That's why I prefer Ray Mears. He never pretended that he was staying over night or actually surviving, he was just showing what could be done, what was done by people that actually were in survival situations and what indigenous peoples have done for thousands of years. No bull.

Primary weapon would be a hardwood throwing stick, shaped along the lines of a boomerang. I would have a sling handy just in case their were some fowl that were out of distance of the stick. Knife is the tool of choice.

Besides that, I'd set a lot of foot-hold snares along deer trails and try to start forming fish hooks as well.

I've made a fair number of solid long and short bows, and dozens of arrows, however, with the time invested in properly seasoning the wood and ensuring a good tiller, I could probably walk to civilization from almost anywhere in the same amount of time. If I could bring a bow with me, that's another story.


Also, on Bear, I would blame the producers more than him. They put out a show that people want to watch. He really has done a lot with the SAS reserves and climbing Everest after a debilitating back injury. But TV is rarely the best source for practical knowledge regardless. 

I still didnt get why he forces everybody to drink pee when it is not as survivalist techique usable - just to repulse?

If you like real survival shows, try Naked and Afraid (XL) - some doods catch even DEngue! And Alone is relatively good too - just you and few items.

Deformed Skewb

what if it entangles at the target and releases the stone back at the user?
never tried melee strikes with a sling i think it's easy to hurt myself.

Actually, I have seen this somewhere as usable bash weapon for people with sling on stick - when somebody gets near, you place big stone inside, if he is far, you throw it.

vetryan15

those are a lot more safe to the user since the weight is tied .

all flail weapons need much more training and experience.
e.g. the first time using a nunchuck to hit a pole i used it as one would use a stick, that resulted to the striking part returning back to my backfist.
no matter how fast you strike.... ( there is a correct way of using it...)

so back to the question why use something like this and not a stick /knife or bat with which you are probably more experienced?

A sling is so easy to carry, you don't have to limit yourself to a sling alone. I'd always carry a sling with me, just like I always carry one with me now. I often wear my braided slings around my neck. Nobody really knows what it is, I could walk around the police and they wouldn't notice. But when I need it, it's there. If I'm traveling and I see a good place to sling, I can take it out and pop a few shots. I am so used to carrying it, I feel naked without my sling.

In a survivalist situation, slinging is what I'd practice the most, simply because ammo is free and doesn't require effort to make. One time I hunted a bird with a sling. I simply threw a 100gr rock into a flock of overflying birds and one came tumbling down. Now that was not morally right to do, and I regret it. I never found that bird as it fell somewhere in dense reed. I now know hunting birds in flock is possible with a sling, but I probably should have known that to start with. Hunting flock is probably the best survival application for a sling in my country, as it's all flat and flocks are everywhere. Ducks and geese are another good potential food source to hunt with a sling. And you can afford to miss, as ammo is plentiful and so is prey. although I hope never to have to do it. I take no pleasure in hunting.

Hunting birds in flocks is one of the historical uses of the sling (here Herakles bringing down the birds of Stymphalos).