StretchLearn Course

Camp Smarter. Survive Comfortably. Leave No Trace.

Master every essential outdoor skill — fire, shelter, water, food, and wildlife safety — in one structured beginner course.

Preview Curriculum Back to Catalog

Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This course teaches the core competencies every wilderness camper needs before their first overnight: ethical land use under the seven Leave No Trace principles, three proven shelter platforms, fire lighting from spark to sustaining flame, field water treatment across four methods, one-pot camp nutrition, layered sleep system design, and evidence-based bear and wildlife safety. Each lesson uses specific gear names, measurable targets (temperature ratings, boil times, hazard distances), and field-tested checklists. By the final module you will have planned and packed a complete beginner trip using the skills and frameworks from every preceding lesson.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Apply all seven Leave No Trace principles to campsite selection, waste disposal, and group behaviour

Build a sustainable fire using a ferro-rod and the bow-drill friction method with correct tinder bundles and fire-lay geometry

Collect, treat, and verify safe drinking water using filtration, chemical treatment, and boiling methods

Configure a three-season sleep system matched to a given temperature rating and humidity condition

Plan and cook a two-day backcountry meal plan with correct caloric density and minimum pack weight

Implement bear canister protocols, food-hang techniques, and wildlife encounter responses for black and grizzly bears

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Leave No Trace, Site Selection, and Shelter Setup

Establish the ethical and practical foundation of wilderness camping: the seven LNT principles, reading terrain for campsite selection, and configuring three shelter platforms from tarp to freestanding tent.

3 lessons

The Seven Leave No Trace Principles in PracticeContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Reading Terrain for Campsite SelectionContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Shelter Platforms: Tarp, Bivy, and Freestanding TentContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Fire Craft: Friction, Ferro-Rod, and Fire Management

Build and sustain fires safely using a ferro-rod and bow-drill friction method, selecting correct fire lays and tinder bundles for varying conditions.

3 lessons

Tinder, Kindling, and Fuel SelectionContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Ferro-Rod Technique and Common Fire LaysContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Bow-Drill Friction Fire and Fire Safety ProtocolsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Water, Food, and Camp Cooking

Source, purify, and verify safe drinking water in the field, then plan and execute a complete two-day backcountry meal plan with proper caloric density and minimum weight.

3 lessons

Water Sourcing and Four Purification MethodsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Camp Cooking Systems and One-Pot Meal PlanningContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Sleep Systems: Bags, Pads, and Layering LogicContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Bear Country Safety and Trip Planning

Implement evidence-based bear and wildlife safety protocols for both black and grizzly bears, and apply a complete pre-trip planning and packing framework for your first overnight.

3 lessons

Black Bear and Grizzly Bear Safety ProtocolsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Food Storage: Canisters, Hangs, and Odour ControlContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Trip Planning, Gear Checklists, and First-Night ReadinessContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

campingbushcraftLeave No Tracefire craftwater purificationcamp cookingsleep systemsbear safetyshelter setup