Survivorman (not about UL… but interesting)

[David Lewis]

Ok… this is not really about ultralight backpacking… or even about backpacking specifically… but I didn’t know where else to post it.

I was just wondering if anyone here had seen the TV show “Survivorman”. It’s on OLN in Canada. I just checked the show website and it’s on the Science Channel in the US. I just discovered it and have started DVRing in. It’s pretty facinating. The concept is that every episode, this guy, Les, get’s dropped off at some inhospitable location with no food, shelter, water, sleeping bag, etc. and has to survive for 7 days. He has no crew… he films everything himself.

I’ve only seen 2 episodes so far, but I think the idea is to create a scenario… so the gear he has varies from one scenario to the next. For instance, in “Lost As Sea”… he has a rubber dingy, a life raft and whatever supplies came with the life raft… and nothing else… just whatever clothing someone lost at sea might be wearing and his leatherman… and 60 pounds of video gear.

Anyway, it may be of interest to the readership here. I find it just facincating. It really shows you how, when worse comes to worse, you can still find ways to survive for some time just by being smart and working with whatever you have available to you in the environment. I don’t know how he can handle 7 days with basically no food… but the name of the show *IS* Survivorman… not completely outfitted and prepared man :P

The last episode I watched, he was dropped off on the summit of a mountain in the Rockies. For 7 days, the only food he had was a few berries and a mushroom. It made me think… you know… I know a lot about backpacking I think… but to be honest… I’m no boyscout!!!! I depend on my gear and on my food supply. If I were to lose my food out there, I would have NO IDEA what mushrooms, roots and berries, etc… are safe to eat.

[Anonymous]

Another “Cool Episode” (pardon the pun) was when Survivor Man had to deal with cold and hypothermia.

[J R]

Id love to see this show, but dont have the science channel. Heard it was a really good show though.

[John Chan]

I’ve watched the show and in ~50% of the episodes, Survivorman Les has to be “rescued” or doesn’t technically “make it out”. I found the episode where he plays out a crash landing of a plane in Temagami to be especially interesting as I’ve lived in that area of Northern Ontario for 20 years.

Really enjoyed winter trekking on the frozen lakes as a kid. The punishing winds, the teeth-chattering cold, the altered state of mind brought on by mild hypothermia, the rewarding hot chocolate at the end of the day.

Makes me think of a certain phrase a philospher wrote once.

“What nourishes me also destroys me”.

[Alex Orgren]

> “What nourishes me also destroys me”.

Killed by hot chocolate; what a way to go!

[Anonymous]

“Quod me nutrit me destruit”
Translation from old Latin
“What nourishes me also destroys me”

A little more trivia, those words are tattooed on the tummy of Angelina Jolie

[Tony Burnett]

I’ve watched every episode to date on the Science channel. Most are interesting (that guy can make a fire), but since he only has to stay alive for 7 days (to wait for rescue or in some cases walk out), water and shelter are his only needs.

Some times he makes the episode more difficult “just for TV”. Ex. When he left the beach of Costa Rica (?) and headed off into the jungle. That’s was stupid. Of course the broken arm thing was neat, but then he decides later its too difficult so he takes his arm out of the sling.

The show definately could be “better” if he were placed in some more challenging scenarios. But for the average couch potato, they do appear challenging.

[kevin davidson]

I have Nietzcsche’s “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” tattooed on my tuchas.
Along with, “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich starker”. A bilingual, symmetrical inscription.
Take that Angelina.

[John Chan]

The show could definitely be made better if Les had a cameraman. This whole idea of 1 man, 1 chance, no crew would sell alot better without the “no crew” aspect.

Maybe if the show’s producers (ie Les) hired one more guy to handle the cameras and tripods Les could devote more of his time to the task at hand… teaching survival. As the show stands right now… he seems to b*&tch alot about having to lug around 30 lbs of gear.

[Tony Burnett]

A camera man would help. Maybe a camera man and a producer-type who could show thier “setup” and how they are “not helping” Les in each episode.

Listening to him complain about the camera stuff (“I had to walk this route 4 times just to get this shot!”) does get a bit old after the first one.

Also, the camera pack allows him to carry all of those motorcyle parts from one site to the next. Without the pack, moving from location to location would become more difficult.

[Al Shaver]

It turns out that the oft repeated Nietzcshe quote is actually a typo. Extensive literary research has only recently revealed that what he wrote was,”What doesn’t kill me makes me stranger.” !?!

[kevin davidson]

yep–one too many leader falls from staring too much into the abyss.

[Author]

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