Survival Instructor Training Course

Erik "Flicka" K. Attorney - Pittsburgh, PA

It was seven days and six nights of pure wilderness pleasure in the hills of Virginia. In and about the woods the entire time. The classroom was spectacular.
Thousands of acres, provided by a landowner, of wooded, steep, and stream-laced terrain. The first three days - map & compass, up and down and through
the brush, establishing a new camp each night. Using nine degrees of west variation, following and believing in the headings, the students hit the points right
on. Once the navigation portion was concluded, Base Camp was established and the parachute canopy was erected. Lesson plans, student presentations,
more lesson plans, and more student presentations. There was no food until Night Two - a Cup of Noodles each and the group shared a rabbit cooked over
the fire. Clif bars and more Cup of Noodles on Nights Three and Four. Night Five - a can of Dinty Moore chicken and dumplins each with a couple of loaves
of not-too-long-ago baked bread. And, finally, at 11:30 PM, their jerky was completed, smoked to perfection. On the final night, Night Six, the group splurged
and celebrated - T-bone steaks,baked potatoes, and a pot of green beans. And, maybe a libatious beverage or two. There was much to teach. There was
much to learn. It was a bodaciously extraordinary week. It was a Hooyah! week. Congratulations to the following 2011 ITC graduates.

2011
Instructor
Training
Course

Return to THE BODACIOUS STUFF

2011
Instructor
Training
Course

"First, thank you so much, Byron, for all that you did for us during the ITC. It is going to
take me a long time to fully absorb all that you taught and shared. After successfully
finishing the course, I don't know how I can more fully express my appreciation for what
you did for me, and the rest of the group. For anyone, like me, wanting to improve one's
wilderness teaching abilities, or for anyone wanting to venture down this path, I couldn't
recommend a better course. Certainly, the skills that you taught were a huge part of our
week, but it really was so much more. In particular, you made a real effort to develop in
each of us our own personal skills and strengths, and to help us build upon them. More
importantly, though, you made 'sharing' a cornerstone theme of the course. That is,
instilling in us, even if just subtly, our responsibility to share with others what you taught
us and what you gave of yourself. I can promise you that I will keep this solidly in mind
each time I take students into the Great Outdoors."

Mike "Chigga" M. Sr. VP, Real Estate Trust - London, OH

"The ITC was outstanding! Byron not only refined and strengthened my existing skills, but
also added many more. More importantly, it is quite obvious that Byron's school exists
because he loves teaching others and seeing them become adept at wilderness survival.
He is dedicated, patient, and incredibly competent. I have taken other courses in Virginia
taught by a former USAF Survival (SERE) Instructor, and Byron's far surpasses them all.
Byron definitely is not the kind of guy that take's credit for someone else's work. I would
recommend whole-heartedly his survival training to anyone seeking to further their
wilderness knowledge and skills."

Derek "The Deuce" T. Police Officer - Gainesville, FL

"When I first requested to attend, I didn't realize how important it was to Byron in making sure
that he had the right mix of students for the ITC. Later I learned of his screening process and
that I was one of very blessed able to attend. I felt humbled and truly honored. And that was
only the beginning! I had such a great time that I didn't want to leave. Why leave the beauty of
the woods and great companions to go back to civilized drama? The food (as little of it there
was, except for the last two nights), the fellowship, the training, and the overall fun was a
wonderful experience. I learned land navigation using map and compass (my favorite part of the
training), something that I've been wanting to learn and practice for a long while. Not only did I
learn land navigation, but all the other skills I learned and honed were amazing. What made
this trip so great was the camaraderie between the four of us and with Byron. We all got along
so well. There was no fighting, bickering, whining, or the like the entire time. I learned so much
from the group! Byron did an excellent job instructing and was very gracious and easy going.
His outstanding teaching style and attitude the entire trip was another factor why I enjoyed ITC
so much. The confidence and training I received to be a better instructor has given me peace
and structure when teaching wilderness survival to others. Although the course has passed,
reminders of the great times stay with me ... I'm still itchin'. Thanks Byron, Mike, Erik, and
Jake for your help, knowledge and fellowship!"

Jake "Foxy" G.
NREMT/Paramedic; Wilderness Medicine Instructor - Reedsburg, WI

"I recently had the opportunity to spend a week in the woods with Byron and I can tell you
that I now know more about wilderness survival and I'm a better instructor because of it.
Byron's survival instructor training was not easy. I lost about eight pounds and was bitten by
more bugs in a week than I was bitten by during the entire four years I spent in the U.S.
Marines. However, every minute of the course was worthwhile and filled with opportunities to
learn new things. The amount of survival information that Byron possesses is immense. But,
he is willing to share every bit of it with his students if they choose to accept it. I consider it
a priviledge to have been trained by him. Byron's desire to teach comes directly from his
heart. He's not concerned with filling his wallet with students' money. He's more concerned
about filling his students' heads with the information needed to survive. Whether you wish to
learn more about wilderness survival or wish to learn how to become a more effective teacher,
my advice is this: Talk to Byron Kerns."

As comaraderie and friendships developed, so did nicknames. Most often, an incident or behavior created such. Erik's nickname of "Flicka" came about
during a discussion one night of favorite movies. Of course, it wasn't his favorite movie ... the dude didn't even know if Flicka was a horse or a cow. Of
course, it was a horse and the nickname stuck. And, by the way, Erik doesn't like Richard Gere. Maybe he's jealous of his hair. Mike was tagged with the
nickname of "Chigga" when he suddenly jumped up one afternoon, scratching all over, with the sudden realization he had been bitten all over by something.
Chiggers. He became quite frantic and hilarious in his "buggy" mode. The group's raucous laughter caused deer to run and birds to fly. It didn't do much for
Mike's bites. Derek ... now this guy definitely ain't normal. "The Deuce" is a movement dude ... and the only #2 dude in the group from Day One. Always
marked his spot with an X made of sticks. Not so funny when one was found in front of the Instructor's shelter. Gotta love "The Deuce" though. He was the
group's Steve Martin, Rodney Dangerfield, the comedian and impersonator ... a one-man SNL show. He was the group's electrical outlet that all plugged
into. Looking at Jake's photo ... well, he does seem somewhat "Foxy" ... but, the nickname came from something slitherly ... late one night. The group had
just retired to their improvised shelters on Night Two, all now stretched-out for a well-earned sleep ... when Jake says calmly from his shelter, "Hey guys,
there's a snake over here in my shelter." It was a Fox snake ... pretending to be a most bodacious Copperhead. Headlamps, voices, fast movement, a
crazed policeman, Gold Bond. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas ... and, don't bet on the snake.

Click HERE to view a few of the ITC photos.