So, Naked and Afraid

[vontar]

I have been watching these shows and well.  None of them are doing well.

 

I have been watching those and only in 1 show did someone have sense enough to make shoes I believe and it was after he injured his foot.   One has to protect their feet in a survival situation.  No, I don't want to do that show.  BTW, losing 20 plus pounds in 3 weeks, sorry to say it but they are not surviving.  They are barely getting by waiting for rescue.

[whiskey]

I'd do the show, but only if I got to pick my partner. :)

[vontar]

I'd do the show, but only if I got to pick my partner. :)

Not it.

[whiskey]

I'd do the show, but only if I got to pick my partner. :)

Not it.

Most assuredly! LOL

[Pat]

I've become more and more cynical as time has gone on... I don't really believe much of these survival shows anymore... Survivorman was better, but all the rest... I have a particular disdain for Naked and Afraid just on principle, I mean... come on... what's the appeal of a couple hippies or nudists or whatever they are running around the jungle? These ridiculous shows are getting out of hand.

[TnShooter83]

I've become more and more cynical as time has gone on... I don't really believe much of these survival shows anymore... Survivorman was better, but all the rest... I have a particular disdain for Naked and Afraid just on principle, I mean... come on... what's the appeal of a couple hippies or nudists or whatever they are running around the jungle? These ridiculous shows are getting out of hand.

 

I agree Survivorman was the best one. Dual Survivor is "ok" and about the only one I can stand to watch.

[Pat]

I just can't stand anything with hippies in it, I s'pose! Ah well.

[whiskey]

I just can't stand anything with hippies in it, I s'pose! Ah well.

I enjoy seeing the hippies suffering.

[Moped]

Ya'll got to remember, these shows are mostly for entertainment only.  I surely hope you all aren't expecting to pick up anything useful!  If you want something useful, go on Youtube and watch some Ray Mears vids or some of Mors Kochanski videos.  Those are full of good info about surviving in the wild.

[vontar]

I enjoy seeing the hippies suffering.

Then Vote to Tax their weed.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I've become more and more cynical as time has gone on... I don't really believe much of these survival shows anymore... Survivorman was better, but all the rest... I have a particular disdain for Naked and Afraid just on principle, I mean... come on... what's the appeal of a couple hippies or nudists or whatever they are running around the jungle? These ridiculous shows are getting out of hand.

Where do you get the idea that these people are hippies or nudists?  Have you actually watched the show?  The point is to place two survivalists (many claim to be former military special forces and/or survival instructors) into a survival situation where they are completely vulnerable and lacking the most basic resources available to us.  They come to the location fully dressed and remove their clothes right before setting out on their experience.  I've done some reading about the show and it seems the two people are pretty much on their own for 21 days except for the film crew and some emergency medical personnel who are on hand to deal with injuries and illness (like the guy who got sick after drinking untreated water). 

I have been surprised at how poorly these people are doing.  Perhaps I am extremely delusional about my abilities to survive, but I am always baffled about how these folks don't put much focus on basics like water, shelter, and fire immediately upon starting out.  They seem to wait until they are worn out before they put much effort into these basics.  I've not seen many try to trap or forage for food to any significant extent.  I am also surprised how so few have tried to craft footwear or clothing (perhaps they are discouraged from doing so by the producers).  I think it's an interesting show.  It's hard to lose 20 pounds in three weeks by faking it.

[Oh Shoot]

Where do you get the idea that these people are hippies or nudists? ...

 

Yep, well stated.

 

But btw, I'd wager that given the same circumstances,  ole hippie Cody Lundin could thrive while most of the machismo around here croaked. :)

 

- OS

[Guest travr6]

I don't think any of them would survive longer than a couple months if they had to.

Basically they are barely staying alive while their body consumes itself until they are rescued.

 

 

Not saying I would do any better but I wouldn't call it surviving.

[Refleks]

They are enduring, not surviving. Most people who are into survival or preparedness practice for short term and that is the scope of their knowledge. And to be fair, for most people that is all they would need. But Anything beyond that is so trial by fire that they'd better learn quick because the stakes don't get much higher. Bushcraft and survival are two very different things.  Very little beats experience, and these guys (after having been on that show) probably had more real world practical experience at the end of it than they've had total before the show and are hopefully better for it.

It reminds me of that book tunnel in the sky. Supposed to be a test lasting no longer than 20 days and they get stuck for years. I know my packing list would look different if I knew I was going long term.

At the end of the day in these longer endurance shows (also see: out of the wild) it always comes down to food, and if there is a takeaway it should be that preppers who go light on food, tools to obtain food, and don't seek the knowledge or _practice_ the techniques and skills assuming that food is not a real concern because you can survive x amount of weeks without it on paper needs to actually try that and tell us how it works out for them. Most of the people in the show would have eventually starved (if not succumbed medically) rather than risen to the occasion had they never been "rescued" because years of bushcraft oriented knowledge can't be learned on the fly.

I admit I fell into the same lines of thinking and I was always more interested in what gear to pack rather than practical things like identifying edible plants (just as an example).

Along with survivorman, check out Ray Mears on youtube, definitely informative. Also check out Dick Proenneke. You may not ever want to live out in the wild long term like these guys but learn from them and its the difference between enduring and surviving. .. and ultimately the difference between surviving and thriving.

Edited August 9, 2013 by Refleks

[frankmako]

these shows are mostly for entertainment only.  i do not watch them, got better things to do with my time.

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Don't know 'bout ya'll but some of the hill hippies I knew up in the 'Zarks could survive that crap easily and probably enjoy their selves. Some of my step-dads family did that stuff on purpose. One neice and her husband raised 3 kids in a self built log cabin, no bigger than your average bedroom, cooked outdoors (usually), had to fetch water from 2 miles away and he rode a bicycle to work in Little Rock, 3 days a week, from 25 miles away. NO BS. They could survive any damn thing and liked it that way. My step-dads own mother and father lived in a tent with 5 kids for 2 years till they saved enough money to buy 112 acres of farmland near Loanoke and thrived. Never under estimate a REAL hippie. This crap runnin' 'round, now, give real hippies a bad rep.

[tnguy]

I have been surprised at how poorly these people are doing.  Perhaps I am extremely delusional about my abilities to survive, but I am always baffled about how these folks don't put much focus on basics like water, shelter, and fire immediately upon starting out.  They seem to wait until they are worn out before they put much effort into these basics.  I've not seen many try to trap or forage for food to any significant extent.  I am also surprised how so few have tried to craft footwear or clothing (perhaps they are discouraged from doing so by the producers).  I think it's an interesting show.  It's hard to lose 20 pounds in three weeks by faking it.

 

Everyone knows that step 1 is to start punching a tree.

 

 

WRT the weight thing, I'm sure I would probably drop something like that in that length of time even if I was doing everything perfectly. But I live a pretty cushy life.

Edited August 9, 2013 by tnguy

[JAB]

Yep, well stated.

 

But btw, I'd wager that given the same circumstances,  ole hippie Cody Lundin could thrive while most of the machismo around here croaked. :)

 

- OS

 

I remember seeing, back when I had access to cable, an episode of Dual Survival where Lundin was talking about building survival shelters.  The example he was showing was a small shelter built mostly of small limbs, sticks, twigs and leaves.  He went on to say that he lived in a self-built shelter like that for some time (I think it was two years but it might have been longer) when he was in college.  He joked that it saved him a lot of money but made it kind of hard to bring girls over.

[Guest Republican]

I don't watch the naked show.
Surviving would be at the back of most mens mind for a few days if the chic was good looking.
Don't deny this claim.
A real naked survivor show would be about half xxx rated.
Lol

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Yep, well stated.

 

But btw, I'd wager that given the same circumstances,  ole hippie Cody Lundin could thrive while most of the machismo around here croaked. :)

 

- OS

I think Cody is better than most of these Bear Grylls type of people any day.I would trust him more than anyone else..I actually enjoyed watching him

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

Born and raised in germany..we had plenty of nudist beaches and actually belonged to one until I turned  7 or so..

 

But anyway..at this stage in my life ...I wouldnt want to try to surive with all my naughty bits hanging out.. what is the purpose in that? You are already vulnerable as it is...I wonder if thats a mental thing?

Either way ,the show is OK..e watched it and where suprised how whiney the guys get..lol

[JAB]

I think Cody is better than most of these Bear Grylls type of people any day.I would trust him more than anyone else..I actually enjoyed watching him

 

I still say that if I were going to be in a survival situation and was allowed to choose one of the 'survival personalities' to be with me it would be Les Stroud.  I think he wouldn't take unnecessary risks or expect everyone to be an ex-special forces wilderness adventurer but, at the same time, I don't think he'd cry and moan over killing an alligator to have something to eat.

[whitewolf001]

Not a fan of Man vs Wild BUT the man WAS former SAS and that ain't exactly a walk in the park(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9837238/The-SAS-a-very-special-force.html). He also fell just under 5000 ft with a ripped parachute during a training exercise from what I've read, if the damage had been even slightly greater he would've been in a wheel chair.

Edited August 12, 2013 by whitewolf001

[whitewolf001]

Born and raised in germany..we had plenty of nudist beaches and actually belonged to one until I turned  7 or so..

 

But anyway..at this stage in my life ...I wouldnt want to try to surive with all my naughty bits hanging out.. what is the purpose in that? You are already vulnerable as it is...I wonder if thats a mental thing?

Either way ,the show is OK..e watched it and where suprised how whiney the guys get..lol

 

Are you kidding, I'd be whining on the way in! :p

[jgradyc]

I've watched one episode. They camped by a stream and never caught a single fish. The guy was whining about being cold and he was sitting with his feet in the stream!