Here's the link. I've been critical of the show but it evidently helped somebody.

Yeah, even though it's mocked-up for television (instantly obvious to anyone who has ever shot film or television), some useful ideas might stick. The most important of which is, "yes, I can do something to help myself stay alive."

Just don't jump down/across ravines or over big rocks, ever.

And put out your fire before you leave!

I heard the same about Bear, who's real name is Ed. I caught a few repeats of his shows last night and besides a mild disclaimer at the start, there is some added dialogue here and there. He now says with the help of the crew I made a blah, blah or he says we planted some trout right here to show you....This is new edits probably because of the word getting out on the often overly staged antics.
Bear is ok, just hypes himself too much and the show could be useful, if he'd quit trying to convince the masses on what a super stud he is. He may grow up to be somebody someday:)

There's never any point in embellishing your resume. Somebody will figure it out, and any good you might have done will be washed away in the wave of revulsion.

However, "chest-pounding Ed" does have a good television presence. The camera likes him. And if he'd been more honest about his creds and taken an approach like "I've always been fascinated by ... I'm going to do my research and try it ... here are some demonstrations of what I've found out about this landscape" ... he could have brought survival skills to the masses, in a painless and entertaining way.

(My nickel's worth, anyway.)

Hi IzzyJG99

Bear Grylls was a member of the 21 SAS. The 21 SAS is a part time reservist territorial army unit and is a special forces unit (part time one). D squadron 23 SAS is based just down the road from where I live in Invergowrie. 45 Commando Royal Marines is just up the road near Arbroath. The SAS unit based in Invergowrie is again a part time reservist territorial army unit and 45 Commando Royal Marines is a full time unit who are specialists in mountain and arctic warfare. The training for the Territorial SAS is still very high and probably better than most regular army and marine units in most if not all armed forces from around the world. Much of the expertise of the territorial SAS also comes across from cilivilian life as the SAS are looking for specialists who have expertise in other areas such as electronic communications, linguistics, engineering, survival training, diving, computing and media skills etc. The distinction between regulars and territorials is a lot less sharply focused than it is in the US. There is even an SAS detachment made up from British Telecom BT Engineers (BT is a telecommunications company like AT&T).
The problem here is reality versus media and Holywood fantasy. (Steven Segal, Chuck Norris etc )

Couldn't you have used a better comparison than the combat engineer...just kidding.

It's fine..just google SAPPER, ESSAYONS, US COMBAT ENGINEER, and you might use a different comparison like MP.

Noe: At the start of the show he says,

"I've been with the British Special Forces".

He was, he was part of a SF Rescue Team or something I remember seeing him on Conan O'Brien. And he didn't introduce himself as SAS.

But man Vs. Wild is awesome and I love it.
I hatre all the people who write him off as a phoney.
I have no doubt he could survive by himself but to make it more entertaining for the majority of viewers who will never be in dire need of emergency they have to set stuff up.

I like the comparison with Segal and Norris. I'm sure Bear is a great guy who happens to make his living now (part of it) in television land. As that, he's an actor and ain't nothing wrong with being an actor. I'm also sure he has a boss, program director or whatever who exerts some control over what Bear does (whether Bear likes it or not. How many of us like everything about our jobs?) I've learned some things from Bear and they make my outdoor experience better because of it. Learned some things from Les (and from this forum) which make my outdoor experience better.

Anyhoo, it's television. And watching television is like eating chicken: Eat the meat and throw away the bones.

My nickel's worth (due to current inflation rates)

Michael

Watching a series of his episodes the past couple days, I am a bit surprised at what all he puts down his gullet. His inconsistencies are a bit confusing, but he does get past some of the mindset issues of what can and can't be consumed.

The everglades episode was particularly contrary. He goes to the trouble of boiling swamp water to kill the parasites and bacteria that could harm him, then picks a frog up off the ground and eats it raw. Then he catches a turtle and cooks it well done and eats it, then picks minnows out of a swamp pond and eats them raw. I would like to see him adhere to the same precautions throughout. Whatever parasites and bacteria are in the water are in the fish. Whatever the frog waddled through minutes before is getting consumed along with the frog. These are likely hazards that can be as easily avoided as was boiling the water or roasting the turtle.

His show is nonetheless entertaining, if for no other reason than to hear the usually disinterested wife criticize his methods (goes to show that my "obsessive interest" in survival is osmotically sinking in).