YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Russ Meades - Owner and Chief Instructor
Russ grew up in rural England and spent his youth exploring and learning about the countryside. He acquired many skills from local country characters, such as building improvised shelters, expedient fire making, hunting, fishing, and foraging that would later serve him well throughout his life.
Formal exposure to the concepts of survival were gained while serving with the British Army in the 1980s. He learned from the very best and increased his knowledge over the ensuing years. He began teaching basic survival to British Army troops in 1987.
Following immigration to Canada and transfer to the Canadian Army Reserve in the early 1990s, Russ maintained and developed his survival skills which proved useful in both his military activities as well as on his many solo hunting, fishing, and hiking adventures.
In 2004, Russ returned to full-time military service, and in 2007, transferred to the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, a large Army unit (almost 1200 personnel) of the 3rd Canadian Division, with its headquarters near Victoria, BC. As their full-time Operations & Training Officer, and later as a Company Commander, he was able to gain further bushcraft and survival knowledge from many very experienced Canadian Rangers. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed as the Commanding Officer of 4 CRPG in 2016 and in 2017 he led the design team that produced the Canadian Rangers’ Advanced Wilderness Survival Course.
In 2019, Russ was honoured by the great Mors Kochanski by being recognized as a Peer in the Fellowship of Wilderness Living and Survival Instructors. Russ retired from the Canadian Army in June 2022 after 41 years of service and has been teaching Bushcraft and Survival courses since then. Russ is also the Survival columnist for the Alberta Outdoors magazine and regularly partners with the Alberta Trappers Association to teach on their courses and to speak at their seminars.
Russ stays fit by working out at the local gym five days per week, as well as running and hiking. He’s an avid outdoorsman, enjoying solo hunts and regularly fishing from his kayak. He has his Alberta Trappers Association Standard Trapping Course, as well as the ATA Advanced Trapping Course.
He’s been married to the same wonderful woman since 1989 and they have two grown sons.