Ray Mears: I'm not comfortable with where survival shows are heading

[admin]

Ahead of his new BBC4 show, How the Wild West Was Won, the bushcraft expert tells RadioTimes.com how he "detests a lot of cheap TV at the moment"

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2014-05-22/ray-mears-im-not-comfortable-with-where-survival-shows-are-heading

[polroger]

Here, here Ray.

I missed the show last night but managed to get the catch up version.  Thanks admin

[sjh1]

First episode of Ray Mears's new programme about the Wild West was excellent, and despite what the Radio Times article says it did discuss 'survival' and bushcraft to some extent.

All Ray's old bushcraft shows are on you-tube. I watched a lot over the winter. Had forgotten how good they are - miles ahead of the competition.

Having said that I'm also enjoying Bear Grylls's The Island. A bit more populist but still good if you can ignore the 'Big Brother' style of hyping up minor arguments and such social nonsense.

[OldScout]

Ray all the way.

I have watched most of the survival / bushcraft programmes that have been on and ray seems the most informed and he always tries to educate everyone who watches not only with his vast knowledge of bushcraft but also glimpses of history and the way other people struggled to survive.

Bear also seems quite knowledgable but seems to go for more dramatic and sensational ways to survive like running everywhere and eating and drinking things that in the words of Col. Trautman would make a billy goat puke! But I keep watching them.  The island also seems to have caught my interest but think it's more of a study on modern man and how far removed some people are from the hunter gatherers that they imagine themselves to be.

I enjoy watching Ed Stafford but put some clothes on man!  I would hate to think what you would be doing to end up with no clothes on in an emergency or survival situation, but at least his methods seem sound.

American programmes like dual survival seem ok but others like the naked and afraid are just plane weird and balance on the edge of dangerous.