Another interesting thread where I could respond to every post but the ones below I must respond.
Survivalist is an older term now most seem to rather be called a Prepper although prepper is not even as broad as a well prepared, knowledgeable, well experienced survivalist.
Bushcraft from what I have read is an Australian term now widely used to mainly refer to outdoors survival experts. From what I have learned over more than 3 decades is that bushcraft is much narrower in focus than survivalism. A concise small site that explains bushcraft >
https://bushcrafter.net/
It would take a long article to explain fully the differences but here is the best one I could find in a few minutes. I don't completely agree with it since it tries to make survivalists different from preppers in preparing for disasters but lots of great photos and info anyway >>
https://northernbush.com/on-the-differences-between-bushcrafting-survivalism-prepping/
A survivalist is a person who attempts to attain the skills and gear to survive an event. whether it is something that happens to them (urban or rural) or the whole world. A bushcrafter is a person who learns the skills needed to make his or her enjoyment of the outdoors as comfortable as possible.
That is pretty good and concise. In my opinion I think survivalists can attain a very wide spectrum of skills, knowledge, gear etc. But it depends on how much money they have to acquire good gear and how much time and effort they wish to spend learning skills etc.
I call myself a well prepared outdoorsman but also a general survivalist since for at least 30 years survivalism has been my lifestyle - looking at the world, movies etc etc. in ways to find out how this will help me be better prepared and more skilled.
Well, the example question of where to find some woods, would be a valid question here. Almost everywhere is either protected or private property, so just "finding woods" to go camp in can be an issue unless you just want to ignore the law, and risk the fine which accompanies it (together with the vandalism charges, charges for making a fire, and all that fun stuff). Let alone where you're allowed to make a fire, or allowed to make a makeshift shelter.
The other options are paid campings, and we all know how fun those are to camp on ...
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(and there's a free option, where you can camp for a night while hiking basically, of which several are getting closed because of idiots who can't respect nature and who don't even have any interest in bushcraft or anything like that.)
I don't care why someone wants to learn, or wants to get praised, i'd just be glad that atleast some people still see some value either way. Not many who grew up in the city who even want to go camping or hiking or doing anything outdoor anymore, so anything that gets people out is good (well, within LNT principles unless you're on your own land or got permission).
Also keep in mind the various goals for the individuals practicing "bushcraft" or "survival". For one a primitive camp setup might be the goal, for another getting dropped in Alaska in your underwear and drive out a year later in a homemade steam engine. Survival for one can be having some preps for hurricane season, while for another one means a full bunker for when the government and aliens finally reveal their alliance and destroy the earth leaving behind a mad max landscape full of raiders where they'll save the world.
The question of where to find some woods that are remote enough so that other people will not bother you is good. And what I asked the realtor guy in 1987 when I was looking for mountain land.
I asked him: "Do you have any land no more than five acres but just so the land has water, lots of trees and wildlife?" He showed me a couple places and I bought the most remote, with two springs, lots of trees etc.
The most perfect place I had ever seen to learn, practice All kinds of survival and even build what I needed to and wanted to build. Such as four storage sheds and the underground storage / storm shelter many insist on calling a bunker.
I think those with bunkers no matter how crude will survive much more than those who are running around and exposed but that is another topic.
I can do much bushcraft although for the past 25 years I have focused greatly on slowly but surely building a good survival retreat and real soon it will not be simply my BOL retreat but a wilderness like homestead or at least cabin etc. site.
One specific area of expertise where could I see BCUSA members excelling over SB members in general is their ability to start friction fires with different materials in different locations by different methods. Snowflakes or not, I developed many a bloody blisters before I got a coal to ignite because of that place. Haven't been there in a couple years, maybe it's changed, and I am sure lots of folks here can start friction fires, but it seemed everyone there was rubbing two stick together. Not sure I could successfully start a friction fire if my life depended on it today, but I do always have a few easy sources of fire handy after going through the friction fire phase. Ain't easy.
One of the very first things I did after I bought my mtn land was build a campfire site. It still exists and the rock ring has lichens etc. growing on the outside of the rocks. Some moss also since I have not been able to be up there very much the past four years.
I did do the board and friction fire and all of that and much more I will not go into. If / when I get more time to do such things again then I will practice more and possibly get good at making friction fires. Otherwise I have a few thousand matches stored in sealed pill bottles and other firestarters.
Maybe not bushcrafters but a survivalist will have the knowledge and the tools such as many kinds of firestarters to start a fire in a camp or cabin. Also have more than one way to cook a meal but I won't go into all of that...