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mamab
02-27-2007, 01:54 PM
My husband and kids love to watch these shows. Do you think they have anything to actually teach people about surviving in on "have-to" basis?

donny h
02-27-2007, 05:26 PM
I enjoy watching the shows, but they're just shows.

Both show good survival tips, but Man vs Wild (Bear Gryllis) often shows suicidal behavior, ice climbing, cliff jumping, extended river floats, climbing waterfalls, desert hiking midday, drinking untreated jungle water, the Moab Utah episode showed Bear swimming UNDER a deadfall in a slot canyon, a behavior the locals judge to be flat out stupid.

Watch the shows, but take them with a grain of salt, they are made for entertainment first, survival second.

tater03
02-27-2007, 06:56 PM
I have seen Man vs. Wild and enjoyed it. But I have not seen Survivorman yet. I don't even know when it airs in our area? I will have to look for it because I think it sounds interesting.

Chris
02-27-2007, 07:55 PM
Survivorman is more realistic. Man vs. Wild is mostly staged and you know he's not really out there trying to survive.

The only thing about Survivorman though, because it IS real, is it can be boring. There isn't always an animal in the trap, things don't always work, and there is a lot of just sitting there waiting, or walking, walking, walking.

Bowcatz
02-27-2007, 10:57 PM
I agree, Chris. Survivorman is more realistic. I've only watched a couple of Man vs Wild and I felt the presence of the camera crew behind the lense where as with Les, he had me wondering at times if he was taping his upcoming death. A show where he was cast out to sea in a couple of rafts and living off what he could scrounge from the island had a sense of realness to it. Les looks tired a lot, too. When you are surviving, you don't get much rest and it shows in Les' face. He had me feeling sorry for him when he walked home through the jungle. He got so hot, he laid down in a stream to cool off. Here in Mississippi, I've done the same things many times when I overheated from playing too hard in the woods.

When Bear jumped off into the freezing cold river water on last week's show, I'm thinking a little sarcastically, "Oh, yeah. Right. Sure you do that when surviving. You jump off into rapid water that's going to kill you within fifteen minutes from hypothermia or a broken hip like in the movie Deliverance from back in the 1970s with Burt Reynolds. The only way you are getting me into water like that is with a gun held on me with the hammer back or a huge grizzly is breathing down my neck. I would be thinking I'm dead either way, so why not die slow and cold. It will give me a chance to pray my last prayer.

I'm not downing Bear's show, but it's more for the kinds of people (young ones less than thirty-five years old) who'll do the things he does because they don't know any better or are forced to. Walk in the desert in the middle of the day, swim under floating and jabbing sticks, and drink questionable water are things I wouldn't do. Take the long way around and stay alive. But, I'm the kind of woman that walked fifteen miles home down the Natchez Trace in the middle of the night of 20 degrees Fahrenheit back in December 1986 and wouldn't accept rides from strangers. The engine blew in my car and I wasn't about to stay with it. There are just as many outlaws on the Natchez Trace in Mississippi today as there were in the 1700s. I'd rather get home tired, cold, and hungry than not get home at all. Besides, I had my survival Alice pack in the trunk and it had everything I needed for a cold night in the woods plus my .22 magnum pistol which came in handy halfway through my long, slow walk homeward. I kept a navy pea coat in the trunk, too. When you have an old car, you have to have a survival pack, if you are smart. Especially when you lived like I did way out in the boondocks in Mississippi.

I guess if the Border Patrol or a raping, murdering biker gang were after me, I might do those things Bear did in last week's show where he was dropped off in the desert in the middle of the day, but that would be the only way.

For those that don't know this, be extremely careful when heating stones that are near a body of water like Bear did in last week's show after he got out of the river. Stones will soak up water into small, deep crevices and will explode if heated too fast. I mean shards of stone coming at you with the force to take an eye clean out of the skull. I put stones for such purposes in hot ashes first to drive the water out slowly. Maybe preheat the stones slowly for a couple of hours, if you can afford the time. Even then be careful and get away from them while they are heating in the event they do explode, if you can afford the loss of heat. Heat the stones slowly and then bury them in dry material. That sand looked wet when Bear was burying them to lie on them after they heated the soil. The stones will radiate their heat longer if placed in a dry soil or sand. Been there and done that, and got the small scar on my lip from an exploding stone shard.

DustyRose
03-02-2007, 06:32 AM
Bowcatz...I know just where you mean...I went from Vicksburg to Jackson to Hattiesburg to the coast during Hurricane Katrina clean up!

As far as a real survival situation goes...speaking from both training and experience...those shows are more like adventure vacations than being really lost or broke down in a remote area.

First of all, you don't see them freaking out, hyperventilating, getting shouting mad and/or crying after figuring out they are really lost and alone...and believe me, you will do them all.

Then, after that...doubt, pity and a heavy emotional tiredness sets in...and if you don't keep your mind busy and keep a positive attitude...depression, detachment, and even lethargy can follow.

Those guys all have such positive attitudes and are so cock-sure...I think it is equal parts training, acting and knowledge they won't die making a TV show.

In the real world you are just trying to remember your survival priorities...taking stock of "just how bad am I buggered here?"

After a little bit you settle down, and start to do what you need to (water, shelter, temperature control, situational review)...and with each small success you get more hope and confidence...but the reality is that sometimes one mistake will kill you.

Then you decide, should I stay or should I go...tough call...expect that you will second and third guess yourself, even years after surviving.

mamab
03-02-2007, 12:47 PM
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that Bear Grylls stuff is a little over the top. Some of the things he does, I'm thinking are staged. Besides, you know his crew isn't starving, they have provisions. He'll have SOMETHING to eat.

Oh, that time he bit the head off that little snake, I noticed he never swallowed. LOL

Bowcatz
03-02-2007, 05:15 PM
Mamab, if you are in Mississippi, have you noticed how the violent crimes have risen exponentially since Katrina passed through back in August 2005? More armed robberies, more murders, and more bank robberies.

Some outlaws went and killed a young man a couple of weeks ago by suffocation and then burned him up somewhere in downtown Jackson, MS behind a school. Pupils and a teacher found the body still smoldering. That particular crime got me into Surplus City in Clinton, MS buying fresh .357 ammo for my mom's and mine's pistols. I mean, if the outlaws are that vicious now, what is up next? In the years I've lived in Mississippi, I've had several unsuccessful carjacking attempts (so far unsuccessful and keeping everything crossed for good luck), but now the outlaws go up and shoot the driver and take them forcibly from the car and then steal the car and drive off and leave the victim in the road bleeding. What the heck is going on in Mississippi since Katrina?

Also, I guess you've heard that our mayor Frank Melton has a warrant for his arrest for violating a judge's order for being out after midnight at a local juke joint. He checked himself into a local hospital for chest pains to avoid arrest. He's looking at six months in the slammer.

If any of you are driving through Jackson, MS, keep your windows rolled up, your doors locked, and stay on the interstate if possible. One old man got shot last week by another guy at a local gas station simply because the old man refused to let the other guy pump his gas for him. I mean, that's just flat out crazy.

mamab
03-03-2007, 12:52 PM
We're not in MS, but in AL. Thanks for the warning, though. I'm sure things are still crazy down on the gulf. It might take a while for things to get back to "normal," if they ever do.

the edge
03-24-2007, 10:16 PM
i really enjoy man vs wild because like donny h said he puts himself in postions that make the show worth being called man vs wild and i also like how he showed you in the moab to wedge yourself up i think i saw every episode but pacific ocean one

BSM
04-03-2007, 01:41 AM
The thing that bugs me is the fact that they never bring up stuff like, what to use in lieu of toilet paper. Or, how to live for a few days without destroying your surroundings; for those who want to backpack in and don't want to kill everything around them. In short, people in urban areas are watching these shows on how to survive, and using these same techniques when camping. Few things raise my hackles like seeing a new trail blazed through the woods. There are other methods, and these people are either lazy or ignorant. Possibly both. Sorry, I know not everyone comes in to destroy, but it bothers me none-the-less.
Ciao,
BSM

wolf
04-21-2007, 12:32 AM
Man vs Wild was a rip off survivorman just tried to make it cooler by Ooo "throwing a stick and snap a rabbits neck" and rat droppings like that.

the edge
04-24-2007, 09:31 PM
which one do you like better? i like man vs wild because i didnt see much survivorman

FISHorDIE
04-27-2007, 05:42 AM
Heres the deal. . . Man vs Wild pretty much shows you what not to do. survivorman shows you what he would do. every situation is diffrent but the goal is to get found and not get hurt witch i think is displayed more in survivorman. the dude in man vs wild showed us that you should climb a 40 foot tree in the jungle to get a better look around, real smart, that show is a joke. atleast survivorman is believable and solo.if they got in a fight against one another survivor man would beat him senseless and live of his corpse for weeks. someone is going or allready did get hurt taking advice from man vs bloated entertainment industry.. . . . . .oh sorry . . . .wild

FISHorDIE
04-27-2007, 05:48 AM
And to think he found that stranded fish in that puddle. . . . .yeah right. . . .they put it there so he could Woo the croud with him chompin into it raw. the fish was a trout. . . .it would die in hours without flowing water. i still watch the show though, because it gives me a reason to yell at my t.v.

WildGoth
04-27-2007, 04:11 PM
well if you dislike the show then just change the channel you aren't being forced to watch it

lovegettinlost
04-27-2007, 06:34 PM
I enjoy both Survivorman and Man vs Wild, but while watching Man vs Wild I fully understand it's a joke. He puts himself in positions where people do get lost but he shows the wrong way to get found, rather he DOES show you the right way to get yourself screwed over. Not everything he says is bad but most of it won't help you much. The Moab Utah episode was completely nuts, no true expert would swim that far underwater, and even worse, under a deadfall of branches which is not very sturdy, and which could fall and could drown you.

I do enjoy survivorman very much, he does put himself out in the wilderness alone, where he has to try to catch rodents, birds, and whatever he can to survive, and notice, the realistic part, he rarely catches anything, he tries and tries and gets lucky sometimes, I jsut saw one episode last night where he set several rock traps to catch rodents, adn the first 3-4 were empty, and fianlly the last one he tried was a scrawny little squirrel. Throughtout the show he gives valuable advice of what to do and what not to do. When I first started "getting lost" I would stay for a night or two in a small cave opening, never realizing by heating the rock above me too quickly it could break and kill me in the night, I learned that through Survivorman, I was impressed when he brought up the 5W's of sruvival also. The last two things I shall say, are that I love how he tests something new out msot episodes, a magnesium stike stick for fires, whihc I have one and it does work extremely well, I never go camping without it, and other such multitool and other helpful items, I also never go camping without my Wave Leatherman, its my prized posession for survival. Finally to BSM, I understand your concern for the wilderness, everyone should, that is why I also like SUrvivorman, Les does show you how to survive without destroying the landscape and the natural envorioment around. Destorying trees is not sometihng I think Man vs Chipmunk would think twice about. Les does mention when he has a bundle of bark that he stripped it from several trees as to not hurt them. So if you want to watch BOTH shows, just remember not to do what MAn vs Wild does, and think before you jump 20 ft into a Marine Roll, you jsut might break both your legs...

FISHorDIE
04-28-2007, 03:59 AM
well if you dislike the show then just change the channel you aren't being forced to watch it

i said i like to watch to yell at the t.v. which i think is entertaining in it self. but its just that entertaining ,not educational.

mistylady
04-29-2007, 12:28 PM
Survivorman wins hands down. He makes mistakes and has to deal with it. The other show is too fake. I recently saw a Survivorman Urban survival show on hurricanes/floods and it was basic but excellent. I would recommend it to anyone. I think it was called Urban Survival.

Muffindude27
04-29-2007, 06:57 PM
I saw Urban Survival too, i think. Wasn't that the one when he talked to the Katrina survivor? If so, that was very good. I also like Survivorman and Man vs. Wild. Know, I don't know much about nothing, but I do realize that most of the things Bear does on Man vs. Wild aren't neccesarily the right things to do but I do find it more entertaining than Survivorman.

mistylady
04-29-2007, 09:36 PM
Yep thats the show! I hope he does more of those type shows.:)

wolf
05-08-2007, 11:55 PM
so i guess we all conclude that bear just tries to make it entertaining while les tries to make it real

wolf
05-09-2007, 12:01 AM
I like survivorman 'cause bear just tries to make it entertaining

FVR
05-09-2007, 10:28 PM
I do enjoy both shows, buttttt............

Survivorman kinda keeps it real. I like the way he uses stuff he would have and he fails. Which realisticly happens in the wild. His fire starting rifle idea, ahhh, I've never seen that work with smokeless powder. Blackpowder is another story.

His airplane crash in the north, where he tried to do it with one arm and realized that ya gonna need two. Keeps it real.

Now Bear, he is a showboater and I do enjoy every minute.

Is he married? cause if he is not, he'll never get a wife as I've seen him; piss on a t shirt and wrap it around his head, eat nasty bugs, eat trout while they are still alive, drink nasty water, eat day old lion kill and the topper, squeeze water from elephant crap and drink it.

I've seen Bear do things that I would not rec., but then again, it's not my show. He ate a snake once, but I noticed that the snake was still. Now, I've killed rattle snakes to eat on lrrps and can tell you, they keep moving for hours after they've had their head cut off, gutted, and skinned.

He also tends to fill his canteen from top water. I've always been told to cover the canteen end, submerge the canteen of course in fast running water then fill from mid level.

Bad water = dissentary and that my friend is nasty.

Eating bugs, hey if that's your thang, go for it. I've always read and was told that insects eaten raw can give you all kinds of problems. Throw them in a pan and heat them for a little bit. Same with eating raw fish, it may be nutrious, but you are injesting the water that it was swimming in. I remember eating lettuce in Mexico, stayed away from the water, but duhhh, the lettuce was washed with the water.


All in all, I've learned some from both shows.

lovegettinlost
05-10-2007, 08:53 PM
Not to mention that lettuce is mostly made up of water, so the fact that it is washed in it is minor compared to its make up, eitehr way its still not good for you in Mexico. Man v Wild is entertaing but usually not practical, he does do some nasty stuff but that nasty stuff isnt always stupid, but I'd recomend watching surviorman first.

FVR
05-11-2007, 04:26 PM
Another thing that I just thought of was that the gent in man vs wild, in Africa when he came up on the lion killed zebra, said that the vultures like to eat fresh kill and that's how you can tell.

Well, I've always thought and also have watched on the disc. channel, that vultures don't nec. like fresh meat as it is too hard to pull apart. They like it when it gets kind of soft and mushy.

Ahhh, don't matter. I just remembered this as I saw a few what we call turkey vultures eating a dead deer on the way home. Critters been dead for a few days.

the edge
05-22-2007, 03:27 PM
ive been dying to see survivorman whats it like

Danoon
05-30-2007, 11:03 PM
Survivorman ! The other guy will get you killed.

Woodland
05-31-2007, 01:43 AM
I like both shows but like survivorman better, in my opinion it's more realistic in the stuff he might have to use to survive. and the hunger when he fails to find foodand lack of sleep. He seems more like a common everyday sort of person.

Danoon
05-31-2007, 10:07 AM
I like the fact that Les Stroud is out there by himself and has to carry 60 lb of camera equipment with him everywhere. Les and his wife walked into the Canadian north country with nothing but a knife and lived for a year. I think thats pretty serious survival.

Bear Grills has a camera crew with him and he was in the French Foreign Legion and is a Black Belt among other things which doesn't make him an average survivalist. He does things that will get the average man killed. I talked to a guy from the UK who said they watch it as a comedy.

marberry
05-31-2007, 10:57 AM
whoa that is brutal , iv lived in northern canada my entire life so i know how harsh it is up there, do you know how far north because i seriously doubt they could have survived in the teritorries for that long , i know i couldnt unless i brought a car full of supplies. black belt doesnt mean much belive me i have a 2nd degree in taekwondo and a 1st in karate. french foreign legion is something though , i went to basic training just for the experience and its rly tough. i pride myself about being able to survive for 3 months in northern canada with only a backpack full of stuff, as long as it isnt the winter months.

aviator survivalist
06-09-2007, 02:40 AM
SURVIVORMAN!!! he probably went to the most useful locations (the jungle, boreal forest, arctic, the places you would get lost in) and also, he didnt have CAMERAMEN to help him out if he got his leg crushed or something and he didnt have them as company (which almost all survivors dont have). But now, sadly, he does an urban survival show later at night :( still useful, but still, he would have been better than BEAR GRILLS with his CAMERAMEN!!!!

Tony uk
06-10-2007, 06:03 PM
I like Bear Grills hes good at what he does, also Ray Mears is good but he does mostly things about how tribes live and survive other that real survival

So i like Man vs Wild best :)

LtAttiic
06-11-2007, 07:13 PM
personally, i think they both do stupid stuff, more so Bear, so of the two, Les.
wait, Les does a urban survival show? whats it called?

Gumby
06-12-2007, 01:44 AM
You can't seriously compare Bear to Les.

Les does things legit, you see EVERYTHING he has and what get gets to use.

Plus, don't kid yourself ....for the average person who does get lost, being alone is a HUGE deal! The 8 primary factors effecting survival are: Pain, Cold, Hunger, Thirst, Boredom, Loneliness, Fatigue, and Fear.

Being alone is hard, being in a group is a doddle. Bear does more extreme and stupid things in his show simply because he is NOT alone and its truly not his *** on the line. If he gets smoked while doing XYZ "stunt" (like down climbing a waterfall) and he bounces he's not going to die.

Cheers'
Gumby:D

Gumby
06-12-2007, 02:11 AM
Les blows away Bear ..... there is no contest!

spiritman
06-14-2007, 03:42 AM
I definitely like survivorman more. I do like man vs wild because he does those crazy things like eat a raw fish straight from the river. My brother and i got caught up (lost, we were being stupid... not something I would recommend) a small canyon for 2 days, and we caught fish from the stream by hand. (which is illegal except in emergencies where i am at least) We didn't eat them raw though, I also always carry a magnesium match wherever I go.
but no, not so much of a how to kinda thing. be prepared. GO SCOUTS! TROOP 795!!!

spiritman
06-14-2007, 08:38 PM
I do think they both have good info, HOWEVER I would try not to pay attention to how bear travels... I couldn't believe he DOWN CLIMBED a waterfall, DOWN CLIMBED *THROUGH* a glacier, and I never saw him swim under the deadfall but seriously... and now a volcano!

the edge
06-14-2007, 09:18 PM
wow alot of people like survivorman better lol

blewgrass
06-17-2007, 12:33 AM
You guys are scaring me with the Natchez stories! Out here on the West Coast it's hard to imagine that sort of crime. I spent some tiime in Florida but that was pretty mild. Drivng the rental car through parts of Miami reminded me of some of the 'hoods out here in Oakland and Richmond, CA. Also in Fresno, Stockton and Sacramento there are some areas you wouldn't want to break down at night ... or day for that matter

Man v Wild is entertaining but the camera crew is very present in the show. In the new everglades episode he talks to them quite a bit, so he doesn't even try to hide their presence. In most cases you get the idea that he's not sweating anything but rather having fun and telling the camera how to get out of mud or swim through croc ponds....

This looks like a fun place to lurk and compare stories.

what network is survivorman on?

Steve

FVR
06-17-2007, 11:17 AM
Eating raw fish, kind of funny. So, your in the backwoods where you boil or treat your water prior to drinking. But you're so hungry that you are going to eat raw fish, pulled out of water that ya don't know if it's safe to drink.

You figure that the average Joe burns what, a min. of 3000 cals a dayoing nothing. A one pound fish is going to give you close to 200 cals, don't think I would spend too much time and energy fishing. Fighting a losing battle. Dont' think I could honestly eat 10 plus fish a day. Well, unless it's salmon.

At least Survivorman keeps it real and does fail, because in the wilderness, we all fail at something. Nothing ever goes perfectly.

Gumby
06-18-2007, 12:44 AM
Boy what a burn .... I just watched the Man VS. Wild show tonight where skippy goes thru the Flordia EverGlades .... the oping shot has him standing on the edge of a chopper, and he quite manly raps off the skid down to the ground. (wow. of course having taught climbing for 2 years - zzzzzz) Anyway, on the way down the rope he has .....
- a knife
- a firelighter
- a plastic waterbottle

THEN later on he has to drink ... so he very cleverly fills up his shirt and drains the water in to a vessel. Now the fun part .... he magicly explains HWO to purify the water to drink....Oh! - How you ask? Why by boiling it kids, everyone knows that to purify water you boil it.

Wow what a great lesson ....my only question is WHERE DID THE METAL BILLY TIN COME FROM TO BOIL THE WATER !?!

He onnly had the three items he said he had going down the rope. What a crock ....it's stuff like that, that proves his show and him are crap!

Sorry Bear ... go hire someone to run "continuity" checks on your show, fictional movies can afford it so can you ..... (grin)

Sorry but my two cents, let me get down off my soapbox by rappelling.
I saw it in a really cool show!

Cheers'
Gumby

Gumby
06-18-2007, 12:45 AM
Boy what a burn .... I just watched the Man VS. Wild show tonight where skippy goes thru the Flordia EverGlades .... the oping shot has him standing on the edge of a chopper, and he quite manly raps off the skid down to the ground. (wow. of course having taught climbing for 2 years - zzzzzz) Anyway, on the way down the rope he has .....
- a knife
- a firelighter
- a plastic waterbottle

THEN later on he has to drink ... so he very cleverly fills up his shirt and drains the water in to a vessel. Now the fun part .... he magicly explains HWO to purify the water to drink....Oh! - How you ask? Why by boiling it kids, everyone knows that to purify water you boil it.

Wow what a great lesson ....my only question is WHERE DID THE METAL BILLY TIN COME FROM TO BOIL THE WATER !?!

He onnly had the three items he said he had going down the rope. What a crock ....it's stuff like that, that proves his show and him are crap!

Sorry Bear ... go hire someone to run "continuity" checks on your show, fictional movies can afford it so can you ..... (grin)

Sorry but my two cents, let me get down off my soapbox by rappelling.
I saw it in a really cool show!

Cheers'
Gumby

paulbnork
06-18-2007, 02:35 PM
Boy what a burn .... I just watched the Man VS. Wild show tonight where skippy goes thru the Flordia EverGlades .... the oping shot has him standing on the edge of a chopper, and he quite manly raps off the skid down to the ground. (wow. of course having taught climbing for 2 years - zzzzzz) Anyway, on the way down the rope he has .....
- a knife
- a firelighter
- a plastic waterbottle

THEN later on he has to drink ... so he very cleverly fills up his shirt and drains the water in to a vessel. Now the fun part .... he magicly explains HWO to purify the water to drink....Oh! - How you ask? Why by boiling it kids, everyone knows that to purify water you boil it.

Wow what a great lesson ....my only question is WHERE DID THE METAL BILLY TIN COME FROM TO BOIL THE WATER !?!

He onnly had the three items he said he had going down the rope. What a crock ....it's stuff like that, that proves his show and him are crap!

Sorry Bear ... go hire someone to run "continuity" checks on your show, fictional movies can afford it so can you ..... (grin)

Sorry but my two cents, let me get down off my soapbox by rappelling.
I saw it in a really cool show!

Cheers'
Gumby



OK, First off, Bear uses a canteen that has a removable metal bottom. This is the "vessel" that he drains the water into. Next, who cares about rappelling? Give me 5 minutes to teach you how, and I bet you could easily rappel as far as Bear did. Bear is my hero- I love his show. He shows you what to do if something really bad happens. (For instance, falling in a frozen lake, or a crevasse) AND, Les stroud only has to survive for 7 days, then he gets picked up by his buddies. Bear has to get out of wherever the heck they dropped him. For instance in the Alaska episode, he is surviving for at least 11 days. This, and the fact that he is just a total beast in general, puts my favorite on Man Vs. Wild over Survivorman.

AeroMech
06-18-2007, 06:26 PM
I prefer Survivorman because Les does not have the extensive military training that Bear does (British Special Forces). I personally do not have any military training and a lot of things that Bear accomplishes cannot be done by the average joe. I recall one episode in which Bear takes on the Moab Desert in Utah. In one segment he proceeds to climb out of a crevasse filled with a pool of water. I know for a fact that most people I know are not that limber or strong. Survivorman applies to even people who are "below" average in physical fitness. I am absolutely positive that I could not swim in 50 degree water under a huge pile-up of branches and then have enough stamina to climb up a 30 foot crevasse. Survivorman is more my style.

Dark786
06-19-2007, 04:19 PM
I like Bear Grills hes good at what he does, also Ray Mears is good but he does mostly things about how tribes live and survive other that real survival

So i like Man vs Wild best :)

bear and his man vs wild show sucks

Dark786
06-19-2007, 04:28 PM
listen to half the stuff bears does and u will be dead in a day, o and back to the florida glades i love how a four foot stick is going to save u from a 12 foot gator. also his little demo on how to get out of a muddy sink hole the sory about a jogger that got stuck in one okkkkk, why the hell is any one runny threw a mucky swap for enjoyment. but i give u props on not taking a camping trailer with u.

rasputin
06-21-2007, 05:55 PM
Heres the deal. . . Man vs Wild pretty much shows you what not to do. survivorman shows you what he would do. every situation is diffrent but the goal is to get found and not get hurt witch i think is displayed more in survivorman. the dude in man vs wild showed us that you should climb a 40 foot tree in the jungle to get a better look around, real smart, that show is a joke. atleast survivorman is believable and solo.if they got in a fight against one another survivor man would beat him senseless and live of his corpse for weeks. someone is going or allready did get hurt taking advice from man vs bloated entertainment industry.. . . . . .oh sorry . . . .wild

I disagree to the fullest degree. Suvivorman is a Canadian Musician, and "BEAR" they don't call him bear for nothing, is EX-SAS which is British Special forces and the only other special forces in the world more badass then the SAS would be the Navy Seals, and the Russian Spetznas. The guy climbed mt. everest when he was 23 years old, and is a bad ***. Don't let his show fool you he is no dummy and I find a lot of useful things on his show.

My vote is for BEAR

damn Canadians

FVR
06-21-2007, 08:32 PM
I see you buy into the Navy Seal propoganda.

Good for you.

Bear is very entertaining, but he does stunts that would put normal Joe's in danger.

He takes chances that if he was still in the SAS, he would be thrashed.

wildernessgrrrl4
06-21-2007, 08:48 PM
Les knows what he's doin. but so does Bear.
But... Bear most likley has to take off two months from "work" to recover from all the crap he puts in his body. Les makes thoughs awsome little traps that work great, so he gets to eat at least a little meat. better than pine needles...
I'm basicly torn. Like 'em both. i watch both to "prepare" myself. haha.


Take a knife whenever you go on a nature walk! You might get lost!!;)

rasputin
06-22-2007, 09:33 AM
I see you buy into the Navy Seal propoganda.

Good for you.

Bear is very entertaining, but he does stunts that would put normal Joe's in danger.

He takes chances that if he was still in the SAS, he would be thrashed.

My uncle was a Navy Seal, and trust me they are the real deal. I feel sorry for the average joe who can't climb a tree.

No disrespect but I feel Bear deserves more Respect and I don't think people realize what the guy has done and can do.

FVR
06-22-2007, 05:50 PM
Navy Seals are the real deal in the water. No other service in the world can touch them. But, they are portrayed as supermen in the movies, and they are not.

I have trained with the Seals and Green Berets in Panama and on land, in the jungle, the Green Berets are much superior.

As far as Bear is concerned, he indicated in a show last weekend that his parachute fall happened when he was 21, he then climbed Everest when he was 23.

Looking up the British Army requ's and then the SAS requ's, it looks like they have 24 weeks of bootcamp which is phase I, then they go to school which is phase II. They then vol. for SAS and have to go through a three phase selection process.

After they complete the selection, their training starts.

Not taking away from Bear's accomplishments, sounds pretty tough, but........looking at the requ. physical fitness, it's actually not as hard as some units in the US.

I wonder when Bear had his accident, was it in the training phase or later in his short lived career.

Seems to me, to get in the US Special Forces, it's a might bit harder. Most Marines that I know that have made it that far, it had taken them their second enlistment and have completed numerous warfare schools.

His advertisement of the SAS and Everest is what it is, a sales pitch.

To put down a musician is kind of arrogant. Military survival and what Bear does are completely different. I have a few friends who were Special Forces Officers, oh they are BAD. Yeh, they can pretty much kill you, close or far. Yet only one of them I believe could survive in the Rocky's for a winter. Why, not because of what he learned in the service, but rather what he learned out of the service.

I would also mention that I know of many non prior military pers. that can and would out perform Bear, not only physically but in the survivalist mode. He has a crew that makes sure he knows what he can eat when he is in the field. Many know more without a crew because they just do.

I say Semper Fi to your uncle. As a Recon Marine, I've had the fortune to tangle with the Seals in a bar in Coronado. It was hell, but it was also fun.

Tell your uncle to visit TWS Navy and sign up. He may run into a few old friends.

KRASH!
06-23-2007, 02:51 AM
FVR, I'm not trying to start a fight as to who is better than whom of the worlds special forces, but you may be surprised to know that every one of the big 3 U.S. Special Forces units will all gladly head to the Air Force' P.J.'s (Para Rescue Jumpers) as the end-all/be-all in terms of will power. That's all special forces is and are (aside from specific battle, weapons, and tactics training) Its all about will power, pushing on after your body doesn't want to. That's what a survivor is. But, I just felt they deserve honorable mention, since the all the best-of-the-best readily admonish P.J.'s as "the best"

Now, that aside, I too prefer Stroud over Grylls. But just because its marketed as "A survival show" you also have to take into account this is television...
A true to life cop drama - wouldn't sell.
A mechanics true to life real car movie - wouldnt' sell
And an honest to goodness survival show - wouldn't sell

As much as all of us would love it and be glued to the t.v., we are not the majority of the public.

So, you have to take into account that when Grylls goes out and does what he does, some of it is survival, some of it is television ratings. Although it's less desired in terms of survival, eating a raw fish straight from a river, or going head first into a Zebra lion-style envokes the "EWWW" factor that gets ratings, because normal people are impressed and tell their friends "Did you see what HE did???"

I think, and appreciate Stroud as being more of a realist and makes a much more concerted effort to exlain the HOW and WHY.

Regardless of his military past, or what you think of his show, yes mentioning that he climbed Everest is a marketing deal. But don't let that fool you to thinking anyone can climb everest, or that its easy. Everest kills about 1 out of 10, and none of them are uncredited climbers. Everest is hard even with a $50,000.00 guide, with sherpa's and porters, and bottled oxygen. Everest is not merely a climbing feat, but like all survivors takes incredible will power to accomplish.

That said, I still prefer Stroud.

FVR
06-23-2007, 08:53 AM
Another honorable mention is the Coast Guard rescue units.

Military.com has a good site that gives you the requ. for the 5 major forces. Many kind of look over the AF, prob. because it's not popularized in the movies.


This is just good discussion, no fighting here.

I enjoy both shows.

natureboi69
06-23-2007, 11:40 AM
I dont even no what everyone is on about but i want in!!! wats happnin???

KRASH!
06-24-2007, 03:05 AM
I'll have to check it out. Coast Guard was given some respect in the Kevin Costner film.
If we're talking about survival and discovery channel, I guess we should throw in "Deadliest Catch". I'd have to say they have my vote for being tough.

sam30248
06-24-2007, 07:02 AM
Les takes his time so he dont have to take chanes like Bear does. And i enjoy both shows. Bear takes to many chances

mbarnatl
06-24-2007, 10:57 AM
Survivorman is more practical and explains what and why he does things... Man vs Wild you need to decide if it is the correct way or the wrong way. He does put himself in some bad situations.


Les Stroud will be making several shows similar to "Urban Survival". Urban Survival is the first in the series of six or seven shows of that type. Plus he already started filming his second season. Also the "Off The Grid with Les Stroud" will be airing in the United States soon.

If you want to follow what Les Stroud "Survivorman" is doing... check out his blog (http://www.lesstroudonline.com/blog/).

FVR
06-24-2007, 11:55 AM
Read the book the Perfect Storm, the actual account. They go into the Coast Guards training for their rescue units. Their water training and physical demands are on the same level as the seals.

I came away with alot of respect for the Coast Guard. But then, I have all the respect for all military personnel.

KRASH!
06-25-2007, 12:28 AM
I just watched Perfect Storm as a matter of fact. I noticed that the rescue team attempting to save the Andrea Gale crew were Air Force P.J.'s :) but that was the movie.

From the movie Navy Seals:
*just prior to deployment out of an aircraft*
Hawkins: "For God's sake, be careful out there!"
Ramos: "If I were going to be careful, I'd have joined the Coast Guard."

I don't suppose Stroud is ever going to release an un-edited version for DVD in terms of not 'sparing us' when it comes to field dressing the animals, and F-bomb bleeps, etc. ?

troutndeer
06-25-2007, 12:48 AM
Those two shows are my favorites, But les wins hands down on wich is beter.
Dont get me wrong, Bear has his moments but I do think some of his "ordeals" are staged, Diving into the serria river and going for miles! I have lived along those rivers my whole life and have fell in more than once. The water is too cold when the rivers are at those flows, 10 min. MAYBE, houres NO!! Les "keeps it real" and shows useful info.

just my 2 Cents

cowboytexan
07-01-2007, 06:28 PM
I don't like Man vs. Wild, because like you said, it's mostly staged, and because since he's only out there for two days and he, isn't really in a real survival situation, he needlessly kills animals all for the the ratings. Because as we all know Ratings=Money. That is a bad reason to kill animals, I watched him kill three creatures in a single episode.

FVR
07-01-2007, 07:31 PM
Krash,

Missed that part in the movie.

In real life it was the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers, pretty tough unit. Here is a link if you want to know a bit more.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/coastguard/a/cgrescueswimmer.htm

marberry
07-02-2007, 07:06 PM
i just watched the arctic episode of survivorman and found it to be extremely true , i lived in Cambridge bay , Nunavut for a few months last year and once was stuck out by the ice drifts for two days. hes very very lucky he didnt find a polar bear because there are literally thousands out there and there bigger then grizzlies. he showed how hard it was to catch any food atall out there much less spear seals with no experience. ice fishing would have been his best bet for catching any food atall but he didnt have the tools for it. the one thing that made me choke was when he went to sleep under an ice drift close to a freefall icecave. that is the single most stupid thing i have ever seen him do, hes very lucky he woke up. his attempt at building an igloo showed just how hard it is without a snow saw/knife. he should have dug himself a snow cave it would have been far easier and warmer. the natives up there are some of the friendliest people iv ever met and hes lucky the trapper with the dog sled found him or he could have been a week in walking back. bringing some seal blubber was a great idea that stuff gives you alot of energy. man vs wild gives you alot of laughs if it isnt so ridiculous that it disgusts you.

SOE digital
07-04-2007, 09:04 AM
I love both shows. Man vs Wild is just awsome for it's shock value and it's entertaining as hell. Obviously it's staged. In fact I've spoken to the producers of Man vs Wild when they called up asking us for permission to use a freshly road killed Kangaroo (or was it a snake? Can't remember) in the show to make it look like Bear had actually killed it himself.
Obviously staged, but awfuly entertaining.

Survivorman is more for the people like us with a genuine interest in the topic. The only thing that bugs me is that the guy is a bit soft when it comes to killing animals for food.
"Believe it or not, we do want to see you gut and prepare your turtle and snake!!!"

;)

FVR
07-04-2007, 10:29 PM
Ahh, it's a tv show. What do you expect, it's entertainment.

Beats watching sitcoms.

Chris
07-05-2007, 10:24 AM
The most hilarious thing about Man vs. Wild is the credits.... there is a survival expert listed and it isn't Bear Grylls.

blewgrass
07-06-2007, 02:22 AM
His comic timing (Bear Grylls) is pretty good. The Copper Canyon bit when he eats the scorpion and describes the taste like cheese is the key to his ratings. I got a couple of belly laughs from that one... It's all about the food.. Also the routines where he makes jumps into cold water and other daredevil stuff adds to the hype. The soundtrack is like a tamed down version of Sabotage by the Beastie Boys... too funny.

My dish network package is too cheap to give me the science channel but his (survivorman) blogs are great.

Bear is pretty good though.

It's obvious that he doesn't come up with all the good info.. especially the stories about lost individuals. The sequences where he stands on the helicopter rails are very cool though..

ATough
07-06-2007, 12:10 PM
survivorman all the way! thats what I took my name from.
man vs wild is a good show and you can learn tons of stuff from it I just like survivorman more.

paul vs wild
07-07-2007, 05:47 PM
Anyone who chose survivorman is a complete idiot! man vs. wild trumps all by far. First, survivorman takes a year to complete his shelters and doesn't try to find his way back (basically he can set snares everywhere and catch food and just wait to be rescued by his producer) plus all he does is complain. Bear Grylls, however, has quick shelters that anyone can make and takes his suffering like a man (vs. wild). Also, to anyone who said Bear takes too many risks (one person couldn't type too with two o's which shows how dumb and incompitant he is) wilderness survival is about taking risks to save your you-know-what. Also Bears episodes are full of info. I'm not saying that survivorman is not a good show, i love it, but who ever gets stuck in the Georgian swampland! Another thing, Bear goes into his situations with AT MOST a knife, flint, and water bottle, while Les Stroud went into one episode with a broken-down snowmobile, a hunk of uncooked seal liver, oil-rich blubber for heat, a seal hook, three matches, a knife, a multi-tool, a rifle, and a harmonica , what is this, it's wilderness survival, who goes into the wilderness with all that stuff? Bottom Line: Man vs Wild by a land slide even ask the discovery channel, they seem to prefer Man vs Wild more, as evident by their giving Bear a second season and much more viewing time.

nell67
07-07-2007, 05:55 PM
There is no reason to put anyone down for their opnion of which show is better,that said yes survivorman can sit and wait for his producer to come by and pick him up,but he still has to survive wherever he is until said producer reaches him,the other guy has more than just his knife LOL he has his camera crew with him with who knows what with them,and I am sure that if he fails on one of his expeditions,that show is not going to air anyway,because afterall how long is their ratings going to stay up there if they show him failing????

We all get along on this forum and there is no call for someone to come in on their first day and start junk.

Sarge47
07-07-2007, 06:29 PM
As a survivor teacher just let me say that both shows are definately entertaining and have some important stuff on them. However I just watched Bear's new M. vs. W. episode set in Kimberly Austraila where he drinks his own urine. Most experts warn against that! I read one post where someone asked why would Les Stroud have whale blubber and a rifle. The rifle was for insurance reasons I'm sure. Bottom line here folks, never stray far from home without some form of survival kit on your person. I have built about seven of them, from a small, pocket-sized one all the way up to a large one complete with an AR-7 .22cal. survival rifle. I would like to see both shows stressing the importance of carrying survival items on your person at all times.

FVR
07-07-2007, 08:57 PM
Drinking pee, yeh really bright.

Pee contains alot of salt which I would think would only make you dehydrate faster.

I would think that if you are already dehydrated, the drinking of pee would really make you throw up, adding to your dehydration. Not to mention that you are consuming waste, possibly getting diahrrea thus also adding to dehydration.

Sarge47
07-07-2007, 09:37 PM
Anyone who chose survivorman is a complete idiot! man vs. wild trumps all by far. First, survivorman takes a year to complete his shelters and doesn't try to find his way back (basically he can set snares everywhere and catch food and just wait to be rescued by his producer) plus all he does is complain. Bear Grylls, however, has quick shelters that anyone can make and takes his suffering like a man (vs. wild). Also, to anyone who said Bear takes too many risks (one person couldn't type too with two o's which shows how dumb and incompitant he is) wilderness survival is about taking risks to save your you-know-what. Also Bears episodes are full of info. I'm not saying that survivorman is not a good show, i love it, but who ever gets stuck in the Georgian swampland! Another thing, Bear goes into his situations with AT MOST a knife, flint, and water bottle, while Les Stroud went into one episode with a broken-down snowmobile, a hunk of uncooked seal liver, oil-rich blubber for heat, a seal hook, three matches, a knife, a multi-tool, a rifle, and a harmonica , what is this, it's wilderness survival, who goes into the wilderness with all that stuff? Bottom Line: Man vs Wild by a land slide even ask the discovery channel, they seem to prefer Man vs Wild more, as evident by their giving Bear a second season and much more viewing time.

Okay, let's not point fingers at mis-spelled words, look how you mis-spelled "incompetent". As to your question about "who goes into the wilderness with all that stuff?" the answer is: "any experienced outdoors-man". Even an experienced back-packer carries a "10 essentials kit". (For more info on that go to "www.rei.com") As far as Bear getting a 2nd season & Les not, a visit to Les Stroud's web-site gives you the explanation for that, Les is busy on a new project. And finally, Les does find his way out of the situations he's in & builds his shelters rather quickly as he's only got a self-imposed time-limit of 7 days. Just remember the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared".

Sarge47
07-07-2007, 10:26 PM
Awhile back, Discovery Channel did a 6-episode series of 6 of their previous episodes sub-titled "S.O.S.: The Science of Survival." They would replay parts of the episode, cutting in their survival experts who would then demonstrate things the people could have done to better their situation. Les Stroud was on one of these & it was very well done. Another favorite of mine was the story of the four guys who went into the Amazon, only two came back. The survival expert on this one was a former special Forces guy name of John Hawke I believe. Finally, Backpacker magazine had a small bit of input from Les Stroud in their "Survival" issue. (October 2006). Just some data for all you Les fans.

gringo
07-08-2007, 12:13 AM
Our whole family likes both programs, as well as Ray Mears but our preference is Survivorman. He is more of an "everyman" than Bear Grylls and you get more of a feel of the emotions he is going through.

I really like having the option to watch both.

paul vs wild
07-08-2007, 10:11 PM
Okay, let's not point fingers at mis-spelled words, look how you mis-spelled "incompetent". As to your question about "who goes into the wilderness with all that stuff?" the answer is: "any experienced outdoors-man". Even an experienced back-packer carries a "10 essentials kit". (For more info on that go to "www.rei.com") As far as Bear getting a 2nd season & Les not, a visit to Les Stroud's web-site gives you the explanation for that, Les is busy on a new project. And finally, Les does find his way out of the situations he's in & builds his shelters rather quickly as he's only got a self-imposed time-limit of 7 days. Just remember the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared".

First off, let me say that Sarge47 is so full of crap he doesn't know if he is coming or going. If you go around and ask 100 3rd graders they all know when to use two, to, and too. Conversely, if you ask 100 RANDOM adults (random pertaining to not all of them being Harvard grads) to spell incompEtant only about 60-70% would spell it correctly. Now, to your next point not every survivor that has ever walked this planet has had the luxury of a survival kit; quite the opposite. Don't let sarge fool you if they told Les to do a second season and payed him a pretty penny to do it, he would have dropped this project. Also, not every single person who goes into the wilderness is an experienced outdoors-man or backpacker so don't use that as an alibi for Les to carry all of the Sh^t that he does. And for all those people who say man vs wild is staged they have the 24 hour film role for sale if you know where to go so don't fool yourself, there is always a camera on Bear; granted, there are parts where he'll have a sip of tea that belongs to his cameraman. And one last thing, Bear can spend 7 days in the wilderness, he's so efficient that he can find a way out in 2.

paul vs wild
07-08-2007, 10:16 PM
To Nell67,

If Les gives up in the wild he has a cell and a gps on hand i guarantee it. And if Les gives up, that show won't air either.

FVR
07-08-2007, 11:06 PM
It's entertainment. So is this.

I just wonder if Bear, left alone, no camera crew, would he take the same chances that he currently does.

I like them both. I do think that Bear is a bit more of a show-boater. But then, that's tv ratings.

Sarge47
07-08-2007, 11:15 PM
First off, let me say that Sarge47 is so full of crap he doesn't know if he is coming or going. If you go around and ask 100 3rd graders they all know when to use two, to, and too. Conversely, if you ask 100 RANDOM adults (random pertaining to not all of them being Harvard grads) to spell incompEtant only about 60-70% would spell it correctly. Now, to your next point not every survivor that has ever walked this planet has had the luxury of a survival kit; quite the opposite. Don't let sarge fool you if they told Les to do a second season and payed him a pretty penny to do it, he would have dropped this project. Also, not every single person who goes into the wilderness is an experienced outdoors-man or backpacker so don't use that as an alibi for Les to carry all of the Sh^t that he does. And for all those people who say man vs wild is staged they have the 24 hour film role for sale if you know where to go so don't fool yourself, there is always a camera on Bear; granted, there are parts where he'll have a sip of tea that belongs to his cameraman. And one last thing, Bear can spend 7 days in the wilderness, he's so efficient that he can find a way out in 2.

Right! You must have had a lousy childhood to use the language the way you do! Don't get so caught up in TV shows dawg, I guarantee you'll only be disapointed. In any group survival situation everyone has to remain positive. Since all you bring to the table is name-calling, negative suppositions, and bad-mouthing, you would be the 1st to be let go of. As a matter of fact, right after posting this I'm going to hit the "ignore" button. Have a nice life.

paul vs wild
07-08-2007, 11:23 PM
I sincerely apologize to sarge47 for offending you. and to anyone else. but, don't get it twisted i still prefer man vs wild and no one will change my opinion

Sarge47
07-08-2007, 11:30 PM
I sincerely apologize to sarge47 for offending you. and to anyone else. but, don't get it twisted i still prefer man vs wild and no one will change my opinion

Apology accepted! That shows character! And, by the way, I certainly don't want to try & change anyone's opinion on which shows they like. I like them both. However, as I said earlier, my favorite Les Stroud show wasn't a "Survivorman" episode, it was an episode of "I shouldn't be alive: The Science of Survival." Les showed what could have been done in an actual survival situation. The people were real, as was their predicament. Let's face facts, no one deliberately puts themselves in harm's way if they can help it, unless, of course there's big money to be made.

paul vs wild
07-08-2007, 11:32 PM
I agree with sarge, both are excellent shows and you can learn alot from both

paul vs wild
07-08-2007, 11:34 PM
both are extremely usefull and good shows

Sarge47
07-09-2007, 12:06 AM
The most hilarious thing about Man vs. Wild is the credits.... there is a survival expert listed and it isn't Bear Grylls.

The same is true with Les Stroud on Survivorman! However these are the only two shows that show wilderness survival "how-to"; I'd like to see others as well.

FVR
07-10-2007, 11:34 PM
I have a couple questions;

Does a Baer crap in the woods?

How does he spend so much time being wet and not get diaper rash?

If he is getting diaper rash, what is he putting on it?

Prior to filming a show, is he taking any kind of meds to prevent him from getting sick?

Has he been anywhere that he could have gotten malaria? if so, was he taking his pills?

How does he prevent foot rot when in constant wet environments?

What kind of shots does he get prior to going on an adventure?

I've noticed that sometimes when he fills his canteen, he does not fill it all the way up, why?

Also noticed that he will wrap his canteen and canteen cup in duct tape, good trick.

He has drank pee and water from some kind crap, did he get sick after the show was over?

Just questions from someone who can't sleep.

Sarge47
07-11-2007, 12:25 AM
I have a couple questions;

Does a Baer crap in the woods?

How does he spend so much time being wet and not get diaper rash?

If he is getting diaper rash, what is he putting on it?

Prior to filming a show, is he taking any kind of meds to prevent him from getting sick?

Has he been anywhere that he could have gotten malaria? if so, was he taking his pills?

How does he prevent foot rot when in constant wet environments?

What kind of shots does he get prior to going on an adventure?

I've noticed that sometimes when he fills his canteen, he does not fill it all the way up, why?

Also noticed that he will wrap his canteen and canteen cup in duct tape, good trick.

He has drank pee and water from some kind crap, did he get sick after the show was over?

Just questions from someone who can't sleep.

Interestingly enough if he does crap in the woods he might eat it. This guy has eaten about any kind of insect there is and drank urine from elephant dung. He's eaten scorpions, spiders, snakes (live ones), millipedes, ants, maggots, grubs, whatever. Wouldn't a normal hiker carry some sort of vitemin/food supplement with them? Inquiring minds want to know!

gringo
07-11-2007, 05:28 AM
He's obviously going after the shock factor. The elephant dung thing was beyond belief. My wife is still having nightmares from that.

owl_girl
07-11-2007, 01:22 PM
Ya he’s pretty dramatic.

Tony uk
07-11-2007, 01:27 PM
I want to join him sometime, i like people who are that kind of dramatic

FVR
07-11-2007, 08:35 PM
So yah saying like .......................

Drama queens?

SOE digital
07-11-2007, 09:44 PM
Why ask all those questions? The show is completely staged.

Sarge47
07-11-2007, 11:57 PM
I want to join him sometime, i like people who are that kind of dramatic

Maybe you guys could bond by sharing a large elephant turd together. (Sorry, just couldn't resist.) ;>)

Tony uk
07-12-2007, 07:56 AM
LOL, i like it with extra seasoning

ATough
07-12-2007, 02:49 PM
Why ask all those questions? The show is completely staged.

Why do you think that?



I personally love the show watch it every time its on.:cool:

nell67
07-12-2007, 08:12 PM
LOL I watch it for the gag factor,I gag everytime he eats or drinks.LOL

SOE digital
07-12-2007, 10:03 PM
Why do you think that?

I don't think that, I know that.
Like I've said in a previous thread; I got a call from the producers of the show asking permission to use a dead kangaroo in the show to make it look like he had killed it himself. It's all staged.
Isn't it obvious, by the way its filmed?
One second there's a cameraman on his raft floating down the river. Next minute there isn't. It's all set up mate. No doubt about it.

Still a fun show though.

FVR
07-12-2007, 10:44 PM
I picked that up on the raft scenes also.

When they flashed back and forth, he was not in the same place.

One min. he was filming from the raft going down the river, the next they were filming him and it was compl. diff water, then they went back to the raft cam.

One min. he is educating you on why you need to fully cook snakes because of worms in the meat, then the next scene he is eating on raw. LOL.

Good entertainment.

ATough
07-12-2007, 10:51 PM
its staged? now im so upset.

SOE digital
07-12-2007, 11:04 PM
I don't even think he actually ate that snake. You know, the one that he bit the head off. You never see him swollow it.

FVR
07-12-2007, 11:11 PM
Tell ya a little bit about snakes, I've eaten my fare share of them.

You cut their heads off, and they wriggle back and forth, for hours.

We would catch a rattler, cut it's head off and hang it from a tree branch, could not skin it until it stopped moving.

To eat a snake right after you bite it's head off, yeh okay, you would need t chew it up real good. Nasty. Snakes, all snakes stink really bad when you gut and skin them. To be chewing on a raw snake, guts and skin, ewwwww.

blewgrass
07-12-2007, 11:55 PM
NO WAY... He told OPRAH it's all real!! He kept filling the water bottle with pee!

Sarge47
07-13-2007, 12:12 AM
Bottom line here folks; proper preparation PRIOR to going into the wilds keeps you from having to eat & drink all that nasty stuff. I wish we'd see more shows on people being instructed in survival training, building their own survival kits, field testing them, and then they get put into a "situation". I bet the ratings would go through the roof.

SOE digital
07-13-2007, 02:48 AM
NO WAY... He told OPRAH it's all real!! He kept filling the water bottle with pee!

Don't care what he tells anyone. I'm telling you, from first hand experience, that this show is staged.
Sure, the guy is definately a tough nut and does some crazy stunts...but the whole survival situation is a mock up.

Heck, he even says it's too dangerous to land in the desert by chopper because of the thermal upwinds; so he has to repel What a load of bollocks. Anyone with any experience in the army, aviation (I've been involved in both) etc will know that it isn't true. It's simply for the added shock value.

Long story short, I work in the Australian film industry as well as doing work with Australian wildlife and conservation. I've spoken to the people who make this TV show. I know, for a fact, that the show is entirely staged. Yes, he may get sick every now and then and yes I'm sure he's a bit hungry...but at the end of the day he has a support crew that looks after him and are there to give him food and water if and when he wants it.

Sorry to go on a bit of a rant, but it just amazes me that people deny the obvious fact that they show is staged. Sure as hell dosn't mean you can't enjoy it.

gringo
07-13-2007, 09:02 AM
Bottom line here folks; proper preparation PRIOR to going into the wilds keeps you from having to eat & drink all that nasty stuff. I wish we'd see more shows on people being instructed in survival training, building their own survival kits, field testing them, and then they get put into a "situation". I bet the ratings would go through the roof.

I couldn't agree more Sarge. That's one of the reasons I like Ray Mears. He even teaches what knots to use to set up camp. Not as entertaining but much more useful information.

SOE Digital is right. It is completely staged. Like when he was looking for the aloe vera plant. He just happened upon one when he "needed" it. Pretty doubtful in my opinion.

Chris
07-13-2007, 10:10 AM
You can tell it's staged just by watching closely. The environment changes to such a degree in such patterns that you know he is being ferried around to predetermined locations. For instance in the Kimberly Australia one he starts in the badlands, goes to the flatlands by the coast, then suddenly is back in the badlands.

Also, he is way too lucky in what he finds. A non-native grapefruit tree in the everglades? Fruit trees in almost every episode, and oh look... here is a fresh water spring, how lucky.

In the credit's he isn't even the show's "survival expert."

Some of the information is good, some isn't, but don't believe it is real.

If you want to see a real show like that get Survivorman DVDs. You'll notice in reality its hard to find food, hard to find water, and most of survival is walking and waiting.

Sarge47
07-13-2007, 11:03 AM
I couldn't agree more Sarge. That's one of the reasons I like Ray Mears. He even teaches what knots to use to set up camp. Not as entertaining but much more useful information.

SOE Digital is right. It is completely staged. Like when he was looking for the aloe vera plant. He just happened upon one when he "needed" it. Pretty doubtful in my opinion.

Okay, I plead ignorance, who is Ray Mears?

Tony uk
07-13-2007, 11:25 AM
Hes a person who teaches survival somewhere i think, hes done a few TV shows on survival and wilderness

Sarge47
07-13-2007, 11:31 AM
Hes a person who teaches survival somewhere i think, hes done a few TV shows on survival and wilderness

Does anyone know if he's on T.V. now? If so, what network?

Tony uk
07-13-2007, 03:46 PM
Hes on UKTV Documentary and on the Discovery channels

Atlanta Randy
07-13-2007, 05:18 PM
I have had a little expereince in helping produce some of the North American shows for the discovery channel.

Bear really does go through the scenerios by himself. The camera crew has never helped him in any way (Other than unwittingly providing light during a night time run from a bear.)

The 5 day trip has obviously got to be edited down to 1 hour. So what you don't see is his hours if not days of walking to find the plants, springs, streams, trees and animals he encounters along the way.

You may even notice that some of the scenes are edited out of sequence. If Bear finds a fruit tree, a snake and a spring all in one day, the editors will edit these scenes in over the course of the hour long show.

In order to be entertaining, the editing may be out of wack but the trek is all too real for Bear.

The show is in no way "fake" or "staged"....just edited for television. And to answer the questions about what he eats and why the premise is not of an intentional camper but a lost tourist with almost no equipment having to use the most extreme measures, evidenced in the fact that even though he knows he'll need shelter he leaves his parachute behind.

Randy

Tony uk
07-13-2007, 05:22 PM
Cool, thanks for the info :)

What shows have you done ?

Welcome Here :D

gringo
07-13-2007, 06:30 PM
Ray Mears is really the forerunner of Survivorman and Man vs Wild. He's done several shows. I've seen World of Survival, Extreme Survival, Country Tracks, Bushcraft and Wild Food and all of them are good.

He is heavily involved in studying primitive cultures and their technologies. Very interesting stuff.

What I like about him the most is that he takes the time to teach basic wilderness skills along the way.

I've been fortunate enough that a lot of his programs have been aired here in Brazil.

I doubt any of these shows have been shown in the US. You can purchase DVDs on his website (www.raymears.com) but they are probably PAL and won't play on a US dvd player. You could watch them on your laptop with the right codecs.

If you are not against downloading, a lot of his shows are available on bit torrent.

Tony uk
07-13-2007, 06:35 PM
Im glad we live in Europe sometimes :)

gringo, do you know when the new series of Ray Mears bushcraft is comming out ?

gringo
07-13-2007, 06:47 PM
I heard he was filming something but I haven't gotten any info on it.

His website says he is touring throughout the UK teaching about bushcraft. I'd love to be at one of those.

Tony uk
07-13-2007, 06:51 PM
Really, i would like to meet him, i'll try to find out where hes going and hopefully get down there myself

gringo
07-13-2007, 06:51 PM
I guess I hadn't really thought about the editing and not everything being in order. I've never doubted that he isn't going through everything that's shown. I just appears at times that some of the things he does have been set up in advance.

Tony uk
07-13-2007, 06:56 PM
This is where he is going to be


September 29th 7:30pm TELFORD, Oakengates 01952 382382 www.theplacetelford.com
September 30th 7:30pm NEWCASTLE, The Journal Tyne Theatre 0870 145 1200 www.thejournaltynetheatre.co.uk
October 2nd 7:30pm NORTHAMPTON, Royal & Derngate 01604 624811 www.royalandderngate.co.uk
October 5th 7:30pm STAFFORD, Gatehouse Theatre 01785 254653
October 6th 7:30pm KING'S LYNN, Corn Exchange 01553 764864 www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk
October 7th 7:30pm DUNSTABLE, Grove Theatre 01582 602080 www.grovetheatre.co.uk
October 8th 7:30pm EASTBOURNE, Congress Theatre 01323 412000 www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk
October 9th 7:30pm ABERYSTWYTH, Canolfan y Celfyddydau Aberystwyth Arts Centre 01970 623232 www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre
October 10th 7:30pm LEAMINGTON SPA, Royal Spa Centre 01926 334418 www.royal-spa-centre.co.uk
October 11th 7:30pm MALVERN, Malvern Theatres 01684 892277 www.malvern-theatres.co.uk
October 13th 8:00pm BUXTON, Opera House 0845 127 2190 www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk
October 15th 7:30pm LLANDUDNO, Venue Cymru 01492 872000 www.venuecymru.co.uk
October 16th 7:30pm DERBY, Assembly Rooms 01332 255800 www.assemblyrooms-derby.co.uk
October 17th 7:30pm CHELTENHAM, Town Hall 01242 227979 www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk
October 19th 7:30pm COLCHESTER, Charter Hall 01206 282020 www.charter-hall.co.uk
October 20th 7:45pm ALDERSHOT, Princes Hall 01252 329155 www.princeshall.com
October 21st 7:30pm BIRMINGHAM, Town Hall 0121 780 3333
October 22nd 8:00pm HIGH WYCOMBE, Wycombe Swan 01494 512000 www.wycombeswan.co.uk
October 25th 7:30pm WORTHING, Pavilion 01903 206206 www.worthingtheatres.gov.uk
October 26th 7:30pm POOLE, Lighthouse 08700 668701 www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
October 29th 7:30pm LEEDS, Grand Theatre 0870 122 2815 www.leedsgrandtheatre.com

Atlanta Randy
07-13-2007, 08:28 PM
I've worked with both BOSS out of Colorado and Mountain Sheperd school in VA.
I worked on both the everglades episode and the Copper Canyon show in Mexico.
I have been a survival and backpacking instructor for the Boy Scouts since 1983.
I do a lot of ultralight backpacking now with a few "survival treks" each year. My wife thinks I'm nuts and NEVER goes with me.
I've been working on and presenting an ultralight backpacking stove called the "Atlanta stove" and working on a program and small survival packs for scouting.
basically it's 3 small energy candies a space blanket, whistle and 2 small chem lights in a small waterproof package that clips to a belt or fanny pack. and a short DVD teaching younger scouts to stay put and what to do if seperated from their group or leaders.
Most of the young hikers that get lost are found miles away from thier original location wandering all over looking for help.

As far as man vs. wild. What I have seen is hours of unused video footage of Bear walking and talking to the camera men about what he's looking for. They only use the footage of him once he's found it. That's why you'll see the shot suddenly jump into action. There might be 3 hours of bear walking, looking in rocks for a snake then they use only the last few minutes of him finding and killing one.

Usually the camera guys camp a few hundred yards from him so that he can catch the "night life" around him undisturbed with his hand cam.

Some people point to the "survival consultants" in the credits as proof that Bear's a fake but that doesn't stand to reason.
Although Bear is trained in survival by the SAS and has made a living as an adventurer, I can't imagine him knowing ahead of time that there are no poisonous frogs in the everglades.
The producers and bear consult with experts in that area for information. I'm sure that after a few years on this show Bear will have information and advice for survival in every country on the planet but I can't see any sane person just jumping into that kind of environment without doing a bit of research first.

Atlanta Randy
07-13-2007, 08:57 PM
Why do you think that?

I don't think that, I know that.
Like I've said in a previous thread; I got a call from the producers of the show asking permission to use a dead kangaroo in the show to make it look like he had killed it himself. It's all staged.
Isn't it obvious, by the way its filmed?
One second there's a cameraman on his raft floating down the river. Next minute there isn't. It's all set up mate. No doubt about it.

Still a fun show though.

They edit scenes like that. They take footage with a camera on the raft then footage from the banks then footage from Bear's hand cam and edit it to be entertaining. Not staged, just edited. He made the whole trip, just not always with a cameraman on board.

The producers are a bit put off about Bear killing and eating "cute" mammals, which is why he usually only eats fish and reptiles on the show. Imagine the PETA uproar if he ate a Joey on TV.

I've seen the Aussie episode. He never ate a kangaroo.

owl_girl
07-13-2007, 09:58 PM
Ray Mears is better than survivorman and man vs. wild. He’s more knowledgeable, and the shows have been shown in the US. I haven’t seen them lately though so I don’t know if they are on that often anymore.

SOE digital
07-13-2007, 10:27 PM
I've seen the Aussie episode. He never ate a kangaroo.

That's because he never got permission from us.

They edit scenes like that. They take footage with a camera on the raft then footage from the banks then footage from Bear's hand cam and edit it to be entertaining. Not staged,

Are you blind, or just stupid?
Howcome ine minute there is a camera man on the raft, and then POOF! He's gone. That's the epitimy of something being staged.
They do multiple takes and resets.

Imagine the PETA uproar if he ate a Joey on TV.

There wouldn't be an uproar. WE kill off hundreds and thousands of kangaroos and eat them a year. Kangaroos are a pest. The thing is, you need a license to kill them (unless they're on your property or you're an Aboriginal). They asked for permission to use a dead kangaroo in their show (it was a road kill) to make it look like he killed it himself. THAT IS A FACT. THAT IS THE MOST PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THIS SHOW BEING STAGED. We declined giving them permission, hence that he never ate a Roo in that episode.

Is it really that hard to understand. The show is staged, it's just been proven. I know, for a SOLID fact that it's set up. Think about it. We recieved a phone call from the PRODUCERS OF MAN vs WILD asking us to assist them in STAGING A SCENE FOR THE SHOW! It's so freaking blatant that you'd have to be a numpty with a hard on for Bear to not realise it.

FVR
07-13-2007, 10:59 PM
So Baer spends another week in the jungle, no jungle foot rot, no diaper rash, no rub rash's, no breaking out and no crapping in the woods.

We spend a week in the jungle, we get foot rot, diaper rash, and the heat and humidity makes us all break out.

Second week out, I tell my squad to go to the px and pick up a jar of noxema. They ***** and complain, but I won't let them go without it. They are also requ. to bring 5 extra pairs of socks wrapped in zip locks.

No underwear, aka boxers or briefs, green t's can be worn once we are off base. No shaving in the field and if you don't have jungle boots, you're off the squad.

Noxema is a wonderful substance. So after patrolling all day, set up camp. Drop your trousers, grab a handful of noxema, stick something between your teeth and apply the cream.

The first few minutes, shear pain, after that just as soft and supple as a babies bottom. But those first few minutes, yeeeowwww.

Now air out and dry your feer, put on a pair of dry socks, you're in Jungle Heaven.

FVR
07-13-2007, 11:46 PM
Teach them to put the dvd back into the pouch after they watch it as dvd's are excellant signal mirrors.

SOE digital
07-14-2007, 05:59 AM
The camera crew has never helped him in any way (Other than unwittingly providing light during a night time run from a bear.

So how about the dead kangaroo that they wanted to give to him to make it look like he killed it?
Explain that mate.

gringo
07-14-2007, 07:23 AM
Cortaid ointment works great without the pain. I've found if I put a little on before I set out, I don't get any rash. Works for me everytime.

Tony uk
07-14-2007, 07:35 AM
Ive never heard of noxema, where do you get it from ?

gringo
07-14-2007, 09:36 AM
Noxzema is skin care product sold in the US (we have it in Brazil too) that is mainly used by women to remove makeup. You can buy it at most drug stores.

Though some have used it for crotch rot, that is not it's intended purpose. Imagine setting fire to your privates. Best description I can think of.

FVR
07-14-2007, 12:00 PM
But after a few minutes, it's all numb. LOL. Pain for a few min. equals a whole day of relief.

Not for the pain weary.

jimjimjimmyjim
07-14-2007, 03:00 PM
about your original question about duct taping the wter bottle, its because he has his bear cam with him. thats how he gets all thos shots of him like 30 feet up in a tree or whatever. and he does explain the not getting foot rot thing in a couple of his episodes. when he is in those kind of environments he stopp every like 10 hours to light a fire and dry off his feet. watch the everglades episode.

jimjimjimmyjim
07-14-2007, 05:16 PM
i meant to say he has the bear cam taped to his water bottle so its always with him.
but i have another question. in alot of episodes he is boiling his water in a seperate little pot thats not his water bottle. is it just like the holder for the water bottle or what? hhmmm......

Sarge47
07-14-2007, 05:41 PM
i meant to say he has the bear cam taped to his water bottle so its always with him.
but i have another question. in alot of episodes he is boiling his water in a seperate little pot thats not his water bottle. is it just like the holder for the water bottle or what? hhmmm......

Bear uses a NATO canteen with canteen cup, similar to the canteen and canteen cup used by the U.S. Armed Forces. He's used black duct tape to hold them together in lieu of a canteen cover. According to the information he gives at www.discovery.com/manvswild (click on "meet bear"); he also admits to using a length of para-cord ingeniously knotted as a carrying strap...something he doesn't mention in the opening of his show. I just re-watched the "Europeon Alps" episode and he utilizes his parachute and parachute shroud lines as well, which makes perfect sense to me. The example needs to be set to use all resources at hand if you want to survive, one reason I like Les Stroud's shows.

spiritman
07-14-2007, 08:37 PM
Maybe they don't always stage it, like when they think they will get good enough ratings as it is and will only do it if he's getting along poorly. I believe both of you are equally trustworthy and are providing valid info.

SOE digital
07-14-2007, 11:22 PM
thats how he gets all thos shots of him like 30 feet up in a tree or whatever

No, they also sent a camera man up on a rig also.

jimjimjimmyjim
07-15-2007, 03:31 AM
yeah i agree about the need of setting the example of using whatever you have available to you. i also just saw that show today. soe digital, keep your negative crap to yourself because fake or not his show offers at least entertainment and some basic survival knowledge and techniques. nobody really cares about what you may or may not know about the show.

SOE digital
07-15-2007, 08:44 AM
soe digital, keep your negative crap to yourself because fake or not his show offers at least entertainment and some basic survival knowledge and techniques

Piss off numpty. I myself have even said several times in this thread and overs that the show is great and good fun. I just don't want young know nothing like yourself going around thinking what you see on that show is REAL. He gives both good and bad advice...and it shouldn't be taken literaly.
Pull your head in.

MesquiteCharlie
07-17-2007, 12:04 AM
I remember on the elephant dung episode that he explained that something in the elephant's body made the "dung juice" clean. Personally, I'd dehydrate before I'd drink any dung juice, I don't care what critter squeezed it out.
As for the snake, I don't know, I been pretty hungry before...

wareagle69
07-21-2007, 07:26 PM
the show is called snow shoes and solitude, les and sue went out in a place called tomagami, ontario.
good people, i have met les before. cheers

wareagle69
07-21-2007, 07:32 PM
to paul vs wild..

please excuse my computer skills but on thing that i would like to point out is that a compentant outdoorsman would always be prepared even if going out on a "quick,short simple" hike, so although i find both interesting i think that les is trying to show the armchair survivalist how to keep thier uneducated butts alive or he could just be making a whole lots of money being entertaining but i happen to know les and he does live as close as he can to the earth.... cheers

oh yeah les does have a second season that he is currently filming this info came from max atwood who was filming me at the time doing a moose calf transfer...

ATough
07-21-2007, 08:40 PM
the new season comes out augast 10.

NevadaCarry
07-22-2007, 12:28 AM
I like them both. I started off watching Man vs Wild and then started catching Survivorman. I've read that Man vs Wild has some things setup for him but I don't really care. I think you can pick up good tips from both shows. I don't really look at it as a competition between the two shows.

tarheelfan
07-22-2007, 03:27 PM
I like them both...Bear Grylls is crazy tough and pretty crazy in the head attempting some of the things he does but you gotta respect him. Les Stroud, survival expert and tough as nails for filming it himself.

Sarge47
07-22-2007, 03:31 PM
I like them both...Bear Grylls is crazy tough and pretty crazy in the head attempting some of the things he does but you gotta respect him. Les Stroud, survival expert and tough as nails for filming it himself.

Plus ole' Les can really wail on that harp of his!

zadig39
07-22-2007, 04:44 PM
I like both shows. I think survivorman is a little closer to the reality many of us would face, showing ways to use parts of vehicles,cameras etc that we may have available and showing the effects of hunger,fatige and depression.But Bear is definately a bad-***. That guy will piss in his own canteen before he even looks for water. And is sure to eat a bug in every episode.

BillHay
07-23-2007, 09:33 PM
I have had a little expereince in helping produce some of the North American shows for the discovery channel.

Bear really does go through the scenerios by himself. The camera crew has never helped him in any way (Other than unwittingly providing light during a night time run from a bear.)

The 5 day trip has obviously got to be edited down to 1 hour. So what you don't see is his hours if not days of walking to find the plants, springs, streams, trees and animals he encounters along the way.

You may even notice that some of the scenes are edited out of sequence. If Bear finds a fruit tree, a snake and a spring all in one day, the editors will edit these scenes in over the course of the hour long show.

In order to be entertaining, the editing may be out of wack but the trek is all too real for Bear.

The show is in no way "fake" or "staged"....just edited for television. And to answer the questions about what he eats and why the premise is not of an intentional camper but a lost tourist with almost no equipment having to use the most extreme measures, evidenced in the fact that even though he knows he'll need shelter he leaves his parachute behind.

Randy

So then its safe to say you worked with Dr.Ron Hood ? If so, what did you think of him? How about the whole water escapade of this Mr.Grylls? I do not beleive. Please help, Man vs Wild is most unconvincing.

Sarge47
07-23-2007, 09:41 PM
So then its safe to say you worked with Dr.Ron Hood ? If so, what did you think of him? How about the whole water escapade of this Mr.Grylls? I do not beleive. Please help, Man vs Wild is most unconvincing.

This is an older thread, Bill. Right now Mr. G. is under fire on the thread: "I told you freakin' guys!" And for the record, I have personally talked to Dr. Hood on several occaisons but never attended his school. He seems like a cool guy, but I think he milks the "survival" game for a steep price.

mlfuller
07-24-2007, 04:58 PM
I want to first say that I enjoy watching Man vs. Wild. It is a very interesting show that provides some very useful tips. However, I find it hard to believe that the show is not staged in some ways. On the episode where Bear tries to ride a wild horse, if you run the episode in slow motion you can tell that the horse is wearing horse shoes. I was very disappointed when I saw that. I had to watch it about 5 or 6 times just to make sure that I really saw that.

Marvolo
07-24-2007, 06:03 PM
Soe digital:What you're saying isn't fact.

Marvolo
07-24-2007, 06:14 PM
He does say it may have broken free of a ranch or barn.

blewgrass
07-24-2007, 06:49 PM
Yeah.. the horses were bogus, and misleading. I'm pretty gullable but that's a pocket full of wooden nickels.

SOE digital
07-24-2007, 07:20 PM
Yeah anyone who thinks that was a wild horse is a numpty.

Farakon
07-24-2007, 08:20 PM
Question for you Atlanta

I'm the one that posted in the other thread about having a friend who saw “some guy with an accent” in a ditch by the side of the road.

Is it possible that they were filming a shot that would have been difficult / impossible to get. i.e. They had footage of Bear crawling through a ditch from far away and wanted a close up, shot the close up later and cut it in to look like it was one continuous thing?

Or do they just shoot while he is out in the shiggy and go with what they have?

I don't really have a dog in the Real vs Not Real debate. I'm just interested in how it's made.

Thanks

bravo30
07-24-2007, 10:23 PM
I have had a little expereince in helping produce some of the North American shows for the discovery channel.

Bear really does go through the scenerios by himself. The camera crew has never helped him in any way (Other than unwittingly providing light during a night time run from a bear.)

The 5 day trip has obviously got to be edited down to 1 hour. So what you don't see is his hours if not days of walking to find the plants, springs, streams, trees and animals he encounters along the way.

You may even notice that some of the scenes are edited out of sequence. If Bear finds a fruit tree, a snake and a spring all in one day, the editors will edit these scenes in over the course of the hour long show.

In order to be entertaining, the editing may be out of wack but the trek is all too real for Bear.

The show is in no way "fake" or "staged"....just edited for television. And to answer the questions about what he eats and why the premise is not of an intentional camper but a lost tourist with almost no equipment having to use the most extreme measures, evidenced in the fact that even though he knows he'll need shelter he leaves his parachute behind.

Randy may not be fake or staged but hes no ''LEE STRAUD'' thats for sure if you notice in the credits theres a survival expert there ......

Sarge47
07-24-2007, 10:54 PM
may not be fake or staged but hes no ''LEE STRAUD'' thats for sure if you notice in the credits theres a survival expert there ......

The name is Les Stroud, and he uses survival experts as well. These experts are indigenous to the region our boys are inserting themselves too and are giving them some advice & knowledge to fine-tune their skills.

spiritman
07-25-2007, 12:20 AM
uh oh... another hard core bear enthusiast... SOE digital i feel your pain

SOE digital
07-25-2007, 02:47 AM
Soe digital:What you're saying isn't fact.

It is fact...because I've seen it first hand.

Sarge47
07-25-2007, 06:02 PM
Or should we start referring to you as the BGG? Anyway, if you want to go to Bear's website (www.beargrylls.com) you can click onto Bear's Blog and from their click onto "Merchandising" for Bear's really cool t-shirts & Hoodies , & his very own recommendations. (www.beargrylls.itchyfeet.com/index.php. Be warned that they're selling the Leatherman wave for 89 Quid (Pounds to us yanks, around $180.) Everything I saw there I can buy State-side for half of what they're asking. The Good news? Bear says he's shooting a 3rd season, let's all hope it doesn't get canceled.

nell67
07-25-2007, 06:19 PM
LOL @ Sarge!!!!!!!

Sarge47
07-25-2007, 09:37 PM
OK guys, go to www.tvtattle.com and scroll down about 11 articles to the one on Discovery channel. Then click on it. Bravo Discovery!

Sarge47
07-27-2007, 07:26 PM
Wow! Bear is off Discovery's schedule for awhile. I can't find any reference to him at the Discovery channel's web-site even though he was supposed to have a "season 1" show tonight. "Season 1" Survivorman episodes are on instead. Whattaya think?

nell67
07-27-2007, 09:18 PM
LOL YouTube has removed a interview with Bear Grylls video due to terms of use violation.

Dark786
07-27-2007, 09:27 PM
i have been waiting for this

Sarge47
07-27-2007, 10:12 PM
I've been watching a few of Les' back episodes & am reminded why I like it so much. Les demonstrates how to use whatever's around him, be it wildlife for food, Junk people left behind, etc.. A year ago last spring, using what Les had taught, I visited a wooded area nearby and just did a nature walk noting things that would help me survive. Here's what I can remember:

An old car hub cap for a "fire pan".
An old tire that would make a good smoke signal if set on fire.
Trees that were down that, coupled with a tarp would make a good shelter.
A small spring leading to a nearby river that would provide water and had both frogs (for eating) and minnows (for bait to be used in fishing the nearby river.)

It really was a lot of fun.

tarheelfan
07-28-2007, 02:08 AM
Les Stroud is what essentially got me into learning survival skills and really appreciating the outdoors, a gift from God that many people dont take the time to really stop and appreciate...i mean i've always loved being in the outdoors growing up in the south (fishing, hunting, camping, etc.) but after watching his shows I was literally outside building survival shelters in the acres we owned of previously unused woods...lol...I even brought the show to school one time and our Biology teacher showed it in class...talk about relief (not a big fan of Bio Class)...but anyway les stroud is a true outdoorsman and i am glad he is still going strong. Although i do hope bear brings another season of entertainment and outdoor skills...i cant help it, i like the show..:D

sticks65
07-28-2007, 05:51 PM
ray mears is one of the UKs top bushcraft experts and he keeps it real no bull---- hope you get his show in the U.S.A soon.

zadig39
07-28-2007, 06:09 PM
"numpty" new to me. I like it.

spiritman
07-28-2007, 11:56 PM
I was excited to see the notice while i watched the boreal forest episode last night that there would be new survivorman episodes on Fridays at 9!

Texan
07-29-2007, 01:47 PM
Im new here but after reading these strings about Man vs.Wild I new that this was the right place for me. That show is completely bogus and the things that Bear does will only get someone hurt or sick if they were to try it. The thing that really got me was that on one episode he wouldnt drink the water from a N. American rocky mountain stream without boiling it because of the risk of girdia, and on the next episode i saw him drink urine directly from a fresh elephant turd in the African Savana.

Texan
07-29-2007, 02:05 PM
Les Stroud is a true survivalist and his show is legit. Bear Grills is an idiot and his show is a work of fiction.

Sarge47
07-29-2007, 02:05 PM
Im new here but after reading these strings about Man vs.Wild I new that this was the right place for me. That show is completely bogus and the things that Bear does will only get someone hurt or sick if they were to try it. The thing that really got me was that on one episode he wouldnt drink the water from a N. American rocky mountain stream without boiling it because of the risk of girdia, and on the next episode i saw him drink urine directly from a fresh elephant turd in the African Savana.

Not to mention when he was in Kimberly Australia he urinated into his own canteen and drank it, assuring viewers that it was okay to drink your own urine!

sticks65
07-29-2007, 02:08 PM
Heres the deal. . . Man vs Wild pretty much shows you what not to do. survivorman shows you what he would do. every situation is diffrent but the goal is to get found and not get hurt witch i think is displayed more in survivorman. the dude in man vs wild showed us that you should climb a 40 foot tree in the jungle to get a better look around, real smart, that show is a joke. atleast survivorman is believable and solo.if they got in a fight against one another survivor man would beat him senseless and live of his corpse for weeks. someone is going or allready did get hurt taking advice from man vs bloated entertainment industry.. . . . . .oh sorry . . . .wild
so now it,s not which show is more realistic it,s who would win in a fight.My money is on bear who served with British special forces.

Texan
07-29-2007, 02:12 PM
Yeah I must have missed that episode cause after the first couple of times i watched it i realized that Bear was full of it and i havent went out of the way to try and catch anymore of his shows.

Sarge47
07-29-2007, 02:15 PM
:eek: Why not give them dueling pistols and stand back-to-back, count off ten paces, turn & fire? :rolleyes: here's the point guys, it's not a contest, just two guys trying to make a living teaching survival. One's British, one's Canadian, but they're both well paid.;)

sticks65
07-29-2007, 02:50 PM
it,s only television and its all rubbish.

Sarge47
07-29-2007, 04:19 PM
Here's the problems I have with both survival shows involving Les & Bear. Our two survivors become some kind of "super-heros" to us. Les' show is called "Survivorman", similar to "Superman".:rolleyes: It implies that he can survive anything that's thrown at him. Same with Bear G.. (Should be called "Bear vs. Ratings.):p Guys, it's just not so! Survival isn't the latest "game-show" or "Extreme sport"; it's life OR death!!!! Niether one of these guys could have survived the hurricanes or Tsunnis that hit a while back if they were in the wrong place. I watch the shows because I want to see certain survival skills and tools actually being used out in the field. I don't particuarly care to see two guys in a lot better shape than I am surviving a situation that they set up in advance. That's just not how it works.:eek:

In J. Wayne Fear's book: "The Complete Book Of Outdoor Survival, which, by the way, you can buy from Amazon for about 6 bucks, he tells how not every survival situation is about being lost, but in some cases, can rise up from being stranded. Sometimes it's about making wrong decisions, sometimes being in a desolate place and injured really bad. During his "plane crash scenario" Les tried handicapping himself by limiting himself to using only one arm. He had to give it up!:o Let's have some real survival shows out there, like the one I recommended awhile back!

FVR
07-29-2007, 05:49 PM
Okay, little lost here as my response was to Rasputin.

wareagle69
07-29-2007, 06:55 PM
damn sarge gotta disagree with you on this one.

i don't care much for bear, he is entertaining but i think he shows just about everything not to do in a scenario.

now lets get to les
i like the guy, he is not saying he could have survived a tsunami or done a show on urban survival yet ie huricane( although maybe i should e mail that one to him) i think he is showing what the average joe could to in these situations as we all know survival is mostly mental, maybe someone will have seen his show and think that they are capable of doing the same, the only superman stuff that les does is carry all that camera equipment around.

speaking of carrying everything around what does bear do he was sas, did a partial traing with the ffl climbed everest(how much a sherpa pulled him up? who knows) and crossed the artic by himself, now thats impressive, but it doesn,t make me think that i could do any of that unlike les

great thread sarge always lok forward to reading your thoughts but that is what makes life so great is everyones respectful differences

what about the rest of the wolfpack? what are your thoughts?

wareagle69
07-29-2007, 07:15 PM
hey sarge did you find out about ray mears yet? he is probably the best show to watch. what ray teaches is bushcraft(oddly enough thats the name of the show) he does have a show called extreme survival but i like buscraft better.
i do agree with you and gringo abouta more realistic show heck maybe even a reality show if you can't make fire or tools, your out

Sarge47
07-29-2007, 07:30 PM
damn sarge gotta disagree with you on this one.

i don't care much for bear, he is entertaining but i think he shows just about everything not to do in a scenario.

now lets get to les
i like the guy, he is not saying he could have survived a tsunami or done a show on urban survival yet ie huricane( although maybe i should e mail that one to him) i think he is showing what the average joe could to in these situations as we all know survival is mostly mental, maybe someone will have seen his show and think that they are capable of doing the same, the only superman stuff that les does is carry all that camera equipment around.

speaking of carrying everything around what does bear do he was sas, did a partial traing with the ffl climbed everest(how much a sherpa pulled him up? who knows) and crossed the artic by himself, now thats impressive, but it doesn,t make me think that i could do any of that unlike les

great thread sarge always lok forward to reading your thoughts but that is what makes life so great is everyones respectful differences

what about the rest of the wolfpack? what are your thoughts?

Actually, at this point in time Les has both age and physical stamina on me.:o
However, it's the way the show is promoted that bothers me. How many here could do the things these guys do just as well? Almost all of you, I'll bet. Yet you don't get a cool logo and your own program, if you catch my drift. All that being said, I'll be right down in front of my TV when Les' new series starts. I guess there's some more stuff going on about Bear when he jumped into the ice hole to demonstrate how to get out, and even Dr. Ron Hood has weighed in on his phony stuff. Man I hope he gets a 3rd season too, though.

Sarge47
07-29-2007, 07:42 PM
hey sarge did you find out about ray mears yet? he is probably the best show to watch. what ray teaches is bushcraft(oddly enough thats the name of the show) he does have a show called extreme survival but i like buscraft better.
i do agree with you and gringo abouta more realistic show heck maybe even a reality show if you can't make fire or tools, your out

Haven't found anything yet, bro, other than occaisional referances to him. Ironically enough, "Bushcraft" is also the title of a Mors Kochanski book on Wilderness Survival.

wareagle69
07-29-2007, 07:46 PM
thats the point sarge, les is showing us that it is anything that anyone of us are capable of doing. as for getting my own show gotta know the right people.

FVR
07-29-2007, 07:49 PM
I do like Les, but hey, there is just something about a guy who drinks elephant crap water, wraps a pee laden t shirt around his face, drinks pee, eats live snakes, and drinks nasty water.

And that's Entertainment.

Honestly, Bear does not impress me. I have many friends who are much more impressive, they just don't have thier own tv shows.

Sarge47
07-29-2007, 08:34 PM
I do like Les, but hey, there is just something about a guy who drinks elephant crap water, wraps a pee laden t shirt around his face, drinks pee, eats live snakes, and drinks nasty water.

And that's Entertainment.

Honestly, Bear does not impress me. I have many friends who are much more impressive, they just don't have thier own tv shows.

I hear that! Les definately keeps it more real. I realized that just watching the recent reruns of his 1st season this weekend. It's the way the shows are hyped that's a bit problematic for me. It's why we have the "Which do you:rolleyes: like better" thread.

Fog_Harbor
07-29-2007, 10:06 PM
I have seen Man vs. Wild and enjoyed it. But I have not seen Survivorman yet. I don't even know when it airs in our area? I will have to look for it because I think it sounds interesting.

You can catch either on Discovery on Friday nights.

Fog_Harbor
07-29-2007, 10:09 PM
My husband and kids love to watch these shows. Do you think they have anything to actually teach people about surviving in on "have-to" basis?

To be honest, either of them will get you dead if you depend on them for a teaching tool. They both have the skills, but both do things that'll get you hurt if you don't know what you're doing. I like both shows, but not for learning the skills.

NevadaCarry
07-29-2007, 11:10 PM
I have to admit, I'm liking Survivorman more and more. Thanks to my Media Center I've been recording all the shows that come on and I think I'm pretty much caught up. Can't wait for the new season. I'll still watch both though.

trax
07-30-2007, 12:39 PM
I It's the way the shows are hyped that's a bit problematic for me.

You keep coming back to that Sarge, and that's exactly what it is. If sponsors think people are going to watch a guy eating scorpions or falling off mountains, that's the guy they're going to get and the hype is going to make the casual observer (they've got 30 seconds to hook you as a viewer, right?) believe the guy is superman or whatever. If they think the viewer wants to see Joe Average out there struggling against the environment, bingo! line the guy up. Find someone like NorthFace of MEC to outfit him and away he goes. I'm not going to let my survival depend on something I saw on a TV show, for one reason I can't afford about 90% of the gear those guys use, anymore than I'm going to start believing the "news" on Fox, CNN and a lot of other news broadcasts. I seldom see TV anymore any way...can't be bothered. Turns out they just want to sell me the right brand of toothpaste!

I think that forums such as these, where a person can offer their point of view in a respectful and intelligent manner and receive responses the same way (and I applaud disagreement, as long as both parties aren't attacking one another) may be the last bastion for true information sharing we have. It's one of the few uses I have for the InterWeb or the worldwidenet or whatever

Xplosive22
07-30-2007, 07:37 PM
Bear Grylls has mentioned that what he does on his show is what HE himself would do (and does) to survive in the given scenario. Other shows like Survivorman portray DIFFERENT scenarios with different resources available. So to say that one person is wrong or the information is "bogus" for not being the same as what a "better expert" says is nonsense.

People will survive as they are taught to survive. Many strategies and methods of survival work. Some better than others. I believe the shows are intended to make people think more creatively and to give a sense of caution to life-saving decisions. It isn't necessarily meant to be repeated exactly as done.

And you CAN drink urine. It is mostly water and because of your internal temperature it comes out sterile. If you don't have a water source, you reuse what you have. Not to mention that if you let yourself get dehydrated just to put off the inevitable because you *think* you will find clean water, you will end up peeing very little of a higher concentration of waste. I've been dehydrated, I know.

So for all of you people bashing Bear Grylls or Les Stroud or whoever else has a show, you aught to think about it less in terms of precise information and more in terms of possibilities for survival. Both of these survivalists have gotten ill on their shows but it doesn't mean that it was stupid of them to eat what they ate or have drunk what they drank.

Being picky and critical about every little thing can and most likely will get you into a worse situation than being reasonable and using logic.

SOE digital
07-30-2007, 09:13 PM
So for all of you people bashing Bear Grylls or Les Stroud or whoever else has a show

We aint bashing Les Stroud....because he's not a lying douche.

Sarge47
07-30-2007, 09:20 PM
Bear Grylls has mentioned that what he does on his show is what HE himself would do (and does) to survive in the given scenario. Other shows like Survivorman portray DIFFERENT scenarios with different resources available. So to say that one person is wrong or the information is "bogus" for not being the same as what a "better expert" says is nonsense.

People will survive as they are taught to survive. Many strategies and methods of survival work. Some better than others. I believe the shows are intended to make people think more creatively and to give a sense of caution to life-saving decisions. It isn't necessarily meant to be repeated exactly as done.

And you CAN drink urine. It is mostly water and because of your internal temperature it comes out sterile. If you don't have a water source, you reuse what you have. Not to mention that if you let yourself get dehydrated just to put off the inevitable because you *think* you will find clean water, you will end up peeing very little of a higher concentration of waste. I've been dehydrated, I know.

So for all of you people bashing Bear Grylls or Les Stroud or whoever else has a show, you aught to think about it less in terms of precise information and more in terms of possibilities for survival. Both of these survivalists have gotten ill on their shows but it doesn't mean that it was stupid of them to eat what they ate or have drunk what they drank.

Being picky and critical about every little thing can and most likely will get you into a worse situation than being reasonable and using logic.

Don't hold back, tell us what you really think.:rolleyes: By the way, welcome to the wolf pack! Are we dissin' Bear? You bet dawg, which is our unalienable right as members of the TV audiance.:mad:

ATough
07-30-2007, 09:24 PM
I like both shows I dont see why people cant like both man vs. wild and survivorman.sure bear looks staged some times. but it is still I cool show. and all the poepl who like less hate bear and the other way around.

Sarge47
07-30-2007, 09:49 PM
I like both shows I dont see why people cant like both man vs. wild and survivorman.sure bear looks staged some times. but it is still I cool show. and all the poepl who like less hate bear and the other way around.

I don't love nor hate either of those guys. I'll be watching any shows that they put on. But I'd still like to see Dr. Ron Hood or even this Ray Mears guy along with them.:cool:

Xplosive22
07-30-2007, 10:51 PM
Thanks for the welcome. :)

I like both shows although I find Man vs Wild to explain things better. It has an educational feel to it and Bear is very articulated and easy to listen to and great fun to watch.

Survivorman is comedic from my point of view. I especially like the Boreal Forest episode where he boils a plant root in his hat and makes sour faces as he eats it. The throwing up was funny too. :)

They both present somewhat unrealistic situations though. It is a little easier to keep your cool knowing that people are aware of your situation and WILL come rescue you should you need help.

Really though, the information is useful and I have a higher awareness of the usefulness of my surroundings when I go out.

Sarge47
07-30-2007, 11:41 PM
No debate there mate. Both shows do fill a void in the "world of outdoor survival", that's for sure!;)

sam30248
07-30-2007, 11:52 PM
bear takes to many chances,survivorman is more real

Xplosive22
07-31-2007, 12:15 AM
I agree with that. I suppose when you're loves contain climbing and parachuting you tend to incorporate it into your lifestyle. You can clearly see that Bear Grylls has a more adventurous time with his filming. I can appreciate that though. If you're comfortable that you'll survive the night, why not have a little fun? :p

In all seriousness though, the enthusiasm of the host really makes a difference in how much you take in from the show and the entertainment value.

SOE digital
08-01-2007, 12:12 AM
http://www.daughtersoftiresias.org/bearwiki/Bad_Advice_and_Inaccuracies

Ahahahahahahhahahahha!
A list off al the stupid things that Bear does.
Eating eggshells? Why the **** would you do that. Stupid.

Sarge47
08-01-2007, 01:11 AM
http://www.daughtersoftiresias.org/bearwiki/Bad_Advice_and_Inaccuracies

Ahahahahahahhahahahha!
A list off al the stupid things that Bear does.
Eating eggshells? Why the **** would you do that. Stupid.

This was really good reading, thanks for sharing dude!;)

donny h
08-01-2007, 01:23 AM
This was really good reading, thanks for sharing dude!;)

Yeah, what Sarge said, that's good stuff, thank you.

That is how we learn from what Bear does, by analyzing what he does wrong, and learning from it. In this way, Bear really can help us learn about wilderness survival.

Of course, Darwin Award candidates may literally follow his every move and die as a result, but we can't really do anything about that, except maybe sharing advice with others both online and in person. Then again, Darwin Award types generally neither seek nor heed advice.

ky archer
08-01-2007, 01:43 AM
I have only seen Man vs Wild one time and almost threw my Bud Light at the television and some of the crap he was doing. I believe he was in the Copper Canyon region of Mexico and just doing some stupid s$%t in my opinion.He was climbing down a sheer cliff and then jumping over a gulch to get down when it was obvious that an easier and SAFER route was visible from the top of the ridge he was on. Then he was jumping off of waterfalls into a river with no way of knowing what lay beneath the water. If you are in a survival situation these are things you should never take a chance on,unless someone's chasing you with an AK 47! I like Survivorman much better as it is more realistic and Les rarely takes stupid chances like whats his face does. Just my opinion.

Xplosive22
08-01-2007, 03:05 AM
I like both but I find Man vs Wild to be more adventurous and educational and Bear has a very articulated speaking voice.

Both hosts have back-up help so there is no sense in arguing about it. Bear has a film crew and Les Stroud has people that know where he is that can come help him. It wouldn't be on television if the star had absolutely no way of getting medical attention.

And neither mans methods will "get you killed". Oh, except if you fail to do them without killing yourself. That's right, you are responsible for doing things in a correct manner to keep YOURSELF alive. If Bear climbs down a rock face and lives and you do it and die then it is your fault. If Les Stroud cooks a venomous snake and you repeat it but forget about removing the head and die, YOUR FAULT.

Surviving is all about knowing what you are doing. It isn't about simply repeating things exactly as you see it. The idea of the shows are to accumulate knowledge that can help. They certainly don't put in the disclaimer that you should reenact the scenarios seen on television to the letter. Every situation is different.

Xplosive22
08-01-2007, 03:15 AM
I'm a little surprised to see how seriously some people take these two shows. They are both fine and semi-educational. Neither one is the damn Holy Bible of Survival.

Realistically I think that a lot of people have issues with the show because it is their main source of information for survival.

It is a good idea to do research outside of television. Like books or actual hands-on training from a survival school or the military.

Everyone does things according to what they know and how they believe they can best remedy a situation. Both Les and Bear have payed consequences for doing things that clearly didn't go over well with their bodies. IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

Survivorman
08-01-2007, 06:43 AM
for man vs wild.

most of the time he does stupid things because people are stupid, he shows you what to do if you do something stupid, when he throws himself into a river he shows you what to do to prevent hypothermia. but i think bear himself doesn't realize some of the things he does, the average man cant climb cliffs like he does, or fly down tree's or climb up them, he does most things people without huge psychical training cannot do.

he does do alot of stupid things, when i saw him squeeze the elephant dung for water...you're just asking to kill yourself, i dont care how thirsty i am for water, the sheer amount of bacteria and parasites he got from that must've been numerous, and eating a fish raw? common sense, cook everything and anything you can, even if its okay to eat it raw, past like wild berries or something i'd cook everything in sight.

i also dont like his sheer affection for constantly trying to be in a rush wherever he goes, if you notice he's always trying to gain alot of ground fast, in very dangerous ways, holding onto logs while going down rapids just to save yourself 15 minutes of walking is just sheer insanity, he knows he'll be out of there in a day or two(thats how often his shows span, never seen him go past two days really) and he's always just overexerting himself, he doesn't know how to conserve energy at all, which brings me to my next point.


For survivorman

the first thing survivor man tries to teach you is the best thing to do is often sit still and wait for help, but as he said, the psychology of people thinking they can get out themselves is always powerful, one that he himself falls to.

les never runs, he never does daring things, he stays calm, takes his time and keeps his cool. He cooks ALOT of things and he shows what works and what doesn't work, he shows you the real hardships of survival, using his last pieces of food only to have empty traps and lost bait, trying out survival methods he's heard of but never tried, and doing methods he's known but never tried himself.

another thing i love is the psychology of the show, you see when Les is down, you see when loneliness effects him (and he breaks out his harmonica to bring his spirits up). one thing you must see is that a #1 factor in surviving is all about attitude, you always see bear happy and smiling and hoping around, why? he has a camera crew to talk to when the camera's off, heck he even talks to them when its filming and dont you find it weird he's always so energetic? it makes me wonder if the camera crew is slipping him some energy bars in the off hours.

and les, you see him tired DESPITE always taking the path of least resistance and keeping calm and taking things slowly, he's out there for 7 days all the time,i doubt bear is out there that long but you notice the difference as to how it is when people are around and when they are not, if you've ever seen les with his family, he's alot more energetic and happy (watch off the grid or when he's doing shows or promos with a camera crew, its nice when people are around and you dont have to haul 50 lbs of camera equipment).

as for credentials, i wonder how many know that Les and his wife, in their first year of marriage decided to live out in the woods for a whole year, no metal, no plastic, nothing. it was titled snowshoes and solitude, i suggest you check it out when the DVD comes out for it. basically they Travel by canoe and in the winter by snowshoe, Les and his wife were attempting to replicate life in North America 500 years ago, before Europeans first set foot on the continent. They created fire without matches. They built a shelter with a stone axe. They survived on only what they could survive, if that isn't credentials for knowing how to survive in the bush i dont know what is, a whole year, blows bears training by a mile and a half.

yes, Stroud is a musician also, his work is in film and music, but his passion is the outdoors, if you want to see what he has done check this out

http://www.lesstroudonline.com/tv.html

thats just his publicated stuff, you'll see a thing titled Stranded there too, that was basically the inspiration for the show he's now known for which is obviously survivorman.


basically when it comes down to it, if i had to pick anyone to teach me survival or to have a partner to deal with the bush, it would be the calm jolly Canadian musician who takes his time and is careful on top of having lived in the bush for a whole year with his wife over the gun hoe British guy with military training who has hurt himself more times then i can count and is always in a rush to get from point A to B despite being in a survival situation where safety and conservation is top priority.

Bear Grylls Is a Soldier through and through, he has great strength, great endurance, and he's highly mobile, he gets props for doing Everest as well as being a nice guy (he's a motivational speaker despite his survival career).

Les Stroud is a Musician/film maker who has made outdoors a integral part of his life, its what he and his family loves, its what they do for fun and as part of their lives, For bear its training, for Les its life itself, he may not show his strength in displays like bear does, but you think hauling around 50-80 lbs of camera equipment and filming all that by yourself is an easy thing? he has a even harder time as when he's walking and filming himself, you think that stationary camera is going to follow him? nope, he walks back and grabs it, he gets credit because he does everything himself.

HOP
08-01-2007, 08:30 AM
It is my understanding that Ron Hood was the expert on bears show for a short while and he indicates tha reality is a little weak there.
I find that bear shows me how not to act in a survival situation, and takes to many chances. I have sen him rappel with a 5/8ths rope he said was salvaged from his paraschute (the new 550 I guess). Maybe it is his military training that makes him take so many chances(escape & evade is priorty in much of the training) Botom line its intertaing but poorly stage and less than honest.

SOE digital
08-01-2007, 08:37 AM
The thing that ****s me about Man vs Wild is the fact that he IS SELLING it as an educational show! That's the way they pitch it. He always says "...and I'm going to show YOU how to do it". Yeah, good one Bear, show everyone how to completely f*** themselves up and catch a million different types of water and flesh born diseases!
I know you'd have to be an idiot to take the guy seriously but let's face it:
America (no offence) has some of the most naive people in the world and they're probably the biggest audience for this show.

You can't go on tv and say that you can do 'this and that' in order to survive, when it's all f***ing staged and safe. Bear is rarely in any real danger because he has an emergancy crew at hand. Some retard American kid is going to see Man vs Wild, think that it's real and use the advice in real life...because the show is promoted as being educational and above all else: REAL.
It is niether. It's just one stupid numpty who knows nothing about surviving in the wild who does stupid **** for the cameras and passes it all off as being legit.

...and don't give me this "oh he was in the SAS" **** either please kids. He was only in the reservist unit as far as I'm aware.

ATough
08-01-2007, 09:43 AM
who posted that?

nell67
08-01-2007, 10:59 AM
Survivorman with a capitol S

trax
08-01-2007, 11:18 AM
One of my teachers in life once told me that I had to make up my mind every day what kind of example I was going to set. I wanted to argue with her about it, but she countered with, "How do you know someone isn't watching your every move? You decide what kind of example you're going to give them by your actions. You're an example, you get to decide whether good or bad." Made sense. When you see someone doing something totally s###headed, don' t do it! Some of the stunts I hear about this guy pulling, I don't think anyone in their right mind is going to try. Education complete, lol!

Sarge47
08-01-2007, 11:26 AM
I'm a little surprised to see how seriously some people take these two shows. They are both fine and semi-educational. Neither one is the damn Holy Bible of Survival.

Realistically I think that a lot of people have issues with the show because it is their main source of information for survival.

It is a good idea to do research outside of television. Like books or actual hands-on training from a survival school or the military.

Everyone does things according to what they know and how they believe they can best remedy a situation. Both Les and Bear have payed consequences for doing things that clearly didn't go over well with their bodies. IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

These two programs are presented as LEGITAMATE survival shows.:mad: Also, there's no way you can convince me that the majority of "the Wolf Pack" doesn't study other sources outside of these two shows, a good reading of all the posts on this site proves that!:p

ATough
08-01-2007, 12:06 PM
ooh okay. this is going to be weird. lol

ZTGuy
08-01-2007, 01:41 PM
Bottom line here folks, never stray far from home without some form of survival kit on your person. I have built about seven of them, from a small, pocket-sized one all the way up to a large one complete with an AR-7 .22cal. survival rifle. I would like to see both shows stressing the importance of carrying survival items on your person at all times.

Spot on my friend. Not to sound like an armchair survivalist wacko, but at a bare minimum, I have on my person at all times the following (also keep in mind I live pretty much "in the woods", and have often had to chase my dog into the woods to retrieve him): my edc Strider folding knife kept in RFP; a backup folder kept in BRP; a Leatherman Charge Ti kept in LFP; my wallet with creds etc in left front cargo pocket; a "Light My Fire" firesteel flint also in left front cargo; cell phone, pepper spray, and a can of Kodiak in right front cargo pocket; and finally a locking carabiner with a couple yards of 550 cord wrapped around it on my belt. I guess what makes alot of this possible is the type of clothing I wear (i.e., stuff that has alot of pockets ;-). Sarge, I also have a black AR-7 Henry US Survival rifle- amongst a few others- great little survival gun......and it floats when stored in the self-containing unit.

Cwolfx
08-01-2007, 02:03 PM
Here are my opinions on both shows and their hosts.

- Bear : Very entertaining, and does have some useful tactics and skills you can use to survive. He is in my top favorite people on the discovery channel.

- Les : Les is very knowledgeable in wilderness survival. He knows to inform you that he is not perfect, and he does make mistakes. He is safe, and shows you how to be aswell. Also in the top 5 favorite people on Discovery.

- Man VS Wild : Very good show. I watched every episode in one sitting. The thing that people don't understand is that every survival show doesn't have to be without camera men. Bear chooses to have camera men, and that doesn't make his show any more fake. He isn't there to show you that he can survive in the wild by himself, but to teach you how to.

- Survivor Man : My all time favorite show. It truely captivates the real essence of survival. The host does an excelent job of showing you what to do in survival situations all over the world, and the fact that he doesn't have a camera crew makes it even more exciting. There is nothing wrong with this show at all.

Sarge47
08-01-2007, 02:39 PM
Here are my opinions on both shows and their hosts.

- Bear : Very entertaining, and does have some useful tactics and skills you can use to survive. He is in my top favorite people on the discovery channel.

- Les : Les is very knowledgeable in wilderness survival. He knows to inform you that he is not perfect, and he does make mistakes. He is safe, and shows you how to be aswell. Also in the top 5 favorite people on Discovery.

- Man VS Wild : Very good show. I watched every episode in one sitting. The thing that people don't understand is that every survival show doesn't have to be without camera men. Bear chooses to have camera men, and that doesn't make his show any more fake. He isn't there to show you that he can survive in the wild by himself, but to teach you how to.

- Survivor Man : My all time favorite show. It truely captivates the real essence of survival. The host does an excelent job of showing you what to do in survival situations all over the world, and the fact that he doesn't have a camera crew makes it even more exciting. There is nothing wrong with this show at all.

No offense Dawg, we're not talking "camera personel" here, we're talking deliberate mis-leading of the public on a "self-proclaimed" educational network.:p

Cwolfx
08-01-2007, 03:33 PM
Well technically, they do provide acurate information. The way we choose to enterpret this information is our choice.

The information provided by bear seems to lean more towards specific situations. Although I do admit that his tactics could be risky for the average person.

With Les, he doesn't take many dangerous risks, and he shows the necessitys of survival. I will argue that Les provides nothing but true, factual means of survival. He has made mistakes before on his show, and openly admits it.

Dawg ;)

- And you guys are talking about Camera crews. Heres proof.

he has a camera crew to talk to when the camera's off, heck he even talks to them when its filming and dont you find it weird he's always so energetic? it makes me wonder if the camera crew is slipping him some energy bars in the off hours.

Survivorman
08-01-2007, 03:46 PM
who posted that?

I'm Your evil twin!

ATough
08-01-2007, 03:50 PM
its scary couse when I see Survivorman and I know I diddnt post it, its kinda weird. lol

trax
08-01-2007, 03:56 PM
It is a good idea to do research outside of television.

Nope, sorry....too much work, might have to think. Can't do it, uh-uh. I go out into the wilds and the TV comes with me, I plug it into a currant bush:D :D :D

trax
08-01-2007, 04:03 PM
I'm Your evil twin!

I am soooo jealous, I wanna be someone's evil twin! Anyone??? Please?? LOL

trax
08-01-2007, 04:06 PM
Man, with all that SIP (stuff in pockets) you better hang onto that AR7 if you FIW (fall in water) or you're gonna SLR (sink like rock)

Just kiddin' dude, welcome to the wolfpack!

ZTGuy
08-01-2007, 04:34 PM
Man, with all that SIP (stuff in pockets) you better hang onto that AR7 if you FIW (fall in water) or you're gonna SLR (sink like rock)

Just kiddin' dude, welcome to the wolfpack!

Thanks for the welcome, trax. Believe it or not, the total weight is actually not that bad......it's nothing compared to the gear I wear on my duty belt at work, perhaps that is why I don't even really notice it- everything's relative I guess. Take care, bro.

trax
08-01-2007, 04:51 PM
Uh-oh...now I have to start saying nice things about cops?? Glad you got a sense of humor man, I was trying to take a dig at all those acronyms you used I had to keep stopping reading to figure out RFP and LBP and all that, lol. (My best friend is a cop, by the way, {ducking})

Fog_Harbor
08-01-2007, 10:18 PM
Don't get too excited, Bear only filmed four episodes for this season, and they've already aired. His site is still on the Dicovery Channel site

Xplosive22
08-01-2007, 10:20 PM
Here are my opinions on both shows and their hosts.

- Bear : Very entertaining, and does have some useful tactics and skills you can use to survive. He is in my top favorite people on the discovery channel.

- Les : Les is very knowledgeable in wilderness survival. He knows to inform you that he is not perfect, and he does make mistakes. He is safe, and shows you how to be aswell. Also in the top 5 favorite people on Discovery.

- Man VS Wild : Very good show. I watched every episode in one sitting. The thing that people don't understand is that every survival show doesn't have to be without camera men. Bear chooses to have camera men, and that doesn't make his show any more fake. He isn't there to show you that he can survive in the wild by himself, but to teach you how to.

- Survivor Man : My all time favorite show. It truely captivates the real essence of survival. The host does an excelent job of showing you what to do in survival situations all over the world, and the fact that he doesn't have a camera crew makes it even more exciting. There is nothing wrong with this show at all.

Good way to sum it up. I agree with you. :D

Fog_Harbor
08-01-2007, 10:22 PM
I've been watching a few of Les' back episodes & am reminded why I like it so much. Les demonstrates how to use whatever's around him, be it wildlife for food, Junk people left behind, etc.. A year ago last spring, using what Les had taught, I visited a wooded area nearby and just did a nature walk noting things that would help me survive. Here's what I can remember:

An old car hub cap for a "fire pan".
An old tire that would make a good smoke signal if set on fire.
Trees that were down that, coupled with a tarp would make a good shelter.
A small spring leading to a nearby river that would provide water and had both frogs (for eating) and minnows (for bait to be used in fishing the nearby river.)

It really was a lot of fun.

I do that frequently. I learned it from our local volunteer disaster response team course. They called it "Seeing With Earthquake Eyes"

I call it "What'll kill me and what'll help me"

OK. You're right. I'm paranoid. I wanted to join Paranoids' Anonymous, but they wouldn't tell me where the meetings were...

Sarge47
08-01-2007, 10:39 PM
Don't get too excited, Bear only filmed four episodes for this season, and they've already aired. His site is still on the Dicovery Channel site

Are you talking about Bear or Les?:confused:

spiritman
08-01-2007, 11:12 PM
I was talking about Les Stroud

Devin
08-02-2007, 06:26 AM
survivor man because Bear do stuped things

Cwolfx
08-02-2007, 09:24 AM
Good way to sum it up. I agree with you. :D

Aha, I knew someone would agree soon ;) Thanks, its good to have some support.

HOP
08-03-2007, 07:11 AM
If Bear gets canceled I will have to go back to watching Road Runner (now there is a survivor)

wareagle69
08-03-2007, 07:52 PM
i found bear fakes grizzly attack about half way down

owl_girl
08-03-2007, 09:25 PM
i found bear fakes grizzly attack about half way down

Yah but that was one person's word agents another's. So who ever people want to believe their gona. Not soled evidence either way.

FVR
08-03-2007, 10:15 PM
Talk about losing your reputation.

Dark786
08-04-2007, 04:12 PM
hey u bggs bear grills is a fake dumd arse he is an imposter that is why the discory channel cancled him . he is not a surviror just intertament its like watching a comedy .

Sarge47
08-04-2007, 04:29 PM
hey u bggs bear grills is a fake dumd arse he is an imposter that is why the discory channel cancled him . he is not a surviror just intertament its like watching a comedy .

Hate bustin' yer bubble, Dark Dude, but don't count the mighty Bear out yet! I received an answer just yesterday to a question I e-mailed to Discovery and they said he will be back, but that there will be more disclaimers and clearer explanations throughout! Les Stroud is really smart doing his own filming as if he does decide to cheat there's no witnesses!:rolleyes:

FVR
08-04-2007, 11:06 PM
More disclaimers, hmmm.

In a real fast lawyer voice and jargan.

BG reserves the right to; use a porta potty, spend nights in hotels, eat hotel food, take showers....................(AHHHHHHH THAT'S WHY THE SOB NEVER GOT HEAT RASH'S IN THE JUNGLES, HE TOOK SHOWERS, USED CLEAN TOWELS TO DRY OFF, APPLIED BABY POWDER OR HAD AN ASSISTANT DO THAT, THEN PUT ON NEWLY WASHED AND DRY UNDIES) GB reserves the right to cut and paste and make up situations that he really is not in, and he reserves the right to dress his buddies up in bear costumes to throw "SCARY" shadows in the twilight hours.

I reserve the right to just laugh my arse off when he's on tv. British SOS, he probably took a college coarse in British military history and then had is arse carried up Everest.

Guys a joke.

HOP
08-05-2007, 11:12 AM
I like both shows while both are edited many secenes of Bears are staged(Ron Hood was advisor on Bear's show for a short while and had a few negative things to say about this) and now there is word about Bear staying in hotels at night and geting a lot of support from his crew. I Think that Les tries to show a senario as it might really go down. An as for good speling I am amazed that the human race actually survived before written word although I did see less put a message in a bottle.

criticalmass
08-05-2007, 09:24 PM
I loved the fist season of Survivorman with Les Stroud (sp?). And I was exited about Man vs Wild until I started watching the first show and he was "using" a river to travel farther faster.........it was obvious that he had a life vest on under his shirt. I turned it imediately and have not watched since.

tarheelfan
08-07-2007, 10:59 PM
Well w/ all the controversy surrounding bear grylls lately i thought that me and my friend should take action and make a survival show also...w/ bear grylls possible contract termination, who knows...you might be seeing this on Discovery soon...lol

(All footage was taken from a recent hike basically to just document the hike but then we saw how fun it was to poke fun at Bear so this is the result..DO NOT take advice to heart or you will probably hurt yourself...watch at your own risk...ENJOY!!! I also want to make clear this is a joke and not bashing Bear Grylls,im not into that....nevertheless laugh it up)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9fdKPznumGA

spiritman
08-08-2007, 03:21 AM
Dang it I want to see it!

tarheelfan
08-08-2007, 12:23 PM
Haha...i will try to re-upload later today...it really started on accident when i was climbing a rock during a hike while my friend was filming and i started quoting bear grylls. I'll PM u when i upload. :D

nell67
08-08-2007, 04:01 PM
LOL that was funny!,ready to try to clean your teeth again?!!!!

tarheelfan
08-08-2007, 05:04 PM
nell67 - LOL that was funny!,ready to try to clean your teeth again?!!!!

I think im just going to stick with a tooth brush frm now on...it wasnt too bad until i started chewing it and then it had this horrible tart taste to it...lol..Im definately goin to leave that for bear grylls frm now on though!!!:D

nell67
08-08-2007, 06:14 PM
Your dentist will probably thank you for that :D

spiritman
08-08-2007, 07:20 PM
Haha...i will try to re-upload later today...it really started on accident when i was climbing a rock during a hike while my friend was filming and i started quoting bear grylls. I'll PM u when i upload. :D

That would be great!

spiritman
08-08-2007, 07:28 PM
lol you should send it to the discovery network

tarheelfan
08-08-2007, 07:42 PM
lol you should send it to the discovery network

Yea, i think they might go for it...lol...although im not too sure if our survival "tips" are safe enough to be revealed to the general public..lol :D

blewgrass
08-10-2007, 02:21 AM
Man vs. Wild has vanished from Discovery and I don't see the ads any more. Survivorman is on now which is ok by me. Les is great.
Anyone know the full skinny?

spiritman
08-10-2007, 06:01 AM
There are about 50 threads about this and they all have something different to say. They all end on a few simple truths though. Bear is fake but entertaining, Les Stroud keeps it more real but doesn't like to kill anything with fur, There will always be BGG's, and we will all watch both shows anyways.

Sarge47
08-10-2007, 09:42 AM
There are about 50 threads about this and they all have something different to say. They all end on a few simple truths though. Bear is fake but entertaining, Les Stroud keeps it more real but doesn't like to kill anything with fur, There will always be BGG's, and we will all watch both shows anyways.

Nice summation Spiritman!:rolleyes:

ryaninmichigan
08-10-2007, 12:33 PM
I find them both entertaining and nothing more. If you watch MvW and try to learn something to duplicate at a different time you are going to die quickly in the woods. First off, He parachutes in. In a real scenario where you drop from the sky it would be from a plane crash. (Unless you somehow got pushed from a plan) Anyway in a plane crash we all know where the best place to be rescued is and it is not 100 miles away 3 canyons over. With a piss soaked boxers on your head. Staying with the wreck is not very entertaining and the show would be 15 minutes long.