The Lone Wolf Behind Lone Wolf Survival & Adventure Gear
Don Hames
Founder, Lone Wolf Survival
Army Certified Training Developer
Architect of Resilient Systems
"I was raised on a farm outside Missoula, Montana, where self-reliance was a way of life. My professional background is built on 30 years of military service, a solid academic foundation in instructional design, and a lifetime of operating in extreme environments (starting at age five, when I was up at 5:30 AM in 70-below wind chills helping my dad tend the farm and the animals).
Military & Professional Experience
I began my service with four years in the Navy as an enlisted machinist, manufacturing parts for nuclear submarines and serving as a Quality Control Inspector. Following my Navy service, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education, specializing in Earth Science, and was commissioned as an Army officer through ROTC.
I served 26 years in the Army, including serving as the Assistant Chief of Staff G6 for a Theater Support Command during wartime. In that role, I managed the communications and computer systems for our headquarters and all downtrace units—supporting upwards of 20,000 personnel in a combat theater.
I am an Army Certified Training Developer, having served with the Combined Arms Support Command at Fort Lee. I have also held Battalion staff positions in S1 (Personnel Management), S2 (Intelligence & Security), S3 (Training & Operations), and S4 (Logistics). I also hold a Master’s in Computer Resources and Information Management.
Field Proven
I don’t just teach theory; I have lived it. I have backpacked across the Western and Southwestern United States—including the Sierras, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, and Texas. I have survived:
Extreme Weather: Blizzards with -70-degree wind chills, hurricanes, tornadoes, and desert heat exceeding 130°F in Kuwait.
Natural Disasters: Forest fires and earthquakes.
Firefighting: I have served as a shipboard firefighter, a forest firefighter, and a volunteer firefighter.
The Mission
I am very qualified to build this system because I understand the mechanics of gear, the science of the environment, and the professional standards of how people actually learn. I built the Lone Wolf Survival System to take the guesswork out of preparedness.
This site is organized into 12 functional domains based on professional training standards. Every piece of equipment and every article is here to ensure you have a structured, verified plan for self-reliance. If you want a survival system designed by someone who has lived it and managed it at the highest levels, you’re in the right place."
