Survivorman: Off The Grid

I've been watching a bit of Survivorman lately. I enjoy hunting and the Survivorman shows appeal to me a lot more than artificial competitions of Survivor. When I watch Survivorman I'm interested in the skills and knowledge Les Stroud displays and less interested in his politically correct homilies, especially the often repeated comment "I don't like to kill anything but..." If you're lost without food or water and opportunity knocks then knock opportunity down, dress it out and grill it over the fire. Expressing your angst is a luxury of someone who's no longer lost in the wilderness. Stroud's political homilies aside, Survivorman is enjoyable if you like being in the outdoors, Stroud has a good eye for dramatic presentation of the outdoors and the survival situations and skills make an interesting show.

Off the Grid is a different kettle of fish it is chock full of all the green-washed politically correct tripe that I have to wade through in the building industry every day. Now I was entertained occasionally by Stroud bowing to expedience to finish his house in the time available, using a portable saw mill, generators but the irritating politically correct green smugness of his voice-over was irritating throughout. The voice-over really is the worst part of both Off the Grid and Stroud's Survivorman. There's very little information in Off the Grid as well. Stroud also fails to show very much of his decision process in selecting the various systems which provide the necessities of life. The lack of cost information was irritating as well. In Stroud's defence I don't think he was trying inform,but rather to preach. Given the name of the blog I'll put the stones down now.

There were some funny moments. Putting the woodstove in the insulated outhouse was brilliant. The dichotomy of embracing a back to nature ethos and preaching the virtures of a simpler pastoral lifestyle while extolling the technology that allows him to do film editing at his cabin was amusing, he was correct but nonetheless I found it amusing.

In short, if you want to watch one family's quest for an off-grid lifestyle then Off The Grid is likely for you. If you're interested in creating an off-grid house or cottage then there's really nothing for you in Off the Grid.