As for the rivers thing, I’m not saying it’s not a logical idea, but it’s not 100% correct either, and it seems like he relies on it to much (not to mention, after these revelations, how do we know it’s worked and that he didn’t just get dropped to make it look like it did in some cases?). I saw Bear in Mexico, if you’ll note I didn’t say he NEVER makes his own fire, I saw him… but USUALLY he doesn’t. He almost always uses the flint.

And again, he focuses too much on “months/years ago hikers got trapped on a ____ just like this one, and managed to survive by ____” and “natives to this area used to use this technique”. It’s cool when it’s the best way (like making that bow and arrow set up), but sometimes he’s giving more of a history lesson. There’s too much of that noise in the show, and you don’t see the details of some of the stuff he does. Survivorman takes you down to details of exactly how things are done and shows that sh** is hard out there, and stuff doesn’t always go how you want it to.

Ugh, I’m bored with this… I still like both shows, but I feel vindicated that Bear’s show seems to be somewhat of a fraud which is what I suspected, and I always like when something confirms for me that my instincts are on target more often than not.

RightWinged on July 29, 2007 at 9:38 PM

survivorpanzy is a good-for-nothing know-it-all.

Apparently you’ve never seen Bear use the “native techniques” for creating fire, such as down in Mexico. Let’s face it- Bear is in a race to get out of a situation while experiencing all the possibilities you may come in contact with while Les sits around moaning how his cover isn’t good enough.

At least Bear has an excuse for being cold at night, constructing a mini-cabin out of Everglades material in less than a couple of hours while Les just uses a plane cockpit and still freezes.

Bear’s policy of following rivers also is smart- think about where most human settlements or camps run along. Sure he climbs, but honestly have you never climbed a tree in your life? If you’re out in that type of situation, you’ve probably received somewhat of rockclimbing training.

It’s Bear FTW.

OK-one way to end this.
IF you were to be dropped off in the middle of Utah or Africa or some the Canadian tundra, who would you pick, if you had to pick Les or tedybear?
( lets NOT start with the ‘well I’d take Jen Aniston’) stuff.

And thx mircat, I’ve always wanted to know their websites, I just never took the time to search.
The Myth Busters do have one of THE BEST jobs.

shooter on July 29, 2007 at 5:06 PM

I’ll get the ball rolling… If anyone hasn’t read my earlier comments, it would definitely be Les. Survivorman does it all without a camera crew, and has to redo a lot of things to film it, and almost always has to “make” fire, where as Bear almost always has a flint. I’ve seen Bear make fire too, but I don’t understand why he almost always has to carry that flint unless he’s not as confident in creating fire. I also feel like you could run in to trouble with Bear’s policy of almost always following a river… not to mention he almost always climbs something that would require some skill in that area.

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen all episodes of both, and it’s gotta be Les… I can’t wait for the new season of Survivorman to start in a couple weeks.

And thx mircat, I’ve always wanted to know their websites, I just never took the time to search.
The Myth Busters do have one of THE BEST jobs.

And whenever someone uses the term “launched an investigation” I picture Capt. Kirk on those Priceline commercials getting a call and zooming into action, possibly by jumping into a mobile cockpit chair that rushes down an underground tunnel towards a vehicle that turns into a robot animal, or a robot animal that turns into a bigger robot or something. Or those silly Geek Squad commercials with them paracuting to the ground in their silly “uniforms.”

Seriously, if you pay Geek Squad $30 to install iTunes for you, you don’t deserve a laptop. FYI I am the one actually fixing your Gateway Craptops, Geek Squad can barely run Anti-Virus software or their “MRI” CDs, they send them to [name of company I work at who makes computers for Gateway/HP/Apple] to really get fixed.

Are you the “Man vs. Wild” guy ?

No, But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last Night.

: )

Texyank on July 28, 2007 at 9:28 AM

Nice.

Hey, I’m just glad it’s Shark Week. I like many of the shows on the various Discovery networks, but I loves me some Shark Week.

Having had a bit of survival training (both military and civilian), one thing always stressed is that unless there’s no hope of rescue or you’re certain where to go, stay the hell put, find shelter and have the will to survive.

Hollowpoint on July 28, 2007 at 10:06 PM

Based on combat survival training I’ve been through, I agree with you. Heck, I know how to make the ground “sweat” to keep your water supply up. But as profitsbeard points out, that show wouldn’t work. It’s like why Bear paradrops into every situation.

Besides what Bear does actually helps more. He moves around, experiencing a plethora of organic life and climates, expanding the viewer’s “knowledge”. He also does basic navigation, which I always found it important to know and now can use “native in-jun techniques” to triangulate a position. Thanks Bear!

The “Stay Put Until You’re Found Show” would probably work at 3-4 a.m. in some markets.

(I like the HD nature scenery of Grylls’s escapades more than the “strict realism”.)

Another good source of survival advice that I like, and reference when I teach the subject, is a book called “98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive” by Cody Lundin. More serious, practical advice. His style is a little irreverent and provocative but very practical.

The only difference is that Bear’s advice is if you want to be proactive and potentially die while moving. Follow the canuk, freeze to death where you are lost, even if that place is in the Sahara.

TheEJS on July 28, 2007 at 6:40 PM

Having had a bit of survival training (both military and civilian), one thing always stressed is that unless there’s no hope of rescue or you’re certain where to go, stay the hell put, find shelter and have the will to survive.

Gregor, thank you so much for realigning my thinking. After preparing for my survival excursion by watching “Man vs. Wild” I was left with the impression that the first rules of survival were to (1) drink your own urine and (2) squeeze fluids out of the nearest heap of dung.

chrisro on July 28, 2007 at 9:49 PM

You kidding? That’s what we call a Friday night where I come from!

First two rules of survival when you realize you’re lost:

Find a shelter
Find water

Gregor, thank you so much for realigning my thinking. After preparing for my survival excursion by watching “Man vs. Wild” I was left with the impression that the first rules of survival were to (1) drink your own urine and (2) squeeze fluids out of the nearest heap of dung.

That, and making certain that wherever you’re stranded there’s a Motel 6 nearby.

I’m shocked if there was, at least anyone over 10 years old.

Les Stroud’s show is uneven at times, but has a lot more practical, useful and less risky survival advice.

SPQR on July 28, 2007 at 6:07 PM

LOL! Like trying to stand on a raft made of three thin logs to cross an alligator infested swamp? Like, after that fails … walking a mile through the same swamp?

Like taking three days to build a shelter, while the whole time saying how it’s unbearably cold and that you are praying it doesn’t rain?

First two rules of survival when you realize you’re lost:

Find a shelter
Find water

Everything else can wait.

(A blurb saying “Some raw re-creations for safety/technical reasons have occurred” in small print at the end should suffice.)

Since I used to enjoy both Survivorman and Man vs Wild I think this would be a good time for some creative license and suspend believe in this thread.

La la la la la la no debunking heard here. It’s all good.

I always knew something was off about this show. I still like it, but he’s no Les Stroud. I’m not sure why “Man vs. Wild” gets hyped so much, when Survivorman (Les Stroud’s show) is WAY better and more real.

I’m tired of the canuk, always moaning about killing animals, then being a hypocrite and killing the animal. Yes, Bear paradrops everywhere even when it’s not needed (as opposed to the liberal vegan). Bear also goes back and narrates his show, hence the “two hikers were killed when they were raped by bears.”

I’m just utterly sick of the canuk sitting in one place for 3 days then saying “time to get rescued” and being “miraculously” picked up by a camera crew. Ya both shows have safety nets, get over it.

The only difference is that Bear’s advice is if you want to be proactive and potentially die while moving. Follow the canuk, freeze to death where you are lost, even if that place is in the Sahara.