This really turned into an interesting thread, lots of opinions, all viable. I think it is good we share our thoughts, good or bad, makes one stop and think.
As for eating egg shells, yeah you can, just be aware if they go in, they must come out and that can get pretty painful with all the little jagged edges. Trust me, I have eated pinion pine nut shells, good thing I was very young and healed quickly. I learned how to crack them open after that Boy Scout outing in NM!
Have a good weekend, all.

Based on this thread, it appears that you still don't have an answer to your question regarding the knives that Bear Grylls uses on Man vs Wild. I say "knives" because he doesn't necessarily use the same knife on all episodes of the show. For now, I can only give you a definitive answer for one of the knives he has used on the show.

It took me a while to figure this out, but I finally found the knife. On the "Moab Desert" episode, approximately 6 minutes into the show when he's cutting his white t-shirt, it's clear that Bear's using a 3.5 inch Buck Iceman Tactical Folder, model 873X.

I don't necessarily think he's using the knife because he likes it. I suspect that he's using that knife because the folks at Buck paid for the product placement. If it was product placement, however, it wasn't done very well.

Ahhh Hem......
Forget Ray Mears did we? <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

One other point: Sandhurst is the premier officer training establishment on the planet. Any one who graduates from there has proven that he (or she) worthy of holding the Queens Commission. Those "support" Officers are very smart cookies. The SAS could not do their job with out them.

Sandhurst may be a very fine officer training school, but that doesn't make a graduate a survival "expert". Support troops are not necessarily SAS qualified.

"There is nothing so frightening as ignorance in action."

What!! They forgot Ray Mears! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I like the show and watch every episode. But I watch it as entertainment.

It does get a little silly every time he says, "Don't do X or Z, it's almost certain death. Hey, watch me do X *AND* Z at the same time!"

People who don't understand that this entertainment will be led far astray.

I would have to agree. I was under the impression that he had completed selection. My hat's off to anyone who can complete the SAS selection course.

There is also a post on MvW site with an interview with Bear. He admits that the show involves "stunts" and mistakes were made. web page

As it happens: The British Army does take S.E.R.E very seriously. The basic E&E course taught to all ranks is quite extensive. I would point out to any new readers that Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion does differ in it's aims from the Survival Techniques discussed on this forum. S.E.R.E is intended to enable an individual to either escape capture, resist if captured, escape if possible and return home to continue the fight.
In our case we are looking to Survive Untill REscued. WE want to be found as quickly as possible. Some ideas apply to both, but others don't.

Oh, and the members are quite right. Copying Bear will get you killed - or worse. Using anything other than proven survival techniques on a program is (in my view) criminal stupidity. Unless your trying to Darwin a few Lemmings of course.

Watched this for the 1st time last night, Lava Fields on Hawaii.
Where do I start?
I was hoping for more, although the chances of me being stranded there is really very slim.
Don't understand why he didn't fill his pack with avacados!. He must have said at least 3 times how much he loves them and only took 1. Even if I didn't like them I'd have taken more than that. Some food is better than NO food.
His shelter was pretty good given the circumstances. Fire making ablilites were good, nice to see that.
Next chance I get I'll watch more.

Yes, he never seems take more than 5 seconds to get a fire going. That flint seems to be mighty useful.

I rolled my eyes when he took only 1 avocado, but I understood perfectly: he wanted to keep his options open for more showboating later on when he got hungry again. If he had plenty of food, there'd be no need for further drama.