I was slumming around the internet yesterday and tripped up on this website. Nothing really new that an experienced prepared person can gain from this but thought it was a good read. I'm sure we all have our "could have's" and "would have's" if we were in the same situation. Plus it's got video for us that are too lazy to read. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Read about it here - http://www.exn.ca/OneWeek/ or watch it here http://www.exn.ca/OneWeek/watch/



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One week in the Wilderness - Documentary

The Canadian wilderness can be a cherished friend or a formidable foe, depending on how well you know it.
A simple trip into the woods can show us just how dependent we are on modern conveniences. What if there were no grocery stores or electricity? We don't have to deal with these uncertainties in the 21st century, but what if we did find ourselves without them? Having the tools to make it in the wild is not just useful, it can be lifesaving - even inspiring.

In contrast to the slew of reality shows and films that have sensationalized "survival", filmmaker and wilderness expert Les Stroud set off for a self-imposed exile to show how it's really done.

After being blindfolded and throwing a dart at a map of Northern Ontario, Stroud was dropped off where the dart landed with nothing but the clothes on his back, the contents of his pockets and a week to survive…alone.

Les' experience appears as a five-part series of daily segments on @discovery.ca - Discovery Channel Canada's daily science newsmagazine - during the week of October 1, at 7 p.m. ET. After airing, those same segments are archived here on EXN.ca.

Our One Week in the Wilderness site takes you inside Stroud's experience, with access to his personal journals, video that you can't see on TV and the chance to go beyond the series to find out more about surviving in the wild and enjoying the great outdoors.

Thanks for a great site! As for not learning anything new? Les pitched his shelter to flat and suffered for it. Everyone can make mistakes and it is always sobering to see 'experts' wise enough to show their own fallibility.

True.

When I posted this, I had only read the journal and not watched the video(s). After watching the video now, I saw a few things I would have done differently. Namely was his initial fire with the one match he had. I would have definitely tried to keep it going, because using a bow and drill for the length of time he did, sure doesn't look like fun. And yes, he really should have some pitch to that roof, could have used more birch bark for sealing up the entrances for wind blocking and used birch bark for keeping his wood supply dry. Like I said, we all have our own way of doing things and it was a wake up call to see that even an expert can make mistakes when put to the test.

Otherwise, it's a good documentary folks.

--Chris

I have exchanged emails with Les. If he can 'survive' our fickle log on process we can ask him questions directly. Les is starting a year long oddessy of the same premise in different climes. It will be a welcome break from survivor soap operas and the late,great acting heavy Bart the Bear getting offed by Hopkins and Pitt <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I just finished looking at the video portion. The journal is good, but the video is a must see, much more detail and "reality" to see there. I was completely surprised by the difficulty he had with the fire bow. I figured he would get this one fast being an instructor and all. This is probably one of the best eye openers in the video. That fire was work, and difficult work at that.

Makes me feel good knowing that my pocket always has a firesteel of some sort.

The other great thing about this site is the only tool...the SAK with saw. No massive steel chopper here, just a SAK.

Overall, this was definately worth the time to view, a bit of learning for all. Thanks Saunterer for placing this here.

I agree.

This was the first video of the fire bow I have seen. I will definitely think about practicing with one in the near future.

As for the SAK. It is a good reminder that just a simple tool makes a big difference. I think that one of the few shortcomings of this fine forum is that we tend to over-engineerin our minds just a bit too much. It is good to examine every piece of gear that we intend to carry but, at the same time, we shouldn't think that doom is upon us if we are caught outside with only a pocket knife and a book of matches. As the video shows, knowledge and ingenuity are the most important parts of our many kits.

Chris

I have exchanged email wih Lyn. He is trying to join our forum! Unfortunately the infamous log on bug so many of you encountered has refused to let him post. I will be posting an email for him soon.

Please let us know when you do. I've tried a fire bow many times and yet no fire. <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I can get smoke but no coal. It's probably my wood selection. Let us know what works for you.

The videos are definately better than the journal, and a good documentary explaining what most people do when suddenly thrust into a survival situation in the beginning. Plus the thought of mosquitos and biting flies constantly around made the ordeal 1000% worse in my mind.

Chris K., thanks for inviting Les here to share with us.

--Chris