About the Course

Outdoor Survival and Orienteering is designed to teach students the skills necessary to "survive and navigate" in a wilderness environment. Shelter building, fire building, food and water procurement, and finding your way out of the wilderness without a map are just some of the skills that will be taught. Map and compass skills, along with the latest in hand-held global positioning system (GPS) units, will be used to navigate the forest.

The course will combine lectures and field experiences. The field experiences will take place in the Black Moshannon State Forest, approximately seventeen miles from Penn State University Park. Camping will be required during the two weekend sessions. Each student is expected to participate fully in all aspects of the course, including the outdoor simulations on these overnight trips.

Instructor

Dr. Robert Ricketts, Penn State Department of Kinesiology