List of training centers near you

Your brain is the best tool you have when dealing with emergencies. The more knowledge you have, the less stuff you need, and the more confidently you can handle a wide range of scenarios.

The Prepared has the best online video courses around, that are the same or better as an in-person class and often taught by some of the same instructors below, as well as these free skill guides.

But sometimes you just want to physically be with other people to ask random questions and enjoy spending time away from home with local, like-minded folks.

This list is crowdsourced, lead by community member Lucas Pflueger, and frequently updated over time. It’s not exhaustive and we don’t endorse anything on this list — it’s just a directory of local teachers who have passed a basic sniff test.

Please comment below with any feedback or additions so we can keep it updated.

Canada

Alberta

• Karamat Wilderness Ways

British Columbia

• Canada West Mountain School
• Soaring Eagle. Vancouver.
• Thriving Roots. Victoria. Has youth programs.

Manitoba

• ICSOS. Winnipeg.

Nova Scotia

• Adventure & Safety Atlantic

Ontario

• Earth Tracks. Toronto area.
• Pine Project. Toronto. Has youth programs.
• Sticks and Stones. Muskoka area.

Quebec

• Les Primitifs. In french.
• Programmes Coyote. Montreal area. English and French. Has youth programs.

United States

Multiple locations or unknown

• CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) is a free nationwide program
• Ancient Pathways. AZ, CO, OR, UT.
• Flint & Steel
• LifeSong Wilderness Adventures. CA, OR, TX.
• NOLS
• Outward Bound
• Pathfinder School

Alabama

• Combat Survival of Alabama. NE AL.
• Randall’s Adventure Training. They helped develop popular field knives.

Alaska

• Alaska School of Survival
• Learn to Return. Anchorage.
• The Folk School. Fairbanks.

Arizona

• Cody Lundin / Aboriginal Living Skills School
• Ravens Way. SE AZ.
• Reevis Mountain. Phoenix area.

Arkansas

• ACS. NW AR.
• Ozark Mountain Preparedness. NW AR.
• Ozark Natural Science Center. Huntsville.

California

• Adventure Out
• Black Oak
• California Survival School
• Thomas Coyne Schools
• Wilderskills. For kids and teens.

Colorado

• Earth Knack. Southern CO.
• Gone Feral. Boulder.
• Paleo Tracks
• SERETraining.us. The lead instructor, Jessie Krebs, is a contributor to The Prepared.
• The Survival University. West of Colorado Springs.
• Women’s Wilderness. Boulder. Youth and adult programs for women and LGBT.

Connecticut

• The Readiness Collective. Norwalk.
• Two Coyotes. Monroe. Has youth programs.

Delaware

• Delaware Nature Society. Mostly youth programs.

Florida

• ASC. Jacksonville.
• Florida Outdoor Academy. Jacksonville.

Georgia

• Georgia Bushcraft. Athens.
• Georgia Outdoor. West-central GA.
• Medicine Bow. North GA.
• Itchatad. East Atlanta

Idaho

• Backtracks. Rexburg.
• Storm Creek Outfitters. Near Missoula.
• Twin Eagles. Sandpoint. Has youth programs.

Illinois

• Medicine Hawk / Nature Education Programs. Elmhurst.

Indiana

• White Pine Wilderness Academy

Kansas

• Blackthorn. North-central KS.

Kentucky

• Campcraft Ourdoors. Louisville area.
• Practical Primitive. Bowling Green area.

Maine

• Jack Mountain. Courses for those who want to become instructors or field guides.
• Maine Local Living School. West ME.
• Maine Primitive. Augusta.
• White Pine. York. Has youth programs.

Maryland

• Ancestral Knowledge. DC area. Has youth programs.

Massachusetts

• Earthwork. NW MA. Has youth programs.
•  American Outdoor School. Near Boston MA.

Michigan

• Rawhide. SE MI.

Minnesota

• Minnesota Primitive Skills and Survival School. Mankato.
• North House. NE MN.

Mississippi

• None at the moment, but Fox Kits in TN is near the border.

Missouri

• First Earth. Springfield.
• Sigma 3. South MO.

Montana

• Big Oak Wilderness School. Missoula.
• Bridger Institute. NW MT.
• Green University. West of Bozeman.
• OWLS. West of Bozeman. Youth program.
• Past Skills. Bozeman.

Nebraska

• 88 Tactical

Nevada

• Base. Carson City.

New Hampshire

• Kroka Expeditions. SW NH.
• SOLO

New Jersey

• Return to Nature. Brunswick area.
• Tom Brown Jr’s Tracker School. Waretown.

New York

• Hawk Circle. Cherry Valley. Mostly youth and family oriented.
• Lake Effect. Watertown. Medical. Contributor to The Prepared.
• Mountain Scout. Hopewell Junction.
• North Camp. Albany-Poughkeepsie area.
• Primitive Pursuits. Ithica. Has youth programs.
• Wild Earth. Poughkeepsie. Has youth programs.
• Wilderness Way. South-central NY.
• Woodland Ways. Albany area. Has youth programs.
• Gray Bearded Green Beret Upstate NY.

North Carolina

• Earth School. Asheville area.
• NOC. Asheville area.
• Wild Abundance. Asheville.

Ohio

• GSI. Cambridge.
• Midwest Native Skills Institute. Cleveland.
• NE Ohio Primitive Living.
• Pathfinder School

Oregon

• Bush Mechanics. Central OR.
• Bushcraft Northwest. Central-WA border.
• Trackers Portland. Has youth programs.

Pennsylvania

• Appalachian Bushman
• True North. Pittsburgh.

South Carolina

• Trail Blazer. Greenville.
• Windwalker. Summerville.
• Woodsrunner. Clinton.

Tennessee

• Big Pig. Knoxville area.
• Fox Kits. SW TN.
• Strategic Self Reliance and Defense. Between Memphis and Nashville.

Texas

• Earth Native. Austin. Has youth programs.
• KR Training. Between Austin and Houston. Self-defense and firearm training.
• Texas Survival
• The Human Path

Utah

• Boulder BOSS
• Making Tracks Earth Education.
• OnPoint Tactical. St. George.

Vermont

• Roots. Corinth. Has youth programs.
• VWS. SE VT. Has youth programs.

Virginia

• AST
• Earth Connection. Northern VA.
• Mountain Shepherd

Washington

• Alderleaf Wilderness College
• Bushcraft Northwest. South-central WA.
• Earthwalk Northwest
• Living Wild. North-central WA.
• Mountain Guerrilla / John Mosby. Mostly tactical.
• Nicole Apelian Survive and Thrive. Raymond.
• Raven’s Roots Naturalist School
• Wilderness Awareness. Duvall. Has youth programs.
• Wolf Camp. Tacoma. Has youth programs.

West Virginia

• Forest Manna Outdoors. Southern WV.
• North American Bushcraft

Wisconsin

• Lost Creek. Northern WI.
• Teaching Drum. Northern WI. Has instructor courses.