Bear and Les have different lessons and their shows are helpful as long as you know the message they are sending. If you look at it and do what they do in some cases it is a bad thing.

-Todd

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I always wondered how good those guys really were too, and how much was just great choreography? I know they both study, and are pretty accomplished, but... [/quote]

My vote goes to Bruce Lee. I think he could have taken all comers in a street fight survival battle.

I believe it was Les Stroud that said if he took survival Gear it wouldn't be "surviving" it would just be "camping" to him. I understand this mindset, where is the challenge? These guys want to be tested, and that brings a level of excitement to the show.

I have always thought that a short 5-7 min segment at the end of these shows (after they get back), with a "gear corner" theme would be neet. Having them tell us what they would have liked to have had out there with them, and the practical use of the items. I think that would go a long way to getting people to think about preparedness "before" they venture out.

Mark

Bears at it again, This time he's trying to be like Doug (By recommending gear)and endorsing it too. What a nut.

http://beargrylls.itchyfeet.com/index.ph...5c6fb13e6ef9903

You know what would be a fun show to me:

Drop Les, Bear, Ray & Doug off at the four compass points on a large deserted island with helicopter extraction scheduled for a week later at the center of the island.

The premise of the show would be the helicopter has only room for one and the contest is to see who will end up being evacuated. I think if Bear behaves like he does in his show in real life, he will Darwin himself out of the competition leaving it a three man race.

That would be a real survival show. Oh and they have to film themselves, which might give Les the edge.

That would be interesting to see, I can see Bear teaming up with Britney Spears for a signature clothing collection

Or, the winner gets dropped off on an island with Britney (or should that be the looser).

I'd have to give the edge to Ray Mears. He'd be waiting and relaxing in a little shelter and drinking a proper English tea at the extraction point when the helicopter showed up.

An often overlooked skill for survival is conservation of energy, Ray makes that an art. Someone once told me that Ray is sometimes affectionately called "Fatty Mears" because you could drop him in a desert and a week later he'd walk out a couple pounds heavier.

I like Les because he sometimes seems to be learning whether something will work or not at the same time as the viewer. Who else would waste a couple of hours trying to make a sling shot from the elastic waistband of his underwear?

And what can you say about Bear? Someday Darwin will catch up to him. The helicopter he rides out in just might be the medivac.

Not sure where Doug comes in. Kind of an unknown darkhorse. He might just slip past Ray while Ray is engaging the pilot in some polite conversation and offering a spot of earl grey.

Bruce Lee, eh? I dunno, I might have to go with Kareem Abdul Jabaar instead. I also recall a fight scene between Bruce and Chucky where Bruce won the day. So much for theatrics. In a real fight I'd go with the likes of Gunny Hathcock.

As for who wins the survival challenge, no one is going to beat Doug on sheer knowledge and practical experience. Les is sort of a naturalist survivor, which is fairly practical, but not nearly as up on the technology. Bear is just an extremist show off near as I can tell, with slightly more than a basic understanding of survival, but with a gut full of moxie, which does count for something. As for Ray, well, he might give Doug a run for the money, maybe, but I would still put my hard earned ones and fives on "The Ritter Factor". I think Doug still has more practical experience and is more technically apt than Ray, and would be able to find solutions to problems a little quicker. Doug's recognition of need and application is probably the best in the business right now, and the diversity of his background is more rounded/complete. There are others out there as well who would likely get by just fine I am sure.

It would be entertaining though, to see such some direct competition someday.

And possibly full of tapeworms and amoeba cysts too...

I don't know much about Doug's experience, but I'm humbly guessing that you can't really compare him with Ray Mears. I'm not totally sure but Doug seems to be more like a pilot specialized in "emergency survival" as opposed to bushcraft like Mears.

Frankie