Living off the land and off the grid.
Sourcing your own food, building a fire, constructing a shelter—these primitive skills define a survivalist. Those who consider themselves a survivalist are prepared to live off the grid and fend for themselves. If you're looking to get into survivalist practices, social media is a great source for adventure inspiration and valuable advice. From experts at living off the land to true hunter/gatherers, here are a few of our favorite survivalists to follow on Instagram.
If off-the-grid living and preparing for the worst is the brand of survival you’re into, you’ll appreciate Off the Grid Guide. They offer tips on everything from food preservation and storage and building tips to how to construct a furnace or solar electric setup. More than 160,000 followers make for a lively survival community.
View this post on Instagram
With over 150,000 followers, it’s clear that David Canterbury knows what he’s talking about when it comes to wilderness survival. He is the founder of Pathfinder School, a survival academy, an author, and an ambassador for several outdoor brands. His photos are often gorgeous outdoor images, but he also offers frequent tips for surviving out of doors.
View this post on Instagram
Primitive survivalist and nomad hunter/gatherer Laura Zerra has made three appearances (so far) on Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid. She is a knife maker and has authored a book on the subject—A Modern Guide to Knifemaking—which covers everything from forging your own blade to making the handle. Her Instagram account details her adventures, and you won’t be disappointed if you follow her.
View this post on Instagram
Cody Lundin, founder of the Aboriginal Living Skills Scool in Arizona, has been a primitive survival instructor in the southwestern United States for three decades. Famously barefoot, he is perhaps best known as one of the original hosts of Discovery’s Channel’s Dual Survival. His Instagram account is full of survival tips, along with photos of the plants and critters he encounters when he’s out in the field.
View this post on Instagram
Melissa Miller is another alum from Discovery’s Naked and Afraid who has made multiple appearances across several seasons. She shares her adventures, including her foray into van life, with her 145,000-plus fans that follow Melissa on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Based in Ontario, Canada, Doug Flinders is an outdoor photographer and wilderness survival instructor who has spent more than two decades studying, practicing, and teaching primitive living skills and bushcraft. On his Instagram account, you’ll find photos of his backcountry adventures and the gear he uses when he’s in the bush.
View this post on Instagram
As the co-host of Discovery Channel’s Outback Lockdown series, Ky Furneaux has definitely demonstrated her survivalist cred. She is also an author, a motivational speaker and a stunt performer. Her Instagram account offers plenty of images from Ky’s adventures Down Under, as well as handy wilderness tips.
View this post on Instagram
Creek Stewart is the host of Could You Survive on The Weather Channel, as well as a multidiscipline survival instructor who emphasizes firemaking skills and prepping, in particular. His Instagram feed offers many helpful suggestions, personal posts, and behind the scenes images and videos from his television appearances.
View this post on Instagram
Chad Keel is a primitive survival instructor who teaches courses through Nature Reconnection, based in Southern California. He has also been featured on survival-based television series like Naked and Afraid. His Instagram feed is chock full of useful survival tidbits as well as photos from his forays into the outdoors.
View this post on Instagram
Another long-time host of Discovery Channel’s Dual Survival, as well as other survival programs on television, Matt Graham is also a long distance runner and an instructor at the California Survival School. You can follow along with his adventures on his regularly-updated Instagram account.
View this post on Instagram
