Course outline & key info
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Expedition Skills is a unique camping based multi-disciplinary 7-day programme for medical students delivered by WMT and Wild Human at a stunning, remote tarn-side camp in the Lake District, England. See the drone video below! You’ll learn a solid set of expedition-proven skills ranging from bushcraft and expedition preparation to bush mechanic training, personal security and GPS navigation and concluding with wilderness medicine training that is largely scenario based. The course is delivered by the UK’s leading training providers in these respective fields. No previous camping or expedition experience is required. It’s an immersive, detailed and fun camping based experience. (Not for doctors – see this option.)
Delegate feedback
Great – all of it. Lots of humour, real examples.
An excellent, informative and useful course. Thank you v. much!
Relaxed and informative – never boring!
Excellent in presenting a lot of content in an interesting way.
Was glad of lots of [teaching] styles.
Superb – good humour & clear instructions.
Handled questions well – good demos.
Loved every minute of it.
Modular content in brief
The course days are divided as follows:
– Wild Human forest and jungle training & expedition preparation – first 2.5 days (arrive noon)
– Bush mechanic training, GPS Navigation and personal security training – days 4-5
– WMT wilderness medicine module – days 6-7 (close at 4pm)
Target audience
This course is designed for medical students. OHPs are welcome to attend but not doctors – see this 5-day option. WMT Explorer course alumni are also welcome (but the medical module does not extend POM authority or satisfy NGB first aid requirements).
The teaching teams
It takes a big team of experts to deliver a course of this breadth and calibre. Wild Human’s Ben McNutt will lead the first part of the course and their team will manage the camp and cooking for the duration. Ben is a brilliant instructor with an impressive expedition CV. The vehicle maintenance, navigation and security components of the course is directed by our seasoned freelance colleagues. The final medical module is delivered by WMT’s instructors. The breadth of the course is matched by the seamlessness in the manner in which it’s delivered.
Module 1 – Bushcraft and jungle living
Being on expedition can be tough. Being an expedition medic is even tougher! The core fear of most expedition medics is that their own personal fieldcraft will let them down. This module equips delegates to be slick in the outdoors; your daily drills become second nature enabling smooth camp life management ensuring you have spare capacity to support companions medically.
In three days of intensive camping-based training there is a natural element of “stress inoculation”. With supportive Wild Human instructors lead by founder Ben McNutt, delegates will be immersed in field living and learning by doing. There is nothing “basic” about the fundamental skills delegates will acquire that are themed around basecamp set up, living comfortable and moving through the landscape. Dozens of skills are taught, demonstrated or discussed; here are just the highlights.
Day 1
Setting up the course basecamp from scratch. Skills and projects include:
Campsite considerations & selection
Rope skills to install canopy shelters overhead, including all the essential knots required for life
Siting hygienic latrines & wash systems
Setting up personal tarps & hammocks
Machete safety, use & maintenance
Expedition planning seminar
Evening self-catering: preparing game (each night it’s fin, fur or feather
Day 2
Living comfortably by mastering fundamental wilderness skills including fire, water and food considerations. Skills and projects include:
Bulletproof fire lighting methods using matches & sparks
Lessons on safe saw & knife use
Making a pot hanger & kitchen tools
Water sourcing, procurement & disinfection – natural & modern
Environmental considerations for tropical camping – wet / dry routines
Learning how to cook on an open fire – fish preparation
Day 3
Pioneering skills – moving through landscape safely, from natural and celestial navigation to classic rope craft and more. Skills & projects include:
Improvised watercraft for short water crossings
Tree felling demo & considerations
Wildlife hazards
Tyrolean traversing – aerial ropeways to cross rivers & gaps
How to dispatch & prepare game birds & small mammals
Baking – making tasty bannocks & pies in the embers of the campfire
Module 2 – Bush mechanics, personal security & GPS
Vehicle maintenance is kept at a basic and very accessible level in response to past course feedback. We have a purpose built stripped down vehicle chassis on site that enables students to really get hands on with improvised “bush mechanic” field repairs. Our instructor Stuart and his “machine” gets rave reviews every course and this is an incredibly fun and useful part of the week. Our military security expert will teach you some very useful things about personal safety in foreign, potentially hostile situations. Learn about map datums, waypoints, tracks and routes in the practical GPS session.
Module 3 – Wilderness medicine
This is a busy two days with loads of practical sessions and scenarios, group work, lectures and case discussions covering all environments; tropical, mountain and frozen. Themes may include:
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- expedition medical planning
- medical kits
- managing trauma
- environmental medicine (hot, cold, high)
- patient packaging & getting rescued (satellite trackers/messaging & GPS)
- scenario training; putting skills into practice including what has been learned from Wild Human
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Fees
The course fee is fully inclusive of meals, camping and materials, use of specialist group equipment, a knife, course notes/manuals and all instruction. VAT is also included. Personal camping equipment (sleeping bags and tent etc) is required but not included.