Ep. 157: How a Rock Band in Iraq Turned Into a Survival Gear Empire

What do you get when you mix raw adventure, music tours in war zones, bowhunting in Africa, and building one of the most respected survival gear companies in North America? You get Christian Schauf.

In this episode, we go far beyond the typical founder story. From recording with Prince to launching survival kits that save lives, Christian opens up about what drives him: faith, fitness, hunting, entrepreneurship—and doing something meaningful with this short time we’re given. We talk about moose hunting in BC, building gear that’s actually reliable when things go sideways, learning from failure, and the mindset needed to push forward when most people quit.

Whether you’re into the outdoors, business, or just trying to live a more intentional life, this one’s for you.

______

Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4
Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U
Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU
Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9
Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W

Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.trav
Silvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors

____

• 00:00 – Podcast intro, Silvercore Club mention, and Christian’s bio

• 01:15 – How Christian came onto Travis’s radar: Half Face Blades and pack rafts

• 03:00 – Origin of the pack raft: military request, product design challenges

• 04:30 – Material development, Outdoor Retailer debut, slow early adoption

• 05:00 – Rafts used for hauling moose in Yukon and Alaska

• 07:00 – Living near elk and moose in Idaho/Park City, gratitude for the outdoors

• 08:00 – Reflection on time, legacy, and trying to do something meaningful

• 09:00 – Balancing ambition and faith; feeling overwhelmed; personal introspection

• 09:30 – Touring Iraq with a band, 39 trips for troop entertainment

• 12:26 – Using Prince’s sound guy, building portable sound systems for Blackhawks

• 14:43 – Making the shows about the troops, not the band

• 17:00 – Transitioning from touring to building new ventures

• 20:00 – Founding Crispin Cider, selling to MillerCoors

• 21:00 – Working with GoPro, Harley, and other brands post-touring

• 22:00 – Moving to SoCal, culture shock, and the roots of Uncharted

• 23:00 – Hard lessons in entrepreneurship, trusting the wrong people

• 24:30 – Importance of endurance, triage mindset, and grinding through obstacles

• 25:30 – Being taken advantage of, learning to manage yourself

• 26:45 – Facing new tariff issues, adapting with mindset

• 27:45 – You have to get comfortable with the pressure—it’s not going away

• 29:00 – Believing in your idea when others don’t

• 30:00 – Responding to doubters and building resilience

• 31:10 – Quality vs. garbage survival kits, building trust in the Uncharted brand

• 32:35 – Real-life use cases: jump starters, storm kits, hurricane response

• 36:00 – Designing gear that prevents emergencies before they escalate

• 37:00 – Color-coded, instructional layout of kits to reduce panic and improve usability

• 39:00 – Making gear intuitive even for non-experts

• 40:00 – No formal training offered yet, but strong content and future plans

• 41:00 – Most popular products: jump starters, first aid kits, survival kits

• 43:00 – Essentials Christian always carries, layering gear in “concentric circles”

• 44:30 – Saving his dog’s life with the Triage Kit

• 45:00 – Future of the company: growth, wholesale expansion, tariffs disrupting progress

• 47:00 – Transparent supply chain talk, China, FDA rules, and pricing realities

• 48:30 – Importance of American manufacturing and balancing affordability

• 49:30 – Drawing business parallels to survival mindset

• 50:00 – Upcoming hunts in South Africa (for school meat programs) and New Zealand

• 52:00 – Christensen Arms rifle use in mountainous terrain

• 54:00 – Travis’s Molokai access deer story and equipment mismatch

• 56:00 – Reaffirming the value of knowing your gear deeply

• 57:00 – Touching on faith, legacy, and leading by example

• 58:00 – Christian’s approach to faith: live it, don’t preach it