I. FAQ's - ABOUT BOSS, THE SCHOOL
II. FAQ's - ABOUT OUR COURSES
III. FAQ's - ABOUT FIELD COURSES (SPECIFICALLY)
IV. FAQ's - FOR WOMEN
(All answers by Josh Bernstein, BOSS President & CEO)
I. FAQ's - ABOUT BOSS, THE SCHOOL
1.
What is the Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS)?
A. The
Boulder Outdoor Survival School, Inc. is a private, educational institution
dedicated to the instruction and preservation of traditional living skills
and to the development of people through experiences within
the natural world. BOSS is the oldest and largest wilderness survival school
in the world.
2. How did BOSS get started?
A. The idea for the BOSS program began in 1968 with Larry Dean Olsen, noted author of Outdoor Survival Skills. Larry felt that our society had lost its edge when it came to facing and overcoming the pressures of modern life. To deal with this situation, he created a wilderness program featuring specific physical and mental obstacles that would produce more adaptable and resourceful people. BOSS was incorporated as a private business in 1980. For more info on our history, please visit our History of BOSS page.
3. Where does BOSS operate?
A. Our marketing offices are in Boulder, Colorado, but we currently operate in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Our Field Offices are in Boulder, Utah — a small town in south-central Utah near Capitol Reef National Park and the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument. We’ve been based there since 1968 and it’s this more remote Boulder that gave us our name. The Boulder, CO office (opened in 1994) allows us to reach more people, since it would be tough to do much marketing from a small town like Boulder, Utah.
4. How does BOSS differ from other outdoor programs?
A.
BOSS
courses offer a more natural experience in the wilderness than most other
programs— literally. On our courses, we do not bring stoves,
tents, sleeping bags, or even backpacks into the field. Instead, we teach
you how to make fire without matches, how to build shelter from forest
debris, and how to navigate from the stars. No other major outfitter offers
a program that avoids the high-tech, bring-it-all-with-you mentality. The
result is an experience that can be much more "real" and meaningful
to a person on the most basic level. Additionally, our average student
in 2007 was 32 and professional, making our target audience slightly older
than that of most outdoor schools.
5. What kinds of courses does BOSS offer?
A. There are four main course types: Field Courses, Skills Courses, Explorer Courses and Custom Courses.
Field
Courses
The BOSS Field Course has been our signature
trip since 1968: Ultra-light travel through Southern Utah's mountains, mesas
and canyons with little more than a blanket, poncho, and a knife. No tents,
sleeping bags, stoves, or backpacks, and definitely no watches, radios, or
cellphones. Your goal is to learn to 'live in the now' as your small group
hikes many miles and learns the skills of traditional Puebloan cultures. Not
for the faint of heart, a BOSS Field Course is for those seeking a challenge
and a chance to renew; offered in 7, 14,
and 28-day formats.
Skills
Courses
BOSS Skills Courses are typically held
in our Durfey Creek Basecamp in an aspen meadow at 9,000 feet above sea level,
with possible day and/or overnight trips into the desert for gathering. Some
of BOSS's best instructors will teach you primitive survival skills like cordage,
fires, shelters, tracking, awareness, and flintknapping (turning rocks into
precision cutting tools). Instruction is hands-on and class sizes are small
to ensure good supervision. No previous outdoor skills or knowledge is needed.
A wilderness kitchen is set up for meals, and you can bring as much gear and
food as you like for the course. Our goal is to teach you — so be prepared
to learn from dawn until dusk.
Explorer
Courses
BOSS Explorer Courses offer a rustic wilderness
experience without the physically-challenging Impact phase of Field Courses.
Hiking is common for Explorer courses, as we travel through different ecosystems
and seasons to discover the beauty and mystery of Boulder Mountain, the
Escalante River system, and the Kaiparowitz Plateau. Some courses target
specific skills, like the Navigator courses, while others target specific
experiences, like the Hunter Gatherer courses. Explorer courses are the
newest branch of BOSS, so look here for inaugural trip offers.
Custom
Courses
Looking for a personalized BOSS course? BOSS Custom
Courses are designed specifically to meet your needs. In recent years,
we've created a number of custom courses for Boy Scout troops, non-profit
foundations, and even for people who just want to enjoy a modified BOSS experience.
This category also includes the work we've done for newspapers, magazines,
television programs, and movie studios, including
20th Century Fox, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, The History Channel, and National
Geographic Television. All custom courses are coordinated directly with Jenny
Stein.
6. What can people expect to learn from participating in a BOSS course?
A. On almost all courses, you will learn traditional skills like friction fires and shelter construction. On Field Courses, you will also learn about your body’s capabilities, its strengths and weaknesses, and your ability to handle different stresses. This is, after all, a major component of our curriculum and of our philosophy — learning how to do more with less.
On all BOSS courses, we hope you leave with a greater competency in wilderness skills and an appreciation for the natural world. We also hope you appreciate what it takes for traditional cultures to live in the wilderness without all the modern trappings of Western culture and modern backcountry travel.
7. How tough are BOSS Courses?
A. BOSS has been called by some "the toughest survival school in the world." This is based on our Field Courses, where students have been known to hike as many as 20 miles or more in a 24-hour period. The question of toughness, however, has less to do with the challenge of the course and more to do with a person's physical fitness and mental approach to the experience of a course.
If you exercise regularly and are excited to face a challenge, you will probably do well on a Field Course. If you have never exercised in your life and you are signing up 2 weeks before a 28-day Course, you may find yourself in over your head. The most important thing you should do is fairly assess your level of fitness, and determine what kind of training program makes sense before you show up for the course. We can help you do this once we speak with you on the phone. But please, don't be too worried or afraid of your performance — many people who were concerned that they'd be the slowest or the weakest hiker in a group have done wonderfully. Relax, and let us help determine what's the best course for you to take.
Skills courses and Explorer
Courses, by the way, do not present the same types of physical challenges.
Students on these courses should be comfortable
with day hikes and primitive camping, but the same type of training is usually
not necessary.
8. As a survival school, does BOSS teach military techniques?
A.
No,
we are not a military survival or militia-training program. In fact, we’re
so far from the "Rambo" mentality on the trail that we ask people
who are looking for a military program to go elsewhere for their training.
Some of the techniques taught might be the same, but our emphasis is more
on indigenous arts and traditional living skills. The philosophy is totally
different.
However, many people in the military do come on BOSS courses.
9. Who participates in BOSS courses?
A. People from all walks of life. Most of our students are open-minded and looking for a new way of engaging with the wilderness. Although most of our students come from the US, a growing number of alumni in Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Australia, and the UK are spreading the word about our trips.
10. Are there age limits (young and old)?
A. Unless it's a custom course, a person must be at least 18 years old to take a BOSS course — although students younger than 18 can petition to take a course with a guardian. Our oldest student so far has been 73. We are more concerned, however, with a person’s physical fitness and mental attitude toward the program than their age. While our average student age is around 32, we seek that all students be mature enough to accept and appreciate our curriculum.
11. What's the ratio of men to women?
A. Typically, we have 25-35 percent women but sometimes we will see courses with over 50 percent women (as in 1999 and 2001). It often is influenced by what type of editorial coverage BOSS receives in a given year. When articles came out in Elle, Shape, Self and Vogue (as in 1998), the percentage of women went up in 1999. But we hope to have a balanced number of men and women on each course so the dynamic in the field doesn't favor one sex.
12. Are BOSS courses Coed?
A. Yes, and they always have been...since 1968. We have offered single-sex courses in certain years, like the Women's Only 7-Day Field Course in 2005. If you'd like to help us coordinate a single-sex course, please let us know.
13. What about the prices...? They seem a bit steep to me.
A. I'm guessing that you're asking this because it seems odd to pay, say, $1265 for a week long trip in the desert with very little food, water, equipment, etc.? After all, there are no physical structures or expensive machinery around you to justify the cost, right?
Well, here are some reasons why we need to charge what we do — which, by the way, I compare with other programs every year:
First, our instructors must be paid a competitive wage. It is their expertise, after all, that brings so much to your course. While some people might appreciate a slightly lower price, I know everyone appreciates the quality of our instructors and it takes a certain amount for me to keep them with BOSS year after year. Some of my staff have been with BOSS for over 25 years and I appreciate the value that brings to our students.
Secondly, there is a whole "business" side to BOSS that is, by necessity, totally modern. Our Colorado office has all the computers, printers, fax machines, and telephones that make efficiency and good customer service possible. Regardless of industry, these machines (and things like a good website, brochures, etc.) cost BOSS quite a bit each year.
Third, most of the food you eat on BOSS courses is organically grown — for example, the peanuts and raisins in your trailmix and the lentils in your stew. This costs us a little more to acquire, but sustainable agriculture is a core philosophy of mine, so it's a decision I stand by each year.
There are many other factors that go into our course pricing, but you should know that we're not picking numbers out of a hat. We think very carefully about our costs, the quality of our programs, and the value they offer you, and our prices reflect this. My goal is to make the price affordable so you'll experience everything we have to offer, yet still keep BOSS in business for many more years to come.
II. FAQ's - ABOUT OUR COURSES
1. How far in advance should I register for my BOSS course?
A. We are fortunate enough to be able to accommodate a wide range of growth, often opening up new sections for students when courses begin to fill up. However, we expect to have waiting lists on most of our trips in 2008, so we recommend people call us to check on availability before sending in their deposit. If you let us know which course you are considering, we can give you a sense of when it might fill up.
2. What is the maximum number of students on a trip?
A. We keep BOSS courses small to maximize interaction among the participants: 9-12 students (max) for all Field and Explorer Courses, and 15 students (max) for Skills Courses. BOSS Custom Courses have other limits based on location and course content. For teambuilding retreats or off-sites program, we can create programs for up to 500 people at a time.
3. What is the ratio of instructors to students?
A. A typical course will have a 1:4 ratio –– 1 staff member for every 4 students. Some may have a 1:3 ratio, as survival skills are hands-on and it helps to have someone there working with you on a skill. But expect 2 instructors and 1 apprentice for most courses. On courses in foreign countries, we typically add a translator as well.
4. Does BOSS recommend a specific course schedule (i.e. start with a 7-day course before considering one of the more extended courses?)
A. Almost all of our courses are open to beginners, without prerequisites. The Advanced Navigator course (offered every other year) requires that you take either the Canyon or Mountain Navigator first. However, most of our courses are open to the adventure-minded person without any prior training or knowledge. If you have questions about this, give us a call.
5. Which course should I take — Field, Skills, or Explorer?
A. I'll explain the big differences between the three, then hopefully you can decide....
First, if you're looking for a physical challenge that really pushes you, that covers a lot of miles through some stunning environments, the Field Course is for you. Field courses are based on the "less is more" philosophy, where dependence is placed on what you know, not what you have with you. It's all about adventure, about traveling ultra-light and exploring the wilderness with a small group and your instructors. Conversely, if you do NOT want a physical challenge or to travel a lot of miles without much food or water, then Field Courses are not for you.
If you're interested in learning wilderness survival skills in depth, the Skills Courses are best. On Skills courses, you spend most of your time in a beautiful rustic bascamp on Boulder Mountain. On most trips, there's a cook tent, a clear creek, and three large wilderness shelters called wickiups for you to sleep in. Or you can sleep outside under the pine trees. Skills courses typically offer you three meals a day and a more formal curriculum of hands-on lessons, so you can explore many ways to make fire, set traps, break rocks, etc. (On a Field Course, you have time to cover some skills, but the emphasis is more on the traveling lightly — there's not a lot of time to cover the finer points of bushcraft.)
And then there are Explorer Courses, which blend the traveling of the Field Course with the focused instruction of a Skills Course. Explorer Courses do not typically have an Impact phase, which is how Field Courses start (no food, some water, little gear... just off you go). The Hunter Gatherer Courses and the 72-Hour Survival Rescue are the exception. Explorer courses are always in development, so look to these for late-breaking opportunities.
When you apply for your course, we will discuss these points in greater detail, so you can rest assured you end up on the trip that best meets your needs.
6. What are the most popular courses?
A. Our Field Courses are the oldest and most famous. With the growth in executives joining us in recent years, our 14-Day Course enrollment has doubled — it offers the most amount of adventure in a time short enough for many people to fit into their vacation schedules. After that, our Explorer Courses are booming.
7.
Are any of the courses more rigorous or intense than others?
A. Yes.
Our Field Course is the most rigorous course we
offer –– and some would say the most physically
strenuous course available outside the military. It’s not for the faint
of heart.
8. Are BOSS courses dangerous?
A. This is an understandable question, since it's unusual for a person to go into the wilderness without much food, water, or gear. But please keep in mind that we have been doing this program for many years, and we do have your safety in mind. So my initial answer to this question is "No" but I suggest you read the Risks at BOSS page to learn more about the hazards that may present themselves on the trail. You can also call us if you have specific concerns or questions.
9. Has anyone ever been lost on a BOSS course?
A. Sure, but not permanently. Our backup teams and field support staff can track a group so they hopefully don't get too far off their route. But finding yourself a little off-course adds some excitement to the experience, especially during phases when the students are doing all the navigating.
10.
Do people ever drop out of courses?
A. Yes,
although the number of students who drop from courses has gone down in recent
years (due to better marketing of our programs). We spend a lot of time preparing
our students mentally for their trips, especially the Field Courses. As a
result, our students are in better shape and are more capable of meeting the
challenges each course presents. There are still some people who drop out,
usually because of some family issue or something that unexpectedly came up
before the course started.
In 2007, just under 4% of our students decided to leave a course before it
was over. For most, they dropped from a Field Course because it was too physically
demanding. A few others dropped because of personal situations/emergencies
at home. But most of our students understand that our Field Courses are
not designed to be easy, so they come for the challenge. We hope that you'll
respect your decision to come, and honor the challenge a course presents.
Should you decide to drop, you are more than welcome to try again at a later
date (although your tuition will be forfeited from the first course). Our
instructors do not condemn those who quit — but we are sometimes disappointed
that you will not be able to share in the group's elation at the end of the
course.
As we've said on other pages, please feel
free to discuss your concerns with us on the phone during the application
process.
11. Do family members or couples ever participate together? Does BOSS encourage this?
A. Yes. We have had mother/daughter, father/son, husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend and other pairs in the field with us. Whether or not you are on the same course, or same section of a course, is up to you.
As long as you are aware of the curriculum and have the ability to function as members of the whole group — and not isolate yourselves from activities at hand — anything you want is fine with us. On our Field Courses, we encourage people to see new aspects of themselves. Therefore, it may be helpful to not have a close friend or relative with you at all times. That said, the decision is up to each person and family. However, couples who attend together should be aware of our policy about sex — all relationships on BOSS courses should be kept platonic until after the course is over. As a school, BOSS wants all students and staff to feel comfortable approaching people and interacting at all times, so it's best to wait until you leave BOSS to share physical intimacy.
12.
What are the standards of behavior on BOSS courses?
A. On
BOSS Field and Explorer Courses, all participants are expected to maintain
high standards of honor, morality, and integrity. They are to abstain from
all use of tobacco, alcohol and harmful drugs for the duration of the course.
Participants must recognize the needs and privacy of others and allow for
personal differences.
For BOSS Skills and Custom Courses, we expect the same standards of behavior,
but may permit smoking for those who find it essential — assuming it
is permitted by local conditions (during fire bans, smoking is not allowed
at all). We do ask that smoking be done well away from instructional areas.
Students who violate these standards may be released from a course immediately,
without any reimbursement of tuition or incurred expenses. This
is discussed in more detail during your course's orientation.
13. What are your refund and transfer policies?
A. Most program expenses are incurred while preparing for you to attend a course. Our cancellation and refund policies reflect the fact that it is impossible to recover these costs for late cancellations, no-shows, or withdrawals from ongoing courses. It is also almost impossible to fill a space on a course if you cancel at the last minute.
Refund Policy
Please note that the deposit on your course is nonrefundable
after the initial seven day grace period. Application fees received
for courses which are already full will be returned to the applicant
or applied to a course with availability. Participants who leave a course
once it has begun —
whether it is due to sickness, evacuation, or any other reason — will
not be entitled to refunds of any tuition or fees. Nor will these participants
be able to transfer their tuition to another course.
Transfer Policy
A student who wishes to transfer enrollment from one course to another may
do so for a $25 processing fee (assuming there is space available in
the course a student wishes to transfer to). This only applies to students
who transfer 60 or more days from their original course start date.
Students who wish to transfer from one course to another 59 days or
fewer before their original course date will have normal cancellation
policies apply (see above). Transfers only apply to the season they
originally enrolled in. For example, a student who enrolls in an '08
course may not transfer
to a '09 course. Again, please talk with us if you have any questions.
14. Where do I travel to for my BOSS Course?
A. This will depend on which course you take. But most of our trips are based out of the small town of Boulder, Utah -- population 236. Yes, that's Boulder, Utah, not Boulder, Colorado. It's in this smaller Boulder that we've been operating since 1968, and we're happy to call such a beautiful, rural town our summer home.
Boulder is approximately 4 hours south of Salt Lake City, Utah, where you would need to fly to if you decided to take a Utah BOSS course. From there, students take a van or bus to Provo for the evening, and BOSS will arrange transportation the rest of the way to our school (about 3.5 hours south from Provo). Upon registration, you will receive a more detailed travel sheet, with guidelines and suggestions to help you reach our school. Of course, if you would like more information, please contact us in Colorado (where our year-round marketing office is).
15. If I want to look into flights, what dates & times should I use?
A. This varies between our courses in the US and Mexico and from course to course in Utah, but in general our courses start on Sunday mornings and end on Saturday afternoons. So you would want to arrive in Salt Lake City on the Saturday night before your course, and spend that first night in Provo. We'll arrange for a van to bring you down to Boulder, Utah on Sunday morning.
For the return trip, most people reach Provo on Saturday night, where they shower, change clothes, and then go out for dinner to celebrate. We therefore recommend that you fly out of Salt Lake on Sunday morning.
Again, some courses have different schedules, so best to check with us before buying your ticket. But please do not buy a return flight that forces you to rush to the airport on the last day of the course — odds are you will miss the flight, as some courses take longer than others to wrap-up.
16.What about lodging?
A. For courses that travel through Provo, Utah, we recommend that all our students stay at one motel downtown — this makes the trip to Boulder, Utah much easier to coordinate. For the past few years, we 've been using the Travelodge at 124 S. University Avenue as our rendezvous point.
If you want to stay elsewhere in town, that's fine as long as you arrange to be at the Travelodge before the shuttle van departs for Boulder. All this information (and more) is in your course's Application Packet.
17. What kind of gear wilI need for my course?
A. We do not believe that you should go out and buy all the latest outdoor gear for your BOSS course. You can probably make do with many items you already own (assuming you've gone camping before). For each course, a specific equipment list is sent to you upon registration. This list will explain some of the gear we suggest you bring, but you are welcome to bring less if you would like.
On our Field Courses, you may not bring more than what is on the list. This typically includes a good wool blanket, a sturdy poncho, water bottles, a knife, thermal underwear, standard clothes, and an enamel cup.
On our Skills Courses, you can bring a little more gear than that, but not much. We ask that you sleep either in the natural shelters we have, or outside in a shelter you build. If you have specific questions once you have read the equipment list, please call us so we can discuss them in detail.
On our Explorer Courses, you are also given a specially-designed equipment list with suggestions. This typically includes a good wool blanket, a sturdy poncho, water bottles, a knife, thermal underwear, standard clothes, and an enamel cup, but it varies from course to course.
Equipment lists for Custom Courses are designed on a course-by-course basis.
18. If I buy my gear from BOSS, when do I get it?
A. Orders placed through our online store are packed in Utah and labeled with your name and course number. During orientation, you will be given a chance to pick up your order and, if you like, add to it. We spend about 2 hours going through everyone's gear to make sure you have what is appropriate for your course.
19. I have some gear already, but yours might be better quality. What should I do?
A. Bring it with you! You can always bring it to Orientation for your instructors to evaluate. If you decide to use it, great. If not, you can buy items from our store and leave the other items with us or in your car until the course is over. Better to have more options than fewer when it comes to good gear selection.
III. FAQ's - ABOUT FIELD COURSES (SPECIFICALLY)
1. What skills will I learn on a Field Course, compared to a Skills Course?
A. Here's an example: On a 14-Day Field Course, you will learn how to make fire with a bowdrill so you can stay warm and cook your food — it has a direct purpose. So every student is expected to successfully make a fire (or eat cold foods).
On a 14-Day Survival Skills course, you will also learn the bowdrill technique, but you have the option to learn more: for example the handdrill, the fire plough, and the fire pump techniques. It's up to you and the rest of the group to determine what skills are covered by the staff.
Pick any skill on a Field Course (see next 2 paragraphs), and it will probably be covered on a Skills Course. The converse is not true: plenty of skills covered on Skills Courses are absent from the Field Course curriculum.
On a Field Course, you can expect to learn the bowdrill fire technique, basic trap construction, knife safety, hygiene & cooking skills, hiking & campsite selection skills, map reading, navigation & orienteering, natural and adaptive shelter construction, water purification techniques, and whatever else comes up during your time on the trail.
Please see the Skills Course pages to read about the skills typically taught, but one skill you won't cover on a Skills Course is map reading & orienteering. That's only covered on Field Courses and on specific Explorer Courses like the Mountain Navigator, the Canyon Navigator, and the Advanced Navigator.
2. What is the most challenging element of participating in a BOSS Field Course?
A. The mental aspect, typically— the challenge of facing the unknown and, for many people, giving up control. There are no lights to turn on at night, no telephones to call friends, and no way to really isolate yourself from the dynamics of the group. You are immersed in a traditional living experience, in a world that — although completely natural — seems foreign. There is also a physical element — the heat, the alkaline air and water, the elevation, the lack of food. These certainly play an important role in how the course plays out, but the mental element is usually more of a concern.
3. What kind of training should I do for my Field Course?
A.
The
most important muscle in a survival situation is the one between your ears
(your brain). As long as you approach life on a moment-to-moment basis and
can avoid creating expectations which may disappoint you, you will be fine.
However, since your body can only go as far as your feet can take you, here
are some thoughts on conditioning programs.
Over the years, we have seen a number of training programs and their effect
on a students performance. These are the things that we suggest you do NOT
do before your course:
These actions make it even harder for you on the trail, and it will only be a matter of a few miles before you begin to feel it. So please, do not use BOSS as the place to start getting in shape — come prepared to hike.That said, here are some thoughts on ways to train or improve your strength on the trail:
This last point is important, since we have seen some students (Triathletes, Marathon runners, etc.) who trained for a Field Course on a 5000 calories-per-day diet drinking water and sports drinks non-stop. Once confronted with the realities of Impact or, later, a 1500 calories-per-day diet on a course, their bodies were unable to cope and some dropped out. While we don't want you to train on a completely empty stomach (although some of our alumni did), it is important that you recognize how your body performs with and without calories and water on a regular basis. If you have a few months to prepare for your course, there should be no problems getting in good shape.
For more information about fitness, visit this link.
4. What happens if I can’t complete the course?
A. It’s a rare occurrence, since most people want to see their investment reach fruition. By the time you’ve started the course, you have also read a lot of preparatory materials to help you face the challenges. If, however, you do decide to leave a course, the Field Director will arrange for your transportation out of the field — which is all explained up front prior to participating in the course.
An important element of the Field Course experience is that it is more than just a hike through the desert — it’s a modern day rite of passage. It’s about facing the unknown, having your limits expanded and reaching a better understanding of what you can, and cannot, do. Therefore, we hope the temptation to leave the course will be present for everyone. At times, we hope that the hunger, the heat, and the lack of knowing where you’re going or what you’ll be doing next will push buttons in people and make you push yourself. But the goal is to stay committed to the trip and enjoy the sense of accomplishment you get at the end.
There is also, of course, a curriculum of skills being taught. All of these things, not to mention all the friends you make on the course, combine to make you want to stay. We don’t encourage students to leave, but it does happen, and some people end their trip early, usually regretting it the second they get back to civilization.
5. Do we get any food or water during Impact? During the course?
A. All Field Courses start with a phase called Impact. During this time, you are not carrying or eating any food, and you are drinking the water you find in creeks, potholes, and drainages along the way. Please note that there may be nights when you don't have water and have to dry camp or days when you hike from waterhole (in the am) to waterhole (in the pm) with little if any drinkable water along the way. The goal of this phase is to open your eyes to the world around you, to notice the resources present or absent in the wilderness.
After this phase, you are given food rations which typically include rolled oats and grains for breakfast and stews (lentils, rice, potatoes, carrots) for dinner. These amount to about 1500 calories per person per day, and you cook these in small groups of students, deciding each day what you'll have.
So yes, you are given food past the Impact phase. We give you enough food to keep the average body healthy and active, but we still encourage you to learn about the edible plants and other food sources in the area.
More information about Food at BOSS can be found at this link.
6. Can I bring extra food, like Powerbars, for Impact?
A. No. The food rations and equipment list we give you for a Field Course is set, and any additions have to be approved by your head instructor. Smuggling in food could jeopardize your staying on a course, since it would undermine the program we're creating for everyone else.
7. What if I'm a vegetarian, kosher, lactose intolerant, etc.?
A.
About
20% of the students who come to BOSS each summer are vegetarians, so you should
be okay. Most meals on the trail consist of lentils, rice, quinoa, amaranth,
oatmeal, carrots, potatoes, and some flavorings like vegetarian bouillon.
Odds are that you will find other vegetarians on your course who can join
you in your cook group (at BOSS, students cook their own meals on the trail
— in cook groups of about 4 people sharing one #10 can).
However, on longer Field Courses, some meals may include meat, since it is
not unusual for survival cultures to be dependent on meat in their diets.
During these meals, it is up to the student if he or she would like to eat
it.
For those who are kosher, lactose intolerant, allergic to nuts, etc. please mark this information down on your health history form (in your Registration Packet) and let us know if any adjustments to our rations need to be made.
8. What about extra gear? Can I bring more than what's on the list?
A. On our Field Courses, the equipment list we provide is our maximum allowable list. So you're welcome to bring less but not more than what's on there. However, over the years, we have made some adjustments based on weather, route, or medical conditions. If you have a specific question, ask your Head instructor during course orientation. He or she has the final say in the matter.
9. Can I wear contact lenses? What about sunglasses?
A. No, and no. Here's why:
Contact Lenses - We've found that it is not easy to keep your fingers clean enough so you can take your lenses out and put them in each day (we prefer to NOT have Wet-Naps in the field with us). There is also a lot of sand flying around, and too many students have ended up with scratched lenses, lost lenses, dirty lenses, infected eyes, etc. So please, no contact lenses. Bring your glasses and a good case to store them in at night.
Sunglasses - This one sometimes confuses people, since in the summertime it's sunny and sunglasses could help shield your eyes. True, but so will a good hat, and we need to see your eyes while we lead the course. This point can't be overemphasized — the instructors need to know how each person is doing on a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute basis in order to most effectively manage the health and well-being of the group. If your eyes are hidden behind dark shades, we can't see how you're doing. So no sunglasses.
If you are concerned about exposure to UV rays, we suggest you get some clear glasses that provide UV protection. If your eyes are sensitive to light due to a medical condition, we'll need a letter from a physician stating this. In this case (and only this), we may allow sunglasses to be worn during the course.
10. What about medications? Can I take prescribed medicines on the course?
A. Most of the time, this is not a problem. It will depend on the specific medicine, what it does, and how it may affect your performance on a Field Course. If you can go without it, that's usually best, but we understand this isn't always possible.
You and your physician should be aware that on Field Courses, there will be times when you have no food and limited water. You will be under heavy exertion at times, and your diet will not be high in fats. So any medications you take must be safe for these variables.
If you have questions about this, please speak with Jenny Stein in our office, who can ask our school's physician if necessary.
11. Can I bring a camera? Digital or film? What about a video camera?
A. You're more than welcome to bring a camera on your course. In fact, you're encouraged, since Southern Utah is so beautiful. Just be aware that the conditions you'll be in (hot & sandy, cold & wet) do not work well with electronics, and dirt and sand has a way of getting into every nook and cranny, which can ruin expensive gear.
I suggest you bring whatever camera you're comfortable with, and some Zip-loc bags (Freezer style, extra thick) to keep it in when not in use. If you are going to bring an expensive camera, bring a good camelhair brush so you can dust it every now and then. If you're bringing digital cameras, please bring extra batteries and SIM cards.
Video cameras are not allowed on courses simply because we find them too invasive into the experience of others.
12. Am I really all alone during Solo? What if something bad happens?
A. Yes, you're alone during your Solo, which is the goal of the phase. But you are not totally isolated — you and your coursemates are strung out in a line along a watersource (usually), so you could travel just a short distance upstream or downstream and find someone. At the end of the line, there are also your instructors if there's an emergency.
Before Solo begins, your instructors will review how our safety monitoring system works, but we have a way of checking on your safety without interfering with your privacy using rocks. Should there be an emergency, assistance is not that far away. But your primary goal is to just relax and enoy the solitude.
13. Can I go off on a hike during Solo? Can I visit my neighbor?
A. No, and no. Solo is your time to be alone, but it is not a time for a solo expedition. Your explorations are confined to your site, which may be a 1/4 mile wide and 1/2 mile long. Stay there, please. There's plenty of room for a shelter, for sunbathing, and for pondering the meaning of life. But leaving your site and hiking off somewhere violates the goal of the phase and may jeopardize your staying on the course. The only courses that offer you a true solo expedition are the Canyon Navigator, Mountain Navigator, and Advanced Navigator.
The same policy goes for your visiting your neighbor. Please respect their right to have their own Solo experience and wait until the phase is over to reconvene.
14. I've heard that BOSS is a desert survival school. Should I expect to be traveling in only a desert environment? I want to learn more than that.
A. The
area around Boulder, Utah has a surprising diversity of habitats. At lower
elevations, the desert varies from riparian areas
around the Escalante River and its tributaries, to bare slickrock and Pinyon/Juniper.
Slightly higher in elevation, the BOSS field office is located in the Pinyon/Juniper
zone at the foot of Boulder Mountain, where the transition to the Ponderosa
Pine forest begins. On Boulder Mountain itself, one finds forests of scrub
oak, Aspen and even Spruce/Fir at the highest elevations (11,000 feet). We
live in an area where you can experience habitats typical of the southwestern
United States to forests which can be found in Canada.
At BOSS, we feel that utilizing a variety of these habitats on our Field
Courses gives students a more diverse experience, providing unique sights,
challenges, and learning opportunities. It's possible to be sweating and
thirsty at the Pinyon/Juniper
elevation one day, and then be hiking through falling snow in the Aspen or
Spruce/Fir elevation the very next - even in July. So don't come expecting
exclusively desert - you'll be exploring and experiencing far more and your
staff will do their best to expose you to the beauty and diversity around
Southern Utah's Boulder Mountain.
IV. FAQ's - FOR WOMEN
1. Do women go on BOSS courses?
A. But of course! I know that the school's tough reputation and Spartan equipment lists might seem more appealing to men, but we have thousands of female alumni who have enjoyed the course as much as anyone else. And these are the normal, friendly women you'd want to hang out with: teachers, lawyers, doctors, sales reps, directors, students, and life-long adventurers. If you're on the fence just because you're concerned about being a woman at BOSS, please give Jenny Stein a call. Not only can Jenny tell you about her course experience (Field Course, 2003), but she can put you in touch with other women just like you who've been to our school.
2. Does BOSS offer single-sex (women only) courses?
A. Yes, we do. However, no single-sex courses are currently being offered in 2008. Please contact Jenny Stein for more info.
3. What if I don't feel "tough enough" to be with a group of men.
A. That feeling is not uncommon. But don't worry too much about being a woman on a BOSS course. If anything, your presence will be greatly appreciated and, if past female alumni are any indication, you should pull through the course just fine.
4. Are there female instructors at BOSS?
A. Yes, there are. And we do everything we can to have at least one female staff member on each course. We've found this makes it easier for female students should there be any "feminine questions" and it also helps keep the male energy in check. I can't guarantee that every course will have female staff, but we do our best.
5. I've heard that BOSS doesn't bring toilet paper on Field Courses. Is this true?
A. Yes, this is true. Briefly, toilet paper has only been around for about 150 years. Many, many options exist in the natural world, as your instructors will teach you at the beginning of your course. Really, it's not that bad and this should in no way prevent you from taking a course.
6. What if I get my period... Do you allow tampons?
A. We do, and we recommend brands with applicators to minimize the chance of infection from external sources. We also give each woman a special "Fem Pack" at the beginning of each trip which contains some plastic Zip-loc bags, an opaque bag, a packet of tissues, and some Wet-Naps. While we discuss how women in traditional cultures dealt with their periods and encourage you to try these traditional methods, the Fem Packs are there to help you stay sanitary during menstruation.
7. I'm not expecting to get my period during my course. Do I still need to bring personal items for it?
A. Yes, please do. We have had many women who swore they wouldn't get their periods get them while on the trail. It's one of the reactions your body can have to stress and to "synching" with other women on the course. Better to be prepared than not.
8. If I'm on "the pill," can I continue taking it while on my course.
A. We have had many women stay on their pill while taking our courses, so there's probably not much risk, but you should ask your physician just to be sure.
