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Jessie Krebs Online Learning

How to Navigate in the Backcountry at Night

Traveling and hiking in low-light conditions can happen for many different reasons, whether by necessity or by choice. Sometimes hikers find themselves returning later than expected as the sun sets, while other times nighttime travel offers unique advantages, such as cooler temperatures in desert environments or frozen snow that becomes easier to cross after dark. Hunters, outdoor adventurers, and experienced travelers often move before dawn or after sunset, making night navigation an important outdoor skill. While darkness can initially feel intimidating, understanding how our eyes and environment work at night can make moving through low-light landscapes safer, calmer, and even enjoyable.

Our eyes adapt naturally to darkness, but this process takes time. The rods in our eyes, responsible for detecting light and movement, become more effective when we avoid bright white light and rely more on peripheral vision rather than looking directly at objects. This is why red lights are often preferred at night, as they help preserve night vision while still providing enough illumination to move safely. Artificial light can also be used more effectively by holding a flashlight or headlamp lower to the ground, allowing shadows to reveal dips, rises, and obstacles that are otherwise difficult to perceive. Small adjustments like these can dramatically improve visibility and awareness in the dark.

The natural environment itself also becomes a valuable navigation tool at night. Skylines, silhouettes of trees and mountains, moonlight, and even the movement of stars can help travelers orient themselves and maintain direction. Observing landmarks during the day and remembering how they appear against the sky after dark can make nighttime navigation far easier. In situations where visibility is limited, patiently observing the movement of stars can even help determine east and west. Because depth perception weakens in darkness, slower movement, shorter steps, and the use of walking sticks or improvised “wands” can help detect uneven terrain and obstacles ahead.

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Jessie Krebs on Why the Wilderness Can Heal Instead of Harm

Jessie Krebs has dedicated much of her life to teaching people how to survive in demanding outdoor environments, yet her philosophy reaches far beyond practical wilderness skills. Through her work as a military SERE instructor, wilderness therapist, and survival educator, Krebs has developed a deeply human approach to the outdoors — one rooted not in fear, conquest, or competition, but in resilience, awareness, and connection. She believes that modern society often portrays the wilderness as dangerous and hostile, causing many people, especially women and marginalized communities, to feel intimidated or disconnected from nature. Her mission is to break down that fear by teaching survival as a series of accessible, empowering skills that anyone can learn through practice and curiosity. Rather than relying heavily on expensive gear, Krebs emphasizes calm thinking, adaptability, observation, and confidence in one’s own abilities. Much of Krebs’ perspective is shaped by her personal history and years spent guiding others through physically and emotionally challenging experiences in the wild.

As someone who found comfort and safety in nature during difficult moments in her childhood, she understands the outdoors not only as a place of survival, but also as a place of healing and transformation. During her years in wilderness therapy and military survival training, she witnessed how harsh environments can strip away distractions and force people to confront themselves honestly. Yet instead of seeing the wilderness as cruel, Krebs views it as impartial — a space governed by consequence rather than judgment. This mindset has helped shape her teaching style, which balances seriousness with playfulness and encourages students to reconnect with curiosity, patience, and self-trust.

Today, Krebs has become one of the most respected survival instructors in the country, inspiring growing numbers of people through her workshops, courses, and storytelling. Her women-focused O.W.L.S. Skills programs aim to create supportive spaces where participants can build confidence outdoors, often for the very first time. She teaches that survival is not reserved for experts or extreme adventurers, but is something rooted in simple, repeatable skills and a willingness to learn from the natural world. Whether demonstrating how to start a fire, navigate with the stars, or read the landscape for resources, Krebs reminds people that nature is not “out to get them.” Instead, she believes the wilderness offers an opportunity to slow down, reconnect with ourselves, and discover strengths we may not realize we carry.

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