26–28
MARCHFRIDAY → SUNDAY
START / FRI 26 MAR · 12:00FINISH / SUN 28 MAR · 12:00
Applications close
28 February 2027
LUXEMBOURG / MARCH, JUNE & SEPTEMBER 2027
HELLWEEKEND.
UNDER PRESSURE.
48-hour physical & psychological resilience training.
Practise skills under demanding conditions.
Understand how you perform.
2027 / THREE EDITIONSLUXEMBOURG · ENGLISH ONLY
CHOOSE YOUR
48 HOURS.
Three weekends. Fifteen places per edition.
Application and selection required.
25–27
JUNEFRIDAY → SUNDAY
START / FRI 25 JUN · 12:00FINISH / SUN 27 JUN · 12:00
Applications close
31 May 2027
24–26
SEPTEMBERFRIDAY → SUNDAY
START / FRI 24 SEP · 12:00FINISH / SUN 26 SEP · 12:00
Applications close
31 August 2027
Times are local to Luxembourg. The exact meeting point is sent to selected participants.
01 / THE CONCEPTCIVILIAN RESILIENCE TRAINING
PRACTISE. ADAPT.
UNDER PRESSURE.
Practical skills. Demanding conditions. Direct feedback.
Hell Weekend is a civilian physical and psychological resilience training programme developed and conducted by Delta Survival School.
For 48 continuous hours, from Friday at 12:00 to Sunday at 12:00, participants live and work outdoors, complete individual and collective tasks, and apply practical skills under demanding conditions.
The programme combines physical effort, practical skills recap, field exercises, controlled pressure scenarios, observation and feedback. Fatigue, limited sleep, time pressure, uncertainty and responsibility for shared tasks form part of the experience.
Participants make decisions, manage their reactions, communicate, cooperate and work with the resources available. Instructors observe their approach and provide feedback on strengths and areas for development.
The purpose is to practise functioning when conditions become difficult and understand your performance through direct experience.
48HCONTINUOUS FIELD TRAINING
15MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS
€0PARTICIPATION FEE
01VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION
WHAT YOU PRACTISE.
Practical resilience
Maintain effective action through difficulty, adjust when circumstances change and recover after setbacks. Recognise a failing approach, accept corrections and return attention to the task.
Self-awareness
Observe your responses to effort, discomfort, uncertainty and responsibility. Notice changes in concentration, communication and frustration, and recognise when you need support.
Self-control & concentration
Listen to instructions, maintain attention and complete tasks carefully despite fatigue. Recognise your reactions and choose an appropriate response.
Decision-making & adaptability
Assess the situation, establish priorities and act on available information. Reconsider your approach when conditions change, including tasks with incomplete information or time constraints.
Teamwork & communication
Coordinate work, share useful information and explain what you need. Listen to others, provide mutual support and accept responsibility for shared tasks.
Leadership & responsibility
Organise a task, communicate clearly and consider the condition of the team. Practise both leading and following another person’s instructions.
Physical persistence & effort management
Practise sustained effort, pacing and maintaining attention as fatigue accumulates. Lasting improvements depend on continued practice, appropriate recovery and further training.
02 / TRAINING CONTENTRECAP + PRACTICE + APPLICATION
SKILLS.
PUT TO WORK.
Receive an explanation or demonstration, practise with supervision and correction, then apply the skill in a field exercise.
TRAINING AREA 01DSS TRAINING ARCHIVE
01PHYSICAL TASKS
Individual physical activities and collective exercises create opportunities to observe effort management, concentration, cooperation and responses to difficulty. The exact exercises and their sequence are not fully disclosed in advance.
EFFORT · PACING · PERSISTENCE02PRACTICAL SKILLS RECAP
Concise instruction or recap is followed by practice and application. Camouflage, concealment and CQC are established subjects in the programme’s development. The depth of instruction depends on the subject and participants’ prerequisites, with defined objectives, supervision and exercise boundaries.
RECAP · PRACTICE · CORRECTION03FIELD SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Build a forest shelter, manage warmth, organise rest arrangements, prepare food and manage equipment. Take responsibility for meeting practical needs within the exercise conditions.
SHELTER · WARMTH · RESOURCES04NAVIGATION & PROBLEM-SOLVING
Use coordinates to locate food supplies or other objectives. Interpret instructions, choose an approach, coordinate actions and adjust when difficulties arise, while managing effort and time.
LOCATION · PRIORITIES · ADAPTATION05PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE
Apply a skill, observe the result, receive feedback and make corrections. Some exercises introduce time pressure, fatigue or additional task demands. The degree of pressure should match the learning objective and the participant’s competence.
ATTENTION · DECISIONS · EXECUTION06TEAMWORK & LEADERSHIP
Organise work, allocate responsibilities, communicate and support others. Balance your own condition with your contribution to the team, and review the effectiveness of decisions.
COORDINATION · SUPPORT · RESPONSIBILITYTHE EDUCATIONAL METHOD
Recap or introduce
Explain the purpose of the skill and demonstrate the relevant principles.
Practise
Apply the skill with supervision and correction.
Use it in an exercise
Complete a practical task with appropriate demands.
Review performance
Examine decisions, execution, communication and results.
Identify the next improvement
Establish what needs further practice.
PROPOSED ADDITIONAL MODULES
Fire management, knife-fighting training within CQC, escape from zip ties and unlawful restraint, and interrogation-style simulations involving the protection of information appear in the programme draft. Their inclusion, terminology, learning objectives and exercise boundaries remain subject to final curriculum confirmation.
Images show previous DSS training. Activities shown in the archive are not a guarantee of the final curriculum for each edition.
03 / LIVING IN THE FIELDFRIDAY 12:00 → SUNDAY 12:00
LIVE IN THE FIELD.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
Rest, food, equipment and shared work become practical tasks.
01 / SHELTER
BUILD YOUR SHELTER.
Sleep outdoors in a forest shelter you build yourself. Establishing a place to rest and managing warmth form part of the experience.
02 / REST & EQUIPMENT
BRING A SLEEPING MAT.
Participants bring a sleeping mat and do not use sleeping bags. Sleep is restricted, with a limited period of rest during the night. Manage your rest, effort, equipment and living arrangements.
03 / FOOD & NAVIGATION
FIND YOUR SUPPLIES.
Food is limited. Locate food supplies using coordinates, connecting food acquisition with navigation, planning, effort and group coordination.
04 / PREPARATION
PREPARE & COOK.
Prepare and cook the food yourselves. Organise the work, manage available resources and accept responsibility for shared tasks while tired and working under time constraints.
04 / OBSERVATION & FEEDBACK
UNDERSTAND
YOUR PERFORMANCE.
Specific events. Observed behaviour. Practical feedback.
Instructors observe task execution, concentration, communication, cooperation, decision-making and reactions to pressure throughout the event.
The individual debrief connects what happened with how you responded, what worked and what needs improvement. Use these observations to identify strengths, recognise difficulties and establish concrete priorities for further practice.
Remaining until Sunday at 12:00 is the established completion criterion. The educational value also comes from the skills practised and the feedback received.
WHAT WE OBSERVE
01
TASK EXECUTION
How you apply a skill and complete a practical task.
02
CONCENTRATION & SELF-CONTROL
How you maintain attention and manage behaviour under pressure.
03
DECISION-MAKING
How you assess, prioritise and use available information.
04
TEAMWORK & COMMUNICATION
How you coordinate, listen, contribute and accept support.
05
ADAPTABILITY
How you accept corrections and adjust when an approach fails.
THE DEBRIEFWhat happened → How you responded → What worked → What to practise
Performance during Hell Weekend provides information about the conditions and tasks experienced during that event. It cannot establish how someone will respond to every future emergency.
05 / WHAT YOU RECEIVEPARTICIPATION FEE / €0
THE WORK
STAYS WITH YOU.
Instructor observation, evaluation and coaching are part of every participant's experience.
WHAT YOU TAKE FORWARD
- Practical experience applying skills under demanding conditions.
- A clearer understanding of your personal responses observed during the event.
- Experience communicating and cooperating while tired.
- Practical experience building shelter, managing field living, locating supplies and preparing food.
- Feedback on decision-making, self-control and task performance.
- Specific priorities for further practice and preparation.
Hell Weekend supports civilian readiness and continued personal development. Lasting improvements depend on continued practice, appropriate recovery and further training.
DSS HELL WEEKEND
T-SHIRT
Unisex S, M, L, XL or XXL. Confirm your size after acceptance.
INDIVIDUAL
EVALUATION
Observation and coaching throughout the event, with personal feedback on your performance.
CERTIFICATE
& COMMUNITY
A DSS Certificate of Completion bearing the organisation's NCAGE code, and entry into the DSS community.
Participants cover their own travel and any accommodation before or after the event.
06 / FIELD NOTESDSS TRAINING ARCHIVE
THE PEOPLE.
THE PRESSURE.
THE WORK.
PARTICIPATION & STOPPINGVOLUNTARY
VOLUNTARY
PARTICIPATION.
Participation is voluntary and subject to application and selection. Suitability is assessed through an application questionnaire for adult civilians.
The agreed stopping phrase is ABORT TRAINING. Using it ends your involvement in the event.
Supervision, exercise limits, medical arrangements, rest and resource provisions, and instructor intervention procedures remain subject to final operating-plan confirmation.
07 / SELECTION
FIFTEEN PLACES.
EARN YOURS.
Adult civilians, aged 18–65. No military experience required. Physical and mental readiness are assessed during selection.
Complete application online- 01
APPLY ONLINE.
Complete the full selection dossier on this website. Include your availability, readiness, health declaration and signed acknowledgements.
- 02
THE VIDEO STAGE.
Shortlisted applicants receive instructions for a 60-second video: one take, no editing.
- 03
PROVIDE MEDICAL CLEARANCE.
Selected applicants provide a medical certificate from their GP.
- 04
CONFIRM & PREPARE.
Accepted participants confirm their t-shirt size and receive joining instructions and the meeting point.
08 / BEFORE YOU APPLY
KNOW WHAT
YOU'RE
STEPPING INTO.
Clear expectations.
Informed participation.
Who is Hell Weekend for?
Adult civilians aged 18–65 who pass selection. No military background is required. Physical and mental readiness are assessed, and the event is conducted in English only.
When are the 2027 editions?
26–28 March, 25–27 June and 24–26 September 2027, from Friday 12:00 to Sunday 12:00 in Luxembourg. Applications close on 28 February, 31 May and 31 August respectively. The meeting point is sent to selected participants.
What does the €0 participation fee include?
Participation is free for selected applicants. Training, a DSS Hell Weekend t-shirt, instructor observation and individual feedback form part of the experience. Participants who complete receive a DSS Certificate of Completion and entry into the DSS community. Equipment and resource provisions remain subject to final confirmation. Participants cover their own travel and any accommodation before or after the event.
What do I bring?
Bring a sleeping mat. Participants do not use sleeping bags. Detailed equipment, rest and resource provisions remain subject to final operating-plan confirmation.
Where do I sleep, and what do I eat?
Participants sleep outdoors in forest shelters they build themselves. Bring a sleeping mat; sleeping bags are not used. Sleep is restricted, with a limited period of rest at night. Food is limited. Participants locate supplies using coordinates and prepare and cook the food themselves.
Can I stop training?
Yes. Participation is voluntary. Say ABORT TRAINING to end your involvement in the event. Detailed instructor intervention procedures remain subject to final operating-plan confirmation.
Is the medical certificate required?
Yes. Selected applicants provide a certificate from their GP. Relevant medical conditions must be disclosed during the application process.
Will I be evaluated?
Instructors observe task execution, concentration, communication, cooperation, decision-making and reactions to pressure. The debrief reviews specific events and behaviour to identify strengths and priorities for improvement. Remaining until Sunday at 12:00 is the established completion criterion.
Do I have to agree to promotional filming?
No. Filming permission is a separate, optional choice on the Selection Dossier and has no effect on selection. Participants may also ask DSS to remove their testimonial.
Can I apply from another country?
Yes. International applicants are welcome. You arrange your own travel, visa and any accommodation before or after the event. DSS advises personal travel insurance.
HELL WEEKEND / DELTA SURVIVAL SCHOOLLUXEMBOURG
KNOW YOURSELF.
UNDER PRESSURE.
MARCH, JUNE & SEPTEMBER 2027 · LUXEMBOURG
Free. Selective. Voluntary.
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