# Man vs. Wild?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910 "2006-11-10T19:13:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/21 "2007-01-07T00:06:17Z")
[QUOTE=TheBoneyKingofNowhere] Haven’t heard of survivor man… will have to look that one up. [/QUOTE] Look up Ray Mears as well. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/22 "2007-05-14T14:11:20Z")
The new season will be starting up pretty soon, actually June 15th. Can’t wait to see some more crazy stunts by Bear, he was pretty wild last season so I know he will have some good stuff for us this season. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/23 "2007-05-14T15:57:38Z")
[QUOTE=iluvurmom] The new season will be starting up pretty soon, actually June 15th. Can’t wait to see some more crazy stunts by Bear, he was pretty wild last season so I know he will have some good stuff for us this season. [/QUOTE] Finally! I was tired of watching the same episodes over and over. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/24 "2007-05-14T19:23:08Z")
[QUOTE=griffin1977] Yes… Very much a rip off of Survivorman (even to the point of going to the same damn places to survive). I envisage Les Stroud challenging Bear Grylls to a “survive off” where they get dropped in the jungle have to do battle with home made weapons (kinda like the episode of star trek 🙂 ). [/QUOTE] Les has done it- he survived for over a year with almost nothing. Les is the Man. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/25 "2007-05-15T14:19:12Z")
Me too this season is going to be great, while the reruns held me for a while I can’t wait for some new ones. When it comes to comparing Man vs. Wild to Survivorman I don’t see why people do that. Yes both shows are about surviving in the wild but they take such different approaches. Les shows you more of what to avoid and how to maintain where Bear is more of getting into the things you should avoid and then showing you how to get out of that really bad situation. I find them very different myself, but I am a big Bear fan:) ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2007, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/26 "2007-05-15T15:42:05Z")
Bear Grylls and his team are planning to fly over the summit of Everest using powered paragliders. [Link](http://www.gknmissioneverest.com/thechallenge/overview.asp) ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/27 "2007-05-22T14:18:21Z")
Wow good article Honey. This is why I love watching Bear on Man vs. Wild so much, he is such an adventurous person. It appears nothing scares him which makes for great thrilling TV. I am really looking forward to the new episodes June 15th. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/28 "2007-05-22T16:18:08Z")
Here he is drinking elephant poop juice. Ugh. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7lFg_Jy0c_g/hqdefault.jpg "Guy Drinks Elephant Poop Juice") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lFg_Jy0c_g) We really need a yucky smilie. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/29 "2007-05-22T16:22:53Z")
The difference is that Bear always has the enthusiasm of someone on a camping trip. Les always looks utterly miserable as one might expect of someone stuck out in the soggy ground or in an inflatable raft for a week. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/30 "2007-05-29T15:35:04Z")
Bear is always excited or at least comes off happy no matter how miserable he may be. I think he just loves the outdoors so much that it comes off that way. Bear is very passionate and it shows. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/31 "2007-05-29T15:37:52Z")
[QUOTE=iluvurmom] Bear is always excited or at least comes off happy no matter how miserable he may be. I think he just loves the outdoors so much that it comes off that way. Bear is very passionate and it shows. [/QUOTE] The only time he wasn’t happy and cheerful was when he was in the Rockies and had a lot of problems. Of course, who would be in that situation? It was rather sweet when he talked about missing his wife though. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/32 "2007-05-30T16:14:10Z")
I must have missed that one, I wonder what his wife is like? I am sure they do fun stuff like he does on the show just with out all the danger. I am sure she feels safe with him around considering he can get out of all those tight situations. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/33 "2007-05-30T18:31:00Z")
He was also pretty miserable in the Costa Rican rain forest. He was up all night puking. I felt so bad for him. The next day he backtracked a mile or so to find a plant that would settle his stomach. You gotta love a guy who wears Union Jack underwear. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/34 "2007-05-30T19:55:17Z")
[QUOTE=Honey] He was also pretty miserable in the Costa Rican rain forest. He was up all night puking. I felt so bad for him. The next day he backtracked a mile or so to find a plant that would settle his stomach. You gotta love a guy who wears Union Jack underwear. [/QUOTE] I tried to put that episode out of my mind, though, since I happened to be sick when I was watching it. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/35 "2007-06-01T11:23:58Z")
I liked the first few episodes I saw, but now I’m rather skeptical. He wastes time and energy doing dumb things that wouldn’t be smart or worth the investment if you really were lost. For instance, I’ve seen two episodes now (Sierra Nevadas and Rockies) where he decides to float through some rapids, which seems like a dumb idea. In fact, in one of them (the Rockies), it looked like he was wearing a life jacket under his sweatshirt. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/36 "2007-06-04T14:38:57Z")
Honey I remember that one, he was so sick I think it was some water he drank earlier that day. Easy e Bear does do some really interesting things but if he seems like he is wasting energy its because he is actually looking for the problems. He goes and finds them and shows you the danger and then gets right on into it to show you (if for whatever reason you would be in that situation) how to get out of it. I think its pretty cool like the time he was standing next to river that was frezzing cold and then he jumped in. He got out got naked started a fire and showed us how to handle it. How cool is that?!?! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/37 "2007-06-04T19:36:08Z")
Having done some survival work myself, let me give you this warning: “This show is entirely for entertainment value, and if you try what Bear does you will die”. Example: Bear is in High Sierras. Now he starts off next to a nice clean freshwater lake,which looks like it has scads of trout. He does make a valid point that drinking the water could get you into trouble even though it looks clean. But any real survival expert would hunker down there, build a shelter and a fire and if he did not have anything in which to boil water, he’d just drink it. The fire will bring help pretty damn soon. However, Bear goes slipping down a talus slope, something which is _very_ dangerous. Well, Ok that lake area looks pretty cold, so maybe you do want to move on a bit. So… Next Bear comes to a river. Now ere’s a perfect stop to hunker. Trees and deadfall everywhere, enough to build a damn cabin. Water, food, etc. Find a spot with a little clearing to that the choppers can see you, build a shelter, start a fire, and wait. But nooooooo! Bear the SAS dude wants to go whitewater rafting on a makeshift raft! :eek: Hypothermia, broken bones, drowning and you \*will \*swallow water so what is all the worry about boiling it? Dudes- that was an \*idiot \*survival decision. It was marginal if you really are an ex-SAS dudes in perfect physical condition and with a camera crew to rescue you. Then he finds wild horses! I’d be going- "hmm, deadfall and I have 1500# of meat. But what does Bear do? Try to lasso one and ride it!?! :eek: Three very very bad decisions there, any one which would normally result in your death (or severve injury which usually = death in a survival situaion). Dudes- \*don’t do this in the wild. \* Sure watch what he eats and how he makes fire and a shelter. But pay no attention to the SAS stunts he does. **YOU** will die. But the best dude is **Survivorman**. Best of all he has _no camera crew._ ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/38 "2007-06-04T19:56:05Z")
Les does indeed have a satalite phone but he has said in interviews when he tests it just for shiggles it hardly ever works. He even shown us when he was lost at sea that he could not radio the rescue team. I would go with Les hands down, i mean that guy has NO ONE to talk to. That has got to put a dent in your moral. Bear can talk to the crew and joke around and keep his spirts high, Les cannot. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/39 "2007-06-07T14:12:19Z")
So becasue Les does not have anyon to talk to that makes his show better? That does not make sense to me. I love Bear vs. Wild and I have watched Survivorman but I have said this before and I will say it again the shows are so different I don’t know why anyone is even comparing them. Les is presenting the struggle to survive alone in the jungle where as Bear has never said I am going to show you how to survive alone Bear is showing you how to get out of dangerous situations if you ever get in them in his own unique way:) I like both shows but am biased becuase I do love Bear, I just get tired of the comparisons. ---
**Author:** ![iluvurmom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iluvurmom/32/7276_2.png) [@iluvurmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iluvurmom)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2007, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910/40 "2007-06-15T12:28:30Z")
The new episodes start tonight! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-vs-wild/379910.md?page=3)