Homesteading & Survival · Homesteading & Survival Courses
Start Here: Your Household Readiness Plan
Set goals, map your hazards, pack a kit, line up your neighbors and test the plan with a household drill.
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Homesteading & Survival · Homesteading & Survival Courses
Map, Compass and Safe Day Trips
Plan a route, navigate with map and compass, and know when to turn back.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Lessons
- 10 lessons in 2 modules
- Estimated study
- About 10 hours
- Format
- Online, self-paced
Monthly: $0 today with a card, then $34 on day 4 unless you cancel before then. After the trial, 30 days' notice applies. Active on-campus students have academy access included. Check your existing student account before buying another subscription.
Before you start
Review the lesson outline and any lesson-specific preparation before you practise.
Full study requires active Academy access. This course can be audited independently of optional assessed programs.
About this course
For beginners heading onto local trails. Write a trip plan with turnaround times, read a topographic map, take and correct bearings, read basic animal sign, avoid hazardous water and signal for help. About 10 hours, ending with a supported daylight navigation walk.
What you will be able to do
- Write a trip plan with turnaround, return and overdue times for a real trail.
- Measure distance and elevation gain on a topographic map.
- Take a bearing and convert between magnetic and true north.
- Tell deer, raccoon, dog-family and cat-family tracks apart and record how sure you are.
- Decide when to turn back for terrain, water or weather, and how to report an emergency.
Course outline
Plan a trip, read a map, use a compass, read tracks and watch wildlife from a safe distance.
- Make a trip plan and turnaround rules1 hFree preview
- Read a paper map and terrain1 h
- Navigate with a compass and map1 h
- Recognize tracks and sign without guesswork1 h
- Observe wildlife ethically and at a safe distance1 h
Set a foraging boundary, plan a rescue report, screen terrain and water, plan a legal camp, and finish with a supported navigation walk.
- Recognize uncertainty in plants and foraging1 h
- Signal for help and use search protocols1 h
- Cross terrain safely and avoid hazardous water1 h
- Build a legal low-impact field camp1 h
- Complete a supported navigation practice1 h
Related assessed programs
This course belongs to the following optional programs. Each has its own required course bundle, evidence review and separate fee. Each program page shows its approved fee and current registration status.
Field Readiness & Navigation: Non-accredited Cloud Forest Certificate
4 required courses · non-accredited assessed certificate
Survival Specialist: Non-accredited Cloud Forest Certificate
7 required courses · non-accredited assessed certificate
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