I can't believe any self respecting man would admit to preferring Man-vs-Wild... Do you guys watch those MTV "reality shows" as well?

not so much.
one of my hunting mentors has a buddy with a huge west texas ranch. they had to trap a bunch of tarantulas as "props". not only that, but my friend met with a producer, and took him to a philipino grocery store to buy some Balut. eggs with a small underdeveloped bird inside. usually duck eggs, i think. they needed the eggs to plant so the guy can find them to eat.

i am not clear as to which show it was for. my friend doenst own a TV, and his explanation was lame.

i assume there is a texas desert survivor episode coming up. they filmed on the same ranch.

Whats up Zoltan. Was wondering if you were still here posting. Good to hear from you.

My vote is for Les but its geographically influeneced as he lives about 1.5hrs away.

Here are some survival tips that I ruthlessly stole from the interwebs

Survival Tip #1

If you have water with you, drink it all immediately. There is a good chance you will be rescued before long so it is pointless being dehydrated. If you do run out of water, the trick to finding more in the wilderness is to remember that water always flows downhill. Find a hill and wait at the bottom. I read somewhere that if there is no water available, you can drink your own urine so I always take a two litre bottle of it wherever I go just in case.


Survival Tip #2

Do not eat the bright purple mushrooms. Once while lost, I found and ate some bright purple mushrooms figuring such a friendly colour could not possibly be dangerous. A short time later, a beetle and I discussed the differences between the director's cut of Bladerunner and the cinematic release. Always remember that bark is an excellent source of nutrition and can be prepared simply by marinating overnight and cooking for twenty minutes in a preheated oven at 240 degrees celcius.

Things that should not be eaten:

Bright purple mushrooms
Rocks
Cha-Chi's Mexican Restaurant food
Wasps


Survival Tip #3

Building yourself a shelter is an integral part of survival. A small bungalow or cottage will be sufficient unless you have a lot of furniture. Always remember that when tiling a roof, it is important to use a rope and harness to avoid falling. If you do fall, land horizontally with your arms and legs stretched out to maximise surface area. Always check with your local council on required permits prior to building.

Protect yourself from hungry animals by fortifying your shelter. A wall of no less than two metres with a lockable gate should be sufficient. Always build your wall out of non combustible materials as wild animals will often attempt to gain access by using fire. Befriend large animals such as bears to protect you from smaller ones. A bear can easily be mollified by running towards it yelling.

Materials that are not suitable for building shelter with:

Water
Angry words
Live ants


Survival Tip #4

Building a fire without the use of matches or a lighter is a simple matter. Most forest fires are caused by lightning strikes so run a steel cable from the top of a tall tree to a pile of sticks and then be patient. Construct your fire under a group of trees and stack large piles of leaves around the edge to serve as wind breaks. Wolves are attracted to firelight but have a highly developed sense of smell and detest the odour of petrol so be sure to douse the surrounding area and yourself well.

If you do not have petrol with you and wolves enter your campsite, curling up into a small ball and making a high pitched sound like a wounded bird will confuse and deter them. If you are being attacked by a wolf, do not accidently grab a snake to fight it off with. If you have emergency flares, taping several dozen to your legs and setting them off at the same time will allow you to hover above the wolves for several seconds, safe from their snapping jaws.


Survival Tip #5

Having the appropriate clothing and medical equipment in preparation for any weather condition or emergency situation is the key to survival. If you are camping in a cool climate such as the Antarctic, make sure you take a scarf. Watching the movie Castaway will give you an idea of what items would be useful should you find yourself lost for several years and comes down to personal preference. If I was Tom Hanks, I would have taken several hundred cartons of cigarettes and a suitcase of pornography.

I read somewhere about a guy who, while camping, cut his leg and as he was sleeping, a spider laid eggs in the wound. I would rather amputate my leg than have baby spiders hatching in it so a surgical grade bone saw is an essential component in any backpack. It is always better to preempt these things so any limbs that receive cuts, scratches or bites should be removed immediately.


Survival Tip #6

Find some means of alerting rescuers to your whereabouts. If you are lost in a desert, writing a large SOS in the sand with your water is an effective means of drawing attention. If you are lost in a jungle, a simple two way radio can be constructed from kits available at any Tandy or RadioShack store. Waving your arms at passing rescue planes expends precious energy so it is better to dig a small hole, lay in it, cover yourself with leaves to keep warm and relax while you wait for them to find you.

Use the time you are waiting to be rescued wisely. Sort your DVD collection into alphabetical order or fix that broken tap that you have been meaning to for months but did get around to because it would mean driving to the hardware store and buying a new rubber washer. Scrapbooking is apparently a fun and satisfying hobby.

Having someone to talk to will help the time pass much more quickly. The last time I was lost and feeling lonely, I constructed company to talk to from mud. I called her Anne and after realising we had a lot in common, we fell in love. Sadly, she disappeared a few nights later during a rainstorm and though I searched desperately for her throughout the wilderness for many weeks, I eventually gave up hope and sought recluse from the outside world inside a dam where I lived for eight years with my pain and a family of angry beavers.


Survival Tip #7

If you become bored while waiting to be rescued and decide to walk, it is helpful to have a map. As you have no way of knowing where you may become lost, a map of everywhere is required. Simply marking everywhere on the map you are not will pinpoint where you are. A simple compass can be constructed by rubbing a small round pebble up and down polyester slacks to generate static magneticity then floating the pebble in a small pool of water. The pebble will sometimes face north.

Keeping a collection of pebbles in your pocket is also handy for when you come to a stream as you can use them as stepping stones. In case of deeper rivers, it is wise to carry a collection of larger rocks in your backpack at all times. If the river is still too deep, constructing a canoe can easily be accomplished by pouring a mixture of liquid polymer and setting agents into a precast mould.

To me, Les's show is a little more of what survival situations most outdoorsman would possibly find themselves in.

Bear Grylls lava jump...........


This always cracks me up. Just watch it (50 seconds). I think there are more on the internet.


Oh, and when I was sent to survival school I asked about these two shows. They just said to never do what Bear does cause he is a douche and that Les has good advice, listen to him.

If I were stranded in the wild, I would want Bear Grylls with me over Les Stroud any day. Les Stroud does not survive. He dies slowly until someone comes and picks him up. Bear finds food and builds shelters. Les just retracks his steps three times so he can film himself walk by slowy. Hes also good at setting traps that don't catch anything.

My thoughts exactly. Les is way too dour. I'd hate to be stranded with him. Bear is a pretty cool guy with good stories - alot of fun. Eeyore vs. Tigger

Well, it's been a long time - ya see, I would out in the wilderness for 7 days, but when I lost my compass, I got lost. Fortunately, I was adopted by a pack of wolves...

In reality, I am still around, but been swamped at work with various projects and what-not.

And if there's an inappropriate post, you can be sure I'm all over it, editing away!

-Z-man.

Totally agree with you. Bear is trekking forward looking for help. Les lays around eating grass. Starving himself. No water. Almost never catches anything. Bear does a lot of crazy stuff,... so just in case you have to do something crazy,... you'll know how:)

Anywho,.... if I was stranded, I would just die. Because theres no way im going to drink from elephant dung or my own piss. I will not eat right off a freshly killed zebra or eat raw bird eggs. Or piss on my hat to keep my head cool. LOL. And I know for fact I wont have a car battery with me and steel wool to start a fire. a fishing pole to catch food or even a rifle. Even with a rifle he couldnt catch anything! His friend had got a kill on a bird.

"Lets not go there" is damn sound advice. So I think Les is the man. I stop watching after a few show. they are all pretty much the same. I really like the one in Africa where he put some spikes from a tree if case if a lion would attack and that will give him a few second of a head start is ok in my book. Bear would like to skin the lion and eat his balls.

One word.....Bear

LOL. Because bear is a real man:) And what if you "had to go there". You wouldnt recall any tips on how to go through there because you watch les:)

If I was stranded with Les, I'd die for sure. When he fired up that goddamn harmonica I'd kill myself.

No thanks. I have done enough stupid stuff in the woods in my youth to last 3 life times. I think we were 18 or 19. My buddy and I had a 60+ lbs back pack on walking along a trail at 2am with candle latern(because we were cool and STUPID) and moon light. Found a flat spot, pull out our bags and got some sleep. Come morning, holy $hit, we notice that there was a 2000' drop on the edge of the trail. I worry about my kids and the crazy stuff they will do. I ain't letting them out of the house until they turn 36.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1281464713.jpg

Bear takes an entourage of cameramen, etc. with him. He was in trouble a couple years ago because he stayed in inns and shelters overnight (so he could get some sleep) and didn't report it in the episode. I think there's a disclaimer now.

Les is just Les, no cameramen, just him... I think it's more authentic.

But I haven't watched either for quite a while.

Got rid of cable.

I opt for neither of them! "Dual Survival" is where it's at.

Yea, and now there is one where a guy takes his wife along. :)

REALLY!

His first mistake was taking a camera with him...