THE BOSS STUDENT EXPERIENCE

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A group of BOSS students gather for a group photo. Read our student experiences & BOSS survival school reviews.

Skills

Each course teaches what we view as the essential skills for survival in the desert or anywhere. This includes hard skills like friction fire and knots, as well as skills such as survival mindset and decision-making. Longer courses offer time to learn more skills, and to practice and gain proficiency in them.

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A BOSS student admires the fire that they have started. Read our student experiences & BOSS survival school reviews.

Challenge and Growth

BOSS courses are designed to challenge students. The challenge is different for each student: sometimes it is the limited food, sometimes it is the heat or desolation of the desert, often it is something unexpected. Our courses are tough. More than 50 years of experience have shown us that when we expect a lot of our students, they rise to the challenge. 

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A tree and native brush growing in the desert. Read our student experiences & BOSS survival school reviews.

Landscape

The land we travel through is as rugged and demanding as it is beautiful. Look from the slopes of Boulder Mountain across millions of acres of canyon desert to see clear into Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Explore the earthy depths of red slot canyons. Discover springs hidden in a sun-scorched desert. Camp next to mountain meadows overflowing with wildflowers.

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BOSS survival school reviews

Some words from past students:

“The BOSS Field Course was extremely challenging, both inwardly and outwardly. I wish I had taken it in my 20’s…and again in my 30’s…and again in my 40’s…” –BOSS alum

“The feeling of freedom I found on that walk back into society—and into my life—has stayed with me now months later. When I returned to New Mexico a few days later, the woman in whose house I was staying commented, ‘I believe you’re the most content human being I’ve ever met.’ She was right.” –BOSS alum
“Not a day has gone by that I haven’t applied the skills learned at BOSS – from cooking to map reading, to my own impression of myself and the world around me. My life is forever changed. Thank you.” –BOSS alum
“It’s not every day you have an experience that meets and surpasses your wildest expectations but my 28-day field course with BOSS was without a doubt one of the best, most fulfilling experiences of my entire life. It’s not just the skills learned, it’s not just the hardship. It’s the journey and people you share it with.” –BOSS alum
“These guys pull no punches, it is indeed the hardest survival school in the world. You will starve. You will bleed. You will doubt yourself. You will never look at civilization the same way again. But if you have the guts and willpower to go through this entire 28-day course you will come out an entirely different person and you will not ever for one single day regret it. You want a gentler path through the woods and you learn to appreciate the Earth for what it is. Cruel, but gentle. Dangerous, but enchanting. Wonderful, but terrifying. This is the kind of thing that will change you forever. It’s been months since I’ve been there, but every single day, I find myself thinking about our travels through this beautiful desert. No words I can say can truly do this school justice. If you feel lost, like you’re a puppet wandering through the world with no purpose and no goal, this place will give you a reason to want to live again, I promise you.” –BOSS alum

Interested in a life-changing challenge? 

Our survival instructors are some of the most experienced and competent in the world. The challenges that our BOSS survival courses offer aren’t for everyone, but if you’re the right person and it’s the right time for you, we promise our survival courses will provide adventure, challenge and world-class instruction.

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BOSS™ is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.