- Joined
- Sep 7, 2006
- Messages
- 6,199
Hey all,
I have long been fascinated with stories of survival and have collected a number of them. And I'm always looking for more. Of course, this whole topic has now become very popular on television and that's cool too. Its introduced me to new people like Ray Mears and I very much enjoy his work.
Come to think of it, Ray is definitely one of my heroes. I think he's a really cool guy who knows his stuff but doesn't ham it up for the cameras. He's also a student of survival, beyond the mere skills it takes to survive, and delves into the psychology of it too. I also enjoy him because he's an environmentalist who loves nature. A lot of people scoff at this and think it shows some kind of weakness but I see it as a major strength. Ray obviously loves the wilderness and wants to preserve it like it is. He also knows that he can survive without destroying. He only takes what he needs and he shows respect for his surroundings at all times. That makes a lot of sense to me.
Three more guys I learned a lot from are:
Steven Callahan. Steven survived 76 days at sea aboard a life raft. He told his story in an amazing book called Adrift. I really recommend you check it out. I think what this guy achieved is pretty incredible. It has a lot of lessons for anyone interested in survival. Obviously its specific to the sea (the most hostile environment there is) but you can take a lot from it. The dude is an inspiration. Oddly enough, I was watching Ray Mears' Extreme Survival series, which I have on DVD, and there pops up Steven Callahan in the flesh, many years later! It was great to see him tell his story in an interview. The book is really something though. Totally worth a read.
Aron Ralston. This is a controversial one, no doubt, but Aron is a The Man, in my eyes. His book is a great read. Its also a terrific lesson of what NOT to do when setting out into the wilderness. I think those lessons are just as valuable as the ones where guys do everything right, like Mr Callahan above. Aron made a number of major errors, but the bottom line is he did what it took to survive. I dont think there are many people on this planet who could have done what he did. Yeah, he screwed up, he was reckless, but he paid a very steep price for that. I really enjoy reading his story - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - and always learn from it.
Cody Lundin. He's another controversial guy and funnily enough, I havent gotten around to reading any of his books. I mostly know him from Dual Survival. But again, he's a dude I feel who has the right approach to the whole subject. He just adapts so well to his surroundings, takes only what he needs to survive, does what he needs to do and carries on. I really enjoy his demeanour and his sense of humour, and he clearly has knowledge up the wazoo. I do think the brain is the most powerful tool we have and Cody uses his a lot. I do think he should invest in some shoes though. Although he'd probably prefer sandals.
Thanks for reading!
Mark
I have long been fascinated with stories of survival and have collected a number of them. And I'm always looking for more. Of course, this whole topic has now become very popular on television and that's cool too. Its introduced me to new people like Ray Mears and I very much enjoy his work.
Come to think of it, Ray is definitely one of my heroes. I think he's a really cool guy who knows his stuff but doesn't ham it up for the cameras. He's also a student of survival, beyond the mere skills it takes to survive, and delves into the psychology of it too. I also enjoy him because he's an environmentalist who loves nature. A lot of people scoff at this and think it shows some kind of weakness but I see it as a major strength. Ray obviously loves the wilderness and wants to preserve it like it is. He also knows that he can survive without destroying. He only takes what he needs and he shows respect for his surroundings at all times. That makes a lot of sense to me.
Three more guys I learned a lot from are:
Steven Callahan. Steven survived 76 days at sea aboard a life raft. He told his story in an amazing book called Adrift. I really recommend you check it out. I think what this guy achieved is pretty incredible. It has a lot of lessons for anyone interested in survival. Obviously its specific to the sea (the most hostile environment there is) but you can take a lot from it. The dude is an inspiration. Oddly enough, I was watching Ray Mears' Extreme Survival series, which I have on DVD, and there pops up Steven Callahan in the flesh, many years later! It was great to see him tell his story in an interview. The book is really something though. Totally worth a read.
Aron Ralston. This is a controversial one, no doubt, but Aron is a The Man, in my eyes. His book is a great read. Its also a terrific lesson of what NOT to do when setting out into the wilderness. I think those lessons are just as valuable as the ones where guys do everything right, like Mr Callahan above. Aron made a number of major errors, but the bottom line is he did what it took to survive. I dont think there are many people on this planet who could have done what he did. Yeah, he screwed up, he was reckless, but he paid a very steep price for that. I really enjoy reading his story - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - and always learn from it.
Cody Lundin. He's another controversial guy and funnily enough, I havent gotten around to reading any of his books. I mostly know him from Dual Survival. But again, he's a dude I feel who has the right approach to the whole subject. He just adapts so well to his surroundings, takes only what he needs to survive, does what he needs to do and carries on. I really enjoy his demeanour and his sense of humour, and he clearly has knowledge up the wazoo. I do think the brain is the most powerful tool we have and Cody uses his a lot. I do think he should invest in some shoes though. Although he'd probably prefer sandals.
Thanks for reading!
Mark
