So I went to the LL Bean class on Saturday and I think it was definitely worth the $40. It was very basic (as expected) so some of it was a bit of a review, but I definitely learned a good amount and felt much more confident leaving the course. I am most likely signing up for the Advanced Course from LL Bean as well. It's a 5 hour course and costs $50; more than worth it in my opinion to learn and polish a skill that is absolutely necessary for hiking and camping in the back country.