10 Women in Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival

Bushcraft is a wide open, intriguing, and variegated dimension where woodcraft and survival knowledge are intertwined, but strangely there are fewer women in bushcraft than there are men. This applies also to female preppers.

Bushcraft requires different skills related to a concept of life spent in the woods. In today’s world, these are very different skillsets from what most people have today, skills related more to living with modern conveniences and working in office environments. Bushcraft even drifts apart from many military skills with the exception of those detailed in military manuals like Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape.

The typical bushcrafter is very often associated to the woodsman. But what about a woods-woman!?

”Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, “She doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes””
-Clare Boothe Luce

There should be more women in bushcraft than there are. Bushcraft promotes:

Self-reliance
Self-sufficiency
Self-confidence
Solitude

These are goals that people of any race, religion, or sex should strive for.

Why There Not Many Women in Bushcraft

”Every girl and every woman, has the potential to make this world a better place, and that potential lies in the act of thinking higher thoughts and feeling deeper things. When women and girls, everywhere, begin to see themselves as more than inanimate objects; but as beautiful beings capable of deep feelings and high thoughts, this has the capacity to create change all around. The kind of change that is for the better.”
-C. JoyBell C.

Bushcraft is not just about carving woods and cooking at the campfire all day long.

Quite the opposite, it involves making shelter, making fire, purifying water, tracking, trapping, hunting, foraging, skinning, preserving food, navigating, and other activities. No doubt most of these skills take a lot of effort.

Physical fatigue is one of the main issues, especially in carrying wood (for example, in order to make a shelter using no tarp but only natural elements), or dragging big game to the camp.

Killing big or small game, in fact, is not surely suitable for anyone. Needless to say you must have some guts in skinning and processing meat.

Women are more generally keen on foraging, navigating, starting fire, and purifying water. In my case, I am skilled at on reading and following tracks, and consequently the opposite – staying hidden from trackers.

There are women who bushcraft, however!

Following are some examples of contemporary women who break the norm – practicing wilderness survival skills in a real usually dominated by men.

10 Women in Bushcraft You Should Know

”Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.”
-Anita Roddick

I apologize in advance if this personal selection may not meet the approval of all the readers. I made this list according to several requirements.

First of all, I am honored to have had the chance to meet in person some of the ladies mentioned and I consider them a constant inspiration.

Other premises I took in consideration are related to the resonance of the social profiles of the women I chose to highlight.

Above all, I picked them based on their authenticity, passion, and moral integrity.

Unfortunately, bushcraft in some cases became a trend.

Sad to say, it is common to see some girls only wearing a bra while they hike or make a shelter. These girls are not in it for bushcraft. They are in it for the spotlight.

With no further ado, let’s lift the lid on some solid ladies who are now the real thing in bushcraft.

1 – Vanessa Blank

Vanessa Blank hails from Germany. As of this writing, she has 106,000 subscribers on YouTube and 22,500 followers on Instagram. These numbers speak for themselves.

Vanessa knows her stuff and she never ceases to amaze us outdoorswomen with her overnight solo adventures in the outstanding Bavarian Forests.

Follow Vanessa Blank on Instagram and on YouTube.

2 – Ida Olsson

is the founder of I Skog Och Mark (“In Forests and Lands”). Ida hails from Sweden. Her 30,00)+ followers appreciate her authentic nature and the constant efforts of this young and capable lady in providing valuable bushcraft content.

Ida, in fact, knows how to capture people’s attention with her cutting edge photos and videos, always offering a personal perspective on tools, activities, and sharing moments of life outdoors. She talks straight, spreading important messages on respecting nature and on keeping the community together.

Follow Ida’s iskogochmark on Instagram. Follow Ida on Facebook.

3 – Susanne Williams, a.k.a. “Bushcraft Girl”

I first met Suzanne in October 2020 as she attended to my Basic Mantracking Class in the Netherlands (she is from Germany). I was already familiar with her incredible outlook and positive mindset.

Her dedication to “authentic alpine bushcraft” (as she lived in a mountaineering area of Germany) makes her one of the most interesting ladies to follow.

She is a avid learner, and on her YouTube channel, you will have the proof on how good she indeed is in sharing her skills with enthusiasm and commitment.

Follow Suzanne on Instagram and on YouTube.

4 – Bushcraft Alli

Alli is also from Germany. No doubt she is on my top five list of women in bushcraft. I really hope to have the chance to meet very soon.

She dedicates to bushcrafting, hunting, archery, and product testing. Her social media sites are filled with great pics, extensive captions, and delivered with solid professionalism and a female perspective.

Those skills and experience make the perfect ingredients for one of the coolest bushcrafting pages on Instagram. Follow her on Instagram and on YouTube.

5 – Jenny Pearce, a.k.a. “Adventure Jenny”

If the U.K. is recognized as the homeland of bushcraft, Adventure Jenny comes from the homeland with her voracious passion for the great outdoors.

Among cliffs and moorlands, her journey into bushcraft is an engaging flow of skills put into practice. In particular, she’s very good in setting up natural shelters.

Keep an eye on Jenny! Follow her on Instagram.

6 – Ani Mazz, a.k.a. “Ani 4×4”

Ani, coming to us from Spain with 172,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, is one of the most influential figures within the women’s world of bushcraft – and European off-roading.

The tormented history of her natural homeland, Armenia, turned her into a tough woman, where the commitment to outdoor activities are, at the same time, relief and pure essence.

Good videos, full of remarkable advices. Check out Ani on Instagram, on Facebook, and on YouTube! She also has her on website, aptly named Ani4x4.

7 – Patricia Klidis – a.k.a. “Lust auf Berg vs Bushcraft”

Patricia Klidis is from Austria. She is a wonderful female reference point when it comes to bushcrafting and mountaineering. Smart, accurate, prepared, and over all deeply respectful of local fauna and flora, Patricia performs her skills with constant commitment and a will to improve.

You will also find some nice gear reviews on Patricia’s pages. Follow her on Instagram and on YouTube.

8 – Alexis Outdoors

The Canadian wilderness is home to Alex, and Canada is such a lovely frame to practice bushcraft skills. Her 100,000 YouTube subscribers follow her experiences with engagement, due to the fresh and to-the-core attitude of Alexis.

Follow Alexis on Instagram and on YouTube – also see her website.

9 – Bush Eule

Bush Eule is another woman in bushcraft from Germany. She offers mood-setting photos, fantastic landscapes, and a true passion for fishing and bushcrafting. Eule is the real deal, and at her best when sitting around the campfire. Despite the young age of her profile, she caught the attention of the community thanks to her spirit and knowledge.

Follow Bush Eule on Instagram.

10 – Natura Caritate

Along with her soulmate “Bushcraft Edelweiss,” this amazing girl from Switzerland immediately got my attention for her spontaneous approach to Bushcraft and.. for the stunning gear she always show in pics.

Clear explanations, catchy photographs. Definitely one of my favorite profiles. Follow Natura on Instagram.

Ancestors of Bushcraft Women

”A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts.”
-Nancy Rathburn

The main difference between the past and current times consists of two concepts: necessity and choice.

Some great examples from the past women in bushcraft can be found throughout the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Pioneer women who emigrated from the Midwest to make their way to the West Coast proved to have all the bushcraft skills needed to face such a long and tough journey, accomplishing several tasks like foraging, trapping small game, and making fire.

One crystal clear example above all is the Donner Party. Before the tragic epilogue, journals filled in by Irish immigrant Patrick Breen talked extensively on the role of women.

Other cases are provided by the sturdy and determined ladies who used to leave in the poorest areas of the Appalachian mountains.

What about the Great Depression? Those who were located in woodland scenarios resorted to their bushcraft abilities to carry on, day by day.

In the very same manner, in Europe, there is historical evidence back to WWI and WWII recording the crucial roles of the women who lived in mountain locations.

My grandmother Adele told me a lot about her personal experience back she was a young girl. She used to live in the Alps. Foraging, processing meat, and collecting wood were daily duties for her and her sister.

The above mentioned cases are just a few. We can write a lot on these strong and brave women and their necessity to learn and practice such skills in order to survive.

Today’s bushcraft ladies are obviously moved by choice. And there’s nothing wrong with that!

From a prepping perspective, bushcraft includes a lot of remarkable skills to have when SHTF strikes!