RichWalk

Just a quick reaction based question...... of the 2 whose lifestyle would you have/ choose??

For me Ray Mears wins hands down, he has that scarcely seen quality known as empathy.

Cold Turkey

Mears for me....saw his recent treks through the Amazon jungle in Venezuela - fantastic! As soon as I've learnt Spanish I'll be selling up and moving to South America (although not to live in the jungle!)

Iwan

Deffo Ray Mears, and i have no idea who the other bloke is. I can't think of a more fun or idyllic job/lifestyle than wot Rays got.

King RA

Abramovich, no question. I'll just buy a jungle and have it put in my lounge. Then I'll drive around it in my golf cart

Brendan Hughes

Having lived in Russia for a couple of years in the late 90s, I think you'll find Abramovich has just as successful survival skills as Mears. Just a different kind of jungle, that's all.

I'd choose Mears', as I'm not interested in oil or football

RichWalk

Very astute analogy Brendan

Gutmann pug

The trouble with Ray mears is he dont look the part.

Watching Ray mears his idea of roughing it in the Amazon was to stick a tarpaulin roof over his hammock. Having recently returned from 3 weeks in the amazon I now know he's a wimp. Woven roofs from palm leaves are the way forward.

What did he do prior to what he does now anyway???

RichWalk

AFAIK, a lot of his work is classified and involves survival training of various special forces units.

Gutmann pug

Interesting TV but he looks like a bit of a pie eater to me. Doesnt strike me as the hardy outdoor eating slugs and snails to stay alive type. Just my opinion and as they say opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one

Brendan Hughes

Rich, when I read the papers any half-successful businessman was either cowed by thugs or assassinated, at the rate of one or two a week. Hitmen cost about 2000 bucks, and they were scarily effective. They would also be never discovered, as the police were hopelessly underfunded, and frankly anyone involved could be bought. A large number of Abramovich's oligarch compatriots of the time are now in jail or under threat of it while in exile. To say he's doing well still to be alive is an understatement. Mears, at least when filming, doesn't have that threat.

Mind, I heard recently that someone went for a pee at a Euro 2004 match and found themselves queueing up next to the Chealsea owner for the loo, so he retains some sort of humanity then...

RichWalk

Nice ultra-capitalist slant developing here, interesting that my initial compare/ contrast stance was based on a super weathly tycoon who can literally buy anything vs a man who worships the 'old-world' and its dying traditions and cultures......to bend the comparison to survial skills is very indicative of our current culture.

Regacy

Mears for me he's a hero.
Although I do have a nagging doubt that he's a bit of a pedant, certainly comes across that way in his book, and he is inclined to be just a touch patronising which, after a fortnight of eating bark and bugs in the jungle, might put his bloaty pie eating body at the top of your emergency ration pack list?
Still at least he could help you light the fire, show you what sort of tree to use to make a spit and talk you through what knot would be most effective when you were lashing him to it!
R