Head Instructor

Nathan grew up in on a farm in rural Nebraska (the nearest town was 230 people). When he wasn’t in school he was outside living in his "camp" in the trees near his home. He spent the summers like Tom Sawyer. Fishing, swimming in the river, taking his raft out on the pond, and riding his horse made up a lot of his days. He broke his 1^st horse to ride at age 14. As he got older he still took time to hunt and fish but the cares of life limited his time outside. Upon reflection he realized it was this love relationship with nature that he needed more of in his life.

He has taken 9 classes with Tom Brown Jr and is still taking more classes from this world’s most renowned wilderness survival expert. He as also attended Winter Count put on by Backtracks LLC. www.backtracks.net He as learned a lot from old timers from Nebraska to Alaska. He has practiced his survival skills in Alaska and many other places. He is studying under the guidance of a Lakota medicine man on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, learning the sweat lodge and other primitive skills.

Nathan has been teaching the youth in an after school program survival skills for 7 years. (Click here to learn more about Ogallala Trackers.) He is an instructor at Nebraska BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman).

For more info on Bow go to:

www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/programs/bow/bow.asp

He and his wife Nikki are passionate about primitive skills they heat their home with wood, make buckskin, jerky, and soap from the deer they hunt, use many wild plants in their diet and for medicine. They make moccasins for their four children and are passing all the skills on to them.

"I don’t claim to know everything about the primitive skills, I never will. I do love the skills and learn from everyone I can. I love to pass on what I know and never teach a skill I have not used myself. For example, I will not teach someone about an edible or medicinal plant that I have not already given to my own children."

Nathan Holthusen

In this 3-day class you will learn how to make fire without lighters or matches. You will build a survival shelter that will keep you warm and dry in the coldest weather. We will also introduce you to primitive traps, cordage, flint knapping, edible and medicinal plants, water location and purification, and much more. Class limited to 12 students. Cost is $375. Must be at least 18 to attend. Cost of class includes meals.

Click here for equipment list.

Click here to sign up for this class.

In this 2-day class you will learn how to make a deer hide into a luxurious buckskin. We will take actual hides through the entire process. You will get hands on experience on each step of the process. (site under construction at this time 3/1/07- please check back)

Are there areas you would like one on one instruction? If so contact us and we will try to accommodate you. Also check back often, as we will be adding new and advanced classes. (site under construction at this time 3/1/07- please check back)