DESERT SURVIVAL— NOT A WALK IN THE PARK If you love the outdoor life, hiking, biking, hunting, just exploring the wonders of nature, or even planning a bugout situation, you may not have thought much about the risks of stepping out into the wild. Perhaps you need to think again. Scientific studies show that about a third of the earth’s landmass is desert, meaning the land is arid or semi-arid. Have you ever been lost or trapped by circumstances miles from help, where cell phones have no bars? Maybe not yet, but if it happens, how long will you survive? Some claim that wilderness areas are no longer relevant, that man has conquered all. That is just not so. The beauty of wild places is still abundant. It just takes more effort to enjoy it. Whether we are forced by circumstance or choose to wander off the beaten tracks to appreciate its secrets, it takes preparation and training to live within Mother Nature’s rules. Sadly, many who have ventured into the desert thought it couldn’t happen to them. Perhaps their bleached bones will be found years later, if ever. That scenario need not happen with some simple equipment and the knowledge of how to use it. While the basic principles of survival in the wilderness are similar, there are considerable differences between survival in the desert as opposed to getting safely out of deep forest lowlands. One significant difference is the temperature differential. In arid regions, the daytime temperature might hover around 115˚F, yet at night hypothermia is a real concern. Then, finding water is another real problem, unless you know how to find it and harvest it. While many know that the basics of survival are shelter, water, fire, and communication, there are specifics to desert survival that must be understood, and skills to be learned. Phase 3 Survival is able to offer this specialized instruction. The training facility has been recently opened deep in the high desert heart of Navajo County, Arizona, under the direction of Richard Poundstone. Known as “Rich” to those who know him, he has long seen the need for such a facility. His military background and career as an engineering consultant have taken him to different harsh environments where he learned and practiced skills that could make the critical difference between life and death. You never know in advance when you will encounter an unplanned survival experience. For instance, there are remote parts of the American desert wilderness that are littered with survivable wrecks of airplanes, broken down ATVs and SUVs. Often the occupants of those vehicles lived to tell their stories. Others died in the crash or died from a lack of life-saving knowledge. It happens every year, winter or summer. Depending on the remoteness of the area, you could wait weeks for rescuers to find you. Even the best cannot predict the outcome or when a disaster may occur. You may remember the sad news of Steve Fossett, record-breaking pilot, and adventurer who disappeared while flying his light aircraft over The Great Basin Desert in 2007. It was a year before the wreckage was found. Generally, if you can survive for up to ten days, then the chances of rescue are good, especially if you follow some simple rules. First, always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return, even if you don’t expect to go very far or take very long. If you plan for the worst the chances are nothing will happen. But, if it does, well, you do have some essential equipment with you, don’t you? Training Phase 3 Survival training is offered in three levels, Two Day Basic, Five Day Advanced and Twenty Day Extreme. For the convenience of participants, the Five Day Advanced may be completed over a couple of weekends. Courses can be tailored to affinity groups, and one-on-one training is by special arrangement. The Phase 3 Survival base Camp is set amid rugged boulders and a scattering of dry brush vegetation. Nearby ancient ruins witness that habitation and survival are possible if you know what you are doing. Phase 3 High Desert Survival offers students skills long-forgotten to modern man, but are essential if you wish to come out alive if an unforeseen circumstance leaves you stranded in the middle of nowhere. It also teaches the art of improvisation to get by until help arrives. The classes are geared to teach by doing, so that at the end of each course students may leave with the confidence born of knowledge and practical experience. Expert life-saving instruction. Not all modern comforts need to be sacrificed at the school, although one or more nights sleeping in shelters built by participants will form part of the experience, depending on the level of each chosen course. At the base camp, participants will enjoy the safety of running water and other simple facilities. There are tent sites and a couple of cabins available for rent if roughing it during the day means you don’t want to rough it at night. Training teaches a mix of essential, and advanced skills. They include building day shelters, night shelters, primitive fire lighting, food foraging, tool making, signaling, and how to obtain water in an otherwise arid landscape. Also, on offer are classes in cooking without pots, food from the desert, and forest. Day and night navigation is also in the curriculum. Rich’s wife Denise, who is a qualified herbalist, imparts needed knowledge relating to edibles and medicinals to be found in the wild. The goal of Phase 3 Survival is to prepare those at risk, affinity groups, and individuals for the dangers of harsh environments encountered in the vast reaches of America’s wilderness areas. Find out more.