The knowledge of how to transform clay into pottery signifies a major leap forward for prehistoric cultures. Our ancient ancestors had a deep connection with the earth, and this workshop will reconnect you with their skills. Here you will pound residual clay chunks down with stones, and refine it into clay. Then you will be taught how to properly hydrate it, and begin working on your pottery piece. You will be showed multiple methods used around the world, and will gain the knowledge to create your own pottery from the earth. If you are interested in pottery, primitive skills, or sustainable living this workshop is a great 1 hour adventure back in time. No experience is necessary and all are invited to reconnect with nature on Earth Day. 

This class will teach you true self-reliance; the ability to make fire anywhere, and anytime with no tools. You will be taught two methods, the Hand Drill and the Bow Drill. The Hand Drill method is the most primitive and thus requires tremendous focus and energy. You spin a wooden stick against a wood board with your bare hands and make a small ember which is then blown into a flame. This method has had one of the widest distributions on earth, and is now nearly a forgotten skill due to inventions like the match, or lighter. The hand drill method is a thing of beauty and art. Second you will learn about the Bow Drill method. Historically Bow drills were used between the 4th and 5th millennium BC. Similar drills were found in other parts of the Indus Valley Civilization and Iran one millennium later. This method is a lot easier to master, and can also be used to bore holes into wood or stone. After learning and practicing both of these methods you will have the ability to create fire in any circumstance that may present itself.

February 3rd 2019
Ages: adults & teens
Price: $40
Time: 12:00pm
Location: Rusted Mountain Ranch
Duration: 3 hours
Discount: Earn $20 off this course by completing the Workforce campout!

Post disaster or in a survival situation, traps can capture animals that provide you precious calories from meat and fat. Traps can work for you while you are off accomplishing other tasks, if they are set correctly. You will be taught how to build various traps to target small to large game animals. All of these traps will be built primitively using resources that lend themselves to us while in the field. Understanding how to build primitive traps will allow you to provide for yourself and others if you are cut off from civilized food sources.

January 20th 2019
Ages: (adults & teen)
Price: $40
Time: 12:00pm
Location: Rusted Mountain Ranch
Duration: 3-5 hours
Discount: Earn $20 off this course by completing the Workforce campout!

In wilderness survival or in the case of a natural disaster it will be crucial that you build a shelter to survival hash climates or conditions. Understanding how to create effective survival shelters is one of the most important skills you will learn. From keeping you protected from the elements to providing a place to rest, survival shelters serve a key role in survival situations. We will discuss many types of shelters depending on factors that include ‘what materials are available, environmental conditions, choice of heat source, and whether it will be a personal or group shelter’. We will team build a shelter with the class to demonstrate effective shelter building techniques and philosophy in action.