Apparently they are catching on TV about survival shows.
They are trying to imitate Les Stroud show. Probably the ratings on this kind of program are increasing. This last one shows how to survive in the African savannah. I like the show very much although I found a couple of mistake, like the guy cutting a fruit on top of his thigh. But in general it was enjoyable. It was in the Discovery Channel. Did anybody watch it and found any mistakes or learned anything?

Hey Joaquin,

I saw it last night and enjoyed it for the most part.

I thought it was silly that he was playing with that spitting cobra while telling the audience to leave it alone.

Hiking off into the brush without taking the tarp off his jeep and then commenting on the fact it took him an hour to construct a shelter didn't make a lot of sense to me; not a good use of energy.

No bug repellant noted in his backpack and commenting on skeeters being the number one killer in the area.

And for a personal note: I'm never going afield wearing shorts. Been there done that; didn't like having my legs torn up.

Other than that, I liked it.

Discovery and the science channel are owned by the same people I think. The "Science of Survival" show is actually a partner show to "I shouldnt be alive". Les did one as well, showing how the couple could have survived when they become stranded after travelling on a closed road in the winter.

If any of these shows give a normal person a better chance to survive an emergency, then they are good to go. All these shows are good primers, but my problem with them is they go so fast. I watched the one about escaping from the amazon, and I thought it went fast, even for me, and I know a little about dealing with emergencies after learning from this site and books. Also, I dont like the eco-slant these shows have sometimes. Stuff like mentionin that burning tires is not good for the environment. When I am stranded or injured or lost, I will do ANYTHING to get myself and my family to safety. Burning a tire, cutting down live trees, or killing a woodland creature is not important to me if it means staying alive.

Other than that, I will say that I think these shows are pretty good and entertaining, as well as educational.

Garrett

It hasn't shown up on the BBC, ITV, CH4/5 networks yet. I'm one of those die hards who doesn't have Sky. Unfortunately for ISBA we have certain expectations this side of the pond. Courtesy of a certain Ray Mears. If the program is factualy accurate and gives good advice - great. Unfortunately America T.V. has to contend with the litigation happy side of America. If they didn't appease the "conservation, YOU VILL BE politically correct" brigade it's quite likely that they will wind up spending a lot of time fighting off law suits. We just have to hope that the ordinary joe watching the program appreciates that nuance. As for the snake, I suspect that the camera angle etc made him look a lot closer than he actually was. In his shoes I would make damn certain that I knew exactly what the snakes maximum striking distance is ( half it's body lenth for a rattlesnake) and made damned certain that I stayed outside of it. Plus a fudge factor of say, 50%. Just in case no one has told the snake!

I saw it. Enjoyed it, too. My wife watched it with me. She thought the guide was cute. Grin.

As for actually going to Africa on vacation or something, I'd rather not. I'll take London any day. I'm an Anglophile at heart.

-- Craig