Ray Mears - as off topic as you like :)

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ANDYRAF

Settler
Mar 25, 2008
552
0
66
St Austell Cornwall
I'd just like to hear him swear, just once to show he's the same as the rest of us, because when you dig the tip of your knife into the palm of your hand who has ever just said damn it.
 
May 13, 2007
108
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66
NORTHANTS
Someone asked that very question at the end of Ray's talk that I was at when toured last year " When are we going to see Ray Mears the outtakes" Ray's answer was " there arn't any " so you see guys he really is that perfect????
The other funny thing that happened was at the begining when he came on stage and his mic was'nt working...a bloke in front of me shouted MAKE ONE!!!
 

lostagain

Need to contact Admin...
Jun 27, 2008
195
0
52
Windermere
I like the bloke and find he's doing his programs to pass on his knowledge. It's been said before but just in case Ray makes the odd visit to this forum, a more in depth series in the UK would be great. We could actually use the skills but I'm not sure how the general public would react to a half hour program on 'knots to tie your tarp with' !!

About his knife (and I'm sure it's very good) but £600 on ebay! Just finished making my own (it looks a bit like Rays, made to fit my own hand and cost (not counting the mistakes!!) about £70. It's taken the best part of a month so I'm not likely to loose it in a hurry.

On another point, why is it that Grizzly Grylls is always out of breath and balancing on the edge of life and death but you never hear his cameraman / sound recordist / make up / hair / director / pa / chef / holiday inn staff puffing and panting ? I've stopped watching him (only took 2 shows for me to come to this conclusion).
 

NatG

Settler
Apr 4, 2007
695
1
33
Southend On Sea
I think he's good, honest, intelligent and kind, i saw him live and i was amazed by his charisma and the quality of his public speaking.

He definitely inspired me, but then again so did nessmuk and kochanski and a few others, i just really don't understand all this bother about the knives, can you blame him if some prat sells them for a grand on ebay?.

I also really enjoy most of his TV programs, i think he does more handy hints than "super dangerous survival XXXXX" show, like giving tips on tying tarps, good local foodstuffs, even right down to vehicle maintainance, all real good solid down to earth stuff.
 

Biogenic1

Member
Sep 27, 2007
10
0
71
Australia
Ray Mears bashing? I think he's GREAT. He loves the earth, is fascinated with traditional cultures, is keeping ancient skills alive and making them "mainstream", promoting leave no trace camping and making the Earth stronger/better because of his presence in the bush. He is incredibly inspirational to me and his bushcraft skills are impressive and he seems a helluva nice guy and genuine.

Do I love everything he films or writes-no. But he's passionate and he's out there making a difference, showing people how to re-connect to Nature in a meaningful way. Is his gear overpriced-of course,and who cares? I have an infinite number of places to get gear.

I've seen people do the same thing to Tom Brown Jr.

Ray, Tom, Bear, etc all have their own unique part to play in getting people OUTDOORS and this is always good. We don't need to like everything about them to be inspired by them.

Ray & Tom-keep up the great work and never stop. There is too much need in our artificial, plasticised world. Now, more than any other time in living memory, we need them getting their message out to as many people as possible.


As my Native American friends say: " The further we are removed from Nature the harder our heart becomes."

Peace my friends.Gary
 

firecrest

Full Member
Mar 16, 2008
2,496
4
uk
I appreciate what you say, but I think peoples gripe with Bear is that he gets people outdoors and encourages them to get themselves killed, as well as promoting an idea that man has to fight against nature and be disrespectful to wild things by biting their heads off when he clearly is not in a survival situation.
 

Matt Weir

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jun 22, 2006
2,880
2
52
Tyldesley, Lancashire.
You know I started this thread with a view to it straying off topic as that's what typically happens with any thread that mentions the man and I'm stunned how so far just on topic it's stayed.

:lmao:
 

subedarmajor

Forager
May 25, 2008
138
0
winterton uk
You know Badger I don't know...I'll ask my dad. HE was in the RN and Combined Ops, and incidentally also learned everything I did on a recent course run by Woodlore.

Back on topic, I do find Ray Mears quite impressive and inspiring.
I find the degree of comfort he appears to find in any given environment an inspiration.
I also like his humour and humility.

Cheers, Alan.
 

crazydave

Settler
Aug 25, 2006
858
1
54
Gloucester
So,.... what about submarines then? do they have RM's aboard or is it just surface ships?
R.B.:sad6:

as far as I know only the inshore boats and they tend to carry sbs on occasion otherwise there's not enough room for oxygen thiefs, rfa's normally have a couple though. the leaf ships often have a Ray Dale on them :)
 

crazydave

Settler
Aug 25, 2006
858
1
54
Gloucester
surely a pot to **** in is a western concept not a native one? and I doubt a lot of the tribes he meets would need anything untill we come along and tell them they need coca cola, clothes and the internal combustion engine.

just going there and setting up camp in the way he does is damaging enough so its a good job they pick tribes who make a living from film and wildlife crews. I do prefer the way bruce parry does it as at least he is becoming part of the tribe but again I guess he too has a fully kitted film crew with him. I'd love to go trapsing through the jungle again but I reckon we cause enough damage so for the most part I'll stay here.

as to playing withing sight of the nearest motorway I guess you are right we owe more to bear grylls than we give him credit for ;)
 

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