I am Les Stroud (Survivorman), a filmmaker, outdoor adventurer, singer-songwriter and performer. Ask Me Anything!

What are the chances of there being a contest to spend a week or days surviving with you in the bush?

id like to set that up actually

Hey Les! I'm a huge fan. You are a true expert. My question: Would it ever be possible to have an episode or two where you take a novice 'survivor' with you during one of your trips? So, you would be faced with the challenge of keeping yourself alive and helping this other person stay alive while teaching viewers some two man survival techniques. I would love to join you on one of your expeditions. I'll carry all the cameras!

i take my son out on the next two shows in fact

goodbye all - i gotta go run and pick up my daughter from school!!!! thanks again for a fun AMA!!!!

Hello Les, I always wanted to know why you don't take sponsorship money from the clothing companies and gear companies?

they haven't offered heh heh

Les, Recently a Mexican man washed ashore after being lost at sea for 13 months. He mostly thought of tortillas, chicken and suicide. Did any of these thoughts cross your mind while you were adrift at sea? I saw how tough of a time you had surviving a only a week. Can you Imagine what it must be like to survive 13 months?

pizza beer and killing the person who suggested i do it

I hear that. The few times I've voluntarily gone without food in the bush for a few days, it's always come down to beer and pizza. I don't really know why. There are plenty of other foods I like more than pizza. Something about pizza though. Maybe because even when it's not the best, it's still pizza.

its because its melted chess = fat = what your body is needing

Was there ever an experience which you almost regretted becoming a survivalist?

tv network contract negotiations

Does Discovery, or Science channels not let you show everything you want? Do we not see extreme survival? Are there places you would like to survive in but cannot due to legal reasons?

no thats not it at all - i control my show in its entirety - its all the other behind the scenes crap that one must deal with for tv contracts

I was watching the episode of Survivorman the other day in which you were surviving in the Canadian woods. In the episode you mentioned that you no longer welts or bumps from mosquito bites. Is that a permanent change in your body and how long did it take for you to get this immunity?

yes permanent - i think it took about 4 years of constant summer trekking

What was your biggest "Oh, Shit." moment?

norway mountainside

Hey Les, just saw the episode where you are in Grenada and you use the life straw. How did you like the straw and what did water with turtle poop and dead birds taste like?

it was great but the water tasted like it sounds - turtle poop and dead birds

Joe Rogan always mentions your experience with a bipedal creature in your campsite. Is this true? Do you think it was a squatch? No proof or evidence of this creature from that night? How come there wasn't an investigation in that location for this creature that you saw/heard? I feel it would have answered a lot of questions if scientists or researchers were sent there to search the area.

working on it!

Working on what? Providing proof?

He said on a podcast (probably Rogans) that he was trying to get funding to film in the same location again for the pure purpose of trying to see if he can capture what he heard. I just hope discovery channel doesn't turn it into another bullshit "finding Bigfoot" bullshit

i would never let that happen

Some of my favorite Survivorman moments are watching your excitement after catching fish. What was the most memorable moral-boosting thing to happen to you during a survival ordeal?

it was the fish - the arctic char

Which is more difficult to deal with: extreme temperatures or being totally alone?

alone

Nothing but respect for you Les!! My whole family loves you Show.

Have you ever considered opening a bushcraft school or having classes to pass on some of the skills you've learned over the years?

yes - as soon as i can manage the time i will be doing that again like i used to

Hello LES! I teach an outdoor education class for 7th & 8th graders and my kids love your show.

What are some activities that young outdoor enthusiasts can do to practice their survival skills without trekking out alone into the wild? I'd love to give your ideas to my students for practice. Thanks man and keep rocking that harmonica.

have them build shelters together - snow forts are awesome for this too

What was it like getting high in Papa New Guine?

fun

What got you interested in survival and the outdoors?

jacques cousteau - tarzan - my cottage - the love and passion for nature and adventure

What does a survivorman fear?

mediocrity

and

lawyers

Hey Les I'm a really big fan.

My question is, where is the most preposterous place TV producers have wanted you to survive in?

side of a volcano

Hi, Les. In addition to the survival, I love watching the show from the perspective of a filmmaker. What percentage would you say you allocate time for filmmaking versus survival? Are there certain shots you always look for (time lapse, insects crawling, water flowing, etc)? What's your favorite film equipment to use on your adventures? Thanks!

60/40 survival film making

What is the least manliest thing about you?

there isn't anything unmanly about me

When you go camping, do you do the whole survival thing like on the show? Or do you camp like most people do with a tent at a public campground and so on?

ha! i pamper the hell out of myself - canoe seats - wine and fondues by the waterfall

Hey Les! Is there anything you can think of that may be damaging to the environment but is also the best way to survive a given scenario?

burning rubber to signal a rescue

Would you ever try to survive a week as a homeless person in a metropolitan city?

Secondly, you should challenge man tracker!

discovery wanted to do a Les vs Man tracker episode, but Les said no when he demanded it be real and not staged.

thats right

Being a father, how would you suggest to motivate a 15 year old to do schoolwork that only gets thrills through wilderness activities and gaming?

get out there with him - he wants that

What's the most unexplainable thing you've seen in the wild?

i found a stubby beer bottle in the middle of nowhere one day - couldn't explain it unless it was thrown out of a small plane window

On the show you always seem to know what is poisonous and what isn't. Have you ever come across a situation, where hunger is top priority, and you end up taking a gamble on food, hoping it is okay to eat?

If so what was the food?

actually no - simply because that is too big a gamble to take - i generally make sure i know - but i suppose i have cut it close a few times

When will the Survivorman & Son episodes air? I can't wait to see those, thanks!

i think i n a couple weeks

You stay classy, Les Stroud.

ok - if i have to

Hi Les, big fan, been watching you for years. My question is what is the worst illness you ever contracted while on your survivor man "sets"?

parasites that ate the lining of my mouth for a year

How much do you play harmonica while you are on a survival mission? I would probably play myself to sleep every night...

yes i often play myself to sleep

Hi Les, I'm a big fan of your work throughout the years. The most recent episode of survivorman in the Temagami was the most visually stunning episodes I've ever seen. You used to lug around these huge cameras with bad quality compared to now. I'm wondering how the change in technology has affected you since you started?

it has just gotten better and better - lighter and higher quality - it really is much better now and i love the remote hell shots we can do now

Hey Les, My 6 year old son LOVES Survivorman. I told him you were doing an AMA today and he wanted to know if, in the recent Temagami Forest episode, what you initially thought was wild cucumber, really was?

i still dont know

what is the one most important thing to surviving in all climates and conditions?

ability to make a fire

Do you carry an emergency GPS transmitter when you are in the wild?

on some occasions

Les, I absolutely love your shows and really respect what you do.

When you are shooting your show, and deciding how to handle situations, do you feel any burden of responsibility to your viewers?

Does the idea that others will follow your advice affect your choices?

Have you ever done something in a show that, in hindsight, you would consider bad advice?

With all of that in mind, what are your thoughts on the other "survival" shows that seem to lean more towards excitement and entertainment than solid survival advice?

yes i do feel that responsibility

yes- it makes me make sure i am doing the right thing

possibly - but not really - there are always so many variables its impossible to be black and white about it

i dont like what they do to the name of real survival

I just watched your episode where you were stuck in a shack with two horses (sorry I forget the exact place, although it started with an 'A') and noticed you became imprisoned as it snowed for 25 hours straight. My question is, how do you remain calm and concentrated in a situation where you have absolutely nothing to do for such a long time?

not easy - and i dont always succeed at staying calm - but meditation helps

Hey Les, I can't get over the idea of pooping in the middle of nowhere. Does it get easier the more you do it, or is it still weird as heck?

gets easier

Hey Les, the boyfriend and I are big fans and just wanted to say thanks for coming back for another round of questions.

I know you've survived some pretty hairy places, and I was wondering if you ever had any hostile encounters with natives or local authorities?

nope - only friendly encounters - one time the town of inuit people kept coming by and asking em to autograph their snowmobile windshields - they were very sweet and offered me scotch and trout - which of course i had to say no to

Have you ever entertained the thought of a survival-off with Bear Grylls? I think it would be interesting to see both of you video yourselves on GoPros surviving a popular vote determined location. Plus, it would be cool to see the different survival techniques used. You each get a week to survive in the place and then on the last day, you must have reached civilization. Thoughts?

he doesnt survive - he is only a tv host and i am told by members of the crew that he 'hates' survival

sorry

Who were your most influential bushcraft/survival teachers?

fred rowe - doug getgood - dave arama - john and geri mcpherson - mors kochanski (just through his book) larry dean olson (book) dave westcott (book)

Love your show man. I watch it all the time. So if i were to be camping/backpacking in an area with a lot of bears, how likely is it that I will be attacked/mauled? Is it an irrational fear, or is there any serious possibility of getting my ass mauled?

irrational fear - no worries about bears other than polar

Hi Les! Any plans to make more Beyond Survival shows? They fascinate me more than I can tell you.

yes

Honestly, I just think you're the bees knees. * swoons *

you too!!

Greetings from Temagami, Les!

I've been camping and watching Survivorman for my entire childhood, and you have been one of my biggest heroes growing up.

Just one question: what is one piece of equipment that you always have on you when you're "out there" in northern Ontario?

a foolproof way to light a fire

Hey Les, has there been any times when filming a show that you've had to be pulled out early by the crew?

Also, I noticed with the latest series you've been shooting quite a few aerial shots. Do you carry some kind of drone with you to achieve those?

for my rescue - never - in labrador the crew who were 50 miles away had to be pulled out

i have a team that is using them many miles away to get the beauty shots as we call them

Hey Les big fan. And I was wondering in all of your years of loving the outdoors, have you ever been out hiking or anything like that and found someone lost and helped them to safety?

yes a few times actually

The last time you did an AMA, you recommended not to drink your own urine when surviving in the wilderness. Has your outlook changed at all?

nope

Hi Les!

Who was the most unexpected person or group you have been asked for survival tips from?

canadian military elite

1.) How long do you believe you will continue making new episodes of Survivorman?

2.) I know there is going to be an upcoming Bigfoot edition of Survivorman. Did the filming of the episode increase or decrease your belief in the legend?

hmmmmmm - you will have to watch to find out!!! heh heh

lets just say - i remain the same

From what I understand you spent a year living a paleolithic lifestyle in the Canadian wilderness. What was the most difficult part of living like that and what would you do differently if you were to try again?

not having a comunity of people to work along side of

[deleted]

no - i had to sell

Salutations Mr. Stroud,

I always find the noises of nature fascinating.

My questions for you are what is the quietest place you ever had to film at, and what was the noisiest?

Northern ontario - in the depth of winter - minus 45 degrees

noiseist was in the georgian swamps - i could here the trucks on the highway

Hi Les! What survival books would you recommend for a good reading?

well - uhmmmm - mine?

What is one situation you got yourself into that you were genuinely scared for your life?

norway mountain side - getting chased by a moose in northern ontario - heat stroke int he kalahari

Hi Les, I watched Survivorman when I was in high school. Like, all of it. Multiple times over. So much so that my mother banned me from watching it and told me to "go outside and actually try surviving at something". Suffice it to say, I'm a big fan. (I still talk about harmonicas attracting certain curious (and possibly dangerous) animals.)

I have a few questions:

• I have spent years defending you saying, "NO! He really did do all of that by himself! He had no help! Because he's THE Survivorman and those are the rules!!" and I would just like to know, so I have a first-hand account of it, that really was you doing everything by yourself, right??

• What was the easiest VS. the most dangerous time you had while filming the show? I know in one of the episodes (Lost at Sea, I think) you had to be rescued by a crew about halfway through.

• My high school self HAS to know, because I always wondered...what did you do in between filming episodes of Survivorman? Someone told me that you would post up in the nearest 5-Star hotel and just hang out until your next episode came around.

Thank you for doing this! You're one of the coolest people I look up to!

yes it was absolutely just me doing it all alone

play concerts - write gbooks - go on adventures and hang out in 5 star hotels

Has anyone ever returned one of your message in a bottle?

not yet

I am someone who never had the opportunity to go camping when I was a kid. I've gone on short hikes locally now that I am older. Any advice to someone who wants to learn to go out and camp for a few days out in the wilderness?

actually college courses on camping can be quite good

From my husband:

I've seen you use your branded Camillus knives on your show before, but not always. Do you switch up brands to see what works best?

Thanks for all your shows (from both of us). They've made me (bugdog, not Mr. Bugdog) quite popular at work because I can bust out with a number of ways to make fire or acquire drinking water - very important IT skills!

yep - its a great way to try them all out

Hi Les, A somewhat deeper question here: As a 25 year old in Canada, I've noticed that a lot of my peers who want to see the beauty of the world skip Canada and head to Europe, Australia, etc. These people have typically never seen the country beyond their hometown. I'd say that we have everywhere else beat in terms of our natural landscapes. As someone who has experienced the outdoors all over the world, how does Canada really stack up? Do we, as a country, need to do a better job of promoting the spectacular areas within our own land so people can realize how lucky we really are and spend their time/money here before going elsewhere?

canada and the states - north america is by far the most beautiful place in the world - much of the other places do NOT stack up to what we have here in our own back yards

How many networks did you pitch the show to before your series was picked up?

first call was a sale

I've always been curious, what is your daily routine when you are not "surviving?"

chauffeur my kids around

Les - Big Fan. Thank you for Survivor man, it's one of my favorites. A few questions:

1. Will you ever do a Survivor man in the Everglades?
2. What are your thoughts on Big Foot/Skunk Ape, real or fake?
3. Have you ever met someone who made it through a survival situation because of your show(s)?

Thanks!

yes i would love to do an everglades show - someday!!!

Les, I always try to channel you when attempting to play harmonica for my band's cover of "When the Levee Breaks." What are your big musical influences?

classic rock

Outside of the TV show, has there ever been a time when you were unintentionally in a survival situation where you felt your life was in danger?

in john ducks tavern - 1978

Hey Les, I love your show! While you are filming for Survivorman, you always talk about how lonely your experiences are. What do you miss the most while you're secluded? When you get home after filming, what is the first thing you do?

my kids

eat and sleep

First of all, I want to say that I've been a big fan of yours for years. I've seen everything that's been broadcast on Discovery, as well as Snowshoes and Solitude, Off the Grid, and some others. While I'm a big fan of Survivorman, the show that really blew me away was Beyond Survival. Please tell me, will you ever do something like that again? Thanks for everything you do, Les!

i am pushing for that right now

Hey Les, when you were traveling with the horses in Argentina did you actually know where that shelter was or was that just a lucky find? And was it really that windy?

i knew it was there and that i would eventually find it - and yes that wind was INSANE

hey Les, big fan of the show, what key of harmonica do you bring with you on your travels?

A C D

You've been stranded in the Pacific Northwest for 2 months, when you finally encounter Bigfoot. He offers you the chance to ask him one question but first you must make a choice, choose correctly and you get to ask him but if you choose wrong he kills you. The question is, pancakes or waffles?

easy - pancakes

1) What happened to "Surviving Urban Disasters"?

2) Are you ever going to consider doing the show again?

When i saw the first Episode i absolutely loved it and was disappointed to see that was the only one.

BTW congratulations on the new show, loving it so far.

i would love to do more - i was always very disappointed in that show as it was not my production company that produced it - and i knew i could do much better and would still like to

Les! You're brilliant! Question: when raising your kids, are you exposing them to technology, or raising them with more of a 'off the grid' approach?

regular run of the mill life

Hey Les, two harmonica related questions here:

1. What kind of harmonica do you usually bring out with you?

2. Aside from a moral boost, in what kinds of situations could you see yourself utilizing your harmonicas in a survival situation?

Love, Tom

hohner special 20

to play while walking helps to scare away predators you might otherwise surprise

Les,have you seen the documentary of Dick Proenneke "Alone in the Wilderness" I enjoy your show and music immensely,keep it going. The addition of your son into the episodes was brilliant,wish my son showed an interest in the outdoors. Thank you. W.Burke

yep - i own it

Thanks Les! You've said that over the years you've become more or less 'immune' to mosquito bites. What other uncommon traits have you developed throughout your endeavors?

withstanding the cold - but not my fingers - they suffer horribly

I just recently gave Survivorman a shot, and I have now seen every episode Netflix has had to offer.

You have been to numerous places around the planet and survived unfathomably harsh conditions for the enjoyment and education of many. Thank you for all that you do.

My question for you is: Is there any place on the planet that you absolutely could not survive the week? Have you ever had to turn down a location?

not really - although i thought the side of a volcano was a stupid suggestion

Hey Les! I told you I'd be here (on facebook). It's great to see you filming again, and hopefully one day we can meet in person. My question for you, Do you think you'd ever be able to permanently Live in the wild? To go all "Robinson Crusoe"? If so, where would you live?

nope

but it would have to be in the tropics on a beach

I might be asking a little early, but I was thinking of going on ten mile winter survival expedition, what do you think?

go!!!

Hey Les! Great to have you here!

First off I just wanted to say that you're a great inspiration to me to become motivated and challenge myself so thank you for that.

I do have two questions.

1. Was there ever a time where you got a shot but didn't (or almost didn't) go back to get the camera due to the difficulty?

2. When are we gonna get a competition between you and Bear?!

Haha. Either way, you're a great guy so thanks!

well i have lost a few cameras over the years - that is destroyed them

and

no competition

My son and I really enjoy watching the show. Do you do anything the week before shooting to help during those days out in the elements?

Also can you say Happy Birthday to my son Gavin, he turned eight on Monday?

happy b day Gavin!!!!!

1) Your show is one of the very few my girlfriend and I can enjoy together. So thank you for that.

2) A lot of the areas you survive in are very similar (desert, tundra, forest). Is each survival experience unique or are two of the same areas similar?

i try very hard to make them entirely unique

I heard you talk briefly on Rogan's podcast about what you believed to be a big foot encounter. Were you more terrified or excited at the time you heard the sound?

excited