Overnight Bushcraft Survival Skills Course: $588 (Adult) / $548 (Child) 2 Days, 1 Night Bushcraft Survival Skills: Sleep In Natural Shelters, Campfire Cooking, Wilderness Self-Reliance & Much More

Go well beyond the usual trails and into a practical, hands-on survival experience designed to build self-confidence and resilience in the wilderness with SCT’s real-world, overnight bushcraft survival skills course.

This overnight survival course runs over 2 days and 1 night, giving participants the opportunity to learn, practise and apply essential techniques in a stunning natural outdoor setting.

It is ideal for beginners who want to feel more capable in the bush, outdoor enthusiasts who want to expand their knowledge, and anyone who is curious about what it takes to fend for themselves when modern equipment is limited.

Across the bushcraft survival skills course, you will be guided through the core priorities of survival: shelter, fire, water, rescue signals, and food.

Also learning about effective decision-making in the field, the program places you in realistic scenarios where you can develop practical judgement and problem-solving skills.

You will learn how to assess your surroundings, use available natural resources responsibly, manage your energy expenditure, stay calm under pressure and make smart choices when conditions change.

What Will You Learn On A Bushcraft Survival Skills Course?

• The course begins with the foundations of wilderness survival awareness. You will learn how to read the landscape, identify useful features, recognise potential hazards and think clearly about your immediate needs.
• In a survival situation, the first few decisions often matter the most. Your chief instructor will explain how to prioritise tasks, reduce panic and create a simple plan that keeps you safe, warm, hydrated and visible.
• Shelter building is a key part of the experience. You will explore how to choose a suitable campsite, protect yourself from wind, rain and other elements, to use tarps, cordage and natural materials to create effective temporary shelter.
• The focus is on practical, adaptable techniques that can be used in different environments, from forested areas to exposed bushland.
• You will also learn why site selection, drainage, insulation and overhead hazards are just as important as the shelter structure itself.
• As part of the overnight training course, participants will sleep in natural or hybrid shelters they have built themselves, combining bush materials with practical gear where appropriate.
• Firecraft is another major skill area. Participants will learn how to prepare a safe fire site, gather and sort fuel, understand tinder and kindling, and maintain a controlled campfire.
• Fire is more than warmth; it can provide light, protection from animals, morale, cooking ability, water purification, and a sense of security.
• You will practise safe fire management, including how to build, maintain and extinguish a fire responsibly while respecting local conditions and environmental restrictions.

Cooking on an Open Campfire

One of the most rewarding parts of the overnight survival skills course is learning how to cook on an open campfire, and sleeping in your own shelter that you’ve constructed.

You will discover how to prepare meals outdoors and use natural resources around you to cook on efficiently.

Depending on the course setup, this may include boiling, grilling, roasting, foil-pack cooking or cooking in a pot suspended over the fire.

The aim is to show that campfire cooking does not need to be complicated; with planning and good technique, you can prepare nourishing food in a wilderness setting.

Cooking outdoors teaches patience, observation and teamwork (if you’re not alone / a solo hiker etc).

It also reinforces an important survival lesson: food is never the first survival priority…but good nutrition and a warm meal can really lift morale and help your cognitive thinking processes improve greatly during an extended stay in the bush.

Dynamic Survival Techniques

This survival skills course is structured on dynamic survival techniques, meaning you will not only learn how to adapt rather than memorise one fixed approach…but will learn bushcraft survival on the fly / as you move.

No two survival situations are ever the same! Conditions in the bush can change quickly, and effective survival depends on flexibility.

You will practise knot tying, water collection and treatment concepts, emergency signalling, awareness of your immediate environment, simple navigation principles using nature, and ways to improvise with limited equipment.

Each activity is designed to help you understand not only what to do, but why it works.

You will be encouraged to think like a survivor: observe, conserve energy expenditure, use resources wisely and avoid unnecessary risks.

Your instructor will introduce realistic exercises that require communication, initiative and calm decision-making.

These scenarios will involve setting up camp before dark, creating an effective shelter system, organising firewood, preparing a meal, identifying a safe water strategy or responding to an unexpected change in weather.

The overnight element is what makes this course especially powerful. Spending a night outdoors in a shelter you have personally constructed allows you to experience the rhythm of the bush after sunset.

Additionally, it helps you understand temperature changes and the need for insulation, to manage comfort with minimal gear and build confidence away from everyday conveniences. Whether using a natural shelter, a tarp-based setup or a hybrid design that blends both approaches, the night gives participants a genuine appreciation of practical shelter craft.

It is a safe and supervised environment, but it still provides a real sense of challenge and achievement.

Who Is This Bushcraft Survival Skills Course For?

This 2-day, 1-night bushcraft survival skills course is suitable for people who want practical outdoor knowledge rather than your typical passive camping trip using numerous pieces of equipment.

It is well suited to seasoned hikers, those about to do the Overland Track, Walls of Jerusalem and other great Tassie hikes, campers, adventure travellers, 4WD enthusiasts, families with children, groups looking to build their confidence, and anyone who wants to develop more independence outdoors.

No prior experience is required, but participants should be prepared to be active, spend time on their feet and engage with hands-on tasks in changing outdoor conditions.

Course Units

Course Syllabus – Overnight Bushcraft Survival Course: $588 (Adult) / $548 (Child). STRICTLY LIMITED PLACES to 8 people per overnight course…so book early to avoid disappointment! The Hobart course will be held 20 minutes drive south around Sandfly.

Duration: 2 days, 1 night – starting at 8:30am on Day 1 & finishing at 3:30pm on Day 2

The cost includes: 2 days, 1 night of survival & bushcraft instruction from a fully qualified instructor, hot beverages, all food, land use fees, insurance and your own fire steel to take home

Minimum age: 8 years (students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult)

This exciting 2-day, 1-night course will introduce you to a number of diverse, essential survival and bushcraft skills gleaned from various survival, bushcraft, as well as wilderness rescue concepts. These are the core bush skills taught below.

They include:

• Survival priorities (Top 5: Protection / Shelter, Fire / Warmth, Water, Rescue Signals, Food).
• Essential equipment – 16 items (the most important kit or gear to carry).
• Proper clothing.
• Basic survival knots.
• Light tinder with a fire steel / ferro rod.
• Survival smoking of meat / fish (to preserve it).
• Basic wilderness first aid – managing snake bites.
• Basic natural navigation – using the sun.
• Simple & effective rescue signals.
• Improvised natural shelter construction.
• Prepare the most effective fire lay method.
• Water (treating and purifying).
• Lighting and managing an effective campfire safely.
• Cook food on a campfire.
• Greater natural navigation – using the stars (weather permitting).
• Useful trees & plants of the local area.
• The ‘5 Cs of bush survival.’
• Survival psychology – Don’t panic, S.T.O.P., √, familiar, control (take back).
• Water (collecting, filtering and purifying).
• Improvised water filters.
• How to make char cloth for easier fire lighting (transportable, easily lit tinder – critical for making repeat fires over multiple nights in the field).
• Emergency signalling (active and passive methods – vital if you’re not able to move away from your camp due to injury).
• How to make and set animal snares.
• Wilderness first aid – how to make a moon boot for a sprained / broken ankle or leg in the field using a sleeping mat.

Safety, Respect and Responsibility

Participants should bring suitable clothing, footwear, personal medication, water capacity, sleeping gear and weather protection as advised by the course provider upon a confirmed booking.

The emphasis is on responsible self-reliance: learning how to survive without damaging the environment or taking unnecessary risks.

Leave with Confidence

By the end of the overnight bushcraft survival skills course, you will have done more than learn a list of bushcraft survival techniques.

The experience is challenging, memorable and deeply practical. Most importantly, it helps transform uncertainty into confidence.

Whether you are preparing for future adventures or simply want to reconnect with nature in a meaningful way, this course gives you the skills, mindset and hands-on experience to step into the wilderness with far greater capability and respect.

For more of our exciting bushcraft and survival courses, click here.