Survivorman/Man vs. Wild.

[FVR]

I shaved smartarse, also slicked back the hair.

Yeh, they loved it. They got to play in the onepole, he ll, they called it a tepee, that's all that matters.

Honestly, I'm not fond of buckskins. Yeh, leather mocs and leggins up to my knees, but the rest I prefer either wool or muslin.

[Sarge47]

I can't believe that this thread is still going! OK guys, in less that an hour Bear's new show is starting on Discovery. I'd heard they were breaking it up to two hours. Maybe Holiday Inn gave him a break on the room rates, huh? See ya in a few.

[FVR]

2 hours of constant BS. Naaa, I'll just surf the net. I'll let Bear wallow in his own self rightousness and gross eating habits.

Face it, Bear's reputation is questionable, no matter what he does, where he goes, there will always be those that look at him as a fraud. And rightly so.

You can take away my money, my possessions, my family, everything, I could be standing there completely nekked and I will always have two things; the fact that I am a Marine, and have a good reputation.

[Nativedude]

Man -v- Wild. . .how phony! I just saw the show for the first time the other night. That guy isn't teaching survival, he's teaching "how to be an idiot 101!"

There are probably 1000's, 10 of 1000's or even 100's of 1000's of people watching that show that are going to go out and try his stupid stunts (just like the show jackass) and get seriously ill, injured, maimed, or killed, and it will be because they take what this guy is spouting as the truth about survival.

I see it with people that I have taken out. They read a book or two and now they are survival experts. Never having applied what they have read in practical terms, but they know best!!

On Survivorman, Les shows the fact that surviving in the types of terrain he shows can be risky, or even dangerous, especially if you are not properly trained, or don't know the terrain. When he was in the desert, he plainly stated that: "this is not at all what I pictured the desert to be like". . ."I pictured it to be flat and sandy."

Most people think that wilderness survival is so romantic. That doing, what people like, Les Stroud, Ray Mears, Mors Kochanski, Cody Lundin, just to name a few, do is so exciting.

When I first decided to live, primitive and wild, I was truly scared. I had been out on thousand of primitive living trips (a.k.a. survival), I call it primitive living, because I went out of my own accord and I was practicing "survival" techniques, i.e.; fire starting, shelter building, trapping and snaring, etc. But living that way day-to-day, everyday, could I do it. Would I be able to find and grow enough food, have enough water? What about hygiene, medical emergencies, injuries, etc.? But I found after a couple of months, is that it really was no different than living in the "modern" world. Mother Nature is my TV, my daily education. But now I digress.

My point is that there are thousands of people each year that die in the remote back country areas of this country, and now there is this guy, "Bear Grylls," that propagates the "romance" of the wilds and is showing some very dangerous things on his show!!

This is my humble opinion from spending countless hours in the wood and wilds of this country and others, and I'm sure I will get many tongue lashing for my response to this thread.

[FVR]

Well, with a statement like this

This is my humble opinion from spending countless hours in the wood and wilds of this country and others and I'm sure I will get many tongue lashing for my response to this thread.

I FVR, 150% agree with you. The guys an idiot and will get people injured. If he had been in my team, he'd have been booted at the first chance.

[Rick]

Man. You guys are so lame. I have my tickets for the Kalahari already. I"m taking three spokes from my bicycle, the webbing from an old lawn chair and a rusty key. I AM READY! Next you'll be telling me wrestling is fake.

[Bladesypher]

Meh... I think its all staged, Ray Mears is the real survivalist!

[carcajou garou]

Ray Mears is a great teacher along with many others..Ron Hood, Tom Brown, Mors Kochanski, Cody Lundin etc.....

[Rick]

Oh, well sputter, cough, cough. I sat down to dinner tonight and there is the Baer in the Australian Outback. Wearing his underwear on his head, drinking his own urine and building a shelter in the middle of an arroyo in a rain storm.

As far as I could tell, no scrotum purse, though.

[mbarnatl]

I gave up on watching the shows this season. Went back to reading books.

[Sarge47]

Oh, well sputter, cough, cough. I sat down to dinner tonight and there is the Baer in the Australian Outback. Wearing his underwear on his head, drinking his own urine and building a shelter in the middle of an arroyo in a rain storm.

As far as I could tell, no scrotum purse, though.

I'll bet that guy's a real hoot at parties!

[Beo]

Bear does get help as in one episode he said: "the crew found this snake and wanted me to show you how to handle a cobra, so they brought it to this location" that would mean he did not find the snake, and on another show he said: "the crew gave me this" but at least he does say he didn't do this or that, and "they" meaning the crew found this or that. in the end its for the entertainment value, such as squeezing the water outta elephant dung to drink... okay 1st that is just nasty as he*l and I will not do that, to many criters in elephant poop to drink that would pretty much make you sick at the least. I guess if you were lost for days with no water someone might try that but it ain't gonna be me Next show he's lost in the city and eats the peanuts outta sh*t left by the wild wino

[Canadian-guerilla]

Bear really does go through the scenerios by himself.

the very fact that a camera crew is there, squews the " survival " aspect

IMHO
one of the main aspects of solo survival
is the fact that YOU KNOW you're on your own

one of the best examples i can think of is Aron Ralston
the stranded hiker who amputated his arm to survive
i wish i had taped the show
when he went back to the spot with a reporter/camera crew

during the whole Man vs Wild show
Bear KNOWS that he has someone to talk to
and if he needs a helping hand with something
he has someone there that can help him, ( off-camera of course )

i'll watch Les Stroud every chance i get
the only contact he has with the outside world is a satellite radio
he is on his own for 5-7 days
and knows that help is not 25 feet away holding a camera

[MCBushbaby]

I'm still skeptical...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UpSlpvb1is (100yards from a highway)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acYExF4RRqE (lifejacket hidden under sweatshirt)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0qyKyWaNEQ (many explanations)

I mean, you can broadcast all this stuff but be damn sure to say "these aren't wild horses, they were brought in" or "drifting down a white water river is dangerous so I'm going to use a life vest". Don't EVER recommend something dangerous and portray fake instances of you 'doing' it or you'll kill someone indirectly.

"careful when crossing lava bridges" NEVER CROSS LAVA BRIDGES
"I'm going to attempt to ride these wild horses" IN REALITY YOU"LL BE KICKED IN THE NECK AND DIE
"I'm going to drift down this white water river" I'D RATHER SPEND 2 HOURS WALKING THE SHORE, STAYING SAFE AND DRY

[Rick]

This is from Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild web site:
"Bear Grylls and the crew receive support when they are in potentially life threatening situations, as required by health and safety regulations.

On some occasions, situations are presented to Bear so he can demonstrate survival techniques.

Professional advice should always be sought before entering any dangerous environment."

Bear's Blog shows the crew filming one of the scenes:

http://beargrylls.blogspot.com/

I actually sent him an email about the "drinking urine" and "squeezing the water out of dung" thingies. Let's see if he responds.

[Borelli]

We are all survivalists right.

Why are we on this website?
What is the main purpose of this website?

These questions apply to the shows....THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE USED FOR EDUCATIONAL VALUE!!!

the program isn't about showing whos better at what....it is intended as the same way this website is.... TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE!!!

[Rick]

I guess the main concern is we have some newbies on the forum and the shows portray some dubious things that those just learning may interpret as okay to perform. This thread outlines a number of things that have been done on some of the shows that none (or few) of us would ever attempt in the wild. The TV shows are entertainment value and, while they do offer some good information, they also show and suggest things that could get one in serious trouble. The sharing of knowledge is to remind some of the younger and/or less experienced members that TV is TV and they operate according to ratings and how much advertising dollars they can attract. They should take what they see as entertainment and augment it and balance it with as much other survival information as possible whether it be from this forum or other sources rather than to rely entirely on the shows as their source of info. IMHO....

[Borelli]

Well i geuss that is true.

I mean i would never eat zebra raw, i wouldn't squeeze any kind of waste product to get water, i wouldn't eat a lot of the things he tries(camel fat)
A lot of the material on the show is good though....such as his numerous attempts to get out of quicksand.

Dom Borelli

[Rick]

That last one I would try. Trust me. If I were in quicksand, numerous attempts would be tried until one was successful. The rest of that stuff? Uh, no.

[Borelli]

That is what i mean he shows the public a good skill every chance he gets, I got stuck in quicksand before but it was only up to the center of my thighs. it was a bit scary but it had a tremendous sulfuric smell and had a very powerful suction.