Ask Me Anything: Creek Stewart, TV Survival Guru

When not hosting his show Fat Guys in the Woods (where he teaches MacGyver tricks to couch potatoes), Creek Stewart runs Willow Haven Outdoor, a survivalist school in Anderson, and chooses tools to include in the Apocabox, a subscription service. He’s currently filming the second season of his Weather Channel reality show.

Why pick on fat guys?
The name is a little outrageous. When I heard it, my gut reaction was, “Oh, great, another train-wreck survival show.” But it’s the opposite of that. It’s about guys who are at a point in their lives where they want to make a positive change.

You’ve been called the “Fabio of the forest.” Does your long hair serve a survival purpose?
I do use it to insulate my neck. If you can control the temperature of your neck in cold weather, you can pretty much control the temperature of your whole body.

What would be in a Snowpocabox?
A Mylar survival blanket, a metal canteen for gathering and boiling water, a disposable Bic lighter, and cotton balls and petroleum jelly for tinder.

Is it really not okay to eat the yellow snow?
It really isn’t. There’s a survival myth that you can drink your pee. But your pee is high in sodium, which will make you dehydrate faster.

Your slogan is “Remember, it’s not if, but when.” Do you really believe that?
I do. I got into this not because of aliens or zombies, but because of real disasters that happen on a regular basis.