Pete and Sam Brockdorff

Season 4

Pete Brockdorff
Age: 61
Poolesville, MD
Retired Shipping Driver

Pete’s father was a career military officer, so he spent his childhood traveling. He began accompanying his father on hunting and fishing trips when he was eight years old, learning lessons about the outdoors and developing an immense respect for nature. Pete utilized what his father had taught him, and supplemented his skills by learning trapping, falconry, bow fishing, bow hunting, and primitive skills. He studied biology, zoology, ecology, and botany, eventually earning a degree in Biological Sciences. Pete’s father passed away before his son Sam was born, but he was determined to pass down to his son all the lessons he had learned. Sam joined his father on many wilderness trips from a young age, and Pete is confident that his son’s skills and knowledge far exceed his own.

Sam Brockdorff
Age: 26
Poolesville, MD
Environmental Scientist

Sam is an environmental scientist, currently working as a layout foreman for an environmental restoration company. His father Pete wanted to instill a sense of adventure and respect for nature in Sam by setting off on wilderness trips. Sam has fond memories of the time spent with his dad, whether it was learning a primitive skill, wrestling snapping turtles, or building rafts on local ponds. Through both professional and personal interest, Sam has a vast knowledge of plant species. A capable outdoorsman, Sam has spent the last few years “going feral” in the Utah wilderness, utilizing primitive skills to survive at elevations of nearly 12,000 feet. He’s looking forward to spending time in the wilderness of Vancouver Island with his father, utilizing savvy that has been passed down in the family from one generation to the next.

Here are the ten items Pete and Sam selected to bring on their survival journey to Vancouver Island: