You are correct; that those who survive any particular survival situation are those who have the mind set to do so. However, there is a huge difference between portraying/reenacting how a survivor (trained or untrained) survived a particular situation and portraying how (skills and action wise) one should encounter/tackle a survival situation. Since the show portrays Bear as a Survival Expert, he therefore should be held to a higher standard of conduct and instructive value.

I, like many have had issues with how he deals with certain survival issues. It makes no “survival sense” to risk significant injury for minimal benefit. All survival action before taken should include a risk/benefit analysis (if possible-remember the S.T.O.P. acronym). Does climbing a 100ft+ plus tree/mesa/waterfall to get the lay of the land or travel improve one’s chances of survival vs. serious injury make sense? Not to me, if I am alone and trying to survive, taking any additional risk where significant injury is increased, unless it is immediately life-threatening for me not to do so, is simply not intelligent.

If one is in such a situation and one decides to take such a risk, obliviously you are the one to suffer the consequences of such action. The issue with Bear is he is acting as an instructor and to instruct your students (the show’s viewers) to take such risks is extremely irresponsible.


Just my 2 cents-
Pete