Are bushcraft creators the remedy to the masculinity crisis?

Men used to hunt woolly mammoths. Now they smoke blueberry vapes and use therapy speak.

We’ve all seen memes with a similar sentiment to this.

And while it’s always funny to poke a little fun, there’s something pretty dark underlying these jokes.

It’s no secret that we’re experiencing a masculinity crisis.

And I don’t mean in a traditional 'have muscles, ignore feelings' sense – no one misses that.

But whether you look at education or the labour market – or addiction and suicide rates – it becomes increasingly obvious that it’s not painting a pretty picture for our men at the moment.

Worrying about the 'state of men' is not new. However, now we have actual data showing that men do seem to be in a real crisis. Our social structure, work structure, and economy have all drastically changed over the past 30 to 40 years.

And that of course changes the way people, namely, men, fit into the world.

Then there’s this generalised resentment men experience post-third wave feminism that exists online. It spouts this kind of uncritical form of man-hating and misandry. You know, where it’s ‘cool’ to be like: men are trash, men suck, someone’s dusty son this, put them all on an island that.

The main activists against this are guys like Ben Shapiro and Andrew Tate, who are problematic, to say the least. So there’s also this fear that if you speak up for men, people are going to think: Why are you so interested? Are you one of them? Do you agree? 

It’s a branding problem.

This begs the question, where online is a safe space for men?

Enter, bushcraft creators.

This is an exploding niche of influencers that are taking to the woodlands and wilderness to learn ancient survival skills. Their goal? To rekindle a lost connection with the natural world.

These outdoor influencers seek to motivate, inspire, and teach their audience how to experience nature in its truest form. This goes from the lore of bushcraft to all things related to self-sustainability. So things like setting up an adequate camp site, lighting fires, gathering water, hunting, cooking, and general wilderness survival tips.

An example is Paul Hayes, AKA 'Ray Beers.' He's known for his humorous outdoor videos featuring wild camping, and spear fishing. His content also features beer reviews and heartfelt monologues about the healing power of nature.

Hayes, who broadcasts to more than 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel Haze Outdoors, agrees that bushcraft can be a tonic for the mind. 'I've always struggled a little bit with my mental health – I've got ADHD and my brain's my enemy sometimes,' he said. 'Being outdoors calms me, it centres me. It's a medicine.'

Another great example is Luke Nichols, creator of Outdoor Boys on YouTube. Luke takes his sons Tommy, Nate, and Jacob all over the world to experience the great outdoors, teaching them what it means to be a survivalist. With over 9 million subscribers, the combination of family moments and survival elements have become a huge hit in recent years.

Obviously, this style of content is not just for men, but it is geared heavily toward male audiences. Of all the men in my life, the majority of them consume it regularly. Why?

Because it creates a strong sense of community.

The bushcraft community is often tight-knit, with shared values around sustainability and self-sufficiency.

It offers an authentic style of content that’s raw and real. And it showcases real-world practical skills and challenges as opposed to the polished or staged scenarios that dominate our feeds.

Above all, it’s a balm from the tumultuous digital world I mentioned before.

The practice of bushcraft requires focus, patience, and presence. Watching these videos can act as a form of mindfulness, offering mental clarity and stress relief. They provide a non-toxic expression of masculinity, with the skill involved representing the roles of being a provider and protector.

So much of the content on our feeds is divisive and polarising. But this new focus on bushcraft creators is a huge positive step forward in male-focused content creation. And I think it's one we should embrace.

-Sophie, Writer