Episode list

Ray Mears looks at how the Inuit of Baffin Island survive in temperatures as low as -40C.

Ray meets the Aborigines who live in northern Australia in amazingly high temperatures and humidity.

Ray is dropped by helicopter on a nameless location, roughly 63N 96E, in the vast wasteland, to experience the nomadic way of life of Sasha's 'brigade' (tribal unit) of the native Ivenk (Ewenk) people. These people herd reindeer in the taiga, a calorie-poor semi-barren forest gripped by permafrost. He learns general ancient artisan-techniques like building fences by lightly assembling fresh-cut branches, slaughtering and processing reindeer, lasso-throwing and knot-tying, packing for their monthly camp-moving. Ray also admires specialist work, like sowing baskets from birch bark, tailor-boot-and-sock-making from fur and fishing with nets and rafts in icy water not fit to swim in.

Ray visits Savii, one of the rather isolated islands of Western Samoa, where the traditional Polynesian culture is preserved rather well. The staple food is fish, caught using various ingenious ways, but carefully avoiding over-fishing. Other traditional skills include fire-making, cooking and making and sailing lightweight canoes (from a single tree, using ropes instead of nails). They also build open 'fale' houses, which demonstrate their superior resistance in cyclone storms and that traditional know-how remains, which is proudly preserved and transferred from fathers to sons, under supervision of the strong chieftain system in a highly social system of solidarity.

Ray learns some more survival skills from the Jo'hansi bushmen of Namibia.

Ray travels to the island of Seram and meets the Nuaulu, a rainforest people who are historically headhunters.