Ray Mears Goes Walkabout - Your Views

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Miggers

Forager
Dec 31, 2006
149
0
57
Oxford
Was it just me or did tonight's program seem a bit thin?

It was like an half hour show padded out with plenty of the old stand bys, bow drill, pit fire etc etc. Reminiscent of one of old Survival shows...A bit disappointing after last weeks show.
 

Humpback

On a new journey
Dec 10, 2006
1,231
0
66
1/4 mile from Bramley End.
Enjoyed the series thus far. Admire the man's skill base tremendously. He can therefore charge a premium for it, probably like I would if I had similar skill set. ( qv Economics)
But please remember he is not a religion.
To misquote from the "Life of Brian": ' He's not the Messiah, he's a very clever boy. '
Power to his elbow!

Alan
 

BorderReiver

Full Member
Mar 31, 2004
2,693
16
Norfolk U.K.
too true, seems like he is just cashing in on it all which seems a shame when he gains much of his knowledge for free from the places he visits,the people he meets. Dont get me wrong l think the shows are great just think its all a bit too capitalized now..
Still thats the way of the world now l suppose:(

If it's that easy,why don't we all do it?

RM has spent most of his adult life travelling and researching hunter gatherer peoples. He has gone to a great deal of effort to gain the knowledge he has.

He has the good fortune to be a gifted communicator and have a "face that fits" on TV.

He is also a guy trying to make a decent living for himself and his family.

You might have gathered that I'm sick to the back teeth of the British hobby of pulling down people who have made a success of their lives.

And no, I don't own a single Woodlore branded item.:p
 

backwoodsman

Nomad
Jan 22, 2007
325
0
47
lincolshire
no not pulling him down, just think its all a bit to commercial, you say you dont own any woodlore bits, then you agree!, if a RM knife was £100 bet you would have one,after all in reality thats all it is worth.

life_and_times_of_grizzly_adams.jpg

this guy doesn't have his own "designer label"
its Grizzly Adams, if the pic doesn't display.
 

pibbleb

Settler
Apr 25, 2006
933
10
51
Sussex, England
I'm confused, you say you aren't pulling him down but you criticize the way in which he makes a living.

If we are talking of worth then surely people will pay what they believe is the correct value. You choice is to consider it to expensive well I guess woodlore wouldn't be expecting an order from you soon.

I met him only the once, but couldn't fail to be impressed by his passion toward his subject and don't believe for one moment he fleeces tribes of their skills to meet his own ends.

If it weren't for a woodlore member of staff I wouldn't have been introduced to the cheapest bushcraft knife I've ever found, £8.95 and yes I got it from Woodlore, I can't afford much on there but recognise a lot of what they sell is quality. Is it commercialised, well he is running a business!

Anyway back to subject. I actually found the episode very interesting, but then I'd never really heard anything about the islands before. I had noticed they had cut back on the effects a lot this week which made it a lot easier on the eye!
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
The nude model was a lot easier on the eye than cheap camera effects!
And the music was more subtle!

I find it amusing that RMs followers seem to need to know (and buy I guess) the gear he uses.
I am not knocking RM for making his dosh by selling gear so many want but I know I can get just as functional kit elsewhere at a lower price.
I am a gear freak and would willingly try out any RM item, but I do not think he needs the nod from my columns!
I enjoy the series, the info and the skills RM shows in the progs.
It is amazing, to me, the passions that RM can arouse in the viewing public.....
 

In Wood

Nomad
Oct 15, 2006
287
0
56
Leyland, Lancashire.
The book to accompany the series is very good, it covers the subjects in a lot more depth.
But then that is just buying into the hype and his business empire isnt it?

I dont care, I enjoy reading and I enjoy what he does.

I have a Woodlore T shirt and Woodlore Swazi top, about all I can afford from them, but both good kit. Oh I also buy the grandpas Pine Tar Soap, cheapest place to buy it in this country, so he is not ripping us off there.;)

It amazes me how much jealousy, fame, can bring out in some people.
No matter how good someone is or tries to be there will always be those who want to bring them down and belittle them. Ah well human nature.
 

fishy1

Banned
Nov 29, 2007
792
0
sneck
The book to accompany the series is very good, it covers the subjects in a lot more depth.
But then that is just buying into the hype and his business empire isnt it?

I dont care, I enjoy reading and I enjoy what he does.

I have a Woodlore T shirt and Woodlore Swazi top, about all I can afford from them, but both good kit. Oh I also buy the grandpas Pine Tar Soap, cheapest place to buy it in this country, so he is not ripping us off there.;)

It amazes me how much jealousy, fame, can bring out in some people.
No matter how good someone is or tries to be there will always be those who want to bring them down and belittle them. Ah well human nature.


I have liked his other shows, I don't dislike him as he's successful, but this series has been a total let down, just as I predicted. Alot of his stuff is pretty expensive for what it is, but then he's looked apon as some kind of god by many, so fair enough. Product placement of his items in his shop is pretty good though, I bet he's pulling in a lot more people with it. I think I actually prefered bear grylls's last couple of shows to ray's shows, bear explains how to do it and then does the thing (I know someone'll comment about hotels and things here), mears just seems to like history.
 

agentx

Member
Sep 11, 2007
22
0
Berkshire
i live in a tower block, but i like watching mr mears. woodlore stuff does look the nuts but is easy to get elseware at acheaper price. the last time i kipped anywhere near a wood was over 10 yrs ago, but mr mears and his tv shows have got me interested in the whole bushcraft/ wild campin kinda thing. i say the guys afountain of knoledge and those who knock him are just envious
 

dommyracer

Native
May 26, 2006
1,312
7
46
London
Ray Mears has spent years travelling around, researching this stuff, hours in libraries and at home, poring over the anthropological texts and historical texts, and countless hours out there doing it, getting it wrong and learning.

Regarding the matters of the kit and product placement etc, be realistic - if you had your own TV show and your name was (inter?)nationally known, you wouldn't use this exposure as a little bit of advertising and self promotion for your Bushcraft education business?

Nooo, course you wouldn't, you'd give it all away for free and live like a Bushcraft monk

What a lot of people seem to fail to grasp is that a career in television is not necessarily a job for life - you can't blame the man for making hay while the sun shines....
 

fishy1

Banned
Nov 29, 2007
792
0
sneck
those who knock him are just envious


Then you are wrong. I do not want to become a history teacher, and I am not envious of that. I just don't like it or think it's bushcraft. Plus, you have the overemphasise on certain equipment, available at: (Have a guess).
 

swagman

Nomad
Aug 14, 2006
262
1
56
Tasmania
I thought this thred was about his new show (i havnt seen it yet) not wether
mr Mears should run a business .

I cant wait to see the one with bushtuker man.
 

Zammo

Settler
Jul 29, 2006
927
2
48
London
Just wondering why exactly did Ray interview the diver? Yeah it was interesting but didn't really have much to do with Bushcraft.

Swagman the one where he meets the Bushtucker man has already been on.
 

swagman

Nomad
Aug 14, 2006
262
1
56
Tasmania
Sorry Zammo i didnt explain myself verry well Rays show isnt shown in
Oz so my dad sends me the discs.



Fishy1 are you saying he promotes his shop and business on his new program?.
 

Kepis

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 17, 2005
6,689
2,104
Sussex
It is about his new show, we were discussing his quite blatant promotion of his shop/business.

And what's wrong with that?, RM is a businessman as well as a bushcrafter, 99.9% of businesses will promote themselves whenever and where ever they can to increases revenues and what better medium that TV to do it, plus he doesn't have to pay massive amounts of money for airtime to place adverts, the BBC are paying him, wish i could get a deal like that for my business:)
 

jameshs

Member
Oct 23, 2007
26
0
London
i have no conection to woodlore or RM.......

It is a strange phenomenon that knocks Ray for having a commercial side to his activities to supply equipment.

There are several ypes of kit on his site - woodlore BRANDED -RM DEVELOPED - and standard kit. Whenever I have purchased standard kit from his site I have first spent many hours comparing prices - so ex pieces of kit like the clothing, are very comparable with other sites, and sometimes cheaper.

Branded and developed kit is way more expensive, sometimes unique, or apparantly imported - so bound to cost more.

To do their courses you do not have to have any of it - and they send kit lists which illustrate kit and in large type say you do not have to buy any of it from them .....

I have done two courses and am looking forward to a third - pricey? - if I thought so I would be dumb - I pay the same price for a place with accommodation, food and flights - but that it NOT the point!!


James
 

crazydave

Settler
Aug 25, 2006
858
1
54
Gloucester
Having read his first book when he was a survival instructor running a struggling school and knowing the struggles to keep such an activity going as it bloomed in the mid 80's thanks to lofty and then died off just as quick I cant really blame him for keeping the woodlore prices high otherwise the staff will starve. (few schools make any real money even when they've rebranded as bushcraft schools) His survival handbook kept the cash flow going till he was picked up by tracks and the rest is history thanks to BBC bristol. Ray himself certainly doesn't need the woodlore money as the royalties, tv fees and his one man shows will keep him in a comfortable lifestyle for a few years to come and he is in his mid 40's now hence the middle aged spread. We've affectionately called him 'chubby' for years but I have noticed recently that he appears to be losing his fitness following his graham norton appearance and watching him on the show last night he was knackered after using his bow drill. Time we found him a polish wife I reckon. A polish bushcraft show would work as there is much more wild land out there and its cheap for us to go there and play without the hassle of silly knife and firearm laws :)

les hiddins stayed on the army books all through the bushtuckerman years and used the money for his charity to help aussie vietnam vets by buying a cattlestation and allowing them to chill out for as long as they want. he has his royalties and army pension to rely on. les's red possibly drink induced nose is probably part aussie culture and part post traumatic stress as he has had a few breakdowns over the years down to his own war experiences.

I loved the bushtuckerman series as they did what they were designed to do - show how to travel in the outback and what was out there (I even made his 'washing machine' on camp once) to see and do. No pretentions just common sense and they allways make good viewing, why channel 4 havent repeated them again instead of born survivor I'll never know.

I await the next project 'Ray goes camping and caravanning' with anticipation. :rolleyes:
 

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