Mountain Shepherd Wilderness Survival School: special eyewitness report part 1

The Hennessey Hammock I slept in Friday night.

[This is the first part of a four-part eyewitness report to be published over the next two weeks. You can be notified when each article is published, just subscribe above. Your email address will be kept confidential. All photos (c) 2010 Sandi Bird ]

“It's all about empowering people.” That is the mantra that three other students and I have heard repeated throughout the first two days of the four day wilderness survival training in which I've had the opportunity to enroll. And I'm so excited about the training I've already received that I'm typing this article while dangling in a hammock at 11:00 pm on night two of the training. My canopy is a field of stars and I'm being serenaded by some hoot owls. The campfire is blazing cheerfully about 20 yards away.

Not a “fly-by-night”operation:

Listed as the #1 wilderness survival school in 2008 by National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Mountain Shepherd Wilderness Survival School is owned and operated by Reggie Bennett. Reggie has operated the school in Amherst, VA for five years—with training taking place in the National Forest, before moving the operation to its current location in Catawba, VA.

With the acquisition of the 100-acres in Catawba in 2009, Reggie was able to move forward with plans for a facility that will allow his students to experience advanced training in the Lodge that combines a state-of-the-art indoor classroom (currently being completed), a bunkhouse, hot showers and a kitchen with all of the outdoor benefits the property provides.

What to expect and what not to expect:

I've never been to a wilderness survival school, but had a number of preconceptions before I arrived. Most were incorrect. Invariably as I prepared for the course someone would ask something along the lines of, “So what is it going to be like? Are they going to make you eat grubs?” Honestly, I didn't know how to answer people. For all I knew grubs might have been on the menu. (They were NOT, by the way! We each brought our own food, and were pleasantly surprised by being treated to the school's free breakfast which included a variety of oatmeal flavors, grits, fresh fruit, and good strong coffee and herbal tea.)

One of the classrooms in the Lodge.

It's the fear of the unknown that stops many people from stepping out and experiencing new things. During one of my interviews with the three other students, more than one of them made the statement that people need to put aside any preconceived ideas or fears of what to expect, and just come with a desire to learn. I echo that sentiment as well. You will be coaxed and challenged to step outside of your comfort zone, but you will never be forced or ridiculed.

You're not in Boot Camp!

If you're concerned about some drill sergeant screaming at you to “drop down and give me fifty!”, stop worrying. Mountain Shepherd's owner/instructor, Reggie, is far from the drill sergeant type. Reggie's teaching style is conversational and he never comes across as him being the “wilderness survival god” and you the lowly “know-nothing”. In line with his mission to empower people, Reggie gives ample time for students to ask questions and to put the information into practical use. Having a “can do” attitude is always promoted.

Classroom time is split between the Lodge's indoor classroom and the outdoor “classrooms” which are located on the creek bank, in the woods and under a parachute canopy...which serves as both protection from sun and rain and also catches embers from the campfire before they have a chance to hit the trees.

“I don't want students to feel like the only thing they learned is How to Survive a Suckfest...”

I have to admit, I was expecting to have to: hike a couple miles to a base camp where we'd be for the biggest part of the training, cook all my food over a campfire that was made by rubbing two sticks together, and search for that perfect tree that was far enough away to be shielded from everyone else, yet close enough to “use” in the middle of the night. Wrong...If your car is not as wimpy as mine you can drive up to the Lodge and parked 20-40 yards from where much of the training is held. There's a Coleman stove outside and a kitchen inside the Lodge. And both indoor bathrooms and an outhouse are available.

Reggie explained during the first class that while primitive survival skills were okay to know, in the class we were taking he teaches people to use modern survival equipment and skills which make one's chance of survival even greater. And he would rather see his students have time to learn and practice what they are taught in a setting where they can ask questions, than to see them prove they can suck-it-up and hike 20 miles uphill with a heavy pack, be miserable, and crawl into their sleeping bag in exhaustion at the end of the day. That's the type of training a prior Air Force student referred to as a “Suckfest” because their days of training just plain sucked. Reggie takes pains to make sure his training is fun and informative, but if you are looking to torment yourself with that suckfest-type of training, Reggie can refer you to schools that will oblige you!

In part 2 of this eyewitness report we'll look at the 7 key areas of basic survival you need to know to increase your survival chances and we'll meet one of the students who attended the course with me. Part 3 will cover the evasion and escape training offered in the Hidden Pursuit course, we'll look at the other courses that Mountain Shepherd offers, and we'll meet another student. And in part 4 we will meet the third student and conclude with final thoughts from both instructor and students.