Looks like I’ve finally been given clearance to tell y’all about the project I did back in the summer. I participated in a Discovery Channel show that is part of the Curiosity Series called I-CaveMan. Here is a description my friend Lora wrote about the show on her Facebook page:
Episode 1 – Were we better off as cavemen? Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”) joins nine ordinary men and women in an attempt to survive in the wild using only stone-age technology. Cold, dehydration, and hunger threaten to derail the experiment from the start.
Episode 2 – The group continues their experiment to live in the wild. Hunger and deprivation push the group to the brink of failure. Can a successful elk hunt save them?
I can’t say much yet other than it was a very intense experience and there will be some interesting inferences made about the whole paleo concept including the health benefits of an ancestral diet and life-way. The show is slated to run Oct 2nd from 8-10PM, but check local listings.
Ooooooooh! Excitement!!!!
They don’t mention you though. They say nine ordinary men and there is no way that can include you.
Yea…there is a back story to that.
I like how your reply implies that you realize you are indeed NOT an ordinary man. Good thing you’re not!
this sounds AWESOME!!
Very cool. I look forward to watching it.
Holy australopithecus. I am excite.
I wondered what the secret project was! Hope it gets aired in Australia – it sounds fantastic.
Also very interested to see if you had a Vegan/ Paleo conversation with Morgan Spurlock too!
I guess have to wait to see the episodes, because all this did was raise questions.
Like were y’all taught how to use the stone age weapons, how about real hunting skills? Yeah ok I’ll wait to watch. But it seems many times those who demonstrate how hard being cave man was is basing off the lack of knowledge that would have been handed down etc. Hard to take city folks with very little survival skills ever learned and expect them to just know how to survive.
My thoughts exactly. Without the specific know-how, any human being would fail to thrive regardless of how “favorable” an environment.
yeah, and were they given those animal hides to wear or did they catch them themselves?
We were given some basic stater materials.
That’s awesome! Can’t wait to see this. Have you seen it yet Robb? Any thoughts on how you (and paleo) came off?
Well that sounds quite interesting. I am very much looking forward to this.
Dangit, now I need to get cable…
So were you one of the men involved? Or can you not say yet?
-j
Yea, man, I was on the show.
Sweet…I’m DVRing this puppy for sure so I don’t forget! Sounds like quite the ride.
Sweet!!! Can’t wait to see it!
Interesting that Morgan Spurlock would be involved with this especially after Tom Naughton pretty much directly went after him with Fat Head including a paleo slant.
He did and Spurlock hid and would not answer his detractors.
I’m with you guys! I was excited about the prospect and message of this program until I read “Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”) “. I disregard what Spurlock states because of Naughton’s revealing Fat Head documentary.
Wow that is fantastic news! Morgan Spurlock is a heavy hitter, did you manage to get him on board with the whole Paleo Solution at all!?
I remember when watching Supersize Me his girlfriend at the time (now wife I believe) was a vegan chef. I wonder how cool she is with Paleo/Primal.
Very cool! I will be sure to check it out. Were you sporting a mustache for the show?!
It got worse than that!
Join us on the Dark Side, grow a beard!
How exciting! I can’t wait to watch it and I’d love to hear more about the whole experience from your perspective Robb.
This is brilliant! I am really looking forward to seeing this… I have enjoyed this program so far…but this great news… curious to see how this turns out…
Don’t have cable anymore… bummer! But I know you can watch short videos of the episodes at http://curiosity.discover.com.
sorry — make that http://curiosity.discovery.com and it’ll work 🙂
I couldn’t locate any videos for I, caveman.
I am hoping they will show the full episodes on the web site… got rid of TV this year!
At any time during shooting did Tom Naughton suddenly appear from the bushes as a competing caveman faction and hurl a spear through Morgan Spurlock? I hear Spurlock was attempting to horde his paleolithic caveman group into collectives in order to control information regarding the actual fat content of turtle eggs.
How long did it take before you gave Morgan Spurlock a good swift kick in the tuckus?
AWESOME!!! I am so going to have to watch!!
Did you do okay without coffee?! What a nightmare…..
I tapered of coffee about a 3 weeks prior.
Rad! I hope Hulu gets it! If not, I’m shit outta luck…
I’m looking forward to it. Unfortunately In Canada it will be a week later showing at October 9th at 8 pm E.T. “A social experiment drops 20 modern humans into the Stone Age for six weeks, eating only what they hunt or gather, wearing only what they scavenge or weave, and sleeping in shelters they must carve or build.”
http://www.discoverychannel.ca/episodeList.aspx?sid=34480
Thanks, Greg I would have spent forever on my PVR trying to find it.
Guess I’ll wait until after the series is over to cancel my cable. That might coincide with the end of the NFL season too, how convenient.
Thanks Greg,
saved me a lot of time trying to track it down.
If anyone has spent anytime in the wild and thought about how to feed yourself off the land, you will quickly realize man cannot be a vegan. You can forage around for edible plants here and there but killing a good sized animal is like hitting the food lottery.
Hopefully Morgan Spurlock’s girlfriend doesn’t show up at the end & rescue everyone with a vegan meal. (I think I’ve seen that one before.) 😉
Does anybody know if these shows ever get streamed thru Discovery.com? I have been poking around, but had no luck if the show is part of their streaming series. (I shut off cable TV. I was barely using it, and it was a budget drain. Normally I never notice, until times like this!)
No clue on that.
Awesome, I can’t wait, talk about exposure! wooohoooo.
This sounds cool but as someone who has spent years learning primitive skills, and traditional hunting/gathering techniques. I gotta say even if they gave you a run down of how to use the tools and provided everything clothing, bedding, shelter, tool and food. Plus maybe one knowledgeable person to help. It would be far from a real approximation of stone age life. I’ll definitely watch I just hope it doesn’t piss me off too much. I hope you had fun Robb.
I had fun, and it would not be TV without a cluster fuck of some sort ;0)
You should check this out http://www.hollowtop.com/Lynx_Vilden.htm she has been doing the experiment for like 7 years or something she actually writes about the conversion to a paleo diet during the experiment in the “Bulletin of primitive technology” not sure which issue.
I was intrigued by this Lynx person and wondered why there was no mention of the 2011 classes and upcoming ones. So I goggled her name. Turns out that she got into some hot water about teaching classes on public land without a permit. They were warned that a permit was required, while at the same time being told that no permits were being issued. They went so far as to enroll an agent secretly into her class in a sort of “undercover sting operation”.
All I could think about is….really? REALLY?
I almost never watch TV but I will be watching this!
I’m going to set my DVR for that! Thanks Robb!
Hey Robb,
Congrats.. and it will be interesting to see how they edit this… the Caveman Quiz from the show page says this- (when I answered they ate mostly meat)… CJ
“Although cavemen hunted, and gathered seeds and fruits,
the main staple of their diet was tubers — yams, sweet potatoes, radishes, ginger and rutabaga.”
Wow. Ginger…really.
I DON’T HAVE A TV!!! madre de Dios.. oh well, I’ve heard some about it : ) Crossfit northfame guy told me about it : )))))… soo coollll
From the sentence about the show posted on the Discovery Channel “…wearing only what they scavenge or weave…” This will be very interesting and entertaining!
That makes me wish I had TV. I hope it’ll be available online somehow.
I DVR’d it. All you people without TVs are welcome to come over for a party.
I both love and hate this kind of thing. I love it because it’s great entertainment.
But I hate it because they inevitably draw bull**** conclusions like “living in the wild is awful and harsh and super-difficult because a small group of Americans who have absolutely no experience in the hunter-gatherer way of life, or any ancestral cultural knowledge regarding the local ecology and climate, couldn’t catch an elk!11!!1one!”
If they avoid that sort of stupidity, and make sure and emphasize that actual HGs are always MUCH better at utilizing their environment than city-people, then I would happily watch.
Robb, were you brought in as a nutrition expert or something?
Never mind, I see you were one of the “regular guys”. Interesting.
Robb,
Congratulations, man! That’s some serious awesomeness! Are you allowed to say how intense it was? What were some of the things you learned? Will you be doing any film documentaries like this in the future?
Anyway, I’m really looking forward to watching this, and I’ll be posting a notice up on my own blog (in case anyone ever visits it).
Cheers!
Kane
I’ve been approached for 2 other TV shows and another longer piece. All would be great exposure but none have had a premise I was happy with, so thus far I’ve passed on other projects.
You’re going to have a star on the Hollywood walk-of-fame yet!!! 🙂
It seems like the biggest problem would be lack of skills.
I have the benefit of over 200 hours of wilderness survival training (far less than anyone raised as a “caveman” would have!) and can say pretty confidently if you dropped me naked and alone anywhere on the planet other than the arctic in winter or the middle of a very large desert I could probably live fairly comfortably for the rest of my life.
I’m sorry man, but 200 hours is nowhere near enough. I have been at this all my life, and that may not be enough. I could still die in the wilderness alone. Nature can be very cold hearted and cruel. Never think that you know enough to survive in nature alone. You can never know enough.
I say this only for your safety, I do not wish to be mean. I just dont want to hear about your horrible death in the wild someday.
Very cool!! I heard you mention a secret project – can’t wait to see if they catch an elk. Right now my kids are lobbying hard that we learn how to hunt and catch our own meat this fall. I don’t think we will be quite ready but at least we will go camping. As it is the only time we catch fish is when we pay the fishing guide to put the fish on the line.
Do any of you get to vote each other out of the group and shun someone who’s a pain in the neck?
-PJ
You can start teaching them basic survival, woodcraft and tracking. that would be huge and FUN.
You don’t catch big game..you KILL it!
Dang! Your “secret” project has been killing me for months. It sounds like it should be worth the wait.
I think someone else said this but hopefully you and Greg can discuss on the podcast a little more.
Hey Robb! Glad you were able to mention the project! Maybe it will enlighten many to our paleolithic/primal way of life! I enjoyed your framework matters post and appreciate what you had to say. It is ashame that Faith and Science have to rule so many out because of what others think! Why can’t everyone step out when truth stares them in the face? However, I think it is ok, Faith and Science can exist for the “few”. I’m sure you know that! Keep up the good fight… and always remember you can’t save them all! I won’t ever forget how you changed my life! God bless!
http://www.youtube.com/slamdunkonu
Robb, what was Mr. Spurlock like? Did you ask him if he saw Fat Head?
He was cool, but that did not come up.
Amazing! For those of us who don’t have cable, will we be able to catch this online?
Things to watch tv for: Football and Robb Wolf. Any help for those of us who don’t live in the US? I have the football thing covered already…
I no longer have cable, but if there was a fight and you kicked Morgan Spurlock’s ass, I might be convinced to get cable again.
This is awesome Robb. HUGE! I don’t watch much TV either… I was a huge Lost fan and of course a huge Expedition Impossible fan. I’ll be tuning in on October 2!
I am in Hawaii… what time will it be on here? 🙂
After LOST went off the air I lost(heyo) all interest in television.
But dude…what about Battlestar Galactica?! You HAVE seen that, yes?
Poor guys, they didn’t have the ancestral knowledge of their environnement pass by the tribes members since their youth. I hope they will make some notes about it and not turn it in a big joke… Waiting for it . Could be fun 😉
Why does ANYone think Morgan Spurlock is a good or trustworthy source for ANYthing?! Have y’all see Tom Naughton’s doumentary _Fat Head_? Why won’t Spurlock release his food logs? What is he hiding? Well, we *know* what he’s hiding: he flat-out LIED! He must have been lying about his “Mickie-D’s diet” because the numbers don’t add up!
You can stream Fat Head through Hulu and Netflix for free (or buy it cheap on Amazon — you’ll probably want to own it and share it)! If you haven’t seen it yet: go do it. Realize how idiotic and intentionally misleading Spurlock’s “documentary” actually is! (And no, I’m not related to Tom, although I did get to meet him at the AHS and tried very hard not to act like a besotted schoolgirl!)
Robb, you’ve come along way in the last 3 years. You went from being some obscured character I’d read about on the Crossfit forums to some guy with a best selling book, on the discovery channel, with an absolutely huge fan following. I will do anything in my power to watch this though I don’t have cable at the moment.
One question for ya, where’s Ido these days? Is he coming to podcast any time soon?
Thanks Adam! Very kind of you. I’m just lucky to do something that I love and to know that this helps people.
Ido is on the lose! Check out his Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000922701979&sk=wall
We’ll get him on at some point soon.
Definitely going to watch but you are far from an “ordinary man”. Congrats Robb.
Convince my wife of that!
My hubby and I will be tuning in, for sure! Way to go Robb!
WOW! Can’t wait to see this! I am in agreement with everyone here in that you are certainly FAR from ordinary!
thanks Maryann!
Seems the rEvolution will be televised :).
And this is just the beginning.
Are you home amigo?!
Gonna use real caves? SRSLY Hopefully you can post some of this content to Utube as I don’t do cable.
Nice. I’m going to DVR the hell outta’ this.
DVR is set. Sweet!!
Hey Robb,
Glad Discovery finally gave you the green light to go ahead! They never responded to my inquiries.
All you paleo-heads, I hope you enjoy the show. Robb was awesome to work with and I am really proud of this show. It was the toughest thing I’ve ever seen people do on a reality show, no contest.
Thanks Exec! It was great getting to know you and the rest of the crew. It looks good! Pretty excited!
Thoroughly entertaining throughout. Hope you are as proud of it as I am…you were a hero!
Aw shucks! thanks.
To everyone wanting to see the show: “Curiosity” (the series Robb’s show is part of) is available from Amazon.com’s Instant Video. I’ve been enjoying the other episodes available so far (though I found the first a bit presumptuous) and it seems to be updating shortly after the episode airs. So hopefully those of us without cable will still be able to see Robb paleo it up soon enough.
Wow.. I’ve been wondering when we would here about the thing you couldn’t talk about..
Congrats and I have my DVR set..
http://motherjones.com/media/2011/04/bear-grylls-steven-rinella-cody-lundin
Have you seen this? A history of paleo survival shows.
“And they might one day rebuild their temples, these pelt-clad survivors, installing stone effigies of the ancient teachers from whom they acquired their neo-primitive skills: Bear Grylls, he of broad shoulders and larval diet, star of Discovery Channel’s Man vs. Wild; Steven Rinella, the thinking man’s hunter, host of Travel Channel’s The Wild Within; bear-like, braided Cody Lundin, the crunchier half of Discovery’s Dual Survival.”
P.S. I love my back-yard chickens and their yummy eggs. They look fabulously orange – better even than farmer’s market pastured eggs. They are a lot easier to care for than dogs or cats.
CONGRATS Rob! Very cool stuff and I will have to check it out.
Good work on the Body RX Podcast too.
Rock on
Mike T Nelson PhD(c)
Well, it is hard to tell you this now after the fact, but you guys were using the skins backwards. In caveman days, they wore the fur next to the skin. better warmth. The outside leather was heavily oiled and would act like a raincoat with the water rolling right off. The skins on the huts should have been the same way. I am very surprised that none of the scholars on the show caught that. Your experience would have been much nicer if it had been set up correctly. Tell the producers to feel free to contact me for future survival shows LOL
We all knew this, and for “TV” it rolled out as you saw it ;0)
This is a PATHETIC show. These people are less intelligent that the idiots of Survivor. How can people know so little about surviving in the wild. NO basic skills. I am sorely disappointed. How does “BOW” hunter not know how to hunt. Why are they not setting traps for small game as well as hunting big game. What about the nuts and other fruit. Pathetic. I expect more from Discovery. Seems like they chose people who were bound to fail. Next time don’t try to compete with the crappy mainstream shows. I will stop watching if you go the way of TLC and other stations.
Lol! I’d love you to be in the room with Billy and say that to his face! His survival\hunting skills are outstanding.
I am watching the 2nd episode now – just heard about it. Very cool. Amazing hunt!
Nice Job bagging that Elk on i, Caveman!!! Bet that changed your view on how we get our meat!! Means a lot more when you really do hunt it yourself!! Way to go!!!
No, I’ve hunted before and have always had this view to some degree.
omg toughing up don’t be a quitter unless your crawling out.(robert) wow!!! Am so disappointed. Come on draw from inside a do what you got to do!!
Just saw the show, pretty impressive. Can’t believe you managed to drill through the neck of that elk with the atlatl! We watched it with our kids, they said they wish it had been longer (not in terms of number of days, but in the hours of the actual show) and the scientists had given more background info. That had to have been grueling to go through in person.
My daughter, son-in-law and I watched the show last night. We are new fans who learned about Paleo and read your book in the last month. The show was fascinating and we were so proud of you and how you handled the challenge. We rooted and cheered for you during the elk hunt!
I cried right along with you all at the end of the show.
So proud that Robb took down the elk! 1 in 100 chance it seemed like but you made it look easy, good work!
Hey Robb!
Just watched the show last night (in my easy chair with a couple of Norcal margaritas, sorry about that) and I must admit that in the beginning there wasn’t much coverage on you, but in the end you were the one with the kill! You turned out to be the HERO!!! The savior! Way to go caveman! You made us all very proud!
love how Robb noted to Billy (the other guy in the group who might know a what a deadlift is) that they just did shoulder carries of 150 lbs – using elk legs. ‘Writer” Robb can’t hide his trainer instincts even in caveman times.
Watched last night! Thoroughly enjoyed it! However, I was hoping the young lady who refused meat would pass out and then come to and devour the entire elk liver…but I guess 10 days wasn’t quite long enough to change her ways!
Great show!
Robb,
I appreciated the show and the feelings you experienced when you finally killed an elk. Being so far removed from the actual events that provide us meat is not good and we need to realize that each piece of meat we consume came from a living breathing animal. I believe the reverence felt by each of you in that event was an important event in your lives.
Sincerly,
Taylor
Hey Robb! I saw the program last night and sent you a message via this site (lost your email). It was a real pleasure working with you and congratulations on the elk kill!
Amazing show! wife even watched it with me. Should make a hole season out of this idea!
They might.
Robb, you are no longer qualified to criticize anyones beard ever again 🙂
and Robb Wolf? more like Robb Elk.
The “beard” was more a suggestion by the end!
Just watched the shows which are available on iTunes for $3 each in HD. Wow! Pretty intense and powerful.
it’s just $2 on amazon for the rest of us. goo.gl/V266w
Robb, just watched both episodes. That was truly amazing, eye-opening, and awe-inspiring. Thank you, for giving all of us a greater appreciation of our origins, and how far we’ve come.
you were the hero of that show!
Shucks! Thanks.
Robb,
Loved the show! One question, how did you get around the game laws of the State of Colorado? Did they give you some sort of tag or an exception? Did you just not worry about it and did whatever needed to be done to put food on the table? Not criticizing in the least, just wondering.
It was a private ranch. I’ll detail more of that in the blog!
Hey Robb,
What a great adventure that must have been. I recently read a biography written about my many time over great grandfather written in the 1700s. It’s a story of hardship living in the northern US and Manitoba area of Canada. It’s a life of hunting, social tensions, famine, disease, feasting, and moving when resources were depleted–so close to how ‘I, Caveman’ played out. When you brought down the elk and you all paid tribute to that great animal I was really touched. It must have been a powerfully exciting and reverent emotional state you were in. That scene was filled with awe, spiritual overtones, thankfulness, respect. What powerful motions that are rarely felt individually let alone all in one event in our modern age. It was a powerful experience for me to watch so I can only imagine how it moved you. You did us proud Robb by your wisdom, respect, and skill.
Thanks Darrell! It was a huge experience.
Wow, Robb, I always respected you, but now have gained a new level of high regard in my eyes. That was amazing how you bagged that elk. Even more impressive was how you supported the other people with gentle encouragement, and the hard work that you did. It was sad that some of the other people didn’t “get it”. Hopefully they will never end up in a true survival situation.
P.S. By the way, I just can’t get over the response in the Discover.com quiz that “Although cavemen hunted, and gathered seeds and fruits, the main staple of their diet was tubers” as opposed to meat.
Well…they edited out my not so gentle encouragements!! Thanks.
I watched the first episode of icaveman at home late last night. Now all I can think about is getting home from work and watching the conclusion. People on this blog need to put up spoiler alerts or those of us in Canada. ;). I am looking forward to you taking down that elk and elevating your status to pack leader.
I did have one observation about the people on the show. Who the hell are they? Are they prominent people in their own fields or just some peeps off the street? I would have like to have seen John Welbourn, Matt Lalonde, Andy Deas, and maybe Mark Sisson out there with you.
It might have been a better go to be out there with a family instead of a group of strangers.
Anyway, great show and great job Robb.
Robb, just watched the show. Great show, really interesting. I became very involved, particularly during the hunt. I thought the most interesting thing about the show was watching Manu change from someone who appeared to be completely helpless, dependent, and a drag on the group, to being an effective hunter.
One of the things that I took home from Afghanistan (which I think maybe some of you took home as well) is how effing *easy* our lives are now. I remember, particularly the first couple weeks I was home, that I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of being able to have basically whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. My mom bought me fresh produce (avocados, mangoes, bananas, tomatoes) and had it on my counter in my apartment when I walked in. I stood there, in my kitchen, staring at the brightly-colored food and actually became a little emotional. I would walk out of my apartment and just be slightly overwhelmed that I could simply walk to the beach in board shorts and flip flops.
I also appreciated seeing the reactions of the group to taking the life of an animal. I’ve done it and seen it done, and I always thank an animal much as Manu did. I think it’s necessary and not at all wrong, but it always bothers me when I meet people who simply enjoy killing animals and feel no sadness whatsoever. I think that this connectedness to our food is nearly sacred. With that said and with no disrespect toward the animal or your own feelings, well done on the kill.
I agree Rick.
Robb,
I was introduced to paleo a couple of years ago thru you know where, do OnRamp outline in my garage after injuries and slacking, have been listeing to your podcasts, just completed your book about 2 weeks ago, and check your website from time to time. Despite never having met you, I was excited to see you on this TV series.
My tribe of five characters huddled around our fire(TV)and watched you do something absolutely astonishing. I told my wife and kids that you could have tied that elk to a fence post,given me that spear thing, and they would have starved waiting for me to make that shot. You must have a great sense of accomplishment when you provided your tribe that food. And to do it in such a humble are respectful manner says a lot about your character.
Keep sharing your resources and setting a good example for the rest of us to follow.
Thanks man! Very kind words. It was an intense, amazing experience.
Robb,
Just watched both episodes–what an amazing experience that must have been. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Question: what have you taken with you in your everyday life?
Michelle J
Given: that modern man does not have constant exposure to the microorganisms in water and that our ancestors did, and also accepted a certain level of infection as normal:
I’d have created a bit of a cheat for that section. Once proof of concept of boiling water and filtering it was demonstrated, I’d have provided sterile, if turbid and bitter, water for drinking.
I’m also not convinced that water sterilization dates back that far, given that Germ Theory doesn’t date before the 1800s.
Filtration I would expect did happen, both via settling tanks, and via filtration media.
You are spot on and I adress this in my write-up.
Just watched it and got seriously emotional when you guys hit that elk. Cried like a baby. One thing that stood out to me was Robb’s twitching nose. What was the deal there? Allergies?
Super dry air. I could have killed for a netti pot.
well i just saw the show and whats funny is i did a double take and paused for a second and to myself, wait, did i just see robb?,lol i had no idea, and all i can say is wow, killing that elk, amazing job my friend, and i can only imagine the overwhelming emotion and your truly humble demeanor and man of great character.
Ok well that makes sense. Some of the decisions were very smart while the others were too obviously stupid…skins being worn backwards for tv, now it makes sense. Hollywood always has liked it furs and cars LOL It does kind of bother me though. I wish someone would do a reality show with simply…reality. Deadliest Catch is the closest they’ve come I think. I really did enjoy I caveman though. The Elk hunt was fantastic. Thank all of you for participating and making a show that gives people something to think about. I taught all my kids survival skills and we often lived off the grid. I think a basic survival class should be mandatory in public schools, but it’s good to see that tv is picking up some of the slack.
Well, I can assure you that when we slept the fur went on the INSIDE. And that aside, the clothing was beautiful…folks have commented on that a lot.
Hi everyone,
I missed this show. I just finished reading Robb’s book on the 19th of October and came to this site so I didn’t know anything about it. Any word on where I can watch it online or if it will show again? I have searched Comcast and can’t find a listing.
Just got a copy of both episodes. Will not say how, but looking at trailers makes me think Ray Mears would have been a good teammate. Look forward to watching.
i do enjoy Curiosity, however the I, Caveman episode is made out as though the way cavemen lived is unknown. i thought about this for about 5 seconds and it occured to me that there are still human beings around the world who still live like the cavemen. Their called tribes and can be found on every contenant on earth. Would have been simpler to have a camera crew tail an African Tribe or a Tribe of Australian Aboriginals for a week. But then i suppose that would not make for good tv. All it shows us is that todays academics and tradesmen are not cavemen. I had no idea and am now glad that i am somewhat more knowledgable
I think this show is not a realistic look at whether we were better off as a caveman. Firstly the people they have casted are more concerned about bitching and complaining about not eating but get off their but and actually do what they need to do too get some food! If they were to cast real people who could give it a real good shot then it would be a different story. But hey what tv producers fo to get ratings.
We watched a few clips on the Discovery site, but I think you can watch the full episode here: http://www.novamov.com/video/bd37c3e0963f9 Seems to be working! Super interesting to think about how tough life was. I couldn’t eat for most of the day today and have to say that nothing tastes as good as when you’re starving!!
I am a bowhunter. I hunt elk and have for a number of years. It does not appear as though your members actually did kill the elk. The dart did not draw any blood and seemed to hit near the jugular. There should have been blood instantly. It seems your primitive actors had help. In addition, elk are standing around as your crew is field dressing there kill? Are you on a private game ranch where the elk are hand fed? My advise to you and your crew is go back to hollywood…..Not impressive at all.
Love the Blog, book, and the show. It appears that delivering the dart with the required accuracy and velocity would be extremely difficult. Did you strike your intended elk?
Very much enjoyed the show and am wondering one thing. Did you keep the dart/spear?
Is there anywhere else you can watch/buy this?
don’t think we get it down in NZ!
Ok let me start off by saying I’m an older gent, 52. And as a child I lived a poor life in the back hills of Pennsylvania, No electric, no running water,and we actually went hunting to get food with both bows and guns.
Bows because we sometimes had to get game out of hunting season and thought if no one heard us, it wasnt illegal. So I know first hand how hard it is to get food yourself and not just walk into a store and purchase it pre-wrapped.
Having said all that, the level of whining and complaining just made me wanna smack most of the people in this show up side the head. What the hell did they think this was going to be like?
Look I know it’s hard, but if you know you are going to be surviving in the wild, go camp out first for a week with hardly any food.
And then we have the short black haired girl always complaining, she would have been packed off first day, the guy obsessed with the rat, get over it, its just a damn animal, and of course we have the ,”I dont eat red meat !” black girl. Gotta have a vegan to stir the pot., guess you picked the wrong show to be on then didn’t ya girl?
Oh and on the killing of an animal, sometimes it has to be done, and it is emotional to watch something die. But all the animals in any super market that make up 3/4ths of most peoples diets died too, they dont make them outta playdoh.
And if you try and live off of just plants in the wild without a garden, well you’ll soon die too.
Now I do admire most of you giving it the ol’ college try, and it is damn hard, so I’m not saying all this without some feeling of respect for some of you.
It did prove that after a group of people get over bitching and whining about hunger, and lose a few that are holding it back, it can live in the wild.
Just hopefully next time the producers of this kind of show will give them more training and time. would be fun to watch, now some one get that leaf eating girl a burger!, jk
Just finished watching I, Caveman and had mixed feelings about it. If the premise is: Can a group of modern people (after an apocalyptic event) survive using paleo techniques? The answer is most likely. If the show is about how “cavemen” survived the show failed.
This show reminded me of the Blair Witch Project in that a few amateurs thrown into an unfamiliar situation do many things wrong and thus get into dangerous situations. Though the film was somewhat entertaining.
There must have been so much footage and training we didn’t see, but I don’t know how a tribe of people ended up almost starving when you are surrounded by opportunities for foraging, etc. in the prime of the summer season.
I have never hunted, and can only imagine the emotional impact of killing an animal to survive that the hunters went through, but the hunters did not kill the elk, it died! There were several people hovering over the elk and no one (from what I saw) put the animal out of it’s misery!
For “Curiosity” purposes this episode was interesting, but it taught me nothing!
Congratulations to the participants for making it through the experiment though.
Sarah-
there is another post on this topic talking about the fact we in fact had NO food to forage. It was early summer, nighttime temps were in the 20’s and we were at 8500 ft elevation. It was a beautiful location picked by production, but not representative of where natives would have lived at that time of year. http://robbwolf.com/2011/10/19/i-caveman-after-party-part-2/
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