survivorman (tv show)

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Cliff Stamp

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I have caught this a few times, what surprises me is how easily a "survial expert" so readily abandons the principles he constantly promotes. For example, he constantly drinks out of stagnant water sources, he notes of course you should never do this, but then says "I am just really thirsty" and does it anyway, often times he has a fire going when he is doing this.

He also does things which make no sense at all, for example in one he kept complaining about thirst, having no water, days went by and all he would do is eat a little snow. Again he has a fire going but keeps searching until he finds a small water supply (puddle, 10 feet by 4 feet, no idea how deep), and then cracks the ice off and throws it to the side and complains about the lack of water ignoring the inches of ice.

It goes on, one really bad one was where he was cold and freezing and heading out and after going around streams for awhile just starts running through them getting wet. Again he notes that you should not do this as your body core temp will drop rapidly, but he is just too tired and wants to go home and he is betting that he will find his way out shortly.

His logic is also really odd, like one time he goes to sleep in an ice cave and keeps noting that there is a good chance the ice can crack and cave in and kill him. There is lots of snow around but he doesn't build a cave or some kind of depression (he has a pack sled, lots of furs) but instead goes into the cave. He also goes on many rants about how dangerous the polar bears are, but keeps his supply of raw meat with him at all times, including when he is sleeping.

It does have some interesting moments, and the guy can make a fire out of almost anything very quickly, but some of the reasoning and methods are just wild. I would love to hear a running commentary on the show by Greg Davenport though I doubt he would get through an whole episode.

-Cliff
 
Les Stroud is the man's name. He is from Ontario , Canada. Is he a survival expert ? I don't know and it doesn't matter to me. What matters is if others can learn from his show and I think we can, after all he IS out on the land staying alive by himself for several days at a time which is more than a lot of us can say.

He doesn't have a film crew when he is out in the field. He does the filming himself which no doubt takes a lot of energy and time away from improving his circumstance. In any survival situation you have to evaluate how much energy you expand for the benefit gained . I agree with Cliff that Les doesn't always make the best decision , at least when viewed from our easy chair , but out in the bush the situation is not always so clear and in the editing room decisions have to be made about what to show . But make no mistake this Survivorman TV show is the best survivor type show out there , it is real and at times it drags because that is how it is in reality.

I remember his Boreal Forest show where he makes fire by friction, it isn't easy and he says so.

He doesn't take himself too seriously and manages to inject humour now and then. I got a kick out him eating a live scorpion and roasting grasshoppers.

Some more people talk about his show here,

http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10577

and Les has his own website here

http://www.wildernessfilms.ca/
 
Les Stroud taught the outdoor leadership course at Loyalist College in Bancroft Ontario for years I believe.

Does this make him an expert? Of course not. I find his show entertaining and not much more.

I think the fact he has no camera crew really takes away form what he could really be teaching but is too tired to do so. There is a fair amount of BS shovelled on the show reguarding distances travelled etc...

I find he is also a real complainer and wines a lot about his perdicaments and teaches little about what he is doing, he talks a lot but shows little.

Suvivorman I think not. He also breaks his own rules too much as mentioned and tries to find his way back instead of staying put when lost as is the recommended course of action.

Skam
 
Pentlatch said:
In any survival situation you have to evaluate how much energy you expand for the benefit gained . I agree with Cliff that Les doesn't always make the best decision , at least when viewed from our easy chair , but out in the bush the situation is not always so clear and in the editing room decisions have to be made about what to show .
Click to expand...
My biggest problem is that it is never really strongly stated that surviving for a guaranteed week is very different from a situation where you don't know you are getting out.

You can easily just not eat for a week, but obviously long term this isn't a sensible practice. Just watch what he does and see how the same practicies would hold for an extended period of time.

He is a fine hand to start a fire however, and he can build wood based shelters quite well.

-Cliff
 
Does anyone know what day and time this comes on OLN? I would like to catch this show and see if this guy is squared away with Survival! I like seeing anything on survival myself. Thanks!

Rickj
 
does he have any tools or other equipment other than what you already mentioned?
 
He usually drives in on something and then takes it apart. He always has one knife, sometimes an axe and multi-tool. He will have a small amount of food usually like a protein bar or similar.

-Cliff
 
Cliff Stamp said:
He usually drives in on something and then takes it apart. He always has one knife, sometimes an axe and multi-tool. He will have a small amount of food usually like a protein bar or similar.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

I have also noticed that his vehicle usually breaks down and then he salvages the parts. I agree knowing "they" are coming for you in a week means you can sit back and do nothing. Humans can survive for weeks without food. Note he always has water on him.
 
If you are in a wilderness survival situation in Canada your #1 job is keeping warm . The priorities are usually in this order - getting a fire going , then shelter , then water and then food. You can easily live without food for at least a couple of weeks. You can live without water for a number of days depending on temperatures and activity level.

In the last 30 years I can't think of anyone in a Canadian wilderness survival situation that was lost and found or walked out on their own after longer than 7 days. Though a lot of Canada is wilderness relatively few people go more than a few miles from a road so most people are found OK within a day or two. Most instances are overdue hikers and hunters and if anything kills them it is almost always hypothermia.
 
Pentlatch said:
You can easily live without food for at least a couple of weeks. .
Click to expand...
Have you done this, and while doing it built a shelter and otherwise remained active? It is fairly impressive to do this and call it easy.

Most hunger strikes can go well over a month, but at this point you are not really in any condition to actually handle the physical load of getting wood for a fire and so on.

He isn't always in Canada either, he goes all around the world. Consider lots of things like for example when he leaves his site he leaves nothing to indicate where he went.

He also makes no backup because he knows he will be rescued so if he fails to walk out, gets lost etc., he does have an impressive knowledge of plants though.

He also doesn't test things. For example on one episode he made a big deal about lighting three signal fires, noting that he taught this to students. Then when he tries it he notes it is too difficult and he should just build one.

Note that he taught the idea without ever actually testing it.

-Cliff
 
Sorry Guys! Does anyone know what day and time this show airs on OLN? I really want to watch it!

Rickj
 
I was just on here a few hours ago, it is on almost every day. OLN keeps repeating its shows.

-Cliff
 
Does it go by "Survivor Man"?? I don't see it on their site, and all the stinkin listing on cable are mostly fishing shows and bicycle racing :barf: :barf: .

Just checked OLN's site, found the Canadian listings. Seems that show is on the Canadian schedule, not the US one.

Bastids.....
 
If anyone wants to see it that badly, I can just tape a bunch of episodes and send it off for a passaround.

-Cliff
 
I realize that there is a bit of "entertainment" thrown into his episodes, but that's why he's on TV. I like seeing him talk about what not to do and I've learned a few tricks from him.

I think that for the most part, there are few of us out here who have actually slept on the ground, with no shelter, no insulation and no fire.

Take his shows for what they are, and enjoy them.

Cheers,
D
 
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