A Tale of Survival

A good friend turned me on to an amazing show called Man vs. Wild (Discovery) and I must admit this show is one of my new favorites.

Extreme Reality
While I am a HUGE fan of Discovery Channel's Shark Week, this program is a rare no-frills reality show. If you have not already seen this stellar show, it's about the adventures of former British Special Forces officer, "Bear" Grylls and real survival techniques (Provided by survivalist Tim Smith). Each episode of the show is a self contained "How To" manual on how to make 'the most' of what would seem otherwise a very bleak situation should you become unexpectedly lost in the wilds of nature.

Don't Try This At Home: I do not recommend attempting the techniques, however there is a certain level of curiosity. As humans, we all instinctively have the need to survive, but how often do we find ourselves getting in touch with that instinct. For some reason, I am just not convinced that we are engaged at all in survival as we drive around talking on our cellphones, typing away on our computer laptops, drinking our foam topped Lattes, or just getting into the car to drive over to the grocery store for "Provisions".

Is Technology Making Us Stupid or Lazy?
Man vs. Wild engages the "What if" - what if you did not have a nice hot shower, water, food, shelter, or the convenience of modernistic society (Appliances, car, computer, cellphone, iPod, GPS, ET AL) - would you be able to survive? If so, how long could one survive without all of the above?

Of course, if you have spent an entire life without such convenience, you would have adapted to other methods of survival - naturally.
It's funny how we take these things for granted and perhaps this is the farcical consequence of technological advancement (Further discussion of this subject is another post entirely).

Beware of Stagnant Water
If you were suddenly thrust into such extreme circumstances and had absolutely nothing, would you be able to rely on your instincts to eat Grubs (A great source of protein), brush your teeth with the stalk of a Cat Tail, start a fire using nothing but rocks, how to navigate your way through the forest at night by using the stars, pine needles can provide a source of water and Vitamin C, drink fluid from Elephant dung, what plant to use to ward off mosquitoes, climb your way out of quick sand and mud, build a basic shelter using palm leaves, how to read a map in the dark, prevent hypothermia by drying off with snow, that Balsa Wood makes a great makeshift raft, protect yourself from predators such as lions, 8' tall 900 pound Grizzly Bear or a Tiger Shark...I could go on...

When I have an opportunity to actually watch an episode (Usually on the weekend), I provide my undivided attention to the program and find myself taking mental notes while listening to every word - that's unusual for me as I typically multi-task while the TV remains in the background. I also find reading the encyclopedia as an enjoying way to relax - so, it figures...

Location, Location, Location
Without giving away too many secrets of this well made program, chances are you may not ever find yourself in such danger, but it's good to be prepared should you find yourself wandering away from your tour group when visiting such hazardous wonders as the jungles of the Amazon, the Arctic, the treacherous deserts of Africa, or even just your simple local hiking trip on a sunny Sunday afternoon; the constant is always to be aware of your surroundings.

Man vs. Wild is a remarkable show that provides an education in survival and a reminder of our instinctive nature.

You can read more about the show here on the Discovery site:
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/manvswild/manvswild.html