Survival Skills Shelter craft is an important survival skill to learn. Shelter from the elements is almost always your first consideration in any survival situation. Weather and availability of materials will most likely dictate the shelter built. The lean-to shelter is an example of a design to tackle extreme cold in the northern forest. Survival skills stranded […]
Mountain Lion Facts for Search and Rescue
Predator Awareness in the Rural & Urban Interface Mountain Lion photos by Mark Wienert Mountain Lion Facts The mountain lion, Felis concolor, or cat of one color, is also known as cougar, panther, ghost cat, catamount, and puma. About the Mountain Lion The mountain lion is the largest feline carnivore of North America. Adults are tawny to chocolate-brown […]
The Best Bow Drill Woods
Best woods for the bow drill create a hot coal faster. Imagine you’re shipwrecked like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Stranded on a Pacific island with no matches or lighter. Or, lost in east Texas. You can’t boil your drinking water or cook the mouse you trapped for your survival stew without fire. What are you going […]
The Amazing Blue Elderberry
I am a pushover for the 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. And late summer and autumn prepare the ripe blue elderberries for a sweet and […]
28-DAY Wilderness Camp
Are you ready to immerse yourself in nature? You will love this exceptional 28-Day wilderness camp. No camping experience required. 28-Day Wilderness Camp for adults. Where is Camp? Northern California near Mount Shasta. The rugged setting includes forest and open landscapes in a montane habitat. Who Comes to Camp? Why you, of course. And people like […]
Teen vs. Wild
What does Bear Grylls have that your teen wants? Teen vs Wild. Bear Grylls is an ordinary person with a big heart, loads of energy and charisma. With a number one television program tweens, teens, and youth pay attention to. Is your son our daughter ready for Teen vs Wild? Summer Adventure Camp for Teens […]
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 […]
Wilderness Teen Camp: a Wonderful Eye Opening Experience
Teens & Staff – wilderness teen camp Lifesong Wilderness Adventures ~ 2013 Wilderness Teen Camp Review Last summer I had the good fortune to be a guest at Lifesong Wilderness Adventures wilderness teen camp during the month of July. What a great adventure for all involved! Summer Adventure Camp for Teens in California The students […]
Chickweed Power
Chickweed is a common wild edible plant that is packed with vitamins and minerals. What does a hardcore macho, worm eating, outdoor survival teaching, professional eat for breakfast? Chickweed of course. Chickweed or Stellaria media, has juicy, tender, slightly sweet leaves and stalks. For a quick go to food in spring Chickweed is an excellent choice. Chickweed […]
Make Drinking Water Safe
Make Drinking Water Safe – in an emergency How to make water safe to drink during an emergency. Water must be potable, drinkable, filtered, boiled, to be safe to drink. Water, you need it to survive. If you are in an emergency situation right now. You will need safe drinking water to hydrate your body. […]
Rite of Passage for Teens
Rite of Passage for Teens Lifesong Wilderness Adventures A wilderness journey to adulthood by Henry Poole 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 70s and 80s, I felt an “aha” while reading about the history […]
Top Wilderness Survival Courses
Finding a top rated wilderness survival course to train in can be a challenge. More and more courses are being offered that teach outdoor skills by people with very little professional experience. In your search for a top rated survival course. You will learn more and be better served with a wilderness survival instructor who has […]
What should I take for a Wilderness Survival Weekend
This is our recommended gear list for our California Weekend Survival School. All items on the checklist below are important for an enjoyable and comfortable camp experience. Tent, ground tarp, and sleeping pad. Rent a tent/pad, and a carving knife for camp Sleeping bag, pillow Eating utensils – cup for hot drinks, bowl, plate, flatware […]
Cold and Flu Remedies from Nature
Cold and Flu Remedies from Nature. Are you feeling achy with a scratchy throat? Let’s start with a few natural remedies from the kitchen using ingredients you likely have on hand. Onion soup to the rescue Try this: make a soup with six onions, an entire bulb of garlic, about an inch of grated fresh […]
Mark Wienert Professional Survival Instructor
Mark Wienert. Wilderness Skills Instructor since 1994. Wienert is a self-taught naturalist and outdoor educator began teaching in 1994. Specializing in wilderness survival and nature awareness. Wienert teaches from his own experience and the wisdom of a lifetime time spent in the outdoors. Full-time professional Survival Instructor Wienert is a full time professional and teaches the […]
Sign language – reading natures clues with Mark Wienert
REEDSPORT OR. — The tracks in the sand of a passing black bear and her two cubs disappear into a thatched tangle of forest beside Eel Lake. Oregon’s coastal rainforests are a jungle that swallows light and tracks alike — at least to the untrained eye. For expert tracker and wilderness survival teacher Mark Wienert, […]
Cobra Lily
One very fascinating carnivorous plant species, Darlingtonia californica, grows in boggy habitats in the western US. This includes southern Oregon and northern California. Cobra Lily Although the distribution of the Cobra Lily aka Darlingtonia, is somewhat similar to the distribution of serpentine rocks. Darlingtonia, doesn’t appear restricted to serpentine sites. But it does appear to grow well in areas rich in […]
Teen Camp Conservation and Habitat Restoration Project
Teens restore wetlands July is Teen month at at our summer camp nestled on a remote property in the Eddy mountains of northern California. And as part of each summer camp experience, teens discover the importance of healthy wetlands. We developed this programs over the years due to damage caused by illegal off-road vehicles use. With […]
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. Back in the day a knife called The Tracker was made by Dave Beck and were for sale at the Tracker School. You can read the history of the Tracker knife […]
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 […]
Predators Fang
Elk in clear-cut “WHY HUNTERS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR WILD PREDATORS” “Despite the self-serving propaganda coming from hunting groups that hunters are an adequate “tool” to control herbivore populations, research has demonstrated sufficient differences in the animals selected by predators compared to human hunters. Predators Fang In general, hunters take animals in the prime […]
THE EDGE ~ Extreme Survival Camp Testimonials
THE EDGE ~ Client Testimonials Our clients say it it best. Reflections of THE EDGE; a testimonial the Will to Live – Part I Skills by – Joshua Poole “This extreme, intense challenge is what drew me to the wet and wild world of southern Oregon. Some may be interested in survival skills for […]
Survival Trick Enjoy the Little Things
Survival trick enjoy the little things Enjoy the little things is a survival trick that works. And a consistent theme with the graduates of our 28-day teen apprenticeship course. teen apprentice 28-day wilderness adventure California And Kahlil is no exception. Kahlil Edson first came to us as a student of our 28-Day Teen Apprenticeship program. […]
How to track animals
Tracking is a fun way to discover and learn about animal behavior. Following the trail of a deer brings you closer to the often seemingly invisible world of wildlife. An ancient survival skill our ancestors relied upon to hunt and forage. How to track animals learning how to track we can discover the sign and movement […]
Thru-Hike Survival Training
Thru-Hike Survival Training for the Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike survival training Pacific Crest Trail THE EDGE For your Thru-Hike, backcountry training, I recommend our extreme adventure camp, THE EDGE, as part of your hands-on PCT preparation.. Our 6-day, 5-night EDGE survival adventure imparts skills that you need to develop for real backcountry survival emergencies. Your […]
California Survival Classes
There are many myths that surround survival training. A great many of these myths have no basis to the reality of learning real survival skills. Join Mark Wienert and Lifesong Wilderness Adventures and learn from one of the best.