TLD Compared to Survival TV Shows

Take a look at this list of TV programmes. I'm sure you're familiar with some of them:

- Survival (1961-2001)

- Man vs Wild

- Survivorman

- Dual Survival

- Man, Woman, Wild

- Extreme Survival

- Surviving Disaster

-Doomsday Preppers

- Dude, You're Screwed

There's many more but I'm too lazy to think of more =P

I'm sure TLD was inspired by one of these shows,,, maybe we can discuss what elements of any the shows here you can draw inspiration from when playing TLD? Aside starting your own fire, hunting, warding off bugs, finding shelter etc. Those are the common things. How about possibly drinking your own pee, or making a blanket out of elk skin and wolf fur. hahahaha. Eating bugs? Get into deeper thinking and come up with some rad-ass ideas on things you would do to survive. That's the game's tagline, right? How far will you go to survive.

PS: Finding random weapons and going on a predator killing spree so you can sleep easier under the stars counts too.

I have an extremely important point to make about this. Anybody who thinks that the tv shows presented by Edward Michael Grylls [i refuse to use his stupid nickname] are based on reality are mistaken. Not only is most of the information provided on those shows wrong but most of it is contra indicated if you actually want to stay alive. Those shows are for pure entertainment [although I don't see how anyone is entertained] and are fictional with staged stunts. There is plenty of information on the web that will confirm this and even the shows' credits have a disclaimer. To finish my rant, I implore people not follow the "advice" on any of his shows unless you hear it from a reputable survival source.

With regard to tasks such skinning animals and then making clothing from them, depending on how these are implemented they can be extremely annoying. If you have ever played Red Dead Redemption you will understand exactly what I am talking about. An example is that you can skin animals in that game but you get the same animation every time and it gets tedious and frustrating after a few times and it can't be turn off or skipped. There should be the option to turn them off after x amount of displays.

I have to admit I've been getting hooked on Ultimate Survival Alaska (amazing at how various teams come up with alternative/makeshift problem tools). Biggest reminder is just how bad landing in the water can be [hypothermia].

It's also interesting to see the decision making of which terrain or route to take.

As well, even though the individuals come up with some brilliant solutions to natural terrain challenges], they also have their "WTF Were You Thinking" brainfart moments (such as in this clip)

[bBvideo 560,340:tunvagel]

Definitely worth watching the show from the very start -- gives you a good idea of the ingenuity that can be used to improvise during survival explorations. Not always the best way, but very interesting to see the process different people use.

LOL!

Seriously, shooting your own boat... Who needs enemies with friends like that?

I love Bear Grylls

He taught me everything I know.

I just literally burst out laughing at @BillTarling's clip!

@Shanthini, there was a discussion about drinking your own pee during TLD's Kickstarter campaign and then @robdoar started a specific thread about it when the forums opened up -- maybe we should revive it?

We love hearing the community speculate on different scenarios on how far you'd go to survive. The urine question has been touched on, but I'm not sure I've seen anyone talk about eating bugs yet? Would you? Have you?

Emily, remind me to tell you the story when I had to suck a dead Goat's eye out of his head.

I'm all ears (eyes?), @robdoar! I'll bet everyone here would love to hear this story, too!

Dunno i always felt the game felt more like the movie "The Road"

@The Silverback: Fair point. MvW IS a show for entertainment although he DOES present techniques that are useful in the wild. His advice ain't wrong either.

PS: Didn't he officially change his name to Bear tho? Thought I read that somewhere.

@BillTarling: That clip cracked me up! bahahah!

@Emily_Hinterland: Hilarious thread! Lovin' the debate. I wouldn't drink my own pee though.... EEEEEEVER!

Bugs, maybe, I wouldn't mind trying one of those fat yellow squiggly worm-looking things with the black head... lives in tree trunks or something.... Bamboo worms?

@Shanthini

I have a close friend who worked as a consultant on the show.

To be fear to Bear (Which was a childhood nickname from his sister) he was a victim of TV producers and clever editing in the first seasons, which presented the show differntly than it was filmed.

I lost a lot of respect for him because even after this, he went on with it. (My "learned everything" comment was sarcasm earlier)

Aside from occasionally being inaccurate, a lot of Bear's advice and examples are in-fact dangerous. Things like running down rock faces, and jumping into frozen water alone are disasters waiting to happen. He does them because it's exciting television, and he has the benefit of a medical team off camera, and chopper on standby.

One of my biggest problems with all of these survival shows is that in almost all of them, the hosts pretend that their knowledge is first hand, and well tested. In fact, local experts spend a few days to a few weeks training the hosts in the skills they will be presenting. Unfortunately, the skills are not always presented correctly, but people still buy it because the hosts sell it with so much confidence.

I could go on and on, but anyone interested in practicing survivalist/bushcraft really needs hands on experience with experts, not a cable TV package.

@robdoar

I agree. One reason I do find his show exciting is how well Bear presents himself and how confident he is of his techniques, so I can't bash him too much. If you had anyone to teach you how to survive in the wilderness, who will it be?

@Shanthini

I lost a lot of respect for him because even after this, he went on with it. (My "learned everything" comment was sarcasm earlier)

I guess he just liked the money..? But I agree, you can't have much respect for someone who knowingly and willingly mis-presents survival like that. What if someone dies or gets seriously injured in an actual survival situation because he does something Bear advises and it goes horribly wrong?

It's good you explained about that remark being sarcasm, people might not have picked up on that

@Shanthini

It can become dangerous when he is confidently teaching something that is factually or practically incorrect.

Some of the things he does could kill someone who tries to copy it.

If you had anyone to teach you how to survive in the wilderness, who will it be?

If we're talking "celebrity Survivalists" then I would have to say Ray Mears. But there is a long list of private citizens I'd go to first.

@elloco999 If you poke around the forums, you'll see my disdain for Bear (and most TV "experts) is well established, was meant for a chuckle to @LoganG, @Kessa, @JetroKoro, @TatooedMac @BillTarling etc.

@robdoar Yeah, I know. It made me smile as well.

I love Bear Grylls

He taught me everything I know.

@Shanthini

It can become dangerous when he is confidently teaching something that is factually or practically incorrect.

Some of the things he does could kill someone who tries to copy it.

If you had anyone to teach you how to survive in the wilderness, who will it be?

If we're talking "celebrity Survivalists" then I would have to say Ray Mears. But there is a long list of private citizens I'd go to first.

@elloco999 If you poke around the forums, you'll see my disdain for Bear (and most TV "experts) is well established, was meant for a chuckle to @LoganG, @Kessa, @JetroKoro, @TatooedMac @BillTarling etc.

I found it quite funny and did get a chuckle from it.

Even though Bear was a Special Forces (or what ever they are called in the Pommy Military) doesn't make him a survival expert. He has even said on some of his shows that he has spent time with a local, so he knows specific dangers and so on . .

I found it quite funny and did get a chuckle from it.

Even though Bear was a Special Forces (or what ever they are called in the Pommy Military) doesn't make him a survival expert. He has even said on some of his shows that he has spent time with a local, so he knows specific dangers and so on . .

So he's actually giving good advise: spend time with the local experts so you know the specific dangers and so on!

So he's actually giving good advise: spend time with the local experts so you know the specific dangers and so on!

Except he's often incorrect, and mimicking him will get you killed.

[bBvideo 560,340:tunvagel]

Just watching all that jumping makes my knees hurt. And I once knew a paraplegic guy who got that way by diving head first into shallow water (paid dearly for the stupidity of youth).

Yes, it's clear Bear is much more interested in making good television (yes, it's debatable whether it's "good" television, but many many people watch it, so it's working for him...) and doesn't care about actually giving real information about survival.

And I completely agree that diving or jumping into water like that is a good way to get yourself killed. But probably someone checks where the save spots are for him to do his stunts, so he doesn't end up dead. But that, they do not show on camera.

Mimicking Bear is not something to be done by someone who cares about living. (How ironic is that?!)

When it comes to tv survival personalities, Les Stroud dominates all of them. He fails at trying various techniques as much as he succeeds, but perseverance is the lesson he stresses. Bear is just a joke regarding that show, he tries entirely too hard to be "exciting". Like Les once said, "If your enjoying survival, your just camping".

Les dominates all? Hardly. He's still guilty of my main criticisms.

Though I still agree when compared to Bear, everyone dominates.

@robdoar Are there any survival "experts"/ trainers /whatever you do like/ would recommend?

I'm always interested in good sources for information on survival.

I'm pretty sure any TV survivalist expert is going to be swayed by producers and ratings and provide more scripted drama/excitement than real survival advice. Making money is the goal for anyone with a TV show and having high viewer ratings is the only way to do that, people love some mindless drama/action.