"Know more, carry less" is the BOSS credo, which means the school’s 14-day Field Course in the rugged canyons and mesas around Boulder, Utah, dispenses with such niceties as sleeping bags, packs, tents, and stoves ($1,865; boss-inc.com). BOSS incorporates the Stone Age arts of the region’s Anasazi, Fremont, and Paiute cultures. Be forewarned: The slaughter and consumption of a locally raised sheep is on the syllabus. But BOSS director Josh Bernstein (former host of the History Channel series Digging for Truth) claims it’s one of the course’s more enlightening moments. "And," he says, "every part of the animal that can be is consumed or utilized by the group." Students work up to a solo, then a multinight small-band excursion, followed by the Final Challenge. What’s that? Let’s just say you’ll emerge with the ability to make it out of tough spots alive.