The BOSS Field Expedition Course has been our signature trip since 1968. There is nothing else like it: 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, GPS, or cellphones. You will be physically and mentally challenged as your small group travels through some of the most beautiful land in the country while learning technical wilderness skills, environmental knowledge, and critical survival behavior.
This intense expedition introduces you to core wilderness survival techniques while traversing the beautiful and rugged landscapes of Dixie National Forest and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Catered to people who may not have the time to devote two or four weeks to an expedition, this course is designed to be no less challenging or rewarding. You will learn essential skills, hike long distances, and adapt to the wilderness with minimal gear.
Course Phases
Orientation — Welcome to BOSS, introduction to your guides and the course, 1.5-mile timed run, lunch, gear check, and last-minute gear purchases/swaps. Learn how to pack your gear to prepare for departure.
Impact — A fast-moving hike with minimal equipment through the wilderness with hot days, cold nights, and no food except what you might find. Learn as you go, including how to stay warm, how to make fire, best practices for hydration, and more.
Group Expedition — Continue your journey with additional gear (including blanket and poncho), with on-the-trail instruction as our staff teach you the skills you need to navigate and survive in the desert. Take your turn leading the group through unknown terrain.
Solo — Put your skills to the test and enjoy some solitude in your own site during the stationary solo phase of your course.
Student Expedition — Leave the support system of your instructors behind as you and your group route-find and travel to your specified destination.
Final Challenge — Just when you think it's over, it isn't....
Course Closing Celebration — You've earned it.
Skills covered
What you'll learn
- Desert Ecology — Experience desert ecosystems and appreciate how to safely navigate arid environments.
- Survival Attitude & Behavior — Develop the resilience needed to handle extreme conditions and circumstances with minimal gear.
- Campsite Selection & Shelter Building — Learn to choose optimal locations and construct effective shelters.
- Fire Construction — Learn to build and manage a fire in the wilderness safely and effectively.
- Water Location & Purification — Learn methods for finding and purifying water.
- Wilderness Hygiene — Establish healthy hygiene habits in remote settings, and learn to use natural materials instead of toilet paper.
- Knife Use & Safety — Safely use knives for multiple survival tasks.
- Basic Plant Identification — Identify useful plants in the wilderness.
- Problem-Solving When Lost — Develop the mindset and strategies to manage stress and safely navigate when you’re uncertain of your location.
- Low-Impact Wilderness Travel — Practice BOSS’s low-impact travel techniques to navigate through the landscape while minimizing your environmental footprint.
- Route Planning & Travel — Understand how to plan your route, select trails, and adjust travel based on terrain.
- Friction Fire — Practice making a fire using a bow drill.
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Prerequisites
• A high level of fitness preparation is required, including a 1.5-mile run (or equivalent endurance test) to determine your baseline fitness. • No prior camping or outdoor experience is required. • All applicants must complete a Health and Physical Exam packet with a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner and obtain their signed approval before enrollment. • Participants must be 18 years or older.
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