10 modules · 80 lessons · approximately 30 hours of self-study
I have spent years working on security for people travelling and working in places where plans can change quickly. The hardest decisions often begin with ordinary questions: Is the road still open? Who will notice if someone misses a check-in? Where can we get help after dark? When no one has asked those questions beforehand, a small delay can leave people without a clear next step.
I made this course free because these basics should be available to anyone preparing for a difficult journey, not only those who can attend specialist training. Whether you travel alone or with a few others, I hope the lessons help you prepare something you can actually use, notice when a plan no longer fits, and ask for help early. Some skills still require practical training; this course is a place to start building sound judgment.
— Long ‘Raven’ Bow
What is HEAT? Hostile Environment Awareness Training helps people prepare for travel or activity where conditions can change quickly and support may be limited. “Hostile” does not mean only an armed conflict zone. A road closure in an unfamiliar city, weak communications in a remote area, limited medical care, or sudden unrest can complicate an otherwise ordinary journey. HEAT develops the habits of preparing, noticing change and choosing a safer next step.
Why learn it? Gaps often become visible only when a plan stops working: a booked pickup fails to arrive, the route closes, someone becomes unwell, or a check-in is missed. Awareness cannot remove every hazard, but it helps you verify information early, reduce unnecessary exposure and decide when to change plans, shelter, seek help or stop. The course breaks those decisions into practical steps. You do not need a security background to begin.
Who is it for? Anyone going somewhere unfamiliar, with limited support or rapidly changing conditions can use these skills. The situations apply to a solo journey, travel with family, a temporary stay, a short visit and work in journalism, engineering, business, humanitarian response or security. The shared questions are simple: where are you going, who knows your plans, and what options will you have if they change? Professionals can use the course to refresh their foundations. Medical and field topics still need supervised practical training appropriate to the person's role.
The ten modules follow the course of a journey: understand the environment, prepare, notice change, communicate and move; then consider accommodation, unrest and explosive hazards, detention and coercion, health and psychological support, and emergency communications and evacuation. Across ten modules, 80 lessons lead to 150 scored practice questions. Section 11 brings the ideas together before the 50-question final assessment.