by Mike Matzinger
Creek Stewart is a wilderness survival instructor, author, television host, keynote speaker, and business owner. His journey into survivalism began as a Scout in Indiana, where earning the Wilderness Survival merit badge sparked his lifelong passion for outdoor skills. This early interest led him, while still in college, to write a 90-page survival handbook that he self-published and advertised in Boys’ Life magazine, embracing the Scout spirit of initiative.
At age 14, Creek achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, and in 2015 he was honored with the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award in recognition of his significant achievements. By age 21, he was teaching his first survival courses on his family’s farm to help pay for college—a modest start that would soon grow into a nationally recognized career.
Today, Creek is the founder and lead instructor at Willow Haven Outdoor Survival School in central Indiana, a 21-acre, 10,000-square-foot training facility offering everything from focused survival clinics to multi-day “SurviVacation” programs. The school has been named one of the top survival schools in the country and a top adventure destination.
In the media, Creek has served as The Weather Channel’s survival expert, hosting shows such as Fat Guys in the Woods, SOS: How to Survive, and Could You Survive? with Creek Stewart. On Fat Guys in the Woods, which aired in 2014 and 2015, he took ordinary men into the wilderness to challenge them both physically and personally. In SOS: How to Survive, he analyzed real emergencies and showed viewers how improvisation with everyday items could mean the difference between life and death.
As an author, Creek has written more than 20 survival books, including Build the Perfect Bug-Out Bag, The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide, Survival Hacks, 365 Essential Survival Skills, The Disaster Ready Home, and Disaster Survival 101. He has also delivered a TEDx talk and frequently appears in national media, sharing practical skills and survival wisdom.
From earning a merit badge as a young Scout to leading a nationally acclaimed survival school and inspiring millions through television and books, Creek Stewart has built a career rooted in preparation, resilience, and the lessons first learned in Scouting.
