Survivorman | Pilot Episode | High Rez Version | Summer | Les Stroud 

What an amazing treat this is! The film quality is fantastic. Les, you started it all. I’d say the survival and bushcraft “industry” owes a whole lot to this humble pilot episode. Thank you for sharing with us.

Les was still in my opinion the best survival show on discovery by far

Les is a legend for putting his whole show on RU-vid for free 👌🏻🙌🏻

Seeing how many people copy Les, even down to the things like music style in the show and video editing, makes me realize he was bringing us the information we needed before anyone else even thought to. 23 years on, I’m still watching your videos Les. Drop a like on his videos peeps

I remember as a kid, being 8 years old back in 2005 watching this show. Throughout my younger years, turning on Discovery channel and seeing Les for hours on end. And now 17 years later, it's like seeing an old friend. Les has taught me a lot about nature, and survival. Hands down one of the best shows of all time!

By far the best survival show ever made. The simple fact that he left his failed attempts at things in the shot made it stand out as a superior show

I'm beyond pumped. I loved the show as a kid and still binge on it. Watching this show confirmed my identity as and outdoorsman. Thanks Les for making snowdays the best days. We would watch episodes and go out in the woods and pretend to be survivor man till way after dark lol and boy our mothers sure didn't mind the peace and quiet. Fun times.

This show changed my life. I just got home from a bad kid camp in Idaho learning to survive in the wilderness when this episode came out. To this day, I'm a huge fan of hiking, camping and surviving. I can make fire several different ways, build shelters and all sorts of stuff. Cheers, Les. You're a legend

My god, this show was life shaping for me when I was a kid. All my scout leaders loved this show for the reality of survival and Les' ability to admit mistakes, like cutting his hand in the jungle when cutting a vine. Even today, I always rewatch the whole series at least once a year

Sweet! Im game. So glad to be able to go back and watch these episodes anytime and anywhere I want. Was hiking with some friends a few weeks ago and we had cell signal in the area. Watched 2-3 episodes hanging in my hammock in the rain. It was definitely not a Les Stroud shelter LOL... but I did manage to make a fire bow earlier that day. Getting it to actually work...well that's another story.

I grew up on this show and I couldn’t wait to get home after school and put on survivorman. This is what got me to love the outdoors. Thank you Les for making this show happen and no other survivor show even comes close.

I confess… I scroll comments to see what Les replies to, and find him answering real questions as generously as he gives survival advice. Good man.

I can't even tell any of you how many times I have watched every episode of everything Les has done up to and including Wild Harvest. It's funny. You can walk away from these episodes, even after watching them multiple times, and take away something new on occasion. Even one tiny tidbit of information or knowledge you missed on other occasions is worth it's weight in gold. Nobody teaches like Les. And since David Holladay is in the world, THAT'S saying something.

The Canadian Tire money in the wallet always kills me. haha

One thing Ill never forget if I'm ever in a survival situation is something Les has said in most of his episodes over the years "You get wet, you die"

Les Stroud will go down as an absolute legend 💯💪

I remember watching your shows as a kid when my mum and dad let us watch TV. I was always amazed by how you could survive out in every environment with only a camera and maybe a few tools. It taught me that if something bad were to ever happen or if I was stuck in a situation like that, I'd know what to do and hope panic wouldn't catch me first, which me being a girl, it might, but hopefully I'd know what to do.

Les is a true survival expert going out alone in the wild ! The other guy was a clown !!!

I was hoping they would get these uprezed, it blew my mind how good it makes these old cameras look so good.

It would be so cool to see him do this episode again. Do it in the same general area. But then use all the knowledge and experience he has since then learned.

Thanks for the post and thanks for being the person that got me into the outdoors. Learned alot and still watching 20 yrs later .

The knowledge learned from watching these shows as a kid literally saved the lives of my family, friends, and I on one occasion, and myself and uncle many times. Thank you Les 🙏🏻🙌🏻💪🏻

Now we see where the "smoke is the sign to keep spinning" lesson came from.

Les is MORE He is the man the original the true godfather of all survival videos ,,,he keeps it real and is not sleeping in a hotel after filming 😂🤣😂🤣 like some others that we ALL know Les you ROCK 👍👍

Aside from reading my side of the mountain as a kid, this show got me into researching survival from a young age. I live in a small town where hunting and fishing are the norm but this show made me realize there is so much more to survival than food procurement.

I played the first 3 seasons on loop back in the day...The first show I ever binged...Couldn't afford cable back then and coming off a divorce, I didn't have much more than a tv and those 3 dvd's...They helped keep my sanity...Recently re-bought those first 3 seasons...Can still quote nearly every word of those episodes lol.

When you go back in time to see Les with SOME hair😳🤪🤣😅🥹

His determination is of the charts. Legand 👌😳

Les, The OG of survival. I was a young kid, 7/8 - had just read “Hatchet “ loved the outdoors. Survivorman was by far my favorite thing on TV from the second it aired . I made sure my dad recorded every single episode on the DVR - he loved watching it too. Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into this ongoing project ! Awesome stuff, always will be.

Crazy to think I was barely 10 years old when you filmed this, and I'm still here watching on youtube 20 years later :D thanks for all you share, Les

I'm completely obsessed with Survivorman.

Survivorman has been my hero since I was 16 years old. My biggest regret was not entering that bring a fan along episode. Les- if you can see this. You’ve been my hero my whole life. Thank you.

Wow....time flies....20 years have passed already!!! Ive been watching since the beginning and will probably keep watching for as long as its around!!!

Les was the only person actually out surviving in the wilderness alone

My daughter and I went to the national forest near our house this weekend, since it finally cooled off a bit, to play "Survivorman"! My daughter is 10 and we have been watching Mr. Les for the last 5 years together. I bought 'em all on amazon and we watch them over and again. Thank you , Mr. Stroud, for all the awesomeness! PS She started the fire all by herself with a flint striker!

The original survivor show showing real survival using common items found on that adventure..no telling how many people Les has saved from a ghastly experience

11 Hours! Mad respect for having the patience and willpower to get that fire going. I would have been frustrated 30 minutes in lol. Always glad to see a new week of survival I haven't seen before.

Loved this show back then and still do. Just watched a doc on the Donner party. They could have used some serious survival skills. Poor souls indeed. Oh, Happy New Year all!!

I don't get tired of re watching this stuff!

look at that hair!!! Love you Les!! Been watching for over 15yrs

Wow, it’s been twenty years?! Impressive, Les… thanks for the peek at the beginning!

There will never be anther show like this. Les brought something to this show nobody else has. I spent part of my original honeymoon watching the new survivalman. It was the one where he was in the swamp and ate that turtle and got a parasite I do belive.

He is the guy that started all. All of the survival shows and all those Life Below Zero shows. Good for him.

I like this pilot even a little better than the later one. The bow drill attempt was really legit. You can see the frustration and you know the guy is a survival instructor! Not a walk in the park. (If you're not Les, bring a Bic or at least some paracord!) This show taught people how tough wilderness survival really is after years of fantasy TV. And Les's humble, honest attitude makes it great to come back to again and again.

When you realize that Les is literally completely ALONE out there, it just blows your mind! Unlike other supposed survivalists, Les has no film crew, no one to save him, doctor him or fly him out in an emergency. He does phenomenal video work and he works hard to get those shots that make the show as cool as it is.. He has to set his camara up to get the shots of himself walking away and doing his thing and then hike all the way back and retrieve that camera and do it all over again and again.. Just incredible work Les! You are my hero to this day! Thank you for all the hard work you've done.. surviving everywhere and for being the humble, top notch *world class* videographer you are!! ❤️💯📽️👀🙆‍♀️ PS: *Men* like you are a dying breed. Today, us girls are surrounded by 'males'? in skinny jeans who wear nail polish. 🤦‍♀️😖😭 PPS: Such a blessing that Les never ended up in one of David Paulides Missing 411 books!! Wheew! 🤯😳 Praise Jesus! 🙏

Not only was it be the beginning of Survivorman. This was the beginning of the survival genre. Les is a true trailblazer in that sense

This was the beginning of an era.

This video created a still thriving, billion dollar industry. Most of all..... les educated us.

Mr Stroud I am so happy that you made your own channel and got away from corporate editing so you can show us what you really think that we need to know. Because chances are that is exactly what we really need to know

Great! Hope to see more re-uploads with highest possible resolution and original aspect ratio

"I'd like to thank the academy, cedar, poplar, birch bark and spanish moss" Mate, that cracked me up. I even felt the elation after seeing the fire finally catch.

This was the only real survival show ever shown on TV you inspired millions to push themselves les thank you

Oh snap! Les is droppin bombs on the last day of the year! Always a great watch, thanks!

You taught me more than I can ever explain. Stay gold!

For all the kids without father figures in their lives, Les has really helped a lot of guys get out into nature.

8/31/2023 As everyone else, I can't say enough good things about Les Stroud. He truly is "The Survivor Man" Something I take away from this video ( which Les didn't address) is the importance of always having the "5 C's of survival ON YOUR PERSON whenever you go into any trip into wild and remote places. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but when Les made his survivor videos, he was showing us all just how bad it can be without minimum gear, EVEN ON A DAY HIKE. OK the gear is important, but the skill and knowledge Les demonstrates is also vastly important. Every word he spoke can be a key to whether someone lives or dies in a survival situation. I know he stopped doing these videos years ago, but it sure be nice to see some new ones. ;-)

3 generations at my house love this show. We used Survivorman to do mountaineering classes for my mom's 30+ grandkids so they'd be smart while attending our yearly reunions in the Utah Mountains. Kept them all safe and was very fun.

The closing remarks in this episode still gives me goosebumps and I love it!! Can I survive the way my ancestors did? I can, we all can!!! Of course it makes perfect sense that Les sidelines as a motivational speaker!!

He started what we know as survival shows. And no bear isn't one.

As a good friend of mine once commented "Anyone who says where there's smoke there's fire has never attempted friction fire.." I can appreciate the amount of work that took.

This man is the reason I do what I do today, watched every episode over and over learning as a kid! Thankyou les!

Holy Crap. How ballsy. Thank you Les. It's a wealth of knowledge you've shared over the years.

Sweet ! Wow 20 years , it doesn't feel that long ago.

I love the casual “take it easy” from the plane crew before leaving you there, like they were just dropping you off at a grocery store and not in the middle of the wilderness with no supplies or help from anyone else lmao

Such an inspiration! Talent beyond belief when it comes to survival AND being a musician!!

I remember when season 1 first aired, It was at a really good point in my life. Re watching these brings me fond memories. Thanks Les

The master at work where it all started.

I love right off the bat you coined the term man vs wild in the first minute or so of the video, which that other guy used for his interesting fiction of a show lol. You truly were THE pioneer and I thank you for everything you have done!

Les is a survival genius. 5 star survival research documentary content.

Groundbreaking television with very ambitious film making methods! Great upload.

This is actually the ONLY Survivorman episode I’ve not yet watched.

"Survival will always be a universal concern". Love this quote of his

God I wish these videos and your channel have more views and subs. I was completely enamored with your show growing up. I really appreciated your realistic approach and advice. Your videos evoke the feeling of reading my favorite childhood book series, the first of which was titled the hatchet. I've never attempted to challenge myself by spending anytime out in bush country without safety nets, but I have attempted to practice skills you demonstrated. It's tough, and I am humbled. Your videos were also a welcome escape on deployment (thanks youtube premium for letting me download tons of videos) when I wanted to forget I was surrounded by endless metal. Hope you keep up this fantastic journey. I'll be watching.

Loved your humor in this. I take it the network was not a fan. It adds the human aspect as well humility. 10.5 hrs to start a fire points out that even the skilled have real challenges to overcome. Thanks Les.

Still remember waiting for hours to watch Survivorman in Discovery when i was a kid, Les is the GOAT

You are still the best survival show on the discovery Channel, just keep up with the videos that you are doing.

I think the thing I learned the most out of this episode is how AWESOME the saw is on a Swiss Army knife. I have one just like it and I've taken mine for granted. That little saw did a ton of work there. I know that Swiss Army Knives have a decent reputation but this video took it to another level. The one I have also has a little magnifying glass as one of the tools. I've never tried to start a fire with it but now I want to give it a try. It's fun to see how far less has come from the humble beginnings of the 1st episode. It doesn't seem that long ago but time flies. Thanks for allowing us to see your journey Les! I've learned a lot from all your adventures!

I've seen every episode of nearly every thing Les has made and I have NEVER seen this pilot what a treat. Thank you for posting it!

Where it all began...

Very amazing to hear all the people les influenced into the outdoors. A true "influencer". Character is everything, and this guys got it. Congratulations on your success.

Les Stroud before he admitted that he was balding and shaved his head, before he told us that drinking our own piss was a bad idea, before he became an icon and an archetype for 1000 cable shows. Les Stroud is the original bushwhacker, barely grills couldn't hold his firestick! I watch about 6 camping and bush crafting channels on YT and Les still holds up as the best. How about a colab with Greg Ovens, ya'll are both Canadiens

Love love love this show. No filler, all professional survival skills with Les the man.

The perseverance needed to spend 10.5 hours attempting to start a bow drill fire, not to mention the physical exertion needed was truly amazing. All of that with nothing or next to nothing to eat for days.

That fire making scene was so intense. 10.5 hours of mind numbing, body jarring friction &… IGNITE. Amazing.

When I started watching les, I thought finally, a show that actually teaches actual survival, a show that could actually help in a real survival Situation, not some show geared for entertainment giving horrible advice that could get you killed

Director's Commentary for this episode ? please? can't wait for more of them

21 years later he’s still the best and real survival instructor!

Les got me into long backpacking trips in the middle of nothing and survival skills. Appreciate this a lot.

thanks for all the memories. This series has kept me company over the years, inspired me, and gave me and my dad some of our best conversations. Happy New Year, Les Stroud

A big thank you to Les for uploading the high-res versions of these two proof-of-concept pilot episodes ! :-) I enjoyed watching the low-res version of the duo already a year ago, and I really wasn't expecting we'd be getting a high-res version as well. :-) Thanks, Les !

Love it when he plays the harp.

Crazy this was 2001, my grandmother loved watching your show so i grew up on it aswell. Always find myself coming back and watching as many as i can even the episodes i've seen.

Les opened up a whole new genre for television, some good, some bad. Mad respect Les, really appreciate you putting these up on RU-vid so I can enjoy them again.

Thank you for bringing reality to our televisions Les!

I’d like to take the opportunity to thank you Les for your sharing your wisdom and knowledge through the years you are a natural bush master and a big inspiration Thank you sir

I love survivor shows. Survivor man is still one of my favorite to binge so many years later.

A very interesting concept you could do is to critique your own methods of your earlier season. You have gained so much knowledge over the years and it could be an awesome learning journey for us viewers. I would rewatch every episode with extra commentary from you in the background. I feel like you have a different view of survival in the wilds now versus season 1

I've learned so much from you Les. Helped give me my love for the outdoors back. You rock brother!

Been a hero since first airing on TV.

Where it all started... There is so much fluff and uselessness in entertainment now...this is what I call amazing