Photo Credit: Uncivilized Vitality
At Brooks Defense Solutions, our mission has always been centered around one principle: everyone deserves the knowledge, skills, and confidence to protect themselves and survive life’s challenges — regardless of age, ability, or background.
That mission is why we are excited to announce our partnership with Uncivilized Vitality to co-teach our Surviving Hell program, an immersive training experience designed to take participants beyond the classroom and into real-world environments where they can apply their survival, preparedness, and self-reliance skills.
Turning Training Into Real-World Experience
When we developed the Surviving Hell program, we knew that traditional classroom instruction could only go so far. Learning about wilderness survival, emergency preparedness, navigation, shelter building, food procurement, and problem-solving is valuable — but true confidence comes from applying those skills under realistic conditions.
Our goal was to create a three-day wilderness experience where students could step outside their comfort zones, test their abilities, and discover how prepared they truly are.
The challenge was finding the right partner and environment to help bring that vision to life.
That opportunity came when we connected with Uncivilized Vitality.
A Partnership Built at the Michigan Preparedness Picnic
Our relationship with Uncivilized Vitality began at the 2024 Annual Michigan Preparedness Picnic in Flint, Michigan. The event brought together preparedness-minded individuals, instructors, organizations, and community members who share a common goal: helping people become more capable and resilient.
During conversations at the event, we discovered that Brooks Defense Solutions and Uncivilized Vitality shared many of the same values and training philosophies.
Both organizations believe that preparedness is not just about equipment — it is about developing the mindset, skills, and confidence needed to overcome adversity.
More importantly, we discovered that we shared another important mission: providing meaningful training opportunities for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities.
Creating Adaptive Preparedness Training
At Brooks Defense Solutions, we believe self-defense, emergency preparedness, and survival skills should be accessible to everyone. Our training programs are designed to help individuals recognize their strengths, overcome barriers, and develop practical skills that can improve their independence and safety.
Uncivilized Vitality shares that same commitment by creating opportunities for individuals of varying abilities to engage with outdoor skills, movement, and fieldcraft concepts.
By combining our expertise, we can create a more supportive training environment where students are not defined by limitations — they are empowered by capability.
Why Uncivilized Vitality Was the Right Partner
Bringing the Surviving Hell program to life required more than just a location. It required a partner who understood the importance of experiential learning, adaptive training, and pushing students to grow in a controlled and supportive environment.
Uncivilized Vitality provided the missing piece we were looking for.
Their experience in outdoor education, movement, and fieldcraft-based skill development allows us to expand Surviving Hell beyond a traditional preparedness course into a hands-on survival experience.
Together, we will help students practice skills such as:
- Wilderness navigation and land awareness
- Shelter construction and environmental adaptation
- Survival mindset and decision-making
- Emergency preparedness principles
- Teamwork and communication under stress
- Problem-solving in unfamiliar environments
- Applying fieldcraft skills in realistic scenarios
The goal is not simply to teach people how to survive in theory — it is to help them build confidence through experience.
The Surviving Hell Philosophy
The name Surviving Hell represents more than surviving a difficult situation. It represents developing the mindset required to face uncertainty, adapt to changing circumstances, and overcome challenges.
Whether the challenge is a natural disaster, getting lost outdoors, a prolonged emergency, or simply navigating difficult moments in life, preparation creates options.
Our partnership with Uncivilized Vitality allows us to provide students with an opportunity to discover what they are capable of when tested.
Looking Toward the Future
We are excited about what this partnership will bring to the Brooks Defense Solutions community and the students who participate in Surviving Hell.
By combining our expertise in defensive training, emergency preparedness, and adaptive instruction with Uncivilized Vitality’s fieldcraft and movement-based experience, we are creating a program unlike anything we have offered before.
The quest from an idea to a fully developed three-day wilderness experience required the right people, the right mission, and the right partnership.
We found that partnership at the Michigan Preparedness Picnic.
We look forward to helping students step into the wilderness, apply their skills, and discover that they are more prepared than they ever realized.
Prepare. Adapt. Overcome.
That is the foundation of Surviving Hell.
Be sure to enroll in our Surviving Hell academy to learn more and further develop your skills. We also encourage everyone to support and donate to their Uncivilized Living Foundation where they provide “underserved and populations in need with the unique benefits of outdoor experiences and the life lessons that come from living in nature.” Feel free to check out their YouTube channel to learn more about their methodology.
