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Doubts About Youtube Survival Guys

B

beef

Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
680
Hi all,
I've recently been watching a few youtube survival guys and have been feeling... skeptical about them.
Here are my reasons:

1.) Showing skills in the "woods" with cars driving by in the background. Yes, I know that skills are skills no matter where you practice them, but c'mon, walk another 5 mins into the bush.
It makes me question whether these guys actually hike far enough into areas which would warrant them ever having to rely on their skills. No point constructing an emergency shelter if you're 500m from the road.
Maybe I'm a snob, but it just spoils the magic for me.
Of course, noone has to prove their credibility to me. If people enjoy walking a few steps into the bush and practicing skills, great. It's better than sitting around at home infront of the t.v. But when it's presented as survival, I start to have doubts.

2.) Videoing themselves out in the woods on a trip with 3 ways to make fire, 3 knives etc. but no map and compass, no rain gear, no warmth layer etc. What situation would you ever find yourself stuck out in the bush with 3 knives, an enormous fire kit, but no jacket?

Am I just an enormous snob? C'mon, I can take it ;)
 
LOL, ok maybe a little snobish. But I understand what you mean about the cars in the background, cheesy cinematophography. No reason for it other than laziness.
I also agree with you on the blades and fire kit. You see all kinds of vids with guys packing 8 lbs worth of blades, 3 or 4 firemaking devices, just the clothes they are wearing and not one damn beer cooler. WTF? that ain't reality.
LOL
 
There is a member that frequents WS&S that posts a good bit of videos of VERY useful information while filming in his backyard, front yard, traffic, etc. He's a super smart dude and I don't care if he films in the freakin' shopping mall, he's a credible source of information.

Who cares where they film it? Find someone that you can trust and just learn the techniques.
 
I dont really care about the cars and stuff in the background, as I can relate to being in an area where the only decent woods are small patches surrounded by roads.
 
I have my doubts, period.

I have my doubts when there's profit be that financial or some perceived elevation in status those sorts of people seem to get. I tend to avoid Youtube but I've watched a few and most tend to irritate me. I like instructional videos and "how to" stuff like some of the Make type vids are great but I cringe at some of the characters on there. It's like they are playing out at the end of my garden or something. The final straw was some irritating nurk that kept telling me his name followed by "aka The Silver Fox". Grrr, there's much to annoy me in just that. The fact he felt he selected some retro-Possibles Pouch as an optimum solution for surviving the English countryside was just laughable. Perhaps I'll tune back in if I get wind of something novel and interesting but I'm not holding my breath. Who knows, may be one day they'll get real..."You're alone with your dog...you've walked ten miles and you are a mile from the nearest road...your dog breaks its leg...this is a good idea of what to do next...".
 
Personally, if I'm going to take advice on wilderness living / survival, I want to see evidence the person actually spends time in the wilderness.

But hey, that's just me :D



Kind regards
Mick
 
Ummmm Yeah I hate those Jerks

especially that bushcraftbums loser...who does he think he is flaunting his boyish good looks and charm about like that...My wife watches youtube for crying out loud.
 
I'll start making all my videos twenty miles from civilization as long as you guys don't mind if I take a couple of weeks to ship orders and respond to emails. :D

For me, it just comes down to a time constraint. Atlanta has such major urban sprawl that it takes a couple of hours to get out into the boonies. Unfortunately, I cannot do that as often as I want to or used to. I guess most of my videos are product demos though, and I definitely do not claim to be any sort of super survival expert.

Plus, being in the woods is hard and there are all those bugs. The forest service doesn't let me spray the entire North Georgia region with Cutter insect control, no matter how many times I ask. ;)
 
RescueRiley said:
Ummmm Yeah I hate those Jerks

especially that bushcraftbums loser...who does he think he is flaunting his boyish good looks and charm about like that...My wife watches youtube for crying out loud.
Click to expand...

Damn I'm sick of those goobers! Lord how boring.

Honestly, not everyone has the extreme luxury of nearby wilderness. It'd be a different story if the guy was claiming to be in the wilderness and then the care drove by though (kind of a bear grylls thing).
 
beef said:
......woods on a trip with 3 ways to make fire, 3 knives etc. but no map and compass, no rain gear, no warmth layer etc. What situation would you ever find yourself stuck out in the bush with 3 knives, an enormous fire kit, but no jacket?
Click to expand...

For me I call that 'Dog Walk' :D :D :D
 
I think many of the people on youtube provide great info. Whether they're at their house 2 minutes from a road or in the deep wilderness. I know I learn things from these people. Be it small snid bits or large chunks, I'm still learning. And they're fun to watch!

I agree they could be more realistic, but you gotta remember these guys get paid very little if anything to make these so I don't think they're gonna go out of their way to get away from everything.

I use those guys as more of the "add to the knowledge I already have" and make a better source my base for knowledge.
 
beef said:
Hi all,
I've recently been watching a few youtube survival guys and have been feeling... skeptical about them.
Here are my reasons:

1.) Showing skills in the "woods" with cars driving by in the background.
Click to expand...

Yeh! I meen damnit, if they're going to demonstrate survival skills the least they could do would be to arrange to do it after a plane crash in Alaska, maybe a zombie uprising.

The other thing that bugs me is all those yahoos on internet forums who sit around discussing emergencys in the deep woods and long backpacking trips from the comfort of their home office. ...wait. doh!

She can'na take 'nah more!
scotty.jpg


What's that Mr. Scott?
The irony meter is off the scale?

Just messing with ya beef, I laughed the first couple times I heard cars in the background too.
But seriously, chill out. :)
 
I don't see youtube as being any different than what we do here. I have no way of knowing what skills some of these guys that post have. Like anything on the interwebs you need to verify and/or try the techniques yourself before they can be considered credible. And yes, you are a snob.:D
 
Hi Storl,
I haven't seen any of your vids, so please don't feel the original post was directed at you! My main gripe was at guys who purport to be out on a trip in the vids. Or say "when I'm out on an expedition, this is all I take".

baldtaco, yes, naming yourself the silverfox is a little self indulgent.

I have no problem with people shooting videos in their backyard. I do have a problem with skills being presented by people whose experience I doubt. You can tell the people who have likely never slept outside without a tent from those who are the real deal.

And I guess I am a snob after all :) I'll try and find a stepladder to get down from my high horse
 
Last edited:
Joben said:
The other thing that bugs me is all those yahoos on internet forums who sit around discussing emergencys in the deep woods and long backpacking trips from the comfort of their home office. ...wait. doh!
Click to expand...
You beat me to it.
 
SIXFOOTER said:
LOL, ok maybe a little snobish. But I understand what you mean about the cars in the background, cheesy cinematophography. No reason for it other than laziness.
I also agree with you on the blades and fire kit. You see all kinds of vids with guys packing 8 lbs worth of blades, 3 or 4 firemaking devices, just the clothes they are wearing and not one damn beer cooler. WTF? that ain't reality.
LOL
Click to expand...

ummmm,for many of us that IS REALITY. :cool:
 
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