Kentucky is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. Small towns, horse farms, and vast areas of wilderness. And tramping through those forests and fields, you’ll find Craig Caudill, Director of Nature Reliance School.
The Origins of Nature Reliance School
I first met Caudill at a survival and preparedness expo about a decade ago. His booth was across the aisle from mine, and we got to chatting here and there. His passion for teaching was readily apparent. It was also obvious he had the knowledge and experience to back up that passion.
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Over the years, I’ve watched as Caudill and his cadre of instructors developed Nature Reliance School into a premier destination for those seeking training in wilderness skills and other areas of self-reliance. Along the way, Craig’s wife Jennifer Caudill, has become a world-class photographer. She shoots tons of photos and videos for their classes. She also works with several other brands, doing photography, assisting with product reviews, and more.
Caudill isn’t some wannabe influencer seeking clout, shooting video from the front seat of his truck. He has earned a well-deserved reputation as a hands-on instructor. He’s down in the mud with everyone else, pointing out nuances in tracking that may be missed by those who don’t already have thousands of hours of dirt time under their belt.
As they used to say, Caudill will do to ride the river with.
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I had a chance to catch up with Caudill and get some insight into his background as well as upcoming plans for Nature Reliance School.
What pushed you to become a wilderness skills instructor?
Honestly, it just came naturally. I grew up hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking, and wandering all over Kentucky. The outdoors has always been home for me. I loved it, and I spent a lot of time studying it, learning from it, and just experiencing it in as many ways as I could.
Back in the early 2000s, I was teaching martial arts professionally. Some of my students started asking questions about outdoor skills, so I began showing them what I knew. That led to more people asking, then more classes, and before I knew it, it had grown into something much bigger. In 2006, we formally started Nature Reliance School by putting that name on it, and it’s continued to grow in ways I never really expected.
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How many courses are you running a year at Nature Reliance School?
It ends up being a pretty full calendar. We usually run somewhere between 15 and 20 weekend-long courses each year for civilians. On top of that, we teach a number of military and first responder courses, most of those happening during the week, and for obvious reasons, we don’t publicly detail all of those.
Then you add in one-day classes, presentations for organizations, and talks at libraries, and it all stacks up pretty quickly. By the time you look at it as a whole, it makes for a very busy year at Nature Reliance School.
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What is your favorite class/subject to teach?
I’ve got a few favorites, but if I’m being selfish, I’d teach tracking all the time. I just love it. Tracking has a way of humbling you, and no matter how long you’ve been doing it, there’s always something new to learn. It pulls together everything I’ve done outdoors into one practice.
If I’m answering unselfishly, then it’s basic survival. That’s the class we teach the most, and it’s often the gateway for people who want to get outside but don’t quite know how to do it safely yet. I really enjoy that part, empowering people to feel confident outdoors and giving them the skills to actually go use those spaces.
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What are some of the biggest challenges you’re seeing in your classes?
Two things really stand out to me. The first is the physical side of it, especially for folks who haven’t spent much time outdoors. There’s a pretty romantic idea that sleeping outside is always going to be peaceful and comfortable. For beginners, that’s often not the case.
I see people struggle most with sleep systems. Things like tents, hammocks, pads, and insulation. If those aren’t set up right, sleep suffers, and once you’re tired, everything else gets harder. A lot of challenges in class come down to people simply not getting good rest.
The second big challenge is social media. It definitely skews people’s expectations of what outdoor skills actually look like. I can usually spot it right away. Someone shows up talking about things they’ve seen us or others do online, and wants to jump straight into that level of skill.
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The reality is, the beginner experience in the real world doesn’t match the polished version you see on social media from experienced folks. We understand that going in, though. Our job is to meet students exactly where they are and then help push them past those self-imposed limits in a safe, structured way.
Any future plans for you or NRS that you can divulge?
Yes, definitely. We’ve got several contracts lined up with first responders for the coming year, which I’m really excited about. Any time we get to work with people whose job is to protect and help others, that’s a win in my book. Helping them be better prepared really matters to us.
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We’re also continuing to grow our online school, with a big focus on bringing in interviews with subject matter experts to expand the knowledge and understanding of our community.
On top of that, we’ve launched a nonprofit arm called Omni Resilience Group. That organization is focused on providing safety and disaster readiness training for first responders, community organizations, and individuals. It’s a natural extension of what we’ve already been doing and something we’re really excited about moving forward.
How do people reach you and/or follow what you are doing?
The best place is to check out our website at naturereliance.org. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. We have nearly three million followers with all of those combined, and that is only going to continue to grow.
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In addition to the online and in-person classes Caudill conducts, he’s also written several books. Essential Wilderness Navigation, co-written with Tracy Trimble, is perhaps the single-best reference for teaching navigation to those with little or no experience in the subject.
Ultimate Wilderness Gear takes an objective view on what to look for and what to avoid when you’re shopping for new equipment. In Extreme Wilderness Survival, Caudill shares practical knowledge on how to handle emergencies that may crop up out in the field.
The Secret Signs of Nature was written for young readers, but there’s plenty of great information adults can learn as well.
Caudill is also a regular contributor to several publications, including Backwoods Survival Guide magazine and Field & Stream.
We’d like to thank Caudill for taking the time for the interview. Please be sure to check out Nature Reliance School online.
