Some of the skills that are required to survive in the jungle are the same skills required to survive in other areas of wilderness. These basic skills are taught by all four jungle survival schools. Expense should be only one of the factors you consider when choosing a jungle survival school; the experience and communication skills of the trainers is another major factor. All travel, lodging and meal costs while training and while on expeditions at any of these schools are the responsibility of the student. Any listed prices are current as of March 1, 2011. All four schools require that participants execute a release and waiver of liability in order to participate.
SpecOps adventures can provide one-on-one or group training, and, schedule-permitting, Mykel Hawke will train you at his training location or a site of your choosing. The primary trainer, Mykel Hawke has appeared on several television shows, including Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern" and Discovery Channel's "Man, Woman, Wild." SpecOps does not allow the following items while on expeditions: cellphones, lighters, matches, water, tents or food. Survival classes often include PowerPoint presentations, and are usually provided in three- to four-hour blocks over one or two days. Most group classes require a minimum of four and maximum of six students. Costs for attending SpecOps vary depending on the type and extent of training desired.
Rimachi Expeditions, based in Ohio, provides a one-day survival course from May to June, followed by a 15-day expedition to Peruvian jungles assisted by Chief Basha of the Shapara Indian Tribe. Expeditions normally consist of four to six people. Rimachi Expeditions currently charges $1,200 for its training course.
Randall's Adventure & Training has been in business since 1997. The company provides Latin American jungle survival in the Amazon region as well as domestic survival training courses. Featured on Travel Channel, Discovery Channel and other television programs, Randall's also produces and sells a variety of knives used by survivalists. The company offers a seven-day jungle survival course, which provides training in building shelter, water procurement, machete use and fire building. The third day of training consists of navigation, jungle travel, traps and snaring techniques. Generally, the source for food during expeditions is limited to what students can catch while fishing. Randall's Adventure & Training currently charges $1,400 for its survival course.
Utan Bara Adventure Team (UBAT) is a self-paced, 100 percent Malaysian-based jungle survival expedition school, with classes covering areas such as team building and survival education.The two programs currently offered are both high-intensity survival courses located in the Ulu Terong jungles of Perak. Costs for attending UBAT vary depending on the type and extent of training desired.
