In a contest of survival between the strongest of men and the smartest intellectual, it is the one who is most adaptable to change who will win. Strength and IQ may affect the overall results of bushcraft practice, but they are not the prime requirements for its success. If man is willing to venture into the woods and take whatever he finds to his advantage, to read nature instead of manipulate it, then his journey shall become a success. Wilderness Survival versus Bushcraft Although similar in nature, wilderness survival and bushcraft are two distinct genres. The confusion often arises from their overlapping characteristics, which involve ways of surviving in the wild. The main distinction between the two is the amount of time spent in the backwoods. Wilderness survival utilizes short-term survival tactics where the main goal is to escape the woods ASAP (survivors usually take an average of 72 hours to escape). Bushcraft, on the other hand, involves a complete immersion in the natural environment; it is a long-term stay.