California Survival School

California Survival School offers Core Survival Skills Wilderness Survival Training, Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Certification, Emergency Preparedness And Urban Disaster Survival Training, a 4 Day Hunter-Gatherer Running Adventure, and a 5 Day Desert Primitive Survival Adventure. The Core Survival Skills course is a single-day wilderness survival training adventure, and the Wilderness First Aid course is hands-on wilderness medical training conducted in outdoor field environments.

At a glance

• Ages: 5–18 years old

About the provider

California Survival School was founded in 2012. Its leadership team includes Dan Baird, Dave Holladay, Matt Graham, Dr. Theresa Emmerich Kamper, Cat Bigney, and Reza Allah-Bakhshi. The school serves hikers, families, first responders, outdoor professionals, military veterans, media networks, and corporate teams, and it also trains specialized teams within the U.S. Military and law enforcement.

• Core Survival Skills – Wilderness Survival Training — age 5+ (minors must be accompanied by a guardian) · Runs from 10 AM to 3 PM unless specifically noted otherwise · Foundational single-day wilderness survival training adventure offered across Southern and Northern California; kid friendly; no prior experience is required.
• Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Certification — Hands-on wilderness medical training conducted in outdoor field environments.
• Emergency Preparedness And Urban Disaster Survival Training — Training focused on real risks faced by California residents, including 72-hour emergency planning, earthquake readiness, evacuation strategies, and family communication systems.
• 4 Day Hunter-Gatherer Running Adventure
• 5 Day Desert Primitive Survival Adventure

This course is designed for anyone age 5+ (minors must be accompanied by a guardian). No prior experience is required. It is kid friendly and not a bootcamp. Available class dates are listed in the registration section.

Last updated September 13, 2026.