Canadian Outdoor Survival Podcast

Hosted by Bruce Zawalsky

Home | About the Host | @BruceZed

Learn to Survive in the Canadian Wilderness

Upper Kananaskis Lake looking South

The Canadian Outdoor Survival Podcast is a Monthly Podcast created to help explain Outdoor Survival, as well as highlighting some of the real challenges we face learning, practicing, and teaching in the Canadian Wilderness. Each seasons will be a mixture of overview episodes, specific skill based podcasts and interviews with Survival Instructors and experts in various aspects of Outdoor Survival & Outdoor Education in Canada.

Episode #33 [February 2021]

In Episode #33 we discuss Does Bear Season ever End. We ask the question when if ever does bear season end and learn that saying Bear Season runs from mid-April to mid-November doesn't work anymore. We also look at how Bear Spray works in the cold.

Episode #32 [March 2020]

In Episode #31 I Interview Dale Kiselyk, Co-Owner and Instructor at Nature Alive Outdoor Education in Barrhead Alberta about Animal Tracking for Survival and Enjoyment. We discuss the skills you can learn and the awareness of the natural world that is gained by learning to track animals.

Episode #31 [January 2020]

In Episode #31 I Interview Dragan Uzelac, a talented Wilderness Skills Instructor and Owner of Niko Wilderness Education and discusss the Winter Travel in the Boreal Forest. Through Niko Wilderness Education, Dragan runs both bushcraft courses and most importantly wilderness treks through the Boreal forest. We discuss the challenges and joys of wilderness travel in the Boreal Forest of Canada.

Episode #29 [September 2019]

In Episode #29 we discuss Survival in the Canadian Western Interior Mountains. We ask the question, how can we prepare to survive comfortably when stranded in the Mountains of Canada before we are actually stranded their?

Episode #26 [February 2019]

In Episode #26 I Interview Dave Holder a professional guide, outdoor skills instructor, and a Survival & Bushcraft Instructor who spends much of his time as a consultant for various TV shows; including the Alone show on the History channel, and we discuss the Reality of Survival Television and if we can learn anything from watch it.

Episode #25 [January 2019]

In Episode #25 I Interview Jonathan McArthur President of Cold Lake SAR and a Survival & Bushcraft Instructor with Karamat Wilderness Ways and Niko Wilderness Education on the Survival Skills Required for SAR Team Members. This Episode has a focus on why all SAR personal should carry and practice with excellent shelter building and fire lighting gear.

Episode #23 [October 2018]

In Episode #23 we discuss Why Take Survival Training in the Canadian Wilderness. We ask the question, why bother taking professional wilderness survival training before we are stranded in the Canadian Wilderness?

Episode #21 [October 2017]

In Episode #21 we discuss Bushcraft vs. Leave No Trace Camping in the Canadian Wilderness. We ask the question, can we really “Leave No Trace” and where would that leave Bushcraft and whether stranded or just travelling through our forests or mountains should we stop practicing those lifesaving skills before we travel?

Episode #20 [September 2017]

In Episode #20 we discuss The Challenges of Fall Survival in the Canadian Wilderness. We look at the techniques required to survive in this transition period along with what additional clothing and equipment we should carry to survive comfortably in the Canadian Wilderness in fall, whether stranded or just travelling through our forests or mountains.

Episode #14 [February 2017]

In Episode #14 we discuss Prepping for Survival and we look at Why & How we should Prepare for all types of Survival Situations, both short and long term and look at some of the implications of Not Properly Preparing and/or not understanding the Value of family, community, technology, and real skills needed in that community for your long-term survival.

Episode #12 [December 2016]

In Episode #12 we continue the discussion on Firecraft: The Art & Science of Fire Lighting (Part 2) and look at how we get a survival fire going and keep it going when stranded in the Canadian Wilderness. This is the second part of a two part Episode that started in Episode #11.

Episode #8 [August 2016]

In Episode #8 we discuss the Building the Will to Live, the Psychology of Survival. Your survival mindset is certainly one of the most complicated and critical factors in most survival situations and it is often ignored. We discuss how to build up a positive mindset and what factors may be involved in the psychology of living through a survival situation.

Episode #7 [July 2016]

In Episode #7 we discuss the True Costs of Getting Lost; including both direct and indirect costs of rescue, vs. search & rescue, vs. false rescue vs. being prepared and have a proper recover plan and the clothing, gear, and knowledge to survival being stranded in the Canadian Wilderness.

Episode #6 [June 2016]

In Episode #6 Wilderness Navigation Training, Why Bother? we discuss why we need to practice wilderness navigation skills, avoid being complacent, lazy or carefree when it comes to wilderness training, continual hands-on practice in the wilderness, and carrying at least the 3 Critical Navigation Tools.