Learn to prepare for, avoid and handle emergencies & events in the Sonoran Desert and beyond. Discover the basic techniques that use natural resources, minimal gear and positive response to affect survival. With an emphasis on our rough desert climate but easily transferable to any climate we explore how to harness the land and plants to your advantage in remote areas.
This educational hike walks you through the internationally recognized principles of survival and how they apply to the Sonoran Desert as well as covering important traditional methods of living with the land used for thousands of years here. We study, demonstrate and practice the practical skills that can and get you out alive in adverse conditions!
Class Covers:
Preparation, Planning & The Mindset of Survival
Self-Reliance, Situational Awareness & Positive Response
The Needs: water, shelter, fire, first aid, food, and sleep
Simple bushcraft to utilize natural resources, geology & plants
Lost-proofing yourself, Protection & Signals
This is a desert hike with intermittent stops. Terrain can be rough and it can be hot. Your guide is trained in Wilderness First Response. However, you should look forward to being self-reliant on this hike. BRING WHAT YOU NEED.
All other resources and equipment for demos & hands-on activities are provided.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Trail with some rough terrain and elevation gain.
Ages: 16 years and up (under 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult. For kids please contact us about a private hike.)
Duration: 4 hours
Ages: 16 years and up (under 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult. For kids please contact us about a private hike.)
Duration: 4 hours
Jonathan Mincks is a Wilderness First Responder, Naturalist and instructor of wilderness self-reliance at AHS Rescue & The Arizona Hiking Shack. He teaches modern wilderness survival, outdoor recreation, and emergency preparedness to those who work or play in the backcountry. His educational programs have garnered him praise from new enthusiasts and seasoned professionals alike.
Holding multiple certifications and distinctions in industry standards, e.g., Wilderness First Responder, Community Emergency Response Team training, Outfitting and Nature studies, Mincks is also a Boondocks scholar* who has been exploring the backcountry since he was in diapers. His practical approach & experience are only rivaled by his infectious passion, broad knowledge, and witty perspective on self-reliance that confounds the important nature of the subject. He turns survival into “serious fun” for those who work or play in the backcountry because, “in the end, it is a positive attitude that will prevail.”
Mincks is also a go-to consultant on national and regional TV, news, and media concerning outdoor recreation and safety and is renowned for his dynamic presentations. He has worked in the outdoor industry for over 20 years on trail crews, as a guide, outfitter, medic, educator, and outreach specialist.
*Boondocks Scholar. adjective. Possessing an outlook of being on a perpetual field trip. A lifelong student of the outdoors. One who continuously studies and practices what it takes to thrive in the backcountry.
“You teach is PSAR, Preventative Search and Rescue.”
Members of the Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association's (CAMRA) Search and Rescue team after watching Mincks in action.
