WINTER SURVIVAL ESSENTIALS

JANUARY 18, 2025

COUNTER THE COLD >>>

Making snow caves, igloos, snowshoes, and sleds are all fine skills to have. And if you read most manuals for winter survival, that’s what you’ll see. Except in Southern Appalachia, that’s not what you need. Bitter cold, stiff winds, and constant, soaking rain are more our speed than acres of pristine snow. Food is scarce, everything is wet, and hypothermia kills fast. You need the right skills to counter the challenges posed by our unique environment. 

Here’s what you’ll learn in this 1-day class: 

  • How to build a shelter that can raise the temperature inside 70+ degrees
  • Proven ways to build a fire in any weather, no matter how wet
  • Identifying wild edible plants in winter
  • Assessing calorie needs to make sure you have the fuel you need to keep you going
  • Clothing choices to keep you warm no matter how much the temperature drops
  • Situational awareness techniques to ensure you don’t get lost in the first place

And here’s what else you’ll get: 

  • A hot, home-cooked lunch to keep you going throughout the day
  • Unlimited instructor support after class
  • “Homework” to help you build and practice these skills on your own time
Chances are, when the time comes that you actually need survival skills in the real world, it won’t be a sunny 70-degree day in May. It’ll be a dark night in January when the wind cuts cold and the rain turns to ice, and the lives of others are in your hands. Don’t leave that outcome to luck.
 
No prior experience is required for this class, but we recommend bringing a daypack with some basic necessities (see our FAQs for what we suggest) and comfortable shoes for hiking.
 
Got a long drive and hate waking up early? Sign up for overnight camping here.

Cost: $150

Date & Time: Saturday, January 18th, 2025, 9am-7pm

Location: 650 Byrd Mountain Lane, Canton, GA 30114

 

*Military, veterans, and first responders:*

Use code MIL1ST at checkout for 10% off your registration. 

Thanks for your service!

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR >>>

ALEXANDER BRYANT - LEAD INSTRUCTOR ​

Alexander Bryant is SARCRAFT’s founder and Lead Instructor. His love for the outdoors was born in Boy Scouts, where he attained the rank of Eagle, and earned 90 merit badges. He currently serves in the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a designated marksman in a reconnaissance unit. For over a decade prior to joining the military, he served with Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services Wilderness Search & Rescue Team, spending five years as a Squad Leader planning and leading field search missions. Additionally, he is the youngest person ever to achieve the National Association for Search & Rescue’s SARTECH 1 certification – a benchmark only attained by 100+ people in the last 25 years, and is also currently certified as a Wilderness First Responder. He’s hiker trash and proud of it, having hiked over 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail, as well as logging hundreds of miles on other trails everywhere from Colorado to Florida. Outside of SARCRAFT, he enjoys fine whiskey, tactical shooting, and working on his other business ventures.