It takes a real man to wear a pink headband in the woods. A manly man.
And I doff my Tilley LTM6 Airflo hiking hat to Jef Chenault of Pea Ridge, who not only "owns" the pink soccer headband look (he coaches his daughter's team and "was representing"), but survives the cold, cruel, unforgiving wilderness under the tutelage of survival expert/host Creek Stewart.
Stewart will put Chenault and two other beefy boys (Bill Beyer and Ron Gamble) through their paces on today's new episode of Fat Guys in the Woods, airing at 8 p.m. on The Weather Channel.
In the episode "Modern Cavemen" filmed in March in Kentucky, Chenault (who labels himself a "prepper") learns survival basics under sometimes extreme conditions.
Prepping, for those not in the loop, is preparing oneself and family for emergencies ranging from ice storms and hurricanes to the zombie apocalypse. And everything in between.
Knowing how to live off the land would be high on a prepper's list of things to master.
If you are unfamiliar with the series, each week on Fat Guys, Stewart takes three chunky couch potatoes out in the woods (or swamps, mountains or desert) and teaches them to build a shelter and fire, scavenge and hunt with their bare hands. It's all in the name of survival.
Stewart's best advice: "Just don't die."
About his adventure, Chenault says, "I was taken off the grid and challenged with surviving a week in the woods with nothing more than a couple of tools and two other fluffy gentlemen to keep me warm at night. It was one of the most physically demanding things I have ever done, but it also gave me a chance to learn, and reinforced my reasons for prepping.
"We don't eat unless we catch food. We don't drink unless we find water. We're not under shelter unless we make it.
"It was a good time. The weather was crazy while we were there. We experienced a little bit of everything.
"It was definitely a journey. I was able to push myself. I was able to find out stuff about myself that I didn't know was there and, as a prepper, it was a great experience.
"The greatest thing I learned about was my body. And as out of shape as I am -- and as much as I'm working on that -- I was able to see that it's going to be a struggle, but I'm able to do it."
Here's the Weather Channel synopsis of "Modern Cavemen":
"Deep in eastern Kentucky's cave country, this week's average Joes' first challenge is to find Creek who is located deep within one.
"This episode brought the widest range of weather conditions -- at one point, our average Joes go from two feet of snow to intense rain almost instantly. They build shelters out of a hemlock tree using axes they've made themselves; start fires with a zero gravity bow drill; secure water from deep within a cave; and dine on natural maple sap and crickets."
I'm uncertain what "unnatural" maple sap would be, but I assume the guys tapped a tree. And kudos to Chenault -- he was the first to volunteer to chow down on the "crispy crickets."
"Tastes like burnt toast," he says. "The feel of their legs against my teeth and tongue, the crunchiness -- I do not envy the early caveman."
However, after only one cricket, he declares, "I'm full!"
The fun-loving 32-year-old Chenault is having a good time with the experience. He posted this on his Facebook page where he jokingly warned friends he was about to become famous:
"Feel free to share any of my upcoming posts because people will think you are that much cooler since you are acquainted with me. It's true."
One final thing. Jef wasn't the only Chenault undergoing hardship, deprivation and extreme conditions back in March. There was also his wife, Jeffie.
Yes. Jef and Jeffie.
"When I went to tape the show," Jef says, "my wife was on maternity leave with our month-old son Mac and our three daughters, Cecilia, Penelope, and Eliza, all under the age of 7.
"She had a harder time than I did in the cold, wet woods."
• Better Call Saul. It took AMC a little while to make it official, but the Breaking Bad prequel starring Bob Odenkirk will be back for a second season.
The marvelous dark comedy stars Odenkirk as down-on-his-luck lawyer Jimmy McGill, who later changes his name to Saul Goodman. Saul was the attorney for Bryan Cranston's character, Walter White, in Breaking Bad.
• Project Runway. For those getting antsy, the series will return for a new season Aug. 6 on Lifetime. Back again will be Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn along with judges Nina Garcia and Zac Posen.
In the works for the fall: Project Runway Junior, featuring designers 14 to 17 years old. And next year will bring a new serving of Project Runway All-Stars with Alyssa Milano.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 07/19/2015