If you’ve been alive these last few years you’ve definitely heard the term unc being used through the younger generations. It was first used through the phrase “unc status”, which is a self explanatory statement which hints at growing older with interests and life. While the use of the word unc is a general phrase, there are subsections of what makes someone an unc. I’ve found through my personal experience of reaching “unc status” was through outdoorsmanship and literature. My younger siblings and their friends look at me as an esoteric figure, or rather an “unc”. A handful of times I talked to them about things like wild berries in the woods and which ones were edible, or my experiences sailing across the bay–and their reactions always aligned with me being old. I’ve found that I am not the only person who has received this label through being outdoorsy. Rather, a population of Gen Z and elderly twenty year olds have been branded as uncs through this lifestyle. While it’s a label which was partly intended to be offensive, it’s somewhat turned into an indicative badge of honor with outdoorsmanship.
The reason I’d like to talk about this identity is its relation to nature and outdoorsmanship, where many unc-like activities and hobbies are actually just outdoor hobbies. In an age of smartphones and constant attachment to technology, these outdoor hobbies are a revitalization of cultures that are both dead and alive. These cultures that go hand in hand with these outdoorsy hobbies are heavily involved with rustic tradition, environmentalism, and even folk and hippie resurgence. Admittedly these ways of life do very little to ward off the status of the unc, because they are either historically rooted or associated with a degree of maturity. I have heard this term used scarcely in normal conversations, but I wholeheartedly agree with it–these people are the wilder-uncs(wilderness uncs) of our generation. This is an identity which circles back into pastoral appreciation, and a rejection of the consumerism that the many non wilder-uncs would play into.
There is oftentimes an inherent ruggedness behind this culture and the hobbies that go with it: mountaineering, hiking, sharpshooting, etc. Where this consumerism is refuted through predominant use of second hand clothes, and an appeal to convenient outdoor apparel. Imagine the thrifted wool sweaters and jeans, the flannels and canvas coats. These secondhand options are easily accessible and much more affordable, often at minimal cost of being older and used–or what some might consider out of style with the times. At the end of the day we might dress like our grandfathers, but that’s because some of these clothes were from them. A long time ago I inherited my grandfather’s red flannel which he gave to my uncle, and that shirt still gets me through the summer, and winter. Sporting both thrifted and generational clothing agrees with the environmentalist and pastoral-esc cultures that exist within the concept of the wilder-unc. Our choice of clothing goes a long way to paint us as uncs, but ultimately it carries a generational aura.
This identity supports the notion of self-sufficiency and individualism for sure, though it also creates a vast community through the solace of nature. One could argue that a part of this unc-identity is the music behind it, folk and folk-like genres, which acts like an adhesive for a community. These hobbies(hiking, gardening, mountaineering) often support both identities of the rugged individual and the connected community. The hobbies extend beyond drinking beer at sundown in the woods and on top of mountains, which we all enjoy, but others are far more grounded. Like recreational mining, and sharpshooting. Backpacking and hiking are a staple to this identity, but they are supported by niche interests as well: such as foraging. The hobby of foraging is less popular than you’d think, but it’s more than eating wild berries. Foraging is an established connection between you and nature, it takes the commitment to knowing the environment and what might kill you–and it’s also actualized through means you might not expect. Tapping trees for sap and syrup is a way of foraging, and what’s more unc-like than making pine sap soap in a garage.
Gardening is another unc-like hobby, the concept of recreational and utility based gardening does not evoke the images of twenty something year olds. I created a garden only a year ago, for the purpose of being self-sufficient with herbs and greens. The ability to have tea leaves and herbs available at any time and from your own garden was a perk I appreciated every day. I made tea from fresh leaves very frequently, and spent time every week drying out a number of fresh herbs for further use. It’s a hobby that connects you with nature in a pastoral and paternal way, much like foraging. Though gardening aligns with an elderly identity, where the majority of your plants would take more than a season to mature–for some plants you won’t see any harvest for years. There is a saying that plays on the time your plants have to spend just to yield a harvest, the best time to plant a blueberry bush was three years ago. Gardening is certainly a hobby that relies on having time spent towards it for years on end, and for some of these wilder-uncs it’s a hobby that is very characterizing.
The wilder-unc in modern day is not just a young guy with old interests and lifestyles, but rather the multifaceted identity of braving and embracing nature. The wilder-unc are the twenty year olds who abandon technology as a crutch, and live life meaningfully. The term unc doesn’t just poke at the elderly demeanor behind these interests and lifestyles, it more so is a badge of recognition towards your outdoor achievements and knowledge. Thoreau spoke about the concepts of youthful identity far before the time of the wilder-unc, but the quote still agrees with the recognition of self sufficiency which these uncs may show: “The youth may build or plant or sail, only let him not be hindered from doing that which he tells me he would like to do”. If Thoreu was a young man today, he would certainly be called an unc.
References
Thoreau, H. D. (n.d.). Walden: Economy 98-111. Walden. https://commons.digitalthoreau.org/walden/economy/economy-98-111/
Featured image by Dylan Germann.
