Ask Hawke
Frequently Asked Questions
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What kind of knives and clothing were used for Man, Woman, Wild Amazon?
Since so many of you have asked about the knives and clothing used in the episodes, I will be posting those details after each new episode airs in the new BLOG. Due to the huge volume of e-mail, unfortunately it's just not possible to respond to each individually, so hopefully this will be a way to pass along that information to those who want to know.
Why doesn't Hawke use his knife, the Hellion, on the Discovery series?
While the Hellion has performed brilliantly in the field and received outstanding reviews, for legal reasons he was only permitted to use his knife on one episode.
What kind of diet and fitness regimen does Mykel follow?
FITNESS: Hawke developed a methodology for staying fit for busy folks. He calls it POW fitness, because many POW's found they could not escape when presented an opportunity due to lack of strength. So his counter is a technique to stay fit even in a small space. DIET: Hawke doesn't believe in counting calories. Too much time and detail that isn't feasible for survivors or operators. Instead, he relies on a "cave man" diet of meat and veggies: balanced with regular fitness and periods of fasting to stay sharp; discipline to eat less, and less junk; drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. These are his key principles. And stay busy! Live life: Work Hard, Play Hard!
What type of knife does Mykel generally use?
Mykel believes that there is a tool for every task. One must find the best tool that works for them. Everyone is a bit different, so there is never one answer for everyone. If it's too heavy, you'll grow tired too quickly. Too big, you can't do the small things. Too small, you can't do the big things. The mid-sized blades, don't do either big or small things well. The best answer is to carry a few blades. A big one like a machete and/or an axe-shovel. Then a good long knife for hunting and killing (6-12 inches). Then a small one for camp craft, hooks, traps, etc. (3-9 inches). Then a small multi-tool for all the other things around the base camp. BUT, if you have to carry or can only carry one tool, then the mid-sized range are the best for all around general purpose survival needs.
Mykel designed his knife for this purpose, for the survival planner who knows they can only carry one blade on their body at all times and they want that knife to be able to serve them the best in most situations. But he also knows there are many good products out there and he likes people to have choice and make up their own minds. To that end, some other brands Mykel has found to be good are: TOPS, Cold Steel, Gerber, SOG, Fierce Knives, Randall, Spartan, Sniper Blade Works.
What kind of clothes does Hawke wear?
1. Green Berets are all about unconventional warfare. This is synonymous with Guerrilla warfare because it means to live with, among, and like the local people they support. Also, they do covert operations in urban environments in foreign countries. To be successful at their mission, they must learn to blend with the natives. To that end, since Hawke lives in the U.K., he dresses like a European. This is also a security measure to help keep bad guys from targeting him as an American abroad. So Mykel dresses like a local where he resides.
2. Next, part of Hawke's survival philosophy, is that bad things happen when you are least prepared for them. So he tries to shop for, buy, and wear only those clothes which he feels he could survive in at any moment. Basically, his outlook on clothes is simple: "If I can't fight or survive in them, I don't need them!"
Mykel doesn't go out to survive in his best, name brand camping clothes. Instead, he wears his street clothes. Since he lives in Europe, these tend to be designed clothes. He likes to test them to see if they hold up. Surprisingly, some expensive clothes fall apart quickly, but some actually hold up almost as good as any military uniform he's worn. Some of the brands Mykel has found to be good street survival clothes are: Hugo Boss, Armani, Kenneth Cole, and even Calvin Klein. He also looks for clothes for TV that look military but are distinctly civilian so that the untrained eye will just see a fashion statement over a functional capacity. He sometimes uses military gear when it either blends well and doesn't stand out or when it is simply the best tool for the task at the time and occasionally, when it is just plain fun and cool to use it. But he never wears anything that is specifically military when he is not working and out on the public streets.
So all his clothing must be ready to fight or survive at anytime. This is why he always lives with the following items on his person at any time:
- A small knife, with other tools like pen, light, toothpick, tweezers, etc.
- A small compass
- A small lighter (Zippo or Bic are best)
- A way to signal and see (a small light, he wears a FOB)
- A small pen that doubles as a puncture weapon
- A handkerchief to use for filtering dirty water or as a trauma dressing, et al
- A way to communicate ( a phone with widest roaming range)
- Good foot gear always
He tries to carry a small bag with the following:
- Food (Jerky and energy bar)
- Water (small bottle)
- Shelter (coat, poncho, space blanket, or umbrella)
- First Aid supplies like aspirin and Band-Aids
(plus more depending on prescriptions and personal needs) - A local map to get to safety
- A small book or notebook for times of loneliness or to leave messages AND
- He uses the bag to carry backups for all his pocket litter items:
- Bigger knife, lighter, compass, light PLUS
- He always plans for his family, too.