Thread: Survival training?

Hey guys
Has anyone done any survival training courses or anything they would recommend?

Perhaps I've just been watching too much Survivorman on Netflix but it has got me more interested in that kind if thing.

A mate just did a day course at some SOS survival training place but said it was pretty average :s to be fair, a day is a tiny amount of time

Son have I got a deal for you! Join the Army. Ha ha ha ha a recruiting sergeant once said that to me in the bar of the old Tokoroa pub. Changed my life.

I did bushcraft courses with MSC when I was at school. I don't think theyre what youre after, just a heads up.

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Originally Posted by phillipgr

I did bushcraft courses with MSC when I was at school. I don't think theyre what youre after, just a heads up.

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That said they might offer another course catered to that, have a look on their website.

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Originally Posted by Rushy

Son have I got a deal for you! Join the Army. Ha ha ha ha a recruiting sergeant once said that to me in the bar of the old Tokoroa pub. Changed my life.

Hey Rushy. I have a huge amount of respect for the folks in our armed forces (and I've had lots/got a few family members in the forces)… but I'm a government disliking bloke that likes his food a bit too much and has a problem with people telling him what to do.

Not exactly army material

Originally Posted by phillipgr

That said they might offer another course catered to that, have a look on their website.

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Thanks I'll check it out. Unrelated but I was kind of keen on doing the hunts course but they weren't doing them for a while there.

join a SARS group, you will get a lot out of it, a hell of a lot.

Originally Posted by RimfireNZ

Hey Rushy. I have a huge amount of respect for the folks in our armed forces (and I've had lots/got a few family members in the forces)… but I'm a government disliking bloke that likes his food a bit too much and has a problem with people telling him what to do.

Not exactly army material

Hahaha nor do I! But I'm guna give it a crack! hopefully I go down in the next intake ( April ) I just had my medical yesterday and still to do my run but pretty confident that it will all go wel!!

Originally Posted by thomas

Hahaha nor do I! But I'm guna give it a crack! hopefully I go down in the next intake ( April ) I just had my medical yesterday and still to do my run but pretty confident that it will all go wel!!

Well good luck Thomas. My cousin finished his basic training last year (or the year before, christ time goes quick). From what he was saying they push you pretty hard (as you'd expect ).

Originally Posted by thomas

Hahaha nor do I! But I'm guna give it a crack! hopefully I go down in the next intake ( April ) I just had my medical yesterday and still to do my run but pretty confident that it will all go wel!!

Good luck Thomas. Depending what corps you join you will be able to instruct on all manner of things that are useful to outdoor activities including survivor training when you finish up.
If you want a mechanical skill set when you leave, get a trade. If you want adventure and be a teeth arm (real) soldier join the infantry.
I did a trade then went grunt but I am not sure if they allow that anymore.
Best years if my career were infantry type work.
You need to be fit. If you have any niggles that the medical misses, the Army will beast it out of you in your first couple months. That's if it is still hard. I hear your not allowed to even yell at troops these days.



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Sar group is all good but i have not seen or heard of any proper survival training as part of membership. I will look into it for you.
Last i heard ,Auckland sar groups have quite a waiting list.

Rimfire, what exactly to you mean by survival training, what skills to you expect to be taught ?

Originally Posted by ebf

Rimfire, what exactly to you mean by survival training, what skills to you expect to be taught ?

Perhaps they're separate things entirely but I'm thinking:

* First aid.
* Edible and medicinal plants.
* Water treatment/collection.
* A bit of trapping/snares etc.
* Fire starting without any aids.

You know, just basic stuff that I should be a lot more well versed in than what I am. I'm really just asking if anyone has had any places to recommend.

I had a quick squiz at some of the mountain safety courses. Some of them might be what I'm after.

Originally Posted by R93

Good luck Thomas. Depending what corps you join you will be able to instruct on all manner of things that are useful to outdoor activities including survivor training when you finish up.
If you want a mechanical skill set when you leave, get a trade. If you want adventure and be a teeth arm (real) soldier join the infantry.
I did a trade then went grunt but I am not sure if they allow that anymore.
Best years if my career were infantry type work.
You need to be fit. If you have any niggles that the medical misses, the Army will beast it out of you in your first couple months. That's if it is still hard. I hear your not allowed to even yell at troops these days.



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Yeah I'm going in as a plumber if I make it through basic so hopefully all goes well! I good friend of mine just went down to basic on Monday hes going in as a rifleman

Originally Posted by RimfireNZ

Perhaps they're separate things entirely but I'm thinking:

* First aid.
* Edible and medicinal plants.
* Water treatment/collection.
* A bit of trapping/snares etc.
* Fire starting without any aids.

You know, just basic stuff that I should be a lot more well versed in than what I am. I'm really just asking if anyone has had any places to recommend.

I had a quick squiz at some of the mountain safety courses. Some of them might be what I'm after.

Ok, MSC courses are very dependant on the leader, can be a bit hit and miss. Also, you need to do the intermediate or advanced versions to get real practical experience. For instance, shelter - on the intermediate we only built a shelter, on the advanced you actually have to sleep in it for a night...

Trapping & snares involves a lot of experimentation and learn by making mistakes I see you're in Auckland. So the biggest problem is going to be to find a rural area where you can experiment, close enough to check traps regularly, and not catch the neighbourhood cat

Water collection in NZ not a problem, there too much Other parts of the world you need this.

Fire-starting, get a survival book from the library, and try every technique. Practise makes perfect. Every time I go overnight camping, I try to make fire using damp wood or a different technique. Rubbing sticks together is bloody hard, use a flint etc to start of with. Inner tube patches, cotton wool smeared with Vaseline etc. I think itis more important to learn where to get semi dry wood and tinder than creating a flame...

Plants is the big issue, there is a guy in Otaki that teaches wild food gathering. Otherwise chat to your local marae, some of the old guys have amazing bush skills and are more than happy to share.

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