Red River Survival: Frontier Campcraft (April 24-26) is an immersive wilderness survival course conducted in the rugged terrain of Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. This course is built around the practical survival methods historically used by pioneers, scouts, longhunters, and woodland peoples who moved through the Appalachian region long before modern outdoor gear existed.
 
This is not a themed experience or a casual camping class. It is a performance-based survival course designed to prepare students for a realistic 72-hour emergency scenario involving limited gear, physical stress, time constraints, and environmental exposure.
 
Instruction is led by Jason Hunt and James Gibson, combining decades of experience in survival training, field instruction, and practical preparedness. Students are trained to think clearly under pressure, work efficiently with minimal tools, and rely on proven survival priorities rather than convenience or comfort.
 
Course Focus
Students will train in pine forests and sandstone overhangs common to the Red River Gorge region, learning to:
Establish and maintain fire using natural materials, fatwood, and primitive ignition
Build functional shelters and scout-style camps quickly and efficiently
Live out of a bedroll-based sleep system, not tents
Locate, purify, and manage water from natural sources
Apply survival mindset, risk management, and self-aid principles
Perform knife- and saw-based wood processing safely and effectively
 
Student Pack List*
* Cowboy Coffee, trash collection, and toiletries will be provided for all
Canvas or Oilcloth Tarp (or Canvas Bedroll)
Small Haversack (or Bag to carry snacks and small tools)
Small Cowboy/ Cold Handle Skillet (Do not purchase if you do not own)
1 Queen/King or 2 Twin-Sized Wool Blankets (No Sleeping Bags)
Knife of choice
Folding Saw or Takedown Bucksaw (Both permitted)
50ft of #36 Bankline
Flint and Steel Kit with char material in a tin (No other fire-making gear)
Burlap or cloth collection bag (An old pillow case will work)
Clothing and rain gear appropriate for the season (April in Campton, KY)
Personal Food/Snacks (No cooking stoves, but can have pack grills)- MRE, Potted Meats, Chicken/Tuna Packets, Jerky, and other Just-Add-Water Meal options.
Personal First Aid Items/Medications
Head Lamp (Lantern/Stonebridge Lantern Acceptable)
Folding Stool or Sit Pad (NO camp chairs)
Steel Bottle/Canteen with Nesting Cup and Eating Utensils
You will need to collect all your water during the class, please have a full container before heading to the class location.
All items you bring should be able to be rolled up and secured in a bedroll. You will carry your bedroll on a pack frame and haversack over rough terrain up to 1 mile at a time with elevation gains and drops up to 700ft.
 
What to Expect
Physically demanding training
Outdoor living for the duration of the course
Repeated fire-making and shelter-building exercises
Exposure to weather, fatigue, and discomfort
Clear performance standards and evaluations
 
Who This Course Is For
This course is designed for individuals who want real-world survival competence, including:
Outdoorsmen seeking foundational survival mastery
Preparedness-minded individuals
Instructors and serious students building field credibility
Those who value skill over gear and function over comfort
 
Who This Course Is NOT For
Casual campers
Comfort-focused students
Anyone unwilling to work, get dirty, or be evaluated
Those looking for entertainment rather than training
 
Red River Survival: Frontier Campcraft delivers historically grounded, field-tested survival skills that still work today, because they have always worked.