Who Are the Best Nature Survival Experts to Follow?
The best nature survival experts to follow are Bear Grylls (global reach with 8+ million social followers), Les Stroud (authentic solo survival), Dave Canterbury (practical bushcraft education at Pathfinder School), Ray Mears (traditional bushcraft mastery), Ed Stafford (extreme endurance expeditions), Cody Lundin (primitive skills specialist), and Mykel Hawke (military survival background). Each brings unique expertise—from television entertainment to hands-on instruction—making your choice dependent on whether you want inspiration, practical skills, or technical knowledge.
Why Following Survival Experts Matters
Learning from experienced survival professionals can literally save your life. These individuals have spent decades mastering skills that most people will never need—until they suddenly do. A wrong turn on a hiking trail, an unexpected weather change, or a vehicle breakdown in a remote area can transform a casual outdoor adventure into a survival situation within minutes.
The difference between someone who’s watched a few YouTube videos and someone who’s studied under genuine experts becomes apparent when things go wrong. Real survival knowledge builds confidence, reduces panic, and provides practical solutions when you’re facing genuine danger.
The Global Television Personalities
Bear Grylls: The Adventure Showman
Bear Grylls stands as probably the most recognized survival personality worldwide. With over 8 million Instagram followers and 12 million Facebook fans, his reach extends far beyond typical survival instruction. His background includes serving in the British Special Air Service (SAS) and becoming one of the youngest people to summit Mount Everest at age 23.
His show “Man vs. Wild” (known as “Born Survivor” in the UK) ran from 2006 to 2011 and established him as a household name. What sets Grylls apart is his willingness to demonstrate extreme survival techniques—drinking his own urine, eating insects, and rappelling down waterfalls. While critics point out that his camera crew is always nearby and some situations are staged for entertainment, his influence on popularizing outdoor survival cannot be dismissed.
Grylls has authored multiple bestselling books and serves as Chief Scout in the UK and Chief Ambassador to World Scouting. His recent shows include “Running Wild” where celebrities join him in wilderness settings, and “Celebrity Bear Hunt” featuring Hollywood stars navigating survival challenges.
Why follow him: If you want inspiration and entertainment mixed with survival concepts, Bear brings energy and enthusiasm that makes the outdoors feel accessible. His charisma has introduced millions to survival thinking, even if his methods are sometimes more theatrical than practical.
Where to find him: Instagram @beargrylls, his official website for BecomingX educational platform, and Discovery Channel programming.
Les Stroud: The Purist’s Choice
Les Stroud, the Canadian filmmaker behind “Survivorman,” represents the opposite end of the spectrum from Bear Grylls. Stroud’s defining characteristic is authenticity—he films himself, carries his own camera equipment, and truly survives alone for 7-10 days in each location without any support crew.
Before television fame, Stroud worked as a wilderness guide for Black Feather Wilderness Adventures in Northern Ontario. He learned from respected instructors including David Arama and John “Prairie Wolf” McPherson. His musical background (he attended Fanshawe College’s Music Industry Arts program) adds an unexpected dimension to his work, as he composes music and plays harmonica during his survival experiences.
Stroud’s approach emphasizes realistic survival situations. He doesn’t manufacture drama or eat exotic things for shock value. Instead, he shows viewers the mental challenge of isolation, the difficulty of starting fires in wet conditions, and the constant problem-solving required to meet basic needs. His shows demonstrate that survival is often boring, exhausting, and mentally draining—not the adrenaline rush portrayed in other programs.
Named Chief Scout by Scouts Canada in 2021, Stroud continues producing content through his PBS series “Wild Harvest,” where he forages ingredients for chef Paul Rogalski. His social media presence includes about 102,000 Instagram followers and 86,300 on Twitter, with a YouTube channel featuring his survival experiences.
Why follow him: For genuine solo survival knowledge without Hollywood embellishment, Stroud provides the most accurate representation of what being alone in the wilderness actually involves. His methodical approach teaches problem-solving over entertainment.
Where to find him: His official website lesstroud.ca, YouTube channel “Survivorman – Les Stroud” (904,000 subscribers), and social media @reallesstroud.
The Hands-On Instructors
Dave Canterbury: The Methodical Teacher
Dave Canterbury runs The Pathfinder School in Jackson, Ohio, which USA Today named one of the top 12 survival schools in the United States. With over 25 years of combined military and civilian experience, Canterbury has developed a systematic approach to survival education.
His most significant contribution to survival thinking is the “5 C’s of Survivability”: cutting tool, combustion device, cover, container, and cordage. This framework gives beginners a practical starting point for assembling survival gear. He later expanded this to the “10 C’s” by adding the 5 C’s of Sustainability.
Canterbury gained television exposure as co-host of Discovery Channel’s “Dual Survival” alongside Cody Lundin for two seasons (2010-2011), though he left the show amid controversy about embellished military credentials. Despite this setback, his teaching methodology and school have continued to thrive. The Pathfinder School offers numerous courses from basic survival to advanced bushcraft, maintaining over 1,500 students worldwide including West Virginia EMS, Michigan DNR Law Enforcement, and United States Military personnel.
His YouTube channel has grown to over 387,000 subscribers, and he’s authored several New York Times bestselling books including “Bushcraft 101,” “Advanced Bushcraft,” and “The Bushcraft Guide to Trapping, Gathering and Cooking in the Wild.”
Why follow him: Canterbury excels at breaking down complex skills into understandable components. His systematic approach makes learning survival skills less overwhelming, and the Pathfinder School provides legitimate certification for those seeking formal training.
Where to find him: SelfRelianceOutfitters.com (his gear and school website), YouTube channel “The Pathfinder School,” and Instagram @pathfindersurvival (257,000 followers).
Ray Mears: The Bushcraft Pioneer
British woodsman Ray Mears founded Woodlore, the UK’s first School of Wilderness Bushcraft, in 1983. Now in his 40th year teaching bushcraft, Mears represents traditional knowledge passed down through generations, combined with modern understanding of ecology and conservation.
Mears’ approach centers on respect for nature and indigenous peoples’ wisdom. His television programs—including “Ray Mears’ Bushcraft,” “Extreme Survival,” and “Wild Britain”—showcase survival techniques used by aboriginal cultures worldwide. He’s studied with indigenous groups from the Sami people in Scandinavia to the Maasai in Africa, learning their time-tested methods for thriving in challenging environments.
Unlike survival experts who focus on crisis situations, Mears emphasizes bushcraft—the skills needed to live comfortably in nature long-term. His philosophy teaches working with nature rather than fighting against it. This includes identifying edible plants, reading animal tracks, building lasting shelters, and understanding seasonal changes.
Woodlore continues offering courses ranging from fundamental bushcraft to specialized expeditions in locations including the Amazon, Arctic, and Australian outback. Mears has also established Ray Mears Bushcraft, a company selling field-tested equipment developed through decades of wilderness experience.
Why follow him: For those interested in traditional woodcraft and sustainable wilderness living rather than emergency survival, Mears provides unmatched depth of knowledge. His calm demeanor and educational approach make complex skills accessible.
Where to find him: RayMears.com (Woodlore School and equipment), various BBC television programs available on streaming platforms, and his blog featuring bushcraft tips and course information.
The Extreme Endurance Specialists
Ed Stafford: The Record Breaker
Ed Stafford holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person to walk the entire length of the Amazon River—a 860-day journey covering approximately 4,000 miles from 2008 to 2010. This accomplishment established him as one of the world’s premier extreme survival adventurers.
Stafford’s background includes officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and service in the British Army’s Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. His military training combined with his geography degree from Newcastle University provided the foundation for his exploration career.
His Discovery Channel series showcase progressively more difficult challenges. “Naked and Marooned” documented 60 days alone on an uninhabited Fijian island without any equipment, clothes, or food. “Marooned with Ed Stafford” continued this theme of complete isolation in hostile environments. His competitive series “First Man Out” pits him against other elite survivalists in races through dangerous terrain.
What distinguishes Stafford from entertainment-focused survival shows is his legitimate accomplishments. Walking the Amazon wasn’t a television production—it was a real expedition that required him to crowdfund halfway through when he ran out of money. He faced genuine dangers including being held at gunpoint, threatened with bow and arrow, and arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling and murder (the latter when he coincidentally arrived in a settlement the same day a person went missing).
Stafford now lives in Costa Rica with his family and continues producing survival content while also offering immersive jungle survival experiences in the Brazilian rainforest where participants learn directly from him.
Why follow him: If you’re inspired by pushing human limits and genuine adventure rather than survival instruction, Stafford represents the extreme end of what’s possible. His experiences demonstrate the mental toughness required for long-term wilderness survival.
Where to find him: Discovery Channel programs, his books including “Walking the Amazon” and “Epic Expeditions,” and social media where he shares current projects and adventures.
Cody Lundin: The Primitive Skills Master
Cody Lundin stands out in the survival community for his commitment to primitive living techniques and his unconventional lifestyle. He spent two years living in a brush shelter in the woods to develop his skills, and he walks barefoot year-round—even in snow—to maintain sensory connection with his environment.
Lundin founded the Aboriginal Living Skills School in Arizona, where he’s taught wilderness survival, primitive living methods, urban preparedness, and homesteading for nearly 30 years. His expertise focuses on skills humans used before modern technology, making his knowledge valuable for understanding how indigenous peoples survived for millennia.
He gained wider recognition as co-host of “Dual Survival” alongside Dave Canterbury and later Joe Teti. His bright clothing and barefoot approach contrasted sharply with Canterbury’s military-style preparation, creating compelling television while demonstrating that multiple valid approaches exist for wilderness survival.
Lundin authored two books: “98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive” (focused on thermoregulation as the key survival priority) and “When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes.” His teaching emphasizes that survival is primarily about maintaining core body temperature, followed by securing water and shelter.
Why follow him: Lundin offers perspectives on primitive skills and long-term wilderness living that most modern survival instructors don’t emphasize. His understanding of indigenous techniques provides historical context for survival methods.
Where to find him: His Aboriginal Living Skills School website, books available through major retailers, and occasional appearances in survival programming and documentaries.
The Military Background Experts
Mykel Hawke: The Green Beret Instructor
Mykel Hawke brings decades of military Special Forces experience to survival instruction. As a former U.S. Army Green Beret, he received elite training in hostile environment survival, escape and evasion tactics, and operating in extreme conditions.
Hawke gained television recognition through “Man, Woman, Wild” on Discovery Channel, where he traveled with his wife Ruth England (a television journalist) to remote locations. The show’s unique dynamic came from Hawke teaching survival skills to someone without previous experience, creating relatable content for viewers who aren’t survival experts themselves.
His subsequent series included “One Man Army” and “Lost Survivors,” each showcasing different aspects of survival and special operations skills. Hawke’s teaching draws heavily from military survival doctrine, emphasizing preparation, mental toughness, and systematic approaches to problems.
Beyond television, Hawke has authored books including “Mykel Hawke’s Green Beret Survival Manual: Essential Strategies for Shelter and Water, Food and Fire, Tools and Medicine, Navigation and Signaling, Survival Psychology and Getting Out Alive!” His writing and teaching integrate military experience with practical civilian applications.
Why follow him: Military survival training differs from recreational bushcraft, focusing on escape, evasion, and surviving hostile environments. Hawke’s Special Forces background provides perspectives on urban survival, tactical situations, and extreme stress management that civilian instructors typically can’t offer.
Where to find him: His books, past television programs available on streaming services, and occasional survival instruction through various platforms.
EJ Snyder: The Decorated Combat Veteran
EJ Snyder (“Skullcrusher”) served 25 years in the U.S. Army, including Ranger positions within Infantry and Airborne units. He saw combat in the 1991 Gulf War and completed a 15-month tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His extensive military background provides deep expertise in survival under hostile conditions.
Snyder has appeared on numerous survival television programs including “Naked and Afraid,” “Naked and Afraid XL,” “Dual Survival,” and “Ed Stafford: First Man Out.” His repeated appearances across different survival shows demonstrate his genuine capabilities beyond a single series.
What sets Snyder apart is his approach to survival as a mindset rather than just skills. He emphasizes confidence, quick decision-making, and mental resilience over slow, methodical planning. In urgent survival situations, his military training in rapid assessment and action provides advantages over more contemplative approaches.
Why follow him: For learning survival mindset and decision-making under pressure, Snyder’s combat experience and aggressive survival approach differ from civilian instructors’ methodologies. His emphasis on confidence and rapid action complements the careful planning taught by others.
Where to find him: Various survival television programs, social media presence, and occasional survival instruction opportunities.
The Specialized Knowledge Holders
Nicole Apelian: The Ethnobotany Expert
Dr. Nicole Apelian brings unique expertise as an ethnobotanist and survival instructor with deep knowledge of wild plants and natural medicines. She appeared on History Channel’s “Alone” (Season 2 and Season 5), surviving 57 days by herself in the wilderness during Season 2.
Apelian’s specialization in edible and medicinal plants addresses a critical survival skill that many experts overlook. While most survival instruction focuses on shelter, fire, and water, Apelian teaches how to identify safe foods and create natural remedies—skills that become essential during long-term survival situations.
Despite living with multiple sclerosis, she maintains an active outdoor lifestyle and continues teaching survival skills in Washington state. Her experience with using natural remedies to manage her own health condition adds practical credibility to her plant knowledge.
She co-authored “The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies” and appeared in the film “Leave No Trace,” bringing plant knowledge to broader audiences. Her work bridges traditional indigenous plant use with modern understanding of ethnobotany.
Why follow her: Plant identification and use represent survival knowledge that can sustain life long-term. Apelian’s expertise fills a gap that many survival instructors acknowledge but don’t deeply understand.
Where to find her: “Alone” episodes on History Channel, her books on herbal remedies, and occasional speaking engagements and courses focused on wild plant use.
How to Choose Your Survival Expert
Your choice of survival expert depends entirely on what you want to learn and your current skill level:
For Entertainment and Inspiration: Bear Grylls provides high-energy content that makes wilderness survival exciting. His shows motivate people to get outdoors even if techniques are sometimes impractical.
For Authentic Solo Survival: Les Stroud demonstrates genuine solo survival without camera crews or support teams. His content shows realistic challenges and mental aspects of isolation.
For Practical Skill Building: Dave Canterbury’s systematic teaching at The Pathfinder School provides structured learning paths from basic to advanced skills with legitimate certification.
For Traditional Bushcraft: Ray Mears emphasizes sustainable wilderness living, indigenous techniques, and working harmoniously with nature rather than fighting it.
For Extreme Challenges: Ed Stafford pushes human endurance limits and demonstrates mental toughness required for long-term wilderness survival in the harshest environments.
For Primitive Techniques: Cody Lundin teaches pre-technological survival methods and long-term primitive living skills based on indigenous peoples’ knowledge.
For Military Survival: Mykel Hawke and EJ Snyder provide tactical survival, hostile environment training, and military survival doctrine unavailable from civilian instructors.
For Plant Knowledge: Nicole Apelian specializes in ethnobotany and wild edible/medicinal plants, covering critical knowledge that sustains long-term survival.
The Value of Multiple Perspectives
The survival community often debates which expert is “best,” but this misses the point. Each expert brings different strengths, backgrounds, and teaching styles. Someone learning survival skills benefits from following multiple experts to gain diverse perspectives.
Bear Grylls might inspire you to start learning survival skills. Les Stroud could show you what solo survival actually requires. Dave Canterbury’s systematic approach helps organize your learning. Ray Mears deepens your understanding of nature. Ed Stafford demonstrates extreme possibilities. And specialists like Nicole Apelian fill knowledge gaps about plants.
The common thread among legitimate survival experts is substantial field experience. They’ve spent thousands of hours in wilderness conditions, made mistakes, refined techniques, and developed knowledge through practice rather than just reading books. This “dirt time”—as many instructors call it—separates genuine experts from people who’ve merely watched videos or read survival manuals.
Where These Experts Agree
Despite different teaching styles and specializations, successful survival experts share fundamental principles:
Mental Attitude Matters Most: Panic kills faster than lack of knowledge. Staying calm, thinking clearly, and maintaining hope determines survival more than any particular skill.
Prioritize Threats Systematically: The rule of threes guides survival priorities—you can survive three minutes without air, three hours without shelter in harsh conditions, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Address immediate threats first.
Practice Before Emergencies: Reading about survival and actually performing skills under stress are completely different. Regular practice builds muscle memory and confidence.
Respect Nature: The wilderness isn’t malicious, but it’s indifferent to human survival. Understanding natural processes and working with environmental conditions leads to better outcomes than fighting nature.
Local Knowledge Trumps General Rules: Techniques that work in deserts fail in jungles. Climate, available resources, and local hazards dictate which skills matter most in each environment.
Simple Often Beats Complex: Elaborate survival gadgets and complicated techniques sound impressive but frequently fail under real conditions. Simple, reliable methods using readily available materials work more consistently.
Beyond Television and Social Media
While television personalities dominate survival expert discussions, numerous instructors operate survival schools without celebrity status. Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School in New Jersey, Sigma 3 Survival School, BOSS (Boulder Outdoor Survival School), and many others provide excellent instruction without television fame.
These schools often offer more thorough training than can be shown on television. Multi-day immersive courses, systematic skill progression, and hands-on practice under instructor supervision develop competence that watching videos cannot replicate.
Many successful survival instructors deliberately avoid television to focus on teaching rather than entertainment. They view survival as serious education rather than dramatic television content, prioritizing student learning over viewer ratings.
The Evolution of Survival Expertise
Survival instruction has transformed dramatically over the past two decades. Before shows like “Survivorman” and “Man vs. Wild,” survival knowledge remained largely within military training, Scout programs, and specialized outdoor education.
Television brought survival skills to mainstream audiences, inspiring millions to learn outdoor competencies. This popularization has both benefits and drawbacks. More people now understand basic survival principles, but entertainment requirements sometimes compromise instructional quality.
Social media has further democratized survival knowledge. YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, and TikTok videos make survival instruction accessible to anyone with internet access. However, this accessibility also means unqualified individuals can present themselves as experts, making it harder to identify legitimate instruction.
The best survival experts maintain standards despite entertainment pressures and social media trends. They acknowledge when they don’t know something, admit mistakes, and continue learning throughout their careers. This intellectual honesty distinguishes genuine experts from people performing survival theater.
Making Survival Skills Relevant Today
Modern life rarely requires survival skills, leading some to question their relevance. Yet unexpected situations still occur—hikers get lost, vehicles break down in remote areas, natural disasters strike, and emergencies happen despite careful planning.
Beyond emergency preparation, survival skills provide deeper benefits. They build self-reliance and confidence. They connect people with nature in meaningful ways. They teach problem-solving and resource management. They reduce fear of the outdoors and encourage exploration.
Following survival experts and learning their techniques transforms how you experience nature. A forest becomes a resource library rather than a hostile environment. You notice details others miss—edible plants, animal signs, weather changes, natural shelter possibilities. This awareness enriches outdoor experiences whether or not you ever face survival situations.
Taking the Next Step
After identifying survival experts whose approaches resonate with you, move beyond passive consumption of their content. Take courses if possible—hands-on instruction with immediate feedback accelerates learning beyond what videos and books can provide.
Practice skills regularly in controlled environments before you need them. Start fires using various methods. Build shelters. Identify local edible plants with expert verification. Practice navigation without GPS. These activities develop confidence and competence.
Join local outdoor and survival groups where experienced practitioners share knowledge. Many communities have bushcraft clubs, wilderness skills meetups, or survival training groups where you can learn collaboratively.
Remember that survival skills exist on a continuum from basic awareness to expert-level mastery. You don’t need elite Special Forces training to benefit from learning survival fundamentals. Even basic knowledge significantly improves your chances of handling unexpected outdoor challenges successfully.
The best nature survival experts to follow are those whose teaching style matches your learning preferences and whose expertise aligns with your goals. Start with one or two experts, learn their approaches, practice their techniques, and gradually expand your knowledge by exploring other experts’ perspectives. This measured approach builds genuine competence rather than superficial familiarity with survival concepts.
Whether you’re drawn to Bear Grylls’ energy, Les Stroud’s authenticity, Dave Canterbury’s methodical teaching, Ray Mears’ bushcraft mastery, Ed Stafford’s extreme challenges, or specialists in particular survival domains, each expert offers valuable knowledge for anyone serious about outdoor skills and wilderness preparedness.
