Survival-course alums' fondest memories are usually of tough challenges, and how much the experience changed their life after it was safely over.
Participants do seem to relish a feeling of accomplishment, and some intense bonding.
Trips run as long as a month and venture as far as East Africa, but the course that's probably best suited for you and your friend is the standard seven-day Field Course in Utah's Canyonlands. Days 1 and 2, you'll eat and drink nothing you don't gather yourself, and you'll sleep in the desert chill without a blanket. Subsequent days are somewhat cushier, but you'll never see a tent, stove, sleeping bag or backpack. Moreover, beloved sunglasses, watches, radios, phones and flashlights are confiscated before you set out. BOSS doesn't require a medical evaluation for seven-day courses, although when you arrive, the instructors monitor you as you run a mile and a half to make sure you're not going to have a heart attack on the course.