Learn Island Survival Skills like your favorite Youtube and Survival TV Stars!

Connect to Nature, Gain Real life skills.
Hands-on Island Wilderness Survival Training for Campers Ages 7-13.

Hawaii Survival School is thrilled to bring our authentic, nature-based ancestral knowledge and wilderness adventure training to our Island Survival Skills Adventure Camp. Located in the rugged and beautiful landscapes of Kahuku on the North Shore of Oahu, we bridge the gap between ancient Island living wisdom and modern outdoor exploration.

Taught by some of the island’s most experienced backcountry guides, nature specialists, and ancestral skills experts in Hawaii, this summer camp training program provides explorers Ages 7-13 the chance to develop real-world outdoor adventure and self-reliance skills rooted in the spirit of the islands.

The Island Survival Skills Experience:

Our Island Adventure Camp is an immersive real-world nature connection and outdoor wilderness program. We offer adventurers a focused opportunity to learn skills specifically applicable to helping youth to become outdoor capable and gorwing their capabilities as a steward of the ʻāina. This includes skills-building activities and games that focus on different age-appropriate aspects of Wilderness Survival Skills, First Aid, Plant Identification, Hiking Safety, and more!

Is Each Summer Camp Week Different?:

Yes! Campers can attend all summer long and learn new things weekly while also reinforcing the foundational skills that are best learned through regular repetition (like First Aid and Tool Safety). While our core subjects remain the same throughout the season; different weeks will focus on different aspects of things like Traditional Shelter Construction, island survival tools, fire making, and other skills, that are adapted to the camper’s interests and capabilities. Many of our adventurers attend multiple sessions per summer.

Island Adventure Programs Help Explorers Develop REAL WORLD Skills Like:

• Wilderness First Aid & Response Techniques
• Outdoor Cooking & Resourcefulness
• How To Research & Plan Island Adventures
• Plant Identification: Food, Medicine, & Utility
• Animal Sign Observation, Tracking, & Behavior
• Traditional Outdoor Tool Construction & Methodologies
• Emergency Response Protocols & Situational Awareness
• How to make Improvised Shelters, Hiking Packs + Other Gear
• Backcountry Navigation & Wayfinding
• How to prepare for All-weather adventures
• Outdoor Games & Team Challenges
• Knife & Outdoor Tool Safety + Care

Outdoor time with Hawaii Survival School also fosters HIGH VALUE SOFT SKILLS such as:

Unstructured problem-solving capabilities, Independence and self-regulating behavior development, Critical early development physical strength & coordination, Self-expression, AND HOW TO HAVE FUN OUTDOORS IN REAL NATURE.

Age Groups: 
WilderSkills is designed for youth ages 7 to 13, with campers generally sub-divided into age appropriate groups (roughly 7-9, 10-13). If desired, siblings can still be in the same group regardless. Session content is customized for each age group, with each age group focusing on wilderness lessons and activities on par with their maturity level and interests.

Current Camp Locations:

Gunstock Ranch, Kahuku HI (Here)

Camp Hours:
Program hours are: 9am – 12:30pm.

Extended Care: At present, we do not offer early drop-off, or extended care options. Some families choose to meet this need by making pickup/drop-off arrangements with other friends attending WilderSkills programs.