14 vs. Unknown is a survival bootcamp for girls* that took place in summer 2023 in cooperation with Schilleria Berlin-Gropiusstadt and students of Fritz-Karsen-Schule Berlin-Britz.

Combat, survival, and nowadays Youtube formats about bushcrafting and the outdoors are a domain of (toxic) masculinity. But what narratives do we have for the survival of women* in the past and present? What survival strategies do they develop in hostile environments, crisis situations, or against everyday dangers? Do they fend for themselves as lone wolves or do they harness the strength of the group?

I crawl on all fours through the mud. My khukuri knife is clenched between my teeth. I have built a loincloth out of my sleeping bag cover and struggle my way to the water. It looks dirty, but I am thirsty. So I carefully pour it through the fabric of my camouflage headscarf. The night was cold. I built a shelter out of birch roots, branches, leaves and moss, but there is a terrible draft and although I burned almost a cubic meter of wood overnight, I woke up shivering every few minutes. My breakfast: blueberries, as well as the last few days. My stomach is growling, but my mind is focussed. I can't let my mind lose control of my body. I record a short sequence with the GoPro for my followers: A jump from the ledge into the ice-cold water. On the way out, I get a small cut in my foot - blood! I carefully apply some paracord as a tourniquet above the wound. The cold, the hunger, the bear tracks - that is nothing against my biggest enemy: loneliness. I'm simply not made for this situation.