Ultimate Survival

[SMARTY]

Did any one see "Ultimate survival" on Sunday night. It was on Discovery channel at 6 O'clock. In it Bear Grylls put himself into a survival situation with only what he was wearing in the Rockies on the US Canada border. The reason I ask is because I personally think that some of the stuff He did was dangerous and not the best survival practice. For example his aim was to get to a road to be picked up. He moved at night, he deliberatly took unnecessary risks like jumping into a very cold fast flowing river. Some parts were obviously for the tv. Great show Bear but come on mate..some viewers may think that what you did is best practice........IT IS NOT. I would like to see programmes of this sort be a little more responsible. Some younger viewers may try to copy some of the techniques he showed. .......Rant over.

 

[scoops_uk]

I saw it too and thought the river antics were lunacy. As was the avoidable abseiling with paracord.

Wasn't too impressed with the lighting a fire under a rock overhang either.



Scoops

 

[The Joker]

I watched it a little while back and thought then it was an orchestrated farce.

There was absolutly no way he lit that roaring fire with the way he was doing that hand drill either

 

[speedstar]

did not see it but saw on and he made it look like he was break his arm did not just looked like it.

 

[brasst]

saw it too and thought it was all staged.
1 embers on the hearth board where blatantly from a fire
2 where did he get the rucksack from
3 boiling rosehips seeds,twigs and all
4 how did he get the paracord when he had to drop 20' from the chute
5 where did he get the floatation device he had on under his hoody
6 jumping into the river of unknown depth from a cliff
7 floating 12 or more miles down a glacial melt river and not being hyperthermic
( me thinks he may have had a wetsuit on underneath
8 failing to inform viewers to cut the head off a snake at least 2" behind the head

and thats just what i can remember. IMHO a very dangerous program as others would watch and do likewise with possibly dire consequences

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Seen it once, and spent most of my time swearing at the telly

 

[Simon E]

One of the technical consultants was Ron Hood. Man was he peeved when he saw what the editors had done. By all accounts nothing that the two of them suggested was heeded. It wasnt a survival program to learn from, it was made to be entertainment only. Bushcraft/Survival call it what you may is so small a % of the population that it will never get the big money it needs to put out a decent show. Ray does a nice program, but its a lot of local history, stories and blah to fill in the time slot.

 

[BOD]

The guy sounds silly.

However moving at night is the recommended practice in hot dry zones though I wonder why that would be done in the Rockies unless it is very hot in summer. But then there were lots of rivers to rehydrate oneself .

 

[The Joker]

The sad thing is I think Bear Grylls is quite a tallented guy, he's done loads of hard endurance stuff and done it well..............................But this just makes him look like a prat

 

[crazydave]

Bear Grylls was allegedly a member of the SAS till a freefall accident broke his back - I dont doubt that he could have been but he must have gone straight from basic to selection and never been active as he is still very young - He does seem to know his stuff though and has climbing everest among his achievments. He did a 'legion are you tough enough' type program 2 years ago that was a bit wishy washy, but at least he took part along with the guys unlike 'the heroes of telemark'.

Sounds like he was trying to do an extreme copy of survivorman which IMO is extreme enough for most people. or maybe he's trying to do a Chris Ryan type program. Its a shame they couldn't do what him and big ron wanted though as Ron Hood and his missus really know their stuff - running courses, sites, forums and making dvds for the masses.

I'll look out for that - but has anyone been watching ben fogle slog it through the jungle this week?

 

[Goose]

Bear Grylls was allegedly a member of the SAS till a freefall accident broke his back - I dont doubt that he could have been but he must have gone straight from basic to selection and never been active as he is still very young - He does seem to know his stuff though and has climbing everest among his achievments. He did a 'legion are you tough enough' type program 2 years ago that was a bit wishy washy, but at least he took part along with the guys unlike 'the heroes of telemark'.

Sounds like he was trying to do an extreme copy of survivorman which IMO is extreme enough for most people. or maybe he's trying to do a Chris Ryan type program. Its a shame they couldn't do what him and big ron wanted though as Ron Hood and his missus really know their stuff - running courses, sites, forums and making dvds for the masses.

I'll look out for that - but has anyone been watching ben fogle slog it through the jungle this week?

He was a member of the TA SAS, which has a different selection process. Chris Ryan joined in the same way.

 

[TAHAWK]

Let me ask you folks in the UK about one point. In his "official" biography, Mr. Grylls says that for three years he was a "Specialist Combat Survival Instructor and Patrol Medic." This would be in the age range 20-23. Isn't that a tad young?

 

[huntersforge]

Its all for the benefit of the viewing public , and yes the vast majority do believe ALL they see on the box . A bit far fetched for those who know better but heh we are the minority .
No matter what programme you turn on there is always something which is hard to believe

 

[Voivode]

The guy sounds silly.

However moving at night is the recommended practice in hot dry zones though I wonder why that would be done in the Rockies unless it is very hot in summer. But then there were lots of rivers to rehydrate oneself .

The Rockies near the Canada/US border do not get that hot in the summer and they aren't particularly dry. At the peak of summer, you might see 33C, with usual daytime highs in the order of 25C or so. Nighttime typically plummets; I've camped when it was ~20C in the day and below freezing at night in mid-August. That was an atypical year, but hot days and cold nights are the norm.

There is no good reason to move in our mountains at night, and plenty of reasons not to. The hazards aren't worth the risk and unless you've got a proven route to travel, you're asking to end up in a box canyon, in an impromptu (and probably undesired) glissade or something worse.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

He has also done a Channel 4 UK series 'stranded'.

http://www.beargrylls.com/

Nick

 

[TAHAWK]

But do twenty-year-olds TEACH survival to other members of 21 SAS? I had imagined some scarred old vet in that role.

 

[Goose]

But do twenty-year-olds TEACH survival to other members of 21 SAS? I had imagined some scarred old vet in that role.

You are probably right, but even though you aren't going to teach it to the other troopers doesn't mean you can't do the course!
I think things like this cause problems with all military qualifications. I knew quite a few (pretty highly) qualified plant ops(digger drivers) who by their own admission wouldn't have a clue how to work the machines, their career moved them away from such things, but never the less they can and would put X number of years as a Plant op on their CVs. The same thing happens with drivers, just because you have held an HGV or M/C licence for years doesn't mean you have used it since you took the test, but you wouldn't miss it off the CV would you?

 

[bambodoggy]

From my experience with the TA I would say that Goose is most likely right....

Also, there aren't all that many "scarred old vets", in that unit....average length of service is between 5 and 10 years max. It's bloody hard work by all accounts and has to be balanced with a familiy life and normal work commitments.....not an easy thing to do unless you're a civil servent in daily life or run your own company. Funding is tight so not many old'uns are kept on...why would they be?

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

One of the technical consultants was Ron Hood. Man was he peeved when he saw what the editors had done. By all accounts nothing that the two of them suggested was heeded. It wasnt a survival program to learn from, it was made to be entertainment only. Bushcraft/Survival call it what you may is so small a % of the population that it will never get the big money it needs to put out a decent show. Ray does a nice program, but its a lot of local history, stories and blah to fill in the time slot.

It's much like Les Stroud's "Survivorman". Guy knows the skills, guy has mentors TEACH him any skills he doesn't know for sure, but still, gotta make a show that makes ratings! Annoys me, but hey, it's how television is nowadays.

 

[Voivode]

It's much like Les Stroud's "Survivorman". Guy knows the skills, guy has mentors TEACH him any skills he doesn't know for sure, but still, gotta make a show that makes ratings! Annoys me, but hey, it's how television is nowadays.

True dat. I have respect for Les Stroud, but that show isn't a good representation of the right things to do. His other program, where him and his wife spend a year in the Northern Ontario bush using only primitive techniques (Snowshoes and Solitude) was really good. Less TV-suffering and more suffering-suffering.