Women’s Beginner Backpacking and Survival Course!

September 11-17th

Hermosa, NM

Woman Backpacking

Come learn and hone some outdoor skills! We will spend 7 days and 6 nights camping and light hiking in the beautiful vistas of South West New Mexico! Our days will be spent in a combination of learning and practicing tangible survival skills while also taking time to breath and connect with other like-minded women and this rich landscape.

At Hermosa camp, nestled at the far edge of “civilization” we will spend a couple days learning and practicing skills like knife sharpening, knot tying, shelter and fire building techniques, map and compass basics, how to sleep as comfortably as possible, backpacking principles, and more. On day 3 we’ll hike to wilderness camp, a mild hike that will cut the umbilical cord and birth us back into the real world of earth, air, water and fire. From this base we will adventure out into the Aldo Leopold Wilderness to explore and practice our newfound skills.

Book Now!

What Is It?

The Women’s Beginner Backpacking and Survival Course is an immersive weeklong adventure in the stunning wilderness of Southwest New Mexico. Designed for women seeking to learn essential survival skills and connect deeply with nature, this course offers a unique blend of practical training and personal growth. Over the course of seven days and six nights, participants will camp, hike, and engage in hands-on lessons covering navigation, fire craft, water purification, shelter building, and more. Led by experienced instructor Jessie, a former US Air Force S.E.R.E. Specialist, this program aims to empower women with the knowledge and confidence to thrive in the wild. Join us to unplug, reconnect, and embark on a transformative journey into the heart of nature.

Join this program if you want to:

Why participate?

Welcome to the real world. We will unplug from the distractions, stress, and neverending to-do lists present in our “normal” lives. Take a deep breath, lift your head and look around. See engaged and friendly faces around you, excited to learn, be, and grow. A living, dynamic world around to watch, and explore. Learn skills that are stimulating and empowering as well as useful in a variety of ways, in the wilderness, and many back at home as well. Ready for some personal growth that doesn’t require tragedy? Then let’s go!

This is an all-camping program, but no previous wilderness experience is required. We welcome a sense of adventure, curiosity, and enthusiasm.

Meet Your Guide

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Jessie Krebs

Jessie joined the US Air Force at 18 both as a way to pay for college and to escape the small town, midwest blues. What she got in addition was a sense of competence and a deeper connection to the outdoors. She had survived her own childhood trauma through the support of the natural world: the wilderness was a familiar and safe place that held her when the humans around her could not be trusted. She went from a shy girl to one of the few female S.E.R.E. Specialists (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape), teaching military members how to stay alive and return home if they were shot down behind enemy lines. After an honorable discharge she went on to direct team building courses, guide outdoor activities, and work for over a decade in wilderness therapy.

She is now the founder of O.W.L.S. Skills where one of her primary goals is to educate and empower women and other underrepresented demographics in the skills of surviving emergency situations in global wilderness environments. She hopes by helping people feel safer in wild places they will connect with and enjoy it more, and thus be willing to protect and defend it and its denizens.

She’s dabbled in media as well, acting as a consultant (After Armageddon,Hacking the Wild), a reality TV personality (Mygrations, Kicking and Screaming, ALONE: season 9), and an online educator (MasterClass.com). Her passion is empowering women through teaching them skills that are traditionally considered male. Generally if she is offered a chance for some kind of adventure outside, she says “yes!”

Our Daily Flow

Day 1 (Wednesday Sep 11)

Arrival of all students by 4:30pm

4:30-6: Opening circle: logistics, introductions, setting intentions for the week

6-7:30: Dinner (provided) cleanup, lessons around food and cleanup while on trail. Shelters up and everyone gets settled in

7:30-8:30: Free time

8:30-9:30: Lesson: sleeping more comfortably in the wild

9:30: Free time and sleep

Day 2 (Thursday Sep 12)

6-8 am: Silent time and optional woods walk, bird sit, yoga, or meditation (you can also hit the “snooze” button!)

8-8:45: Breakfast (personal food)

9-1: Lesson block

1-1:30: Lunch (personal food)

2-6: Lesson block

6-7:30: Dinner (provided), cleanup and social time

8-10: Lesson block

10 pm: Free time and sleep

Day 3 (Friday Sep 13)

6-8 am: Silent time and optional woods walk, bird sit, yoga, or meditation (you can also hit the “snooze” button!)

8-8:45: Breakfast (personal food)

9-1: Lesson on packing principles, packing up, cleaning camp and begin hike to wilderness camp

1-1:30: Lunch (personal food)

2-6: Hiking, lessons on the trail, arrival and setup at wilderness camp

6-7:30: Dinner (provided), cleanup and social time

8-10: Lesson block

10 pm: Free time and sleep

Day 4 (Saturday Sep 14)

6-8 am: Silent time and optional woods walk, bird sit, yoga, or meditation (you can also hit the “snooze” button!)

8-8:45: Breakfast (personal food)

9-1: Lesson block

1-1:30: Lunch (personal food)

2-6: Lesson block

6-7:30: Dinner (provided), cleanup and social time

8-10: Lesson block

10 pm: Free time and sleep

Day 5 (Sunday Sep 15)

6-8 am: Silent time and optional woods walk, bird sit, yoga, or meditation (you can also hit the “snooze” button!)

8-8:45: Breakfast (personal food)

9-1: Lesson block including day hike off-trail practicing map and compass skills. Or we may pack up entirely and hike to a new camp. Suggestions? Only 4 miles away max. Otherwise we spend a lot of time hiking rather than learning!

1-1:30: Lunch (personal food)

2-6: Lesson block

6-7:30: Dinner (provided), cleanup and social time

8-10: Lesson block

10 pm: Free time and sleep

Day 6 (Monday Sep 16)

6-8 am: Silent time and optional woods walk, bird sit, yoga, or meditation (you can also hit the “snooze” button!)

8-8:45: Breakfast (personal food)

9-1: Lesson block (we may hike back to Hermosa camp during this time)

1-1:30: Lunch (personal food)

2-6: Lesson block

6-7:30: Dinner (provided), cleanup and social time

8-10: Lesson block

10 pm: Free time and sleep

Day 7 (Tuesday Sep 17)

6-8 am: Silent time and optional woods walk, bird sit, yoga, or meditation (you can also hit the “snooze” button!)

8-8:45: Breakfast (personal food)

9-11: Review and closing circle

11-1: Pack up and continue our respective journeys

Common Questions

When is this happening?

Class will start at 4:30 PM on September 11th, 2024. It will end at 1 PM on September 17th, 2024.

What should I bring/wear?

This is a generic list, you’ll receive a detailed email with a tailored packing list, weather forecast, and other necessary information one month prior to the course. Please do not purchase much for this course. Just reach out and we can either loan you items or help guide you to alternatives.

  • A good pair of closed-toed shoes
  • Long pants 
  • Long sleeve shirt 
  • Sun Hat
  • Rain/wind gear
  • At least 2 liters of water storage capacity (water bottles or bladders)
  • A bowl and/or cup and spoon or fork
  • All necessary personal medications and health aids (back support, knee brace, inhalers, EpiPen, etc.) for at least 10 days (in case some emergency)
  • Warm layers (it can get chilly in the mountains) such as:
    • Warm hat
    • Neck gaiter
    • Balaclava
    • Gloves (finger-less and/or regular) or mittens
    • Fleece, wool, or some other type of thick insulative layer or two for top and/or bottom
  • Two extra pairs of socks (one pair thick, fluffy, and less snug for sleeping only)
  • At least one extra set of underclothes
  • A durable food bag containing 5 lunches, and snacks suitable for camping (please ask if you have questions). Breakfasts and dinners will be provided every morning and evening
  • Extra drinking water if you prefer not to drink water supplied at the campground ( 6-7 gallons per person)
  • Headlamp or flashlight with spare batteries or a way to recharge (we will have at least one solar charger available)
  • Sleeping bag/system
  • Sleeping bag liner (a simple fitted bed sheet will suffice)
  • Insulation pad (non-inflatables are best for reasons that will be explained in class. If you don’t have one let us know and we have extras you may borrow.)
  • Weather Cover (tarp or tent). If you bring a tarp (usually in the 8x10 range for size) please bring about 50 feet of paracord or other strong line to tie it up with. Please check with us if you are not sure what to bring. Don’t worry, you’ll learn how to make it into a good shelter!
  • Toiletries as desired (toothpaste and brush, comb, hair ties, Chapstick, feminine products, sunscreen, lotion, etc.)
  • Whistle (to wear around your neck in case you get lost or hurt)
  • Time piece
  • Journal

Optional

  • Long johns or sleep wear
  • Survival items you have questions about or want to practice skills with (maps, compasses, shelter pieces, fire starters, survival or medical kits, etc.)
  • A knife or two to practice sharpening with (dull kitchen knives are fine, no need to buy a knife for this. You’ll be learning what to look for in a good knife. We have plenty for you to use during the course)
  • Instruments such as drums, guitars, flutes, singing bowls and our unique voices
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses or safety glasses
  • Camp chair/crazy creek/sit pad
  • Note taking materials
  • Daypack
  • Leather gloves
  • Bug spray 
  • Yoga mat
  • Swimsuit
  • Shorts and short sleeved shirts
  • Scarves you may wet down and wear to help keep cool 

What are the age requirements?

This class is geared for adult women. If you want to bring a teenager, age 16 and up, they are welcome to attend with a parent or guardian.

I have a question not listed here.

Check out our FAQs.

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