9/16/2024 Outdoor

Survival and bushcrafting - essential skills for outdoor enthusiasts

IWA OutdoorClassics is more than just a exhibition for hunting, target sports and outdoor activities - it is a meeting place for all those who love the outdoors and want to prepare and prepare themselves for the challenges of the wilderness. Two of the most important topics that have become increasingly important in recent years are survival and bushcraft. These two disciplines are at the heart of a new trend that is booming both in the outdoor industry and among hobbyists worldwide.

Two men on a teamwork on the Survival Rally 2025

What is survival?

Survival basically means surviving in extreme situations and being able to be completely self-sufficient in any location in order to escape the situation as quickly as possible. This skill can make the difference between life and death if you find yourself in the wilderness or in a crisis situation. Survival skills include obtaining and preparing water, making a fire, building emergency shelters quickly, subject-specific first aid knowledge and navigating without modern aids. The Survival Rally was a fantastic event to get a taste of the subject of survival. The participants were able to put their knowledge to the test at six challenging stations, or even come into contact with the topic for the first time through the rally. At the stations themselves, the organizer Eichenwerk provided all the necessary tools, such as fire steel, knives and the like, to ensure that all participants had the same prerequisites for completing the course. This allowed the participants to experience first-hand the need for solid and reliable equipment.

What is bushcrafting?

In contrast to survival, which focuses more on short-term survival, bushcrafting concentrates on long-term living and survival in nature. Bushcrafting is the art of making do with nature's resources in the long term. This includes building permanent shelters, recognizing edible plants and crafting with natural materials as well as the equipment you have taken with you into nature for support.

The Survival Rally 2025 got down to business - the route led right through the forest.

While the stations at the survival rally were more of a fast-paced nature - the factors of time, physical exertion and artificially generated, positive stress were decisive here - we also had the opportunity to get to know various techniques for making tools and cooking utensils from natural materials as part of our research into survival and bushcraft. The patience and knowledge involved in these processes gave us a deep insight into the philosophy of bushcrafting: living in harmony with nature and using its resources respectfully.

Survival vs. bushcrafting: the subtle differences

In the end, although the two concepts are often compared with each other, they differ significantly in their objectives. Survival is focused on rapid survival in crisis situations, while bushcrafting aims to build a more sustainable life in nature. This distinction is particularly important for retailers and manufacturers in the outdoor industry. Products for the survival sector must be extremely robust and easy to use, while bushcrafting requires versatility and flexibility.

The importance for the outdoor industry

The growing trend towards survival and bushcrafting offers enormous opportunities for the outdoor industry. Manufacturers who understand the needs of these two target groups can specifically develop innovative products that meet the high demands of users. IWA OutdoorClassics offers the ideal platform to present these products to an international audience and help shape the future of the outdoor industry.

Survival Rally 2024: Three questions for Amelie and Heinz Eichinger Noll

The organizers of the Survival Rally 2024 were Heinz Eichinger and Amelie Eichinger-Noll with their new company Eichenwerk. Both are primarily at home in the shooting scene, although Heinz has also made a name for himself as an expert in the survival community thanks to his professional background and various training courses.

Question 1: Amelie, how many points of contact do you have with the topics of survival and bushcraft in your everyday life?

Amelie Eichinger-Noll: “To be really transparent here, I have to consciously make time for outdoor and bushcrafting alongside my day-to-day work so that they don't fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, I often don't have time to bushcraft intensively alongside events, everyday life on the range or in the office. However, I try to plan longer stays in the mountains or in nature as often as I can. This allows me to recharge my batteries for my everyday life.

Question 2: How would you describe the hype surrounding survival and bushcraft among the general public? Has there been a noticeable increase in interest since formats like 7 vs. wild?

Heinz Eichinger: People have been interested in survival and bushcraft for a long time, the only thing that has changed is access to it and the media through which the content is consumed. The first real hype was triggered a few years ago with Bear Grylls, Cody Ludin and other survival programs on television.For the first time, media with outdoor content stimulated the masses to follow suit.
masses for the first time. The second noticeable hype came with formats such as 7 vs. Wild, which mainly took place on social media. Here, the younger generation in particular is addressed and brought into contact with the topic.

Question 3: How is the sector responding to the trend and what opportunities are there for the industry and specialist retailers?

Heinz Eichinger: Of course, the noticeable outdoor trends are also creating new opportunities for the industry - back then, there was a rather manageable product range for those interested in the scene, usually associated with extensive research by buyers. Nowadays, terms such as outdoor or survival are more broadly diversified and range across various levels - from nature lovers to die-hard “preppers” - there are suitable articles for everyone to pursue their hobby. Specialist retailers and the industry have responded to the trend and adapted the range to the respective levels, niches and needs through innovation and product development.

Two men make their way through the forest.

Conclusion: Survival and bushcrafting as future trends

IWA OutdoorClassics clearly shows that survival and bushcrafting are more than just passing fads - they are essential components of a growing outdoor culture. This offers retailers and manufacturers the opportunity to tap into new markets with specialized and innovative products and meet the needs of a demanding target group.