About SATS Survival School: Real Skills, Taught by People Who Have Used Them
SATS Survival School exists for one reason: so that when things go wrong outdoors, you stay calm, think clearly and get yourself and the people with you home.
We are based in Edmundston, New Brunswick, where the mixed forests, rivers and long winters make one of the best natural classrooms in Canada. Our courses run from a first night in the woods to multi-day tests of skill under stress, and as of this fall you can also start learning online from anywhere.
Who teaches you
SATS was founded by Steve Matte, a 20-year Canadian Armed Forces veteran, former member of JTF2 and former lead winter survival instructor with 2 Combat Engineer Regiment. Steve has trained soldiers and civilians to live and work in every season the Canadian outdoors can throw at them.
Depending on the course, you may also train alongside guest instructors with special forces, regular forces and specialist backgrounds. What they share is real experience, and a habit of teaching what works when you are cold, tired and under pressure.
How we teach: Educate, Demonstrate, Imitate
Every SATS lesson follows the same simple military method. We explain the skill and why it matters, we demonstrate it in front of you, then you do it yourself until it sticks. No long lectures and no watching from the sidelines: you leave with skills in your hands, not just notes in a binder.
Field courses in Edmundston, NB
Basic Survival: a 72-hour course covering the survival priorities, shelter, fire, water, signalling and first aid.
Intermediate Primitive Survival: friction fire, natural navigation, cordage, trapping and foraging, ending with a night in a shelter you built yourself.
Advanced Concentration: our toughest challenge, testing skill, fitness and mindset under real stress.
Winter Survival: dressing for the cold, snow shelters, fire on snow, safe water and cold-injury care.
Tracking: reading sign, identifying New Brunswick wildlife tracks, and following and recovering a trail.
See dates and book a place on the Courses page.
New: learn online, anywhere
Not everyone can get to Edmundston right away, so we have built self-paced online versions of our courses, plus a new course: Conduct After Capture, for military members, security contractors, journalists, aid workers and anyone travelling to high-risk regions.
Each online course includes:
Narrated lessons with real-world photos
Field drills you can practise at home or in your local woods
Self-check questions after every lesson
A narrated slide presentation and a PDF course manual you keep
A certificate when you complete the course
The online courses also prepare you for the field: you arrive at an in-person course with the theory already done, so more of your time goes into practice. Online courses start at $100 CAD. Browse them on the Online Course page.
Safety first
Survival training carries real risk, and we take that seriously. Field training starts with a safety briefing, and every online course opens with our Safety and Liability Notice. Our goal is to push you, not to hurt you.
Start your training
Whether you want to feel at home in the woods, prepare for a deployment, or test yourself against the Canadian winter, there is a SATS course for you. Questions? Email steve@s-a-t-s.com or call +1 613-401-6133.
Train hard. Stay alive.
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