I saw one where he actually jumped off a cliff and into the water. I kept thinking, 'you dumbass, what if you land on a rock?'

I know there are guys right here in this forum that know alot more than either of them. Bear is a fake. Les pretty much starves and freezes for 7-days (often less) which just about any healthy guy his age can do.

Bear's name isn't Bear. He isn't surviving. He isn't showing great technique. He isn't in danger.


But he says he is....

I agree Jim.

The bounding from rock to rock is beyond stupid. I do use it to teach my daughter "this is what you don't do" and she's gotten very skilled at spotting the stupid risks he takes for ratings.

The only thing I watch MVW is for the scenery. I suspect Bear has a bigger budget based on the number of shows he's done.

My wife does like to watch me watch MVW though just to see me yell at the TV. Sometimes I just mute the TV and just watch the scenery.

I have a lot of respect for Les and the quality of shows he puts on. Just wish there were more of them and they were on more.

Here, here.

No show's perfect, but Les demonstrates fire and shelter building quite a bit. He at least gives one an idea of what one ought to be about and what one's priorities ought to be.

It's sad that a lot of people I have met have seen Man Vs Wild, but not Survivorman.
Market share and distribution gave us VHS instead of Betamax.
The great unwashed masses don't know which is ACTUALLY a survival show and which is entertainment.
I can't imagine someone saying I watch "Bear" and it saved my life, but sooner or later we will hear it.
Les does a great show, but in this world it's style over substance all the time.
Looks like the advertising men have killed us in more than one way.
We are fortunate Les was able to talk the discovery/science networks into the idea.
Who knows maybe he will get the media credit that he deserves.
We could always do a poll ?

I'm not all that big on comparing the two shows, I firmly believe in the motto of "each to their own".

I like Les and his show. I don't enjoy Bear's show to learn survival techniques but his show embodies the "extreme" attitude that had shown up in recent years. "Extreme" versions of some video games and "sports", that is. If you're into that thing then fine. I just like the more realistic attitude that Les shows while attempting to get people to think "outside the box" when it comes to innovating with your tools at hand in his quasi-simulated scenarios. I also like Ray Mears, Ron Hood and Mors Kochanski, et al - but for TOTALLY different reasons.

Bear's shows may be staged or even faked to some degree, whatever. But he is still entertaining in the same mode that WWE or Man-hunter seems to interest some people. Just not me.

"Bear Grylls -- the survival equivalent of professional wrestling." I like it!

I recently saw Bear use his knife to cut through about a 2" tree branch. He was hammering on his blade spine with a rock. It looked like a rock. Good way to break a perfectly good blade in a survival situation. If you must chop through something use another piece of wood to hammer on the spine of your blade.

He drinks entirely too much pooled and/or running water at considerable risk and drank his own urine on one episode. Most survival books I've read never recommend doing that.

Biting the head off the snake and eating the darn thing as is....

Its showing off and giving bad advice, but it can be entertaining to watch him do things inwhich he takes entirely too much risk.

I have a lot more respect for Les Stroud.

Not to mention all the running and jumping off of things that Bear does that puts him in potential danger of hurting/killing himself in his "survival" situations.