  The rest of us just have difficulty encapsulating it into that fewer words! lol 
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 I think it's important to differentiate between the person and the part the person is playing on screen. He performs in entertainment programs, not documentaries, so is under pressure to make the content entertaining to a general audience - hence some of the idiotic choices that appear to seek out danger rather than survival. Away from the restrictions of a Director, Producer, Commioning TV station he would probably make different decisions - and I'm sure he'd be a different person to the one he portrays as a means of making a living.
That's what I was getting at, but you said it better, Dave!
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What I've been saying in among all my other crap I think. I do think there is space out there to take the dry RM stuff and put in some entertainment without diluting the information. Never met either of them so don't know if they are really nice guys or not. There is an article in the Bushcraft mag where someone who bid something like £50k to go on holiday with RM in Alaska I think. Not read it all but I got the impression the guy and his son in law were impressed as much by the guy as his knowledge. Colm or Mal - not defending him as much as having a go at those who just slag him off. The arguments against him put on here by a lot (not meaning you as you seem to know a lot about him) have been more about the programme than the person. He is working on a programme format that is not his to control and a lot seem to ignore that in their comments. As far as a privileged background in concerned that surely should not detract from where the person ends up. Besides it would be a waste not to use the network you are in to improve your lot. How many people from less privileged have got jobs from friends and relatives. At one time a lot of people would find out about jobs that way. Charitable work? Didn't really know about that, wonder how many detractors know he does charitable work? Agree with you on the back issue, never really thought you could do what he does after a truly broken back. Although I knew a guy who had nerves severed in arm but got repaired. It was nearly ripped off but they patched him up and he's almost as strong as before. So can't rule things out these days. Of course he is no Ranulph Fiennes who is another former soldier who really has gone onto do some amazing things. And neither shaken nor stirred by disaster. 
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TTG - Next time you're on Whitespider1066.com look under the sponsored adverts there on left of page and there is a link through to the new Chris Caine survival.com site ok. Check it out! About time we saw you back on Whitespider anyways my mate!
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Why use 50 words when a thousand will do is what I say! Verbal squits (couldn't spell the real word for it). Trev - One thing is true about both RM and BG is that their books get onto bookshelves when very little of the survival / bushcraft literature makes it. If it stirs up interest then we might get more. Once it used to be only the collins gem book now you get all of RMs work and the latest BG book too. You have to go to US online bookstores I guess to find more. We aren't really an outdoors nation in the same way as US, Canada and parts of Europe. We have a lot of Polish guys here and they all fish or hunt or both. A Bit embarassing when asked where they can go to hunt and fish and I had to say you might be lucky in Scotland for deer for loads of money or there's a 10 year plus waiting list for the nearest river to join the angling club to be able to fish. I mean it realy is deadman's shoes to fish the river here. People end up fishing out of stocked puddles. Still meant a spate of garden pond thefts of koi carp. As one guy said, he didn't mind but it took too much effort nicking it out of the park's greenhouse in the first place for it to get onto someone's plate.
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Good idea Trev. But watch out you might get accused of organising a mutiny away from ~OM~ at this rate. One problem I do have with survival schools is the price. I would love to do one but they are quite expensive. Probably very justified but still can't justify £600 for a weekend. In fact I think my last 4 main holidays probably only costed that. Guess I am just cheap, or prefer to spend money on shiny new kit I can hold rather than knowledge that can be more usefull.
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Yes indeed mate, the Polish immigrants and others from Eastern Europe over here now of course view carp of many kinds as a delicacy sadly; and this has caused some consternation here in fishing circles over the past few years for sure!
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Why use 50 words when a thousand will do is what I say! Verbal squits (couldn't spell the real word for it). Trev - One thing is true about both RM and BG is that their books get onto bookshelves when very little of the survival / bushcraft literature makes it. If it stirs up interest then we might get more. Once it used to be only the collins gem book now you get all of RMs work and the latest BG book too. You have to go to US online bookstores I guess to find more. We aren't really an outdoors nation in the same way as US, Canada and parts of Europe. We have a lot of Polish guys here and they all fish or hunt or both. A Bit embarassing when asked where they can go to hunt and fish and I had to say you might be lucky in Scotland for deer for loads of money or there's a 10 year plus waiting list for the nearest river to join the angling club to be able to fish. I mean it realy is deadman's shoes to fish the river here. People end up fishing out of stocked puddles. Still meant a spate of garden pond thefts of koi carp. As one guy said, he didn't mind but it took too much effort nicking it out of the park's greenhouse in the first place for it to get onto someone's plate.
I certainly agree with you that Ray Mears especially has been very good for outdoors and survival bushcraft as a whole in getting more folks interested; and that in my opinion too can be but a good thing in the long run.
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| Edited: 06/07/09 17:26 |
Good idea Trev. But watch out you might get accused of organising a mutiny away from ~OM~ at this rate. One problem I do have with survival schools is the price. I would love to do one but they are quite expensive. Probably very justified but still can't justify £600 for a weekend. In fact I think my last 4 main holidays probably only costed that. Guess I am just cheap, or prefer to spend money on shiny new kit I can hold rather than knowledge that can be more usefull.
OM has been pretty good to me and for me over tolerating me placing numerous direct thread links here over the years, more likely than anyone else possibly. No worries about Whitespider1066 outdoors blog though, as it has links right back to OM from there hidden all through! lol, I even made sure by putting a lot of them in there myself! You need to get back over there TTG, to see a very nice piece there on OM's great Map man Dave too, leading to his latest scrambling article on here! Whitespider's originator Darren is after all an OM'er at heart still. I certainly think of him as such! Same with the OM Facebook group of Dave's origin, and Whitespider1066 Facebook group, and Ades OM spinoff British Bivvy Baggers Facebook group too, all kinda lead back to OM I think via links as a spiritual outdoors home. I think it is great we are all so connected in the outdoors subjects online myself. I love being on all those sites, but always too love to come back here to OM as feel it is kinda my home in essence of thought.
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 Gosh , you write a post and go and do some work , and when you come back it's gone off bigtime ! To all those who took offense to my terms "elitist" and "egocentric" ,forgive me , i did not mean to hurt anybody's delicate feelings . Trevor , as usual the level of your knowledge is astounding don't ever stop ! I am not an angry man ,i just don't like critisising celebrities ,not even the empty non outdoors types .however that does not mean i want to stifle opinion ,and i am pleased that the response was so lively . Right then more work.........
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 I hope no one else took offence, I didn't for sure but I do think that post is a great example of an angry one. Not a crazy off your head rant type of post you understand but just an angry one.
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I think it's important to differentiate between the person and the part the person is playing on screen. He performs in entertainment programs, not documentaries, so is under pressure to make the content entertaining to a general audience - hence some of the idiotic choices that appear to seek out danger rather than survival. Away from the restrictions of a Director, Producer, Commioning TV station he would probably make different decisions - and I'm sure he'd be a different person to the one he portrays as a means of making a living. The only problem with that Dave is that the fact the programmes are purely entertainment was never made clear until his cover was blown. Up to that point he and the programme makers were happy to try to present it as the real thing, a documentary. There again I'll never understand how anyone could believe that someone in depicted situations would or could spare the time and effort to film himself struggling to survive and the fact that they were foreplanned should have tipped the wink to the most benighted of our citizens. There's nowt so queer as folk eh?
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| Edited: 06/07/09 19:59 |
 I really liked RM's series of extreme survival. Stories of real life people that survived real life situations followed by RM himself giving a quick guide to one or two points that would have helped. Used a couple of episodes at school, kids loved it and couldnt wait to get outside and start surviving. Sadly they had to start their survivng in the confines of the school grounds cos the risk assessments took up waaaaayyyy to much time 
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lol, yes can imagine the health and safety concerns! Bear Grylls is going to be doing a live autograph signing MEET THE BEAR appearance very soon for Craghoppers clothing at Stanfords the Map Experts in Long Acre, London if anyone wants to meet him. Details at the Craghoppers clothing special Bear Grylls clothing website offshoot! There is also fifty per cent off some Bear outdoors clothing too with special code. Email me if you want the code ok!
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There is also fifty per cent off some Bear outdoors clothing too with special code.
that'd be TKMAXX then, eh Trev!
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This is OM at its best....light the fire...fan the flames, wait till it dies down a bit then go off.....come back days later and the embers are still glowing nicely...
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 You're not suggesting burning our bear are you!!!
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Well.......now you mention it........
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 > Bear Grylls is going to be doing a live autograph signing [...] if anyone wants to meet him. Alternatively, you could just go and have a chat with the rep from Capestorm. I met him at the Outdoors Show (his stand was two 'doors' down from coLAB). An absolute spit for BG, and a very nice chap.
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