Wild Wisdom Wilderness Survival Class!

findingfrankie2023
Mar 8, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Aug 17, 2024

An unforgettable weekend in Georgia. Forging friendships, fire, and faith in oneself.

One of my biggest concerns about hiking and backpacking is ensuring I have the knowledge and the tools to prepare for the unexpected. Although I've been "outdoorsy" all my life, I make ZERO claims at being capable of surviving an unfortunate situation. I am an avid reader and I love to research, but that will only get you so far. Since one of my goals for 2024 was to feel comfortable and prepared out on the trail, I leapt at the opportunity to join a couple friends at the Byron Kerns Wild Wisdom Wilderness Survival Class!

A group of 5 men and 3 women after a weekend of outdoor learning — Best Class Ever - March 2024

The 2 night/3 day class is centered around the seven survival priorities. It is led by one of the most unique individuals I have ever met. Full of knowledge, patience, and complete honesty, Byron is a natural teacher and genuinely loves to share what he knows. He has loads of experience teaching everyone Boys Scouts to law enforcement to SEAL team members and here he was hosting us for the weekend! Talk about pushing yourself outside your comfort zone!

Travel Day: The drive to Georgia!

Significant rain was in the forecast. I guess there is no such thing as a fair weather survivalist. The three of us ladies packed up all our gear and headed off! We stayed the night in a hotel in Madison, GA. A fantastic meal at the local Cracker Barrel set us up to handle the next 3 days of our freeze dried meals (actually, they are decent but I didn't know it at the time!)

Day#1: Arrival, Shelter, Fire & Water

Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) is Priority #1. Check. I am happy to say we were fully prepared upon arrival with PMA and sustained high levels throughout the duration of the weekend! The attendees of our class came from all walks of life and from all levels of experience. Everyone was encouraging and engaged in learning from one another. I truly believe WE were the best class ever!

Shelter (Priority #3) proved to be a learning opportunity for us all. A few days earlier, upon realizing my old tent did NOT have a rainfly, I bit the bullet and purchased a light weight backpacking tent with a full rainfly (gosh hiking gear can get expensive!). Byron quickly assessed a couple shelters that needed a little reinforcement to withstand what was to come for the weekend. So, as a team we immediately got started on the job at hand with basics such as plastic, cordage, sticks & twigs, and numerous fancy knots. There is something magical about a perfectly executed half hitch knot!

Fire (Priority #4) - I made fire! It was hard to begin with. But it is epic once you get the hang of it. The cheapo magnesium rectangle fire starter was much more difficult than the ferro rod so that was on the way from Amazon before I returned home! I had to make make a fire in my fire pit the following weekend to showcase my new skill to Bob. I don't need no stinkin' matches! (Just kidding. I still carry matches, but I have a plan B!)

Water (Priority #6) We learned about purification and collection methods. There was PLENTY of opportunity for collection that weekend!

Day#2: Wilderness First Aid, Signaling, Food, Navigation

The weekend went by so quick and it felt like every minute was a learning opportunity. At the same time, it was very relaxing and I even enjoyed the downpours of rain the entire night before. I am happy to report the shelter reinforcements worked like a champ!

Day #2 focused on priorities #2,5,& 7 (Wilderness First Aid, Signaling, Food) and touched on navigation. I need more practice in navigation. In all transparency, you do not want me in charge of the compass or the map right now.

Day#3: Team Challenge, Review, Presentations and Test!

Day #3 provided us with sunshine!!! Byron gave us a challenge that I'm not going to detail. Go take the class and be surprised! We reviewed everything we covered from the weekend, showcased our projects and took "the test". I'm happy to report all3 of us passed!

Embracing a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) is a powerful tool that can transform our lives both in the wilderness and in day to day life. By choosing to focus on positivity (#1 survival priority), we can overcome challenges with resilience and optimism. "Find the Good in your Day" (Philippians 4:8) is my 4:08pm daily alarm to help remind me that every day is an opportunity to learn something new, to grow, and to spread positivity to those around us. We should all strive to cultivate a mindset that sees the good in every situation and approaches life with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. I came to this class seeking knowledge and left with a new perspective on the importance of embracing positivity (PMA) a deeper thirst for continuous learning (techniques & experience), and a lot of great memories with old and new friends. Go try it out for yourself!