OT: Survivorman

[3leggedturtle]

I like watching this show, but does ever strike you as odd that he goes on all these trips, and never has a rifle, shotgun and/or pistol with. Very rarely does he have fishing pole with. Understand making do with what you find, to educate us TV type reality people, BUT it still is weird he never even mentions bringing a firearm with.

[Gun Smith]

After he turns off his camera, he goes back to the motel in town to shower and get a bite to eat.

[3leggedturtle]

Thought that was Bear Grills and the "Man VS Wild" show

[nemhed]

He did have a rifle in one of his early episodes in northern Canada or some place for protection from polar bears. He uses some real skills but the show is about as exciting as watching paint dry. I guess if I want to be educated I'll read a book, if I want to be entertained I watch T.V.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I love the show. And yes, I believe the Inuit made him take a rifle with him as Polar Bear protection in the one episode. He also could have used a rifle on the episode where the Jaguar was stalking him in South America.

Yeah, I don't get out much.

[marlinman93]

There's no comparison between Bear Grills (not his real name either!) on "Man vs. Wild", and the guy on "Survivor Man". I too enjoy Survivor Man, and I understand why he's not armed or packing a fishing pole. He's trying to simulate what the average guy would have to deal with when stranded in various survival situations, and that usually wont include fishing tackle or a gun.
The rest of us rarely find ourselves in that situation, or without a gun when out in the great outdoors, so not all of what he does applies, but I still enjoy it!

[rich64]

I like both of these survivor shows.They give you a good idea of what to ecspect if you find yourself in a simular senerio. Myself I've always wanted to put on my backpack and dissapear into the wilderness for a year. I may get that chance if the economy gets alot worse. I've been stocking up on camping and survival gear just incase. But, as far as Survivorman carrying a firearm. I believe I saw the coming attractions for an episode on "what to do if you get lost hunting". It looked like he was carrying a boltaction rifle.
Well,maybe I'll see you out in the wilderness someday.

[Ben_Rumson]

It's a cool show..I like his gimmick..filming himself, as opposed to talking to a camera man like Grills does..There was one episode some place really bad cold where Les Stroud aka Survivorman cut the week short by a day or two because of an oncoming storm..in that episode he and his safety crew ( camped a few miles away ) had to be rescued... Last episode I saw he did have a fly rod as part of his survival equip.. Said it's standard equip to carry in the back country of the Sierras for hikers or hunters...He had horses that time too.. His belly was full most of the time for a change in that episode, he wasn't starving as usual and it was a good thing because caring for the horses required a lot more energy..

[jeepnik]

Wonder how these "experts" would do if dumped in the middle of nowhere, alone and injured. Both seem to have pretty good safety nets available during their "ordeals". The mental aspect of "survival" is as important, maybe more so, than which bug to eat.

The military has some pretty good courses. Went to a couple. They stress the students a heck of a lot more than either of these two are ever stressed. While they, also, have instructors trying to keep anyone from getting too badly hurt or killed, injuries are common place. One of the most important things they teach is attitude. If you keep it together, and use what you've learned, you've got a shot. Loose it, and you're done.

[GANJIRO]

I believe Survivorman in his last episode involved getting lost in the woods while hunting with a buddy so both he and his friend were armed though I didn't get to see it yet to give any more details than this.
Bear Grills is a showboat, and everything is staged. I do enjoy Bear's description of what he's eating my favorite his describing skunk meat tasting like a steak rolled in dog feces.

[Andrew]

They have conversations about "Surviour Man" and "Man vs. Wild" alot over at the Hoodlums forum. They generally don't care for latter but seem to like "Survivour Man" enough.

[C. Cash]

Wonder how these "experts" would do if dumped in the middle of nowhere, alone and injured. Both seem to have pretty good safety nets available during their "ordeals". The mental aspect of "survival" is as important, maybe more so, than which bug to eat.

The military has some pretty good courses. Went to a couple. They stress the students a heck of a lot more than either of these two are ever stressed. While they, also, have instructors trying to keep anyone from getting too badly hurt or killed, injuries are common place. One of the most important things they teach is attitude. If you keep it together, and use what you've learned, you've got a shot. Loose it, and you're done.

I love both shows as well and catch them whenever I can. Survivorman DID do an episode where he simulated being in an airplane crash in bear country....tied up his arm in a splint and did everything one handed, though obviously he wasn't in excruciating pain as a real crash victim would be. He stayed in a actual aircraft fusalage that had crashed sometime in the recent past. Bear Grylls also wound up injured or sick in an episode or two and carried on fairly well. I know what you're saying though, and just knowing that someone knows where you are and will find you at some point takes away alot of the strain of survival.

[Old Ironsights]

Growing up in Lander WY and hanging with the crowd at NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) I picked up some very neat skills. They actually have (or at least had) programs where you are dropped off in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a pocket knife and told to survive.

Cody Lundin's Aboriginal Living Skills School does some of the same things in a less formalized fashion (NOLS teaches survival to NASA).

[jeepnik]

Growing up in Lander WY and hanging with the crowd at NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) I picked up some very neat skills. They actually have (or at least had) programs where you are dropped off in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a pocket knife and told to survive.

Cody Lundin's Aboriginal Living Skills School does some of the same things in a less formalized fashion (NOLS teaches survival to NASA).

No comment on NOLS, but why does NASA need survival training. If one of those things did go off course, and comes down without killing everyone on board, there would be a rescue party on the ground waiting for them to arrive. Things may have been dirrerent in the early days of the space program, but today...

[Old Ironsights]

Most likely a custom "team building/crisis/critical situation Leadership" type of course.

When done at high altitude in the cold just about the only thing not "spacy" about it is the gravity.