A wet, lost or empty lighter is useless, so knowing alternative ways to make fire is a survival necessity. Students will learn how to get a fire started in any condition without the aid of modern devices or store-bought accelerants. NCSS students will learn how to find the materials needed to get a fire started in nature and how to make fire with a Ferro Rod, Flint and Steel, Bow Drills and Hand Drills.

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The human body can only last about 3 days without water. Having safe drinking water in an essential survival skill. Even in non-survival situations, water can be the heaviest item in your backpack and learning how to find and treat it along the trail can make for a lighter pack and leave room for other gear. Learn several techniques to purify drinking water with and without the aid of store-bought devices and chemicals.

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Remember building forts as a kid out of sticks in the woods or sofa cushions and blankets? While finding or building shelter is one of the top three survival essentials, it can also be one of the most fun activities. The elements are the most dangerous aspect to the wilderness and getting out of them can be the difference between comfort and suffering. NCSS students will learn how to build shelters from a 3-minute tarp set up to more elaborate structures such as Lean-tos and Debris Huts.

The ability to tie things together is as handy of a skill as anything when it comes to outdoor activities, but what happens when you run out of cordage or don’t have any to begin with? Making cordage is easier than you think, and nature provides the materials all around us. NCSS students will learn how to make cordage with natures materials found all around us.

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A good meal in nature is one of the most rewarding experiences. Enjoying a warm cooked meal improves morale, nourishes our bodies, and provides the energy needed to keep going. Cooking over a fire can be a challenge, but with the various skills and techniques taught at NCSS, you will have effective methods to choose from on your next adventure into the wilderness.

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Being cold and miserable is what deters many people from enjoying nature. This class will cover several techniques to help keep you warm and dry on your wilderness adventures. From proper clothing to where and how you set up camp, NCSS will give you the skills to get warm and stay warm.

Knots can be frustrating whether they come undone when you need them to hold strong or you can’t get them undone. Knots are a common annoyance in life yet there are many instances in all aspects of life where tying a knot is necessary. Knowing a handful of easy and fast knots that hold when they need to hold and come undone when they need to be untied will serve you well in your outdoor adventures and the next time you help your friend move.

Trapping small game can mean the difference between a week-long stay in the wilderness or staying out for a month or more. We’ll cover some basic primitive small game traps that can be constructed with materials found in nature, where to place them and how to increase your odds for success.

Nature provides us with an abundance of foods and medicines, but most have been forgotten and replaced with store-bought substitutes. After attending NCSS, you will not be able to look out a window without seeing some of nature’s foods and remedies growing free and natural. Because foraging can be a lifelong learning process, we’ll touch on practical, basic, and easily identified edibles and medicines found all around us in the central United States.

From planning ahead to reacting to an unpredictable situation, there are things we can do to mitigate risk and increase our odds of staying safe and healthy while on outdoor adventures. This class will cover the fundamentals to wilderness safety, how to react in emergency situations, signal for help, find your way to help, and get home safely.