TOP 10 SURVIVALISTS IN THE WORLD
“Prepare for the worst.” is a timeless piece of advice. For many, this may include putting snow tires on a vehicle before a winter storm or ensuring there are flashlights in the house in case of a power outage.
Taken to the extreme, being ready for hard times is a lifestyle called survivalism. Survivalists are those who proactively prepare for crises or catastrophes. Preparation might look like stockpiles of non-perishable supplies to building doomsday bunkers.
Survivalists have been around for thousands, if not millions of years. Still, they have only been featured on reality or series TV shows in the last decade, where they have impressed audiences with their toughness, determination, skill, knowledge, and ability to adapt. The popularity of these shows has turned some survivalists into TV stars and household names.
What Makes A Good Survivalist?
Do they need certain personality traits and skills? It turns out they do. According to backdoorsurvival.com, a true “prepper” possesses the following 10 personality traits:
- The Will to Live
- Thirst for Knowledge
- Belief in Family Values
- The MacGuyver Instinct
- Compassion for Others
- Physical and Mental Fitness
- Critical Thinking
- The Ability to Drive a Hard Bargain
- Understanding of the Value of Networking
- Faith and Optimism
As for skills, the website wildernessawareness.org states that there are 5 foundational survivalist skills:
- Fire
- Shelter
- Signaling
- Food & Water
- First Aid
The following is a list of the top 10 survivalists in the world who have demonstrated all of the above traits and skills. We have chosen those who we feel are the best in class.
1. EJ Snyder “Naked and Afraid Godfather”
Background:
EJ Snyder spent more than 25 years in the United States Army teaching people how to live off the land and be self-sufficient. During his position as a drill sergeant, he earned the nickname "Skullcrusher" because the people he trained said there was no situation he couldn't survive.
A highly decorated combat veteran, EJ is proud of being a tough old SOB with tenacity and grit. He appears confident in his ability to lead others safely through any survival situation.
Perhaps military training provided an advantage by elevating his mental toughness, critical thinking, and his thirst for knowledge.
Television appearances:
Following his retirement from the army in 2009, he abeared in several popular TV shows, such as Dual Survival, Naked and Afraid, and Man vs Amazon. He also appeared as the character Max in Survival T.V. The Movie.
Survival skills and experience:
Snyder is said to use the "Train as you Fight" method with a belief in pushing the limits of one’s environment and of oneself. He claims to be able to make it out of places where no man should walk. EJ is confident that his methods and skills can be used in any environment, even without prior knowledge of it and without many supplies.
Snyder tests the limits by aspiring to the "Law of Threes Survival," which is surviving 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in a harsh environment, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.
EJ Snyder is a real-life action figure and a master of the required survivalist skills. A review of his website revealed that he offers basic survival skills training in person to groups or one-on-one, including a course on how to survive using only a knife or tomahawk.
2. John Lofty Wiseman
When you think about survival, one name is at the root of the Industry. John Lofty Wiseman is a British author and survival expert best known for his books on SAS Survival, published in 1986.
Background:
In 1959, at the age of eighteen, Wiseman became the youngest person ever to join the SAS. He joined from the Parachute Regiment, which he had joined a year earlier. He joined the SAS for nearly 30 years and rose to the rank of Warrant Officer.
Wiseman was also head of operational research at 22 SAS, set up a counter-hijack team known as SP Team, and founded the SAS Counter-Terrorist Team (who were known for their involvement in the Iranian embassy siege).
Television appearances:
Lofty is perhaps not as well known for TV appearances as some others, but he may have been the catalyst for a new era of survival TV. Wiseman became a survival author and consultant, providing survival training to the cast of the 1990 movie Memphis Belle. His ability to make a soufflé out of unlikely materials inspired cast member Harry Connick Jr. to write the song "Lofty's Roach Souffle."
Survival skills and experience:
Lofty served in the SAS for 26 years and is noted as one of the regiment’s legends. He developed the counter-terrorism team known for the Iranian embassy siege and was the head instructor of the SAS Survival School. Lofty still teaches survival to this day and is one of the leading instructors at True Ways Survival School in the UK. Though perhaps not as well known as some other TV survival personalities, he was probably their Idol.
3. Bear Grylls
Background:
Born in London, England, in 1974, Edward Michael Grylls, his love for the outdoors began with climbing and sailing with his father. A man of faith, he states, "You can't keep God out. He's all around us if we're just still enough to listen.” in his book Facing the Frozen Ocean: One Man's Dream to Lead a Team Across the Treacherous North Atlantic.
Television appearances:
Grylls has a long list of television appearances. He is best known for hosting the popular television shows Man vs. Wild and Worst-Case Scenario.
Survival skills and experience:
From age 18, Grylls appeared to be drawn to challenges. He served as a trooper in the 21 SAS in the British Army Reserve and trained in unarmed combat, desert and winter warfare, survival, climbing, parachuting, and explosives. A parachute accident ended his service, with three broken vertebrae.
One of his most notable accomplishments is climbing the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal at age 23, soon after his parachute accident. He was one of the youngest people to accomplish the climb.
Grylls is known for several other challenging expeditions as well, many of them undertaken to support charity organizations. These include a fundraising 30-day trip on jet skis around the British Isles, crossing the North Atlantic Ocean in an inflatable boat, powered paragliding in the Himalayas, mountain climbing in Antarctica, and a 10,600 km trip across the Northwest Passage in an ice-breaking inflatable boat.
4. Laura Zerra
Background:
Laura became part of the wilderness from a young age, spending her time hunting in the wild and wading through some of the most hostile environments in Massachusetts, where she lived.
Television appearances:
Laura is perhaps best known for her appearances in “Naked and Afraid.” In 2013, Laura was able to put her skills to the test, spending 21 days in full survival in Bocas del Toro, Panama, as a cast member of the Discovery show “Naked and Afraid.” As an all-star cast member, she was asked to return to complete another 21-day challenge in the Peruvian Amazon and again to complete 40 days in the Colombian savanna in Season 1 of “Naked and Afraid XL.”
Survival skills and experience:
From a very young age, she has been ingrained into the wilderness lifestyle and spent a great deal of time teaching survival and traveling to gain new survival knowledge. Laura began spending summers working at Great Hollow Wilderness School in Connecticut teaching primitive survival, and in 2004 obtained an internship with the Buffalo Field Campaign in West Yellowstone, Montana. Here she documented the slaughter of the last wild herd of bison and continued to expand her knowledge of primitive survival in the harsh West Yellowstone winter. In 2007, she moved to Vermont to teach at Roots School, focusing on brain tanning and meat processing. During the winter of 2008, Laura bought a one-way ticket to Mexico. She hitchhiked and hopped freight trains south to Oaxaca, then up the west coast of the country, studying jungle survival.
5. Cody Lundin:
Background:
Cody Lundin is a primitive survivalist with expertise in how to use nature to help him, due to his native roots. Furthermore, he knows a lot about different plants and insects, which is handy when you can't find any meat to eat.
As detailed on his website, codylundin.com, Lundin is the founder of the Aboriginal Living Skills School and the author of two books about survivalism titled 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive (2003) and When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes (2006).
Television appearances:
Lundin co-starred in four seasons of Dual Survival and has numerous appearances on television and news shows.
Survivalist skills and experience:
Lundin has proven his skills in primitive fire-making and can start a fire with anything he can find. He ignites a fire 99.9% of the time. Lundin teaches others how to help themselves and stay alive using his knowledge of how the human body responds to stress.
Cody has been a survivalist for more than 24 years, and over this time, he has honed his skills and become the great survivalist he is today. His work on keeping warm, starting fires, and building shelters will rank with the best in the world.
6. Matt Graham
Background
Matt Graham was born August 8, 1974 in South Dakota. He is said to be a “primitive survivalist”. His website mattgrahamearthskills.com/ describes his love for primitive skills began in childhood at his family’s cabin near the San Bernadino Mountains. His other love is long-distance running.
Television appearances
Graham co-hosted the TV show, Dual Survival and Dude, You’re Screwed.
Survival skills and experience:
He cares about the land, the environment, and all living things. His lack of fear is demonstrated through calm, critical thinking and respect for Mother Nature. Graham takes resourcefulness to the next level by making a shelter out of only feathers and rope.
7. David Canterbury
Background:
Canterbury is a New York Times bestselling author who published Bushcraft 101, Advanced Bushcraft, The Bushcraft Guide to Trapping, and Gathering and Cooking in the Wild. Canterbury’s early professional life included working as a diver and commercial fisherman. He even operated a commercial reptile farm.
He has over 25 years of experience in outdoor primitive skills under his belt, he is the founder and co-owner of The Pathfinder School. According to his website, his reason for starting the school was “to pass on tribal knowledge of outdoor self-reliance and primitive skills.” Canterbury is also a United States Army veteran, leaving the military in 1988.
Television appearances:
Canterbury co-starred on two seasons of Dual Survival on the Discovery Channel in 2010 and 2011. His contract with the Discovery Channel was not renewed, and one of the reasons cited was that he embellished some experience on his resume. He later issued a public apology, which is a testament to his real integrity.
A few years later, in 2015, he starred in another survival series, Dirty Rotten Survival, which aired on the National Geographic Channel.
Survival skills and experience:
Canterbury is known for creating the 5 Cs of Survivability, something he now teaches as part of the Pathfinder System: a cutting tool, a combustion device, a cover, a container, and cordage.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism.”
Canterbury’s passion is self-reliance. His way of teaching is to teach people how to fish instead of giving them fish, in alignment with the above proverb. In the spirit of self-reliance, in one episode of Dual Survival, he demonstrates cauterizing a wound on his own arm.
8. Les Stroud:
Background:
Les Stroud is a Canadian filmmaker, musician, author, and television star. In his early years, he pursued a degree in Music Industry Arts and landed a job at MuchMusic, a Toronto video channel. Stroud is also a musician. He left Toronto and started a career as a wilderness guide in Northern Ontario.
Stroud married in 1994 and soon began living a primitive life with his wife deep in the Canadian bush. He filmed their experience and created the documentary, Snowshoes and Solitude. The documentary earned awards at the Muskoka Film Festival and the Waterwalker Film Festival.
Television appearances:
Stroud starred in Survivorman, a television series he created, which ran for 7 seasons from 2005 to 2015 and aired on the Outdoor Learning Channel, the Discovery Channel, and The Science Channel. The great appeal of this show was Stroud filmed himself while alone in various survival situations. During the filming, he explained his physical and mental state, while demonstrating survival techniques, and on many occasions, played the harmonica.
Stroud also produced two shows for The Discovery Channel called One Week in the Wilderness and Winter in the Wilderness in 2001. In addition, he has appeared in countless television talk shows.
Survival skills and experience:
Even though his work is scripted for television drama, this doesn’t diminish his expertise in survival skills. He exhibits all of the foundational skills including fire, shelter, signaling, food, water and first aid. However,Stroud’s mastery is unique in that he addresses the mental effects of trying to survive in a harsh and remote environment alone.
Could you survive on your own for seven days without food or water?
9. Mykel Hawke
Background:
Hawke is a retired and decorated United States Army Special Forces Officer, author, actor, and designer of survival tools. He has a degree in Biology and a master's degree in Psychology. Physically and mentally fit, he holds black belts in Aikido and Judo. His professional background includes training United Nations peacekeepers in Africa as well as conducting search and rescue missions in Colombia.
Hawke has owned several businesses, including Global Univision, a war-zone medical business, and Specops, a survival and adventure company geared to families and corporate teams.
Hawke has authored numerous books. His most recent was published in 2021, Under a Hard Blue Sky, authored with Kim Martin.
According to his website, he is committed to helping others and to role modeling honor and integrity.
Television appearances:
Hawke has over 50 television shows on his resume including creating two television shows for the Discovery Chanel called Man, Woman, Wild and One Man Army. Later, he produced two other shows: Lost Survivors for the Travel Channel and Elite Tactical Unit for the Outdoor Channel. He also appeared on an episode of the hit show, The Bachelor, where he and his wife Ruth, taught survival skills to the female competitors.
Survival skills and experience:
From a Green Beret to a survival expert, Hawke’s experience spans over 30 years. He is well known for producing an innovative line of knives and survivalist tools.
He is a mix of operational skills and survival skills and continues to support Special Operations as a contractor.
10. Steve Backshall
Background:
Since he could crawl, Steve Backshall has been interested in the natural world. In his childhood, he was drawn to neighbourhood animals. Backshall is an author, explorer, adventurer, and television host. He earned a degree in English and Theatre Studies from the University of Exeter in England. He also studied martial arts in Japan, earning a black belt in Judo.
In the years that followed, Steve wrote for the Indonesian Rough Guides and continues to write for British newspapers today.
Television appearances:
Backshall’s television and filmography is extensive. He is best known for the television show, Deadly 60 which aired on BBC TV.
In 1997, Backshall travelled to Colombia with an idea for a television show and found himself imprisoned in a Colombian jail. He later sold the pilot to the National Geographic Channel. In 1998, he was hired by National Geographic as an Adventurer in Residence to make, film, and present adventure and natural history shows.
Survival skills and experience:
Much like Bear Grylls, Backshall has sought international adventures for most of his life.
Steve’s great passion is discovery. Discovery of new places and new species. He is prepared to go to the ends of the Earth to achieve this. There's nothing better than being in the great outdoors whilst experiencing new adventures. – http://www.stevebackshall.com/expeditions
He has participated and led many expeditions in all parts of the world. He’s trekked across the Sinai Desert, finished the Israeli paratrooper’s selection course, and caught anacondas, vipers, and cobras. After that, he made "The Ten Great Dives of the World" for the long-running series "Earth Pulse."
Conclusion:
The word "survivalist" at one time was linked to groups who spent their weekends looking forward to the end of the world. With the rise of reality television, the rest of the world was exposed to survivalism, spawning a long list of television shows across the globe.
What is it about the idea of surviving in the wild with little more than a multi-tool that attracts viewers? Are there lessons in these shows that we could apply to our everyday lives??
