Has watching any of the 'survival' shows changed your ideas/priorities on survival ?

BOSS1

BOSS1

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Greetings,

Have any of the shows...Naked/Afraid, Dual Survival, Survivorman changed your ideas on gear or prep for survival? Put another way, have you learned anything through watching their experiences?

I gotta say, some of the episodes have definitely bumped a good, bug proof tent up the list. Good knife and water purification are probably the top two, but after watching people get eaten alive by bugs, I think being able to button up in a tent especially in the evening has a very strong appeal, especially if the situation is going to last more than a day or two.

Not to say there aren't other essentials, but I'm giving the humble tent alot more credit.

What say you?

Boss
 
All those shows have reinforced the idea of having an A to Z list of backup plans, minimal impedimenta, water, and planning ahead.
 
made me realize I can get by without a blade a lot easier than I can fire and a water container. I can build a shelter without a knife. Having suitable drinking water is a more immediate need. I am not concerned about bugs as the last time I was completely naked in the woods there was a female there so I was happy.
 
Shoes! Making some kind of sandals if you don't have them. Also: bugs & bedding - Decent sleep is essential to lessen exhaustion and resulting mistakes. Water can be a concern but is very location-dependent. Whereas fire is almost always crucial.
 
RWT said:
made me realize I can get by without a blade a lot easier than I can fire and a water container. I can build a shelter without a knife. Having suitable drinking water is a more immediate need. I am not concerned about bugs as the last time I was completely naked in the woods there was a female there so I was happy.
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Agreed.

Tho the last time I was in the woods with a lady, the bugs, including biting flies were so bad, you could not stop moving, let alone get frisky, without being swarmed/miserable. I put on a little on a little bug repellant, she did not. Other than finding a decent spot to dtop briefly for a snack, it basically turned in mostly multimile power walk.

The other thing is snakes...I was watching one show where all of the sudden, in the dark, they got wiff of snake that had come into camp. Yeah, at that point, that nice little zipped up tent would be worth it.

Boss
 
The pee thing?
Otherwise nothing new.

Reading books teaches me more but I admit it's less entertaining.
 
RWT said:
made me realize I can get by without a blade a lot easier than I can fire and a water container. I can build a shelter without a knife. Having suitable drinking water is a more immediate need. I am not concerned about bugs as the last time I was completely naked in the woods there was a female there so I was happy.
Click to expand...

I fully agree. Water and fire seemed most important.
I went camping less than 2 weeks, mostly mountains and canyons.
I found wood everywhere I looked. I didn't need a knife once, except to cut my dinner steak.
Without water and fire, I'd be dead very quick.
 
Nope. In fact some of the stuff I see is down right dangerous. I also don't find knives to be as important as the show makes them out to be. A pot, a tarp, a bic, and a jacket are all way ahead of a cutting tool. These guys will bring a knife but not a shirt? I think in 20 years they'll all be battling skin cancer. How is that survival? ;)
 
i learned i need to stop working out and pack on the fat - so i can just sit there and wait it out until help arrives :D
 
I rarely watch those shows. The ones I have seen are comical and I would not want to be "surviving" with any of those actors. A giant survival knife is not needed. A smaller knife is preferred by those in the know. A water source, food, fire, and shelter are all you need. A good .22 rifle that is extremely light in weight is a plus. There are several that only weight 15 oz. !
 
I have learned i need no tools or supplies. Just get what i need from the 3 crew support trucks. You can buy a whole crew fully equipped cheaper than buying an actor
Do need to get my ghost, zombie, and squatch repellant. Them things is real skeery.
 
They haven't changed my priorities, however some of them have given me ideas on how to procure the items needed for different scenarios.
 
No. I have watched some of them for amusement, but not to gain useful information. One gets as much useful information from watching movies about fictional characters such as Jeramiah Johnson. There are many much better sources for useful information. Dirt time is a valuable learning resource. All the better with an experienced mentor.
 
I've always felt the shows were produced from the angle of "Entertainment" more so than "Instructive Essentials" and as mentioned above there is a certain plausibility to the
"I'm all alone in the dark scary woods, alone, by myself, watch me survive, the reason you can see me is because my camera man Bob is using night vision lenses on the camera..."
We the viewer tend to forget that there's a film crew along for the trip. The majority of the shows, and they put it in the small print during the beginning credits, work within a "Presentation" format which means scenarios are created and presented to the host and he responds to said Presentation using his skills. I do find them entertaining, I always liked the fact that no matter where Bear Grylls ends up he always has to swim across some body of water. I get a kick out of Joe implementing his lawn mower replacement blade, I mean survival knife, (Only 3 easy payments of $79.95, operators are standing by) to kill a wild boar he snared.
And of course what is the real popularity of Naked and Afraid ? It couldn't be the Naked part could it.
Of all of them I think I've learned something useful from watching Cody Lundin and Creek Stewart. I'd like to see them do a Dual type show. The other guys all seem more like game show hosts to me, not to say they aren't outstanding in they're fields but it's always Entertainer First , Backwoodsman Second.
 
Me and my kid are big fans of "Dude You're Screwed". The snatch, the trying to smuggle as much as they can, the dumb gear they get given, the whole deal. It's total entertainment.

Mixed up in that you do see some way out there fire making or other skills as part of the show. The real show is guys at base camp heckling the victim.
 
Jens Schuetz said:
The pee thing?
Otherwise nothing new.

Reading books teaches me more but I admit it's less entertaining.
Click to expand...

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance?

The only thing they have taught me is that it sucks being caught out without the right gear.
 
Well, obviously as they're on TV, these are entertainment geared...otherwise they'd probably be dry, boring, and there'd be a test at the end...

But that aside, some are more realistic than others...particularly Survivorman...does he have a crew somewhere off to the side, some distance away in case things really go wrong? I believe so...I can't say I'd do things differently if I were in his shoes. If I were going to do a show to try and teach/educate people on how to deal with survival situations, I'd probably want some backup in case, like I say, things really go wrong. He's deliberately putting himself in 'bad' situations on purpose for his 'job.' No sense in getting killed over it if it can be avoided. The other shows, as we know, have more safety/crew people behind the camera participating.

I could be wrong, but believe the crew on Naked/Afraid are specifically told not interact with the contestants unless its an emergency and/or they're tapping out (or for outtakes).

But anyhow, back on topic a bit...I'm just saying, I'd love to have all the time/$$/opportunities to go to the different environment and practice/do/enjoy outdoor skills in a somewhat controlled situations (well, maybe not a water moccasin filled swamp or a 115 deg. desert), but its not in the cards. So while there's certain 'OK, this is Hollywood' parameters, there are some nuggets to be had (at least I hope I'm open minded enough to acknowledge that). Like I say, camera crew or not, watching some of the 'outtakes' footage of people on the show being 'infested' in some very uncomfortable/unmentionable areas, for days/weeks, doesn't seem to be much of a 'joke' or 'just a show' put on for the audience. I can't really see a producer saying 'Hey, you, female contestant, go ahead and let those critters climb around in your crotch, it'll really boost our ratings!'... doesn't seem likely to find many willing participants...

So yeah, the uber custom super badass $500 custom fixed blade probably takes a back seat to the $3 metal pot and 75 cent Bic lighter. And probably the modest little tent...

BOSS
 
I watch the shows. Sometimes there are some silly things that Take place.
In no order of importance.
- bug netting.......wow, what a nice thing to have in just about every environment.
- something to boil water in......don't have to be titanium super pot or nothing....
- fire, fire, fire......a lighter and another lighter and another lighter and another lighter and another lighter.
- brightly colored equipment- seeing Joe lose his dark colored fire steel was a heckuva lesson.
 
BOSS1 said:
Well, obviously as they're on TV, these are entertainment geared...otherwise they'd probably be dry, boring, and there'd be a test at the end...

But that aside, some are more realistic than others...particularly Survivorman...does he have a crew somewhere off to the side, some distance away in case things really go wrong? I believe so...I can't say I'd do things differently if I were in his shoes. If I were going to do a show to try and teach/educate people on how to deal with survival situations, I'd probably want some backup in case, like I say, things really go wrong. He's deliberately putting himself in 'bad' situations on purpose for his 'job.' No sense in getting killed over it if it can be avoided. The other shows, as we know, have more safety/crew people behind the camera participating.

I could be wrong, but believe the crew on Naked/Afraid are specifically told not interact with the contestants unless its an emergency and/or they're tapping out (or for outtakes).

But anyhow, back on topic a bit...I'm just saying, I'd love to have all the time/$$/opportunities to go to the different environment and practice/do/enjoy outdoor skills in a somewhat controlled situations (well, maybe not a water moccasin filled swamp or a 115 deg. desert), but its not in the cards. So while there's certain 'OK, this is Hollywood' parameters, there are some nuggets to be had (at least I hope I'm open minded enough to acknowledge that). Like I say, camera crew or not, watching some of the 'outtakes' footage of people on the show being 'infested' in some very uncomfortable/unmentionable areas, for days/weeks, doesn't seem to be much of a 'joke' or 'just a show' put on for the audience. I can't really see a producer saying 'Hey, you, female contestant, go ahead and let those critters climb around in your crotch, it'll really boost our ratings!'... doesn't seem likely to find many willing participants...

So yeah, the uber custom super badass $500 custom fixed blade probably takes a back seat to the $3 metal pot and 75 cent Bic lighter. And probably the modest little tent...

BOSS
Click to expand...

Les Stroud stated in his Outdoors magazine interview that if only had one thing it would be a metal bowl. He said the ability to transport water was far more important than a knife to him.
As far a naked crotch bugs, IMHO ,if the price was right Miss America would lay across a badger hole. I don't always believe those folks aren't paid. You going to walk around the woods with 2nd degree sunburn, bugs in the ears, no paper, por gratis? Nahhhh.
 
Did you guys watch History Channel's Alone? I actually thought that was pretty decent. Like Survivorman, there were no producers or camera crew out there with the participants so it had a bit more of an authentic feel to it than most other shows. Anyway, if any of my ideas have changed about survival its that getting a fire started is not as easy as it seems, even with a ferro rod! Yes, I have no problem using a firesteel to get a fire going in my neck of the woods but in unfamiliar territory with nothing but soaking wet wood around? Even when splitting wood and carving feather sticks a lot of those guys had a real hard time getting something going, and some of them never even did manage to make fire at all.
 
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