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Load image into Gallery viewer, URBAN SURVIVAL: CROATIA by Trueways Survival
Load image into Gallery viewer, URBAN SURVIVAL: CROATIA by Trueways Survival
Load image into Gallery viewer, URBAN SURVIVAL: CROATIA by Trueways Survival

5 DAY URBAN SURVIVAL: CROATIA

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Regular price £609.00
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Description
Experience a range of new skills, challenges and survival scenarios under the guidance of our dedicated Urban Survival instructors based in Croatia, where we have access to unique and exceptional training areas around the Croatian coast. 
In this course you can learn the key principles and skills to true ‘Urban Resilience’. 
We welcome everyone, regardless of your previous survival experience and/or knowledge. A diverse group presents interesting and appropriate challenges in a way not normally addressed in training. Group dynamics and successful team management is an essential skill in regular life and even more so in post disaster survival situations. This truly unique course has been designed to give you the greatest competence in the shortest period of time and as such is an opportunity not to be missed.

During the course your existing skills will be assessed, and expert improvement tips provided by our team. New skills will be delivered, initially in stand-alone training sessions, but once learnt they will be applied during scenarios run throughout the course to ensure the best assimilation and appropriate use of all skills acquired.

You will receive regular and detailed feedback from instructors, and we will have a number of ‘open group discussions’ during the course in order to answer any questions you may have.

It should be highlighted the key aim of this course is to provide credible, contextual and applicable training for post disaster survival, not indulge in post-apocalyptic fantasies. 
But why go all the way to Croatia to take a course?
There are a lot of things that make Croatia the perfect destination for this course.
First of all, there’s a history of war and unrest in the region that will actually show you the results of an urban disaster scenario in a way that words just can’t explain.
You’ll learn to navigate through a completely unfamiliar setting with confidence which is important because when all hell is breaking loose, even a place you go every day will suddenly be confusing and foreign.
And, of course, it’s close to lead instructor Selco, who will generously share his knowledge and experience in a small group setting.
Course Syllabus
Can you imagine walking through a war-ravaged area with guides who can point out all the things you need to know to survive in such a setting? You’ll be safe but the experience will leave a mark on you that you’ll never forget.
Croatia is a short flight from a variety of airports in Europe. There is an airport right in Zadar, and after that, the nearest airports are Split, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik. From all airports, buses are readily available to get you to your destination.
The course is based on a foundation of the Seven Pillars of Urban Survival. 
Fire:
Mastering the art and the science of fire management is no easy task. Time spent developing confidence and competence in this skill set is a wise investment and will make the world of difference in your ‘survivability’. But by context we must learn, among other things when NOT to light fires, and how to carefully manage the fires we do light… 
Shelter:
One of the main differences between Urban and Wilderness survival is that of shelter selection and use. Our incredible training area will give you unique insight and opportunity to practice how to successfully secure shelter in a post disaster environment and discover some of the key strategies you will need when you have to apply these skills ‘for real’.
Water:
The ability to gather, process and store water is typically one of the most overlooked areas in survival training and yet one of the most vital skills to have. We will dive into detail on all aspects of water management throughout the course, giving you a depth of knowledge and ability to adequately provide for you, and your teams, hydration and hygiene needs.
Food:
Sourcing, processing and storing food in an urban environment brings with it a complex set of challenges. Modern convenience has rendered many completely unaware of food management strategies in the absence of supplies of electricity, water and gas. You will learn and practice a huge variety of options throughout the week ensuring you stay healthy and strong enough to ‘stay in the fight’.
Signaling and Communication:
Staying informed during calamitous times is one of the biggest influences on your survival. Effective communication in a ‘grid down’ world is an area currently rife with myths and misunderstandings. You will need to take a ‘back to basics’ approach, starting with the simplest and yet powerful of communication methods and progress as the week goes on, to more complex and detailed communication. All the while you will need to maintain an ‘adaptive’ approach to ensure you react to the changing situation.
Medical and Hygiene:
The rapid development of disease and significant impact of hygiene concerns cannot be underestimated in a disaster situation. Learning how to manage these concerns without modern conveniences will be one of the biggest challenges you will face. The expert tuition and techniques you will learn and apply throughout the course will leave you armed with comprehensive strategies keeping you ‘fit to function’.
Personal Safety:
The ability to source and manage resources is all for nothing if you cannot protect them or yourselves. The ‘Live Environment’ nature of our training area will ensure you understand and apply the fundamental principles needed to safeguard you and your equipment. You will also gain greater insight and understanding into various mindsets that will emerge when the thin veneer of civilization is removed and learn ways to identify and deal with them.
We are aware we are asking for a significant time commitment to attend this course and even with our affordable and accessible price structure, a financial commitment as well. For the first time in five years of delivering the course, we now release the course itinerary so students can really appreciate the value for money the course offers and can see the breadth and depth that the course will cover… 
Day 1
Situational Awareness
Information gathering in Urban Areas
Navigation and route selection (On foot and vehicle)
Equipment selection
Equipment Carry Considerations
Seven Pillars of Urban Preparedness
History Lesson 1: Balkan Region Prior to Yugoslavia
Medic Lesson 1: Surveying the Scene
Day 2
Vehicle setup considerations
Urban Movement (During ‘Normal’ Times)
Blending with the environment
Identifying and using cover and concealment
Emergency Escape considerations
Water gathering, processing and storing
History Lesson 2: Formation of Yugoslavia Until The Beginning Of The War.
Medic Lesson 2: Triage
Day 3
Field Trip: Realities of Post Disaster Environment
Urban Movement (Compromised Environment)
Map Making
Close Target Recces (CTR’s)
Fire Lighting/Management
Urban Tracking
Shelter Selection and Use
Patrol skills
Personal Security Procedures
History Lesson 3: Realities of Urban Warfare
Medic Lesson 3: Casualty Movement/Management
Day 4
Personal Safety (Including Self Defense – ‘Weaponize The Environment’)
Field Hygiene Considerations
Vehicle Check Points (VCP’s) Construction and Negotiation
Vehicle Security Procedures
Cooking Methods (Overt and Covert)
Signaling and Communications
History Lesson 4: Aftermath and Recovery
Medic Lesson 4: ‘Grid Down’ Treatment Decision Making. and Austere Condition Medical Management
Day 5
Barter and Trade
Sheltering In Place
Bugging Out
Transient Survival
(Pros and Cons of Each)
Property Security Procedures
Building Resilience
Course De-Brief
Important Information:
What's Included And What's Not
Course costs cover training, training materials and opportunities to sleep in the training area during your time in Croatia throughout the course dates. Course costs do not include travel to and from Croatia.
The recommended airport is Zadar. We will provide transport from Zadar Central Bus Station (The Course start/meet up point) to the training area location.
Direct Flights to Zadar are available from Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, London (Stansted, Luton and Southend) and Bristol.
Large items carried but not needed for the course (e.g. Suitcases) Can be kept securely in apartments. 
Survival in an Urban environment is a challenge. We aim to develop your skills and provide you with knowledge which you will keep for life.
Our courses are based on a tried and tested methodology which has been refined over many years of real life, hands-on practical experience. Developing and applying skills where necessary through in-situ supervised practice and understanding the basic principles will ensure you are equipped for life, whatever you have in your pack.
Safety First
In accordance with UK Health and Safety Executive guidelines for Survival Courses in Croatia, a full risk assessment has been carried out for this course detailing emergency evacuation procedures and procedures for dealing with any nature of emergency, including liaison with local medical facilities. Instructors will carry communications equipment and are all current first aid trained with years of experience in hostile environments.
This price includes your comfortable accommodations as well as FIVE FULL DAYS of instructions. (It does not include your food or travel arrangements, so you can be as thrifty or outrageous as you’d like with that – apartments are equipped with kitchens and grocery stores are an easy walk away.) Apartments will also be used for practical training purposes in terms of physical actions to take in the event of disruption to the Urban environment 
The course will begin each day at 8:30 am and finish at 6 pm, with the exception of day 4, which will run late into the evening.
When you aren’t in the midst of the course, you will have access to a beautiful local beach and a number of fine restaurants, supermarkets, and coffee shops, allowing you to spend as much or as little as you’d like on food and sight-seeing.
The course is based out of the small village of Petrcane.
Petrcane is a charming seaside village on the Dalmatian Coast. Your accommodation, in a comfortable apartment are included in the low price of the course. You’ll be surrounded by olive trees and wineries in a lovely Mediterranean climate. The tiny town is studded with gourmet restaurants at bargain prices. (Food is not included in the cost of the course but you’ll find the local prices to be low.)
Days 1 and 2 will be based in and around the city of Zadar. This beautiful, busy, and ancient city is a very popular tourist destination on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia.
Days 3 and 4 will be field trips to the Knin region, to access infrastructure specific to the subjects being taught.
Day 5 will be based in Petrcane.
But wait, there is more! This course also includes ‘optional extras’, so if it’s all sounding too much like a holiday for your liking, then there are overnight challenges and assignments to those that want to be pushed harder and further outside of the scheduled daily instructional activities. 
Just let our instructors know and they’ll happily oblige providing appropriate extra challenges and tasks to further see how the pieces of urban preparedness fit together for you as an individual. 
Your Instructors
Of course, all the lovely tourist attractions aside, the most compelling reasons you should come to Croatia are the expert instructors. We can confidently state nowhere in the world will you find instructors more experienced and willing to share their knowledge in this field. 
Selco Begovic
Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution. He gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today.
Selco works in the medical profession as a nurse and paramedic. He is a prolific blogger and is the author of best selling book, The Dark Secrets of SHTF Survival, The SHTF Anthology, and SHTF Survival Stories, Volume One. He teaches online survival courses at SHTF Survival School and shares his knowledge to small, select groups in these physical courses in Europe.
He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations like Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.
Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. And he wants to use his experiences to help you even the playing field.
Toby Cowern
Toby and Selco have worked together producing outstanding and unrivaled physical courses for the last seven years and this course promises to rapidly become one of the flagship offerings of our Urban division. Toby brings a broad range of varied competencies and skills, offering counterbalancing concepts and thoughts to harmonize alongside Selco’s applied experiences.
Toby is a leading wilderness survival instructor specializing in extremely cold environments. So runs our Trueways Arctic expedetions as well as working in the Urban division. 
 Drawing on his experience and top-level qualifications as a risk management specialist he will show how to apply these assessments and methodologies to both preparedness and survival activities.  As a former member of the elite infantry British Royal Marines and current member of I19 Infantry regiment which serves above the Arctic Circle, Toby will help expand on personal safety and security considerations and techniques, as well as appropriate crossover of military skills to the average civilian. 
Toby also works as a professional ‘on call’ fire fighter, and will draw on relevant experience to cover details such as urban design, relevant emergency legislation and its impact at individual level, response times and methodologies and the fragility of these systems, as well as emergency care. 
Also as a former professional qualified member of British Military Intelligence, Toby will teach you the importance and ability to gather and process information, in various forms and environments. This segues with one of Selco’s most vital subjects covered, that of dealing with ‘misinformation’.
OUR HAPPY CUSTOMERS

TESTIMONIALS

Kid
Kid's 3 Day Course ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Brilliant course and a great weekend with a very informative teacher

Wayne S

5 Day Basic to Advanced ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 Day Basic to Advanced ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's only by coming on such a course does one realize how ill prepared one is for surviving in the outdoors

The instructor was great - sharing practical skills & knowledge in an inclusive manner; giving us all the chance to practice our newly acquired skills ; I excelled at knots & fire starting

Perry L

Mountain Survival Course ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mountain Survival Course ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fantastic course. Phenomenal staff, team and routes.

Adam T

5 Day Basic to Advanced Woodland Survival ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 Day Basic to Advanced Woodland Survival ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed the course Andy and Amo were great and their experience showed. October 2020 was tough but a great time even when wet!!
I will take a lot away from this especially the psychological side. Mentally it is as tough as the physical but I can say I'll be back! I cannot recommend this course enough - if you want to be challenged and your willing to push yourself.
It teaches that giving up and giving in is not a option!

Stephen B

3 Day Kids
3 Day Kids' Advanced Survival ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Our second year under Andy’s guidance and what a great adventure we had!
Absolutely fantastic time with my eight year old son and a small group of like minded dads and kids.
It was challenging for the kids and the assessments were hard but Andy helped them through and was keen engaging and above all patient!
Thanks to Trueways and particularly Andy for looking after us so well in these difficult times.

Dominic and Lawrence

Kid
Kid's Woodland Survival Course ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My survival enthusiastic 9 year old throughly enjoyed 2 days on Cannock Chase. All of the children responded well to excellent tuition from Andy who struck up a quick rapore. Excellent venue which is of interest from a historical perspective and made the night time treasure hunt a brilliant experience. Adults will learn things too and will stand your children in good stead if they go on to do DofE. Thanks for a great weekend.

James H