Hollercraft: Bushcraft Experiences straight from the holler.

Hollercraft: A Way of Life Rooted in the Hills

Buffalo plaid… Stormy Kromer hats… BDU’s, red and white coolers… Those colors of brown and yellow that made up ninety percent of what outdoor “expert gear” looked like when I was a kid. That’s what I grew up around. Everyone had an old Ben Pearson bow, a few rusty skillets, and a Coleman stove tucked away somewhere in the garage or basement. This gear, for me, wasn’t just a pile of old stuff—it represented freedom. Freedom from dusting hay off my shoulders, from leaving my boots on the porch or in the mudroom. To me, it meant the woods—it meant wilderness. I could close my eyes and imagine the boundless mountains of evergreen, hear the rushing streams. Except… reality didn’t quite match my dreams. We didn’t have vast forests of evergreens, only oaks and hickories, a few tulip poplars, and some scraggly pines with bits of barbed wire nailed to them to keep the cows out of the road. So, where was my wilderness?

Finding Freedom in the “Holler”

As a kid, I imagined camping as something magical and wild, like what I saw in movies about the Pacific Northwest. I wanted to experience that freedom, but my version of the outdoors was right here in southeastern Kentucky. I spent my childhood fishing, cooking over campfires, and sleeping under the stars or in undercut cliffsides, yet I never quite felt like I was living up to that vision of “camping.” My parents never took me to an “outdoor store”—we didn’t have one. We had a hardware store, a Lowe’s, and a decent dollar store, but not an outfitter in sight!

In the 90s, when the outdoors shifted toward military surplus gear and booby traps, I was always looking for the next adventure. I scrounged for gear at yard sales or flea markets and found myself a canteen and a BDU field jacket. Armed with my Zebco rod, my hollow-handled survival knife, and my ALICE pack stuffed with a Walmart sleeping bag, a can of soup, and a candy bar, I was ready to take on the world—or at least the woods behind our barn. But still, I felt like something was missing. I wondered, why didn’t I feel like a real outdoorsman?

The 2000s and the Rise of “Bushcraft”

Even into the early 2000s, when “bushcraft” became all the rage, I struggled to feel like I fit the mold of a true outdoorsman. I couldn’t find the perfect Swedish-inspired gear that made me feel like a camper. No Puuko, no wool anorak made me feel like I had reached what I would define as a bushcrafter. Sure, I was out there in the woods, catching fish, setting up tarps, and building fires, but I didn’t feel like I belonged in the world of bushcrafters. I didn’t have the high-end, well-marketed gear or the fancy names for everything I did. I was just some guy in the woods, doing my thing with a blue Walmart tarp.

But over time, I learned about people like Horace Kephart and Mors Kochanski, outdoorsmen who embraced the wilderness in practical, authentic ways. That’s when it hit me: I was an outdoorsman. All those years spent in the woods weren’t for nothing. I didn’t need a specific brand of gear or a title like “bushcrafter” to prove it. I was living the life.

Still, the term “bushcraft” never sat well with me. Here in southeastern Kentucky, we’re not “in the bush.” As my four-year-old says, “We’re in the holler, honey.” We’re not out there in some exotic wilderness—we’re right here in the hollers, surrounded by saw briars and smoke vines, not birch trees and mythical creatures. That’s when I realized what I’ve been doing all along isn’t “bushcraft.” It’s Hollercraft.

What Is Hollercraft?

Hollercraft is a way of life that’s unique to those of us who grew up in the hills of Kentucky and similar regions. It’s more than just a hobby or trade—it’s a tradition, a lifestyle passed down from generation to generation. Hollercraft is about working with your hands, living off the land, and finding peace in the wilderness around you. It’s about building and doing, whether that’s processing your own livestock or wild game to feed your family or crafting your own shelters and traps in the woods.

Hollercraft isn’t just about necessity—it’s about choice and tradition. It’s raising chickens and rabbits in the yard, where they might end up in the pot or as pets. It’s taking a side-by-side (a holler buggy) out for a day of fishing with bush hooks in the back. It’s reading the land by recognizing the trees and using those markers to navigate. It’s being able to spot a squirrel at a distance or knowing when the tulip poplar leaves are turning, signaling that it’s time to fold up camp or throw on a flannel shirt.

At its core, Hollercraft is a quiet life, filled with simple joys like squirrel hunting at dawn, cooking over a Dutch oven, and learning to trust your instincts in the woods. And in many ways, it’s about faith—a quiet, steady faith that comes from living close to the land and trusting that God will provide.

 Finding God in the Woods

In many ways, we find our walk with Jesus in the woods. Paul communed with God and had his church, and in the folding, rolling hills covered in trees and bramble, I too have found it easier to hear His voice and see my path. I can shut out the world around me, focus on the now, and really reflect on readings or things the Lord is teaching me. In a way, my faith has been cemented by my experiences in nature. I have always walked a narrow path, but it is now, at this point in my life, that I really see that the woods and camping have been a part of that. Gaining understanding, bringing myself humbly to God’s mercy, asking for forgiveness, guidance, and strength.

Lessons from My Grandmother

My grandmother was the ultimate hollercrafter. She knew when to plant peas (on Valentine’s Day, of course), and she kept a Bible in the living room with important dates like birthdays and anniversaries scribbled in the margins. She had an incredible faith, rooted in verses like James 1:12: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” Her life was a testament to perseverance, to enduring trials with grace, and to trusting that God’s plan is always good, even when life gets tough.

Another verse that always stood out to her was Romans 5:3-4: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” That’s what hollercraft is about—enduring, growing, and finding hope in the process. Whether it’s raising a garden, tending to animals, or braving a storm in the woods, we learn to persevere. We learn to rely on God’s strength when ours falters.

Hollercrafting Today

Today, I carry my grandmother’s lessons with me every time I step into the woods. I may not have the fanciest gear, but I have something better—experience. I’ve learned how to build fires, set traps, and read the land, not from a textbook or YouTube video, but from living it day in and day out. This isn’t some romanticized hobby; it’s a way of life. It’s hollercraft.

Hollercraft isn’t just about surviving—it’s about thriving. It’s about being resourceful and resilient, about making do with what you have and finding joy in the simple things. It’s about being at peace in the wilderness, knowing that you have the skills and the faith to handle whatever comes your way.

So, the next time you see someone setting up a tarp in the woods or cooking over an open fire, don’t just call them a bushcrafter. They might be a hollercrafter, quietly carrying on the traditions of their ancestors, trusting in God’s provision, and finding peace in the hills and hollers that have shaped them.

Learning to be a “Real-Life” Hollercrafter

As of 2023, we have established our business and begun offering unique experiences in the hollercraft world. From sharing stories and skills to passing on traditions like harvesting from the land and navigating the hollers, ravines, and backforties, The Prepared Man Outdoors specializes in teaching outdoor skills. Sheltercraft, firecraft, and survival are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the tradition-filled, historically immersed courses and workshops we offer.

We are currently scheduled to have a grand opening of our outdoor learning campus in April 2025, with unique experiences and skills-sharing events. Our Intro to Survival course will follow shortly after, with hollercraft experiences coming onto the schedule as we roll out.

Make sure to check us out on social media, follow our blogs for regular updates, and book classes early as our schedule unfolds. From the 1800s to now, the holler continues to evolve and change. We are charged with keeping our heritage alive in a unique way that only we can.