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skills

Learn TO CARRY LESS, and live closer to nature!

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 DON'T KNOW WHERE

TO START?


THIS IS YOUR CLASS!

This very fun, hands-on course will give you an incredible overview of the most important skills for surviving an unexpected wilderness emergency with only a knife!

  • Gear selection& Bug out Bags Be prepared for the unexpected! We'll cover the components of a well rounded emergency kit, including gear selection, survival priorities, and adaptability for different environments.  

  • shelters No tent? No sleeping bag? No worries! Learn how to sleep warm & dry using only natural materials, as well as how to turn ponchos & emergency blankets into amazing shelters!

  • fire Learn basic and advanced firecraft! Learn how to use modern items & how to carve and use your own bow drill fire by friction set to make a fire from scratch!

  • water  The most important skill! Know how to find, make, and purify water using improvised techniques- tricks for the Southwest backcountry that will save your life! 

  • tools  Knife care and carving techniques and how to improvise what you need from nature- you'll make a sharp stone blade from a river cobble, and weave a strong cord from yucca leaves- great for traps, fishing line, etc... and make other items using just your knife!

  • improvised navigation Find your way when modern tools fail! You'll learn how to get lost proof using the sun and shadows, celestial navigation, and making improvised compasses!

At the end of this exciting course, you will be able to survive a zombie apocalypse, or just simply being lost in the wild!

Tuition- 150  

(All gear you need is provided- just bring lunch & water) 

 

Length-Full Day               

private groups Available! 

Why wait? Create your own custom course!

Go to the Sign Up page to schedule your group's adventure!

public course dates:

Phoenix:

  • JANUARY 24, 2026 (SOLD OUT!)

  • APRIL 11, 2026 (available)​​

Tucson:

  • MARCH 14, 2026 ​(available)

  • NOVEMBER 21, 2026 ​(available)

Sedona:

  • MAY 16, 2026 ​(available)

Payson

  • AUGUST 23, 2026 (available)

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IMprove your health!​​

Heal friends & family!​​

Enjoy new foods!

During this fun walk, you will discover the uses of our local plants growing in the Sonoran Desert, Woodlands, or Mountain Forests!

  • edible plants-  Sample lots of delicious wild edibles and learn how to prepare them & when to harvest as well as easy identification tricks! 

  • heal yourself & others! Learn how to heal ailments and injuries with wild local herbs- bleeding, colds, bites & stings, sunburn, and so much more!!!

  • Traditional items-see and learn about traditional items made from these unique plants- everything from arrows to yucca sandals! 

  •  review anytime! includes my self-published booklet, Useful Plants of The Southwest, that details the uses of over 60 useful plants- the foods, medicines, and how to make survival items from them! 

 

Join me on a fun, hands-on hike, learning the uses of over 30 plants in different locations around Arizona!

Tuition- 100 

(Notebook, pen, even a light wild food sampler lunch provided! Just bring water) 

 

Length- 4 hours             

private groups Available! 

Why wait? Create your own custom course!

Go to the Sign Up page to schedule your group's adventure!

public course dates:

Phoenix: 

  • APRIL 12, 2026 (available)​​​​

Tucson: 

  • MARCH 15, 2026 (available)

Sedona: 

  • MAY 17, 2026 ​(available)

Payson: 

  • AUGUST 23, 2026 (available)

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Join us for an

incredible 

weekend packed

with wilderness skills!  

 

This exciting weekend course gives you the unique survival skills for not just surviving, but THRIVING in the wilderness!

  • basic & advanced survival skills Create comfortable emergency shelters for staying warm and dry in cold & wet weather. You'll make a sharp stone blade from a river cobble, and weave a strong cord from yucca leaves, start a fire using modern items like magnifying lenses, and flint & steel, as well as learn multiple fire by friction techniques (hand drill, fire saw, and bow drill) carving your own set from scratch and using it. Learn life-saving water skills- how to find, and purify water...

      And more!

  • Nature Awareness & Tracking Learn how to tune in to what is around you, and learn to identify and read tracks! 

 

  • Hunting skills Learn to feed yourself with just a knife and traditional skills! Make a variety of snares and deadfall traps and incredibly effective hunting tools for catching animals- such as rabbit sticks and Apache Stars! At riparian areas, you will also learn how to make improvised fishing kit items- hooks, nets, fishing traps, and other items for catching fish!​​

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  • campfire cooking Cook without modern cookware! Boil water, bake, and cook using field improvised cooking items! ​​

 

  • improvised navigation Find your way when modern tools fail! You'll learn how to get lost proof using the sun and shadows, celestial navigation, and making improvised compasses!

  • Map & Compass Skills  Learn how to use a map and compass to find where you are, estimate your pace, and to accurately plot your cross-country overland course! 

Learn what it takes to survive and thrive during this fun, hands-on weekend course!

​​

Tuition-325 (includes all materials needed- just bring food, water, and car camping gear if you want to camp out Saturday evening.

 

Length-Two days 

(We will drive and basecamp at our learning area)            

private groups Available! 

Why wait? Create your own custom course!

Go to the Sign Up page to schedule your group's adventure!

public course dates:

Phoenix:​​

  • FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 1 2026 (available)

  • MARCH 28 - 29 2026 (available)

  • APRIL 25 - 26 2026  (available)

  • OCTOBER 17 - 18 2026  (available)

Sedona:

  • MAY 9- 10, 2026  (available)

Payson:

  • JUNE 13 - 14 2026 (available)

Step back in time!

​​​​​Rediscover the ancient skills that sustained our ancestors for thousands of years!

Learn to read the landscape —understanding animal behavior, identifying tracks and signs, and crafting primitive hunting tools such as deadfall traps, throwing sticks, and atlatls!

This course is focused on skill-building and practice. No live hunting takes place unless otherwise specified and legally permitted.

  • Nature Awareness-  Tune in to what is around you! Move silently in the wilderness, blend in and stalk close to animals.

  • tracks & signs! Step into the wild and uncover the hidden stories written in the earth! Observe, identify, and interpret animal tracks and sign in a variety of natural environments.  

  • Traps and snares- Carve and set up a variety of very effective snares and deadfall traps for catching calories!

  • Fishing-Make improvised fishing kit items- hooks, nets, fishing traps, and other items for catching fish!

  • Hunting tools-Craft and use traditional hunting implements made entirely from natural materials.

  • Flint-knapping​- Strike off stone blades and use an antler baton to carefully shape the stone flake into an arrowhead blank, then with an antler tine, you will pressure flake the edge to shape!

  • pemmican-The original power bar! Satisfying, nutrient dense, and never spoils! Make some for your next wilderness outing!

 

Whether you're interested in ancestral skills, self-reliance, or a deeper connection with nature, this course offers a powerful journey into the roots of human survival.

 

Tuition-425 (includes all materials needed- just bring food, water, and car camping gear if you want to camp out.

 

Length- Weekend       

private groups Available! 

Why wait? Create your own custom course!

Go to the Sign Up page to schedule your group's adventure!

public course dates:

Phoenix:

  • MARCH 7 - 8, 2026​​ (available)

 

Sedona:

  • SEPTEMBER 26- 27 2026  (available)

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Make your own hunting bow and arrow from scratch!

​​​​​Journey from raw wood to a beautifully crafted, fully functional traditional bow and matching arrow — all made by your own hands!

  • Flintknapping​- Strike off stone blades and use an antler baton to carefully shape the stone flake into an arrowhead blank, then with an antler tine, you will pressure flake the edge to shape!

  • Crafting the Arrow- Learn how to find, and straighten an arrow shaft, add the feathers using hand-trimmed feathers & hide glue, and attach the arrowhead you made using pitch glue and deer sinew.

  • Bow Making-From tree to target, you'll be guided each step of carving and tillering to complete a custom made bow using just a knife, and other simple hand tools and make it come alive with a hand-twined bow string.

By the end of the course, you’ll not only walk away with a fully functional traditional bow and arrow but also a deep appreciation for the skill, patience, and natural materials that connect modern archers to centuries of heritage..

 

Tuition-425 (includes all materials needed- just bring food, water, and car camping gear if you want to camp out each evening.

 

Length- Three days        

private groups Available! 

Why wait? Create your own custom course!

Go to the Sign Up page to schedule your group's adventure!

public course dates:

Phoenix:

  • OCTOBER 24 - 26, 2026​​ (available)

learn from the legend of

desert survival!

Join the legendary herbalist, wilderness expert, and author, Peter Bigfoot as we team up to share our skills during an incredible 5- day immersion into desert wilderness living! 

 

Nestled deep in the beautiful Superstition Mountains, Reevis Mountain is a true oasis in the desert. We’ll stay at Peter Bigfoot’s homestead paradise he has created in the wilderness- you’ll see true self-reliance in action!

 

You'll be camping in style- eating delicious home grown meals from an organic garden, enjoying hot showers, and experiencing first hand how to live completely off the grid! 

 

This course is absolutely jam-packed with skills:

  • Navigation-  Get lost proof! Learn a ton of improvised techniques for accurate navigation! And learn how to use a map and compass to find where you are, estimate your pace, and to plot your course! 

  • Useful plants- Sample delicious wild edible plants and learn how to identify and prepare them. Discover incredible local medicinal plants for healing a variety of injuries, and illnesses.

  • basic & advanced survival skills Create comfortable emergency shelters for staying warm and dry  and staying cool. Make fire using modern and multiple fire by friction techniques (hand drill, fire saw, and bow drill). Learn life-saving water skills- how to find,and purify water.

      And more!

 

  • get geared up! Make your own survival gear right from nature- making rope, an agave water bottle, toothbrushes, sharp stone blades, pitch glue, and items for living in the wild!

 

  • hunting skills Hungry? No problem! Identify animals in the area using tracks and other signs and learn to make effective snares, deadfall traps, and hunting items.

 

  • campfire cooking  Cook a meal off a campfire without modern cookware! Learn how to pit bake, boil using hot stones, and make useful cookware items like tongs, and coal burned bowls.

 

When you are done with this course you will be ready for awesome adventures in the Southwest! 

Tuition:  625

(Just bring camping gear, food & water- everything else you need is provided including buffet style organic home grown meals, and Peter's Useful Plants book) 

 

Length- Six days             

public course dates:

Reevis Mountain Ranch- Roosevelt, AZ:​​

  • OCTOBER 1 - OCTOBER 6 2026 (available)

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© 2023 by Southwest Survival L.L.C.  

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