I gave up on Mr Canterbury years ago. I have no problem with Youtubers learning as they go but dislike instant google experts. There are some great guys out there but also many, many walts.. DC though, has always showed many walt flaws.To keep things simple I would say choose one of his videos with a subject you have experience in.The first one that glared at me was where he was surprised to be cold at night in the snow. I have been cold in the early hours for 50 years , expecting it I always had extra layers at hand. There will be a video which sends warning bells to you. It needn't be this walt telling you how to kill an intruder in you home.
If you can use a bow drill or are a photographer, look at the first video in the fire starting set that has been used to justify forgiving DC http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RwdM4EQiIqk
Firstly as a typical walt he has to claim to be superior and put down other you tubers. The English walt Mike Dixon ( wall2rockclimber) actually claimed to have taken over a patrol in Iraq from DC because he was incompetent . Dixon illustrates why walts should not be forgiven. His claim to have Mountain leader qualifications demands trust until your mate or child gets into a life threatening situation in Snowdonia with someone pretending to understand the hills. DC has set up a youth wing, I hate regulation but these guys make me think twice about it..
Look at this video, or ask someone you know who can use a bow drill. I kept an open mind, thinking that maybe Dave had discovered that the traditional teachings were all wrong. But then more and more clues pointed to this video being complete bull****.I won't spoil it by naming them, but his failure to get an ember and then claims to have succeeded but then for embers not to be glowing are hilarious . The coup de grace , is that despite his failures he kept the camera rolling.( walter overconfidence) Until that final ember which didn't take so he has cut the film, somehow lit the ember and then faded back in.It's a shame criticism can be removed on you tube
So whats wrong with Canterbury's lies...why not forgive. Firstly can you trust him? Is it just theatre to bull**** in this bowdrill video? To run around on Discovery channel claiming that he will die if his torch runs out despite the camera crew following him. Is he qualified to take youngsters into a possibly life threatening situation?A river crossing for example!
They are all worries BUT it is the insult that he has gone to war and is who he is that grates on veterans nerves.War is hard. In the Falklands 255 servicemen and women died brutal deaths. Over twice that number have killed themselves since returning, unable to deal with the memories.. The present number and the expected number of vets returning from current conflicts with PSTD is even more frightening. Among SF one SF run charity is claiming 80%.of SAS troopers already suffer. Remember Canterbury didn't just lie on a CV to get a job. His early videos were dominated by references and film of Rangers in action to create the myth.
I was about to say more but this says it all
"He claimed bona fides legitimately earned by friends I've buried. Screw him."
I have no idea what a Walt is? I'm not saying what you are saying is right or wrong, I don't know, but how are you so sure you know the truth? Also I assume you are referring to my posts of his videos when you say "justify forgiving DC" that is not the case they were posted only to prove he may have some useful youtube videos.
I'll tell you my experience of the bow drill. I don't use it to start a fire I nearly always use a ferro rod for that, the bow drill is very hard especially if you have to find the parts outside with out prep. When I have made a coal (and only a few times as I only do it for fun) it has never been glowing it always starts as a white spot with a continual whisp of smoke that I can then blow into a bigger coal which glows as I blow on it.
I have watched a lot of his videos and seen him make lots of mistakes that he does not edit out of his videos which is a fact I like about his videos, everybody makes mistakes especially when trying to do something under the pressure of filming.
My view on the CV shinannigans whil be different to other because I have never served in any army, but my thoughts are. The US army is very large and like any army only a small fraction are front line troops. However ask any selection of ex army people and you will always get a far higher fraction of people with war stories of some kind.
The army is like any job especially when you have left it. What I do know is many people in the civilian world would happily embellish their CV or even go further. He had training, he said he had experience. Two very different things but not a large leap to make on a CV for anybody.
I respect him for his work on dual survival and his youtube videos, and don't think he did anything worse than millions of other people, thats enough for me.