Basic Outdoor Adventure Program

The Basic Outdoor Adventure Program will teach you to master essential outdoor skills such as horsemanship, hiking and backpacking, orienteering (with a map, compass, and GPS), wilderness survival, camp cooking, outdoor photography, first aid, CPR, conservation, wilderness survival, and fly fishing. This program will also develop your leadership skills and ability to thrive in a positive atmosphere of teamwork.

This is the foundation and stepping stone to your outdoor education. The Basic Outdoor Education Program provides the knowledge and experience for an outdoor enthusiast to become competent and confident in the outdoors. The basic program is conducted over a two week period clocking 120 hours of instruction and exercises. This is a prerequisite course for the advanced COAGS courses. Below are the topics of instruction and time allocated for each.

Introduction: 10 Hours

School Standards
Outdoor Recreation Industry Opportunities
Qualifications and Skills Needed

Basic Horsemanship: 30 Hours

Introductory Riding Lessons
Saddles and Equipment
Horse and Mule Behavior
Horse Care and Common Health Problems
Trailer Loading and Transportation
Repair of Tack/Equipment
Safety

Leadership Development: 10 Hours

Based on the concepts of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People

Standard First Aid and CPR Certification: 10 Hours

Orienteering: 20 Hours

Using a Compass
Using a GPS (Global Positioning System)
Day/Night Navigation

Wilderness Survival: 10 Hours

Safety and Prevention
Hypothermia
Dehydration
Emergency Procedures
Emergency Shelters and Fire Starting

Outdoor Recreation: 30 Hours

Hiking and Backpacking
Biking and Mountain Biking
Trail Rides and Pack Trips
Outdoor Photography
Camping and Tent Construction

Outdoor and Camp Cooking: 10 Hours

Cooking on Camp Fires
Dutch Oven Cooking
Cooking on Wood Burning Stoves
Menus (Nutrition and Diet)
Safe Food Storage

Conservation: 8 Hours

History
Organizations and Funding
Ethics
Patterns/Practices
Animal Activist
National Forest Service use and regulations
"Leave No Trace" Techniques

Click here for a recommended Packing List.