Wondering how to live full time in the wilderness? Southwest Survival's Jon Helleson teams up with herbalist, wilderness expert and author Peter Bigfoot for a 5 day immersion into wilderness living. Nestled in the Superstition Mountains, Reevis Mountain is a true oasis in the desert. Students stay at Peter Bigfoot's off-grid homestead and see self-reliance in action. Useful wild plants: sample wild edibles, learn healing properties of local medicinal plants, make salves, tinctures and powders, tricks for fast identification, poisonous plants to avoid, and make plant fiber rope, an agave water bottle, toothbrushes and other field gear. Basic and advanced survival: build comfortable emergency shelters, make fire with modern and friction methods, find/make/purify water, bake, boil and cook over a campfire without modern cookware, make expedient tools such as sharp blades from river cobbles and pitch glue, and navigate using improvised methods. Hunting: identify animals from tracks and sign, make snares and deadfall traps for birds and small mammals, craft rabbit sticks, slings and spear throwers, make fishing tackle, and flint-knap an arrowhead. Wilderness medicine: wilderness first aid for field injuries, and acupressure techniques for common complaints. Meet at the boat shop in Roosevelt at 4 PM on the arrival day.

Skills covered