Survival

Author: EtrnlVw

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Anyone here every been put in a situation where you had to survive outdoors for a period of time? would anyone ever participate in a survival show like "Naked and Afraid", "Alone" or Survivor"? and think they could make it?
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@EtrnlVw
I would never participate in a reality show about survival. Too much risk of contrived drama and events manipulated for trashy sensationalism. My goals and the producers' goals would be at odds. My goal would be a stable, safe environment where everyone is calm and as well taken care of as they can be while we wait for rescue. The producers' goal would be an unstable, melodramatic environment where people are at each other's throats, entertainment value is prioritized over stability, and the audience can't tear their eyes away.

Naked and Afraid is more like Naked and Miserable. I watched it a few times but I just couldn't get past the absurdity of the nakedness thing. One layer of clothing is the bare minimum you can expect to have on you in a plausible survival situation. It's just TV clickbait, obviously. My favorite survival shows would be Survivorman and Hacking the Wild. Hacking the Wild was pretty cool. The host goes into the wilderness with modern tech, like a laptop and a phone (with dead batteries, of course), and takes them apart to see what survival tools he can make out of them. One minute video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0T_ylKPFAw Also, he's a vegetarian but surprisingly he's stuck to his guns so far and won't eat any meat in the wild, even when the pickings are slim. One time he refused to even eat a sea cucumber. Although he did eat a... byproduct of the sea cucumber.
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@Castin
I think some of the drama stuff depends on the chemistry of the people involved in the show too, which then makes for entertainment but for example the "Alone" series only has one survivor so you might like that one, because the drama of adding another player is no longer there it's just about one person trying to see how long they can make it out in nowhere. The Survivor series that came out in the 90's was definitely overly dramatic because it had several contestants competing for money but it did ruin it for me because they played it out too much.
I didn't really like the naked thing either it was actually the last one I considered watching but then I ran out of survival shows to watch lol. But I found it interesting once I got used to it, gross too though. I'm guessing they did that just to add another level of having to survive with nothing, furthering mental deterioration ect but yeah I really like Live Free or Die...no nakedness. Alone is fun to watch as far as surviving game goes. Have you seen Dual Survivor? that's a good one too.
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@EtrnlVw
I've never watched Alone, what's it like?

And dude get out of my head. I totally tried Naked and Afraid because I ran out of survival shows to watch. And I'm not gonna lie, it was absorbing. It was the one with the "bugs in my vajayjay" woman.

As for Dual Survival, I haven't watched it in a few years, but when I left I really felt like it had lost respectability. They just kept cranking up the melodrama. I liked the original pairing, but then they started switching people out like crazy. Cody Lundin seemed interesting and legit, which kept me watching, but they fired him and then released sensitive footage of him having tantrums on set.
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@Castin
You've been around the survival block like me haven't you? I really liked Cody but I kept watching because I liked the Joe Teti guy too, he ended up pairing with a guy named Matt Graham at the end I like so I watched all the seasons. I didn't think I would much like it when Cody left but I like the replacements and the shows are still interesting.
I thought the "Alone" series was really cool. I believe they select about ten people to survive in a remote area by themselves and see who can last the longest period of time surviving, for as long as they can go until they tap out. They have to make their own shelter, fire and find their own foods completely alone recording their own footage. 


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@EtrnlVw
Yeah I'm totally a survival tv vet. 😎 While I like Matt Graham in general, I just didn't think he brought to the show what Cody did. Cody was this perfect blend of eccentricity, intelligence, and skill. And he was funny. His insistence that he go barefoot in ANY climate always kept things... interesting. (For the record I thought he was crazy to do it, at least in some climates/terrain.)

Joe Teti I had mixed feelings about. Hey, did you ever see the episode where him and Matt have to climb like a hundred feet out of this really deep sinkhole, and it's exhausting and backbreaking, but once they get to the top Matt says they lost the glasses lens they were gonna make a fire with? And Joe freaks out and insists on going back down to find it even though Matt says now that they're on the surface he can make a fire no problem?
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We are at season 8 on Naked and Afraid, could I do it, maybe if I had to.  I really like this stuff but would never intentionally put myself in that situation unless it was for millions of dollars.  I heard they get 5k if they make it 21 days, not even close enough for me.  For me the skills is what I like and their success with fishing, traps etc.  One I recall the guy just basically didn't do much of anything and waited out the 21 days, boring.
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@EtrnlVw
Anyone here every been put in a situation where you had to survive outdoors for a period of time?
Not quite. In fact, it would be a rather unusual occurrence for a person in the Western world to be forced to survive outdoors for an extended period of time. I do, however, very much enjoy the outdoors. I am interested in invariably every aspect of survival, and would be excited to be placed in a scenario in which I had to utilize skills that I presently have, and skills that I learn in the process of surviving. Fundamentally, you only need one primary desire to enable you to cultivate the aptitude to survive, and that is the will to prevail against every obstacle that you are confronted with.

would anyone ever participate in a survival show like "Naked and Afraid", "Alone" or Survivor"? and think they could make it?
I would never participate in a reality TV show. 

Nonetheless, if you are interested in reading about survival, I would recommend the following books:

  • The Long Walk
  • Unbroken
  • Papillon
  • Alone
  • Deep Survival 
  • Jungle
  • Survive the Savage Sea

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@Zeichen
how do you know so many books on this very specific topic just outta curiosity?
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@Smithereens
I have a fascination with survival stories. :) Two of those books I came to read through watching the movie adaptations of them.
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@Zeichen
Really, you think it would be unusual to find survival in the western world with all the deserts, vast wilderness, forests, homeless people and countless people getting lost and dying in the wild? that's strange, perhaps you mean its not very common because of civilization and I could get with that but the western world has much wilderness, and many survival situations. Maybe not if you're a middle class, upper class city slicker but there are plenty stories of survival. 
Why would you never participate in a reality survival show if you love the subject? that's the point, to survive and show/experience your own skills I don't see why you would not want to do that unless you just don't like the audience factor. Maybe you would prefer to put yourself in your own situation rather than having a production team create a scenario for you?
Anyways is there one of those books you would recommend? I won't probably get to them all. 
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Pretty cool show to watch on the Weather Channel. Just watched an episode of how a guy broke his leg whilst hiking on a mountain, dealt with the subsequent infection in his leg, and was rescued via helicopter after being out in the elements for several days. 

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@EtrnlVw
Really, you think it would be unusual to find survival in the western world with all the deserts, vast wilderness, forests, homeless people and countless people getting lost and dying in the wild? that's strange, perhaps you mean its not very common because of civilization and I could get with that but the western world has much wilderness, and many survival situations. Maybe not if you're a middle class, upper class city slicker but there are plenty stories of survival. 
It is very rare for homeless people to die in the wilderness. Alas, it is true that people exploring such areas can, and do, become missing. In fact, I know a fair amount on this subject and could refer you to some interesting, and currently unsolved, cases.

However, this deviates from the point that losing one's sense of direction or dying in the wilderness is quite preventable. My argument is that *if* people utilize technology as they should, and ensure that they are adequately equipped for an adventure, they ought to be fine. 

Why would you never participate in a reality survival show if you love the subject? that's the point, to survive and show/experience your own skills I don't see why you would not want to do that unless you just don't like the audience factor. Maybe you would prefer to put yourself in your own situation rather than having a production team create a scenario for you?
I would never participate in any reality television show -- not to mention those aimed at survival. This is because I am a private person, who sees no value in reality T.V.

In terms of what I do myself in my own free time, without being followed by a camera crew, I have indeed visited some remote areas. For a while, I lived in a rural part of South-East Spain, and I would frequently go exploring. The area I lived in was rather mountainous, and our house was surrounded by ravines. I also went hiking in coastal areas, which were around an hour from where we lived. I enjoy physical activity and the outdoors, so hiking is a very natural source of enjoyment to me. At present, I live in England (which is my home country), and there are some interesting places to hike here as well. 

Anyways is there one of those books you would recommend? I won't probably get to them all. 
The book I would recommend the most is: The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom.
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@Zeichen
Thank you for the recommendation Zeichen, dang you lived in South-East Spain?? where there are mountains?? okay now I'm jealous lol, I'm a mountain man by heart! 
I'm actually a private person as well, but it would be interesting to do a loner survival show...get to test your own knowledge as well as share with others but I get it, I'm actually a very shy person believe it or not. 

May I ask about your choice of profile picture? is that some sort of a Hindu Temple?
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@EtrnlVw
Thank you for the recommendation Zeichen, dang you lived in South-East Spain?? where there are mountains?? okay now I'm jealous lol, I'm a mountain man by heart! 
You are quite welcome. 

Living by mountains was very enjoyable. I particularly recall one year when it snowed rather heavily, and it added such beauty to the surrounding area. I like venturing outdoors when it snows.

In fact, I prefer the weather to be very hot, or very cold. The reason why I dislike the British climate so much is because it is mild. In the summer, 78 degrees is considered a "heatwave", and in the winter, 40 degrees is considered an "ice storm". 

I'm actually a private person as well, but it would be interesting to do a loner survival show...get to test your own knowledge as well as share with others but I get it, I'm actually a very shy person believe it or not. 
Yes. Reality T.V shows are also much less authentic. After all, a person isn't really surviving alone in the wilderness when they are being filmed -- or when they can receive immediate assistance in the case of an emergency.


May I ask about your choice of profile picture? is that some sort of a Hindu Temple?
It is Saint Basil's Cathedral, in Moscow. :)

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@Zeichen
Hey, have you seen "Live Fee or Die"? even though it's a reality TV series it's not the producers who are creating the challenge for the participant.....the production team simply films their own life and survival without any intervention, perhaps that would interest you?

May I ask your religious preferences if any? I love the snow BTW :)
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@EtrnlVw
Hey, have you seen "Live Fee or Die"? even though it's a reality TV series it's not the producers who are creating the challenge for the participant.....the production team simply films their own life and survival without any intervention, perhaps that would interest you?
I have not seen this, nor do I think it would interest me. 


May I ask your religious preferences if any? I love the snow BTW :)
I am fairly knowledgable about Catholicism and Judaism, but I have discovered that I am not inclined toward religious belief. I have some traditional views on certain things, but rather liberal views on others. 

As for the snow, do you have much of it during the winter in your area?
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@Zeichen
I'm in Virginia so snow can be a hit or miss. Basically the winters are easy here for the most part but I'm a colder weather man and I love autumn it's my fav time of year can't wait! 
Not to turn this into a religious discussion (as we can discuss these things in the religious section) but what do you mean you are not inclined toward religious belief? not interested or you think it's baloney? that being a higher reality beyond the physical perception only? I can see how you would be disassociated with religion as it stands, but there is a much deeper and more exciting reality than that alone....
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@Zeichen
Catholicism and Judaism might not do it for ya, but let me tell you there is much more to this reality than those two interpretations, as widespread as they are it's not for every soul. Some people need a bit more, perhaps more observation and less talk/theory...
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@EtrnlVw
I'm in Virginia so snow can be a hit or miss. Basically the winters are easy here for the most part but I'm a colder weather man and I love autumn it's my fav time of year can't wait! 

I see. Autumn is actually my least favorite season. I much prefer the summer and winter.

Not to turn this into a religious discussion (as we can discuss these things in the religious section) but what do you mean you are not inclined toward religious belief? not interested or you think it's baloney? that being a higher reality beyond the physical perception only? I can see how you would be disassociated with religion as it stands, but there is a much deeper and more exciting reality than that alone....

To explain it simply: I view following religion as a futile endeavor. I like to discuss what can be readily demonstrated, and what is easily proven.
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@EtrnlVw
perhaps more observation and less talk/theory...
Sadly, this is impossible with religion. 

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@Zeichen
Spirituality can certainly be readily demonstrated if this is what you mean by "demonstrate"....
"to prove or make clear by reasoning or evidence"

Not so easy to "prove" but then again there's many things we know to be true in reality we can't necessarily "prove" to someone on the internet, so we are forced to partake in reason, explanations and personal experience. So, just maybe it won't always be a futile effort depending on who you engage.
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@Zeichen
Sadly, this is impossible with religion. 
Impossible?? coming from you that surprises me a bit, that you would be so rigid with this. Perhaps you weren't aware that spirituality is based on observation? religion comes in many forms and is handed down as traditions but legit teachings are based on what we observe, the point though for the individual is for the participants to have their own experiences and observations. Student teacher relationship. student becomes teacher/master kinda thing.

252 days later

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Meh through boy scouts I could probably last 1-3 days.