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There is a profound sense of empowerment that comes from learning how to navigate the wild unknown without the use of technology. My personal journey into using a map and compass began when preparing for a solo expedition across Scotland’s West Highlands and Cairngorms in 2018. The right to roam and the ability to wander off trail allowed me to lean into curiosities about Scotland’s landscape and history that may not have happened without this knowledge in “lost-proofing.” I believe that the art of land navigation is a critical skill, along with a strong foundation in wilderness medicine, that every hunter, hiker, bushcrafter, or everyday explorer must be educated on before immersing themselves off the grid in the great outdoors.   When asked to teach the Navigation 101 course for Georgia Bushcraft, I was beyond elated as land navigation is one of the first skills I developed on my “rewilding” journey and affectionately described as going back to my “roots” when leading an intensive solely on this skill.  Navigation has become essential to who I am today as it allowed me to lessen my fear of getting lost and feed my “wanderlust,” or desire and courage to roam and roam freely. To solely immerse yourself in the beauty of nature without fears and limitations brings an indescribable sense of wonder and freedom that fosters resilience and agency beyond guided travels. It was a privilege to be able to share this passion with those with the same taste for adventure, ready to tackle insecurities. and dedicate themselves to proper skills training.   The course began early on Friday morning at the Georgia Bushcraft Basecamp, an outdoor classroom surrounded by multi-story Mulberries, Maples, and Sweet Gums whose leaves were barely holding on from Autumn’s abscission. Our group of ten, a mix of hikers, hunters, bushcrafters, and retired army veterans, gathered around hungry for knowledge but still with hints of nervous tension as this art can be intimidating for some. As their instructor, I aimed to set the tone with reassurance sharing my personal experiences hiking through the Alps and across the Arctic; and laying out an overview of the weekend’s agenda: parts of a compass, map reading, terrain association, grid plotting, self-mapping, navigating by the sun and stars, and various practical exercises.   We started with an in-depth overview of navigational concepts, compass anatomy, and then its multiple uses beyond finding and following azimuths. By the afternoon students were equipped with travel logs and ranger beads, ready to travel safely through the woods conquering numerous courses varying in difficulty from the number of checkpoints to difficulty in terrain. That evening, back at basecamp, we shared our experiences over a shared fire and students gained tips on how to find cardinal direction from observing certain celestial bodies. Saturday morning, I handed out topographic maps and protractors, explaining declination, how to read contour lines, identifying terrain features, and calculating distances. I emphasized the importance of understanding scale and orienting the map. For many of the students, it was a reminder of just how dependent we’ve all become on modern technology like GPS devices and various phone apps. "Technology can fail," I told them. "But knowledge weighs nothing and skills can last a lifetime as long as they are maintained much like your tools.” By mid-morning, they were practicing in pairs, plotting points and planning routes, to find specific trees or toys scattered across the forest floor. This newfound knowledge was not easy to digest for some, as they had to recalculate their distance and bearings; however, the dedication to the craft was strong and lessons from mistakes were learned. It wasn’t long until I could see their confidence growing and their curiosity for off-grid adventure begin. One student, Bowdier Sackett, said “Navigation 101 with Jacks was more than a class on navigating, it was a class on confidence building and applying it. Jacks is a very knowledgeable and patient teacher. She made every part of this class fun and interesting. I would not hesitate to recommend or even to take the course again.” On Sunday morning, the sun was shining allowing for a module in primitive navigation, or how to navigate by the sun and shadows. Simple methods in finding cardinal directions and advanced techniques to determine actual azimuths were discussed and practiced. Kenny Brunswig, Founder of Grumpy Bushcraft, and the resident medic for the weekend’s module, said, “Coming from a military background, this was the most comprehensive and easily understood land navigation course I've taken. The information provided was extremely easy to digest and also use. The primitive navigation module was very interesting. Despite carrying a compass or GPS, knowing that I could find cardinal directions with nothing if I had to brought a profound sense of comfort.” Other conversations around modern devices and signaling for rescue were had before students set out for further and more difficult exercises armed with maps, compasses, travel logs, and skills. The sense of accomplishment from these students was immeasurable and it didn’t go unnoticed how they blossomed into confident outdoorsmen, proving to themselves, others and myself that they could get their bearings and find their footing. Land navigation is more than a skill, it’s about mindset and trusting your training when it comes to troubleshooting. It’s this trust that builds confidence, a renewed sense of self-reliance, and a deeper connection to oneself and the wild. It’s been said before that if you prepare for the worst, then you can hope for the best and truthfully, I’ve never been a huge fan of this phrase because I believe that hope should never be a contingency. I prefer the phrase, if you prepare for the worst, then you can prepare for the best. As I said earlier, I truly believe that land navigation is crucial when preparing for venturing off the beaten path, and I encourage everyone to take the first step. Land Navigation Class Review byJacks Genega, Founder of Wildcard Wilderness Survival For more class reviews, gear reviews, trail stories, class updates and more! Follow Wildcard Wilderness on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube! #survival #survivalskills #navigation #survivaltips #suunto #wildernessskills #wilderness #outdoorlife #woodsman #wildcard #neverlost #womeninbushcraft #onthetrail #wildcardjacks #wildcardwilderness #LearntoNavigate #LandNavigationClassReview .  

It’s Friday morning in late March at the Georgia Bushcraft LLC property in Watkinsville, GA; and the Sweetgum and Tulip Poplar buds are ready to burst alongside the Redbud flowers already ripe for the picking. Eighteen women arrive prepared to brave the inclement weather on the menu for 2024’s first Women’s Wilderness Weekend led by yours truly, Jacks Genega. A vote was taken upon arrival on how best to utilize the day’s shifting windows of rain and drizzle. Option A was to stay the course and learn about how best to build fire from your kit and off the landscape (knowing that fire was going to be a harsh learning curve to achieve in wet weather conditions) or Option B was to focus on navigation and leave fire for sunnier skies. All hands rose for Option A. “This was my kind of crowd,” I thought. When approached to teach an all-women’s survival course for Georgia Bushcraft, I couldn’t have been more thrilled or honored. I have had many mentors throughout my training that I would consider father figures, but I never had one that was like a mother. I think most women want to be self-reliant in the wilderness and push themselves out of their comfort zone but just don’t know where to begin or think they don’t have the strength or confidence to do it. I am of the belief that it doesn’t take a lot of skills, or a lot of strength to do anything, you just need to be perseverant. Knowing what you are capable of physically and mentally is not a boundary, but a tool. No one has to be an expert or a master of a trade to do great things, they just have to know what they have to work with, how to use it, and go from there. To lead a course directed to all women allowed me to give the additional guidance I wish I had years ago. After some brief modules in cutting tool safety and self-aid, led by Becky Christopher, Co-Founder of Lostways Survival and Homestead, our appointed medic and Assistant Instructor for the weekend, it was time to forage our tinder of fatwood, punkwood, and whatever the forest floor had to offer. Alas, heavy rains showered upon us all but flame was nonetheless obtained with careful selection and processing. It is entirely false to think that fire can’t be achieved in the rain, but with the right materials, tools, and skill, anyone can do it. Tammy Nelon from South Carolina said, “I [...] enjoyed every minute of the weekend. Jacks’ experience has given her a wealth of knowledge and incredible stories to tell. Jacks makes the skills learning accessible and fun.” The morning of Day 2 allowed those to master ferro-rod and firesteel even further before jumping into a lecture about navigation. I don’t consider navigation a survival skill but it is one that will prevent you from getting into a SHTF scenario in the first place. Navigation is a way of “lostproofing,” a term coined by Craig Caudill from Nature Reliance School. If you don’t have a compass in the woods, then learning how to read your environment like wind direction or plant and tree growth, along with following your intuition, can aid one in finding your direction of travel, like the way back to your car. The wilderness is secretly whispering words of wisdom whether it's telling you where you are, what lies around the corner, or what lies within you; you just have to be open to listening to it. On Day 3 the skies cleared which allowed us to catch up on solar fire, emergency shelter building, and a module in self-defense. I believe that self-defense is a subject not often discussed in the world of wilderness survival and sadly, the issue of safety is high ranking as one of the reasons there isn’t more female participation in the outdoors. Much like our cutting tools, combustion devices, cordage, containers, and coverage; carrying a self-defense weapon like a firearm or bear spray is essential for outdoor adventure. Being mindful of the wind, I discharged bear spray to show the range it can have if one were in a predatory situation. If carrying a self-defense tool is going to lessen your fears, build some guts, and get your butt out in the woods, then by all means carry it! This course allowed us to have tough conversations with each other and ourselves, learning that vulnerability doesn’t have to be a crutch, rather it can be fuel. Lindsy Falukenberry from South Carolina said, “It was apparent Jacks’ passion for empowering women to feel confident in themselves and the skills they have; and she didn’t gloss over the hard subjects either. We had round table discussions where we felt safe to connect with one another and develop a sense of community.” As the day came to a close, students were encouraged to participate in a fire challenge and to gather materials ready to build a roaring sustainable fire. Every team completed the task using their newly developed skills and determination. Before taking our class photo with myself, Becky, and all 18 participants beaming with a sense of resilience through self-reliance; I asked everyone to take a moment to sit in nature for ten minutes in solitude and report what they observed. No student was shy of exclaiming how they felt more connected to nature, to themselves, and empowered by what they have learned. One student, Greer Peters from Georgia, said, “This class changed my life. I can’t wait to attend another course and become a lifelong learner. Thank you for making this possible!” So when it comes to exploring the Great Outdoors, and the many gambles it could bring like weather, wildlife, injury, or getting lost; this class is a stepping stone to realizing that it only takes a little bit of skill, a little bit of wisdom, and a little bit of guts to be a wildcard and overcome tough obstacles against all odds. -Jacks Genega, Founder of Wildcard Wilderness Survival #survival #bushcraft #wildernessliving #wildernessculture #optoutside #wildcardwilderness #womeninbushcraft #georgiabushcraft #womenssurvival