Man vs. Wild Camping?

You know the show Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel with Bear Grylls? Well, I watch it all the time and it gets me pumped up to go camping. I don't want it to be that extreme but I would like to at least go with some friends where we can be away from all the people and civilized things like fire pits and other amenities. I want to start a fire from scratch and stuff. Anyone know of a place like that in Texas? I am thinking it would have to be some private land or something because national parks usually won't let you burn fires which sucks. I think that would be fun to do.

I don't know about place in Texas, specifically, but I'm from New York, and last summer my friends and I were all about camping. We found dirtbike trails in the woods on the river, and found a nice little clearing off to the side of the trails, where we put up tents, set up a picnic table we found in the woods, and built a fire pit.

All you need is woods in a secluded area, and you're good to go! ;)

You can use the dense forest right next to my neighborhood. ;)

You should watch Survivorman too. It's more hardcore.

While I still like Man vs. Wild, I always get the feeling that they plant the various animals for him to capture and eat, and the fact that there is a cameraman makes it unrealistic when he talks about how lonely he is. With Survivorman, he is all alone...

But yeah, these shows made me want to go camping too but I wouldn't know where to get started.

I know a couple of good places in greater houston area. yes, man vs wild does rule, and yes sometimes I think he cheats out there. Some of the shit though you can't fake.

Like walking through africa, if you run into a lion or an elephant, a gun isn't going to do you much good.

[quote8efb5ce8d3="hehehhehe"]You should watch Survivorman too. It's more hardcore.

While I still like Man vs. Wild, I always get the feeling that they plant the various animals for him to capture and eat, and the fact that there is a cameraman makes it unrealistic when he talks about how lonely he is. With Survivorman, he is all alone...

But yeah, these shows made me want to go camping too but I wouldn't know where to get started.[/quote8efb5ce8d3]

Yeah Survivorman FTW! I like man vs. wild too but I question his intelligence, 10 minutes into his "adventure" and hes already drinking his own piss? I'll never get over him drinking the juices out of the elephant shit lol Plus the fact that he has a camera chrew with him the whole time kind of kills it.

I think i've seen all of the Survivorman episodes. Do they even make it anymore?

this shows always make me want to see if I could survive like a week in the wild...

I Love camping btw! but i havn't gone camping without a ton of beer since i was liek 14... so it isnt' really camping, it is just a party where we stay at the party overnight...

Roughing it is easy. I love it.

I just follow a few easy rules
1.) Camp in numbers greater than 2.
2.) Bring a 30 ft. rope and a burlap sack to hang as a bear bag from a tree (put your food, and fragrances in there overnight).
3.) Bring plenty of water, and carbo load.
4.) Watch out for humans. Humans are assholes in some wilderness areas. Stick to marked trails and sites, and be ready to defend yourself or run if things get hairy. Brown bears are scared of humans (but will do what they have to if they're hungry...just don't be between them and their food...literally). Cougars, Mountain lions, whatever you wanna call them, will attack humans, but if you wear a full, button down shirt, you can rip it open, and hold it out like you have wings, and they'll think you just tripled in size, and will run away.

Starting a fire from scratch is pretty simple with a pocketknife. Bark, dry grass, twine, lint, and thin cut wood make great stuff to start a fire, then just put that under a fire where as you go up, the wood gradually gets bigger. Then you can get a real inferno started (watch for the laws on this, as fire bans are huge right now). Matches are a good bet, and are still considered roughing it. A 9V battery and steel wool work too. Screw the rubbing sticks thing. You can do it with a piece of twine, a "plate" of bark, and a solid stick. You make a bow with the twine and another stick, you wrap the twine once around the solid stick, and it will hopefully make the solid stick turn so fast, you'll have a fire in no time. Magnifying glasses work too.

Have respect for where you go too. YOu never know HOW you'll get bit in the ass by trashing a campsite, not putting out a fire, littering or whatever. Clean up, remember that bear bag, and be smart, and you can rough it like a man, and survive.

I used to be in the boyscouts and I remember one time we were camping and kid had candy in the foot of his sleeping bag and a bear got into his tent and dragged him out of the tent and ripped the sleeping bag apart looking for the candy. Another thing the bear loved was the lemon soap we used to wash dishes.

We went to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, and they had a 12 year record going for no reported bear maulings in 2000.

While we were there, this was the height of the dry season (fire bans were in place) and the hungry, thirsty bears mauled like 3 kids while we were there. Nothing too serious I think.

No bears really here. Just snakes and gators.