Survivorman Gone?

[Lone Wolf]

I usually time my arrival at shelters early in the morning right after a weekend. There's a good chance the weekenders packed to much food and just leave things behind.

that's what shelters are for. leaving stuff. like a big ass hiker box

[naturejunkie]

actually bear's survival skills outmatch anyone posting here. so stop dissing him ok?

Interesting assumption.

[Yukon]

But, if you had issues in the 'wilds' it would probably be more likely due to soggy feet than the need to eat eyeballs and huge spiders. Les is real-world, Bear is entertainment.

Trust me, Bear is just as knowledgeable as Les, he is just 100 times more entertaining....GO BEAR

[Bob S]

Bear may be just as skilled in outdoor survival, but that’s not what you see on his show. You see testosterone filled dangerous stunts.

He climes rock walls for seemingly no reason (for the entertainment value)

He jumps across a ravine (for the entertainment value)

He jumps out of a helicopter that’s 25 feet in the air into a stream (for the entertainment value)

And a lot of other dumb things that only a stupid person with a death wish would do (also for the entertainment value)



His show is about entertainment, not survival. If a person did what he did all the time you would end up dead or very seriously hurt.

[The Cheat]

Bear is entertaining, and I am not disrespecting his skills. I like Les because I learn stuff, I like Bear because it's fun. I really like his old shows where he had to edit in comments about his crew catching fish for him or bringing a butchered rabbit. We try to guess the new parts, comparing our memory for what was said previously.

And, I know full well it's called 'Man vs. Wild', not 'Man communes with Wild', or 'Man works well with, but not in an annoying way, Wild'.

Actually, that would be a cool show: 'Man negotiates a truce with, but reneges on his end of the deal, Wild'. That I would watch in a heartbeat.

[Chance09]

I think Les is twice the badass that Bear is. I mean in a survival situation calories are crucial right? Anyone disagree?

Carrying around 50 pounds of camera gear, setting it up, walking past it then walking back probably burns twice the amount of calories right? I'd say its comparable to ohhh i don't know hiking the AT with a really heavy pack???

I think that simple fact is one of the most impressive.

Also in a survival situation having another person there ( like Bear does) has to be a HUGE morale booster. Even if they're not supposed to talk/help you just the presence of another human being has to be incredibly comforting.

I think one of the reason that Les spends "5 min talking about his feet" is because he is simply lonely after a week in the wild and at least he has something to talk to in the form of his camera.

But anyways to answer the original point of this post. I've noticed that when Man v. Wild is on survivor man is not. I feel like they rotate in the other show every month or so.

[tlbj6142]

Stroud films completely on his own. His camera gear weighs about 50lbs. as well.

Which is one reason why I no longer watch it. I got tired of him whining about the 50# of camera gear he had to carry.

[tlbj6142]

Which is one reason why I no longer watch it. I got tired of him whining about the 50# of camera gear he had to carry.

And he also turned me off in his 2nd or 3rd episode in which he had a fake broken arm (plane crash), but decided on day 4 it was too tough, so he removed his arm from the sling.

While Bear is the king of doing stupid things, Les does them as well (though not as often). Like the time he was living large (food, water, shelter, etc.) on some beach only to decide to hike into jungle where he had no food, water, shelter, couldn't make a fire and was attacked by bugs (ants??). Even he (les) admitted it was sort of stupid to leave the beach in the brief narration in the waning seconds of the episode.

I watch Bear once and Les 3-4 times before I stopped watching. Either I'm getting more picky or TV has just gone to h3ll the last few years.

[Tennessee Viking]

Bear is always backed up if something goes wrong. Les is on his own, and has walk much of his adventure twice, to setup the camera and to film him walking it. Les the man...

From what I hear, its just the season break for Survivorman. Love to see him do like the rugid section of the AT with a tarp, 2 matches, and a powerbar.

[mnof1000v]

I like Bear, but there is a lot about his show that is overly produced. It's good that he's now being honest about some details.

Les is definitely more authentic. I've actually spoken with him, and he's also a genuinely nice guy.

That said, both have a ton of survival knowledge to share. Bear has a special forces background, and spent some time as a combat survival instructor. Les spent a year living off the grid in the Boreal forests of northern Ontario. Say what you will about their shows, I don't think it's fair to question either person's credentials.

[quasarr]

actually bear's survival skills outmatch anyone posting here. so stop dissing him ok? he simply poses situations one may encounter and how to survive them. so what if he has some showmanship. so did the croc hunter. just b/c he's entertaining shouldn't take away from the fact that dude got skills

But most of the stuff Bear does would be borderline suicidal if any of us non Special Forces vets attempted it in a survival situation. Climbing down a waterfall, swimming under the sticks blocking a river, rafting a river by holding his backpack, jumping off cliffs, climbing up cliffs, the list goes on! All of this stuff is dangerous and unnecessary. Why jump off a waterfall when you could just walk around? Sure it's entertaining, but it is stunts and not survival tactics that any sane person would use.

[Bob S]

I’m not questioning either person's credentials, I’m sure they both know a lot more then I do or ever will. I just don’t like Bear’s reckless style, and the foolish stunts for the camera. Every show he seems to find a way to show how much of a man he is. In a survival situation, you don’t climb a shear rock wall that’s 150 foot tall when all you have to do is follow the river down to civilization. And pretty much all rivers lead to civilization.

[The Cheat]

I like Bear, but there is a lot about his show that is overly produced. It's good that he's now being honest about some details.

Les is definitely more authentic. I've actually spoken with him, and he's also a genuinely nice guy.

That said, both have a ton of survival knowledge to share. Bear has a special forces background, and spent some time as a combat survival instructor. Les spent a year living off the grid in the Boreal forests of northern Ontario. Say what you will about their shows, I don't think it's fair to question either person's credentials.

See? That's what proves Les is no showman. 'Man vs. Boreal forests' just doesn't have the right ring to it.

[AlwaysHiking]

Always carry a deck of cards.

If you become lost, start playing solitaire.

Within ..oh 20 minutes, someone will come behind you and tell you what cards to play and where. You will no longer be lost and have made a friend!


A little survival tip.

I'm never friends with anyone who ruins a good game of solitaire!

But most of the stuff Bear does would be borderline suicidal if any of us non Special Forces vets attempted it in a survival situation. Climbing down a waterfall, swimming under the sticks blocking a river, rafting a river by holding his backpack, jumping off cliffs, climbing up cliffs, the list goes on! All of this stuff is dangerous and unnecessary. Why jump off a waterfall when you could just walk around? Sure it's entertaining, but it is stunts and not survival tactics that any sane person would use.

I’m not questioning either person's credentials, I’m sure they both know a lot more then I do or ever will. I just don’t like Bear’s reckless style, and the foolish stunts for the camera. Every show he seems to find a way to show how much of a man he is. In a survival situation, you don’t climb a shear rock wall that’s 150 foot tall when all you have to do is follow the river down to civilization. And pretty much all rivers lead to civilization.

Bear reminds me sometimes of a teenage boy pulling stunts in front of a camera all for some YouTube fame.

I realize that entertainment gets viewers, viewer #'s sell ad spots, and ads put money in network's pockets, but sometimes Bear is over the top.

I still watch it though, but as far as useful knowledge, I'd rather watch Les.

And he also turned me off in his 2nd or 3rd episode in which he had a fake broken arm (plane crash), but decided on day 4 it was too tough, so he removed his arm from the sling.

While Bear is the king of doing stupid things, Les does them as well (though not as often). Like the time he was living large (food, water, shelter, etc.) on some beach only to decide to hike into jungle where he had no food, water, shelter, couldn't make a fire and was attacked by bugs (ants??). Even he (les) admitted it was sort of stupid to leave the beach in the brief narration in the waning seconds of the episode.

I watch Bear once and Les 3-4 times before I stopped watching. Either I'm getting more picky or TV has just gone to h3ll the last few years.

I actually thought it was appropriate to mimic a realist injury following a plane crash. Sure, he bailed on it, but he at least attempted it. That doesn't mean he's less of a man for it.

And, showing people what not to do is as beneficial as showing them what they should do. The bad choice to go into the jungle got it's point across to some people I'm sure.

[Doughnut]

Always carry a deck of cards.

If you become lost, start playing solitaire.

Within ..oh 20 minutes, someone will come behind you and tell you what cards to play and where. You will no longer be lost and have made a friend!


A little survival tip.

I was a pilot in Alaska, and we always said if you were lost or stranded on the ground, take out your gill net and throw it in a stream. The game Warden would be along directly to write a citation...

[jersey joe]

How many time's do we jump int the woods from 25ft in the air on a helicopter or how many time's do we jump out a plane with your hammock on your back into the woods. really does not show me anything I would need in the woods. now les stroud on the other hand has very good info that I would and could use in the woods and also if your break you bike on the trail you can use it to live off of for 7 day's

Despite bear's crazy stunts, he does give valuable information. The stunts keep him on the air and give him a bigger audience, which is more people that hear the good stuff, like follow rivers down stream to civilization, or how to recover from falling in ice. It is TV and TV is still entertainment, not just who has the better survivor skills. Don't forget, Bear climbed everest too!

[Wags]

the siberia episode when it was like -22 out in the day and he jumped into that frozen lake was crazy. often he just presents situations to show what to do "if..." - he shows survival skills in interesting fashion and is entertaining enough to keep me from flipping the channel, something les is not. his plant and animal/insect knowledge is sick as well. some of you people are just haters, honestly

[Mags]

Just remember, it is entertainment.

The beauty of television is you turn it off and pick up a book if you want. Tom Brown perhaps?

[AlwaysHiking]

his plant and animal/insect knowledge is sick as well. some of you people are just haters, honestly

Not hating... but I doubt he knows all that off the top of his head.

Chances are, he's got a crew of people who spend months researching these places before he goes in. They know ahead of time the types of creepy crawlies and flora native to the area. They give him the equivalent of 'study guides' and they also coach him during the filming. I'd also bet you he's got a laptop nearby full of research. He's admitted as much in a few of the episodes by talking about the 'experts' he's consulted. He's mentioned tribesmen and a few other 'locals'.

They also shoot in takes. I'm sure he does his damn best to get the 'eating bugs' scenes right the first take though! I know I would!

It's the same as shows with naturalists. They have research available during filming and don't always know everything off the top of their heads.

I'm not hating, there's nothing wrong at all with doing things that way, but he's learning all this stuff for the purpose of filming.

It's really truly a production. And again, there's nothing wrong with that, but Bear isn't likely a walking encyclopedia. Climbing Mt. Everest doesn't make him an expert on everything.

[Wags]

i'm not saying that he's an expert on everything, but the way this thread was going it seemed that a lot of people here were more knowledgeable about such things than him - doubtful

also most 'backpackers' aren't experts on every piece of gear or nook and cranny of the AT. they have to consult guidebooks/maps/ and other data to give accurate info. so do doctors and vets. they often use laptops to get accurate info on hand. does that make them any less credible as you've done w/ bear?