Weird But True (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Survival 101 - full transcript
CHARLIE: What's up guys,
here's the situation.
We're in the
Alaskan wilderness.
Now we've got to build
fires, construct shelters,
and make sure we survive.
I just started this fire
with some lip balm, it's
time for Weird but True !
KIRBY: Salmon!
CHARLIE: Victory!
KIRBY: Salmon!
CHARLIE: Victory!
Oh, hey guys! Charlie here.
You know my sister Kirby!
KIRBY: Hey!
CHARLIE: You guys are
never going to believe
what just happened.
KIRBY: This is incredible!
CHARLIE: The coolest thing!
Alright, check it out.
Kirby and I
eat a lot of salmon.
Like a lot of salmon.
Our favorite? Slammin'
Salmon from Sitka, Alaska.
KIRBY: Slammin' Salmon!
CHARLIE: It's so good.
And they have this
contest on the package.
KIRBY: Every time you send in
Slammin' Salmon coupon codes,
you get entered to win a
camping a trip in Alaska!
CHARLIE: So naturally, we ate
like a boatload of salmon,
sent in about 100
coupon codes, and...
We won!
KIRBY: We won the trip!
CHARLIE: We're going to Alaska!
Victory! Victory! Victory!
KIRBY: But we have a problem.
Camping in the
Alaskan wilderness
requires mad skills.
It's so big and cold!
And don't they have bears?
(roar)
CHARLIE: We need to
be prepared in case
something goes wrong.
So today, we're
unraveling the world of...
KIRBY: Human Survival!
CHARLIE: Alright guys.
We got two tickets on
a flight to Alaska,
for our camping trip.
KIRBY: And it leaves in
about oh shoot, very soon!
CHARLIE: But first we
need to do some research
to learn how to survive!
KIRBY: Gotta hit the books!
CHARLIE: Alright I've
got some info here.
KIRBY: Me too.
CHARLIE: Turns out
if we want to know how to
survive in the wilderness,
we need to know the
basic needs and limits
of the human body.
Here are the big three:
Body Temperature.
Food and water. And Sleep.
One of the first things
you've gotta do is think
about your body temperature.
KIRBY: Because if your body
gets too hot or too cold,
things are going to go downhill.
Super quickly.
CHARLIE: This is normal
body temperature: 98.6
degrees Fahrenheit
or 37 degrees Celsius.
If your body gets this hot,
100.4 degrees Fahrenheit,
38 degrees Celsius,
you've got a fever and
you're feeling pretty sick.
Add just a few degrees and
you're approaching life
threatening temperatures!
Going the other way,
a few degrees down
and you're shivering.
Just a few more and your
skin is already turning blue
because of reduced blood flow.
So, your body temperature
functions perfectly
at a very narrow range,
only five degrees Fahrenheit
or three degrees Celsius.
KIRBY: Which just
goes to show you.
People who survive long
exposures to hot or cold,
are truly survival all-stars.
CHARLIE: Like this
lady, Anna Bagenholm.
In 1999 while skiing, Anna
Bagenholm fell into a stream
and became trapped under
a thick layer of ice.
She was trapped, in the
water, under the ice, no
air for 80 minutes!
And her body
temperature dipped to
56.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Miraculously she was rescued
and made a full recovery.
KIRBY: The number two
thing you need to think
about is food and water.
CHARLIE: We've all
heard the facts, right?
Up to 60% of our
body weight is water.
The brain is 73% water, and
our lungs are 83% water.
Our body uses water in every
organ, in every tissue,
in every single tiny cell.
And we all know, food
fuels our bodies.
Without it, eventually
our bodies would
just stop working,
which is not what
we're looking for.
So, they say human body
can only last three
weeks without food
and three days without water.
KIRBY: And there was one
man who pushed himself
to the absolute limit.
This guy. Mahatma Gandhi.
In the 1940's, Gandhi went 21
days without eating any food.
He only sipped on
water to survive!
All the while, leading
a movement for peace,
independence and unity in India.
CHARLIE: Let's check
this out, if Gandhi was
eating a healthy diet,
he would have consumed 42,000
calories over those 21 days.
That's about 150 turkey
sandwiches, or 440 bowls
of cereal, or 820 pancakes.
But his inspiring campaign
was worth the hunger.
And the next thing you
might want to think about
is getting some sleep.
Just ask Randy Gardner,
sleep all-star.
In 1965, as a high-schooler,
Randy stayed awake
for 11 days and 12 minutes.
All as part of a
science fair project.
11 Days!
And 12 Minutes!
During those 11 days
he should have gotten,
around 88 hours of sleep.
That's like sleeping from
Monday morning to Thursday
afternoon, straight.
KIRBY: The trouble is,
during the experiment, Randy
started slurring his speech,
he had trouble
concentrating, and by day
five, he was hallucinating.
CHARLIE: And,
as Randy demonstrated,
sleep deprivation brings on
a lot of medical issues.
What medical issues?
KIRBY: Aching muscles.
CHARLIE: Confusion.
KIRBY: Memory lapse.
CHARLIE: Hand tremors.
KIRBY: Hallucinations.
CHARLIE: Depression.
Decreased accuracy.
KIRBY: And impaired judgment.
CHARLIE: The outlook
does not look good.
KIRBY: So, if you want
to survive, it's best
you get some sleep.
CHARLIE: Trust
us, we're doctors.
KIRBY: Wait, no we're not.
Alright, the three
key limitations of
the human body are.
CHARLIE: Body temperature.
KIRBY: Food and water.
CHARLIE: And sleep.
KIRBY: That's it.
CHARLIE: We got it!
KIRBY: Hey Charles,
what time is it?
CHARLIE: We got about
five minutes until
our flight leaves.
KIRBY: Oh shoot, I don't
know if we're prepared!
CHARLIE: We gotta do more
research! Grab a book!
We'll see you guys in a bit!
KIRBY: Weird but true,
CHARLIE: Hey! So we've
done a lot more homework
on what it takes to
survive in the wilderness.
KIRBY: Because survival is
nothing to mess around with.
CHARLIE: And we
thought it was so easy.
KIRBY: Thirsty?
CHARLIE: Just drink
from a stream.
KIRBY: Hungry?
CHARLIE: Eat some berries
from a little bush.
KIRBY: But if that's
your plan, you're not
going to last a day.
CHARLIE: Check it out.
Water in streams, lakes, and
ponds, is not safe to drink,
unless you can treat
it or boil it.
It's got bacteria, viruses,
and all sorts of things
with weird names that
will make you sick, like
cryptosporidium and giardia.
Nasty stuff.
And berries are a
whole other monster.
Alright Kirb, I'm
going to show you some
tasty looking plants,
and you tell me
if you'd eat them.
KIRBY: Sounds good.
CHARLIE: Here's a nice
one, horse nettle.
KIRBY: I'd eat that right up!
CHARLIE: Well it has
high amounts of solanine.
KIRBY: Nice!
CHARLIE: Which is
poisonous to humans.
KIRBY: Ooh!
CHARLIE: Check it out.
Wild cherries have
cyanide in their pits,
so they're poisonous.
Virginia creeper, poisonous.
American bittersweet,
poisonous.
Nightshade, pokeberries,
and holly berries, poisonous,
poisonous, and very poisonous.
The vast majority of white,
yellow, and green berries,
and about 50% of red
berries are poisonous too.
So, finding food
in the wild is much more
difficult than we thought!
And while you're trying
to find food, you're also
starting a fire and building a
shelter, and hide from bears,
and wolves, and bugs,
and everything's just
going nuts, man!
KIRBY: It seems impossible!
CHARLIE: That's why survival
stories are so impressive.
KIRBY: So impressive.
CHARLIE: So impressive.
KIRBY: Like Donn
Fendler, 1939.
This Boy Scout was
only 12 years-old when
he got separated from
his family while
hiking in Maine.
Suddenly, a storm hit!
He was completely lost!
300 National Guardsmen,
mountain climbers,
police officers,
and volunteers searched for
him and came up with nothing.
He spent nine days,
nine days wandering
around the wilderness,
surviving by eating
safe berries, drinking
water from streams,
and sleeping in an old
burlap sack he found.
Donn walked for 35 miles
until he stumbled across
a group of campers
that brought him to safety.
Donn Fendler, the
truest, mightiest Boy
Scout there ever was.
CHARLIE: Oh my gosh, our
flight's leaving, we gotta go!
KIRBY: We are not prepared!
CHARLIE: Don't worry about it.
I figured this might happen.
So, I scheduled us a class
before things get rolling.
KIRBY: What?
CHARLIE: No time to explain!
Time to pack and time to go.
We'll see you guys
in a bit-in Alaska!
Anchorage, Alaska, here we come!
Alaska is so huge that
the 22 smallest U.S. states
could all fit inside of it.
And this vast expanse of
wilderness is where we'll put
our survival skills
to the test...
so stay tuned!
KIRBY: Weird but true,
A man survived six days in an
Australian desert with no water,
by eating ants!
CHARLIE: Hey guys!
KIRBY: We made it!
CHARLIE: The State of Alaska!
The last frontier!
With more than 30 mountain
ranges, over three million
lakes and 54 million acres
of National Parks, this place
is the definition of wild.
So, if you want to test your
survival skills, this is the
place to do it right here.
KIRBY: But I definitely
don't think we're ready.
CHARLIE: Kirb, don't worry man
I booked us a little training
sesh, I got us covered.
KIRBY: Ok let's do it.
CHARLIE: Let's go guys!
KIRBY: This is it.
CHARLIE: This
sounds perfect yeah.
KIRBY: Excellent.
CHARLIE: Learn to Return is
one of Alaska's premier
and longest running
survival schools.
It's exactly the place we
need to be to learn how
to survive in the wild.
And this is the guy who's
going to teach us: Clint!
Clint is the toughest guy
you'll ever lay your eyes on.
He was a Green Beret,
an expert instructor
for wilderness medicine.
Drop Clint anywhere in the
world, he will survive.
Guys it's Clint!
Hi, Clint I'm Charlie.
CLINT: Charlie
it's a pleasure.
CHARLIE: Nice to meet you.
KIRBY: I'm Kirby.
CLINT: How's it going?
CHARLIE: Guys
Clint, Clint guys.
CLINT: Hi everybody!
KIRBY: Clint's favorite
weird but true fact,
CHARLIE: Kirby and I are
going on a camping trip
and we're kind of nervous
cause we don't know a
lot of survival skills.
Can you teach us a few?
CLINT: Love to.
You guys ready to go?
CHARLIE: Yup let's do it.
KIRBY: Let's go.
CLINT: This is our
main training arena.
CHARLIE: So, this is where
it all starts, where people
learn how to survive?
CLINT: Correct.
This is where we learn
hands on skills training
to get you ready
to go out into the woods
on your camping trip.
KIRBY: Perfect.
CHARLIE: Sounds good.
Clint will cover the
most important
elements of survival:
shelter, water, food, and heat.
And we'll find out how
bringing along a few
everyday household items
could help save lives
in the wilderness.
Gonna be awesome.
Come on let's go.
First up is shelter.
CLINT: There's two
types of shelters.
You have your personal
shelter, you wear,
and then your group shelter
that you would build.
Let's start off with a very
basic personal shelter.
Here you go.
CHARLIE: Got a garbage bag.
CLINT: A garbage bag?
KIRBY: Super technical.
CLINT: Put your
hand through it.
You're gonna put
this on your face.
KIRBY: Cool.
CHARLIE: Ahh.
CLINT: And go into
it just like so.
KIRBY: Awesome.
CLINT: So, take
a look at this.
CHARLIE: Now you're
looking fashionable.
CLINT: Now remember the
key to warmth is what?
CHARLIE: Insulation.
CLINT: Insulation.
If it was cold outside, what
could I stuff inside here?
KIRBY: Grass.
CHARLIE: Sure.
CLINT: Moss.
KIRBY: Some leaves.
CHARLIE: Nice insulation.
CLINT: Yeah.
KIRBY: Nice.
CLINT: There you are,
right there, not too big.
CHARLIE: Weird but
true, a garbage bag
could save your life.
Now we learn to build a
group shelter using a tarp.
The key is being able to tie
the corners to something.
If the tarp doesn't
some with usable holes,
Clint uses a cool technique
called buttoning.
CLINT: We're gonna
unfold it, ok?
So, go ahead and grab
yourself a corner.
So, what we're gonna do is
we're gonna take this rock
and we're gonna put
it just like so.
Go ahead and hold that, Kirby.
There you go.
I'm gonna do an overhand
slip, just like so.
CHARLIE: Quick, quick
little overhand slip.
Not a big deal.
KIRBY: Good to go.
CLINT: I'm gonna
pull that tight.
So, this right here is gonna
help us attach it to
anything that could give me
a good solid anchor.
CHARLIE: Let me try
it again, ready? Down.
CLINT: Rotate.
CHARLIE: Rotate.
CLINT: Hand all
the way through.
CHARLIE: Up.
CLINT: Yup.
CHARLIE: And got it.
CLINT: There you go.
CHARLIE: Down,
rotate, up, got it.
CLINT: We wanna have the
tarp angled slightly.
It all depends on
which direction the
wind's coming from.
KIRBY: Hmm.
CHARLIE: Angling the tarp at the
bottom facing into the wind
helps give a windbreak, and also
allows rainwater to run off.
Our next survival
lesson is about building
a fire, and man,
it's good to have a striker.
CLINT: We gotta get a spark ok?
And that's our first goal.
Ready? Now watch me first and.
CHARLIE: Ah.
CLINT: Just like
so, look at that.
There's the technique
I'm looking for.
CHARLIE: Alright,
alright I'm getting it.
CLINT: Oh excellent.
CHARLIE: Alright guys,
fire, super important
for surviving
in the wilderness.
We need to stay warm and our
clothes need to stay dry.
CLINT: Go!
CHARLIE: Oh my gosh.
-Yay!
CLINT: There you go. Nice.
CHARLIE: Pew.
KIRBY: Take two nice.
CLINT: Nice.
CHARLIE: Fire! Holy cow
that was so quick.
KIRBY: Its burning fast too.
CLINT: Let's make that
cotton ball burn longer.
Now we're gonna add a wax.
CHARLIE: Wax.
CLINT: This lip balm.
Any petroleum-based
product will work.
KIRBY: So just smash it on?
CLINT: Yup smash it.
CHARLIE: Just mash it?
CLINT: Smash it
up, smash it up.
KIRBY: So why does
wax slow it down?
CLINT: You are making exactly
what you burn all the time.
It's a candle!
CHARLIE: Oh.
KIRBY: That's awesome.
CHARLIE: Weird but true
fact, a number one thing I
guess we gotta bring
on this camping
trip is lip balm.
Shelter, done.
Heat, done.
KIRBY: What about
finding water and food?
CLINT: We're gonna go
outside and work on this.
KIRBY: Let's do it.
CHARLIE: Finally,
out in the elements.
CLINT: Wanna go?
KIRBY: Perfect.
CHARLIE: Let's hit it.
Alright this way? Let's roll.
CLINT: So, we wanna
look for clean, clear,
fast moving water.
CHARLIE: We're not going right
out of the stream, right?
CLINT: We're gonna
use some stuff to
help purify the water.
And what I would recommend
is this system right here.
Once you get it full of
water, close it up, and now
this has a filter in here,
that all you gotta do
is open the, the nozzle.
CHARLIE: And you can.
KIRBY: Ahh.
CLINT: Squeeze it.
KIRBY: He's going for it.
CLINT: Oh yeah.
CHARLIE: So, water, super
key, you can only last about
three days without water.
So, if you go into the
wilderness or go camping make
sure you got super, crazy,
nice filter like we got here.
So, what happens if we
don't have a filter?
CLINT: Basically, you're
gonna have to figure out
a way to boil that water.
CHARLIE: So boiled water
is kind of your only hope if
you don't have one of these?
CLINT: Alright, now that
we're all refreshed, we got
some water in our systems,
it's time for the other
part of the equation, food.
CHARLIE: Food!
CLINT: You pack something
with you that has
enough proteins, fats,
and also some items that have
sugars that you can get into
your systems really quickly.
CHARLIE: What's the
best strategy if you
run out of your food?
CLINT: It's either gonna
be lower your activities so
you don't need as much food,
and also, you're gonna have
to try and find something.
CHARLIE: Start foraging?
CLINT: Exactly, exactly.
KIRBY: You have to be
super careful when you
look for food in the wild,
but Clint has an
unexpected go-to.
CLINT: Have you guys ever
seen cattails that are kind
of in swamps and stuff?
CHARLIE: Sure.
CLINT: They have the little
uh tuber right on top.
CHARLIE: Brow thing.
CLINT: Yeah long,
on a long stem.
CHARLIE: Uh huh.
KIRBY: Mhm.
CLINT: Well if you actually
go to the base of those
and you dig out the roots, and
they're about the size
of your pinky almost, you
just clean those things off,
you start a fire, and you
toss them in right, directly
into a bed of coals.
You wait until they get
soft, just like a potato.
KIRBY: Baked potatoes.
CLINT: Exactly!
CHARLIE: Sounds pretty good.
CLINT: Great survival food.
I love 'em.
CHARLIE: Yeah?
CLINT: It's, it's a delicacy.
KIRBY: Cattails, pretty crazy.
CHARLIE: Clint takes us
back inside for one more
important lesson.
CLINT: We have black
bears and brown bears
where you're gonna be.
The first option, if we can
leave the whole situation and
keep anything from happening.
CHARLIE: Get out of there.
CLINT: That's good. Alright?
Quietly leave, slowly back
away without it seeing us.
Next, if the bear does look
over at us as we come around
the corner, we wanna freeze,
we wanna make sure we
don't run the other way,
cause then the bear might
think you're what?
(record scratch)
CHARLIE: Prey?
CLINT: Yeah prey!
(bear roar)
Make sure that we kind of
stand our ground, let the
bear know, 'hey buddy'.
CHARLIE: Hey bear.
CLINT: Make yourself big.
Hey bear.
CHARLIE: Hey bear.
CLINT: Yeah talk in
a deep voice alright?
Next, if you have bear spray
on you, bear spray works.
You just spray it in
this general direction.
CHARLIE: Whoosh.
CLINT: Yeah you bet you.
KIRBY: Good to go.
CHARLIE: Yeah all
over the place.
CLINT: Poof big ol' wall.
CHARLIE: Weird but true guys,
over 3,000 people are reported
missing in Alaska each year!
The good news is that more
than 90% of them are found
within the first day.
CLINT: Alright guys, I think
you're ready for a test.
CHARLIE: Uh what'd
you have in mind?
CLINT: A good old Alaskan
Survival Smackdown!
Today's survival smackdown:
Kirby vs Charlie!
Location: the
Alaskan Wilderness.
Objective: build a
fire, build a shelter.
The best survivor wins!
CHARLIE: You're
going down Kirb!
KIRBY: Nope.
CLINT: You guys need to
save it for the smack down.
CHARLIE: Give us a couple
minutes to get ready,
but when you come back
its smackdown time.
You don't stand a chance Kirb.
KIRBY: Weird but true,
Spectacled bears are
the only wild bear species
found in South America.
CHARLIE: Hey guys!
Alright perfect timing.
Right now, we're in
Alaska, learning survival
skills from our man Clint.
And it's time for a good old
Alaskan Survival Smackdown.
Gotta make a fire,
build a shelter.
Best survivor wins. Let's go.
CLINT: Ok, you guys ready
for your survival smackdown?
KIRBY: Absolutely.
CHARLIE: Born ready Kirby!
Let's roll!
CLINT: Here's your
survival kits.
KIRBY: Awesome!
CLINT: They're
exactly the same.
Remember, build a
fire, build a shelter.
The best survivor wins.
You have one hour.
And three, two, one, go.
KIRBY: I got a rope.
CHARLIE: I got a big red tarp.
KIRBY: Knife, you can
always use a knife.
CHARLIE: We got the striker.
Nice for a little
fire right there.
KIRBY: You gotta set
up a shelter first.
Let's do it.
This side's clear, I'm
gonna go with this side.
I don't think
it has to be that tall.
CHARLIE: I feel like it's
downhill so the water whip
over that way if it rains.
KIRBY: I'm rocking it.
I don't know about you.
CHARLIE: Dude, I got
three corners of
my tarp up already huh?
I'll invite you over
for dinner later Kirb huh?
KIRBY: I'm focusing, man!
Don't you be like
distracting me over here.
CHARLIE: Oh, you
can't multi-task?
I thought you were a good
survivor there, Kirb.
I ran out of cord already for
my last corner of the shelter.
I need it attached like
that one right there.
I got this tape, so I'm
spinning it around trying
to make another cord.
Little pro move,
hopefully Clint's impressed.
KIRBY: Super tight.
CHARLIE: This is perfect,
guys check it out.
Nice and roomy, spacious.
KIRBY: Just enough space
to take a nice snooze.
Our shelters are done, but
there's no time to relax.
We've got fires to build.
CHARLIE: Clint throws us
a last-minute curve ball.
CLINT: You gotta get
that flame one foot tall.
CHARLIE: Break this
up really tiny.
KIRBY: Alright. Chomp it all
up and mix it in.
Yes!
We've got to keep an close
eye on our fires to make sure
they don't get out of control.
CHARLIE: Weird but true
Earth is the only known
planet where fire can burn.
All the other planets they
know about, not enough oxygen.
CLINT: Five, four, three, two.
CHARLIE: Ahh.
CLINT: One, hands up!
Hands up! Hands up!
CHARLIE: Done!
Done! Done! Done!
CLINT: Alright
come on over here.
Originally you started off
with your shelter really high,
I was a little nervous about
that at first, but I
liked where you put your fire.
You could still be under
your shelter and have that
warming fire and bounce the
heat into your uh
little shelter area.
KIRBY: Awesome.
CLINT: Charlie, I
liked how you kept your
tarp nice and tight.
However, your fire
was a little bit away
from your shelter.
CHARLIE: Ah.
CLINT: Both of you have
positives and negatives.
However, this is
still a competition.
Charlie had the
one-foot flame first.
KIRBY: I got you.
CLINT: So, I'm gonna
claim Charlie as the
winner for this round
of the Alaska Wilderness
Survival Smackdown.
CHARLIE: Oh!
CLINT: Good job.
CHARLIE: Yes!
CLINT: Here you go Charlie.
CHARLIE: Yes.
CLINT: This right here, it's
an Alaska survival lifeline
that all survival instructors
carry in our backpacks
whenever we go out with
our families to not only
protect ourselves, but the
people we go out with.
CHARLIE: So, it's a
responsibility to help other
people survive now too?
CLINT: That is
correct, Charlie.
CHARLIE: Kirby,
it's been an honor.
KIRBY: It's been
an honor true.
CHARLIE: You're a
worthy opponent.
KIRBY: So are you.
CHARLIE: Until the nest
wilderness smackdown, man.
I think we're ready guys.
Time to go on our slamming
salmon camping trip.
KIRBY: Weird but true,
CHARLIE: Hey guys!
KIRBY: What a trip!
CHARLIE: We just got
back from Alaska.
KIRBY: I started a
fire with lip balm!
We learned so much today.
CHARLIE: Heck yeah, like...
KIRBY: The human body
has limits on what
we need to survive.
The big three are
body temperature, food
and water, and Sleep.
CHARLIE: And I proved that
I am the ultimate survivor!
CLINT: Good job!
KIRBY: Whoa, man.
It's was one day in Alaska.
CHARLIE: Still the winner.
KIRBY: Yeah whatever.
CHARLIE: What else
did we learn today?
There were so many
weird but true facts!
The human body functions
perfectly at a very
narrow temperature range,
only five degrees Fahrenheit
or three degrees Celsius.
Water in the wilderness
must be filtered, treated,
or boiled for at least a minute
before it's safe to drink.
Learning to improvise with
the random things you have
around you is key to survival!
You gotta love
Slammin' Salmon.
KIRBY: Honestly
nothing like it.
CHARLIE: Hey got
any sauce for this?
KIRBY: Poppin' Rays
Pineapple Glaze!
It's the perfect
glaze for any days.
CHARLIE: Ah perfect, sweet.
Whoa! Check it out!
Poppin' Rays
Getaways Contest. Kirb.
KIRBY: We're gonna
need more salmon.
CHARLIE: And more rays!
Thanks for coming by!
Come by again when we
discover more things,
things that are weird.
KIRBY: But true!
CHARLIE: We'll see you soon!
Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services.
here's the situation.
We're in the
Alaskan wilderness.
Now we've got to build
fires, construct shelters,
and make sure we survive.
I just started this fire
with some lip balm, it's
time for Weird but True !
KIRBY: Salmon!
CHARLIE: Victory!
KIRBY: Salmon!
CHARLIE: Victory!
Oh, hey guys! Charlie here.
You know my sister Kirby!
KIRBY: Hey!
CHARLIE: You guys are
never going to believe
what just happened.
KIRBY: This is incredible!
CHARLIE: The coolest thing!
Alright, check it out.
Kirby and I
eat a lot of salmon.
Like a lot of salmon.
Our favorite? Slammin'
Salmon from Sitka, Alaska.
KIRBY: Slammin' Salmon!
CHARLIE: It's so good.
And they have this
contest on the package.
KIRBY: Every time you send in
Slammin' Salmon coupon codes,
you get entered to win a
camping a trip in Alaska!
CHARLIE: So naturally, we ate
like a boatload of salmon,
sent in about 100
coupon codes, and...
We won!
KIRBY: We won the trip!
CHARLIE: We're going to Alaska!
Victory! Victory! Victory!
KIRBY: But we have a problem.
Camping in the
Alaskan wilderness
requires mad skills.
It's so big and cold!
And don't they have bears?
(roar)
CHARLIE: We need to
be prepared in case
something goes wrong.
So today, we're
unraveling the world of...
KIRBY: Human Survival!
CHARLIE: Alright guys.
We got two tickets on
a flight to Alaska,
for our camping trip.
KIRBY: And it leaves in
about oh shoot, very soon!
CHARLIE: But first we
need to do some research
to learn how to survive!
KIRBY: Gotta hit the books!
CHARLIE: Alright I've
got some info here.
KIRBY: Me too.
CHARLIE: Turns out
if we want to know how to
survive in the wilderness,
we need to know the
basic needs and limits
of the human body.
Here are the big three:
Body Temperature.
Food and water. And Sleep.
One of the first things
you've gotta do is think
about your body temperature.
KIRBY: Because if your body
gets too hot or too cold,
things are going to go downhill.
Super quickly.
CHARLIE: This is normal
body temperature: 98.6
degrees Fahrenheit
or 37 degrees Celsius.
If your body gets this hot,
100.4 degrees Fahrenheit,
38 degrees Celsius,
you've got a fever and
you're feeling pretty sick.
Add just a few degrees and
you're approaching life
threatening temperatures!
Going the other way,
a few degrees down
and you're shivering.
Just a few more and your
skin is already turning blue
because of reduced blood flow.
So, your body temperature
functions perfectly
at a very narrow range,
only five degrees Fahrenheit
or three degrees Celsius.
KIRBY: Which just
goes to show you.
People who survive long
exposures to hot or cold,
are truly survival all-stars.
CHARLIE: Like this
lady, Anna Bagenholm.
In 1999 while skiing, Anna
Bagenholm fell into a stream
and became trapped under
a thick layer of ice.
She was trapped, in the
water, under the ice, no
air for 80 minutes!
And her body
temperature dipped to
56.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Miraculously she was rescued
and made a full recovery.
KIRBY: The number two
thing you need to think
about is food and water.
CHARLIE: We've all
heard the facts, right?
Up to 60% of our
body weight is water.
The brain is 73% water, and
our lungs are 83% water.
Our body uses water in every
organ, in every tissue,
in every single tiny cell.
And we all know, food
fuels our bodies.
Without it, eventually
our bodies would
just stop working,
which is not what
we're looking for.
So, they say human body
can only last three
weeks without food
and three days without water.
KIRBY: And there was one
man who pushed himself
to the absolute limit.
This guy. Mahatma Gandhi.
In the 1940's, Gandhi went 21
days without eating any food.
He only sipped on
water to survive!
All the while, leading
a movement for peace,
independence and unity in India.
CHARLIE: Let's check
this out, if Gandhi was
eating a healthy diet,
he would have consumed 42,000
calories over those 21 days.
That's about 150 turkey
sandwiches, or 440 bowls
of cereal, or 820 pancakes.
But his inspiring campaign
was worth the hunger.
And the next thing you
might want to think about
is getting some sleep.
Just ask Randy Gardner,
sleep all-star.
In 1965, as a high-schooler,
Randy stayed awake
for 11 days and 12 minutes.
All as part of a
science fair project.
11 Days!
And 12 Minutes!
During those 11 days
he should have gotten,
around 88 hours of sleep.
That's like sleeping from
Monday morning to Thursday
afternoon, straight.
KIRBY: The trouble is,
during the experiment, Randy
started slurring his speech,
he had trouble
concentrating, and by day
five, he was hallucinating.
CHARLIE: And,
as Randy demonstrated,
sleep deprivation brings on
a lot of medical issues.
What medical issues?
KIRBY: Aching muscles.
CHARLIE: Confusion.
KIRBY: Memory lapse.
CHARLIE: Hand tremors.
KIRBY: Hallucinations.
CHARLIE: Depression.
Decreased accuracy.
KIRBY: And impaired judgment.
CHARLIE: The outlook
does not look good.
KIRBY: So, if you want
to survive, it's best
you get some sleep.
CHARLIE: Trust
us, we're doctors.
KIRBY: Wait, no we're not.
Alright, the three
key limitations of
the human body are.
CHARLIE: Body temperature.
KIRBY: Food and water.
CHARLIE: And sleep.
KIRBY: That's it.
CHARLIE: We got it!
KIRBY: Hey Charles,
what time is it?
CHARLIE: We got about
five minutes until
our flight leaves.
KIRBY: Oh shoot, I don't
know if we're prepared!
CHARLIE: We gotta do more
research! Grab a book!
We'll see you guys in a bit!
KIRBY: Weird but true,
CHARLIE: Hey! So we've
done a lot more homework
on what it takes to
survive in the wilderness.
KIRBY: Because survival is
nothing to mess around with.
CHARLIE: And we
thought it was so easy.
KIRBY: Thirsty?
CHARLIE: Just drink
from a stream.
KIRBY: Hungry?
CHARLIE: Eat some berries
from a little bush.
KIRBY: But if that's
your plan, you're not
going to last a day.
CHARLIE: Check it out.
Water in streams, lakes, and
ponds, is not safe to drink,
unless you can treat
it or boil it.
It's got bacteria, viruses,
and all sorts of things
with weird names that
will make you sick, like
cryptosporidium and giardia.
Nasty stuff.
And berries are a
whole other monster.
Alright Kirb, I'm
going to show you some
tasty looking plants,
and you tell me
if you'd eat them.
KIRBY: Sounds good.
CHARLIE: Here's a nice
one, horse nettle.
KIRBY: I'd eat that right up!
CHARLIE: Well it has
high amounts of solanine.
KIRBY: Nice!
CHARLIE: Which is
poisonous to humans.
KIRBY: Ooh!
CHARLIE: Check it out.
Wild cherries have
cyanide in their pits,
so they're poisonous.
Virginia creeper, poisonous.
American bittersweet,
poisonous.
Nightshade, pokeberries,
and holly berries, poisonous,
poisonous, and very poisonous.
The vast majority of white,
yellow, and green berries,
and about 50% of red
berries are poisonous too.
So, finding food
in the wild is much more
difficult than we thought!
And while you're trying
to find food, you're also
starting a fire and building a
shelter, and hide from bears,
and wolves, and bugs,
and everything's just
going nuts, man!
KIRBY: It seems impossible!
CHARLIE: That's why survival
stories are so impressive.
KIRBY: So impressive.
CHARLIE: So impressive.
KIRBY: Like Donn
Fendler, 1939.
This Boy Scout was
only 12 years-old when
he got separated from
his family while
hiking in Maine.
Suddenly, a storm hit!
He was completely lost!
300 National Guardsmen,
mountain climbers,
police officers,
and volunteers searched for
him and came up with nothing.
He spent nine days,
nine days wandering
around the wilderness,
surviving by eating
safe berries, drinking
water from streams,
and sleeping in an old
burlap sack he found.
Donn walked for 35 miles
until he stumbled across
a group of campers
that brought him to safety.
Donn Fendler, the
truest, mightiest Boy
Scout there ever was.
CHARLIE: Oh my gosh, our
flight's leaving, we gotta go!
KIRBY: We are not prepared!
CHARLIE: Don't worry about it.
I figured this might happen.
So, I scheduled us a class
before things get rolling.
KIRBY: What?
CHARLIE: No time to explain!
Time to pack and time to go.
We'll see you guys
in a bit-in Alaska!
Anchorage, Alaska, here we come!
Alaska is so huge that
the 22 smallest U.S. states
could all fit inside of it.
And this vast expanse of
wilderness is where we'll put
our survival skills
to the test...
so stay tuned!
KIRBY: Weird but true,
A man survived six days in an
Australian desert with no water,
by eating ants!
CHARLIE: Hey guys!
KIRBY: We made it!
CHARLIE: The State of Alaska!
The last frontier!
With more than 30 mountain
ranges, over three million
lakes and 54 million acres
of National Parks, this place
is the definition of wild.
So, if you want to test your
survival skills, this is the
place to do it right here.
KIRBY: But I definitely
don't think we're ready.
CHARLIE: Kirb, don't worry man
I booked us a little training
sesh, I got us covered.
KIRBY: Ok let's do it.
CHARLIE: Let's go guys!
KIRBY: This is it.
CHARLIE: This
sounds perfect yeah.
KIRBY: Excellent.
CHARLIE: Learn to Return is
one of Alaska's premier
and longest running
survival schools.
It's exactly the place we
need to be to learn how
to survive in the wild.
And this is the guy who's
going to teach us: Clint!
Clint is the toughest guy
you'll ever lay your eyes on.
He was a Green Beret,
an expert instructor
for wilderness medicine.
Drop Clint anywhere in the
world, he will survive.
Guys it's Clint!
Hi, Clint I'm Charlie.
CLINT: Charlie
it's a pleasure.
CHARLIE: Nice to meet you.
KIRBY: I'm Kirby.
CLINT: How's it going?
CHARLIE: Guys
Clint, Clint guys.
CLINT: Hi everybody!
KIRBY: Clint's favorite
weird but true fact,
CHARLIE: Kirby and I are
going on a camping trip
and we're kind of nervous
cause we don't know a
lot of survival skills.
Can you teach us a few?
CLINT: Love to.
You guys ready to go?
CHARLIE: Yup let's do it.
KIRBY: Let's go.
CLINT: This is our
main training arena.
CHARLIE: So, this is where
it all starts, where people
learn how to survive?
CLINT: Correct.
This is where we learn
hands on skills training
to get you ready
to go out into the woods
on your camping trip.
KIRBY: Perfect.
CHARLIE: Sounds good.
Clint will cover the
most important
elements of survival:
shelter, water, food, and heat.
And we'll find out how
bringing along a few
everyday household items
could help save lives
in the wilderness.
Gonna be awesome.
Come on let's go.
First up is shelter.
CLINT: There's two
types of shelters.
You have your personal
shelter, you wear,
and then your group shelter
that you would build.
Let's start off with a very
basic personal shelter.
Here you go.
CHARLIE: Got a garbage bag.
CLINT: A garbage bag?
KIRBY: Super technical.
CLINT: Put your
hand through it.
You're gonna put
this on your face.
KIRBY: Cool.
CHARLIE: Ahh.
CLINT: And go into
it just like so.
KIRBY: Awesome.
CLINT: So, take
a look at this.
CHARLIE: Now you're
looking fashionable.
CLINT: Now remember the
key to warmth is what?
CHARLIE: Insulation.
CLINT: Insulation.
If it was cold outside, what
could I stuff inside here?
KIRBY: Grass.
CHARLIE: Sure.
CLINT: Moss.
KIRBY: Some leaves.
CHARLIE: Nice insulation.
CLINT: Yeah.
KIRBY: Nice.
CLINT: There you are,
right there, not too big.
CHARLIE: Weird but
true, a garbage bag
could save your life.
Now we learn to build a
group shelter using a tarp.
The key is being able to tie
the corners to something.
If the tarp doesn't
some with usable holes,
Clint uses a cool technique
called buttoning.
CLINT: We're gonna
unfold it, ok?
So, go ahead and grab
yourself a corner.
So, what we're gonna do is
we're gonna take this rock
and we're gonna put
it just like so.
Go ahead and hold that, Kirby.
There you go.
I'm gonna do an overhand
slip, just like so.
CHARLIE: Quick, quick
little overhand slip.
Not a big deal.
KIRBY: Good to go.
CLINT: I'm gonna
pull that tight.
So, this right here is gonna
help us attach it to
anything that could give me
a good solid anchor.
CHARLIE: Let me try
it again, ready? Down.
CLINT: Rotate.
CHARLIE: Rotate.
CLINT: Hand all
the way through.
CHARLIE: Up.
CLINT: Yup.
CHARLIE: And got it.
CLINT: There you go.
CHARLIE: Down,
rotate, up, got it.
CLINT: We wanna have the
tarp angled slightly.
It all depends on
which direction the
wind's coming from.
KIRBY: Hmm.
CHARLIE: Angling the tarp at the
bottom facing into the wind
helps give a windbreak, and also
allows rainwater to run off.
Our next survival
lesson is about building
a fire, and man,
it's good to have a striker.
CLINT: We gotta get a spark ok?
And that's our first goal.
Ready? Now watch me first and.
CHARLIE: Ah.
CLINT: Just like
so, look at that.
There's the technique
I'm looking for.
CHARLIE: Alright,
alright I'm getting it.
CLINT: Oh excellent.
CHARLIE: Alright guys,
fire, super important
for surviving
in the wilderness.
We need to stay warm and our
clothes need to stay dry.
CLINT: Go!
CHARLIE: Oh my gosh.
-Yay!
CLINT: There you go. Nice.
CHARLIE: Pew.
KIRBY: Take two nice.
CLINT: Nice.
CHARLIE: Fire! Holy cow
that was so quick.
KIRBY: Its burning fast too.
CLINT: Let's make that
cotton ball burn longer.
Now we're gonna add a wax.
CHARLIE: Wax.
CLINT: This lip balm.
Any petroleum-based
product will work.
KIRBY: So just smash it on?
CLINT: Yup smash it.
CHARLIE: Just mash it?
CLINT: Smash it
up, smash it up.
KIRBY: So why does
wax slow it down?
CLINT: You are making exactly
what you burn all the time.
It's a candle!
CHARLIE: Oh.
KIRBY: That's awesome.
CHARLIE: Weird but true
fact, a number one thing I
guess we gotta bring
on this camping
trip is lip balm.
Shelter, done.
Heat, done.
KIRBY: What about
finding water and food?
CLINT: We're gonna go
outside and work on this.
KIRBY: Let's do it.
CHARLIE: Finally,
out in the elements.
CLINT: Wanna go?
KIRBY: Perfect.
CHARLIE: Let's hit it.
Alright this way? Let's roll.
CLINT: So, we wanna
look for clean, clear,
fast moving water.
CHARLIE: We're not going right
out of the stream, right?
CLINT: We're gonna
use some stuff to
help purify the water.
And what I would recommend
is this system right here.
Once you get it full of
water, close it up, and now
this has a filter in here,
that all you gotta do
is open the, the nozzle.
CHARLIE: And you can.
KIRBY: Ahh.
CLINT: Squeeze it.
KIRBY: He's going for it.
CLINT: Oh yeah.
CHARLIE: So, water, super
key, you can only last about
three days without water.
So, if you go into the
wilderness or go camping make
sure you got super, crazy,
nice filter like we got here.
So, what happens if we
don't have a filter?
CLINT: Basically, you're
gonna have to figure out
a way to boil that water.
CHARLIE: So boiled water
is kind of your only hope if
you don't have one of these?
CLINT: Alright, now that
we're all refreshed, we got
some water in our systems,
it's time for the other
part of the equation, food.
CHARLIE: Food!
CLINT: You pack something
with you that has
enough proteins, fats,
and also some items that have
sugars that you can get into
your systems really quickly.
CHARLIE: What's the
best strategy if you
run out of your food?
CLINT: It's either gonna
be lower your activities so
you don't need as much food,
and also, you're gonna have
to try and find something.
CHARLIE: Start foraging?
CLINT: Exactly, exactly.
KIRBY: You have to be
super careful when you
look for food in the wild,
but Clint has an
unexpected go-to.
CLINT: Have you guys ever
seen cattails that are kind
of in swamps and stuff?
CHARLIE: Sure.
CLINT: They have the little
uh tuber right on top.
CHARLIE: Brow thing.
CLINT: Yeah long,
on a long stem.
CHARLIE: Uh huh.
KIRBY: Mhm.
CLINT: Well if you actually
go to the base of those
and you dig out the roots, and
they're about the size
of your pinky almost, you
just clean those things off,
you start a fire, and you
toss them in right, directly
into a bed of coals.
You wait until they get
soft, just like a potato.
KIRBY: Baked potatoes.
CLINT: Exactly!
CHARLIE: Sounds pretty good.
CLINT: Great survival food.
I love 'em.
CHARLIE: Yeah?
CLINT: It's, it's a delicacy.
KIRBY: Cattails, pretty crazy.
CHARLIE: Clint takes us
back inside for one more
important lesson.
CLINT: We have black
bears and brown bears
where you're gonna be.
The first option, if we can
leave the whole situation and
keep anything from happening.
CHARLIE: Get out of there.
CLINT: That's good. Alright?
Quietly leave, slowly back
away without it seeing us.
Next, if the bear does look
over at us as we come around
the corner, we wanna freeze,
we wanna make sure we
don't run the other way,
cause then the bear might
think you're what?
(record scratch)
CHARLIE: Prey?
CLINT: Yeah prey!
(bear roar)
Make sure that we kind of
stand our ground, let the
bear know, 'hey buddy'.
CHARLIE: Hey bear.
CLINT: Make yourself big.
Hey bear.
CHARLIE: Hey bear.
CLINT: Yeah talk in
a deep voice alright?
Next, if you have bear spray
on you, bear spray works.
You just spray it in
this general direction.
CHARLIE: Whoosh.
CLINT: Yeah you bet you.
KIRBY: Good to go.
CHARLIE: Yeah all
over the place.
CLINT: Poof big ol' wall.
CHARLIE: Weird but true guys,
over 3,000 people are reported
missing in Alaska each year!
The good news is that more
than 90% of them are found
within the first day.
CLINT: Alright guys, I think
you're ready for a test.
CHARLIE: Uh what'd
you have in mind?
CLINT: A good old Alaskan
Survival Smackdown!
Today's survival smackdown:
Kirby vs Charlie!
Location: the
Alaskan Wilderness.
Objective: build a
fire, build a shelter.
The best survivor wins!
CHARLIE: You're
going down Kirb!
KIRBY: Nope.
CLINT: You guys need to
save it for the smack down.
CHARLIE: Give us a couple
minutes to get ready,
but when you come back
its smackdown time.
You don't stand a chance Kirb.
KIRBY: Weird but true,
Spectacled bears are
the only wild bear species
found in South America.
CHARLIE: Hey guys!
Alright perfect timing.
Right now, we're in
Alaska, learning survival
skills from our man Clint.
And it's time for a good old
Alaskan Survival Smackdown.
Gotta make a fire,
build a shelter.
Best survivor wins. Let's go.
CLINT: Ok, you guys ready
for your survival smackdown?
KIRBY: Absolutely.
CHARLIE: Born ready Kirby!
Let's roll!
CLINT: Here's your
survival kits.
KIRBY: Awesome!
CLINT: They're
exactly the same.
Remember, build a
fire, build a shelter.
The best survivor wins.
You have one hour.
And three, two, one, go.
KIRBY: I got a rope.
CHARLIE: I got a big red tarp.
KIRBY: Knife, you can
always use a knife.
CHARLIE: We got the striker.
Nice for a little
fire right there.
KIRBY: You gotta set
up a shelter first.
Let's do it.
This side's clear, I'm
gonna go with this side.
I don't think
it has to be that tall.
CHARLIE: I feel like it's
downhill so the water whip
over that way if it rains.
KIRBY: I'm rocking it.
I don't know about you.
CHARLIE: Dude, I got
three corners of
my tarp up already huh?
I'll invite you over
for dinner later Kirb huh?
KIRBY: I'm focusing, man!
Don't you be like
distracting me over here.
CHARLIE: Oh, you
can't multi-task?
I thought you were a good
survivor there, Kirb.
I ran out of cord already for
my last corner of the shelter.
I need it attached like
that one right there.
I got this tape, so I'm
spinning it around trying
to make another cord.
Little pro move,
hopefully Clint's impressed.
KIRBY: Super tight.
CHARLIE: This is perfect,
guys check it out.
Nice and roomy, spacious.
KIRBY: Just enough space
to take a nice snooze.
Our shelters are done, but
there's no time to relax.
We've got fires to build.
CHARLIE: Clint throws us
a last-minute curve ball.
CLINT: You gotta get
that flame one foot tall.
CHARLIE: Break this
up really tiny.
KIRBY: Alright. Chomp it all
up and mix it in.
Yes!
We've got to keep an close
eye on our fires to make sure
they don't get out of control.
CHARLIE: Weird but true
Earth is the only known
planet where fire can burn.
All the other planets they
know about, not enough oxygen.
CLINT: Five, four, three, two.
CHARLIE: Ahh.
CLINT: One, hands up!
Hands up! Hands up!
CHARLIE: Done!
Done! Done! Done!
CLINT: Alright
come on over here.
Originally you started off
with your shelter really high,
I was a little nervous about
that at first, but I
liked where you put your fire.
You could still be under
your shelter and have that
warming fire and bounce the
heat into your uh
little shelter area.
KIRBY: Awesome.
CLINT: Charlie, I
liked how you kept your
tarp nice and tight.
However, your fire
was a little bit away
from your shelter.
CHARLIE: Ah.
CLINT: Both of you have
positives and negatives.
However, this is
still a competition.
Charlie had the
one-foot flame first.
KIRBY: I got you.
CLINT: So, I'm gonna
claim Charlie as the
winner for this round
of the Alaska Wilderness
Survival Smackdown.
CHARLIE: Oh!
CLINT: Good job.
CHARLIE: Yes!
CLINT: Here you go Charlie.
CHARLIE: Yes.
CLINT: This right here, it's
an Alaska survival lifeline
that all survival instructors
carry in our backpacks
whenever we go out with
our families to not only
protect ourselves, but the
people we go out with.
CHARLIE: So, it's a
responsibility to help other
people survive now too?
CLINT: That is
correct, Charlie.
CHARLIE: Kirby,
it's been an honor.
KIRBY: It's been
an honor true.
CHARLIE: You're a
worthy opponent.
KIRBY: So are you.
CHARLIE: Until the nest
wilderness smackdown, man.
I think we're ready guys.
Time to go on our slamming
salmon camping trip.
KIRBY: Weird but true,
CHARLIE: Hey guys!
KIRBY: What a trip!
CHARLIE: We just got
back from Alaska.
KIRBY: I started a
fire with lip balm!
We learned so much today.
CHARLIE: Heck yeah, like...
KIRBY: The human body
has limits on what
we need to survive.
The big three are
body temperature, food
and water, and Sleep.
CHARLIE: And I proved that
I am the ultimate survivor!
CLINT: Good job!
KIRBY: Whoa, man.
It's was one day in Alaska.
CHARLIE: Still the winner.
KIRBY: Yeah whatever.
CHARLIE: What else
did we learn today?
There were so many
weird but true facts!
The human body functions
perfectly at a very
narrow temperature range,
only five degrees Fahrenheit
or three degrees Celsius.
Water in the wilderness
must be filtered, treated,
or boiled for at least a minute
before it's safe to drink.
Learning to improvise with
the random things you have
around you is key to survival!
You gotta love
Slammin' Salmon.
KIRBY: Honestly
nothing like it.
CHARLIE: Hey got
any sauce for this?
KIRBY: Poppin' Rays
Pineapple Glaze!
It's the perfect
glaze for any days.
CHARLIE: Ah perfect, sweet.
Whoa! Check it out!
Poppin' Rays
Getaways Contest. Kirb.
KIRBY: We're gonna
need more salmon.
CHARLIE: And more rays!
Thanks for coming by!
Come by again when we
discover more things,
things that are weird.
KIRBY: But true!
CHARLIE: We'll see you soon!
Captioned by
Cotter Captioning Services.