About Us

Class and workshop outlines

Pathfinders Ongoing Classes and Workshops

Pathfinders provides ongoing, practical classes and workshops focused on preparedness, personal safety, self-reliance, emergency response, and outdoor capability. Our programs are designed to give participants useful knowledge, hands-on experience, and the confidence to respond effectively when normal services, communication systems, utilities, or resources are disrupted.

Classes may be offered for beginners, intermediate participants, and advanced students. Depending on the subject, instruction may include demonstrations, guided practice, scenario-based exercises, planning activities, field instruction, and equipment familiarization.

Medical and Emergency Response

Advanced First Aid and Stop the Bleed

Participants learn how to respond to serious injuries and medical emergencies before professional help arrives.

Topics may include:

• Emergency scene assessment
• Patient assessment and prioritization
• Severe bleeding recognition and control
• Direct pressure and wound packing
• Tourniquet and pressure-dressingapplication
• Treatment for shock
• Burns, fractures, and soft-tissue injuries
• Airway and breathing considerations
• First-aid kit preparation
• Communication with emergencyresponders
• Patient monitoring until help arrives

Wilderness First Aid

Wilderness First Aid focuses on managing injuries and illnesses when professional medical assistance may be delayed by distance, terrain, weather, or limited communications.

Topics may include:

• Patient assessment in remoteenvironments
• Wounds, bleeding, burns, and fractures
• Sprains, strains, and dislocations
• Heat- and cold-related emergencies
• Dehydration and exhaustion
• Allergic reactions and environmentalhazards
• Improvised medical equipment
• Patient stabilization and monitoring
• Evacuation decisions
• Emergency communication and patientreports

Outdoor and Wilderness Skills

Rappelling and Rope Work

This workshop introduces the safe use of ropes and related equipment for rappelling, climbing, hauling, and basic rescue applications.

Topics may include:

• Rope types and limitations
• Knots, hitches, and rope care
• Harnesses, helmets, carabiners, and otherequipment
• Anchor-system fundamentals
• Belay and rappel systems
• Rope commands and communication
• Equipment inspection
• Load management
• Basic hauling and lowering techniques
• Edge awareness and common hazards
• Emergency procedures

Rappelling activities should be conducted under qualified supervision using appropriate equipment and facilities.

Wilderness Survival

Participants learn the priorities and practical skills needed to remain safe during an unexpected wilderness emergency.

Topics may include:

• Survival priorities and decision-making
• Shelter construction and site selection
• Fire-starting and fire safety
• Water location, collection, and purification
• Navigation and route planning
• Signaling and attracting attention
• Weather and environmental awareness
• Clothing and personal protection
• Food considerations
• Emergency kits
• Managing limited resources
• Developing a wilderness survival plan

Personal and Home Security

Personal and Home Security

This class focuses on prevention, situational awareness, and practical measures for improving safety at home and in public settings.

Topics may include:

• Situational awareness
• Identifying hazards and suspicious activity
• Home security assessments
• Doors, windows, locks, and entry points
• Lighting and visibility
• Cameras, alarms, and monitoring
• Visitor and delivery procedures
• Protecting valuables and personalinformation
• Household emergency procedures
• Communication plans
• Safe-room considerations
• De-escalation and avoidance

Area Study Guidelines

Area Study Guidelines teaches participants how to evaluate a neighborhood, property, travel route, or region from a preparedness and safety perspective.

Topics may include:

• Terrain and geographic features
• Roads, bridges, trails, and alternate routes
• Weather and seasonal conditions
• Water sources and utility infrastructure
• Hospitals and emergency services
• Communication coverage
• Potential natural and human-causedhazards
• Fuel, food, and supply availability
• Evacuation routes and destinations
• Community resources
• Creating maps, notes, and referencematerials
• Developing an area-specific preparednessplan

Lock Picking and Security Awareness

This class introduces lock mechanisms and physical-security weaknesses for lawful and authorized educational use.

Topics may include:

• Common lock types and components
• How pins, tumblers, and cylinders work
• Lock terminology
• Proper use and care of training tools
• Non-destructive entry concepts
• Identifying weak or outdated locks
• Improving door and frame security
• Rekeying and key-control considerations
• Choosing appropriate locks
• Legal and ethical responsibilities
• Practicing only on personally owned orauthorized locks

Self-Defense Training

Self-defense training emphasizes awareness, prevention, de-escalation, escape, and responsible decision-making.

Topics may include:

• Situational awareness
• Recognizing potential threats
• Establishing verbal boundaries
• De-escalation
• Maintaining distance and safe positioning
• Defensive movement
• Escaping common grabs or holds
• Protecting oneself while seeking help
• Attracting attention
• Post-incident actions and reporting
• Continued practice and conditioning

Firearms Training

Firearms training provides instruction in safe, responsible, and lawful firearm use. Courses may be tailored to the participant’s experience level.

Topics may include:

• Fundamental firearm-safety rules
• Safe storage and transportation
• Firearm parts and operation
• Loading and unloading
• Muzzle awareness
• Ammunition identification and storage
• Range safety and commands
• Grip, stance, sight alignment, and triggercontrol
• Marksmanship fundamentals
• Cleaning and maintenance
• Safe response to malfunctions
• Responsible decision-making
• Household firearm safety

Live-fire instruction should be conducted by qualified instructors at an approved range.

Food and Water Preparedness

Long-Term Food Storage

Participants learn how to create a practical, organized, and sustainable food-storage plan.

Topics may include:

• Setting household storage goals
• Choosing shelf-stable and nutritious foods
• Short-, medium-, and long-term storage
• Packaging and containers
• Temperature, moisture, light, and pestcontrol
• Inventory and rotation systems
• Meal planning
• Food preparation during utility outages
• Special dietary needs
• Budget-conscious storage
• Avoiding common storage mistakes

Long-Term Water Storage

This class covers the safe storage, treatment, rotation, and management of water for emergencies.

Topics may include:

• Estimating household water needs
• Selecting appropriate containers
• Cleaning and sanitizing containers
• Storage locations
• Rotation schedules
• Drinking, cooking, hygiene, and sanitationneeds
• Filtration and purification methods
• Emergency water collection
• Conservation strategies
• Contamination risks
• Creating a household water plan

Growing Your Own Food and Gardening

Participants learn the fundamentals of producing food at home or in a community setting.

Topics may include:

• Garden planning and site selection
• Soil preparation and testing
• Seeds and plant selection
• Planting schedules
• Seed starting and transplanting
• Watering and irrigation
• Composting and soil improvement
• Weed and pest management
• Raised beds and container gardening
• Crop rotation and succession planting
• Harvesting and storage
• Seed saving
• Seasonal planning

Aquaponics and Hydroponics

This workshop introduces soil-free and water-based methods for producing food in homes, greenhouses, classrooms, and limited spaces.

Hydroponics grows plants using water, nutrients, and a growing medium instead of traditional soil. Aquaponics combines plant production with fish or other aquatic organisms in a recirculating system.

Topics may include:

• Differences between traditional gardening,hydroponics, and aquaponics
• Hydroponic system types
• Aquaponic system components
• Tanks, pumps, filters, grow beds, andplumbing
• Water quality and testing
• pH, temperature, and nutrient management
• Lighting and energy requirements
• Plant selection
• Fish and aquatic-system considerations
• Sanitation and disease prevention
• System maintenance
• Pump and power-failure planning
• Troubleshooting
• Harvesting and food safety
• Designing a small-scale system

Canning and Food Preservation

Participants learn safe methods for extending the shelf life of seasonal and surplus food.

Topics may include:

• Food-safety fundamentals
• Water-bath canning
• Pressure canning
• Dehydration
• Freezing
• Fermentation and pickling
• Equipment selection and care
• Preparing jars and ingredients
• Processing procedures
• Labeling and dating
• Storage conditions
• Recognizing spoilage
• Reducing waste
• Planning a seasonal preservation program

Power and Energy Preparedness

Offsetting Electricity Costs: Tips and Techniques

This workshop focuses on practical ways to reduce energy use and manage household electricity costs.

Topics may include:

• Conducting a basic home energy audit
• Identifying high-use appliances
• Heating and cooling efficiency
• Insulation and air sealing
• Lighting improvements
• Appliance scheduling
• Reducing standby or phantom power
• Efficient cooking and water heating
• Load management
• Smart thermostats and timers
• Comparing energy-saving improvements
• Creating a household energy-reductionplan

Power Outages, Generators, Solar, and Powered Systems

Participants learn how to prepare for short- and long-term power interruptions and evaluate different backup-power options.

Topics may include:

• Preparing for power outages
• Identifying essential electrical loads
• Generator types and selection
• Safe generator operation
• Fuel storage and rotation
• Portable power stations
• Battery-backup systems
• Solar panels and charge controllers
• Inverters and power requirements
• Load calculations
• Basic system sizing
• Transfer equipment and connection safety
• Protecting sensitive electronics
• Backup power for lighting, refrigeration,communications, and medical equipment
• System maintenance
• Developing a household outage plan

Household electrical connections should comply with applicable codes and be completed by a qualified professional when required.

Communications and Evacuation

Radios and Communications

This class teaches participants how to communicate when cellular networks, internet services, or other normal systems are unavailable.

Topics may include:

• Communication planning
• Family and group communicationprocedures
• Radio types and applications
• Handheld, vehicle, and base-station radios
• Range and terrain considerations
• Batteries and charging
• Channels and responsible radio use
• Radio etiquette
• Clear message formats
• Call signs and check-in procedures
• Relaying information
• Emergency communication networks
• Weather and public-safety information
• Building a communications kit

Evacuation Planning and Execution

Participants learn how to create, practice, and carry out an evacuation plan for individuals, families, workplaces, or organizations.

Topics may include:

• Identifying evacuation triggers
• Making decisions under stress
• Primary and alternate routes
• Transportation and fuel planning
• Emergency bags
• Medications and important documents
• Planning for children, older adults, andpeople with disabilities
• Pets and livestock
• Communication and reunification plans
• Meeting points and destinations
• Shelter and lodging considerations
• Responding to blocked routes
• Conducting evacuation drills
• Reviewing and improving the plan

Workshop Format

Pathfinders classes may include:

• Classroom instruction
• Instructor demonstrations
• Hands-on practice
• Equipment familiarization
• Scenario-based exercises
• Field activities
• Planning worksheets
• Family and household preparednessdiscussions
• Skill reviews and assessments

A typical workshop may follow this format:

1. Introduction and learning objectives
2. Safety briefing
3. Instruction and demonstration
4. Guided participant practice
5. Scenario or planning exercise
6. Review of key skills
7. Questions and recommended continuedpractice

Pathfinders emphasizes practical instruction, responsible preparation, safety, teamwork, and continued skill development. Our goal is to help participants become more capable, confident, and prepared to protect themselves, assist others, and respond effectively in challenging situations.

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Pathfinders Workshops and Classes

At Pathfinders, we believe preparedness is built through practical skills, confident decision-making, and hands-on training. Our workshops and classes are designed to help individuals, families, and communities respond effectively to emergencies, reduce everyday risks, and become more self-reliant.

Whether you want to learn lifesaving first aid, prepare your home for a power outage, grow and preserve your own food, improve your communication skills, or develop outdoor and personal safety skills, Pathfinders offers practical instruction for a wide range of experience levels. Our goal is to provide useful knowledge that can be applied in real-world situations—at home, on the road, in the wilderness, and within the community.

Workshops and Classes

• Advanced First Aid and Stop the Bleed
  Learn how to recognize and respond tolife-threatening injuries, control severebleeding, provide emergency care, andstabilize a person until professional helparrives.
• Rappelling and Rope Work
  Develop foundational rope skills, knottying, anchoring, rappelling techniques,equipment awareness, and safe practicesfor recreational and emergencyapplications.
• Personal and Home Security
  Explore practical ways to improvesituational awareness, identifyvulnerabilities, strengthen home security,and create safer routines for individualsand families.
• Defensive Driving Techniques
  Learn risk awareness, emergency vehiclecontrol, hazard avoidance, evasivemaneuvers, and strategies for making saferdecisions behind the wheel.
• Area Study Guidelines
  Learn how to evaluate your local area,identify resources and hazards,understand access routes, and develop aclearer picture of the community aroundyou.
• Long-Term Food Storage
  Discover how to select, package, organize,rotate, and maintain a long-term foodsupply that meets your household’s needs.
• Long-Term Water Storage
  Learn how to safely store, treat, rotate, andmanage water for drinking, sanitation,cooking, and other essential householdneeds.
• Growing Your Own Food and Gardening
  Build practical gardening skills, includingsoil preparation, planting, maintenance,harvesting, seed saving, and planning forreliable seasonal food production.
• Aquaponics and Hydroponics
  Learn the fundamentals of growing plantswith limited soil and space, includingnutrient management, system setup, watercare, and ongoing maintenance.
• Reducing Electricity Costs
  Explore practical strategies for improvingenergy efficiency, reducing waste,managing household power use, andlowering electricity expenses.
• Power Outages, Generators, Solar, andBackup Power Systems
  Learn how to prepare for outages, evaluatebackup power options, safely operategenerators, understand solar powerbasics, and plan for essential electricalneeds.
• Canning and Food Preservation
  Learn safe methods for preservingseasonal foods through canning,dehydration, fermentation, freezing, andother appropriate techniques.
• Radios and Communications
  Develop reliable communication skills,learn about radio equipment andprotocols, and create communicationplans for emergencies and disruptions.
• Evacuation Planning and Execution
  Learn how to create an evacuation plan,establish routes and destinations, organizeessential supplies, account for householdmembers, and respond effectively underpressure.
• Wilderness Survival
  Develop core outdoor survival skills,including shelter building, fire preparation,water sourcing, navigation, signaling,environmental awareness, and emergencydecision-making.
• Wilderness First Aid
  Learn how to assess and manage injuriesand illnesses in remote environmentswhere professional medical help may bedelayed.
• Lock Picking and Physical SecurityAwareness
  Gain an educational understanding oflocks, access systems, commonvulnerabilities, and responsible securitypractices. Instruction is intended for lawfultraining, property owners, and securityawareness.
• Firearms Training
  Receive responsible, safety-focusedinstruction covering firearm handling,storage, range procedures, marksmanshipfundamentals, and legal and ethicalconsiderations. Training is conducted inaccordance with applicable laws andestablished safety standards.
• Self-Defense Training
  Learn awareness, boundary setting, de-escalation, defensive movement, escapeconcepts, and practical skills designed tohelp participants respond safely andeffectively to threats.

Our Approach

Pathfinders classes emphasize practical learning, clear instruction, and responsible application. Participants are encouraged to build skills gradually, practice regularly, and adapt what they learn to their own household, workplace, lifestyle, and community.

Preparedness is not about fear—it is about capability, confidence, and helping people become better equipped to protect themselves, support others, and navigate unexpected challenges.