You bring up one of the major flaws in reality TV - the need to present visually inviting scenes. Real life survival is actually boring as all get out - resting beside a fire, conserving energy, or just easy walking, avoiding obstacles and difficult terrain. That is why some many shows feature inane stunts - rappelling down vines, building tinker toy rafts, and the like.

Learning "outdoor skills" from the TV set will lead to serious consequences - the shows should come with a warning....