---
title: The Modern Human Rewilding Movement
description: Our desire to reconnect with nature is at an all-time high. We show you ways to capitalize on the movement.
---

<https://www.nlopchantamang.com/trends/signals>

# [The Modern Human Rewilding Movement](https://www.nlopchantamang.com/trends/signals/signal/the-modern-human-rewilding-movement)

 Written by [Shân Osborn](https://www.nlopchantamang.com/trends/signals/author/shano) | Oct 13, 2020 6:57:27 AM

***Source: Subreddit Stats***

**The Signal: **Interest in all things nature-based is surging, from foraging to camping gear. “Human rewilding” is driving the sharp uptick in popularity. The concept stems from the larger [rewilding conservation movement](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/12/24/recall-of-the-wild). 

You’re not alone if the idea conjures up thoughts of anarchist hippies. It’s sometimes associated with [anarcho-primitivism](https://www.britannica.com/topic/anarcho-primitivism) (AKA a primeval way of life). But human rewilding is not a cohesive or defined movement, it’s more of a hodgepodge of beliefs.

The modern interpretation assumes that we don’t have to give up our lives to be closer to nature. Rewilding enthusiasts range from [remote off-grid home](https://www.rewildhomes.com/blog/category/Off+Grid+Living) fans (we [covered these](https://trends.co/articles/vacations-unplugged-remote-homes/) last October) to Silicon Valley software engineers looking for new hiking trails.

**The Big Picture:** The overarching message of human rewilding is reconnection with nature to realize your full potential. Bolstered by the pandemic, outdoor travel has never been stronger.

- Traffic to top-ranked campground search app The Dyrt reached a 7-year high in May, with a [400k](https://skift.com/2020/05/29/rv-and-outdoor-recreation-companies-see-a-boom-in-bookings/) MoM visitor increase.
- European RV rental platform PaulCamper saw 100% growth in bookings YoY this summer.
- [Cabana](https://cabana.life/), a travel-tech startup, closed a [$3.5m seed round](https://skift.com/2020/05/29/trip-com-groups-venture-arm-bets-on-greencloud-hotel-tech-travel-startup-funding-this-week/) in May. 

Combine this with rising awareness of the [environmental](https://www.nationalgeographic.org/topics/resource-library-human-impacts-environment/?q=&page=1&per_page=25) and [mental](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318230) issues associated with modern society, and the [increasing popularity of the experience economy](https://trends.co/signal/to-survive-the-retail-pocalypse-lean-into-the-experience-economy/) -- and you have a market ripe with opportunity. Areas poised for growth:

**Rewilding Experiences: **Historically, these were limited to joining in on donation-based hippie-led [community events](https://www.rewildportland.com/educational-programs/workshops/) or doing weekend “survival training.” But there’s way more to this.

There’s demand for tamer, more innovative -- and, dare we say, more enjoyable options. Trendster Codie Sanchez recently shared a story in our [Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/Trends.co/permalink/597326770946097) about fellow member Kate Hancock, who is making impressive returns renting out dirt to campers.

Kate purchased a couple of acres of land near Joshua Tree and rents it out as is, netting $1.5k/mo off a $10k investment. 

There’s also demand to build experience-centric businesses around each of these [2020 Pinterest rewilding trends](https://www.pinterest100.com/en-us/re-wilding/) receiving growing interest:

- **Bushcraft camping (+1,069%)**: Invest in some of the [land for sale](https://www.land.com/buying/landscape/national-parks-service-2016-centennial/) around National Parks and cash in on rewilding enthusiasts living out their camping dreams
- **Lake fishing trips (+274%)**: Rent out quiet acres of woodland or rustic homes surrounding areas like [the Great Lakes](https://www.landleader.com/brokerage/great-lakes-and-land-real-estate-co-inc)
- **Rockhounding (+185%)**: Purchase land around geological formations where campers can go digging for geodes and gems

You could also rework old products needed for these experiences. A prime example is the [Crua XTENt](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thermotents/crua-xtent-carry-anywhere-all-in-one-transformable-tent), a multifunctional temperature-controlled tent with adjustable height. It reached its Kickstarter fundraising target in just 75 minutes, and went on to raise $250k more.

**Reimagining Travel Tech: **Entrepreneurs are now developing apps that simplify and enrich outdoor experiences.

- Recently launched [Travel Diary](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1440237237?ref=producthunt) is a platform to creatively document your adventures from just $0.49/week.
- [CampTarget](https://camptarget.com/?ref=producthunt) is a road-trip mapping tool that allows for discovery and sharing of new sights and campgrounds. The subscription version (for $12.50/mo) even has a handy budget tool that plans your trip to match specific pocket and time constraints.

Products in the space will become increasingly modern as younger tech-savvy generations turn to outdoor activities and [staycations](https://www.resilience.org/stories/2020-07-01/the-great-staycation-how-the-coronavirus-pandemic-could-push-a-rapid-transition-to-creative-domestic-holidays/). You could develop planning and sharing apps for niche travel needs.

One sure-to-be-hit niche: Traveling with pets can be notoriously stressful -- your tool could do the groundwork for the [37% of dog owners](https://www.travelagentcentral.com/running-your-business/stats-37-dog-owners-have-skipped-vacation-to-stay-dog) (some [23m](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-pet-statistics) American households) who say they won’t go on vacation sans Fido.

**Outdoor Gear Becomes Everyday Wear:** “Hiking fashion” on Pinterest is up 194% this year. #HikingBoots alone has [285k+](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/hikingboots/?hl=en) Instagram tags.

Last year luxury outdoor fashion brands Moncler and Canada Goose experienced [double-digit sales growth](https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/outdoor-gear-athleisure-luxury-brands-patagonia-north-face) compared with 2018. But can $1.3k fleece jackets and calfskin-trimmed backpacks compete with the sustainability focus of rewilding? 

A [global survey](https://www.ingwb.com/media/3076131/ing-circular-economy-survey-2020-learning-from-consumers.pdf) suggests 61% of consumers would be less willing to buy a company’s product if it had poor environmental practices. The [circular fashion economy](https://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1065) aims to help with this, and [96%+](https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/rise-re-commerce-everything-old-new/) of senior retail executives polled want to advance their company’s circular fashion efforts. You could help outdoor apparel brands to do so by:

- Jumping on recently developed [3D digital sampling](https://www.taas.nyc/blog/5-things-about-3d-digital-sampling-for-fashion-you-may-not-have-known) methods to significantly reduce fabric waste
- Developing or introducing software to increase retailer visibility on returns, enabling diversion to resale or recycling -- a recent example is [Optoro](https://www.optoro.com)
- Leveraging blockchain technology to [store supply chain history](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/article-military-high-tech-used-combat-fast-fashion-fallout) and establish sustainable recycling
- Developing and implementing an after-sales garment repair service to ensure long-term use of brands’ products

[View full post](https://www.nlopchantamang.com/trends/signals/signal/the-modern-human-rewilding-movement)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Shân Osborn"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2021-05-18T16:45:32.866Z",
  "datePublished" : "2020-10-13T06:57:27Z",
  "headline" : "The Modern Human Rewilding Movement",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 562,
    "url" : "https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/3430677/Imported_Blog_Media/Screenshot-2020-10-12-at-14_16_17.png",
    "width" : 864
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.nlopchantamang.com/trends/signals/signal/the-modern-human-rewilding-movement",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60,
      "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png",
      "width" : 60
    },
    "name" : "Trends - Signals"
  }
}
```