With popular TV shows like “Man Vs. Wild” and “Survivorman” demonstrating their hosts survival skills in exotic places such as, the Arctic Circle, deserts of North Africa, and the jungles of Panama, I think as viewers we tend to forget these guys are the best at what they do and have been training and fine tuning there skills for years. As survivalist I think we all love to get out there and try out new gear and test out skills, but you gotta be reasonable in how you go about it. Take 41year old Richard Code for example. Code was a devoted fan of Canada’s Survivorman show and decided to put himself to the test in the Ontario bush in the dead of winter without a parka. When interviewed by Yahoo Canada, his friend told the reporter:
“Code was well aware of the dangers, and prepared carefully for his trips, taking an axe, knife, and a top-of-the-line 17-function utility tool.”
In what world was does an axe, knife, utility tool and no jacket prepare you for10 degree nights and heavy snow fall? I hope the late Mr. Code’s story provides an eye-opening lesson about using your noodle BEFORE you head outdoors.
Great article!!!
Man vs. Wild and Survivor Man also have support crews. I'm sorry the guy lost his life but that was … I don't want to be cruel but it just wasn't smart.
Can you slam dunk a basketball?
Me neither. But I've seen it done on TV, and many NBA players can perform that technique with ease.
Based on what I've seen in games, the dunk is a great effective way to score.
But it would be crazy for me to get in the finals of the big game (assuming I somehow got into the big game!) and try to dunk the winning point. Unfortunately, many people use this same philosophy when it comes survival. Without testing the technique, they assume it will work because they saw it done on TV.
In reality, the "survival" shows are nothing more than entertainment. They're cheap to shoot, and many of the skills demonstrated on these shows rely on camera angles and cuts in the action for them to work.
There is no substitute for hands-on training under a competent instructor. Let's hope the rest of the wannabee survivor men get some real training!
I recently read an article about a CA mother and young son who do a 3-day survival prep-check in grandma's backyard (next to a pond). They work with aonly what they carry in their bug-out bag. They have honed the skill, from practice, so that the 3-days are now a "good, family time". I think that this is a great way to hone real survival skills, not climbing down a mountain after being dropped out of a helicopter. Survival shows are entertainment, not education.