Bear Grylls getting better?

[stingray4540]

Before I say anything, lets not turn this into another Bear bashing thread. We all know he does stuff you probably wouldn't do in a survival situation, and he sleeps in hotels, yada yada...

I watch mostly for the entertainment value, but it seems he's getting a little better this season. First off, he used a firesteel to start all his fires.:thumbup:

And second, I actually learned a couple of things after watching last night.

First was, the cool little fire he made to boil water. Using four sticks as a stand for the pot, and to keep the fire contained was a great idea, I thought.

Second, was how to make a teepee. Yes, it wasn't the right shelter for the situation, and even he admited that, and I would probably never build a tepee as a survival shelter. That being said, I always wondered how you would make a sturdy tepee without the perfect forked limbes, and the trick using cordage, was cool.

So, anyone here actually learn something usefull from Bear? I know we've all learned what not to do from him, but has anyone ever been watching just for entertainment and find them selves thinking, "oh, that's a cool idea."?

 

[tonym]

Not from Bear, but we learned how to lash poles together to make shelter at the W.L.C.
as you can see they were pretty strong.

Pics by Sharpeye

But occassionally I do see Bear doing something smart and useful.

 

[stingray4540]

LOL, it helps if you take your shoelaces off your shoes before you use them

What is that second pic? Are you making some kinda multi-person raised platform shelter?

 

[j williams]

Looks like he was about to be the dinner!!!!!


I always take something away from bears stuff. Sometimes negative, but I have learned some neat tricks by watching him too. I think he has got alot better.....:thumbup:

 

[D25]

I hate to admit it, but I liked his 4 stick fire set up too. I guess he isn't as bad as I once thought.

 

[cmgray]

Ive always enjoyed watching Man vs Wild. Bear is entertaining, and does do some cool, albeit unsafe things. I too, liked his little setup for making "sprucey" tea. I like that he is using that over priced knife alot more, and interacting with the crew. Dont really care how much of it is fake. I watch it for what it is. Hell, nothing on t.v. is real anyways.

 

[KuRUpTD]

I watch it for what it is. Hell, nothing on t.v. is real anyways.

So when he was struggling to climb the hill with the improvised ice picks how was the cameraman following him ??? he seemed to be right next to him ... hell ho got some dirt kicked on him to boot

I do watch the Bear I do

 

[tonym]

LOL, it helps if you take your shoelaces off your shoes before you use them

What is that second pic? Are you making some kinda multi-person raised platform shelter?

Yeah we tried to tell him about the shoelaces

I really have no clue what we were tring to accomplish during the 2nd pic. We were having so much fun with lashing things together that if you stood still too long you would end up part of the structure

 

[Sharp Eye]

What is that second pic? Are you making some kinda multi-person raised platform shelter?

Yes,
We used a tripod and a tree but you can use 2 tripods and then put on cross bars. This would be the frame for a shelter that is raised off the ground and can be made with 1 or 2 sleeping levels

Tony,
You might recognize some of the people in this picture.

 

[Mountainman38]

Before I say anything, lets not turn this into another Bear bashing thread. We all know he does stuff you probably wouldn't do in a survival situation, and he sleeps in hotels, yada yada...

I watch mostly for the entertainment value, but it seems he's getting a little better this season. First off, he used a firesteel to start all his fires.:thumbup:

I'm glad someone brought this up.

I enjoy watching Bear Grylls show for several reasons: He gets to go to very cool places that either

A) I'll never get to go to, or

B) I seldom get to go to;

whether he stays out the whole time or not, he's got a lot of guts to do things like cutting a hole in ice and then jumping into the water.

I don't watch his show to know exactly what to do outdoors -- he's WAY to reckless in what he does, and I would be much more cautious. I have learned at least something about how to get out of quicksand, build shelters, start fires, etc. from watching his show, and I appreciate that.

That being said, I found it irritating last night when he was collecting the cattail fluff and stuffing it into his suddenly empty pack. Where did his big jacket go? I don't mind him staying in a hotel, but at least be faithful to reality when you're doing a shoot.

Oh yeah -- I heard one of his cameramen speak for the first time, too! The first season it was sort of like "I do this all myself!", then it changed to "Yeah, there are some guys with me", then you started seeing a cameraman's hand once in awhile, then recently a cameraman pulled him out of a hole in the heather when he was in Ireland.

It seems like the show is becoming more human, and lets on that we all need help from time to time.

 

[Wandering_About]

Used to enjoy watching Bear when I had cable TV. It's a decent show, if you take it with a few big grains of salt. I'll admit to learning something once in a while when watching the show.

 

[tonym]

Yes,
We used a tripod and a tree but you can use 2 tripods and then put on cross bars. This would be the frame for a shelter that is raised off the ground and can be made with 1 or 2 sleeping levels

Tony,
You might recognize some of the people in this picture.

Hey Sharpeye, do you have any pics of when we used the 2 tripods together to make the multilevel shelter?

I hope you don't mind that I used your pic

 

[sketchbag]

I'll watch it, but this seasons really made me cringe. Maybe it's just knowing everything he's doing is a stunt but I just get overcome with this feeling of embarrassment watching his show. Even when he eats things, he doesnt eat it for food, he eats it so he can make it run down his face and squirt on the camera, and his descriptions of how awful everything tastes has got to be the most ludicrous hyperboles ever.

 

[Gerberblades]

I have always really liked the show. The fire he made to boil the water last night was awesome, he has a million ways to find his bearings, start fires, and I learn tons very useful info.

 

[norcalblacktail]

This season is better. He isnt as bad as everyone makes him out to be.

 

[DocArnie]

My favorites this season so far are Zambia, the two Siberia episodes and the first Indonesia episode.
He isn't always playing fair. Jumping into the water in Siberia (without his clothes on!!!) was only a stunt that taught me nothing (watch Surviving Alaska with Les Stroud if you want to learn something new about icy water), but the camera shots of the different landscapes were breathtaking, even for someone who wasn't there. He's doing silly stuff from time to time, but it's a TV show that tries to show you something different. I don't need a second Les Stroud - that's Les Stroud's job.

 

[11x11x]

Before I say anything, lets not turn this into another Bear bashing thread. We all know he does stuff you probably wouldn't do in a survival situation, and he sleeps in hotels, yada yada...

I watch mostly for the entertainment value, but it seems he's getting a little better this season. First off, he used a firesteel to start all his fires.:thumbup:

And second, I actually learned a couple of things after watching last night.

First was, the cool little fire he made to boil water. Using four sticks as a stand for the pot, and to keep the fire contained was a great idea, I thought.

Second, was how to make a teepee. Yes, it wasn't the right shelter for the situation, and even he admited that, and I would probably never build a tepee as a survival shelter. That being said, I always wondered how you would make a sturdy tepee without the perfect forked limbes, and the trick using cordage, was cool.

So, anyone here actually learn something usefull from Bear? I know we've all learned what not to do from him, but has anyone ever been watching just for entertainment and find them selves thinking, "oh, that's a cool idea."?

About the TeePee shelter, I believe he tries to incorporate local "native knowledge and techniques". And that is why he built that. He's done that from the start of his show.

The format has gotten better. He doesn't come across as such a jack@$$ now. But some stuff still seems phoney. In Flordia he came across an abandoned ship w/ rope. All of which is entangled and rotted, except for this bright white piece layed over the mess. He'll act like he is just out free roaming, looking around all serious and lost. But then you get a quick glance of the trail he's walking before its pushed out of the picture frame .

 

[Sharp Eye]

Hey Sharpeye, do you have any pics of when we used the 2 tripods together to make the multilevel shelter?

I hope you don't mind that I used your pic

Tony,
I don't think I have a photo of that. Bobby said that he used a 2 tripod shelter. Maybe someone got a photo of that one.

BTW. No problem you using my picts. Thanks for the photo credit.

 

[Bushman5]

Used to enjoy watching Bear when I had cable TV. It's a decent show, if you take it with a few big grains of salt. I'll admit to learning something once in a while when watching the show.

yup, a few grains of salt the size of a large planet.

defiantly entertaining though.

 

[BoxANT]

I have always enjoyed the show, at least it's something interesting to watch compared to most of the crap they send down the pipe.