I just came across this feedback from one of our Survival Challenge courses last year and wanted to post it up. Many thanks to all our fantastic customers who take the time to return feedback for Leon and the team!
"I had a fabulous time completing the Survival Challenge (four days) in Lindfield, West Sussex last week (August 2017), and exceeded all of my goals for this course : (a) to spend quality time with my son ; (b) to learn ways to light fire ; and (c) to have fun experiencing new bush-craft related things.
What I hadn’t expected to learn along the way was more about myself, how I feel in a survival situation: my mental fortitude and physical responses to living off the land, in the wild. It was a revelation.
Catching and foraging for our food was particularly interesting for me: learning about the amazing natural larder all around us. I can identify many plants but had never before understood which ones where good to eat – charred Burdock-root fries will forever be a favourite – and which ones to avoid.
I especially enjoyed learning ways to light a fire, including friction. It’s a familiar topic in books and on TV but I’d never before had a go. The Swiss fire steels were easy to use, though new to me (I’ve already bought my own now) and learning how to light a wet-wood fire was especially challenging and rewarding when it worked (it did rain), but for me the bow-drill was my personal highlight - when the tinder burst into flames I was elated!
All of this was possible thanks to Leon, who’s a fascinating chap and an excellent instructor. He is very thoughtful, succinct, methodical and deliberate in his speech and actions – demonstrating numerous bushcraft skills and constructively offering expert feedback and advice. The learning experience was friendly, positive and safe. And fun! Leon made it easy and interesting. My son and I felt comfortable and empowered doing things we might normally have avoided – like gutting a rabbit; trying some bizarre new foods; and pushing through pangs of hunger, for example.
Was it value for money? Definitely! The provision of tools and equipment was excellent. The expert advice, fireside banter and interaction is what you make of the opportunity – for me it was priceless.
Might I survival in a real emergency survival situation? Put it this way, I’m confident I would now undoubtedly survival a great deal longer than I would have done before this course!
Did I experience and learn everything as advertised in the course blurb? Oh, yes, and lots more. Not just the technical skills but also about myself. And I paused to think about the challenges others around the world face every day, and my own life.
Would I go again? Without hesitation.
I commend this course to anyone wishing to learn bushcraft skills and gain an insight into how they might cope in a survival situation. It’s educational, testing and fun"