“Primitive Survival Techniques are Needed to Survive over the Long-Term”

Bow Drilling in Winter

Primitive Survival Techniques or Wilderness Living Skills are the skills needed to survive over the Long-Term (40 days plus) in a Specific Environment. These skills are normally very regional or area specific. Learning these skills would involve years of research into the specific environment. Understanding of the season and weather cycle of an area would be extremely important to long-term survival in an area.

Its Teachers emphasize Living in Harmony with Nature and Building the ability to craft tools, equipment, weapons, along with baskets, and even artwork out of the Natural Environment. Ancient hunting and gathering skills are also taught along with primitive shelter building and clothing manufacture.

Primitive Technology teaches long-term survival and wilderness living, although most skills are the skills needed to live in a specific environment, not necessarily survival skills at all. Many primitive technology skills require much more practice and most very are environment specific.

Primitive Survival Techniques can take many years to master and the resources and land base needed to truly master these skills is becoming increasingly rare. Even is Canada there is really know where to go to live off the land without breaking the law unless you are a Native or Metis.

Article by (, Updated 9th March 2016)
Chief Instructor of the Boreal Wilderness Institute