Steel Cage winner is…Les Stroud!
Responses I received here and on Facebook had some lively debate. Some folks were quite serious. Others more tongue-in-cheek. Here’s a sampling of responses I received from the question: Who would you rather have with you if you were lost in the wilderness — Les Stroud (Survivorman) or Bear Grylls (Man vs. Wild)?
Bill of OKC: “What he presents…in Man vs Wild as ‘Survival Skills??’ will get people killed and is ‘Totally’ Irresponsible and he should be removed from the airways…before someone dies !!!!!”
Backcountry: “Les Stroud is clearly the correct choice in this situation. He is the actual survival expert and your odds of survival would be considerably improved if you were in his company.”
Augie from Denver: “If I were stuck out in the middle of nowhere, I’d rather have Les with me for many reasons. Bear also stays in hotels. What a fraud.”
Tim from St. Louis: “I like Les because he shoots everything himself… all alone with cameras. He will set a shot and then have to hike back and pick up the camera. I love that… even if the show is lesser quality… it still impresses me.”
Lisa from Los Angeles: “No contest. Bear is superior man candy. If your in the middle of nowhere a handsome man who knows where the hotels are is indispensable.” (Now that’s funny!)
So there’s a sampling. A friend from Alaska had her son chime in as well. His take: “Bear because he is a minimalist, unlike Les, most of us will not be stranded with a fully intact fuselage, rifle and or a helicopter we can call in it we get tired of surviving. Bear probably has some bad a** stories, and some awesome moves he can teach you around a campfire.”
So there you go. I figure if I’m in the middle of a brewing pit fight at some bazaar in Beirut, I’d like to have Bear Grylls there. But if it’s a question of outdoor survival — Les Stroud is the man.
Thanks for your input, folks!
Bob Doucette
Steel Cage winner is…Les Stroud!
Responses I received here and on Facebook had some lively debate. Some folks were quite serious. Others more tongue-in-cheek. Here’s a sampling of responses I received from the question: Who would you rather have with you if you were lost in the wilderness — Les Stroud (Survivorman) or Bear Grylls (Man vs. Wild)?
Bill of OKC: “What he presents…in Man vs Wild as ‘Survival Skills??’ will get people killed and is ‘Totally’ Irresponsible and he should be removed from the airways…before someone dies !!!!!”
Backcountry: “Les Stroud is clearly the correct choice in this situation. He is the actual survival expert and your odds of survival would be considerably improved if you were in his company.”
Augie from Denver: “If I were stuck out in the middle of nowhere, I’d rather have Les with me for many reasons. Bear also stays in hotels. What a fraud.”
Tim from St. Louis: “I like Les because he shoots everything himself… all alone with cameras. He will set a shot and then have to hike back and pick up the camera. I love that… even if the show is lesser quality… it still impresses me.”
Lisa from Los Angeles: “No contest. Bear is superior man candy. If your in the middle of nowhere a handsome man who knows where the hotels are is indispensable.” (Now that’s funny!)
So there’s a sampling. A friend from Alaska had her son chime in as well. His take: “Bear because he is a minimalist, unlike Les, most of us will not be stranded with a fully intact fuselage, rifle and or a helicopter we can call in it we get tired of surviving. Bear probably has some bad a** stories, and some awesome moves he can teach you around a campfire.”
So there you go. I figure if I’m in the middle of a brewing pit fight at some bazaar in Beirut, I’d like to have Bear Grylls there. But if it’s a question of outdoor survival — Les Stroud is the man.
Thanks for your input, folks!
Bob Doucette
Steel cage: Survivorman vs. Man v. Wild
They’re both featured on the Discovery Channel. They both do shows about how to survive if you’re lost in the wild. But who would you rather have with you if you were stranded in the wilderness?
I’m talking about Les Stroud, star of the show “Survivorman,” and Bear Grylls, the former Brit military man, adventurer and star of “Man vs. Wild.” How do they stack up?
Grylls is a former British special forces member. Second-degree black belt in karate. Skydiver. Has climbed Mount Everest and Ama Dablam, two of the highest peaks in the world. Has done numerous expeditions in jungle, desert, savanah, alpine and arctic environments. One knock: “Man vs. Wild” episodes don’t really have him alone in the wilderness, and at times, he’s had help and lodging available during filming. But this is also a guy who crossed the artic Atlantic in an inflatable boat and circumnavigated the UK on a jet ski. Solid outdoorsman credentials.
Stroud is a wilderness guide, outdoor survival expert, film maker and a musician. He spent a year with his wife living in the wilds of Ontario, Canada. He’s also been a guide in some of the harshest wilderness environments in northwestern Canada. His shows have seen him showcase survival skills in desert, alpine, jungle, savanah and arctic conditions. He’s even shown his viewers how to make it if you’re stranded at sea. He may not have Grylls’ military/martial arts cred, but he films his shows by himself and is on his own for six days at a time. +1 on that count!
So there ya go. Both have eaten bugs and other wild things, hashed it out in remote places and know quite a bit about making it in the wilderness.
Who would you choose? Who wins the title of ultimate survivalist?
Bob Doucette
Cool local group for people who like the outdoors
Live in the Oklahoma City area? Like to hike? Bike? Camp? Climb? Or do anything outside? Let me introduce you to the OKC Outdoor Network.
I’ll give you a couple links. Here’s one in which members are posting trip reports of their activities:
And here’s a link to the group’s main Web site:
http://www.okcoutdoornetwork.org/
Check out those sites. See if this is the group for you, and if it is, check out one of their meetings. Members are game for finding new friends who love the outdoors!
Bob Doucette
Brit adventurer: A light that burned brightly, briefly
A shame to lose an adventurer so young, but this guy lived his days to the fullest. Check out this link, wonder at his accomplishments as an adventurer, and contemplate his passing.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/11/uk.adventurer.killed/index.html
Headgear: Take care of that noggin!
About a week ago, I posted a story about a kid dying from a head injury caused in a skiing accident in New Mexico.
And then there’s this:
http://www.newsok.com/ou-student-dies-in-colorado-snowboarding-accident/article/3336233
Both cases have a couple things in common, but one in particular stands out: Neither victim was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
I’m going to date myself a bit here, but I can remember riding a bike as a kid and never even knowing there was such as thing as a biking helmet. Now it’s standard equipment.
The same revolution is happening on the slopes. In times past, the only thing people were wearing on their heads were ski caps made of wool. No longer.
I admit the first time I ever skied with a helmet was last winter. But as my skills (and speed) increased, I definitely see the need for one. I won’t ski without a helmet anymore.
The same will be true of several other outdoor activities. If I’m biking, I’m wearing a helmet. Doesn’t matter if it’s on the street or off-road. An errant driver can cause a spill, and your cranium won’t match up well with the pavement. Off-road, it’s simply too easy to have a spill and be sent flying into a rock, tree or hard ground.
If I’m rock climbing in the outdoors, I want a helmet. Heck, even if I’m doing some Class 3 or 4 scrambling, I want headgear. Loose rocks from above and falls can cause devastating injuries to an unprotected head.
Skiing, boarding, biking and climbing are fun. Even on bad days, these activities are memorable. God was gracious enough to give us a hard head to protect us from head injuries, but the skull had its limits. If you’re headed to the slopes in the Rockies, climbing in the Wichitas or biking the trails in the metro area, get that headgear. I’d prefer not to see any more of these tragedies in the headlines.
If you can think of a story where a helmet saved you some grief, let me know. Comment here or e-mail me at bdoucette@obubco.com.
Bob Doucette
The ultimate chair lift disaster
I’ve had my own embarassing accidents getting on and off the ski lift chairs, but nothing compared to this. Read, cringe, and be sure to concentrate when you’re getting on the lift. Otherwise, you might end up like this guy.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0106091vail1.html
Bob Doucette
