Expeditions - Survival with Mors Kochanski
Spend 7 days learning winter survival skills from one of the world’s foremost instructors Mors Kochanski. We will be located on the edge of Bear Lake (which will be frozen solid) in a large group shelter with a wood burning stove. You will also have the opportunity to build individual shelters during the course.
The term ‘bushcraft’ first became popularised in the Northern hemisphere after Mors published his book Northern Bushcraft (now called Bushcraft) and this Worldwild adventure encompasses the skills needed for winter survival and also the long term application of ‘bushcraft’ in using traditional skills for making life around camp more comfortable. Mors is also the author of Bush Arts and has released instructional videos and pocket books on Wilderness Living skills.
Mors is known for his extensive work in outdoor education and survival and wilderness living. His enthusiasm for wilderness recreation, his extensive knowledge of the field, and his desire to learn everything there is to know about the wilderness has made him one of the foremost authorities on wilderness skills and we feel incredibly privileged to be able to offer his services to you.
Mors instructional style will ensure that you are never left unoccupied. There are a range of skills that may be covered but the exact nature of the course will depend very much on the elements and Mors will tailor the skills to suit the need. The essential topics of shelter, fire and water will be covered along with basic navigation, both with and without a compass, wild plant identification and use, survival first aid and signalling, and basic weather predictions. Mors will also be using his huge wealth of knowledge and experience to ensure adequate preparation for travel and survival in extreme winter conditions. He is quoted as saying, "The more you know, the less you carry."
The area is known for its ample wildlife including Black and Brown bears, wolves, wolverines, cougars, bighorn sheep, eagles and beaver. Whilst most of these animals are elusive and will actively avoid humans, the snow will provide a perfect opportunity to those wanting to try out their tracking skills.
The following covers the main topics that Mors may decide to cover on this course. Below that is our reccommended kit list to bring with you.
- Winter Survival skills;
- 1. Defining the difference between survival and wilderness living skills.
- 2. Preparation through training and simulation.
- 3. Prevention, Mitigation and Rehabilitation processes defined.
- 4. The mental processes in survival: calm vs panic, optimism vs depression, positive attitude vs negative attitude, understanding vs fear, biological vs mechanical time.
- 5. Clothing, one of the most important factors in survival preparedness. How to dress for the practical bush phase.
- 6. Sleep. Knowing how the make yourself comfortable enough to meet your need for sleep. The sleeping bag and mat as a survival kit component.
- 7. Fire and survival. Fire lighting tools, kindling and types of fire lays. Students practice the flint and steel method of fire lighting with stone and broken hacksaw blades provided by the instructor. Students may put together a primitive candle lantern.
- 8. Water consumption in survival. The pot as a survival kit component. Purifying water. Dehydration.
- 9. The survival knife defined. Students learn sharpening and skillful use of the knife. Students construct and use sharpening boards in learning how to sharpen. Students carve a try stick and a netting needle.
- 10. Basic navigation with and without a map and compass.
- 11. The personal first aid kit.
- 12. Survival shelters. Primitive shelters. The survival kit component 'super' shelter.
- 13. Signaling to attract attention and communicating your distress. Signal mirror, flares and whistles. Students construct tin whistles and learn to use home-made signal mirrors.
- 14. Additional tools. The swede saw and the axe. The survival saw defined. Students may construct a miniature buck saw using a hack saw blade. Students may put together a swede saw blade in a waist belt.
- 15. Medical matters: dehydration, hypothermia, hyperthermia, uv rays, sunburn, eye injury, knife, axe and saw cuts, scalds and burns, frost nip and frost bite, headaches and other pain.
- 16. Survival Kits. The more you know the less you carry. The less you know the more you carry.
- 17. Fasting or living off the land. The hurdles to overcome before trying to live off the land.
- 18. Sanitary consideration: doing without toilet paper, latrines, steam bathing to keep clean and the laundry.
- 19. Cordage, knots, bindcraft and winches.
- 20. Bush travel. The Primitive Roycraft Packframe. Travel in survival episodes. Students construct a packframe for use in the practical phase.
- 21. Basic weather prediction.
- 22. Wilderness hazards: animals, insects, stream crossings, lightning, etc.
- 23. The local wild plants useful in survival.
Fire Techniques
Match, zirconium, flint and steel and bow drill methods of fire lighting. The parallel log fire for warmth and cooking Twig, feather stick and conifer resin kindlings. Fires built on top of the snow if and where appropriate.
Pot Suspensions
Selecting fire sites and extinguishing fires. Cooking over a fire; making bannock or fry bread.
- Signal fire construction
- Twig torches
- Melting ice and snow for drinking water
- Shelters
- The basic open front lean-to
- The survival kit component super shelter
- Large group shelter if applicable
- Bough bed - stretcher construction
- The quinzee and igloo and other snow shelters if adequate snow is available
- Primitive cordage
- bindcraft and the use of paracord
- The Jam knot
- The other useful knots in survival
- The Winches
- Ladder building
- With rope and poles.
- How to net
- Tools
- The skill development in the use of an appropriate knife
- Constructing a bucksaw and its use
- The use of axe or hatchet if appropriate
- The use and construction of snow shovels
- Plant Study
- Collecting and studying the common trees and shrubs of the area
- Travel
- Safe travel on ice
- The emergency Roycraft ski-shoe
- Using the toboggan in winter travel
- Polypro or wool long johns
- Wool shirt
- Several wool sweaters
- The fourth layer should appropriate to the expected weather conditions, e.g. wind breaker, rain coat or parka
- Wool trousers
- Windproof trousers
- Sanitation layer
- Wool inner mitts with leather outer gloves, 2-3 pairs
- 2 pairs of footwear with room to wear 3 pairs of wool socks
- Plenty of wool socks
- Gaiters
- Warm sleeping bag -20°c
- Sleeping mat or a wool blanket
- Bowl and spoon
- Personal toiletries
- Notebook, pen, camera
- A sharp knife
- Heated shelter
- Toilet paper
- Tea, coffee and drinking water
- • Pleas read our Terms and Conditions prior to booking.
- Course Name: Winter Survival with Mors Kochanski
- Location: Northern Central Alberta, Canada
- Dates: 2nd to 12th March 2010
- Duration: 10 days
- Cost: £500 per person plus flights
The course takes place in the forest in and conditions may well be adverse with below freezing temperatures, snow and rain. To be sure that you are comfortable whatever the weather please make sure that you bring the following.
Kit List
Headgear that prevents the penetration of the strongest wind. A light scarf will be equivalent to a wool sweater in the warmth it can conserve.
Tips for clothing!
We are likely to encounter extremely cold weather conditions, so it is of the utmost importance to bring adequate clothing to prevent frostbite or hypothermia from occurring.
It is much better to bring plenty of thin layers. Putting on many thin garments instead of a few heavy ones allows the dead air spaces between the layers to trap heat and add to the insulation value and provide greater versatility in controlling overheating.
Wearing a thin, light wind proof shell will block wind, trap warmed air and shed precipitation. Wearing poly-proplene or a similar fabric next to the skin will control moisture in contact with it.
Please also bring
We will provide the following
Please check the government of Alberta website for a list of wildlife, insects and vermin in the area! Please note that this course is self-catering, you will be able to purchase food at the beginning of the expedition.
Course Dates, Locations and Prices
