SUT Sustainment: Winter Field Exercise

3-Day / 2-Night Cold Weather Small Unit Tactics Course

 SUT Sustainment: Winter Field Exercise is a 3-day, 2-night cold-weather small unit tactics course focused on field sustainment, patrol movement, patrol base operations, communications, casualty care, and team leadership in winter conditions.

Day 1 begins in the classroom with planning, gear preparation, cold-weather considerations, team organization, communications, and mission preparation. Students then move into the field and remain in the field for both nights of the course.

This is not a camping trip. This is a winter field exercise and training designed to expose gear failures, weak planning, poor communication, and gaps in small unit leadership.

 Course Overview

SUT Sustainment: Winter Field Exercise is a 3-day, 2-night course designed to develop , educate, and test a student’s ability to operate as part of a small team in cold-weather field conditions.

The course begins with classroom instruction covering cold-weather planning, gear selection, packing considerations, field sustainment, team organization, communication plans, patrol base priorities, casualty care considerations, and operational planning.

After the classroom phase, students will move into the field and remain there for both nights of the course. During the field phase, students will conduct practical exercises involving movement, security, patrol base operations, low-light activity, communication, casualty response, leadership tasks, and instructor-driven field problems.

Course Intent

This course is designed to build student capability in:

• Cold-weather field planning
• Packing and gear preparation for winter operations
• Operating out of a rucksack for multiple days
• Moving tactically in cold, wet, and low-light conditions
• Establishing and maintaining patrol base security
• Working as part of a small team
• Maintaining communication and accountability
• Managing food, water, sleep, warmth, and fatigue
• Preventing cold-weather injuries
• Conducting casualty care in winter field conditions
• Identifying gear failures before they become mission failures

Course Format

Duration: 3 days / 2 nights
Training Type: Classroom + field-based training
Day 1: Classroom instruction, planning, gear prep, and movement into the field
Night 1: Field occupation, patrol base setup, security, and sustainment
Day 2: Field training, movement, communications, casualty care, and tactical problem solving
Night 2: Continued field operations, low-light movement, LP/OP, security, and sustainment
Day 3: Final field exercise, recovery, and after-action review

Students should expect to remain in the field for both nights.

Who This Course Is For

This course is ideal for students who have already taken an introductory small unit tactics, land navigation, rifle, CQB, or fieldcraft course and want to pressure-test their skills in a more demanding environment.

This course is appropriate for:

• Prepared civilians
• Prior military
• Law enforcement
• First responders
• Search and rescue personnel
• Students interested in fieldcraft and patrolling
• Students who want to test their gear and ability to function overnight in winter conditions
• Anyone looking to improve their cold-weather sustainment and small team operations

This is a physically demanding course. Students should be prepared to carry their own equipment, move over uneven terrain, operate in cold weather, and remain in the field for two nights.

Prerequisites

Students should have a safe baseline understanding of firearms handling and basic outdoor preparedness.

Recommended prior training includes one or more of the following:

• Small Unit Tactics Level 1
• Land Navigation
• Rifle fundamentals
• Basic fieldcraft
• Military, law enforcement, or first responder experience

Students do not need to be experts, but they must show up prepared, safe, and willing to work as part of a team.

Core Curriculum

1. Classroom Planning Phase

The course begins in the classroom to establish the knowledge base students will use throughout the field portion of the course.

Topics include:

• Course safety brief
• Medical plan
• Cold-weather risk management
• Cold-weather injury prevention
• Layering systems
• Sleep systems
• Packing considerations
• Rucksack setup
• Water planning
• Food and calorie planning
• Battery management
• Communication planning
• Team organization
• Patrol planning
• Patrol base priorities
• Field hygiene
• Night operations considerations
• Gear inspection and correction

2. Cold Weather Sustainment

Students will learn how to remain functional in cold-weather field conditions.

Training points include:

• Managing body temperature
• Staying dry
• Preventing sweat buildup
• Foot care
• Glove systems
• Keeping hands functional
• Hydration in cold weather
• Food intake and energy management
• Sleep discipline
• Managing wet gear
• Protecting electronics and batteries
• Preventing cold-weather injuries

3. Individual Field Preparation

Students will be responsible for managing themselves and their equipment throughout the course.

Training points include:

• Packing for two nights in the field
• Prioritizing mission-essential equipment
• Keeping critical items accessible
• Waterproofing gear
• Staging equipment
• Maintaining personal accountability
• Managing warmth without overheating
• Personal hygiene in the field
• Noise and light discipline
• Personal security and readiness

4. Team Organization & Leadership

Students will work in small teams and rotate through leadership responsibilities.

Training points include:

• Team structure
• Roles and responsibilities
• Accountability
• Communication within the team
• Leadership under fatigue
• Delegation of tasks
• Priorities of work
• Team checks
• Planning under time constraints
• Decision-making in cold-weather conditions

5. Team Movement

Students will practice movement techniques in field conditions.

Training points include:

• Movement formations
• Spacing and control
• Hand and arm signals
• Halt procedures
• Rally points
• Security during movement
• Movement through cold/wet terrain
• Movement during limited visibility
• Accountability during movement
• Noise and light discipline

6. Patrol Base Operations

Students will learn how to establish, occupy, maintain, and break down a patrol base in a winter field environment.

Training points include:

• Site selection
• Entry and occupation procedures
• 360-degree security
• Priorities of work
• LP/OP considerations
• Rest plans
• Security rotations
• Gear staging
• Communication plans
• Emergency actions
• Field hygiene
• Noise and light discipline
• Breaking down and moving out

7. Communications

Students will work through practical field communication problems.

Training points include:

• Communication plans
• Radio checks
• Call signs
• Reporting formats
• Brevity and clarity
• Communications during movement
• Communications from static positions
• Battery preservation
• Cold-weather radio considerations
• Lost comms procedures

8. Night Operations

Both nights will include low-light field operations.

Training points include:

• Low-light movement
• Maintaining spacing in darkness
• Light discipline
• Noise discipline
• Navigation challenges at night
• LP/OP operations
• Security during darkness
• Patrol base procedures at night
• Fatigue management
• Cold-weather sleep planning

9. Casualty Care in Cold Weather

Students will cover practical considerations for managing casualties in winter field conditions.

Training points include:

• MARCH overview
• Hypothermia prevention
• Casualty insulation
• Casualty packaging
• Moving casualties in cold terrain
• Security during treatment
• Communication during medical events
• Evacuation planning
• Team casualty response

10. Final Field Exercise

The course will culminate in a practical field problem requiring students to apply the skills covered throughout the course.

Students will be expected to:

• Plan as a team
• Pack and stage gear properly
• Move tactically
• Maintain security
• Communicate effectively
• Establish and maintain patrol base procedures
• Operate during low-light conditions
• Manage fatigue and cold stress
• Respond to instructor-driven problems
• Handle casualty care considerations
• Conduct an after-action review

Course Timeline

Day 1 — Classroom Phase / Movement Into Field

Students will begin with classroom instruction covering course safety, medical considerations, cold-weather planning, gear preparation, sustainment, team organization, communications, and patrol base planning.

After the classroom phase, students will conduct gear checks, finalize packing, organize into teams, and move into the field.

The first night will focus on patrol base occupation, security procedures, cold-weather sustainment, low-light considerations, and overnight field operations.

Day 2 — Field Training / Sustainment / Night Operations

Day 2 will be conducted fully in the field.

Students will continue building on small unit tactics, team movement, communications, patrol base procedures, casualty care considerations, security, leadership, and cold-weather sustainment.

Students will remain in the field for the second night and continue operating in low-light and cold-weather conditions while managing security, fatigue, food, water, warmth, and team responsibilities.

Day 3 — Final Field Exercise / Recovery / AAR

Day 3 will focus on applying the skills covered throughout the course in a final field exercise.

Students will be evaluated on planning, movement, communication, security, patrol base procedures, casualty response considerations, leadership, and sustainment.

The course will end with recovery, gear accountability, and a full after-action review covering lessons learned, gear failures, team performance, and individual takeaways.

Required Gear List

Students must bring the equipment necessary to safely operate for 3 days and 2 nights in cold-weather field conditions.

Required Individual Equipment

• Weather-appropriate clothing
• Base layers
• Insulation layer
• Waterproof or water-resistant outer layer
• Cold-weather hat
• Gloves
• Extra gloves
• Extra socks
• Broken-in boots
• Sleeping bag appropriate for expected temperatures
• Sleeping pad
• Shelter system, tarp, bivy, or tent
• Rucksack or pack
• Headlamp with red light option
• Extra batteries
• Water containers
• Food for 3 days / 2 nights
• Individual first aid kit
• Notebook and pen
• Eye protection
• Work gloves
• Trash bag or waterproof pack liner
• Personal hygiene items
• Any required personal medication

Recommended Equipment

• Radio
• Compass
• Map tools
• Chem lights
• Waterproof bags
• Hand warmers
• Balaclava or neck gaiter
• Camp stove or small heating method if permitted by venue
• Extra boot laces
• Repair kit
• Battery bank
• Small tarp
• Sitting pad
• Foot powder
• Extra base layer
• Extra warming layer

Firearms / Training Equipment Note

Final weapons requirements will depend on the venue and training format.

This course may be conducted as:

• Non-live-fire field exercise
• Blank-fire training
• SIM/UTM-based training
• Dry tactical movement course

Students will receive final equipment requirements before the course date.

All weapons handling, if applicable, will be conducted under strict instructor supervision. Unsafe students may be removed from training at instructor discretion.

Safety Statement

Cold-weather field training carries additional risks. Students must show up prepared with proper clothing, sleep systems, food, water, and personal equipment.

Instructors reserve the right to remove any student from training who is unsafe, unprepared, medically compromised, or unable to continue without creating unnecessary risk for themselves or the group.

Student safety, accountability, and medical readiness are priorities throughout the course.

Physical Requirements

Students should be capable of:

• Carrying a loaded pack
• Moving over uneven terrain
• Remaining outdoors for extended periods
• Operating in cold/wet weather
• Sleeping in the field for two nights
• Working as part of a small team
• Following instructions under fatigue and stress

This is not a classroom-only course.

What Students Will Leave With

By the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of:

• How to plan for cold-weather field operations
• What gear works and what fails in winter conditions
• How to pack for multi-day tactical field training
• How to manage themselves in cold/wet conditions
• How to operate as part of a small team
• How to establish and maintain a patrol base
• How to communicate in the field
• How to manage food, water, sleep, warmth, and fatigue
• How cold affects decision-making, movement, and medical care
• How to identify gaps in personal preparation and team planning

Recommended Shopify Pricing

For a 3-day / 2-night cold-weather field course, I would price this higher than a standard SUT class.

Standard Tuition: $750 per student
Early Bird: $650 per student
Team Rate: 4 students for $2,600

Recommended class size: 12–16 students max

This type of class should feel limited, serious, and premium. The two overnight field periods make it more demanding than a normal 2-day course.

Advertisement Copy

Main Ad Version

SUT Sustainment: Winter Field Exercise
3 Days / 2 Nights

Cold weather exposes weak gear, poor planning, bad communication, and gaps in leadership.

This 3-day, 2-night field exercise begins with classroom instruction on cold-weather planning, packing, sustainment, communication, patrol base priorities, and team organization. Students then move into the field and remain there for both nights of the course.

Throughout the course, students will conduct small unit movement, patrol base operations, low-light training, communications, casualty care considerations, security procedures, and team-based tactical problem solving in winter field conditions.

This is not a camping trip.
This is not a survival class.
This is a cold-weather tactical field problem.

Students will live out of their gear, manage themselves in the cold, operate as part of a team, and learn what fails when conditions become uncomfortable.

Limited seats available.

Short Instagram Caption

SUT Sustainment: Winter Field Exercise
3 Days / 2 Nights

Day 1 starts in the classroom.

Both nights are spent in the field.

Students will cover cold-weather planning, gear preparation, team movement, patrol base operations, communications, casualty care, security, sustainment, and leadership under fatigue.

Most people train when it’s comfortable.

This course is for when it’s not.

Limited seats.

Aggressive Ad Copy

Your gear looks good on the range.

But can you live out of it for 3 days and 2 nights in the cold?

Can you move with a team, maintain security, communicate, treat casualties, manage fatigue, and still make decisions when your hands are cold, your gear is wet, and sleep is limited?

SUT Sustainment: Winter Field Exercise is a cold-weather tactical field course designed to expose gear failures, poor planning, weak communication, and gaps in small unit leadership.

Day 1 begins in the classroom.
Both nights are spent in the field.

Come prepared.

Shopify SEO Title

SUT Sustainment: Winter Field Exercise | 3-Day Cold Weather SUT Course

Shopify Meta Description

A 3-day, 2-night cold-weather small unit tactics course focused on field sustainment, patrol base operations, team movement, communications, casualty care, and winter field training.

Weather Policy

This course is designed as a cold-weather field exercise and will continue in cold, wet, and adverse weather conditions unless conditions become unsafe due to severe weather, travel restrictions, or venue limitations.

Students are expected to arrive with proper cold-weather equipment, clothing, food, water, and sustainment gear.

Refund Policy

Course payments are non-refundable.

Student seats may be transferred to another eligible student with prior approval from Keystone Dynamic Solutions.

If Keystone Dynamic Solutions must cancel or reschedule the course due to safety, venue, or weather concerns, students will be moved to the rescheduled date or credited toward a future course.