Printed on August 27, 2007
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Alone in the Wild, What did Ed do to Survive?
We're talking online now with Ed Wardle. Ed's really quite a trooper as it's about 1:30am right now for him, and he'll be staying up with us until the end of the show at 3am his time!
A new episode of Alone in the Wild premieres tonight at 9P et/pt on the National Geographic Channel (U.S.).
Send us your questions for Ed on the Nat Geo Channel Twitter page, or leave them as comments here on the blog.
(8:46pm) Leslee: When you were dropped off in the wild, did you feel prepared mentally and physically?
Ed: Physically I had been bulking up for a month since returning from Everest and I felt strong. Mentally I felt under pressure with photographers and journalists following me around. I knew I was heading for something very difficult but I wasn't entirely sure what I was taking on.
(8:49pm) Leslee: What did your family think about the adventure you were about to go on?
Ed: My family have got used to me being away for long periods of time and doing dangerous things. My partner Amanda says she proud of what I do. On this adventure the worrying thing was that I would be alone and there was a significant danger in that. Also that we wouldn't be talking again until I returned.
(8:46pm) Leslee: When you were dropped off in the wild, did you feel prepared mentally and physically?
Ed: Physically I had been bulking up for a month since returning from Everest and I felt strong. Mentally I felt under pressure with photographers and journalists following me around. I knew I was heading for something very difficult but I wasn't entirely sure what I was taking on.
(8:49pm) Leslee: What did your family think about the adventure you were about to go on?
Ed: My family have got used to me being away for long periods of time and doing dangerous things. My partner Amanda says she proud of what I do. On this adventure the worrying thing was that I would be alone and there was a significant danger in that. Also that we wouldn't be talking again until I returned.
(9:05pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now:
I'm glad it wasn't raining that first day. Or maybe if it was I'd have
had to just get on with it - sometimes its better when its harder.
That's only my second time in a canoe!
(9:08pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: It was a big decision to go all the way to the other end of the lake but it was the best place to set camp.
(9:11pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: It didn't feel like there was anywhere good to stay. Everywhere was wet.
(9:12pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I'd heard that scientists studying bears use those fences. A hunting guide in Whitehorse gave it to me just before I got on the plane.
(9:13pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Grayling smell of almonds. Nice fish and I soon realised a good oily fish.
(9:15pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I liked sleeping there - that was a good spot.
(9:18pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Its colder than you think!
Viewer question: What kind of gun did you have and how many bullets did you bring?
Ed: I started with a 12 Bore and a 10 22 rifle but that was too much.. I was advised I needed the pump for bear protection so I had slugs. I used the 22 for small game. I'd used both guns as a kid so I was comfortable with that choice until I had to move camp and couldnt lift my back pack.
(9:21pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Worst case scenario - if I was knocked unconscious at 10am it would be 26 hours before anyone came to try and find me and a further 3 hours before I would get medical help.
(9:23pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: It feels rude to shout out loud in the wilderness.
(9:29pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I never saw rabbits running around there. Just tracks and droppings.
(9:31pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Rain made everything twice as hard
Viewer question: What factors did you consider when choosing your campsite?
Ed: I wanted a breeze to keep the mosquitoes off and open ground so I could see what was coming my way, fresh water, dry ground and somewhere to build a fire with plenty fire wood around.
Viewer question: Do you wish you brought a mosquito net for your head??
Ed: I thought about it sometimes but I got used to the mosquitoes and I dont like nets over my head much. I lit smoky fires too - that works well.
(9:30pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Thats the first moose I ever saw.
Viewer question: What is scariest thing about being alone in the wild?
Ed: Knowing that one small slip, trip, one mistake and it could turn really bad really quick. I knew I was far from help.
(9:42pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I think thats a small porcupine.
(9:44pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I'd butchered a deer before but never a porcupine - or anything like it. Smells strange.
(9:45pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I learnt that cooking it on a spit lost all the fat and left the meat tough to eat.
(9:46pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Not sure Id eat that at home really. Must have been hungry!
(9:47pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I went back to that gut pile and the whole thing had gone skin, head, guts and all.
Viewer question: What advice would you give to someone who wants to go on an adventure like you did?
Ed: Going alone into any wilderness area is a very different situation to going with a friend(s) in terms of your own confidence, expectation management and safety. Always make sure you have a safety protocol that will work if you get in trouble.
(9:49pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: The guy in the sleeping bag... thats a true story!
Viewer question: What do you wish you knew beforehand?
Ed: Where to find ground squirrels.
Viewer question: How long was it before being alone really started to get to you?
Ed: I got emotional from time to time and I guess that was part of being in extreme isolation but really I think Day 40 things got worse.
Viewer question: Ed, did you bring anything to entertain yourself? Like a deck of cards or something?
Ed: I did some whittling, sketched a bit and I had a book of Jack London stories.
(9:55pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I have no question in my mind that that was a bear.
(9:57pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: when I saw the bear I was strangely relieved that he was running away. Like any wild animal, the bear wasnt interested in me. I'm pretty sure it was a black bear but I didnt get a great look at it.
Viewer question: Hey Ed! Are you a hunter back home? What was it like killing animals for food -- was this something you felt bad about / had to come to terms with or no big deal?
Ed: I grew up on a farm in Scotland so I used to rough shoot for rabbits, pheasants, pidgeons. I'm OK with killing if its for food and you need it.
Viewer question: Ed, did you see Into The Wild?
Ed: Chris McCandless had a dream that most of us must have - to go out in to the wild with a gun, an axe and a cooking pot and try to survive off the wild. Its an ancient idea that I read about as a kid and I'm sure Chris McCandless did too. Into The Wild is a great book and I read it as soon as it came out. Krakauer is an amazing writer.
Viewer question: Did the big animals -- moose, bears -- seem skittish, more afraid of you then you were of them (by the way, love your "Bear Song!")
Ed: The Moose seemed unafraid. I saw him three days in a row and got closer and closer. Im not sure he had seen a human before and if Id been a Canadian I think that would have been the end of that moose.
Viewer question: Ed, did you have any type of emergency food rations?
Ed: I took rice and oatmeal with me and planned that by the time Id run out Id have worked out how to live off the land.
Viewer question: What's the strangest thing that happened to you while you were out there?
Ed: I've never experienced real starvation before. That was pretty strange. Your world shrinks.
Viewer question: Were you afraid of bears beforehand, or did your fear only start when you went into the yukon?
Ed: There are no bears in the UK. I heard and read some pretty bad stories about Grizzlies in my research trips to the Yukon. One big piece of advice in bear country was - dont travel alone.
Viewer question: Where did you get the electricity for the camera and fence.
Ed: I had a solar panel and set up battery charging station. I took 2 weeks batteries for the camera and swapped them over on the solar charger once a week. The fence ran on 2DCells...
Viewer question: Any plans on your next adventure?
Ed: I've got some big ideas and Ive had some great offers in the last month. Climb the North Face of the Eiger, North Face of Everest, Race to the South Pole and even to take part in the Iditarod.
Viewer question: Ed, I imagine the burden of film making must have gotten worse the longer you went. Did you ever consider slacking off on the filming duties to focus more time trying to survive?
Ed: The filming was a big reason that I was there. When I filmed cool stuff like the moose close ups I felt great. I get a kick out of filming great shots. As I got weaker and weaker and hadnt talked to anyone for a long time I began to lose track of what I should be filming. It made everything 2 or 3 times harder. Filming yourself chopping down trees or fishing is pretty hard. I dropped One camera in the water - its dead.
Viewer question: Have you met Les Stroud from Survivorman?
Ed: I never met Les, I'm sure he's right at home in the Yukon. Is he from BC?
Viewer question: What can we expect from the next episode?
Ed: Pain! I remember the journey was seriously hard core. I've climbed Everest and this journey was tough. I was carrying way too much, I was loosing strength and I didnt know where I was going. I didnt know what was up ahead or where my next meal was coming from.
The live chat is now over, but here are some questions that I asked Ed earlier today; pulling questions from all of us at the National Geographic Channel.
Leslee: Did you have a toothbrush? Toilet paper? Deodorant? Or was it au-naturale?
Ed: I took a toothbrush and toothpaste. Sphagnum moss is better than toilet paper and deodorant was completely unnecessary.
Leslee: After spending so much time alone, did you start to treat the camera as a person? Or anything else? Yes, I'm thinking of Tom Hanks in Castaway.
Ed: Before I went out I thought that talking to the camera would be a help - but normally on a dangerous expedition I would suppress my fears, worries, difficulties, thoughts about home and would only talk about them once I was safely home again. On this adventure, in making the films, I was required to talk about all that negative stuff on a daily basis which solidifies those feelings so it became a struggle to stay positive.
Leslee: If you were to try something like this again, where would you go?
Ed: I'd love to have made it up to the high country but I'd need permission to take big game. Maybe coastal, Queen Charlottes has small deer and only black bears or Alaska.
Leslee: Did you have any vitamins or supplements with you?
Ed: I took a small amount of salt with me but no vitamins.
Leslee: What was the one material thing you missed most about home?
Ed: I didn't miss material things. I felt liberated each time I whittled down what I had with me and I enjoyed only having the essentials.
Leslee: Had you ever let your beard grow for so long without shaving before?
Ed: Climbing Everest takes around two months so I've had a similar beard.
Leslee: Did you ever have any panic-attacks? ("Arhhh! Where's my next meal coming from?") - if so, how did you get yourself under control?
Ed: Not knowing where my next meal was coming from gave me twinges of panic sometimes but more of a problem was the steady decline in my strength, energy and ability to reason, without food I wasn't thinking straight. I found it was easy to get stuck and difficult to reason my way out.
Leslee: Was there ever a time, off-camera, where you truly just lost it and/or freaked out?
Ed: No, I did most of that on camera. When I turned the camera off I could stop talking about it and sort myself out.
Leslee: How does this experience compare to some of your other adventures?
Ed: It was very tough and making the films added substantially to the work load and the stress load. Ive climbed solo at high altitude before but trying to make a tv series at the same time and film myself made it much harder.
Leslee: Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently to mentally or physically prepare for an experience like this?
Ed: Someone suggested I go without food for several days in preparation but I never had time to do that between Everest and Canada. It might have helped me cope. I'd love to spend time out there with a 1st Nations Canadian and learn all there is to know.
Leslee: Was there ever a time when you felt like mentally, you were starting to lose it a bit, and if so, what happed to make you aware of it?
Ed: Toward the end I felt like I was spending more time trying to motivate myself than I was doing things like hunting and fishing. I got stuck and each morning Id get up and freak out a bit and spend the morning motivating myself and convincing myself that I could do one more day. That was pretty unstable.
Leslee: Online, early on, saw video of you talking about capsizing your canoe - what happened? How did you capsize?
Ed: I've never used a canoe before this trip so I'm a real novice. I think I slid over a submerged log while I was trolling. I was looking behind the canoe. I'm not sure.
Leslee: Did you ever get sick from anything you ate out in the wild? If so, what was it?
Ed: When my heart rate dropped to 28BPM I wondered if the leaves I was eating were doing that but I never made myself ill. Back home I discovered that the low heart rate is a normal response to starvation - a bit like hibernation.
Leslee: Was there any simple, utilitarian item you didn't have out in the wild that you truly wish you had thought to bring?
Ed: No. I started with too much stuff. I even had a bow saw in my room in Whitehorse. I couldn't carry everything so I was forced to make choices and leave a lot of stuff behind. I never missed the bow saw.
Leslee: What does porcupine taste like?
Ed: I managed to convince myself it tasted like lamb shanks crossed with strong flavoured rabbit but it also has a strange smell to it that I tried to ignore and never really got used to.
Leslee: In the first week, was there a moment that it hit you were truly alone in the wild?
Ed: As soon as the plane took off, leaving me standing there with a huge pile of camera gear I was aware that I was alone and that I had to survive on my own and come back with a great tv series. It was a proper overwhelming feeling.
Leslee: What's the most difficult thing you learned about yourself while doing this? How did you surprise yourself?
Ed: I learnt that I don't succeed just because I want to. I've never given up before and that was a hard thing to do but I think I came out at the right time. I learnt that the people around me back home are more important than I'd realised. I was surprised at how emotional I became - I'm still not sure why, maybe the extreme solitude and loss of inhibition, its a little embarrassing to watch sometimes. I was surprised how far I managed to go carrying that backpack.
That's only my second time in a canoe!
(9:08pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: It was a big decision to go all the way to the other end of the lake but it was the best place to set camp.
(9:11pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: It didn't feel like there was anywhere good to stay. Everywhere was wet.
(9:12pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I'd heard that scientists studying bears use those fences. A hunting guide in Whitehorse gave it to me just before I got on the plane.
(9:13pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Grayling smell of almonds. Nice fish and I soon realised a good oily fish.
(9:15pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I liked sleeping there - that was a good spot.
(9:18pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Its colder than you think!
Viewer question: What kind of gun did you have and how many bullets did you bring?
Ed: I started with a 12 Bore and a 10 22 rifle but that was too much.. I was advised I needed the pump for bear protection so I had slugs. I used the 22 for small game. I'd used both guns as a kid so I was comfortable with that choice until I had to move camp and couldnt lift my back pack.
(9:21pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Worst case scenario - if I was knocked unconscious at 10am it would be 26 hours before anyone came to try and find me and a further 3 hours before I would get medical help.
(9:23pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: It feels rude to shout out loud in the wilderness.
(9:29pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I never saw rabbits running around there. Just tracks and droppings.
(9:31pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Rain made everything twice as hard
Viewer question: What factors did you consider when choosing your campsite?
Ed: I wanted a breeze to keep the mosquitoes off and open ground so I could see what was coming my way, fresh water, dry ground and somewhere to build a fire with plenty fire wood around.
Viewer question: Do you wish you brought a mosquito net for your head??
Ed: I thought about it sometimes but I got used to the mosquitoes and I dont like nets over my head much. I lit smoky fires too - that works well.
(9:30pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Thats the first moose I ever saw.
Viewer question: What is scariest thing about being alone in the wild?
Ed: Knowing that one small slip, trip, one mistake and it could turn really bad really quick. I knew I was far from help.
(9:42pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I think thats a small porcupine.
(9:44pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I'd butchered a deer before but never a porcupine - or anything like it. Smells strange.
(9:45pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I learnt that cooking it on a spit lost all the fat and left the meat tough to eat.
(9:46pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: Not sure Id eat that at home really. Must have been hungry!
(9:47pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I went back to that gut pile and the whole thing had gone skin, head, guts and all.
Viewer question: What advice would you give to someone who wants to go on an adventure like you did?
Ed: Going alone into any wilderness area is a very different situation to going with a friend(s) in terms of your own confidence, expectation management and safety. Always make sure you have a safety protocol that will work if you get in trouble.
(9:49pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: The guy in the sleeping bag... thats a true story!
Viewer question: What do you wish you knew beforehand?
Ed: Where to find ground squirrels.
Viewer question: How long was it before being alone really started to get to you?
Ed: I got emotional from time to time and I guess that was part of being in extreme isolation but really I think Day 40 things got worse.
Viewer question: Ed, did you bring anything to entertain yourself? Like a deck of cards or something?
Ed: I did some whittling, sketched a bit and I had a book of Jack London stories.
(9:55pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: I have no question in my mind that that was a bear.
(9:57pm) Ed watching Alone in the Wild now: when I saw the bear I was strangely relieved that he was running away. Like any wild animal, the bear wasnt interested in me. I'm pretty sure it was a black bear but I didnt get a great look at it.
Viewer question: Hey Ed! Are you a hunter back home? What was it like killing animals for food -- was this something you felt bad about / had to come to terms with or no big deal?
Ed: I grew up on a farm in Scotland so I used to rough shoot for rabbits, pheasants, pidgeons. I'm OK with killing if its for food and you need it.
Viewer question: Ed, did you see Into The Wild?
Ed: Chris McCandless had a dream that most of us must have - to go out in to the wild with a gun, an axe and a cooking pot and try to survive off the wild. Its an ancient idea that I read about as a kid and I'm sure Chris McCandless did too. Into The Wild is a great book and I read it as soon as it came out. Krakauer is an amazing writer.
Viewer question: Did the big animals -- moose, bears -- seem skittish, more afraid of you then you were of them (by the way, love your "Bear Song!")
Ed: The Moose seemed unafraid. I saw him three days in a row and got closer and closer. Im not sure he had seen a human before and if Id been a Canadian I think that would have been the end of that moose.
Viewer question: Ed, did you have any type of emergency food rations?
Ed: I took rice and oatmeal with me and planned that by the time Id run out Id have worked out how to live off the land.
Viewer question: What's the strangest thing that happened to you while you were out there?
Ed: I've never experienced real starvation before. That was pretty strange. Your world shrinks.
Viewer question: Were you afraid of bears beforehand, or did your fear only start when you went into the yukon?
Ed: There are no bears in the UK. I heard and read some pretty bad stories about Grizzlies in my research trips to the Yukon. One big piece of advice in bear country was - dont travel alone.
Viewer question: Where did you get the electricity for the camera and fence.
Ed: I had a solar panel and set up battery charging station. I took 2 weeks batteries for the camera and swapped them over on the solar charger once a week. The fence ran on 2DCells...
Viewer question: Any plans on your next adventure?
Ed: I've got some big ideas and Ive had some great offers in the last month. Climb the North Face of the Eiger, North Face of Everest, Race to the South Pole and even to take part in the Iditarod.
Viewer question: Ed, I imagine the burden of film making must have gotten worse the longer you went. Did you ever consider slacking off on the filming duties to focus more time trying to survive?
Ed: The filming was a big reason that I was there. When I filmed cool stuff like the moose close ups I felt great. I get a kick out of filming great shots. As I got weaker and weaker and hadnt talked to anyone for a long time I began to lose track of what I should be filming. It made everything 2 or 3 times harder. Filming yourself chopping down trees or fishing is pretty hard. I dropped One camera in the water - its dead.
Viewer question: Have you met Les Stroud from Survivorman?
Ed: I never met Les, I'm sure he's right at home in the Yukon. Is he from BC?
Viewer question: What can we expect from the next episode?
Ed: Pain! I remember the journey was seriously hard core. I've climbed Everest and this journey was tough. I was carrying way too much, I was loosing strength and I didnt know where I was going. I didnt know what was up ahead or where my next meal was coming from.
The live chat is now over, but here are some questions that I asked Ed earlier today; pulling questions from all of us at the National Geographic Channel.
Leslee: Did you have a toothbrush? Toilet paper? Deodorant? Or was it au-naturale?
Ed: I took a toothbrush and toothpaste. Sphagnum moss is better than toilet paper and deodorant was completely unnecessary.
Leslee: After spending so much time alone, did you start to treat the camera as a person? Or anything else? Yes, I'm thinking of Tom Hanks in Castaway.
Ed: Before I went out I thought that talking to the camera would be a help - but normally on a dangerous expedition I would suppress my fears, worries, difficulties, thoughts about home and would only talk about them once I was safely home again. On this adventure, in making the films, I was required to talk about all that negative stuff on a daily basis which solidifies those feelings so it became a struggle to stay positive.
Leslee: If you were to try something like this again, where would you go?
Ed: I'd love to have made it up to the high country but I'd need permission to take big game. Maybe coastal, Queen Charlottes has small deer and only black bears or Alaska.
Leslee: Did you have any vitamins or supplements with you?
Ed: I took a small amount of salt with me but no vitamins.
Leslee: What was the one material thing you missed most about home?
Ed: I didn't miss material things. I felt liberated each time I whittled down what I had with me and I enjoyed only having the essentials.
Leslee: Had you ever let your beard grow for so long without shaving before?
Ed: Climbing Everest takes around two months so I've had a similar beard.
Leslee: Did you ever have any panic-attacks? ("Arhhh! Where's my next meal coming from?") - if so, how did you get yourself under control?
Ed: Not knowing where my next meal was coming from gave me twinges of panic sometimes but more of a problem was the steady decline in my strength, energy and ability to reason, without food I wasn't thinking straight. I found it was easy to get stuck and difficult to reason my way out.
Leslee: Was there ever a time, off-camera, where you truly just lost it and/or freaked out?
Ed: No, I did most of that on camera. When I turned the camera off I could stop talking about it and sort myself out.
Leslee: How does this experience compare to some of your other adventures?
Ed: It was very tough and making the films added substantially to the work load and the stress load. Ive climbed solo at high altitude before but trying to make a tv series at the same time and film myself made it much harder.
Leslee: Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently to mentally or physically prepare for an experience like this?
Ed: Someone suggested I go without food for several days in preparation but I never had time to do that between Everest and Canada. It might have helped me cope. I'd love to spend time out there with a 1st Nations Canadian and learn all there is to know.
Leslee: Was there ever a time when you felt like mentally, you were starting to lose it a bit, and if so, what happed to make you aware of it?
Ed: Toward the end I felt like I was spending more time trying to motivate myself than I was doing things like hunting and fishing. I got stuck and each morning Id get up and freak out a bit and spend the morning motivating myself and convincing myself that I could do one more day. That was pretty unstable.
Leslee: Online, early on, saw video of you talking about capsizing your canoe - what happened? How did you capsize?
Ed: I've never used a canoe before this trip so I'm a real novice. I think I slid over a submerged log while I was trolling. I was looking behind the canoe. I'm not sure.
Leslee: Did you ever get sick from anything you ate out in the wild? If so, what was it?
Ed: When my heart rate dropped to 28BPM I wondered if the leaves I was eating were doing that but I never made myself ill. Back home I discovered that the low heart rate is a normal response to starvation - a bit like hibernation.
Leslee: Was there any simple, utilitarian item you didn't have out in the wild that you truly wish you had thought to bring?
Ed: No. I started with too much stuff. I even had a bow saw in my room in Whitehorse. I couldn't carry everything so I was forced to make choices and leave a lot of stuff behind. I never missed the bow saw.
Leslee: What does porcupine taste like?
Ed: I managed to convince myself it tasted like lamb shanks crossed with strong flavoured rabbit but it also has a strange smell to it that I tried to ignore and never really got used to.
Leslee: In the first week, was there a moment that it hit you were truly alone in the wild?
Ed: As soon as the plane took off, leaving me standing there with a huge pile of camera gear I was aware that I was alone and that I had to survive on my own and come back with a great tv series. It was a proper overwhelming feeling.
Leslee: What's the most difficult thing you learned about yourself while doing this? How did you surprise yourself?
Ed: I learnt that I don't succeed just because I want to. I've never given up before and that was a hard thing to do but I think I came out at the right time. I learnt that the people around me back home are more important than I'd realised. I was surprised at how emotional I became - I'm still not sure why, maybe the extreme solitude and loss of inhibition, its a little embarrassing to watch sometimes. I was surprised how far I managed to go carrying that backpack.
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64 Comments
Hello, am doing a stint at uni in Mauritius and am planning to do my portfolio on shark pits. Grateful if I couldbe advised on how to process or else please advise whom I should contact.Thanks
Ed, did you bring anything to entertain yourself? Like a deck of cards or something?
How long was it before being alone really started to get to you?
Hey Ed! Are you a hunter back home? What was it like killing animals for food -- was this something you felt bad about / had to come to terms with or no big deal?
Ed, did you see Alone in the Wilderness? Was that your inspiration?
Ed, did you have any type of emergency food rations?
Did the big animals -- moose, bears -- seem skittish, more afraid of you then you were of them (by the way, love your "Bear Song!")
Ed -- What's the strangest thing that happened to you while you were out there?
Kolchak. I agree. I think Ed's next step is clearly American Idol.
What do you wish you would have known before your adventure? Is there anything you thought you could have prepared for better?
Where did you get the electricity for the camera and fence. cool show, thanks Ed, thanks nat geo
I liked the bear song too! :)
I think he had a drop box where he'd leave his used tapes and pick up fresh batteries.
Hey Ed, were you at all inspired by Christopher McCandless or the book Into the Wild?
Cal...I hope not. Didn't he die?
Ya..but he still had an amazing and inspiring story
Ed, I imagine the burden of filmmaking must have gotten worse the longer you went. Did you ever consider slacking off on the filming duties to focus more time trying to survive?
ya if i were starving for food day by day i think i would give up on filming, way to stick through it man!
Have you met Les Stroud from Survivorman?
What was harder: Everest or 50 days in the Yukon?
what was the book you were using when you talked about the different types of plants?
I just have a quick question! When I watched "Alone in the Wild", and ED was on his way back to his camp, and he got really scared, because he thought he saw and heard a bear, why wasn't he carrying his rifle??? I didn't understand this at all !! If he had his rifle, he would'nt have to be so afraid!! I would NEVER be caught in the wilderness by myself without carrying a RIFLE at ALL TIMES!! This part, made no sense to me!! Can someone answer my question??
ED..IS A WIMP!!Where did they dig up this crybaby??He shouldn't be allowed to even go too a public park alone!ED...has about as many survival skills as a bowling ball!!That sissy is scared of his own shadow...the first day blubbering on camers was a real comedy!NATGEO SHOULD BE EMBARASSED TOO HAVE PUT THIS MORON ON THE AIR!!I CHALLENGE HIM..ANY TIME..ANY PLACE....AND I PROMISE NOT TO CRY!!!!!
Does everything make Ed cry? This was not survival it was camping.. Was all the breaking down some sort of act?. I'm guessing that sending a man on a fully equipped, three month camping trip doesn't make for exciting TV so he had to pretend it was a great hardship. I feel deeply disappointed with NatGo over this show, I thought they had more integrity.
Hello Ed,
I really enjoyed the show tonight and I am looking forward to the future installments. Do you have a gear list and would you be willing to talk about what items worked for you and what did not.
Ed, I would like to suggest a trip to Alaska, you and I for the sake of research, you try alone but how the dynamics of another human being change everything? How the wild change two people psychologically or something like that, team dynamics, hunting, filming, I am not an expert on survival either...let me know.
Hi Ed,
I heard you on the talk show this morning "Overnight America" on the way to work. I am glad I did because all of this adventure stuff is right up my alley. I will watch you tonight as well. I use to go to Alaska all the time. My first trip there, my friend and I drove the Dalton Highway in a GEO metro (economy car) from Anchorage to the Coldfoot, AK. It was an adventure for us because we did not know if there were gas stations and we almost ran out of gas. We did not know you could gas up at the Yukon River. We were away from everyone..isolated and loved it. This road is a gravel and dirt haul road to Prudhoe Bay. Alot of semi's were flying past us. Sounds strange when I tell the story to most, but we loved it. After that trip...we fell in love with AK and got involved with the Iditarod. I became friends with dog mushers, mt. climbers and adventurers alike. Norman Vaughn (Adm. Byrd expedition-Antarctica) told me to "Dream Big and Dare to Fail". I always told him when he was alive how much I want to go to Antarctica. Hopefully someday I will. I admire you for doing what you love and that is being out in the great outdoors because so do I. Good luck on all of your endeavors!!!
Sincerely,
Lisa
Ask ED if he has found any large human like foot prints 14" to 20" long. Ask Ed if he feels like he being watched. Also I would like to know if Ed has seen any Sasquatch?
Ed, thank you for allowing us to share this experiment with you. In the first episode you mentioned wanting to do something important with your life. Do you feel as if you have accomplished your goal?
Ed, were you able to set trap for a bear? You had the firearms. Bears have lots of meat and fat.
Ed, why do you thing so many of us have a desire to go into the wilderness and test oujrselves?
Hi Ed ... enjoyed your show ... thanks for sharing the tough moments as well as the good ... no doubt a wiser man now ... congrats ... I lived alone in the deep woods and mountains for many years, but am now in Chicago ... seeing your show has me thinking seriously about returning to the wild ... good luck in your future pursuits ... i'll watch for you
Ed, I was paddling in the Yukon 1000 Mile Canoe Race, Whitehorse to the Dalton bridge, during the same time you were on your adventure. Vast parts of area were covered in heavy smoke from dozens of forest fires, including not far from you on our drive back to Whitehorse. Did you see any, or have any concern about fires on your trip? Fantastic wilderness, isn't it.
O.K. that was pretty spectacular and self centered, now why don't you go out into the world of the hopeless homeless world and see what can be accomplished there
this is a world wide problem that needs to be addressed, why don't you put your push behind it?
My seven year old daughter Madison would like to say, " I am glad you made it through your adventure. I can't wait to see the rest of it."
I as a mother would like to thank you for teaching the children what it is to be fully human. The true qualities of the human being and the human experience. That's reality we all need!
Blessings to you and yours,
Hello Eddie---------
1. Given the fact that you are a BRIT, one has to wonder if you are an acquaintance of Eddie BEAR Gryllys ???
2. Given the fact that your YUKON adventure took place in Whitehorse, what are your thoughts of the 2 MOOSE interlocked by their antler racks inside the lobby of the Whitehorse motel across the street from the Yukon River ???
Lemme know yer thoughts at katlovers08@verizon.net and thanx in advance. Reg Tom
Hello ED What Kind Of Gear Did You Use To Keep Yourself Warm/ Dry When Your On The Move And Boot Wise Also Same Wise Question??? Did You Build Your Own Tents For The Night..
And Last Whats The Yukon River Like. I Think You Was Ready To Do This Mentally And Physically You Were Worried Of The Camera Personal Making Sure They Didnt Get Hurt!!! As My 1st Words To You Was Never Leave a Man Or Woman Down Take Care Out There ED The Sprit Is With You And Your Getting Closer To Beinginng With The Wolf Pack!!!!!!
I am curious about the moment that you became rather frightened while setting your rabbit traps. It appeared as though you could not quite put a finger on what was giving you the creeps. You didn't seem to feel it was a bear , at least you didn't say so at the time.
Did you have STRONG feeling of being watched ?
Did you notice a strong smell of urine/rotting meat , something truly god awful.
Did you have a strong feeling of dread , like you just had to get away from there , but were not sure why ?
Did you hear any strange calls or utterances at night that you could not attribute to any known animal ?
Ed,
I just watched another episode, the one entitled "Hungry" or something like that. I heard you make a statement about bears. You same something to the effect that if you were to be attacked by a bear, if you rolled up into a ball and protected your neck, a grizzly bear would eventually leave you alone, but a black bear would not give up attacking you. Isn't it the other way around? I thought grizzlies/browns were more aggressive than blacks.
Sincerely,
Frank
Just want to say thanks for giving me a new favorite show! Im 20 years old and live in michigan, alwasy hunted an fished. Since I was real young I`ve had the same dream you`ve had. Someday I will do this, just hope I`m as lucky as you to film it and maybe give hope to others with dreams. As you did me.
What was the first step you took, to get in touch with National Geographic?
ed...you're a crybaby...a wimp...you couldn't survive in your house alone for a month!!!!you did everything wrong!!!GOOD WAY TO GET OTHER PEOPLE KILLED FOLLOWING YOUR EXAMPLE!!
NATGEO...SHOULD BE EMBARASSED BY YOU!!!!!!
Hi Ed,
I have some questions. What supplies did you bring with you? What supplies do you wish you would of brought? How did you choose your location? Thanks
Ed, like rob I'd like to see an equipment list. What did you bring with you, why did you choose it & how/why did you choose your location.
Thanks
Ed,
It's difficult for me understand that there was so little wildlife in the area. Did you take long day hikes and climb trees to try and spot deer, fox, raccoon or possum? The lakes didn't have musgrat, turtles, ducks or geese? Maybe some one else with knowledge of the area can answer. Anyway, hats off to you.
How alone is alone, not alone as shown on tv. The tin cup lodge is within 5 mile of both camp sites. Ed also passed by the lodge on his way to his second camp site.
I HAVE A MAN CRUSH ON ED what is going to be His NeXT move
Super show i like him
Ed,
Did you view leaving as failure? If so why? It just seemed that I learned a great deal via your experience. You learned so much about yourself. Is that failure?
Are you kidding me? 50 days. I think this was a nice attempt by NGC because it is better than the shows about prison but really? The medititation part was stupid. That Dr. that gave this advice should have his butt kicked. Good advise would be to tell him to always be doing something to stay occupied. I am glad I grew up in Mississippi. Thank god for the Corps. Semper Fi!!!
Since this guy cried so much I hope he drank alot of water to avoid dehydration,ROFL.In a nutshell this show was pathetic.
That is all.
Good show, Ed. You let us all see you raw, even though it didn't help you survive. Seems like when you got the photos from your family, the homesickness really kicked in. Congrats on lasting out there in the wild. Made me think of some of the pioneers I've read about in the gold rush days and Lewis and Clark, and Daniel Boone.
Ed,
"Alone in the wild"--just kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what you would do. I tried to record it the first time out and others in my home accidently erased it. I was so glad to see it on Natgeo again. I am so proud of what you have acheived. I just finished watching "Code Red" andyour experience, as well as honesty, makes me respect you sooo much. I was rooting for you to call and my heart really hurt watching your pain with the decision of making the call to save your life. Don't feel bad about talking to things, I was screaming at the t.v. for you to call to go home. I watch Natgeo a lot and your story has been one that has made a big impression on me. I am so glad that you were able to live your dream. Dreams are what they are, and dreams have not timelines. Be greatly proud of yourself for doing something and allowing other to live their dreams through you.
Leslie
Ed, I think you did excellent. When you got upset I felt so bad for you when you said that you must sound like a idiot. I thought what a sweet, compassionate man and not a idiot at all. You did something that most cannot do and I admire you for it. The scenery was awesome :)
yea to you,for all those who missed it,you abideded by the laws of canada big game not in season.why was it so hard for you to catch fish? what bait did you use? was there any fish even in those lakes? or was the water too acidic from the run off decay? and to natgeo how about more nature programs and less city programs i.e.{dog whisperer,rescue ink} do a program with advice from true survival experts so we can all learn,
I am an avid outdoorsman and have done many things most people will never do, but to do what Ed did is a real feat. He didnt fail in my eyes. He had many chances to kill wild game but chose not to because of Canadian laws. Millions of people will not or cannot do what he did. I myself know I could not do it so BRAVO Ed, your my hero. I would want you by my side if I was ever stranded in the wild.
As Orthodox Christians familiar with "hermits" who live in the wilds - eating berries/bread - we note that the Lord by His great Grace began in you the "gift of Tears". You seemed to realize that your heart was being cleansed, and so did not attempt to stop the flow. This is good and from the Holy Spirit. Now, the prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner" with the tears. There is an Orthodox Monastery at Gibson's Landing (I believe) in the north of Canada in the Yukon . Your heart is already stripped down in self-knowledge, so the river of tears will flow as you keep humble before Him. Forgive me, but your exprience was very unique and grace-filled.
hey ed, just wondering why you said you almost prayed, Iwould be praying everyday out there
Ed,I really admire you for what you did living your dream! So many people live out their lives never to feel what you do right now.....FANTASTIC JOB ED!!!!!
Is Ed online Now??????
Hi Ed, how are you, I am basically from asia. I havn't seen your show yet , even I don't know what these all guys are talking about.
I watch the shows of nat geo Asia.
Any ways,
Best of luck.
Hi Ed...I have only been able to watch a few segments of the show on YouTube (hopefully I will get to see the complete show some day - it looks interesting). I have been to many places like the one you experienced and in many different situations. What you felt and the emotion you expressed is all normal; Each individual will react differently in situations like this. I think what you felt at times was akin to a spiritual experience. The land up here has a very special affect on people. Experiencing true wilderness is difficult to find these days but the Yukon is one place where it still exists. It is a very precious and even priceless thing we have here - hopefully it will last! Cheers.
ED, I have been on the Big Salmon and Yukon rivers in the Yukon Territory and many times in Alaska. As you have proven it is no easy time to try and survive alone in the wild. You have educated viewers regarding the differences between needs and wants and to what is really important in life. I have felt many of the same emotions you did in similar situatons. You made the right decision, my hat is off to you.
Ed,
I looked up Tin Cup Lake , did you know there is a Tin Cup Lodge? Very nice, next time spend some time there and you will last 90 days. I would also turn off the camera, shoot the ducks, and have a nice meal.
Jim
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