Wilderness Survival Training

Wilderness Survival Training Adult and Teen CA OR TX

  • ADULT CAMPS
    • First Circle
    • Advanced Survival Training
    • The Edge
    • Winter Survival Training
    • Wilderness Immersion – 28 days
  • Texas Camp
  • Weekend Camps
    • Weekend Survival School – California
    • Oregon Survival School
  • Teen Camps CA
    • Teen Wilderness Adventure CA 14-15
    • Teen Wilderness Adventure CA – 16 to 17
    • Father Son Survival Camp
    • Teen 28 Day – Adventure CA – 15-17
  • FAQ
    • Registration Policies
    • More Services – Gear, Rentals, etc.
    • Student Testimonials
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
    • About
    • Media & Press
  • BLOG

Jan 11 2021

Survival Camp News

Survival Camp News

Welcome to Survival Camp News. Here you will find the latest news about Lifesong Wilderness Adventures camps and courses. Here you will find new adventures were planning along with outdoor related survival topics. For an overview of our class and camp availability see our CALENDAR page. If you have a question or comment you can […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR

Dec 16 2020

Extreme Survival Camp Reviews

extreme survival camp reviews

Survival adventure reviews from our EDGE students. I have been running this adventure survival course since 2006. And true to its nature it has been a great program. The term extreme adventure camp refers to what the training prepares you for. It’s not about risking your life in fact the camp prepares you for survival […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR

Oct 11 2020

Accidental Sourdough Starter

Accidental Sourdough Bread

I looked skeptically into the jar I was holding. A whiff of fermentation greeted me. Small bubbles gave the surface of the sourdough starter a foamy look. I gave the soured batter another whiff. Yes, without a doubt. I had created an Accidental Sourdough Starter. This accident of good fortune would be my main food […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR · Tagged: survival foods

Sep 03 2020

Harvesting Ripe Elderberries

Harvest pole for harvesting ripe elderberries

In this How to article. You will learn how to harvest ripe elderberries with tips and tricks to make your harvesting elderberry simpler.

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR · Tagged: foraging, survival foods, wild edible plants

Sep 01 2020

Visual Man Tracking

Visual Tracking. Looking for spoor.

Visual Man Tracking in action. Applying the skills of a Visual Man Tracker. A Search and Rescue Tracker scans the area for clues that show spoor of a lost person’s trail.   What is Visual Man Tracking? Visual man tracking is an ancient hunting technique still in use today for locating and trailing wildlife. But in […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Animal and Man Tracking School, Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR · Tagged: man tracking

Mar 24 2020

Lemon Balm: herbal tea for stress

Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis. A calming herb drunk as a tea.

Melissa officinalis or Lemon Balm in common speak. Is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae). A medicinal, square stemmed herb originating from southern Europe. Lemon Balm is now a naturalized medicinal plant in the US and Canada. Sometimes called Bee Balm as honeybees favor this herbaceous plant. Mildly antiviral, the hairy leaves made into […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR · Tagged: foraging, medicinal wild plants, survival foods

Feb 27 2020

Woniya Buckskin

Woniya Buckskin Woniya Thibeault Ancestral Skills Expert

Ancestral Skills expert Woniya Thibeault shown here. Woniya operates Buckskin Revolution and survived 70-Days in the Arctic as a contestant on the TV series ALONE. Woniya was to join us as a guest instructor during First Circle Camp in 2020. But alas the Pandemic made that impossible. However, we look forward to the future where […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, The Philosophy of Wilderness Survival

Mar 22 2019

We Train Here

We train here. A metaphor. learning to survive in the shadow of a mountain. Where the sky is great and open. Like our mind curious and open. We train here in forest and meadow where the deer feed and rest. Under a star canopy so clear and bright it takes your breath away. We train […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, Teen Adventure Camps, The Philosophy of Wilderness Survival

Oct 17 2016

Staying Alive in the Wild

Staying alive in the wild include emergency shelter building. The Debris Hut is an example of a survival shelter that can be built without saw or ax. All you need is an abundance of debris at hand. Make sure the spot you choose for your debris hut is plentiful in leaf litter. The lack of […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, wilderness survival shelters

Dec 12 2015

Mountain Lion Facts for Search and Rescue

Mountain Lion track in mud

The mountain lion, Felis concolor, or cat of one color, is also known as cougar, panther, ghost cat, catamount, and puma. The mountain lion is the largest feline carnivore of North America. Adults are tawny to chocolate-brown with black tips on their ears and their long tails. Mountain Lion Facts On average, females measure 7 feet from nose to […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Animal and Man Tracking School, Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, Wildlife Encounters · Tagged: animal tracking, wildlife

Jun 18 2015

The Best Bow Drill Woods

Using the best woods for the bow drill fire starter will create a hot coal faster. Imagine you’re shipwrecked like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Stranded on a Pacific island with no matches or lighter. You can’t boil your drinking water or cook the mouse you trapped for your survival stew without fire. What are you […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, survival skills · Tagged: bush-craft

Aug 08 2014

The Amazing Blue Elderberry

Blue Elderberry Cream Pie.

I am a pushover for the edible blue elderberry. Sambucus cerulea and S. racemosa, an amazing shrub that offers the knowledgeable forager a tremendous bounty of uses. Parts of the blue elderberry are used for making friction fire, musical instruments, hunting weapons, and traps. late summer and early fall are the best time to harvest […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR · Tagged: foraging, medicinal wild plants, survival foods

May 13 2014

Summer Adventure Camp for Teens in California

Teens camp out in a pristine wilderness setting. Activities include hiking and backpacking. Teens learn and practice woodcraft and camping skills. For many of our teens catching their first fish is a memory that lasts a lifetime! Your teen will enjoy sleeping under the stars and sharing stories around the campfire. Summer Adventure Camp for […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Summer Camps for Teens California, Teen Adventure Camps · Tagged: testimonials

May 05 2014

Wilderness Teen Camp: a Wonderful Eye Opening Experience

wilderness teen camp

Wilderness Teen Camp A Testimonial. Last summer I had the good fortune to be a guest at Mark Wienert’s, Lifesong Wilderness Adventures teen camp during the month of July. What a great adventure for all involved! The students were a diverse group. One from Holland, another from Chicago and several from the San Francisco Bay […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Teen Adventure Camps · Tagged: testimonials

Nov 25 2013

Chickweed Power

Chickweed Power. A wild edible plant packed with vitamins and minerals.

Chickweed is a common wild edible plant that is packed with vitamins and minerals. What does a hardcore macho, worm eating, outdoor, fungi, survival teaching professional eat for breakfast? Chickweed of course. Stellaria media, has juicy, tender, slightly sweet leaves, and stalks. For a quick go to food in spring. Chickweed is an excellent wild […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR · Tagged: survival foods, wild plants

Nov 12 2013

Make Drinking Water Safe

How to make water safe to drink during an emergency. Water must be potable, drinkable, filtered, or boiled, to be safe to drink.  Otherwise, you could become debilitated with Giardia or other waterborne disease. Water, you need it to survive. If you are in an emergency right now. You will need safe drinking water to […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, Wildlife Encounters

May 04 2013

Rite of Passage for Teens

A teens rite of passage. A wilderness journey to adulthood. Last year I ran across some research that discussed the history of rite of passage into manhood for boys. Recalling my experience of growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I felt an “aha” while reading about the history of male maturing. -by Henry Poole […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: rite of passage for teens, Teen Adventure Camps

Feb 08 2013

What should I take for a Wilderness Survival Weekend

This is the recommended gear list for our California Weekend Survival School. All items on the checklist below are important for an enjoyable and comfortable wilderness survival weekend experience. Gear List  Tent, ground tarp, and sleeping pad. Rent a tent/pad, and a carving knife for camp Sleeping bag, pillow Eating utensils – cup for hot […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR · Tagged: foraging, survival foods

Sep 17 2012

Sign language – reading natures clues with Mark Wienert

Sign language – reading natures clues with expert tracker Mark Wienert BY GARRET JAROS For The Register-Guard Appeared in print: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, page D2 Tracking as a doorway to nature “Tracking is a doorway to nature,” he says, studying an array of tracks that merge and overlap with the bear tracks. “It’s a […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Animal and Man Tracking School, Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR

Mar 27 2012

Cobra Lily

Cobra Lily

One fascinating plant species, Darlingtonia californica, or Cobra Lily. Grows in boggy habitats in the western US. This includes southern Oregon and northern California. The Cobra Lily is carnivorous. It lures its prey with a foul-smelling stench, traps it. Then digests insect prey for food. Cobra Lily Although the distribution of the Cobra Lily aka Darlingtonia, is […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Teen Adventure Camps · Tagged: habitat restoration

Mar 27 2012

Teen Camp Conservation Project

Conservation Archives

Teen camp conservation project is held during the month of July. This project is on a remote property in the Eddy mountains of northern California. Each summer our young campers discover the importance of restoration and the techniques used. We developed this program over the years to repair the damage done by illegal off-road drivers. […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Teen Adventure Camps · Tagged: habitat restoration

Dec 23 2011

Sharpening the Tracker Knife

Sharpening the Tracker Knife

Sharpening the Tracker Knife looks complicated, and it is at first sight.  But read-on for some simple tips on knife sharpening. The UKW Survivor pictured here is not the Tracker Knife. But the similarities are virtually the same when it comes to sharpening either The Tracker or UKW Survivor. I’m using Russon’s version as I […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, Survival Knife

Nov 18 2010

Wing of bat, eye of newt….

Wing of bat eye of newt so the incantation may go. What is safe to eat and what is not. A good thing to know in any situation, and vital when you are trying to survive. The Oregon Coast has much to offer on both counts. Take the Rough Skinned Newt for instance.  I have […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, Wildlife Encounters · Tagged: wildlife

Aug 28 2009

Predators Fang

Roosevelt Elk in Oregon clear-cut Predators fang. In general, hunters take animals in the prime of life, while predators disproportionately take out the older, younger, or less fit individuals.  As poet Robinson Jeffers has noted, it is the fang that has created the fleet foot of the antelope.”  By George Wurthner Predators Fang “Beyond the […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR, Wildlife Encounters · Tagged: bush-craft

Jan 25 2021

Fire Plow Wood Types

Fire plow wood types from the warm beaches of Hawaii to the misty coastal forests of Oregon. And you ask; which ones work best with the fire plow method of starting a fire? Fire plow wood types The fire plow is a Polynesian fire making technique. The wood traditionally used is not readily found on […]

Written by Mark Wienert · Categorized: Outdoor Survival School offering training in CA, TX, OR

Next Page »

Subscribe to our mailing list


Social Media

Recent Posts

  • Fire Plow Wood Types
  • Survival Camp News
  • Extreme Survival Camp Reviews
  • Accidental Sourdough Starter
  • Harvesting Ripe Elderberries

Recommended Sites

  • 1859 Oregon's Magazine
  • CDC
  • Get Bear Smart Society
  • Oregon Hunting Education
  • OutdoorsNW Adventure Travel Recreation Oregon
  • Peak to Peak Trail and Wilderness Links
  • The Backwoodsman Magazine
  • The Way of Tracking
  • Tsunami Ready
  • Wildfire Ready

Lifesong Wilderness Adventures

The Standard in Wilderness Survival Training

Privacy Policy · Media & Press

Contact Us

73569 HWY 101
North Bend OR 97459
530-859-0539
Monday-Friday: 9 AM – 5 PM PST

Adult Camps
Texas Camp - Weekend Camps
Teen Camps - FAQ's
Calendar - About Us
Blog
Home

Copyright © 1994-2021 · Lifesong Wilderness Adventures · All rights reserved.