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#155106 - 11/13/08 10:52 AM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: BOD]
Leigh_Ratcliffe Offline
Veteran

Registered: 03/31/06
Posts: 1355
Loc: United Kingdom.
Originally Posted By: BOD
I wonder why Les Stroud says a lean-to is a waste of time


Possibly because a lean-to is a specialist shelter for North European/Canadian forest use in conjunction with a fire. It also takes a lot of effort (read: calories)and tools to construct.

Prefered option is an A-Frame shelter.
_________________________
I don't do dumb & helpless.

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#155108 - 11/13/08 01:08 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: Glock-A-Roo]
SwampDonkey Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/08/07
Posts: 1268
Loc: Northeastern Ontario, Canada
I ordered my copy of Les Stroud "Survive" from Chapters Online yesterday (along with 4 other outdoor books). Survive will take 3 to 4 weeks to be delivered.

I figured that instead of receiving stuff I do not need, I will pass these books on to my wife and she can have our kids give them to me for Christmas. I will have to practice my, " Wow, how did you ever know that I wanted this book" surprised response for Christmas morning!

Mike

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#155117 - 11/13/08 04:08 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: bmisf]
comms Offline
Veteran

Registered: 07/23/08
Posts: 1502
Loc: Mesa, AZ
I think most of us have watched a lot of his shows and know that he does use lean-to's. Though quite often his emphasis is on fire and radiant heat and dead fall shelters or teepee type structures. He also huddles into caves or builds rock walls to block wind and create a heat area.

When he does build shelters he, in my mind, he is mostly doing deadfall shelter, Les is very much a LNT kind of guy. I don't recall many shelters that have exposed sides like a classic lean to.

Thats just my interpretation of watching his show. I will be interested in seeing the responses for that statement from people who have read the book.
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Don't just survive. Thrive.

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#155134 - 11/13/08 05:20 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: Glock-A-Roo]
Loganenator Offline
Bike guy
Member

Registered: 05/04/07
Posts: 151
Loc: Sacramento, CA, USA
Hey All,

I don't know if this news has been posted anywhere else in the forum. I just found out in a Reuters article that Les Stroud is ending his "Survivorman" TV show. Living in the Wild takes toll on TV's "Survivorman". The last 3 seasons have been fantastic, I'm glad that his success has helped him achieve more of his goals. I hope to pick up his book today. smile

Since I have seen Les post on this Forum before he may be reading this and I just want to say:

"Great work Les! We will all miss the "Survivorman" show but we look forward to more great things from you!" smile

Cheers,
Logan.



_________________________
You must be the change you wish to see in the world - MK Gandhi


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#155137 - 11/13/08 05:39 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: comms]
bmisf Offline
Member

Registered: 03/19/03
Posts: 185
Quick first reactions:
  • The book is rather conventional in coverage and structure, though it does seem quite thorough and the information is concisely and densely presented
  • It's a wilderness survival book - only a few pages on "disasters", and pretty skimpy info at that (not a surprise given the focus of his show)
  • Lots of pictures from the show, lots of tie-ins with the show (though all good content, so not a complaint)
  • The design is not great, particularly the choice of orange type for headers and an orange background with reverse white type for Les' tips, which as a result are a bit hard to read
  • The gear checklists at the end contain no surprises or new info, but are solid lists and will be useful especially to those not already steeped in emergency preparedness

All in all, a fine addition to the library, at least based on my short time with it so far. I'll read it cover to cover and come back at some point with more observations.

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#155423 - 11/16/08 07:01 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: Loganenator]
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
I have finally seen my first episode of "Survivorman" and YES!, I am impressed.
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QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

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#155436 - 11/16/08 10:55 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: ]
BOD Offline
Newbie

Registered: 07/17/07
Posts: 33
Loc: paleotropics

Les is great indeed and deserves his success no doubt. Have only watched one series so far.

The lean-to is not exclusive to North America. The ancestors of the first Americans continue to use it in the forests of Asia - mountain or tropical
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#155440 - 11/16/08 11:32 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: Leigh_Ratcliffe]
urbansurvivalist Offline
Member

Registered: 11/27/05
Posts: 127
Loc: Asheville, NC
Originally Posted By: Leigh_Ratcliffe

I think a lot of people miss the point with Bear. He makes no bones about the risk, and he also makes it very plain that all too often devolves down to Possible Death against Certain Death.

To me he has one virtue that stands out:

He never gives up. It goes wrong its "time for another plan."

If we could convince half the idiot's out there to carry, and learn to use, the same gear Bear has then this site would have achieved it's purpose.


The problem with Bear is that he makes choices with an extremely high risk when there are far safer and better options - i.e. climbing down a waterfall instead of hiking around; drinking his own urine and liquid extracted from animal dung; and frantically running everywhere instead of walking(which uses less energy and water for the same distance travelled).
All of those choices reduce chances of survival with no benefit, except better TV ratings. Perhaps his show would be less ludacrous if the goal was to elude capture in enemy territory, and if it were advertised as pure entertainment instead of an educational show that "will teach you how to survive".

As far as gear, basic outdoor knowledge about how to dress and keep warm, build a fire, and stay hydrated would help people far more than carrying whatever fancy knife that Bear Grylls does. Preparation and planning for the unexpected, gear included, is definitely important, but telling someone "buy this and always carry it and you can survive" does little more than give someone a false sense of security.

When I was a wilderness instructor and Bear Grylls' name came up, I would tell my students to do the exact opposite of what they had seen him do, and they would have a descent chance of surviving.

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#155445 - 11/17/08 12:31 AM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: bmisf]
BruceZed Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 01/06/08
Posts: 319
Loc: Canada
Nice book, I have had it for a week and so far have only found a few errors.

It is to bad he tried to cover the entire world. Different Survival Environments require totally different skills sets and it is very hard to make a "Survive Everywhere" book that really has allot of information in it.
_________________________
Bruce Zawalsky
Chief Instructor
Boreal Wilderness Institute
boreal.net

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#155520 - 11/17/08 07:28 PM Re: Les Stroud releases survival book [Re: BruceZed]
bmisf Offline
Member

Registered: 03/19/03
Posts: 185
I think the underlying theme of his show and the book can be summed up as "be prudently cautious but resourceful and never give up".

Just saw the new Sierra Nevada episode, where he makes a trap out of his guitar in addition to Paiute deadfalls from rocks and sticks. None of them caught anything - and in fact one of the deadfalls failed from being set up improperly - and the fact that he shows that, along with his thought processes and how he learns - is fantastic.

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