About
the Course
The Hunter Gatherer Courses is
one of BOSS's most adventurous courses, designed to offer students the
opportunity to truly live off the land for a specific period of time. Like
all BOSS courses, instruction is conducted with minimal intrusion of modern technology in environments that allow course content to be experienced first-hand.
The Hunter Gatherer Course combines a 4-day, skills-intensive period in
a basecamp with a 9-day, primitive living experience. It provides students
with the opportunity to prepare their materials and refine their skills under
expert instruction and optimal learning conditions during the Preparation
phase and then test themselves out in the field with only their hand-made
materials and their wits for the second. This is where you will be able to
find out if you can comfortably survive in Utah's desert canyons with only
materials you have made yourself
— for 9 consecutive days! No other school offers you this opportunity.
Prerequisites
for the Hunter Gatherer Course
BOSS strongly
suggests that students on the Hunter Gatherer course possess a certain level
of comfort in the wilderness and a certain degree of competency and proficiency
with primitive survival skills prior to taking this course. These skills can
be obtained on the longer Field Courses at BOSS, or elsewhere. If taken at
BOSS, the suggested courses should have been completed within the past 5 years.
If you prefer, it's possible to take both the primary and advanced course within
the same season at BOSS.
This prerequisite is suggested so that all students enter this course with a clear understanding of the challenges of the Hunter Gatherer lifestyle and the skills that will be needed to successfully meet those challenges. If you have more questions about this, please contact us.
Course
Content
During Phase I of the Hunter
Gatherer Course, our staff will provide you with the skills you will need
for Phase II. This means that the curriculum is adapted to suit the group's
needs and the natural materials available, but skills may include:
| Phase | Length | Description |
| Basecamp Preparation | 4 days | You will spend the first four days in a basecamp preparing for Phase II. Because this is not a lot of time to prepare, days will be busy and we expect everyone to participate. Previous experience with traditional living skills is suggested for this part of the course. |
| Primitive Field Expedition | 9 days | Off into the desert with little more than what you've made in the past (i.e., no modern gear), your group must find all food and water for the next 9 days. This phase may include a Solo (depending on your course). |
| Celebration / Graduation | You've earned it. | |
About
BOSS
Since 1968, BOSS Courses
have set the standard for low-technology camping and desert hiking techniques,
where instruction
is conducted with minimal 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 Hunter Gatherer Course has a decided emphasis
on using 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). Come learn how back-country
travel can be a less intrusive and more harmonious experience.
Course
Location
During the first
part of the course, you will be in a BOSS basecamp.
This primitive location (no electricity, phones, etc.) will give you the
opportunity to focus on mastering the skills and producing the tools you
will need for your upcoming expedition. Food will be available during this
part of the course and instruction will be intense and hands-on.
For Phase II, the group will head out to re-create the
lifestyle of the Hunter-Gatherer band. Where we go depends
greatly on the weather and the season (how the nuts, berries, etc. are growing).
Because we will be encouraging students to live off the land and forage,
trap, etc. for food during this phase of the course, only very small food
packs (of primitive-style foods that you have prepared) will be given.
The
BOSS Challenge
On the BOSS Hunter Gatherer Course the challenge is not from the hundreds
of miles you hike. Rather, the physical challenge comes from keeping your
energy and activity level high even when food and water supplies run low.
The combination of necessary exertion and minimal rations usually leaves
students 10 to 15 pounds leaner at the end of the course and can be a new
experience for people who normally travel with everything they need.
Health & Safety
BOSS requires that all Explorer Course
applicants undergo a complete physical examination and receive their physician's
approval in writing prior to final acceptance on the course.
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. It's up to you and your physician to determine if a BOSS course is an appropriate choice. All participants must be aware of these risks and embrace them. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Age
The key to Explorer Courses is a student's maturity and interest in learning
in a skills-intensive environment. The Hunter Gatherer Course also
contains a 9-day primitive expedition without food, which could prove
too stressful for people under 18. Therefore, you must be at least 18
to participate in the Hunter Gatherer course.
Food
& Diet
During
Phase I, a healthy variety of natural foods will be available at the basecamp
for all students. Cooking and food preparation will be a joint effort of
the students and staff to ensure that all are comfortable, well fed, and
able to learn as much as possible.
For the expedition phase of the course, minimal primitive food packs will
be carried,
as students
will ideally eat the foods they obtain while on the trail. This will be a
test of the group's resourcefulness and ability to successfully live in a
hunting and gathering environment. Students with food allergies or dietary
restrictions should contact our offices for additional information.
2010
Dates & Prices
| 14-Day Hunter Gatherer Course | CG-21 |
August 22 - Sept 4 | Utah |
$2295 |
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.
