Critical Conditions Survival Course
About the Course
Course Curriculum
Course Schedule
REGISTER NOW
Frequently Asked Questions
Critical Conditions Survival Course
Life skills for critical incidents
Over the past few years we've seen things in our society we never thought we'd see: empty store shelves, vast power outages, huge increases in prices of basic commodities, unprecedented flooding (Calgary) and threats of war. The unlikely has become real, and we'll continue to see these types of events in the future. Those who think ahead, and plan for the future, including unforeseen natural disasters, pandemics or other threats, are peaceful when these events happen. They know they're prepared and the chances of their family being safe are high because they've learned critical life skills and put this into action in their life.
Tip of Spear is proud to partner with Apocalypse Preparedness and Survival School to offer the most comprehensive training available for the emergency situations which we may face. This course is not for extremists (although they are welcome too) - it's for the average person who just wants to know what to do to keep them and their families safe. It's intended to empower the average Albertan to have the confidence and skills when critical infrastructure gets impacted for any reason. In Alberta, this is not just unlikely critical events, but common ones too like being stuck on the side of the highway in a snowstorm or without power in your home for hours (neither are uncommon in Alberta!), so everyone can receive value from this course.
Grab an all-encompassing survival kit for your home or vehicle!
About the Course
This course is offered over two full days, over a weekend. There are no overnight components of this course in order to make it accessible for most people. It focuses on the following topics which are vital when facing critical conditions:
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Emergency equipment and preparedness
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What to have, where to go, what to bring, what to do
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Field Considerations
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Hydration, nutrition, self-care, wartime dangers
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Map, compass and GPS navigation
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Pacing, declination, resection, bypass, navigation course
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Field-trauma first-aid
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Tourniquets, suturing, wound packing, bandaging
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Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) survival
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Recognition, equipment, protection, decontamination
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Bushcraft
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Shelters, fires, signals, snares, water purification
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This course was developed by several field experts, each with 20-30+ years of experience in a variety of fields including: incident response, paramedics, medevacs, military (combat engineer), CBRNE (Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives), hunting, fishing bushcraft and outdoorsmanship and survival. The course is safely run by the same highly trained and experienced instructors who will guide you in all of the basics of emergency-preparedness and survival in dire and austere conditions.
Meet our Survival Instructor
GREG
Greg is the founder of Apocalypse Preparedness and Survival School and primary subject matter expert and instructor. He served for over 20 years as a reserve Combat Engineer in the Canadian Forces, specializing in CBRNE. He then worked as an advanced paramedic for 13 years, doing medevacs and instructing. Greg is passionate about passing along all the knowledge and experience he's gained over his career to others so they can benefit too. Greg is humble and sincere, and loves educating and empowering others.
Course Curriculum
The following is an extensive list of all topics covered in this comprehensive course. These topics are covered by lecture as well as practical application for maximum learning:
Emergency equipment and preparedness
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What to expect in an emergency
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The go-bag and support kits
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Equipment and stock
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Psychology in times of an emergency
Field Considerations
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Why things are seen
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Battlefield dangers
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Hydration, nutrition and self-care
Bushcraft
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Campsites
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Fires
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Signals
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Shelters
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Snares
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear
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The CBRN Threat
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Common CBRN warning signs
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Types of CBRN agents
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Signs and symptoms of exposure
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HAZMAT (hazardous materials) scene
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Routes of exposure
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Personal protective equipment
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Donning and doffing of PPE
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Performance degradation
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Decontamination
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Home protection
Map, compass and GPS navigation
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Reading topo maps
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Magnetic declination
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Identifying grid references
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100m pacing
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Land-feature resections
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Object bypass
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GPS fundamentals
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12-leg Navigation course
Field trauma first-aid
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Israeli bandage
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CAT and improvised tourniquets
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Wound packing
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Suturing
Course Schedule
Day 1: Classroom lecture
Location: Tip of Spear
08:00 – 08:30 Introduction and administration
08:30 – 09:30 Emergency equipment and preparedness
09:30 – 10:00 Field Considerations
10:00 – 12:00 Field trauma first-aid
12:00 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 15:30 Map, compass and GPS navigation
15:30 – 17:00 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) survival
This day is composed of classroom-based PowerPoint lectures, lots of hands-on training and a small practical outdoor component (up to one hour). The lectures about general-preparedness, fieldcraft, navigation, first-aid and the CBRN portion will all take place on this day. The lectures on navigation and fieldcraft will cover the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare you for field-practice on Day 2 of the course. Please bring a lunch for this day.
Day 2: Practical outdoor training
Location: 20 mins East of Edmonton
08:00 – 09:00 Administration and safety briefing
09:00 – 13:00 Navigation course
13:00 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 16:30 Bushcraft
16:30 – 17:00 Clean-up and home time
On Day 2, we will meet at an outdoor location approximately 20 minutes east of Edmonton, location to be disclosed during day 1. The day's training will consist of fieldcraft skills such as building a shelter and building a fire, as well as using the navigation skills you learned on Day 1 to find your way along a cross-country navigation course. The 3.5 km long navigation course proceeds through some wet-lands, tall grass fields and across uneven terrain and may take up to a few hours to complete. The full navigation course does not have to be completed if this type of activity is difficult or becomes difficult for you.
A military-style warm packaged ration will be provided for lunch. A sample ration will be shown on Day 1 so you will be aware of what to expect. If you do not think that this will meet your personal nutritional requirements, please ensure that you bring enough of your own food to last you through the day. Vegetarian options are available. There will be a rest-tent area set up at the field training location with coffee, tea, water, power bar-type snacks, and (if the hazard level allows it) a fire. Washrooms will be on-location or within walking distance for the majority of the day.
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Duration: 2 days (Saturday & Sunday, 8am to 5pm)
Tuition: $275+GST
For commonly asked questions about minimum age, required fitness and more, please read our FAQ section below.
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Do I need to bring anything of my own to the course?Day 1 please bring Your own lunch Clean indoor footwear Outdoor clothing (we will be outdoors for about 20 min) Day 2 please bring Proper field footwear and appropriate layers of clothing Sunscreen, insect repellant, hat and polarized sunglasses Water bottle or thermos Backpack Lunch is provided on day 2. If you don’t think that you would be able to stomach a military ration, or that it may not meet your nutritional requirements, then you are encouraged to bring your own food for the day. There are will also be vegetarian ration options and snacks such as fruit bars and granola bars. Coffee, tea and water will also be provided. (Military rations are actually pretty tasty.) All equipment necessary for the course will be provided. You don't need Personal survival equipment Personal GPS or compass Paper or writing materials DO NOT bring any type of firearm or ammunition
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What's the minimum age to attend the course?Although there is no minimum age requirement to take this course, we recommend that children attending the course be mature enough to not distract the class and be able to perform the trauma skills portion, which includes realistic medical props and fake blood. Up to 15 years old must be accompanied by an adult 16 years old and up no supervision required
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What does this course teach?The main topics covered by this course are: Equipment and preparedness Field considerations and bushcraft Map / Compass / GPS navigation Trauma first-aid Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) survival.
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How long is the course?The course is 2 days long and runs 8am – 5pm both days.
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How fit do I have to be to take the course?The most physically challenging portion of the course is the navigation course which is about 5km long and takes about 3 hours by slow and easy walk. It’s nothing more than a nice hike through the fields and across some rolling hills. If that isn't an issue for you, you'll have no problems.
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Do I have to participate in all of the activities?No. Participation in all activities is always optional but encouraged.
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What kind of prior experience do I need to attend this course?There are no prerequisites or previous knowledge / experience necessary.
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Who teaches the course?This course is taught by highly experienced and professional instructors that are able to teach to all levels of knowledge and experience. The course instructors are a combination of ex-military, EMS and bushcraft experts.