Survivorman, sorry...

[LSkylizard]

...you tell them directly they are wrong or disagree with them and it doesn't turn into a disaster, you just hash out both sides of the argument and figure out what is causing the difference in perspective, some times it goes to email, some times it runs on the web...

I frankly, flat-out disagree! I think it would be a big waste of his time and if asked I would discourage him from even considering it...which, I doubt he even is or even knows about this forum (good for him). I think the threads on this show at some point starts out reasonably mellow.

A lot of the time he is showing improvising with little to no materials, worse case scenario. In various environment a large bag or poncho works well to keep out rain and wind but doesn't provide a lot of direct insulation.

They then progress to the...I know he did it wrong, he did it bad, he is a jackass, he is dangerous, he is irresponsible, etc...hostile state.

How he handled the animal indicates many of the main problems with the show, it isn't what you can do once, it is what you can do over and over without harm. …with the flake cutting, that should have been attached to a small stick to make a knife rather than hold it in hand to avoid contamination. Once contaminated any possible source should be eliminated so avoid accidental cross contamination leading back to you. He notes none of this, whereas for example if you talk to someone like Davenport they will because they consider worse case scenarios whereas Stroud always goes by best. The shows are filled with case after case of activity which could get you killed over and over and just horrible decisions...

…He does things …which could kill you instantly and he does it in every episode, usually he warns not to do it, and then goes right ahead and does it anyway, never showing what you are actually supposed to do and of course this undercuts the actual seriousness of the consequences of doing what he did...

What he did was irresponsible, and note that he never takes any consideration of if he did get contaminated...

in such a situation is the first thing … wander off leaving no sign when you were there and where you are going, or using the brightly colored …a signal. If you want to use this to demonstrate what not to do, that is fine, but somewhere actually note this is what you are doing...

…it is completely irresponsible to joke about eating unidentified mushrooms in the manner in which he did...

…people out there that have no frigging clue … they are going to eat the mushroom they aren't sure about, or drink the water known to carry deadly parasites, etc. and they are going to die. His actions are irresponsible at best.

…many people are terrified of using a knife …he may have just talked someone out of including one in their so called *survival kit*. That makes absolutely no sense what so ever to me…

He often does though is misinforming. …he tries to build an igloo …It isn't the worse kind of snow…Plus that isn't why he fails to build one. His blocks are too long and the aspect ratio is off, they are far too thin and tall. Plus he doesn't bevel the ends or the top, thus none of the surfaces mate correctly and there is no gentle sloping arc...

What about if he was swinging around a loaded gun while saying you should never point it at anyone, this would not be irresponsible either right because he said what you should do, even if he just demonstrated right after it as an *instructor* he doesn't pay any attention to the "rules"…

However even if he addressed some issues in this manner, it doesn't fix the impression that the instructor doesn't obey the rules he preaches…

If you are "making bank" in TV land, why in the world would you even want to come online and engage in this??? The truth is, he would probably have his comments dissected and then appear in tabloid TV and be TV discredited. Most of the comments have shown little room for debate/discussion. People have made it fairly clear they are right and he is wrong. With all do respect to those disingenuously suggesting it would be a nice and quality discourse, I say:jerkit:

...The dude makes money in a specific ENTERTAINMENT niche of television...

Having said that, I do find some of the discussion useful for me and possibly others. I just have no illusion of grandeur about having a "TV star" join us for some sort of educational pow-wow. Nor do I think any such discourse would have any benefit other then to give some the opportunity to spar and try to show how much better they are or that they should have their own show. Of course, this is all my opinion and I am sure as always that there are those that will disagree.

 

[Protactical]

Cliff, where are the FAQs you mentioned. I looked up the FAQs here but evidently didn't tickle them properly...

 

[Cliff Stamp]

People have made it fairly clear they are right and he is wrong.

This doesn't have to lead to sparring as noted in the above, it depends on what you are trying to achieve. Simply because you say something is wrong doesn't mean the discussion can't turn. Possom and I recently had an exchange about balance with large knives, both of us had fairly solid positions on various issues, this didn't stop an email exhange from being productive. Yes you can flat out tell some people they are wrong and it doesn't turn personal.

-Cliff

 

[LSkylizard]

Cliff:

Like I said, people will have a differing opinion on this. Based on the replies and discussion on this and other threads, I am fairly comfortable in my original opinion.

 

[canranger]

Ok all the other facts aside I am sorry but in his best of show he talked of geting in shape and as he narrated that piece they showed him joggin with a backpack on and then doing a couple of push ups with his feet on a bolder. If there was anything in that pack but a cardboard box I would be suprised. The pack was perfectly square and didn't have any delayed movement on it at all.

Holly Wood this guys isn't even close to Balli Wood.

A

 

[Jim Craig]

CanRanger,

It was possibly just a cardboard box, but what if it were a couple of cinder blocks? Then what? What knife would he use to chop them?

Cliff, any thoughts?

 

[x39]

what if it were a couple of cinder blocks? Then what? What knife would he use to chop them?

Let me guess... the "Blockmaster"?

 

[Cliff Stamp]

If htere was anything in that pack but a cardboard box I would be suprised.

Since it is filmed, he probably has to do multiple takes thus he faked them, I don't doubt though he could do anything illustrated. He does do a lot of walking with a full pack, and his level of physical endurance is fairly high. He basically has to walk everywhere twice to film it all.

-Cliff

 

[canranger]

Since it is filmed, he probably has to do multiple takes thus he faked them, I don't doubt though he could do anything illustrated. He does do a lot of walking with a full pack, and his level of physical endurance is fairly high. He basically has to walk everywhere twice to film it all.

-Cliff

Cliff he doesn't walk anywhere twice look closely at the show as you do a blade when you break it. There is a full crew there with him. For example on the georgia swamp show he kills a snake and cooks it and eats it and then walks out a couple of days later. On the best of show they show him back at site getting one of the female crew memebrs to eat a piece of the snake. so lets scientifically figure this out.

1. he saved the piece of snake meet in the hot swamp letting it fester and gather bacteria then hiked it out met up with swamp Charlie and then they went bac to the site to film this blooper of him feeding a cast member.
OR
2. the cast member was there all the time and he fed them ...hhhhmmmmmm

Cliff this is even something a newfie can figure out come on !!!!!

There are more examples but I would have a hard time explaining to the Lord when I die how I waisted part of the precious life he gave me on this crap.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Cliff he doesn't walk anywhere ...

It is very possible, often times you just see clips, he could very well be editing them in such a way as to make it appear he does a lot more traveling than he actually does, who for example would actually catch the same terrain repeated from differnet angles. I don't doubt he may have a crew in some or all situtations either, the specific one you noted certainly raises an obvious question.

I really don't mind any of this though, while it certainly is deception, it really isn't harmful as it doesn't mislead people, it just makes it seem like he is doing more. The other issues like promoting eating while dehydrating, not rationing water, not building shelters, etc., are more critical issues when you have a self described survival instructor speaking directly to the audience about how to act in a survival situation.

-Cliff

 

[Ebbtide]

Cliff could you say the same thing yet again?






Just once more...tell us about the part where the guy on TV is wrong.....



Come on...one more time

 

[canranger]

Ok I know I am guilty of bashing this fellow Canadian but letstake a different approach. If SURVIVORMAN won't come to us ets go to him.

Here is a link to his sitehttp://www.survivorman.ca/index.html

If you like his work let him know if you think he could do something better to make the show more ; interesting, acurrate or entertaining let him know.

After this I am finished with it I think it is best to all out there that would use his toips hope you have good medical insurance to all out there that are intertained by him I prefer the 3 stoogages same slaptsick near death stuff to me. For all of us who like to pick on him I iwll be selling voodoo dolls se my site.

Take care
A.

 

[rhino]

I'm surprised there wasn't a flood of angry messages about last night's show! When he said, "... always wear cotton socks," I felt a jab in my gut, just knowing all the "cotton kills!" knee jerks that were happening around the world as they heard him say it!

 

[Cliff Stamp]

...go to him.

Dropped them an email awhile back, form responce. Nice paddles, do you hand carve them fully, lovely work.

...always wear cotton socks

Cotto gloves are very common here both on fishermen and guys cutting wood, they are in fact pretty much traditional - maily because they are $1 a pair and available anywhere.

-Cliff

 

[rhino]

Cotto gloves are very common here both on fishermen and guys cutting wood, they are in fact pretty much traditional - maily because they are $1 a pair and available anywhere.

Yeah, but SOCKS! I thought all survival-minded folks wore wool or synthetic (or blends of the two) socks all the time. I thought anything made of cotton that is intended for warmth/insulation (like socks) was verbotten!

 

[Cliff Stamp]

All survival minded people probably do.

-Cliff

 

[skammer]

Yeah, but SOCKS! I thought all survival-minded folks wore wool or synthetic (or blends of the two) socks all the time. I thought anything made of cotton that is intended for warmth/insulation (like socks) was verbotten!

The big issue with cotton socks is not warmth but moisture management or lack there of that causes serious blisters.

Skam

 

[Thomas Linton]

Jim, I think if someone started a thread on the boat-handling shown in "Pirates" on a boaters' forum, it's more likely there would be critical comments than if the thread was in an entertainment forum.

The nature of this forum sets the standard (Well, except for the professional bashers who follow their target(s) around BF.) The show, if intended primarily for entertainment, is nevertheless going to be judged on the accuracy of the information that it communicates about "Wilderness & Survival Skills."

By that standard, there is certainly room for reasoned discussion.

 

[canranger]

Dropped them an email awhile back, form responce. Nice paddles, do you hand carve them fully, lovely work.
-Cliff

Yes Cliff I use traditional tools the one exception is cutting out the original shape on a band saw sometimes I do the hatchet thing but not too often if you go to my gallery you will see my tool collection or at least part of it.

Have you been a Towny all your life?

I went with a Bayman girl from the south shore for a brief time lovely country side and great people.

A.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

I use traditional tools the one exception is cutting out the original shape on a band saw sometimes ...

I want to make a couple of snow shovels this year, I am still not sure if I am going to cheat and use a piece of stock lumber to start with, I will start off with a small spade pattern in any case. I may pick up a hook knife or burn or score it out either, maybe do all three.

Have you been a Towny all your life?

That would be a good way to start a fight locally. I live in a small fishing community (well it used to be anyway), no post office, no police station, fire department, no school, one small general store, etc. . If you ship something to me by Fed-Ex they can't even find the house and I have to drive an hour or so to pick it up.

-Cliff