Rated ★★★★★ by our Primal participants
Wilderness Survival & Hunting Classes
Group & Team-Building Gatherings
African Safari and Cultural Immersion
AFRICAN SAFARI &
CULTURAL IMMERSION
THE AFRICAN BUSH IS CALLING YOU IN
Have you felt the quiet call of Africa—its wildlife, its land, and the last hunter-gatherer people who embody our shared human origins?
RETURN TO THE BIRTHPLACE OF HUMANITY
We can study ancestral culture and wildlife endlessly, but only full immersion experience transmits true understanding through direct participation.
AFRICA AWAKENS THE WILD WITHIN
Ancestral cultures, landscapes, and wildlife can’t be understood from the outside—full immersion is how they are truly known.
A WILD ORIGIN FORGOTTEN BY MODERN LIFE
Africa is where humanity began. Every step you take there is taken on the same ground that shaped our bodies, instincts, and way of being. To experience Africa is not just to see wildlife—it is to remember where we come from.
The land still moves to ancient rhythms, the animals live as they always have, and cultures like the Hadza carry knowledge passed down through tens of thousands of years.
Standing in these places does something that books, films, and imagination never can. It reawakens instinct. It restores perspective. It reminds you that you are part of something far older and far greater than modern life.
This is why people travel to Africa—not as tourists, but as participants. To witness wild systems intact. To learn from cultures that still live close to the land. To experience, in the body, what it means to be human. Some places change how you see the world. Africa changes how you see yourself.
“I walked into the course with very little knowledge of fire building mechanics, and was able to pick it up very quickly, thanks to your patience & guidance.”
—Michele Bradley
San Diego
Modern life has insulated us from hardship. Food arrives effortlessly, shelter is taken for granted, and survival is rarely a conscious concern. Over time, this separation makes it difficult to understand the challenges our ancestors faced — and harder still to appreciate the resilience, ingenuity, and reverence for life those challenges demanded.
For most of human history, people lived in direct relationship with the land. Every meal, every journey, every day required awareness, cooperation, and respect for nature’s rhythms. These realities shaped cultures rooted in gratitude, humility, and deep connection — especially in the landscapes where humanity first emerged.
Today, many people feel disconnected from those origins. We move through beautiful environments without truly seeing them, travel without grounding, and experience nature as scenery rather than something alive and deserving of respect.
PRIMAL SKILLS ACADEMY
For thousands of generations, humans were shaped by daily interaction with the natural world. Skills, culture, and meaning emerged from paying attention — to seasons, animals, terrain, and one another. These relationships cultivated humility, awareness, and a deep respect for life.
Primal Skills Academy exists to facilitate encounters with places and traditions that still carry this ancestral rhythm. Not as observation, but as immersion — an opportunity to slow down, listen, and remember what it feels like to belong to the living world.
In reconnecting with these origins, modern life doesn’t disappear — but it comes back into focus, grounded by perspective, gratitude, and a renewed respect for the forces that have always sustained us.
“I’m excited to grow upon the skills that I learned this weekend as I continue to explore and experience nature and the wild.”
—Randi Ross
Florida
Some places in the world still hold the memory of how humans once lived — not as history, but as lived reality. In this world, life is shaped by the land itself, and the relationship between people, nature, and survival remains visible and intact.
To step into these environments is to encounter perspective that modern life rarely offers. Comfort is no longer taken for granted. Effort is respected. Beauty carries weight because it is tied to sustenance, cooperation, and time. Gratitude arises naturally, not as an idea, but as a response.
When people learn to provide, protect, and persevere, they do more than survive: they lead, adapt, and thrive.
We want to take you deeper into
connection with the natural word.
YOUR GUIDE: JOEL VAN DER LOON
I’m a lifelong wilderness instructor and guide. I was raised living off-grid along the wild coastlines of South Africa and Tanzania, where I developed practical survival skills from an early age. In short, I’ve been shaped by years of immersion in some of the world’s most remote environments.
Over the past decade, I’ve traveled to more than 40 countries, crossing oceans as a professional crew member and training in deserts, jungles, alpine terrain, and temperate forests, often relying on minimal equipment in extreme conditions.
I’ve taught survival skills to a wide range of students, from U.S. special forces, Marines, and first responders to youth groups and families, always emphasizing real-world experience over theory.
I have been featured on Discovery Channel’s Bushcraft Build-Off, History Channel’s Alone (Season 7), and Alone: The Skills Challenge, and I co-host the In the Bush podcast, where we explore traditional skills and deeper connection to the natural world.
Joel’s Biography
IN THEIR WORDS
“Joel’s method of instruction is clear and concise. You get the most amount of knowledge in the least amount of words. I highly value that as a United States Marine and an instructor myself.”
—Brian Wood
US Marine
San Diego, CA
“I met Joel through my mom’s research. I needed someone with great experience and knowledge to prepare me for the show Survivor. In Joel’s course I found not only the best help i can get but a great friend.
I took his Bushman Walkabout course, which really opened my eyes. We then drove down to Mexico and camped out near the Pacific Ocean. He taught me how to catch fish and make a meal with minimal supplies. Long story short, Joel is the man and his training is the bomb. Thanks for everything.”
—Eser West
Survivor Show Participant
Istanbul, Turkey
“We had an incredible experience working with Joel during a 5 day survival course. Joel offers a unique depth of experience combined with unmatched practical knowledge and bushcraft expertise. His command of the subject matter is exceptional and he consistently demonstrated both technical skill and understanding of traditional survival practices.
Joel’s passion for teaching and the outdoors was undeniable. He created a relaxed yet engaging learning environment, where we felt supported and encouraged. His effective teaching style allowed us to learn and reliably execute complex survival concepts. I highly recommend Joel to anyone seeking an authentic bushcraft experience.”
—Mike
1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
San Diego, CA
“So happy I did this!!!
I came into the 2-Day Wilderness Survival Skills course as a novice but I left confident in the skills that I was taught. Joel is a knowledgeable and patient instructor that gives each student comprehensive training at their level.
Joel is encouraging and enthusiastic in his training and I was given a solid foundation of survival skills that will translate into any terrain I may encounter. I’m excited to growing upon the skills that I learned this weekend as I continue to explore and experience nature and the wild.
This was my first Bush Mechanics course and I know it won’t be my last. Thank you Joel for an epic weekend!”
—Randi Ross
Florida
“I cannot imagine a better guide and experience for the Hadza in Tanzania than with Joel and his associates. The experience is truly genuine, immersive, and is far-removed from many of the contrived pony shows which characterize other guided opportunities with Hadza and/or other tribes.
The trip was a unique combination of hunting adventure, cultural immersion, bushcraft skills, and mindful reflection—on our society, oneself, and our own species. While this trip is certainly not for everyone, I would say it is an ideal experience for the open-minded individual seeking to better themselves and their society, wanting to improve their bushcraft/wilderness survival, seeking insight into the human condition, and into our ancestors/ancestral past.
You are almost guaranteed to be personally transformed by this trip, and come away a better person with a better understanding of what life and human existence is about. Joel is not only adventurous and competent in the bush, but he is a caring & compassionate person that will ensure your experience is comfortable, reasonably safe, and somewhat catered to each individual.
In hindsight, it is hard to imagine my life without this experience. I fully plan to visit the Hadza in Tanzania throughout my life. Thank you Joel and crew!”
—James McMillan
Colorado
“THIS is a Survival course! If you are looking for a course to give you the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to be comfortable in the wilderness then look no further, you have found it! I completed the 2-Day Extensive Survival Skills course and it most certainly exceeded my expectations.
The hands-on experience gained from this class has given me more confidence and a real sense of being capable in a survival situation. Joel is a very professional and knowledgeable course leader. He does a great job breaking down the priorities of survival, and takes great care to see that you understand them.
Coming from an avid outdoorsman, I highly recommend taking this course. If you hike, bike, hunt, surf, sail, skydive etc...you need to take this course! Get your Survival on, you’ll be glad you did.”
—Morgan P.
San Diego, CA
“Joel is extremely knowledgeable of survival and bushcraft skills, particularly with his African experience. He is also a very nice person and a pleasure to learn from”
—Greg Raines
San Diego, CA
“I feel at least 10x more prepared going into this season than I did prior to the course. My approach will be vastly different based on the information and advice presented.”
—James McMillan
Colorado
“I have been to many survival schools, as I was training for a Survival program on Colombian TV, but this training with Joel was the best so far!”
Dual Survivor South America
and The Island TV show star
Colombia
“Joel is the man! He is professional and well-educated in his field. As an instructor myself I know as well as anyone that the devil is in the details and Joel is consistent about providing them which makes the difference! No ‘fluff or flashy’ survival tricks or useless usage of time.
I did the 2-Day Extensive Skills course and though I’m no stranger to the wilderness I learned so much that I’m already looking for the next opening in my schedule to do MORE! If you are interested in learning how to survive as well as thrive in any situation, I’m 100% confident that Bush Mechanics Survival Training with Joel will be a game changer!”
—Vince S.
The Arena MMA Coach
San Diego, CA
“Thank you Joel for an amazing experience with the Advanced Fire course. I walked into the course with very little knowledge of fire building mechanics, and was able to pick it up very quickly, thanks to your patience & guidance.
I thoroughly enjoyed the location of the course, along with the hiking and back country involved. I would recommend this course to anyone (of all ages!) with a passion for the outdoors and willing to learn new and old survival techniques.
The bow drill way of starting a fire is something that takes much patience and skill. Thank you for making it possible for me to master this skill on my first try! Looking forward to your next class. Thanks again Joel!”
—Michele Bradley
San Diego, CA
“We left feeling confident about what we learned and thirsty for more advanced Bush Mechanics Survival Training. Joel is a real gem and a great instructor! His experience and expertise are obvious, but he lacks arrogance or pretense.
He truly just wants to help you learn to be safe and equip you with the skills needed to survive when you find yourself in a pinch.”
—Jay Finney
San Diego, CA
STEP INTO THE WILD! SIGN UP TODAY.
IMMERSIVE ADVENTURE:
HADZA BUSHCRAFT AND ANCESTRAL IMMERSION
LAKE EYASI,
TANZANIA, AFRICA
MAY 22–31st 2026
10 PARTICIPANTS MAX.
This rare full-immersion journey offers the opportunity to live alongside one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer cultures on Earth. Set in the Lake Eyasi region of northern Tanzania, participants step into a way of life that has remained largely unchanged for tens of thousands of years—one shaped by land, movement, cooperation, and direct relationship with food and survival. Far removed from modern comforts and observation-based travel, this experience invites you to slow down, adapt, and engage with life at its most elemental.
Living with a Hadzabe family, participants hunt and forage daily, craft traditional tools, make fire by friction, gather wild foods, and learn directly through shared experience rather than instruction. Days are spent moving across rugged terrain, nights under open skies, and meals are drawn from the land itself. The immersion is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding, but deeply human—offering a lived understanding of ancestral life, a renewed respect for hunting and survival, and a lasting shift in perspective that modern life rarely provides. This is not a retreat or a spectacle; it is a return to human origins, carried out with humility, respect, and intention.
DISCOVER YOUR PRIMAL PATH
Whether you seek to build practical skills, cross a personal threshold, strengthen a team, or experience life close to its roots, Primal Skills Academy can guide you on a range of paths.
SURVIVAL
AND HUNTING
Hands-on training that builds self-reliance, sharpens instinct, and grounds confidence through real-world experience.
TEAM BUILDING AND CUSTOM EXPERIENCES
Outdoor experiences that test communication,
build trust, and reveal leadership through shared challenge and real conditions.
PRIMAL
GATHERINGS
Intentional gatherings in nature that build connection, clarity, and belonging through shared experience and reflection.
AFRICAN SAFARI
AND CULTURAL IMMERSION
A rare opportunity to step into ancient landscapes and living traditions, gaining perspective through deep connection with land, people, and way of life.
MESSAGE JOEL
Not sure where to begin? Send me a message!
