Camp Survival

This is an example of how we carry out a survival trip at our boarding school in Norway.

Step 1: Before departure

Late in the evening a message is shared to all the students participating in the trip. The message is in itself cryptic and vague, by design. They get told that from this message being sent out they have no more than thirty minutes to pack their backpacks ready to go on an overnight hiking trip.

The message reads along the lines of:

“IMPORTANT MESSAGE”
From this message is sent out you have thirty minutes to pack your backpacks, ready to go on an overnight adventure in the outdoors. Pack all the essentials you think you need for this trip - it will be challenging. See you all in the gymnastic room in thirty minutes.

Once the time has passed all the students meet up ready for an adventure. They get lined up, and if someone is late the ones who showed up in time get a physical activity they need to do until the entire group is full - like doing jumping jacks or standing in planks. While one of the assistants goes looking for the ones missing.

Once we all are gathered they all get asked to empty their backpacks and we go over their equipment. This is a quality control to check if everyone has the essentials needed. We will also take equipment from them that they won't need. Typical items they try to bring that we take from them are tobacco products, wallets, food, candy and such.

We also take away their phone, but before we do this they get told to send a message home to their family that if their family needs to get in contact with their child they can contact the facilitator, in an emergency. They do not know for how long they will be without their phone. Just this fact usually gets them very excited and a bit anxious.

After the quality control to make sure that  they have the essential equipment to undertake this trip we hand out some rope, tarp, an axe, and some matches to make a fire.

After this they are sent out to make a camp and sleep outside the school, at a predetermined location,  with no more information about what's going to happen. Their task now is just to survive the night. Sometimes we tell them that they need to guard their camp in case some “bandits” try to steal their equipment during the night. However; the bandits are just something made up, but they don't know. But they believe it and organize themselves to sit guard throughout the night.

Step 2: The morning after - The journey starts.

Early in the morning, before the sun rises, we meet the students at their camp. Here they are given a map with a location that they need to get to within a certain time frame. The location is far away and the timeframe is so short that making this distance is almost impossible. Tell them if they do not make it, there will be consequences.

Here we are still in a pretty urban area near the school and the location they have to reach takes them out into the woods.

After they get their maps and assignment I leave them, take a car and go to the location they are supposed to meet. The location they are supposed to reach is usually about a 10-15 km hike away from where they had their first camp and their goal is to reach it within 90 minutes.

Wait at this location until the group arrives (always late). I like to sit there and eat their breakfast as they arrive, they can't have it because they didn't make it in time.

Step 3: Make a assignment for them to do at this new location

At the location we meet up I have already prepared some assignments for the group to carry out. In our case we have an obstacle course near the woods which was used by the military to train. The obstacle course is quite long and hard and takes about an hour to do.

Here we divide them into two groups, the first group has to do the obstacle course, all while being connected to each member in the group, like a chain.

The other half of the group that's waiting for their turn to do the obstacle course gets an assignment to hold up a heavy log, while having to learn a complex song.

They swap assignments when one group returns. The obstacle course is timed and whichever group does it fastest will get a reward - half of a high calorie cookie as breakfast / lunch.

Step 4: Carrying canoes and canoeing

From this location the students are driven further into the wilderness. The drive takes about an hour, and usually they are very tired from the night with little sleep, physical activity and no real food yet.

We drove them to a location about 2 kms away from a lake in the mountains. Here we have placed canoes that they now are to carry up the mountain side up to the lake. The canoes are heavy and carrying them this distance takes a while.

Once all the canoes are at the lake we go paddling. We play games on the water with them. The winner of these games gets another cookie. After the games are done we teach them how to self rescue if you happen to fall over in the water. They are always very reluctant, but end up doing it anyway.

Full wet, they have to carry the canoes down back the mountain side to the parking lot where we placed them at the start, before we go back up to the lake.

Step 5: Getting dry, harvesting berries and waiting for nightfall

Once at the lake again they are usually very tired. So we give them some time to rest and collect themself. Many of them start to realize how hungry they are at this point. We organize this trip during fall, so the mountain side and forest is overflowing with berries, for them to harvest and “survive” from.

So while someone gets a bonfire going to dry their clothes, others are outside harvesting berries for the group. While we wait for nightfall. Keep in mind the students still have no idea what's going to happen next, and keeping it secret is part of the excitement.

Step 6: Navigating in the night

When it finally gets dark and the students think that it's time to get some sleep they get told to gather their things, put out the fire and get ready to move in 5 minutes.

From the lake they get an assignment to navigate themself to the peak of a nearby mountain. In the dark. With headlamps we navigate through the mountains. This peak is far away and difficult to navigate too. Near impossible in the dark. The point now is to get a little “lost”. We want the students to realize how difficult it is to navigate in the dark, with no roads to follow,  when they are tired and with no energy.

Step 7: Build emergency camp

Eventually they will realize it's pointless to continue the way we do. So now we build an emergency shelter with our tarps, get a fire going and prepare for some rest.

As a facilitator I bring a brick with butter and a pack of couscous. If they get the fire going they have the opportunity to boil some water and get a tasty meal. The motivation for this is always very high. Usually around 02:00 - 03:00 in the night the group is well fed, happy again, and we all go to sleep until the next morning when we have light again.

Step 8: Reach the peak

Eventually as the sun starts rising the goal is still to reach the peak through the wilderness. There are no roads to follow, so with their maps and compass they have to navigate through the landscape. The distance is around 12 kms from where we had camp to the peak.

Step 9: Trekking through mountains

Reaching the peak is always a highlight, and they are rewarded with a cookie, one for all. From the peak they are to take us down the other side of the mountain. Where there will be cars waiting for us.

We trek on for half a day and in the evening we reach the cars. If you want to keep things interesting during this time you can for instance fake that you fall and break a leg, the group needs to use their first aid skills to make an improvised stretcher and carry you parts of the way.

Step 10: Dragging cars

Once we reach the cars on the other side of the mountains, they usually think that the trip is over, and we are going back to school. However, the cars don't work. So now we have to take our rope and drag it on the road.

For 5 kms they have to drag the cars before they “magically” start working again. But only if they find the key. That's hidden somewhere nearby so that they have to go out searching for it in one of the navigation posts nearby.

Step 11: Driving them back to the canoes

From this point we drive them back to the canoes, pick them up with a car trailer and drive to a river that leads back to the city where the school is located.

This is a beautiful canoeing part of the trip, very relaxed and with the current it can be a relaxing experience for the hungry and tired students. Eventually we reach the town and the final stretch is near.

Step 12:

From the town center where the river runs through they are to carry the canoes back to the school through the city - usually cheered on by people walking by, and back to the school.

At school we have informed the school kitchen of our arrival and we have prepared pizza for everyone to enjoy. The trip ends after we all eat pizza and the students go get two days off to gather themselves.