Welcome to
Maine Primitive
Where rediscovering timeless skills empowers a life of confidence, capability, and connection.
Explore Our Programs
Net Fish and Chill is a four-day, small-group fishing and foodways experience in northern Sweden, running 24–27 July 2026.
The focus is legal net fishing in lake and river systems—something most participants from New England and the U.S. do not have access to at home. Nets are set and checked based on depth, shoreline structure, bottom contour, and seasonal flow. Fish are processed fully and preserved through smoking, brining, salting, and air-drying.
Days are spent working with water, fire, and food. There is no instructional format, no curriculum, and no performance pressure. Participants engage as much or as little as they choose.
The group is based at a working husky kennel beside a lake, with accommodation options that include indoor beds, lakeside camping, or forest hammocks. All options share the same daily rhythm.
This is not a course, retreat, or survival programme. It is practical time spent fishing, processing food, and living outdoors in a landscape where these practices are still part of everyday life.
The experience is co-hosted by Arthur Haines of the Wilderwaters, Michael Douglas, and Toby Cowern. Their role is to manage access, flow, and safety—not to teach or certify.
Places are limited. This experience is offered once.
Price:
$1,875 USD per person
Booking is confirmed upon full payment.
The base experience runs July 24–27, 2026.
Optional add-on days on July 28–29 may be available for participants who wish to extend their time. Add-ons are arranged separately and are not included in the base price.
To inquire about add-on availability, contact Mike or Arthur directly.
Full experience details, logistics, and arrival information are available on the main Net Fish and Chill page.
From beginner to advanced, find the survival and primitive skills program that fits your journey.
Give the gift of timeless skills that empower a life of confidence, capability, and connection. A Maine Primitive gift certificate is more than a present. It is an invitation to step out of the noise and learn the skills that reconnect a person to clarity, confidence, and capability. Whether it is a one-day class, a weekend immersion, a five-day deep dive, or the full eight-week off-grid experience, every training opens a door back into presence and purpose.
Gift certificates are available in 4 different values.
$150 = Day Long Program
$300 = Weekend Program
$750 = 5-Day Program
$5,000 = 8 week immersive apprenticeship
Learn More Below.
2–8 August 2026 | Swedish Laponia
A Women’s Summer Expedition in Northern SwedenWild Women Inside the Arctic Circle is a small-group expedition for capable, curious women traveling through northern Sweden during the height of the Arctic summer. Long daylight, remote landscapes, and a carefully designed week shaped by skill, culture, movement, and connection.
This experience blends light, adaptive survival skills with the pleasures of northern living — lakes and saunas, Sámi cultural encounters, shared meals, laughter, and time outdoors under the never-ending sky.
The expedition is led by Skye Selene, one of the most respected female survival instructors working today. Known internationally through Discovery’s Naked and Afraid (returning to global television in February 2026), Skye’s real work happens off camera — teaching practical wilderness skills with calm authority, humor, and care.
Instruction is introductory, supportive, and responsive to the group, offering hands-on exposure to:
Fire
Shelter
Water
Food
Awareness and decision-making
No prior experience is required. This is not about testing limits — it is about discovering capability in the right hands.
Beyond skills, the week includes time immersed in Arctic landscapes and rhythms: forest walks, lakeside pauses, traditional saunas, cultural nourishment, handcraft, and moments of ease shaped by land and light. The tone is adventurous but unpressured. Capable but playful. Held with professionalism and warmth.
The group is intentionally small, allowing for real attention, safety, and camarade.
Dates: August 2–8, 2026
Location: Swedish Laponia
Capacity: 12 women Small group, limited capacity
This immersive course explores the hunt as sacred dialogue—not conquest. Guided by master tracker Michael Douglas, you’ll deepen your connection to the land through advanced tracking, ecological awareness, and intuitive movement. It’s about humility, not trophies—learning to see without being seen, and to walk the forest with reverence.
Resilience isn't a product. It's a practice. A mindset. A way of being. At Maine Primitive, we teach skills that aren't just for survival—they're for life. Fire, tracking, foraging, awareness—these are tools, but they're also doorways. To confidence. To clarity. To something deeper. The modern world may have forgotten, but you haven't. That's why you're here. And that's why we are, too.
Why survive, when you can thrive
We believe so deeply in this wisdom that you can begin wherever you are, in whatever way works best for you. From on-site programs at our campus in Maine and off-site custom workshops to online class from your computer and intimate global experience and retreats, we meet people where they are—physically and metaphorically. These skills belong to everyone, everywhere, and we're committed to making them accessible across cultures and continents.
Your journey toward these essential skills can begin wherever you are.
In every skill you master, every technique you learn, you discover something more. Every spark you create, every track you read, every wild edible you identify becomes more than just knowledge—it becomes proof. Proof that you can rely on yourself. Proof that you understand something essential about the world around you.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. Check out some testimonials below from the Maine Primitive community.
Testimonials & Reviews
“Their attention to detail and commitment to quality truly stood out. We’ve already recommended them to others.”“Being an apprentice at the MPSS plugs you into a community; I think that’s what really sets it apart from some of the other schools out there. The minute you step in, you’re a part of a community of people who care about you, where you’re going, and where your growth is… There are experts around every corner here, and there is always something to be learned.”
—Mike D.
“If you want connection to the earth, if you want real survival skills, if you want to find more meaning and a deeper sense of purpose in your life, or search out your path and learn within an energetic community of students and teachers, come to Maine Primitive. It will change your life.”
—Lily K
“Every second was a learning and growing experience. Maine Primitive is not average or ‘by the book’; you will walk away a completely different person. I know I did! Not only did I gain more knowledge, courage and appreciation for the world around me, but I left with a new family that I will hold dear for the rest of my life. I learned so much more than I could even process in one weekend… I will definitely be going back for more classes and hope to see you there!”
—Amy R
