We started taking class with Shane Hobel of Mountain Scout Survival School when my daughter was 10,…read moreshe is nearly 12 now. I had contacted Shane after thinking about these types of classes for a while. After observing extreme weather conditions in our country, I realized if it plunged to negative 30 degrees here, I would have no clue how to stay alive, nor how to help my child.
Shane responded to my message promptly, and we chatted for about an hour. He was knowledgeable, friendly, kind, reassuring, and funny. I was greatly relieved to discuss such a paramount topic with a competent expert. I almost expected a bill for all the questions I had, but I discovered Shane is not driven by the pecuniary, he is a genuinely good, helpful guy.
The basic class is Wilderness I. I was a bit apprehensive to take my daughter to the middle of the forrest with people I didn't know, but Shane had been so genuine during our call, I did. All the volunteers and trainees/Scouts working for Mountain Scout School are every bit as nice and helpful as Shane. We learned a huge amount from 9-5, manifold topics are covered. Notebooks are imperative, you could never recall all the information given. We have since attended Wilderness I another 5 times; each time I hear something different I had missed before. "Dirt time" to practice skills is also given in Wilderness I.
Mountain Scout Survival School offers a plethora of course options after the required Wilderness I - Wilderness II, Wilderness III, Tracking I and II, Camouflage and Movement, Fire I and II, Art of the Stalk, Healing Way I and II, Urban I and II, Bug Out, Map and Compass, Tree Identification, Hunt Tracking etc. There are a myriad of other courses I'm sure I'm missing. The Healing Way is very profound, and the Art of the Stalk - literally crawling through the foliage - is fun.
The classes are very reasonable for the NYC metro area. One thing not advertised is once you've attended a Mountain Scout Survival School class, to repeat that class is a paltry $40 fee. If you want to become more involved, he accepts volunteers who assist classes. Every few months he offers Skill Set Open Practice Days for no charge. This school is very affordable - no $20K overnight auction items here, no pressure. I have met many interesting and nice students, varied draw of people attend.
I like the fact Shane stresses he is not aligned with the segment of prevalent Doomsday Prepper type shows. Shane is Native American, and has reverence and awe for nature and Mother Earth. He reminds everyone he teaches ancient skills which are our birthright, and had been known to all until very recent modern times. He is so correct, it's time to reclaim what every other generation has practiced. Shane emphasizes community, and sharing skills sets to increase the efficiency of your community group. His philosophy is to increase and expand your awareness, baseline is inculcated into you. He is a bit zany which adds to sometimes too serious topics.
I have attended about 90 percent of the above listed courses, and they are all interesting and helpful if you are serious about accumulating skills. I have seen fire made from ancient bow drills in intense rain with a couple feet of snow. Wow. Shane and his crew are kind of like watching a cross between McGuyver and Michael Weston operating outside. Very approachable, no need to feel inferior for showing up with no skills.
Despite his expertise, Shane is very humble with zero attitude. Attending classes builds your endurance, confidence, and self-knowledge. I detest heights, I am petrified to ride Soarin with my kid, yet I found myself rock climbing a couple weeks ago to end one class. It was harrowing to watch my daughter use a knife (!) the first couple times (NY Presbyterian Pediatric ER greets us by name when we arrive). Shane coaxes you beyond your self-imposed limits without you being aware he is doing so.
If the Zombie Apocalypse happened and I had a choice between handing my daughter over to a bunch of military special ops, or Shane and his Scouts, I would optimize her survival chances by picking Shane and his Mountain Scout Survival School.