Vermont Outdoor Adventure Based Training For Women

Thanks to everyone for your support as we are work to bring back more women's outdoor programs.

If you have questions or would like to get on our email list and get notified for our next events email: [email protected]

With the help of hundreds of sponsors, instructors and volunteers, Vermont Outdoor Guide Association has been running Women's Doe Camp weekend retreats for over 20 years. While the programs have changed over time, the mission has remained the same: too provide affordable hands-on outdoor skill development training for women throughout the state.

For more classes, visit our: Women's Outdoor Programs,

Map and Compass

Jessica Krebs, Outdoorsy Women Learning Survival Skills

Women's Outdoor Programs

Watch Survival Instructor Jessie Krebs on MasterClass

Jessie is also a participant in the 9th season of Alone on HISTORY.

To find Jessie's next classes or for her contact information, go to OWLSSkills LLC

These classes are great for groups and individuals!

Gift Certificates are available at:
https://squareup.com/gift/MLKXMBHFQB8YE/order

Upcoming Women's Survival Courses

Save the Dates!!

Jessie Krebs, owner and lead instructor at O.W.L.S Skills will be coming to Vermont to offer women's survival classes in October, 2024.

Upcoming Women's Survival Courses:

October 12, 2024: One Day Women's Survival Course
Monkton, VT - 9 - 5 pm - This “crash course” in basic outdoor survival principles is excellent for those who are short on time, yet want to feel more confident in the outdoors. This is the perfect course for an introduction to core concepts that will help keep you centered and making healthy decisions if things get hairy. It's mostly lecture-style with some hands-on training on topics such as staying warm, building fires, signaling for help, navigation concepts, knife sharpening, building emergency shelters, and more. Young, old, injured or otherwise are welcome! Class cost: $150.00. https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/one-day-survival-principles-survival-skills-for-women-5/configure/1

October 13, 2024: Shelter Craft for Emergencies
Monkton, VT - 9 - 5 pm - Shelters are a primary survival tool with a wide variety of styles and building techniques depending on the environment and resources available.  They are a survivors' second line of defense, and basic knot craft is a natural pairing with shelters.  Building and living/staying in shelters can also be a lot of fun! Concepts that we can look into based on folk's interests are: snow shelters such as a fighter trench, quinzee, igloo, or snow cave; jungle shelters like platforms and methods to stay dry and insect free; mountain shelters for various seasons such as various types of A-frames, lean-tos, immediate action versus long term shelters; improvised abodes for coastal and tundra environments; concepts for hot/desert conditions; safe site selection; living considerations; insulation beds to be more comfortable and off the ground; how to use hot rocks and coal beds in chilly conditions; natural versus man-made shelters; debris huts; and knots, hitches, and lashings specifically useful in shelter building.  This class can be modified for children 10 years old to the elderly, and those with handicaps of many types. Class cost: $150.00. https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/one-day-survival-principles-survival-skills-for-women-6/configure/1

October 19-20, 2024: Practical Fire Craft
Monkton, VT - 9-7 Saturday, 9-5 Sunday - Fire is the “sexy” and “cool” survival skill that draws our attention.  “One channel, everyone watches!”  An extremely useful tool, fire is a skill that can be very difficult, especially if a survivor is hurt, inexperienced, or dealing with wet conditions.  In this two-day course we explore approaches for: finding and gathering various types of fuel; preparing fuels by breaking them down (or up!) into stages; the fire triangle and how to modify fire lays (how to put fuel/wood on a fire) to fit form to function; ignition styles and concepts; finding and preparing tinder in various environments and conditions; a multitude of different uses; and how to bank a fire (keeping a fire going overnight so you don't have to start from scratch in the morning).  Students will practice creating embers or flames using a variety of tools like: matches, lighters, flint and steel, ferro rods, and a magnifying lens among others. Class runs from 9 am-7 pm on Saturday and 9 am-5 pm on Sunday. Students may camp on property Saturday night. These classes are great for children 14 years old up to the elderly, and those with a variety of handicaps.  Just contact us if you have any questions or concerns! Class cost: $350, https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/weekend-survival-course-in-vermont-2/configure/1

October 24, 2024, One Day Women's Survival Course
Monkton, VT - 9 - 5 pm - This “crash course” in basic outdoor survival principles is excellent for those who are short on time, yet want to feel more confident in the outdoors. This is the perfect course for an introduction to core concepts that will help keep you centered and making healthy decisions if things get hairy. It's mostly lecture-style with some hands-on training on topics such as staying warm, building fires, signaling for help, navigation concepts, knife sharpening, building emergency shelters, and more. Young, old, injured or otherwise are welcome! Class cost: $150.00. https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/one-day-survival-principles-survival-skills-for-women-7/configure/1

October 25-27, 2024: Women's Weekend Core Survival Principles
Monkton, VT - Friday 4 pm to Sunday 4 pm - What do you do when things go wrong?  There is a lot of false information out there around wilderness survival skills, so come learn the real deal. Included is information on: the five basic needs of a survivor, knife selection and sharpening, finding and disinfecting water, signaling for rescue, basic knots and shelter building, fire concepts, scouting technique and basic compass use, survival kit building and design for all contingencies, and food principles. Clients practice and get feedback on many of the techniques demonstrated and discussed. We spend the entire weekend outdoors regardless of the weather.  Dinners are provided and cooked over an open fire.  This is an intense class where students often don’t hit the bag until 10 or 11 pm on Friday and Saturday night due to evening instruction after dinner.  We usually wake at 8 am and begin class at 9. If you’d like to go a little more in-depth and get more practice with the skills, this is the class for you!  This is a stand alone class in basic survival principles for women and non-binary folks that are comfortable in women-only spaces.  It is suitable for folks 12 and up (must be accompanied by a parent or guardian), and elderly or physically impaired folks that can walk on their own for at least a few hundred feet. This class is not a test of physical fitness, we are in a base camp learning and practicing skills, not hiking. We hope you can join us! Class cost: $520 https://bookings.owlsskills.com/en/product/weekend-survival-course-in-vermont-5/configure/1

Email [email protected] to get on the list or to suggest a class that you would like.

You are invited to join our private Facebook group: Doe Camp Nation for more information.

Check for more women's programs at: https://www.voga.org/vermont-womens-outdoor-programs.html

Thanks, stay safe and see you soon.

Donations will help us to provide outdoor programming for women of all ages and abilities.

Who Sponsors Our Women's Programs

Jackson’s Lodge and Log Cabin Village is a destination of going-back-in-time to a Vermont lakeside resort built in the 1920s.

Outdoorsy Women Learning Survival Skills - To educate and empower women and other underrepresented demographics in the skills of surviving emergencies in global wilderness environments.

R & L Archery, Barre VT. Gear for Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Kayaking, Geocaching, Paintballing

VASA is the statewide association of ATV clubs dedicated to developing, promoting and conserving responsible, family friendly ATV recreation throughout the state.