Step Back in Time and Master the Skills of Your Ancestors
The Skills Courses at BOSS are designed to teach you survival skills that humans have relied on for generations. Whether you're seeking to focus on learning skills or a deeper dive into long-term primitive living, these courses provide hands-on learning in the beauty of Southern Utah's wilderness. Each day, you’ll work closely with master instructors, developing practical skills that allow you to thrive in nature.
14-Day Primitive Living Intensive
What to expect
The 14-Day Primitive Living Intensive is a comprehensive course that allows you to experience life as our ancestors did. You’ll dive deep into advanced survival techniques while living and working as part of a primitive village. From foraging and trapping to pottery and hide tanning, this course is a hands-on journey into ancient survival.
See Upcoming CoursesSkills Taught
Also includes all skills taught in the 7-Day Primitive Skills Course.
Large Animal Processing
Learn how to respectfully process a large animal for food and tools.
Natural Carrying Vessels
Craft natural vessels for carrying supplies and water.
Pottery & Cooking Vessels
Craft clay pots and other vessels used for cooking and storage.
Natural Cordage
Learn how to turn fibers into natural cordage for practical use.
Hide Preparation & Tanning
Learn to process and tan animal hides for long-term use.
Assemble a Primitive Pack
Practice using traditional technologies for wilderness travel and survival.
Basic Plant Identification & Use
Identify edible and medicinal plants in the wilderness.
Campsite Selection & Shelter Building
Learn to choose optimal locations and construct effective shelters.
Primitive Cooking Techniques
Learn how to prepare food using stone-age methods, without modern utensils.
Trapping & Fishing
Build advanced traps and learn techniques for catching fish.
Friction Fire
Practice making a fire using a bow drill.
Hunting Weapons & Use
Craft primitive hunting tools like throwing sticks, quickie bows, atlatl and put them to use.
Community Building
Work collaboratively with fellow participants to meet the goals of daily life.
Advanced Fire Making
Practice hand drill fire-making.
Additional Cooking Techniques
Additional traditional food preparation like mano and metate, hominy, hot rock boiling, or other techniques.
7-Day Primitive Skills
What to expect
Immerse yourself in a lifestyle that draws from the wisdom of ancient cultures. The Primitive Skills Courses at BOSS are designed to teach you survival skills that humans have relied on for millennia. Focused on traditional and primitive technology and skills attainment, these courses provide an opportunity to acquire a foundational understanding of essential skills in the beauty of Southern Utah's wilderness. Each day, you’ll work closely with skilled instructors, developing practical knowledge that allows you to thrive in nature.
See Upcoming CoursesSkills Taught
The exact skills taught on each course are determined by the instructors and student interest and engagement. The skills that might be covered include:
Friction Fire
Practice making a fire using a bow drill.
Primitive Shelters
Build and maintain shelters using natural materials found in the wild.
Primitive Cooking Techniques
Learn how to prepare food using stone-age methods, without modern utensils.
Foraging
Learn to identify and gather edible plants that are safe and nutritious.
Campsite Selection & Shelter Building
Learn to choose optimal locations and construct effective shelters.
Stone Tool Construction & Use
Craft and use stone-age tools.
Natural Cordage
Learn how to turn fibers into natural cordage for practical use.
Primitive Traps
Construct and use small game traps, including small animal processing.
Hunting Weapons & Use
Craft primitive hunting tools like throwing sticks, quickie bows, atlatl and put them to use.
Knife Maintenance
Learn how to keep your knife sharp and safe for long stints in the wilderness.
Natural Shelter Building
Study, build, and sleep in natural debris shelters where time and resources permit.
Additional Cooking Techniques
Additional traditional food preparation like mano and metate, hominy, hot rock boiling, or other techniques.
Stone Blades
Make single-strike stone blades and be introduced to more advanced flint knapping concepts where time and resources permit.
Bone Tools
Turn found bones or bones from animal processing into various useful tools.
Natural Carrying Vessels
Craft natural vessels for carrying supplies and water.
Advanced Fire Making
Practice hand drill fire-making.
Basic Plant Identification
Identify useful plants in the wilderness.
Knife Use & Safety
Safely use knives for multiple survival tasks.
Wilderness Hygiene
Establish healthy hygiene habits in remote settings, and learn to use natural materials instead of toilet paper.
Fire Construction
Learn to build and manage a fire in the wilderness safely and effectively.
Hide Tanning Intensive
What to expect
Of all the materials that traditional cultures use to clothe themselves, few are as beautiful, resilient, or comfortable as brain-tanned buckskin. In this week-long Hide Tanning Intensive, Emily Bartle will teach students the art of processing animal hides using various methods of softening and preservation. Each student will then learn how to smoke finished products to produce supple fabric for creating clothing, pouches, or even shoes. While you may not reach the stage of sewing during this class as the processing is quite intensive, Emily will have examples of articles of clothing made from buckskin to examine. Our goal is to teach you how to turn animal hides into usable fabric for functional clothing, containers, and accoutrements, and hopefully walk away with at least one finished product.
See Upcoming CoursesSkills Taught
Hide Tanning
Process animal hides for clothing and shelter.
Wilderness Hygiene
Establish healthy hygiene habits in remote settings, and learn to use natural materials instead of toilet paper.
Knife Maintenance
Learn how to keep your knife sharp and safe for long stints in the wilderness.
Knife Use & Safety
Safely use knives for multiple survival tasks.
Primitive Shelters
Build and maintain shelters using natural materials found in the wild.
Friction Fire
Practice making a fire using a bow drill.