Classes on Primitive Skills and Wilderness Living for All Ages

Classes Offered - Click Below

Primitive Bow Making

Animal Traps and Snares

Primitive Pottery Workshop

Firing Pottery

Crafting Prehistoric Jewelry

Flintknapping

Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk

Custom + Private Classes

Primitive Lifeways offers a wide variety of private and custom classes. Custom classes and workshops allow clients to work on specific skills with the instructors at their own pace. For more information on custom and private classes, email [email protected].

What to include in the email:

  • 1 How many people in your group?
  • 2 Are we coming to you or are you coming to us?
  • 3 What skills or mentoring services would you like to learn?
  • 4 Length of training. How many days or hours do you want to stay?
  • 5 Age of participants
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What to Expect

Nonjudgmental Approach

Our instructors take pride in an ethical and nonjudgmental approach. We accept people from all walks of life and career backgrounds. We have helped Native tribes, businessmen, doctors, and artists. When teaching, our priority is to help educate and build a community of individuals who enjoy wilderness living, primitive skills, and archaeology.

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Making Pottery the Old Way

Hospitality, Humbleness, and Humor

It is our honor to have you (our client) join us on this journey of teaching primitive skills our ancestors used hundreds and thousands of years ago. Without you, our goal of helping with public education in primitive technologies and wilderness living skills simply is not possible. When our instructors teach and educate, we are humbled by the time and effort each craft requires. Although our classes are hands on and educational, we are never stern. We love to laugh and enjoy our time spent together as a group.

Practical Approach

Primitive Lifeways understands not all new students have an extensive background in primitive technology. Therefore, we take time to work with clients that are struggling with a certain craft or task. We always explain each craft and the physics behind the technology. We also know other students are familiar with primitive skills and enjoy helping others out—this is absolutely encouraged and helps us in our team effort.

Client Testimonials

At Primitive Lifeways, we work with hundreds of students each and every month. We guarantee after taking one of our classes, you not only will go home feeling accomplished, but you will have an all-new understanding and outlook in the great outdoors. Below are testimonials from our students who attended our classes.

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Great flow in the class, very little non-activity time. Two instructors with huge subject knowledge, everybody got some one-on-one time as needed. Instructors are very patient and don’t have attitudes or superiority complexes. I would recommend this class to anyone looking gain survival skills. I would also refer scout troops to these courses as these guys were professional at all times. My 12yr old had a blast and we’ll be back to take more courses.
– John McKenzie

At the Primitive Lifeways class about primitive fire building techniques, my son and I learned how to make primitive fire with a hand-held bow drill that was constructed from locally available materials. It was so amazing to actually be able to create fire in the same way that people did over 10,000 years ago! My son has been practicing this new skill at home every day with the hand bow drill that he made at the Martin Survival class. He gets very excited when he can create an ember that then ignites his tinder bundle. I feel that this is a valuable survival skill to know, and I can now understand and identify with how our ancient ancestors must have felt when they made fire the same way. Many thanks to Jeff and Shawn for the hands-on instruction about using the hand-held bow drill and the many other fire building methods that were demonstrated at the class!

We will definitely be back for another class. It was great to get to know you guys, and now I am part of the bushcraft community with Stephen!
– Michael Richardson

The class, the teachers and the people attending the class were GREAT! Everyone was very enthusiastic, yet patient to explain each and every questions that was asked. The teachers made sure to spend time with everyone on an individual basis. What a great experience and I can’t wait for to attend more classes with Jeff and Shawn.
– Benjaman Kandora

I found the class to be highly educational. Jeff and Shawn were very knowledgeable and stuck with course plan. We learned the bow and hand drill methods which until this class I had never been successful with. Also learned what types of wood to look for in the construction of these two methods. Made a tinder bundle, made bow drill spindle, and learned other various ways to make fire with common things you would find around your house. Very professional and knew the subject matter they taught well. Instruction was top rate. I came figuring an hour or two class and it was five-six hours when all was said and done. My son Bodie and I learned a lot. It’s one thing to read or watch skills being done it is totally another to actually be doing them.
– Sean McCormick

The class was great! I enjoyed being out in the woods learning plant identification and primitive traps.
– Fernando Valenzuela

Jeff and shawn are very knowledgeable and their classes are affordable. There’s something strangely satisfying about ribbing two sticks together to make fire. #caveman
– Morgan Monshaugen