What I REALLY enjoy is primitive camping... No matches, lighters, nylon, foam... All pre-1840's equipment. It's especially fun if you can do it in the fall/winter and pair it with muzzleloader hunting.
Yea, I did a 3 1/2 week survival course in the southern UT desert a couple years back. No backpacks, just a canvas roll and manila rope. No tents, no fire starters, no freeze dried meals, no stoves, no utensils, no sleeping pads, not even knifes allowed. Covering at least 8 miles a day through the endless sand, sagebrush and junipers.
It was definitely different then what I'm used to, with the best modern backpacking gear money can buy. But a worthwhile experience. Learned to roll, and carry a canvas pack on my back with rope (not as comfortable as my normal pack is an understatement). Learned to make a bow/drill set with rock tools, and used it to start fires. Learned to cook flour cakes on the coals (they're not bad with some honey) and to enjoy rice and beans. Learned to trap rabbits with snares, and deadfalls. Made our own individual shelters every night using our pack canvas and rope, or juniper branches to make a lean-to. Made a doeskin medicine pouch with bone needles and sinew, had a sage ceremony in a kiva. All a very cool experience. Sure makes me appreciate how easy and convenient modern gear makes the whole experience.
PS. My 7 years of backcountry guiding was with BSA High Adventure camps too. Camp Loll right below Yellowstone, and Camp New Fork in the Wind Rivers. It's fun to see these city kids who think they HATE backpacking and are going to have a miserable experience. They usually start being miserable (like I said it's about attitude) but if their open minded, they will admit by the end of the week that it was a pretty awesome experience, and they had fun.
