I like Les and enjoy his show, I absolutely loath Bear. Chris
+1. That idiot Bear will never be on my screen. I don't believe for a minute he was ever a real SAS trooper. He may have been an attached radio operator or something like that, but he displays none of the real training these guys get.
I do watch Survivorman, and usually make my wife and kids watch. That one survivorman that simulated the man, woman, and infant who broke down on the snowy pass in particular was pretty good. He does spend a lot of time showing how to improvise from broken vehicles or trash, which is a common scenario experienced by both the prepared and unprepared. And some times, he's obviously just showing skills (using a second way to make fire or leaving a nice beachfront setup to wander in the jungle), just killing time to make it to 7 days, or just bored.
If you watch SM enough, you will see bits of all the appropriate equipment, a magnesium fire starter here, a space blanket there, an inner tube fire starter and improvised canteen here, a magnifying glass there, a power bar here, a payute fall there etc.
No one (except us woodsmanship freaks) would watch a SM show that had him walking to a chunk of land, bungeeing up a tarp, starting a fire, boiling water in a canteen cup and placing snares and fishing for 7 days. It just isn't that interesting. I do wish he'd do more on survival signalling and improvising cordage and water containers.
Hey anyone that can squeeze a "drink" from an elephant turn is...
a total moron who is throwing up or at least admitting he has diarrhea in most episodes. There is very little that he does that makes any sense whatsoever and most of it could kill you.
The only SM stunt that falls in the bonehead category is spearfishing in the ocean, especially in an area where he had just seen sharks.
I was the only one with knife or a hotspark "or a map" so there are people out there that could end up in situations like thes guys put themselves in...
I suspect he will do a "this is what you should carry in your buttpack" show. Or you could just take notes from the various shows and figure it out.
If my little ones and wife just get a little reinforcement on how to make expedient shelters, make a fire and purify water, I'll be happy. In 99% of the survival situations, most people could survive with a large enough pile of leaves, bows, grass or snow and three days of waiting for rescue. My daughter really loves watching Survivorman, then trying the stuff when we take hikes. That alone is good enough for me, because if it were just the old man telling her... well, you know. Remember, TV and video entertainment is EVERYTHING to this generation. They need it in their cars, on there Ipods, everywere. Seeing Survivorman on TV means the subject must be cool Of course, her favorite book is now The Hatchet.
I can't get her to watch my WM tapes. Ron Hood is just too professorial for her. It isn't entertainment to her.
Have you ever seen him deploy his pliers?
Yes, he has cut out the spokes from bike and motorcycle wheels, and cut wire and stripped it from the plastic sheath.
I know I'll get chastised for this since since this is a knife forum, but I'd take a multitool over a fixed blade knife or a SAK any day of the week. (Locking SAK not bad, but if I had a choice... locking multitool all the way.) I've never had to do a bayonet charge while hiking. I don't know why people feel compelled to strap on a 7-12 inch blade to go hiking. For chopping, I'm using a hatchet not a knife. Know that I think about it, I carry an e-tool--with one sharpened edge to make a backup chopper-- more often than my fixed blades.
Nothing wrong with appreciating knives, but it reminds me a little of the militant survivalists who think you need a FAL, a 9mm pistol, and a .22/20g combo with about 1000 rounds on every hike. Knives (and guns) are great, but a big fixed blade (or a main battle rifle) isn't on my list of necessities. I always chuckle when I see some guy with a hollow handle, compass rambo knife and doesn't know that his knife is actually weaker than some folders.
Knives are great. But many people can and have survived without a $200 8" fixed blade.
trying to jump on a wild horse was kind of ridiculous, BUT... I bet if he was able to get on it, you would think that it was pretty damn cool.
You haven't been around wild horses much. He was much MUCH more likely to get a hoof in the head and die before his ignorant corpse hit the ground. Wild horse will bite you in a hurry too. Frankly, I suspect this will happen sometime in the future to this clown. God looks out for small children and idiots, but if you do stupid things long enough even his compassion will fail. Ask the Crocodile Hunter.
People really like ragging on these 2 guys and their shows, it seems, or at least take them way too seriously. I think these shows are 90% entertainment and 10% educational, and that's just fine with me.
Where is the 10% education in Moron vs. Wild? I only saw three episodes before I quit watching. Didn't see ONE SINGLE THING that was educational. EDIT: That drinking from the jungle stream then vomitting violently all night scene and the drink the elephant dung then mention that you have diarrhea scene were useful in illustrating why you don't drink questionable water without treating it in some way. I found myself rooting against the guy. I did find myself a little let down that our pretend SAS trooper wasn't eaten while napping in the lion's den beside the water buffalo bones. Or that he didn't snap an ankle while rapelling on grapevines and have to limp out. I know that's wrong of me.
I thought the same exact thing when i first started watching the show. But in one epidode, you see him walking away and right when i was thinkin "is he just ganna leave that camera" he comes back on screen and says,"D'you think i was just ganna leave the camera.'" And on another episode he says he's ganna leave one for the crew to come get cause he was to tired. 
