​Creating and delivering cutting edge, factual and relevant survival concepts and strategies
in an informational and interesting manner since 1965.

Survival Educators

Copyright 2004-2017. Survival Educators. All rights reserved.  2750 Artesia Blvd, Unit 351. Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Email: TimKneeland@SurvivalEducators.com Phone: 1 (818) 445-4060  Fax: 1 (818) 441-5007

Survival, disaster & safety presentations, workshops & gear

Aircraft Crashes & Ditchings - 100% Survival Rate

Exploding Popular Outdoor Beliefs

​Many of us work in the natural environment, where the weather and temperatures don't always cooperate. This lively presentation will help outdoor workers face the challenges and offer solutions when working outdoors in inclement and harsh conditions. Find out how and why we lose dexterity, the role shivering plays in the initial stages of hypothermia, when frostbite becomes an issue, and the best way to dress for varying conditions. On the hot side, how can a person realistically adapt to heat and humidity. And, what are the real dangers and consequences of dehydration and heat stroke?

This program is to augment initial CERT training to focus on and enhance a responders self-reliance and confidence when helping post-disaster. It offers practical skills to augment their valuable CERT emergency response training.

Survival Basics: Staying Alive During Outdoor Emergencies

This fast paced session offers valuable insights into crashing or ditching an aircraft and the techniques for determining post crash survival priorities. Topics include the best way to reduce the effects of g-forces on deceleration, restraint systems, selecting the crash site for the best chance of survival, immediate action after impact, setting survival priorities, and the role of the various types of electronic signaling devices. Suggestions for survival kits and vests will be covered, along with discussions on proven techniques for establishing shelter, building fires, finding and sanitizing water, and signaling rescue. All pilots, and even passengers, will find this session extremely valuable.

Presentations, Workshops, Consulting & Gear

​What Do You Do When The Lights Go Out?

Regardless of your travel goals and activities, there are dangers anyone can face and, more importantly, proven techniques to minimize the threat of discomfort, running afoul of the law, robbery, terrorism and even being kidnapped. This seminar covers pre-travel research and considerations, packing efficiently, local currency issues, flying comfortably and safely, considerations when arrival in a new country, where to stay, hotel fire safety, inappropriate photographic subjects, maintaining situational awareness, avoiding becoming a victim of robbery, terrorism, or kidnappings, and handling trouble.

Cold Water Mishaps

There is too much BS survival information. Magazines, books, newspapers and television series often spread false, misleading or dangerous survival information. This informative seminar helps sort out fact from fiction, truth from rumor, and reality from entertainment.

Thankfully, pilots rarely face an unexpected off field landing. However, if it did happen, how can you increase the odds of surviving the crash and post-crash survival needs?

The world is an increasingly challenging place to understand, yet many of us travel to dangerous areas for work or pleasure. This program stresses pre-trip preparation and how to avoid becoming a victim of petty crime or kidnappings.

Traveling & Working Safely in a Challenging World

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These programs can be tailored to meet your specific organizational needs (time, location, participants, hands-on training, etc.) and are guaranteed to make your event memorable. Each topic can be expanded into a longer course if more detailed training is needed.

For individuals and families wishing to learn survival skills that will keep them alive and comfortable until help arrives, especially if rescue is delayed for several days.

​​Working Safely in Extreme Weather

Enjoying  adventures in the wilderness should never be a life and death situation. Perhaps an inconvenience, but rarely life and death. So, then, what does it take to survive outdoor emergencies. Obviously, understanding the basics of pre-trip preparation, setting realistic travel goals, and setting out knowing you are prepared for any unexpected emergency helps keep all types of emergencies in perspective. And when they do occur, what are realistic actions you and your companions can take to insure your challenges remain an inconvenience versus a life or death emergency.


This presentation covers the basic elements of survival everyone should know: necessities of life; body's enemies; psychology of handling stressful situations; physiology of heat, cold, immersion, altitude, and water loss; energy balance; trip preparation; emergency sheltering; building fires in difficult conditions; electronic and simple signaling techniques; procuring and sanitizing water; and putting animal and insect threats into perspective. The goal, of course, is building a more responsible and self-reliant wilderness user.

The natural environment can be pretty unforgiving, especially when inclement weather strikes and workers are forced into tough conditions. The seminar covers the effects of cold and heat on the body and how to dress correctly for comfort and efficiency.

Many people get their basic survival and outdoor knowledge from television, out-of-date books and poorly researched articles, often published in respected magazines. Can you really make a natural shelter from tree limbs and boughs? Are fire bow and drills, rifles, or magnifying glasses realistic fire starting tools? Is a lighter, match or a "metal match" a more reliable fire starting device? Does a thin space type blanket really offer protection from the elements? Should you stay put or try to walk out? Is adrenaline an effective aid for survival or does it have to be checked? Should I drink my urine? When should I worry about food and water. This presentation puts survival into perspective and helps to cull the BS from survival knowledge.

CERT/First Responder Outdoor Survival Workshop: Protecting Yourself While Rescuing Others

The tried and true basics for surviving any wilderness or outdoor emergency. A must for all outdoor adventurers.

And they don't come back on... What is the ideal temperature for comfort? How many switches and dials do we use to maintain this environment? What happens when you turn a dial or throw a switch and nothing happens? Especially if emergency services are hours or days away. If so, how do you prioritize and satisfy your basic survival needs when you have to depend on your own knowledge, judgement and resourcefulness to protect you and your family? This presentation will shed light on these challenges and offer solutions to many other issues that are not as readily apparent.

Several of Survival Educator's Programs (length - 30 min to a workshop)

Program Details Below


Disaster & Outdoor Survival… Designed for those wishing to be more self-sufficient when faced with, or helping others, during a disaster.


Wilderness Survival…For outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.


Working Outdoors Safely…For businesses and organizations with outdoor workers exposed to heat, cold and inclement weather.



Aviation Survival…Understanding your best chance for surviving an off-field landing and applying the correct post-crash survival techniques until rescued.


Water Survival…This session is designed to put the challenges of cold water survival into perspective for mariners and boaters.



International Travel…Directed to those traveling, volunteering, working or living overseas.

Cold water, 70° F and below, is very unforgiving and can snuff the life out of a person in a few short hours. This session discusses the techniques of extending your life until rescue arrives.

Most of us who have had the opportunity for extensive international travel, have found that people around the world are usually friendly and welcoming. However, there are people in every country who seek out unknowing, unaware and vulnerable travelers as a source of relatively easy money.

Most first responders don’t hesitate to help others suffering a catastrophic event. But how do we make sure the rescuer is personally protected, especially over the long haul when outside help doesn’t arrive for hours, or even days? One of the most effective ways is to learn the critical survival skills that help keep outdoor adventurers comfortable, safe and alive. This seminar discusses how a Positive Mental Attitude and maintaining 98.6° gives a person the best chance for survival when faced with any type of emergency.


These critical “how to” survival skills are covered in detail: Pre-trip Preparation; PMA; Energy Use, Loss & Conservation; Maintaining 98.6° Body Temperature; Clothing and Equipment; Recognizing Real Emergencies; Survival Priorities; Shelters; Fire; Signaling; Improvisation; Water & Food; Medical Emergencies & Environment Injuries; Sanitation; and Survival Equipment & Kits.

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Water is one of the most challenging survival environments. Yet offers viable transportation corridors, a livelihood for fishing and diving, and hours of pleasure for millions of boaters, skiers, surfers, divers, etc. Yet, when the water temperature is cold, below 70° F, it is very unforgiving. When a boat sinks or people find themeless submerged in water, why do so many die needless deaths? This presentation explores the causes of death in water and what can be done to increase life expectancy. What happens physiologically and psychologically. And what a minimal amount of preparation can do to protect you, your family and fellow boaters. Flotation devices, the surprising value of a large plastic bag, and necessary signaling devices.