The Wild Dispatch

In this episode Robin chats with Dug North about his experiences on the latest season of The Alone Show - the first time ever in Africa. (Final is live on History Channel this Thursday Aug 21st 2025). 

Dug is a person of a great many talents, blessed with laser focus and the wild enthusiasm it takes to become skilled at something very quickly. A creative and maker on many levels, and armed with a sharp sense of humor, it's easy to see why they invited him onto the show. In this episode Robin and Dug, discuss the nitty gritty of Alone in general, along with the particularly nuanced challenges that come with this season being in the hottest and driest location yet. We also cover a bunch of other topics including, Dug's past, Ancient skills , building traditional tools, Modifying modern tools, The political and global importance of water, the remarkable survival skills of ancient man, mental health, Pemmican and almost everything between.

A huge thank you to Dug North for sharing his time with us today!

Be sure to follow Dug on Instagram and YouTube... check out his website too.

Also thanks to Alone and The History Channel for giving me access to Dug and this season's imagery.

But that's not the only imagery we used, Kielyn from Episodes 33 and 39 happened to take the photo we're using for this episode's album cover.

Photo credit for the images is: ©️2025, A&E Television Networks, LLC photo: Rose Marie Cromwell

Photo credit for the key art is: ©️2025, A&E Television Networks

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Today we dive deep into the world of ancient culture with Tony Fair —A guy obsessed with figuring out how our ancestors managed to both scrape a living and create a bunch of rock art at the same time. In this episode, we explore the intricate connections between nature, history, and art as Tony shares his experiences of discovering ancient petroglyphs (plus the occasional mushroom) and the stories they tell. 

Growing up on the run from the law, It was Tony's unconventional childhood that fueled his fascination with ancient cultures and the art they produced. From the mysteries of solstice markers to the spiritual significance of the many ancient artworks he's witnessed, Robin and Tony connect both past and present through the timeless allure of the natural world.

A big thank you again to Tony for jumping on the podcast!

Give Tony a follow on Instagram as @guerilla_forager

Also check out the American Rock Art Research Association or your local community on social media for more info.

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Today We are traveling across the world and back in time to Namibia in the South West of Africa... 300 miles from the nearest grocery store, Lyn and Mike Methley raised their family while helping to build the first road through the area in the 1960’s. They lived side by side with the lions, impala, crocodiles and the enormous, but sadly extinct, desert elephants. Living close to the Northern border with Angola, they also had more than a few encounters with guerrilla fighters during a particularly turbulent time. This one’s got a bunch of bonkers stories folks so buckle up and never let off the accelerator.

A huge thank-you to Lyn and Mike for their time and stories today!

And thanks again to Callum from @kuduhunt for the introduction.

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Subscribe to this podcast so you're always up to date. Even better - share us with a friend who loves the outdoors.

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Back in Episode 11 Ejler shared some memories of farm life on the rural island of Bonholm, Denmark. One story that really struck a chord was the existence of a food called Head-cheese, a magical substance created from the boiled remains of whatever comes out of the head of a pig. Never one to turn down a challenge, Robin provided the head of a wild boar the very next chance he had to harvest one. In this Episode Robin and Ejler reminisce about the sequence of events that brought them to the mysterious flavors of Danish Wild-Boar head cheese. While eating this magical dish they also catch up over their recent adventures in South Africa and Northern California.

A huge thank you to Ejler for the great conversation - and for remembering his mother's old recipe.

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Today we are sitting down with writer and modern day explorer Riaan Manser. His adventurous journey began the day he decided to quit his job and go for a bike ride... around the entire continent of Africa. This was done without backup, and before personal gps and smartphones were in public circulation. Riaan has since become the holder of numerous world records: first to ride 42000km around Africa, first to lap the islands of Madagascar and Iceland in his kayak, and first to row from Morocco to New York in a 18ft row boat. All this to say having survived through landmines, multiple kidnappings, wild ocean storms, starvation and extreme dehydration — Riaan has a story or two to share with us today.

Once again a huge thankyou to Riaan for sharing his time with us!

Check out his books and adventures at Riaanmanser.com

And give him a follow on Instagram and Facebook!

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In this Episode Robin takes a seat with Monroe Robinson - author of 'The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke' to chat all things wilderness living in Alaska: The relentless nature of maintaining a homestead and your gear in such a harsh environment, building a greater connection with nature and the sometimes tragic consequences that come with it. 

A big thankyou again to Monroe for sharing his time today. You can hear more of Monroe's personal story in EP43.

You can also find Monroe's fantastic book - 'The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke' at Lost Art Press.

If you'd like to get hold of a signed copy, you can shoot an email to [email protected] with the title: The Handcrafted Life of Dick Proenneke.

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The fallow deer rut is an all-bows-blazing non-stop action-packed month that’s firmly marked in every South African bowhunter’s calendar. It’s a magical time that testosterone in the fallow population bubbles over and the thickets of the Eastern Cape descend into mating season mayhem. This episode we follow Robin from @thewilddispatch @williamdonian from Wellington Farms and Callum Methley from @kudu_hunt as he experiences the fallow rut for the very first time.

There are also many surprise appearances from previous guests on the podcast, see if you can pick them all out.

A big thanks again to everyone who contributed!

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An immensely talented bowhunter-spearfisherman from South Africa –Jandre has been honing his skills since the age of 5.

Wherever you're from, when it comes to sourcing protein, there’s an easy way, and there’s hard way… Then there’s Jandre’s way.

An anomaly in the South African hunting community, Jandre hikes many kilometers deep into the mountains to areas with no roads, and no backup. Although he’s harvested many African animals with his bow that would make a talented rifle-hunter blush, it’s the non-native fallow deer that gets Jandre properly fired up.

Robin managed to sit down with Jandre just a few days before the beginning of the fallow deer rut.

A big thank you again to Jandre for fitting us in before a three week mega-trip chasing giant croaking bucks in the mountains.

Give Jandre a follow on Instagram

Check out his YouTube too - lots of new content coming soon.

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Lama Nasser-Gammett and her husband Matthew are owners of The Forest People, and supply a large area of the Mendocino coast with cultivated mushrooms. 

Building their business from the ground up at a time when there was very little information available, they taught themselves exactly how to make mushrooms thrive in a controlled environment. Chefs and natural grocery stores appreciate their attention to details, knowing it’s the little things that make a great looking and better tasting mushroom.

In this episode Lama shares her story, along with many essential tips on how to cultivate delicious mushrooms for yourself too.

Thanks again Lama for the stories and wisdom today!

Be sure to give The Forest People a follow on Instagram and check out their website too!

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Subscribe to this podcast so you're always up to date. Even better - share us with a friend who loves the outdoors.

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