I went through SERE in 1971. It really didn't teach much more than I learned in the Boy Scouts, but it was a good program. I'd love to do it again today.

Survival schools seem to run about $200 a day in Colorado. For independent learners, I don't think it's a good use of the money. For others, it might be a great vacation.

One objection I have with military training is it tends to treat nature as an adversary to be conquered rather than as a friend to live in harmony with.

I think all the survival skills a person needs to know can be learned independently through books, magazine articles, forums and Youtube videos. But I prefer independent learning. Others prefer a live teacher.

In order to complete the learning process, I feel the book learning needs to be drawn down to physical actions. Many times this can be done safely in a person's backyard or by walking in bad weather around their neighborhood. For many, it's difficult to get out in the field enough with a willing person to practice skills there. Consider someone who lives in Kansas planning a trek in the mountains.

When a person learns how to cope with unusual situations, it's no longer a survival skill. It just is. Often what seems like a survival situation to others can be an enjoyable situation.

In the wilderness, most situations happen slowly. Often sitting quietly without thought will result in a solution appearing. In my opinion, the time to stop is at the first sign of things not going quite right. This especially applies to getting lost or the onset of unexpected bad weather.

Mental skills may be more important than physical skills. With other people, group dynamics can be a major factor, especially with people you don't know. Many times, the person with the strongest leadership abilities has very little knowledge. This is one reason I gave up riding motorcycles with others.