Andy Wood | Trueways Survival

Like many of the instructors, Andy’s interest in survival techniques began as a child, reading Lofty Wiseman’s book “The SAS handbook to survival”.  However, it wasn’t until after surviving 14 years as a Physics teacher in an inner city Secondary school that he turned to doing survival courses. Andy completed the advanced course with Trueways and then embarked on some epic courses in the jungles of South America, the deserts of the Middle East and frozen Arctic North.

In the jungle Andy Learned how to operate in 30°C with 100% humidity, treat water, build shelters, catch fish and most difficult of all – light a fire when everything around is wet.  This culminated in 48 hours on his own, with no torch or watch and just a basic survival kit.  The deserts of Jordan provided a set of new challenges to overcome with little water, searing temperatures and illness.  Avoiding scorpions, abseiling down sandstone cliffs and even eating a goat were some of the activities on this trip. 
Andy perfected navigation techniques at night using pacing, compass and map.  This led to a ‘long drag’ 2-night race through the desert covering 40 miles.

These experiences of being at the learning end of survival courses and the extensive teaching experience mean that Andy has a large range of techniques to ensure that participants on his Trueways courses learn quickly and effectively.  Andy mixes up demos, hands on activities, solo and group tasks – all with a fun and relaxed delivery style. A degree in Physics and a Diploma in Education help Andy deliver the science of survival.