To read the April issue of Tactical Retailer, visit www.tacretailer-digital.com.
Posts Tagged ‘Tactical Retailer’
Tactical Retailer – April Issue Available Now
Friday, March 31st, 2017Tactical Retailer – “Is Bushcraft The New Prepping Trend?”
Sunday, May 15th, 2016Some of you may know that I write a column for the trade publication “Tactical Retailer”. “Is Bushcraft The New Prepping Trend?”, is my latest article.
While SHOT Show 2016 was my busiest ever, I didn”t see any major technology or product announcements. Everyone had new products, but they were incremental improvements. Additionally, everyone I spoke with was upbeat despite the slowdown in the worldwide economy.
Let’s face it, when times get tough, people turn to themselves. That’s how the Prepper movement started. But Prepping has hit its peak and people have begun to realize you can only store so much for future use and even a warehouse full of water and food won’t do you any good if you aren’t with it.
I’d like to discuss a “tactical” trend that’s starting to pick up steam. Regardless of whether you refer to it as fieldcraft, bushcraft or outdoor skills, the techniques that are part of this movement allowed our ancestors to make it day-to-day while they tamed this nation’s frontier. And while it’s seeing a resurgence here in America, bushcraft has been popular in Europe for quite some time with well organized groups and specialty stores.
Along with most of my generation, I learned my skills while growing up. I was a Boy Scout and honed them while camping and hunting. Later, I added to those skills while serving in the military by attending Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training. However, not everyone has had these same opportunities. Today, even those in rural areas do not learn how to survive on their own for 72-hours or more, thanks to our modern standard of living.
Prepping might have been the foot through the door, but as many are beginning to learn, you never know when you’ll find yourself in a situation where you have to fend for yourself.
At SHOT Show 2016, there were more and more products aimed at survival, evasion and escape. Specialized items such as lockpick kits, fire starting kits, first-aid items, water purification and pocket survival kits have become increasingly popular, and there are multiple specialized suppliers who have stood up to meet the demand. My trip in March to the IWA Outdoor Classics in Germany only confirmed this.
Like I said before, these skills and the items to support them are intended to allow their user to survive and thrive in the backcountry. In some cases, the concept is to just get out of a risky area in order to make it to a safe haven, and in others, the idea is long-term survival and to live off the land. Both instances require skills as well as tools.
To read the rest of the article, visit www.tacretailer.com/2016/05/05/is-bushcraft-the-new-prepping-trend/. Industry folks might want to check out the whole publication.
