Aug 4, 2021 07:47 PM
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/cli...s-n1275474
EXCERPTS: . . . Survivalist school instructors across the country say there has been an increasing interest in their wilderness and urban-disaster preparedness courses from Americans worried about climate change. As rising temperatures bring more wildfires, droughts and destructive storms, those types of courses are no longer the domain of campers and hunters. One of these schools' fastest-growing demographics is now young families.
“It was never like that before,” said Shane Hobel, founder of the Mountain Scout Survival School. While the costs of survival school training vary across the country depending on levels and duration, Hobel charges $125 per person, $230 per couple and $460 per family for his Wilderness 1 class.
It's hard to measure the depth of the trend as there's no industry trade association tabulating statistics across the country. But Hobel estimated that increased interest in his courses is fueled by "50 percent climate change and 50 percent the 'political stuff.'" Whichever their particular nightmare scenario, there is a shared concern among some of his clientele that the foundation on which modern society rests is increasingly fragile.
“If something breaks down, if the grid drops out, all of this modern technology fails us instantaneously,” said Hobel, who leans into traditional Native American philosophies. “Very few people in the country are foraging and hunting each day, but there is no other technology that’s going to save you. These skills will keep you alive — period.”
[...] Smerdon is skeptical that training to survive in the wilderness is the best way to prepare for the looming crisis. A better investment of time and energy to him would be lobbying local, state and national leaders to put forth more resources and policies that could help mitigate the impact of climate change.
"It's counter to what is actually most effective in light of impacts of climate change, which is having prepared and resilient and connected communities," Smerdon said of the impulse to live off the grid.
It is increasingly likely, however, that periodic disasters will force city dwellers to at least temporarily evacuate their homes, which is why urban-preparedness courses at survival school are becoming particularly popular... (MORE - details)
EXCERPTS: . . . Survivalist school instructors across the country say there has been an increasing interest in their wilderness and urban-disaster preparedness courses from Americans worried about climate change. As rising temperatures bring more wildfires, droughts and destructive storms, those types of courses are no longer the domain of campers and hunters. One of these schools' fastest-growing demographics is now young families.
“It was never like that before,” said Shane Hobel, founder of the Mountain Scout Survival School. While the costs of survival school training vary across the country depending on levels and duration, Hobel charges $125 per person, $230 per couple and $460 per family for his Wilderness 1 class.
It's hard to measure the depth of the trend as there's no industry trade association tabulating statistics across the country. But Hobel estimated that increased interest in his courses is fueled by "50 percent climate change and 50 percent the 'political stuff.'" Whichever their particular nightmare scenario, there is a shared concern among some of his clientele that the foundation on which modern society rests is increasingly fragile.
“If something breaks down, if the grid drops out, all of this modern technology fails us instantaneously,” said Hobel, who leans into traditional Native American philosophies. “Very few people in the country are foraging and hunting each day, but there is no other technology that’s going to save you. These skills will keep you alive — period.”
[...] Smerdon is skeptical that training to survive in the wilderness is the best way to prepare for the looming crisis. A better investment of time and energy to him would be lobbying local, state and national leaders to put forth more resources and policies that could help mitigate the impact of climate change.
"It's counter to what is actually most effective in light of impacts of climate change, which is having prepared and resilient and connected communities," Smerdon said of the impulse to live off the grid.
It is increasingly likely, however, that periodic disasters will force city dwellers to at least temporarily evacuate their homes, which is why urban-preparedness courses at survival school are becoming particularly popular... (MORE - details)
