Women's 3 Day Survival Skills Course

STARTS: 17:30 PM FRI 31 OCT 2025 - FINISHES: NOON MON 03 NOV 2025

This 3 day course is for women who want to gain the confidence to safely explore the wilderness, and learn what to do if they find themselves in a survival situation.

The focus of the weekend is on practical, useful and hands-on skills. This is one of the most comprehensive courses of it's kind, in Australia.

Join a small group of outdoor women in a beautiful bush location, just outside of Canberra.

Camping facilities available for three nights with a long-drop toilet, fire pits and under-cover shelter if the weather turns bad, all amongst schlerophyl eucalypt forests - the perfect place to learn valuable, hands-on outdoor survival skills.

Some survival schools teach Wilderness Living skills, rather than Emergency Survival skills.

When you’re lost, you don’t need to know how to build a shelter that will see you through 102 days on the reality survival TV show, ALONE. And you won’t likely have the tools or the energy either, so our focus is on the most efficient, practical and useful techniques that will actually help you survive. While you won't want want to carry a suitcase full of gadgety survival gear, I'll have plenty of useful hands-on kit for you to try and explore. You won't see a bigger range of options, on any other course in Australia.

We'll review what works, what doesn't and what’s the minimum light-weight / pocket-sized kit that will get through almost any emergency scenario, and help you select the most effective items for your own kit and future adventures.

Our approach is based on Search & Rescue statistics, SAR research and processes, Lost Person behaviour, Lost Person Psychology and realistic outdoor techniques. We teach from three perspectives: Using natural methods (for when you have no gear); improvised methods and the most efficient, smallest kit to get the job done.

This course is specifically for hikers, but is applicable to anyone who gets outdoor for other recreational purposes also - 4WD'ing, Kayaking, Canyoning.

What the course covers:

Survival priorities and context :

->Mindset, Shelter, Water, Fire , Signalling and First-Aid

Mindset:

> How people respond (how you’ll likely respond)

>Dealing with Wood Shock (and what it is)

>How to make a plan and prioritise

First-Aid

>Principles and Framework of how to decide what to put in a kit/how to keep your kit small and light

>Snakes and snake-bite

>CPR / Major bleeds / Anaphylaxis

Shelter

>How to build an emergency shelter

You’ll get to construct a shelter (and can sleep in it, if you’re up for the adventure!)

Fire

>Making fire with friction, flint and steel, ferro rods and other improvised methods (five different ways to light fire) including with quartz found in the Canberra area

>How to build a fire with wet wood

>Efficient fire-making skills 6 different ways

You’ll get to start a fire using friction methods like Bow Drills and Hand drills - everyone wants to try those traditional skills and get insta pics - we'll actually show you why that’s grossly impractical and impossible if you’re in a real survival situation - and what to do, instead, including from simple items you'll likely have on you.

Water

>Finding and collecting water, without a water source, including what to do if you're injured

>Making water safe to drink

> What to do when you run out of water

>Heat illness - how to manage and avoid and why

Signalling

>Different signal methods

>How to signal to maximise rescue

>How to use and the difference between emergency communication devices such as Personal Locator Beacons and Garmin Inreach and others

Navigation

>Map, compass and navigation basics

>Using nature to navigate

>How to get unlost

Survival Kits

>How to make your own small survival kit

> What's rubbish vs criticial items in commercial survival kits

Knife Handling, Safety and Sharpening

>Knives and safe blade handling

>Hiking knives

> Basic Knife Sharpening

We'll also provide you with a take home transpiration bag, and flagging tape for your emergency kit.

WHAT TO BRING

We send a detailed Information Pack to all participants with a list of what to bring, around 3 weeks prior to the event. You will need a caravan, tent or tarp for camping, for three nights (we can loan a tent/sleeping mat and sleeping bag if needed).

We commence at 05:30 PM on Friday 31 OCT 2025 - - I would encourage you to arrive a bit earlier on Friday, and get your camp set up, ready for a 05:30 pm start.

Please bring your own survival kit items if you have them (eg ferro rod, tinder, whistle, mirror, water purifiers, etc). If you don’t have any survival kit, I recommend you hold off on purchasing them until you’ve participated in our weekend where you can see what works best, and what doesn’t. We have a huge range and diversity of kit items to try, as well as plenty of all-natural options.

If you don't have camping gear, I can loan a tent / sleeping mat / sleeping bag and rain jacket. Access to loan items are included in the Info Pack.

This location has a long-drop toilet, but no shower facilities.

There is no wifi or mobile phone signal at this site. Tank water is available, but requires treatment prior to use. Each participant should bring their own drinking water for the duration of the course, if you don't have water treatment.

While the site is accessible by 2WD, the road into the site is around 2 klms in distance, and is on compressed and rocky dirt road. I recommend lift-sharing where possible and will provide driving instructions, closer to the date. I will send a link for our private, closed Facebook Group where you can ask questions and request a lift from other participants.

PLEASE NOTE: for this course - access to the course grounds is restricted on Sat 01 November due to a car rally in the location - there is NO ACCESS WHATSOEVER on Saturday until after 4pm. You aren't able to access the Campground on Saturday until after 4pm**

REFUND INFORMATION

If you cancel (for any reason) > 45 days out from the event, I will refund you fully, less a $4.50 processing fee.

If you cancel between 45 and 21 days before the activity, I will refund you 50% of the cost of the course, but

If you cancel less than 21 days before the event, unfortunately there is no refund available.

I’m happy to transfer your spot onto one future course date. If you choose the transfer option, there are no refunds available if you then later cancel on a transferred spot. If you transfer to a future date and the costs of the event increases, you will need to pay the difference between this ticket price, and the increased amount.

I can also transfer your ticket to an alternative attendee, with your written approval.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here's a link to some frequently asked questions about the activity:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1maa6uClFihr28OcrgSYRK9m2r3DB20F0RdaNeZFxs-g/edit?usp=sharing

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

You can read more about our instructor, here:

https://bushsafe.com/about-us

Read our feature by the ABC here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-22/act-teaching-women-outdoor-emergency-survival-skills-hiking/102634212BUSHSAFE

PO BOX 977

DICKSON POST OFFICE, ACT 2602

MOB: 0466 999 868

ABN: 92 845 308 397

Learn how to find water and what to do, when you run out

Learn cord making with natural fibres and net making

We teach 3 ways of addressing survival priorities - natural, manufactured and improvised methods. Learn how to make a natural lean-to shelter

Learn safe knife, blade and saw handling and how to sharpen knives

You'll learn how to start a fire - six different ways including how to use a ferrocerium rod (ferro rod), flint and steel and bow and hand drill. You'll get to try different natural and manufactured tinders, how to build a safe fire, and what to do if it's raining or wood is wet.

Learn how to use a compass, how to read a topographic map, how to put those two items together to navigate. Understand how people get lost and tips and tricks for getting yourself unlost.

Learn hands-on skills in a beautiful bush setting

We'll look at all survival priorities, including signal devices. Learn how to use a retroflective mirror or set off a Personal Locator Beacon.

At night, share a campfire and stories (and marshmallows) with other wonderful women from outdoors communities around Australia!

Also check out other Workshops in Canberra, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Canberra.