Haida Gwaii Information

​Welcome to the Haida Gwaii survival expedition being held Sept 1-10th 2025.  This class will be held in the incredible Haida Gwaii islands of British Columbia, Canada.  Our objective for the class will be to train you in survival skills while in our remote location for 5 days.  We will be building shelters, creating friction fire, learn about getting and keeping fire in the rain, creating cooking vessels, harvesting edible plants, learning primitive traps, creating traditional fishhooks, weaving baskets, tanning fish skins, building crab traps, fishing, hunting and enjoying time in what is known as the Canadian Galapagos.

The first 5 days of this expedition, we will be camping, sleeping in hammock tents, eating well, and working on survival skills.  During this time, we will slowly be removing your modern amenities until you are stripped bare and ready to go into survival with very minimal supplies.  The next three days, you will test your skills and your resolve in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

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Logistics:

Fly into Sandspit airport in Haida Gwaii, Canada on September 1st.  We will all meet and gather at our lodging nearby.  The introduction to the class will begin in the late afternoon of the 1st and will be followed by our group dinner.

Early morning on September 2nd, we embark by first taking our van ride through the wilderness of Haida Gwaii for one hour until we arrive at our boat.  The boat ride to our remote camp is stunning, and it is common to see whales, bears, bald eagles, and will take 40 minutes. 

Once at our remote location, we will set camp as a group and spend the next 5 days working on survival skills.  On the morning of day 6 (Sept 7th) you will leave the main camp with minimal supplies, on your own, or in a group for three days and nights to test your skills in what we call the isolation phase.  During this time, I will stay in our base camp as a safety net in case of any emergencies.  On the morning of September 10th, we will be rescued by our boat operator and taken back to our lodging in Sandspit, where we will replenish our food supplies, take a shower, celebrate, and get some much-needed rest for the night.  You are more than welcome to stay longer and to see more of this unique island chain, but if not, we will fly out of the Sandspit Airport on September 11th.

Special Concerns:

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Haida Gwaii’s remoteness makes it an incredible location for an expedition of this type, but please note, the cost associated with leaving early is in the thousands of dollars, and therefore quitting during the class and returning to Sandspit before Sept 10th is not an option unless it is a medical emergency.  We will ask that you have travel insurance to cover any emergencies, including helicopter air transport in case of emergency.  Our boat drivers will be on standby 24/7 in case of emergency, and I will be communicating with them via satellite.  

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Also, full disclosure, there are many black bears in this area and you will definitely see them, and get very used to sharing their space.  Haida Gwaii has never had a bear attack and the locals are very used to living amongst them.  Nevertheless, we will train you in the best practices and provide bear spray in case of any incident.

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As we get closer I will set up a Whatsapp group where you can get to know the other participants and ask questions.  Until then, please feel free to reach out any time via text, email or call.  (831) 234-2265

Last note is that we still have space for this trip.  If you have friends that you think might enjoy this trip, please share it with them.  Its an incredible place place.