The SOS Challenge

Join us for this three day survival class and challenge in which you learn survival skills in a "real life" setting. Although this class is open to all experience levels, prospective students must be aware that we will be sleeping in shelters we build, staying warm by a camp fire, and not eating a traditional 3 meals a day. On Friday, students will show up, set up their tents at their campsites, and settle in. After Friday morning, we cover many skills. These include fire building with rubbing two sticks together, shelter building, foraging, knife skills, primitive weapons, and other survival skills to set you up for an overnight trip. On Saturday, students will participate in a series of survival skills challenges. These range from target practice, fire challenges, and more (challenges are intentionally kept vague to add the element of surprise). On Saturday night, students will participate in a "lost in the woods" scenario in which they must build a survival camp, fire from the landscape, boil water with natural materials, make a shelter, and other survival tasks. Sunday is reserved for clean up, prizes, and closing ceremony.

Required Gear:

• OEWS Complete or Ultimate Survival Kit (optional, but must have equivalent gear listed in the Ultimate Kit)
• Tent Camping Equipment (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad)
• Cooking Equipment for Meals (camp stove, pots, pans, utensils, cup, food, etc)
• Poncho (rain jacket and pants are fine)
• Comfortably Warm Clothing to Camp for the Weekend (bring extra layers to keep in car)
• Water Bottles, Snacks, Coffee/Tea, Personal Items
• Personal First Aid Kit and Prescriptions

This class is geared for adults, however mature minors are welcome to join. We do not set an age minimum but rather set a maturity standard. It is up to the parents to decide if they feel their child or teen is mature enough for a 3 day survival class. All students are expected to maintain a respect level for all students and carry themselves as individuals. If you feel your child will be interruptive to the flow of class, or hinder your independent learning, this class will not be for them and we encourage you to look at our children's survival classes, which are specifically structured for kids. Students below the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The ticket price covers the cost for 1 student, regardless of age.

The Survival Outdoor Skills Challenge: August 15th-17th in Upton, Maine

If you are up for a challenge, would like to test your survival skills, or would like to learn in a fun setting, then join us for this event!

The Layout:

Participants will arrive, set up their campsites, and get settled in to their home for the weekend. Everyone receives a welcome package at the beginning of class with survival gear to use throughout the weekend. All participants will join a team, which they will be with for the rest of the class. There will be an optional map & compass, cordage from plants, and primitive animal trap class Thursday. Friday will involve shelter building, fire making by rubbing sticks together, hunting weapons, foraging, lots of crafting, practicing skills, and learning! Saturday is when the survival challenges start! Teams will be in friendly competition with each other to finish various challenges. These challenges may range from fire races, target practice, or navigation problems that will need to be figured out. Saturday afternoon, we will head out into the woods to practice a solo survival overnight scenario in which you will have the chance to practice your skills in a "real life" setting. If you arrive with your partner, family, or friend, you are welcome to team up and survive together. Sunday will have more skills and we will give out excellent prizes to everyone before heading out to go home.

Who Can Join?

All experiences are welcome to join. Whether you need a kick start into the world of survival skills, or are training for a survival TV show like "Alone", we will make sure you are appropriately challenged! This is a class for adults, but mature teens are welcome to attend as well.

What Does Each Team Learn?

Each year we change the skills to provide a different experience. The skill lineup for 2025 will include pine bark baskets, slingshots, snare traps, map & compass, making rope from plants, half-hoop shelters, knife skills & safety, fire building with modern tools, and hand drill friction fire.

What Does The Camping Look Like?

This class will be held at the Moose Ridge Wilderness School in Upton, Maine. Moose Ridge has tent camping sites so you will essentially be "car camping" for the weekend, with the exception of the (optional) solo survival overnight, where you will be sleeping in a shelter you build. We will not be hiking far, so bring whatever you would like for the weekend to make sure you are comfortably warm, well fed, and dry. Bathroom facilities and potable water are available on site.

How Physical Will This Class Be?

We will not be hiking far or backpacking during this class. Most of the challenges do not require running, but being knowledgeable and proficient in skills. You should expect to saw, carve, and split wood during the whole weekend. We will also be gathering wood for our shelters and fires. Students should reach out to us if they have questions about their physical abilities and how we can accommodate them.

What Can We Win?

All students will be given a welcome package from our sponsors at the beginning of this event. The package includes various survival tools. At the end of class, students will have a chance to pick their prize based on how many points they won from challenges. Every prize is different, but is of equal value. Whoever won the most points gets to choose their prize first. Prizes vary from fishing kits, axes, backpacks, water filters, and various other pieces of high quality survival gear.