About
the Course
The BOSS 28-Day Standard Field
Course offers students the ultimate minimum-equipment desert and mountain
expedition. This is the signature BOSS course that started it all.
Join up to 11 other students and three staff members for 28 days to explore
Southern Utah's breath-taking Boulder Mountain and glorious canyon country.
Leaving the high tech, modern world behind, you explore the desert washes
and mountain trails with little more than a knife, a water bottle, a blanket,
and a poncho. You can't get much more immersed in the natural world than
on this course. The mental, physical, and emotional challenges may leave
you 10 to 20 pounds lighter at the end of the course, but the greater sense
of self and life-long memories that you gain are priceless.
The 28-Day Standard Field
Course is the oldest and most popular course BOSS offers. It has been designed
over the last 40 years to test a student – physically, mentally and
emotionally – and to provide him or her with an extended traditional
living experience.
About
BOSS
Since 1968, BOSS Courses
have set the standard for low-technology camping and hiking techniques, where instruction
is conducted without the intrusion of modern technology in environments that
allow course content to be experienced first-hand. Our commitment to quality
and to our core philosophies has earned BOSS its reputation as the
survival school to go to when you want to learn from the best in the industry.
Less
is More
In line with the BOSS Positive
Impact Camping philosophy, the 28-Day Field Course has a decided emphasis
on using only renewable, natural resources. Tents, sleeping bags, stoves,
backpacks and many other "required" pieces of outdoor equipment
are replaced with their low-tech counterparts: a poncho, a blanket, a campfire.
The motto here is "Know more, Carry less" and we'll explore how
traditional cultures lived comfortably without all the modern gadgets like
watches, radios, cellphones, etc (which are not allowed on Field Courses).
Come learn how back-country travel can be a less intrusive and more harmonious
experience.
The
BOSS Challenge
The BOSS 28-Day Standard Field Course provides,
among many other things, a physical test for its students. Students hike
long distances over the rugged terrain found in Southern Utah's mountains
and desert canyons, sometimes 15 to 30 miles in one day. The combination
of high exertion and moderate rations usually leaves students 10 to 30 pounds
leaner at the end of the course. BOSS REQUIRES THAT ALL FIELD COURSE
APPLICANTS UNDERGO A COMPLETE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND RECEIVE THEIR PHYSICIAN'S
APPROVAL IN WRITING PRIOR TO FINAL ACCEPTANCE ON THE COURSE.
In addition to the physician's approval, students are asked to complete a 1.5 mile run during course orientation. Please keep in mind, despite your physician's approval and BOSS's acceptance of you on the course, there are no guarantees. Health and participation risks (inherent and otherwise) remain. Ultimately it is up to you and your physician to determine if this BOSS course is an appropriate choice.
Age
Historically, the average
age of BOSS 28-Day Field Course students has been in the mid-20's, with a
range from 18 to 68. Because of the physical aspect of Field Courses, students
younger than 18 must petition for acceptance.
Course
Phases
Please note: Because each course
is different and will experience different combinations of weather patterns,
student abilities, and ground conditions, phases may be adjusted before or
during a course.
| Phase | Description |
| Orientation | Welcome to BOSS, gear review & purchase. |
| Impact | A fast-moving, minimal-equipment hike through the desert. No food except what you find. No blankets or ponchos until Group Ex. |
| Group Expedition | A time for on-the-trail instruction, as our staff teach you the skills you need to comfortably survive in the desert. |
| Long-Term Survival | Large game processing is taught within the context of traditional wilderness living and the realities of the physical needs of the human body. |
| Independent Hike | A mid-course challenge to test your resolve. |
| Solo | Placed in your own Solo site, you will put your skills to the test and enjoy some solitude. |
| Student Expedition | You and your coursemates are divided into small bands to travel on your own to a specific destination. |
| Final Challenge | Just when you think it's over, it isn't.... |
| Celebration / Graduation | You've earned it. |
On 14- and 28-day Field Courses, large game processing is taught within the context of traditional living skills and the needs of the human body. For more information, please read this Philosophy of BOSS page.
2008 Dates & Prices
| 28-Day Field Course | N-62 |
June 8 - July 5, 2008 | Utah | $3625 |
| 28-Day Field Course | N-63 |
July 13 - August 9 | Utah | $3625 |
Course Scholarship Available
BOSS now offers a scholarship each summer for one applicant to participate
in the 28-day Field Course. For more information, please click here.
Course dates and prices are subject to change. Space is limited on each course, and registrations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Please go to the Registration page for more information.
