smoking as that particular mountain is rumoured to be a bit tough on the lungs. Hopefully, the silent heroes from the Southern Cape Mountain Rescue Team shall not be required to come searching for me.  Later still, writing a hardcore piece for National Geographic (unlikely) of the all the adventures lived.

After the course we drove the 534 km to get to our other homes and knew that we had changed somehow.  Upon first sight my wife noted that we were less dirty than she had expected. 

But it is back at work in the corporate environment that the impact of the course is really felt the most.  You realize that spam email, everything marked "urgent" and endless meetings are not going to really leave this a better world. 

Instead, the legacy left is going to come from people willing to live closer to nature, through a deep respect of your fellow humans and teaching your children that they are capable individuals who can survive.  As important, is that Survival Skills Training can literally save your life.  I do not know about you, but I choose to be prepared as best possible when you are facing the worst.  Ask yourself: how long would you make it alone in a natural environment when the chips are down? 

Should You go on the Basic Survival Course as a start? Maybe the answer is to stop watching the action heroes on satellite TV and to start living your own adventure. It may initially come as a shock, but somewhere in your life you have to realize that your food does not really come from the shop, and your water is not really made by the tap. Like it’s explained in The Matrix, you must learn that there is no spoon….

Should my lost ring ever be found in the Magic forest, please leave it there. It is where it belongs.

Looking back at it all I still feel privileged and honoured to have received Survival Training from the very best." 

Michelle's report

"This weekend saw me attending my first survival training course, a ‘basic’ survival course teaching methods to collect water, make fire, build shelter, find food and so on and so on.  This was straight up my alley. Survival is about interacting and understanding nature:  being aware of what is around you and making use of the opportunities that those things afford. 

The trainers drilled the four basic priorities: Protection, Location, Water, Food.  Protection, Location, Water, Food.  This became our mantra during the weekend.  Not a presentation went by without the team of eager, but apprehensive, participants being quizzed on the survival mantra. 

Back in my warm, dry clothing, typing in front of the cosy fire, I found myself reflecting on whether I could apply these principles to my everyday life?  Or are these principles merely for life or death, survival scenarios? 

As a trail runner I frequently find myself on paths less travelled, the ones that come without maps and signboards indicating how far it is to the nearest curio store.  My survival mantra runs through my head.  There’s a nice log to use as a cross brace for my shelter.  Note the young wattle trees down by the river, the bark of which could be used for tying the log.  Fast flowing stream near big Num num bushes.    I certainly don’t plan on sleeping out in the open after every run, but I remind myself to stay aware of the possibilities and opportunities for survival that nature offers me. 

But still, something bothered me.  Do I really have to remember the survival mantra out of my everyday context, just in case ‘something happens’?  Surely, if faced with a real life, survival scenario, the information learnt during my survival course would be easier to access if I could apply it to daily life. So I started analysing my life within the context of what we learnt.

Let’s take protection.  My husband has been building our humble little home for the past few years.  This has provided us with a safe, comfortable place to spend our time.  Having good insight into the parameters of the site, he has designed our house to protect us in summer from the heat, by building many wide doors and windows.  In winter it protects us from the cold as these windows are orientated in such a way to catch all the daylight, trapping it indoors.

Priority number one: Tick.  

Next comes location.  This was a little more difficult for me to get my head around.  Being avid nature lovers, our home was designed to blend into the surroundings as much as possible to avoid being located.  We tried our best to tuck our house into the forest and fynbos, invisible to the people passing by.  However, on moving into our house, the first event that took place here was to invite friends and family to bless our new home.  The invitation included directions of roads to follow to get to our home.  There’s a gate, with a sign.  Ah ha!  We’ve been located. 

Number two: Tick.

That brings us to water.  Living in a year round rainfall area, water should be a breeze.  We are fortunate in the Southern Cape of South Africa that our rivers do not carry bacteria or parasites.  Pollution from human intervention, such as household soap and farming chemicals may well be present downstream, but up in the mountains where the trails are plentiful, water is easily accessible.   But we need to consider other factors when looking at survival:  Using existing resources and conserving energy.  No point in setting up a complicated water collection system from the closest river or dig a well when we could access water straight from the sky, caught on the existing roof of our home and stored in our water tank. 

Water: Tick.

Finally, food.  The last of the survival priorities. Once again, we are on our way to self-sufficiency with a productive veggie garden.  Following the principles of permaculture and observing the patterns of nature in our garden, we have managed to set up and establish a garden that requires minimal input, but high yields. 

Priority number four: Tick.

And with all four items ticked, I find that there is still plenty of energy left for going to work, spending time with family and running free on the many trails near my home.  With the four priorities identified and established, I am no longer waiting to be rescued to some other life. 

Perhaps all of life is a survival situation.  Perhaps we should be teaching our children these values, rather than focusing on the so-called academic skills.  What is more important:  having the skills to make a fire in the pouring rain, or knowing what the capital of Senegal is? 

So my conclusion of my weekend’s course is that survival training is not merely training for events that we fear, but rather an approach to life, looking for opportunities in everything around us.  This empowers me to know that I am not a result of my circumstances, but that circumstances provide opportunities by which to define me. "