Who would win in an epic, no-holds-barred, survival showdown -- Bear Grylls or Creek Stewart?
Creek who? It's time you found out.
Grylls may have the bigger name in the testosterone-fueled world of survivalist gurus, but Stewart has the fat guys. And let's face it, there are more of us in that category than primo physical specimens such as Bear.
Stewart and his Fat Guys in the Woods are back for Season 2 at 8 p.m. today on The Weather Channel. The new season will bring new wilderness locations, wilder weather conditions and tougher challenges.
The premise of Fat Guys in the Woods is pretty much covered in the title. In each episode, survival expert Stewart takes three porcine couch potatoes out in the woods to survive for a week with only one objective -- "teach them the skills that make a man, a man."
Can I get an "oo-rah!"
Armed with only the most basic tools, they will learn to build a shelter, start a fire, scavenge and hunt with their bare hands while battling the worst Mother Nature can throw at them.
Free of life's creature comforts (a bed, showers, takeout menu) and forced into nature's most challenging situations, these guys "will put down those potato chips and fight to prove themselves."
At the end of the day, Stewart says, survival is simple -- don't die.
Note that the title says fat guys and The Weather Channel isn't kidding. The casting applications ask up front for measurements and photographic proof to ensure proper girth. No mere chubby dudes need apply. No pleasingly plump or slightly chunky fellows.
The Weather Channel wants really corpulent layabouts -- fellows who look as if the farthest outdoors they've been lately is the barbecue grill in the backyard.
The theory is that if Stewart can teach these seriously slovenly souls to survive, then he can teach anyone. And we get to watch their struggle and positive transformation.
And, because this is The Weather Channel, Stewart goes looking for serious weather to test the mettle of his adipose adventurers.
"We're going to see every type of weather this country has to offer," Stewart says in a Weather Channel teaser. "First of all, we're filming Season 2 in the dead of winter again, and that's the season of death. That's when everything dies and rebirths in the spring. So, we're entering into an incredibly difficult season to begin with but when you combine that with deep snow, with high desert areas, with swamplike areas, it just makes the challenges more extreme and more difficult."
Who is this pony-tailed Stewart and how did he get to be such an expert?
The 37-year-old has been a survivalist his whole life, becoming an Eagle Scout at age 14 and teaching his first professional survival class at just 21.
"It was to help pay for college, and I taught it on my parents' farm," Stewart says.
These days, Stewart owns and operates Willow Haven Outdoor, a 10,000-square-foot survival lodge and training facility on 21 acres in Anderson, Ind., just northeast of Indianapolis.
The facility is not rustic. Stewart says that even though survival is about the extreme and life-threatening, people learn more when they are comfortable.
Except if they are fat and in the woods. Then it's on-the-job training, or else.
Stewart is also the author of four books: Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag: Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit; The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide; Build the Perfect Bug Out Vehicle; and Build the Perfect Bug Out Survival Skills.
In tonight's episode, Stewart and his plus-size volunteers (Jacob Perry, Peter Taraborelli and Randy Nelson) consult a military survival manual as they trek 30 miles through Arizona's Sonoran Desert.
During the grueling week, they construct a parachute teepee for shelter, dine on desert fare (from prickly pear pads to tasty tidbits such as a tarantula and a centipede), and spend a night without fire due to a failed fire-start attempt.
Other highlights from the season include dining on everything from tree jerky and cactus to bone marrow and scorpions.
Fire starting attempts will use materials that range from birch bark to tampons. Shelters will be constructed out of all-natural supplies such as ocotillo plants, moss and pine trees.
Stewart's ultimate aim is to motivate and strengthen.
"Things like knowing how to start a fire, how to build a temporary shelter, or even just sharpening your knife are all crucial skill sets to possess," Stewart says. "Survival is not a question of if, but when."
"I've taught survival for 15 years to people from all walks of life. I don't just teach a skill set, I teach a mind-set. I thrive on seeing that change in people."
Style on 06/07/2015