Rescue 101 SAR - Survival Courses

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Course Description:
The Basic Wilderness Survival course from the Ohio Wilderness Leadership School is a hands-on, three-day introduction to the essential skills needed to survive unexpected situations in the outdoors. Whether you’re a hiker, camper, search and rescue volunteer, or outdoor enthusiast, this course builds your confidence to stay safe, think clearly, and thrive in the wilderness when the unexpected happens.

Participants will learn the core principles of survival—shelter, water, fire, and food—along with how to signal for rescue, maintain a survival mindset, and effectively use minimal equipment. Taught by experienced Rescue 101 SAR instructors, this course blends classroom discussion with practical, scenario-based field exercises to help you put knowledge into action.

Skills Covered:

• Survival mindset and emergency planning 
• Navigation and orientation without GPS 
• Building emergency shelters from natural materials 
• Firecraft: multiple ignition methods and maintaining flame in adverse conditions 
• Water sourcing, purification, and storage 
• Basic foraging and food procurement techniques 
• Signaling for rescue using visual and audible methods 
• Introduction to survival kits and gear essentials 
• Personal safety, hygiene, and environmental awareness 

Course Format:

• Duration: 3 days, 2 nights (outdoor, hands-on training) 
• Moderate physical activity; includes hiking and overnight camping 
• Taught by certified O.W.L.S. survival instructors 
• Certification of completion is issued upon successful participation 

Certification Issued By:
Ohio Wilderness Leadership School

Course Description:
The Advanced Wilderness Survival course from the Ohio Wilderness Leadership School is an intensive, three-day and two-night experience designed to push your limits and test your mastery of survival fundamentals under challenging real-world conditions. Building on the skills learned in the Basic Wilderness Survival course, participants will operate with minimal gear and greater environmental stressors, emphasizing adaptability, problem-solving, and leadership in high-stakes situations.

This course goes beyond the basics—teaching participants to thrive, not just survive. Students will face realistic scenarios that simulate extended survival situations, learning advanced fieldcraft, resource management, and self-reliance while under the supervision of experienced SAR survival instructors.

Skills Covered:

• Advanced shelter construction and thermal regulation in harsh conditions 
• Primitive fire-starting techniques (bow drill, flint and steel, natural tinder) 
• Water procurement and purification using advanced field methods 
• Trapping, foraging, and wilderness food preparation 
• Navigation and land orientation under adverse conditions, both day and night 
• Improvised tool and weapon making 
• Advanced signaling and rescue coordination 
• Survival psychology, leadership, and team-based problem-solving 
• Wilderness risk management and situational awareness 

Course Format:

• Duration: 3 days, 2 nights (field-based immersion) 
• Prerequisite: Completion of the Basic Wilderness Survival Course 
• Moderate to high physical activity; includes hiking, navigation, and field challenges 
• Participants are limited to 25 lbs of personal gear 
• Certification of completion is awarded upon successful participation 

Certification Issued By:
Ohio Wilderness Leadership School

Course Description:

The Ohio Wilderness Leadership School's Basic S.E.R.E. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) course introduces students to the essential mindset and foundational skills required to survive and endure in hostile or uncertain environments. Rooted in the same principles taught to military personnel and adapted for civilian and rescue operations, this course challenges participants to think critically, act decisively, and remain resilient under pressure.

Participants will develop confidence and competence in evasion, survival fieldcraft, and resistance strategies through a blend of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and controlled field exercises. The course emphasizes situational awareness, resourcefulness, and mental fortitude—teaching how to stay alive, avoid detection, and resist exploitation until rescue or recovery.

Skills Covered:

• Survival mindset and psychological resilience under duress 
• Camouflage, concealment, and movement through varied terrain 
• Navigation and route planning while avoiding detection 
• Field-expedient shelter and firecraft 
• Water procurement, purification, and rationing 
• Improvised tools and resource utilization 
• Evasion tactics and counter-tracking principles 
• Basic resistance and escape techniques 
• Recovery signaling and communication with rescuers 

Course Format:

• Duration: 3 days, 2 nights (field-based immersive training) 
• Prerequisite: Basic Wilderness Survival or equivalent experience recommended 
• Includes daytime and nighttime field scenarios 
• Moderate to high physical activity; participants will experience realistic survival stressors 
• Certification of completion is awarded upon successful participation 

Certification Issued By:
Ohio Wilderness Leadership School

Course Description:
The Ohio Wilderness Leadership School's Advanced S.E.R.E. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) course is an intensive, high-stress field training designed to test and refine the skills learned in the Basic S.E.R.E. program. Participants will be immersed in realistic, scenario-driven environments that challenge both physical endurance and mental resilience, preparing them to operate effectively under extreme conditions of isolation, pursuit, and captivity.

This advanced course emphasizes adaptability, stealth, and leadership in high-threat or denied areas. Students will experience live evasion exercises, resistance simulations, and advanced field survival situations designed to simulate real-world challenges faced by personnel in austere or hostile territories.

Skills Covered:

• Advanced evasion techniques, route planning, and counter-tracking under pursuit 
• Camouflage, concealment, and movement in hostile terrain (day and night operations) 
• Survival under duress: limited food, water, and sleep deprivation 
• Advanced fieldcraft and resource improvisation 
• Escape techniques from restraint and confinement scenarios 
• Resistance training and mental conditioning under simulated captivity 
• Advanced signaling and recovery operations under threat 
• Team dynamics, communication, and leadership in high-stress environments 
• Debriefing and post-recovery reintegration strategies 

Course Format:

• Duration: 5 days, 5 nights (immersive field-based training) 
• Prerequisite: Completion of Basic S.E.R.E. Training 
• High physical and mental demand; participants will face controlled stress exposure and tactical evasion exercises 
• Conducted in realistic wilderness and simulated hostile environments 
• Certification of completion is awarded upon successful participation 

Certification Issued By:
Ohio Wilderness Leadership School