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KirkMcquest
02-26-2006, 23:41
Anyone check out survivor man's show on discovery/science channel? They drop this guy off in remote places with just like a swiss army knife and a piece of string and he gets food,shelter, ect... Any opinions/critiques of his methods/show??

Hikerhead
02-26-2006, 23:43
I like it.

SGTdirtman
02-27-2006, 00:00
i think the show is cool, the kinda funny part is because its real the guy is actually lugging all the camera equiptment himself... he gives some pretty good tips too, i use to eat my crickets raw I never thought you had to cook them :confused:

Jones134679
02-27-2006, 00:00
I like the show...some how it may help if i get lost from my partner and my bag is also lost..lol

DLFrost
02-27-2006, 04:32
Anyone check out survivor man's show on discovery/science channel? They drop this guy off in remote places with just like a swiss army knife and a piece of string and he gets food,shelter, ect... Any opinions/critiques of his methods/show??
I've been interested in survival skills from years back, so I get a kick out of seeing him work the different locations. I also find myself talking to the TV... "Stop playin' with that fire and gitcher shelter finished! It's gonna rain!" Heh.

Watching that show really makes the case for keeping a few simple items in your car, boat or whatnot. A tarp, a pot, some cordage, a stout knife, and the like would make things a lot easier no matter where you got stuck.

He really could have used a hammock out in that swamp.

Doug Frost

Big Dawg
02-27-2006, 07:44
He really could have used a hammock out in that swamp.

Doug Frost

Yea, no kidding,,,,,, & I'm not sure I would have paddled away into that swamp w/ a homemade raft. Some of his tactics stretch my mind. Definately a great show. I've already learned a few tricks.

littlefoot
02-27-2006, 09:00
...it's a nice departure from psuedo crap like what is on CBS. If you get the science channel the show is 60 minutes insted of the 30 min on Discovery.

Newb
02-27-2006, 10:20
Next season they're gonna drop him in SouthEast D.C. without a weapon or a map.

Green Bean
02-27-2006, 11:13
I watched it the science channel and I loved it. THe first time i saw it is was amazed a man could survive out in the middle of the ocean for what was it 7 or 8 days.

But anyways I thought it was cool that the Discovery channel started to air it b/c it is a show everyone should watch. ~GB

Mammoth
02-27-2006, 11:24
I love SurvivorMan. Les Stroud is my hero. I was bummed because my family was giving up a bunch of channels, Science channel included, but the truncated episodes on the Discovery channel are just as good. My favorite episode was the first one, in the boreal forest. Same environment as if I got lost around where I live. I'd like to see him just stay in one spot for seven days instead of trying to escape, his shelter would be a palace at the end of a week.

expenditioner
02-27-2006, 12:50
Best show thats worth watching on tv.

Adom
02-27-2006, 17:03
Cool, but not Tom Brown Jr. cool.

prozac
02-27-2006, 19:01
You just know he has to have a satelite phone in that pack somewhere so he can go "get me the hell out of here". All in all a very cool show tho.

Ridge
02-27-2006, 19:07
I like the way he makes fires, you never see him actually start it. I like to see his reaction if the producers of the show dropped a note from a chopper saying "We're extending your stay another 30 days".

Belew
02-27-2006, 19:24
I like it. I think it's funny that he likes cotton socks. He used the lint from the socks to start a fire. He probably needed it to dry out his socks.

AbeHikes
02-27-2006, 20:35
Cool, but not Tom Brown Jr. cool.

I like them both. It's good to have those primitive skills.

camich
02-27-2006, 20:39
Hey Belew.....that's the most awesome avatar I've seen!!!! :banana :banana :banana

KirkMcquest
02-27-2006, 21:53
I'd like to see him do the whole AT with just a knife and some toe nail shavings.

Ross
02-27-2006, 23:53
I agree that it's probably the best show on TV right now. Granted it doesn't have much competition. My brother was just over from England, he said it was the best thing he saw on U.S TV while he was over. Les is an all round dude. I love his quirky blues harmonica playing......oh, and the survival stuff.

Ross aka Cheers

xXIndyXx
02-28-2006, 00:20
Les Stroud is the *****. If he returns to teaching primitive survival, I will defenitely attend.

g8trh8tr
02-28-2006, 03:32
I really like the show as well. I grew up in South Ga in the Okefenokee Swamp area so last weeks episode was particulary interesting to me. When he was trying to catch catfish by wading the waterfront at night I was scared FOR him. That took more balls than sense with all the gators in that area.

Just Jeff
02-28-2006, 03:42
Y'all ever seen that video of the redneck cajuns catfishing with scuba tanks? Amazing.

Too bad he didn't have a flashlight...

http://www.fazed.org/video/view/?id=138 (no idea what they're saying, though)

Toolshed
02-28-2006, 07:53
I really like survivorman. And what Discovery Channel needs to do (IMMHO) is dump those reruns of GrizzlyMoron and put more survivorman shows on.

Tha Wookie
02-28-2006, 11:20
when they come out with Survivor Woman, I'll get in front of a TV.

longshank
02-28-2006, 11:49
Quick off-topic question...How is it possible to use and uploaded photo as your avatar?

xXIndyXx
02-28-2006, 12:33
I really like survivorman. And what Discovery Channel needs to do (IMMHO) is dump those reruns of GrizzlyMoron and put more survivorman shows on.

What are you talking about? Those shows are on two completely different channels. Survivor Man is on The Science Channel, Grizzlyman was on Discovery. I know they are both owned by Discovery, but they are seperate channels. And actually they show Survivorman more often.:rolleyes:

fivefour
02-28-2006, 13:21
any idea when new shows will air ?

totempole99
02-28-2006, 14:24
What are you talking about? Those shows are on two completely different channels. Survivor Man is on The Science Channel, Grizzlyman was on Discovery. I know they are both owned by Discovery, but they are seperate channels. And actually they show Survivorman more often.:rolleyes:

Discovery Channel also runs SurvivorMan, although they are only 30 minute episodes compared to the hour episodes on Science Channel.

totempole99
02-28-2006, 14:25
New shows on Discovery Channel are on at 10:30 Tuesday nights.

Tabasco
02-28-2006, 15:02
Chuck Norris met Les Stroud last week. Next week, Chuck will take over the show, Les will be missed.

tlbj6142
02-28-2006, 15:05
I watched about 6 shows and was mostly disapointed. For the most part he has way too much stuff. About the only time it "gets difficult" is when it is self-imposed (fake broken arm, leave beach and hike into woods, etc.) at which point he wimps out and stops his limitation (removes arm from sling, hikes back to beach).

But man can he start a fire. I can't start a fire if you'd give me a gallon of gas.

And the worst thing about the show is that there is maybe 5 minutes of real material and the rest is him whinning about his pack being too heavy. Sounds like a thru-hiker.:D

drifter
03-08-2006, 13:13
Anyone know if Discovery moved this to a new slot? I sat down last evening to wathc and it wasn't on?

KirkMcquest
03-08-2006, 13:25
Was a little disappointed with the sonoran desert episde. All he did was starve and eat grass. In canada he caught hare with a piece of wire from a plane wreck. This guy really amazes me sometimes

Ender
03-08-2006, 13:44
Was a little disappointed with the sonoran desert episde. All he did was starve and eat grass. In canada he caught hare with a piece of wire from a plane wreck. This guy really amazes me sometimes

Didn't he catch and eat a Rattler in that episode? Or am I thinking of another episode? Actually, that may have been the Georgian swamps episode I'm thinking of... can't remember.

I was impressed by his fire making in that episode though... I don't think I could make a fire using that method with ending up as one big blister from fingertips to elbows.

I still haven't caught the Rocky Mountain episode, which I've heard from a lot of people is their favorite. Have all the other episode's Tivo'd though... watch them from time to time.

greentick
03-08-2006, 13:48
The dude is a little corny somethimes but definately a great watch with good tidbits thrown in.

KirkMcquest
03-08-2006, 13:53
My friend just informed me that if you google 'survivor man', you could find a site to download all the episodes, free. He's making me a copy right now.

Rift Zone
05-18-2006, 16:51
if you google 'survivor man', you could find a site to download all the episodes, free. Hey Kirk,
I've tried to find the site... No luck. I wonder if you could get and post the link for us. Thanks.

Wanderingson
10-07-2006, 09:56
Superb concept of a show. He has a rather interesting background of spending time in the wilderness. The shows producers actually scrub his plans to keep him from too much danger. My wife quit watching it with me because right before he would do something, I would say "he needs to do this or that". I know a wee bit about wilderness survival, but I have picked up a few great tips from him as well.

I never would have thought of biting the top of a yucca plant to make a needle and thread.

Thumbs up from this kid.

TOW
10-07-2006, 09:58
Anyone check out survivor man's show on discovery/science channel? They drop this guy off in remote places with just like a swiss army knife and a piece of string and he gets food,shelter, ect... Any opinions/critiques of his methods/show??
That guy is awesome!

DawnTreader
10-07-2006, 12:33
Love this show... quality programing is hard to find on television..

Turbo Joe
10-07-2006, 12:55
did you see the one where he was dropped in somewhere and had to make use of a pair of scooby doo underwear he had?

kyhipo
10-07-2006, 19:39
I like the show its pretty funny. and I wouldnt go to some of the places he goes too!Like that jungle in south america,I dont think he was a happy camper honestly.ky

strnorm
10-07-2006, 21:38
one Tough Dude

STEVEM
10-08-2006, 00:32
I've been interested in survival skills from years back, so I get a kick out of seeing him work the different locations. I also find myself talking to the TV... "Stop playin' with that fire and gitcher shelter finished! It's gonna rain!" Heh.

Watching that show really makes the case for keeping a few simple items in your car, boat or whatnot. A tarp, a pot, some cordage, a stout knife, and the like would make things a lot easier no matter where you got stuck.

He really could have used a hammock out in that swamp.

Doug Frost

Doug, A real good basic, easily understood survival guide is:
98.6 Degrees, The Art Of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin. Lots of good common sense advice for dealing with both the physical and psychological elements of a survival situation. Also contains a real good section on basic survival kits.

Now that I mention this, I probably should actually assemble a kit Like Lundin describes. Most of my hiking is dayhiking, And dayhikers are far more likely than long distance hikers to end up unprepared when faced with survival situation.

kgilby
10-08-2006, 20:44
After reading this post I tivo'd an episode today. Pretty good stuff, I'll record and watch them all. He carries 60#'s of camera equipment around - I won't feel too bad about my 5.5# REI Half Dome anymore!

troglobil
10-17-2006, 18:54
Watch his show a lottle closer. I have seen two episodes.On the first one , he was stranded on an Island while ocean kayaking I believe. After he had shown all the gear he was able to scrounge he somehow changed out his Tevas for hiking boots when it came time to hike thru the jungle. He did not have any boots earlier in the show.

The second episode was when he was stranded from a broken down snowmobile. After claiming to have started a fire (not visible) he runs off camera and then returns with his back to camera, obviously hiding something. He then bends over his supposed fire, steps back, and it is now burning for us all to see. He also carried seal blubber to eat. He had to have reeked of it. Instead of waking up with polar bear tracks right next to him, he would have woke up being eaten.

Those were the only episodes I saw. I'm sure if you watch the others you will see similiar descrepencies
He is a Fake.

Just Jeff
10-17-2006, 19:02
Yeah - b/c everything else he talks about obviously isn't valuable survival skills. Might as well not watch it at all. :D

Hey - I grew up in Statham. We had to drive all the way to Winder for the McDonalds and Kmart (except I called them Old MacDonalds and K-Market). Sure has grown up since then.

1happyhiker
10-18-2006, 19:35
there are for sure some discrepancies. this is talked about a lot on the discovery chan fan websites. he is also doing some shows along the line of "worse case scenarios". i dont know, part of me would like to believe that he is the real deal. in reality there are too many things to ignore. i wouldn't per say call him a fake, but i think there is some creative editing done.

-hh

Big Dawg
10-18-2006, 20:16
I have seen two episodes.
He is a Fake.

Wow, what an expert you are, coming to this conclusion after just two episodes. I bet he'd disagree. :rolleyes:

Watch a little closer, you may learn something. Yes, there may be some discrepancies, but still a lot of good stuff. :D

troglobil
10-19-2006, 16:05
I knew I would need my flame proof suit on this one. I never said you can't learn a few things from him. I said he is a fake, and I stand by that. In two episodes he appearantly cheated three times. He is not really surviving as the show implies. I don't believe that he is really out there alone with no help. It is the beauty of the camera, you only see what it shows through the lens.

tlbj6142
10-19-2006, 17:25
He does wimp-out quite a bit. Broken arm for a day, but then realizes it is too difficult so he removes the sling. Luxury life on the beach, heads into jungle, gets his butt kicked by bugs, goes back to the beach and hits the "village" the next morning.

The guy definately has an amazing ability to start a fire. I'll give him that.

Ender
10-20-2006, 10:02
The guy definately has an amazing ability to start a fire. I'll give him that.

Seriously... I would watch the show for that alone.

Anyone know when there will be new episodes?

1happyhiker
10-20-2006, 13:42
according to what he (stroud) posted on discovery.com, no. he said that a canadian tv station had expressed interest but there was nothing for sure. the episodes that we were seeing in the us were a couple of years old from what he said, they were shot in 04ish iirc. he has done some of the "i shouldn't be alive" and two or three what to do in a disaster theme shows.

hell id like to see manny (wildboyz) do a shot, he is just as knowledgeable about asia, etc. the same goes for the other aussie dude, having a brain fart here. i cant remember his name, heavy set guy, red beard. he was around before irwin i believe.

dunno, but after the guy in florida that had the stingray jump INTO THE BOAT... of course if someone called me up and said i could travel the world and dive, hike, cave, etc and get paid there would be one of those little cartoon dust trails behind me.

-hh

Monkeyboy
10-20-2006, 14:08
The only thing I didn't like about his show is in one episode he sees the road from a cliff ledge above a river and says that he shouldn't jump off the ledge because it could be too shallow and break his neck, but what does he do......jumps off the cliff.

Makes me wish it was too shallow.....just so you can say, see, you should have followed your own advice!!!!


Same thing with Steve Irwin......idiot was constantly playing with poisonous snakes. Boy Scouts used to have a fear and respect for snakes.......leave 'em alone and just look, but don't touch. Came across a Cottonmouth last month and a boy from another troop was going to pick it up by the tail, because he saw "Crocodile Hunter" do it........no fear or respect.

And hate to say it, but idiots like that deserve to get bit.

1happyhiker
10-20-2006, 22:44
the episode that really did him in with me was the forest one. he made camp less than 5' from some class two/three rapids. woke up the next morning in shock about his shelter is now 2' from the water. the whole time he was filming it was raining. then proceeded to make it like a lesson he was teaching, i did it but you shouldn't. ***. he topped it off with playing harmonica (again...) and then saying how you shouldn't do it, it might attract bears. cub scouts taught me to use flint, the bow or carry magnesium, so i cant say his fire starting skills are that impressive. oh and the mushroom thing "i hope that was the right one....", yeah les or your gonna have some wicked dreams or die. i could survive in the back country for seven days, thanks US army. id like to see him tackle australia or the gobi or shara.

btw, there is a new show on discovery man vs wild. looks interesting....

-hh

Monkeyboy
10-21-2006, 00:10
Saw an native american at Scout Camp this year....he was teaching Indian Lore and American Heritage to the boys. He could start a fire with a small bow and wood dowel in less than a minute (you know the type, a bow with a string wrapped around the dowel that spins the dowel when you stroke the bow back and forth)

Very impressive to say the least.

He started the campfire for the boys on the last night and actually got it started in about 30 secs.

dirtnap
10-21-2006, 15:24
I saw my first Survivorman episode last night. It sucked.

I'm not saying the guy doesn't know what he's doing or anything like that. It's just that his week long ordeal was not very dangerous, and didn't require much survival skill.

He had to walk a mile on a "dangerous" glacier, do a little bouldering and hiking, and camp for a week. Big deal. He had all sorts of equipment including a heavy jacket, hiking boots, trekking pole, multitool. He was only out for a week, so he didn't really have to show he could find viable food sources.

What annoyed me most was how he kept pretending things were scarier than they really were. I'm sure his producers are to blame for forcing him to over-dramatize everything, but how many times do you have to hear the guy say it was raining real hard, comparing it to standing under a garden hose - full blast - in freezing weather. It was barely sprinkling! A constant drizzle was more like it. There was a time when you could tell they added sounds of a heavy rain, just for effect. Great editing, by the way.

Whatever. Maybe I just caught a bad episode. I'd like to see one where he actually faces a rough situation. If he had been dropped off in just shorts and a t-shirt it would have been impressive.

-dirtnap

Whatever. Maybe I just caught a bad episode.

HikerHobo
10-21-2006, 17:19
http://www.fazed.org/video/?id=138

Just Jeff, That guy really knows how to fish. Awesome video clip !!1

~Ronin~
09-24-2008, 17:52
Was searching through old posts and found this. In one of the episodes he is doing for the upcoming season, he is simulating a hiker lost in the Sierra Nevadas. Gonna have a tent, sleeping bag etc. If you read his blog he explains he is going to be doing more situations that lost hikers, hunters, etc. would normally face, carrying the equipment they would have. I love this show, and can't wait for the new season.

Wise Old Owl
09-24-2008, 19:17
Keep in mind this is "ENTERTAINMENT"

Lone Wolf
09-24-2008, 21:11
Anyone check out survivor man's show on discovery/science channel? They drop this guy off in remote places with just like a swiss army knife and a piece of string and he gets food,shelter, ect... Any opinions/critiques of his methods/show??

yeah. checked it out. been proven he's FOS. next!

adventurousmtnlvr
09-24-2008, 22:07
LOVE LOVE LOVE that show!!!!!! Granted he uses the locals prior to get tips etc. but who cares ... it's seriously interesting to me. I'm a dreamer and I think if I was on a deserted island, what would I remember from those shows, lol. There is another show with a solo guy that does a similar thing called "man vs wild" and it's equally interesting to me ... but I'm a girl, lol. Love both of those for generic survivor techniques :)

Skidsteer
09-24-2008, 23:15
yeah. checked it out. been proven he's FOS. next!

Seems like it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6911748.stm

http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN2439321520070724?pageNumber=2

taildragger
09-25-2008, 00:56
Seems like it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6911748.stm

http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN2439321520070724?pageNumber=2


Wrong show

Camp Counselor
09-25-2008, 01:08
Lone Wolf,
Not trying to bust you at all, I am looking for some additional info the Survivor Man series. I would like to find some sources regarding Survivor Man aka Les Stroud's authenticity. I've seen a few things where I would have thought he'd have known better. And, I'll be checking out the questionable clips pointed out by an older (2006) post but I don't see anything real off kilter. I do some real basic survival teaching with scouts so I always careful not to endorse anything that isn't for real. If you do have some specific references or links that call him into question I'd sure like to read up on them.

Skidster,
Thanks for those links both were about Bear Grylls I think his show is Man vs. Wild and in his case I agree, he's FOS. The guy is drinking coffee and eating dough nuts off camera between takes about surviving off the land, real tuff survival.

As for Les, I still need to check him out more. In general though I find his show far more realistic than Bear Grylls in "Man vs. Hot tub between takes"

Thanks for any additional info!

Homer&Marje
09-25-2008, 07:29
Anyone seen off the grid with Les Stroud? Him and his family, with a lot of help from a crew built that self sustaining house in the middle of the Alaska wilderness? Even he admits it took a lot to go in there and do that, but his wife and him actually built their own cabin in Canada in the middle of the woods before they had kids. They spent an entire year living off the land, alone. With regards to survivorman the show, He obviously gets locals advice from experts in the area, which in the behind the scenes episodes was clearly expressed and formatted for everyone to see.

He survives with what he has, and way too much camera equipment.

Man vs Wild on the other hand, Interesting scenarios, just the way he's willing to get soaking wet in any situation shows me that someone is holding a towel for him for after the shot. He did climb everest though. And flew over it in one of those para copter things.

Hooligan
09-25-2008, 14:40
I saw the dude (Bear) drink his own pee out of a snake carcass last night, and eat a raw goat testicle in another episode. ...if I did that, someone better have a doughnut ready for me.

Man vs. Wild is more about getting 'unlost', where Survivorman is more about just staying alive for a week. Personally I think Man Vs Wild is the best show, waaay more entertaining that watching Les sleep.

T-Bone1
09-25-2008, 16:10
I saw the dude (Bear) drink his own pee out of a snake carcass last night, and eat a raw goat testicle in another episode. ...if I did that, someone better have a doughnut ready for me.

Man vs. Wild is more about getting 'unlost', where Survivorman is more about just staying alive for a week. Personally I think Man Vs Wild is the best show, waaay more entertaining that watching Les sleep.

Sorry, I have to disagree with ya. Les carries his own camera equip (somtimes of 90-100 lbs)., sets it up, takes video of himself, tears his cameras down and repeats that several times. and is in more "real life situations" than bear. Bear is like a contestant on fear factor that didn't win and still has something to prove. And at least Les cooks his food!

Hooligan
09-26-2008, 09:47
I've picked up a few things from both guys. They both have to be very knowledgeable, or they probably wouldn't have their own shows. I heard Les did some living off the land, and Bear was SAS trained specifically in survival.

I personally feel Bears show is more entertaining because of crazy situations he recreates. If Les had a best of where he cut out a lot of the idle time, I might watch it again.

Whatever though, some people like red taters', some people like white taters'.