Originally Posted by
Great Dane
Just to clarify. There is more than one level of SERE training (A, B and C), and different programs. There are also tons of different military survival schools, that I know is being used by the US Military, both in and outside the US.
And I agree with Crash. Combat training has nothing to do with survival training.
One of the things that there is to these shows, is that they are often very much along the way of "You've landed in a bit of a mess, in an enviroment you don't know - Get out of there alive A.S.A.P.". That does lend itself towards some of the military guys. That's very much something we can relate to.
Sometimes we will take a calculated risk, with some water. Because we need it now, and need to get to Point A A.S.A.P., so we can get out. We'll swing by the medics when we get back to base and have them hand out whatever medicals we'll need by then.
Taking risks, seems to be very much part of a lot of these guys OM, where guys like Cody Lundin and Les Stroud don't. They play it safe, much more so than the soldier boys.
Now we might discuss wether there's a lot of educational value in most of these shows, or if they're simply "infotainment". I doubt that there would be much of an audience for Cody Lundin living barefoot in the wild, showing people how to make watercontainers from birch trees. People would rather see Bear Grylls eat something disgusting.
If you're seriously stranded on some trip to the middle of nowhere, you should play it safe. You shouldn't rush things. If you haven't had much water for days, or even hours depending on the climate, and you come across some that's good to drink, you stay for as long as you need to get plenty of water in your system, you don't just fill your bottle and get on without having an idea if there's no more water to be had for several square miles. You shouldn't climb mountainsides and tall trees, unless you're very experienced with these things and you don't jump into a body of water from 30-40 feet up, when you have no idea about how deep the water is. But that's not great television.
Chances are, that most people who find themselves stranded out in a dessert, a jungle, a very large wood or similar could very well be physically hurt.
I've only seen Les Stroud attempt it once (faked a broken arm) and Cody Lundin (some kneeinjury I think). But doing all the Bear Grylls things could put you in serious trouble. If the water isn't very deep and you jump in from 30-40 feet up, what do you think will happen? And if you fall when you're climbing? Good luck getting anywhere with a broken leg, or two. Or a broken back.
At the end of the day, these shows are about entertainment. They'll throw in some knowledge, some ideas, but they won't educate.
As we all know, that's for Google these days :laugh:
