Man vs Wild: Bear Gylls in Copper Canyon, Mexico

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The discussion centers around the survival show "Man vs Wild," hosted by Bear Grylls, who demonstrates survival techniques in extreme environments, specifically in the Copper Canyon of Mexico. The episode highlights the drastic temperature changes and the dangers of the terrain, including wildlife hazards like scorpions and rattlesnakes. Grylls showcases fire-making skills using a yucca plant and a friction-based method. Participants express mixed opinions about the show's authenticity, with some criticizing Grylls for perceived exaggerations and staged scenarios, while others appreciate the survival tips and stunning visuals. Comparisons are drawn to "Survivorman," hosted by Les Stroud, which is viewed as more realistic due to Stroud's solo filming approach and genuine survival challenges. The conversation also touches on the potential dangers of survival shows, cautioning that they may encourage risky behavior among viewers. Overall, while "Man vs Wild" is entertaining, it raises questions about the portrayal of survival situations and the responsibilities of such programs.
Astronuc
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I caught a really interesting program on TV - Man vs Wild.
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/manvswild/manvswild.html

The host, Bear Gylls, was dropped on top of a remote range in the Copper Canyon area of Chihuahua, Mexico - at 9400 ft (2865 m). The day time temperature was ~70+°F, but at night the temperature would drop to 15°F, so that anyone without protection would risk hypothermia.

For each 1000 ft (305 m), the night time temperature would increase a few degrees, so the objective would be to get down to the valley as quickly as possible - but the mountain sides are steep and somewhat unstable. Also, one has to be careful where one puts one's hands in order to avoid scorpions or tarantulas, and perhaps rattlesnakes. Gylls ate a scorpion that picked off the ground to indicate that they are a good source of protein.

Gylls got to about 7000 ft just before the sun went down and the temperature started to drop. He stopped and made a fire, which he demonstrated.

He used a yucca plant which was dry, and has the lowest flashpoint of any wood. He made a fire sword, which makes fire by friction. To make the fire initiator, he cut two pieces of wood and placed them in parallel with two stones separating them, and bound them with green stalks. He filled the gap with dry grass, but tinder would be suitable. He placed the sticks between some rocks, and then proceeded to rub a 'fire sword' perpendicularly across the two sticks and above the dry grass (tinder). After a few minutes a hot piece of wood lit the grass. He placed that on another bundle of grass and added some sticks.

Very practical - http://dsc.discovery.com/survival/how-to-survive/how-to-survive-tips.html

Making fire - http://dsc.discovery.com/survival/how-to-survive/how-to-survive-tips-tab-07.html
 
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Have you seen Man Vs. FOOD?
 
I can attest to people (tourists) who put themselves at risk in remote places. Dehydration, sunburn, and sunstroke/heat stroke are common problems.

I encountered a girl whose legs were purple from sunburn. She was hiking in the Grand Canyon in shorts and no sunscreen. I'm sure she did severe damage to her skin.
 
Wow, sounds like a good show. I will definitely check it out.
 
Astronuc said:
I caught a really interesting program on TV - Man vs Wild.
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/manvswild/manvswild.html

The host, Bear Gylls, was dropped on top of a remote range in the Copper Canyon area of Chihuahua, Mexico - at 9400 ft (2865 m). The day time temperature was ~70+°F, but at night the temperature would drop to 15°F, so that anyone without protection would risk hypothermia.

For each 1000 ft (305 m), the night time temperature would increase a few degrees, so the objective would be to get down to the valley as quickly as possible - but the mountain sides are steep and somewhat unstable. Also, one has to be careful where one puts one's hands in order to avoid scorpions or tarantulas, and perhaps rattlesnakes. Gylls ate a scorpion that picked off the ground to indicate that they are a good source of protein.

Gylls got to about 7000 ft just before the sun went down and the temperature started to drop. He stopped and made a fire, which he demonstrated.

He used a yucca plant which was dry, and has the lowest flashpoint of any wood. He made a fire sword, which makes fire by friction. To make the fire initiator, he cut two pieces of wood and placed them in parallel with two stones separating them, and bound them with green stalks. He filled the gap with dry grass, but tinder would be suitable. He placed the sticks between some rocks, and then proceeded to rub a 'fire sword' perpendicularly across the two sticks and above the dry grass (tinder). After a few minutes a hot piece of wood lit the grass. He placed that on another bundle of grass and added some sticks.

Very practical - http://dsc.discovery.com/survival/how-to-survive/how-to-survive-tips.html
His name is Grylls, not Gylls
I'm guessing you're not based in the UK
Over here, he has something of a reputation for 'stretching it a bit' examples include use of smoke generators to make skipping across volcanic bowls look a lot more dangerous than they really are. He is also staying in comfy hotels when he conveys to his audience the impression that he's roughing it.
Entertaining if you're into that sort of thing but his deeds of derring-do need to be taken with a pinch of salt
 
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I like Survivorman much, much better than Man vs. Wild. Man vs. Wild has some incredibly bad stuff at times. Example: A third hand appearing from offscreen to hand Bear Grylls a torch as he descends into an abandoned mine. Where did that third hand come from? (Answer: A crew member; Bear Grylls has a whole crew traveling with him doing the photography and handing him torches, etc, when needed.) What in the world is he doing descending into an abandoned mine? (Answer: There is no answer. Avoiding unnecessary risks is the number one rule in the wilderness.)

Les Stroud (Survivorman) is truly on his own. His crew drops him off with just his cameras, maybe a knife, maybe a piece of survival gear. He has one week to get out of the predicament. He carries his own cameras and does his own filmwork. That sometimes means he has to set up a camera to show him hiking out of some tough location, then hiking back to pick up the camera he left behind, and then hiking back out with the camera in tow. If you like Man vs Wild, try to catch Survivorman. It is much, much better than Man vs Wild (but at times the camera work is a bit jerkier).
 
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D H said:
I like Survivorman much, much better than Man vs. Wild. Man vs. Wild has some incredibly bad stuff at times. Example: A third hand appearing from offscreen to hand Bear Grylls a torch as he descends into an abandoned mine. Where did that third hand come from? (Answer: A crew member; Bear Grylls has a whole crew traveling with him doing the photography and handing him torches, etc, when needed.) What in the world is he doing descending into an abandoned mine? (Answer: There is no answer. Avoiding unnecessary risks is the number one rule in the wilderness.)

Les Stroud (Survivorman) is truly on his own. His crew drops him off with just his cameras, maybe a knife, maybe a piece of survival gear. He has one week to get out of the predicament. He carries his own cameras and does his own filmwork. That sometimes means he has to set up a camera to show him hiking out of some tough location, then hiking back to pick up the camera he left behind, and then hiking back out with the camera in tow. If you like Man vs Wild, try to catch Survivorman. It is much, much better than Man vs Wild (but at times the camera work is a bit jerkier).

Survivorman. Great show. I'm proud to be Canadian :biggrin:
 
  • #10
D H said:
Example: A third hand appearing from offscreen to hand Bear Grylls a torch as he descends into an abandoned mine. Where did that third hand come from?\


Obviously he has a cameraman, otherwise where is the video from? I think the cameraman is way more of a badass, I mean try traveling over the country they go through with a 10 pound camera.

It's also evident in that when Bear cooks food he normally only eats half of it.

I do prefer Les Stroud, but will watch either show, they sure beat reality TV.
 
  • #11
binzing said:
Obviously he has a cameraman, otherwise where is the video from? I think the cameraman is way more of a badass, I mean try traveling over the country they go through with a 10 pound camera.

It's also evident in that when Bear cooks food he normally only eats half of it.

I do prefer Les Stroud, but will watch either show, they sure beat reality TV.

Some of them film themselves.
 
  • #12
I agree bear Grylls isn't as bad *** as the survivorman guy in their shows but the intent of man vs wild is to show you how to survive. He obviously has help (they even set up artificial situations such as falling through ice or jumping in a bog), but its not totally about him simply surviving.

Personally I prefer man vs wild simply because of the shots they get. I enjoy seeing the broad landscapes of nature around the world shot from helicopters and such.
 
  • #13
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  • #14
binzing said:
It's also evident in that when Bear cooks food he normally only eats half of it...
Mmmmmmmmmm...left-over scorpion.
 
  • #15
Colin1 said:
His name is Grylls, not Gylls
I'm guessing you're not based in the UK
Over here, he has something of a reputation for 'stretching it a bit' examples include use of smoke generators to make skipping across volcanic bowls look a lot more dangerous than they really are. He is also staying in comfy hotels when he conveys to his audience the impression that he's roughing it.
Entertaining if you're into that sort of thing but his deeds of derring-do need to be taken with a pinch of salt
Heh, didn't know this. Nevertheless, I've learned some cool tricks from just the 3 or 4 episodes I've watched.
 
  • #16
Cyrus said:
Some of them film themselves.

Yes, but it's evident to anyone with half a brain that Bear isn't filming himself when the camera is panning and moving and he's remaining in frame...
 
  • #17
binzing said:
Yes, but it's evident to anyone with half a brain that Bear isn't filming himself when the camera is panning and moving and he's remaining in frame...

Monkey film crews.
 
  • #19
Cyrus said:
Monkey film crews.

Mhmm...
 
  • #20
At the beginning of every episode it says that there is a flim crew and such
 
  • #21
mbisCool said:
...the intent of man vs wild is to show you how to survive...

...I enjoy seeing the broad landscapes of nature around the world shot from helicopters and such
So which?
Survival or stunning vistas?
 
  • #22
mbisCool said:
Ibut the intent of man vs wild is to show you how to survive.
I've watched a handful of episodes, and each time there has been something completely antithetical to surviving in the wild. E.g., walking into an abandoned mine with only a torch made out of strips of cloth soaked in kerosene.
 
  • #23
Well he demonstrated the art of torch making :o Does he really need to actually drink the liquid from elephant poo to show you how to survive?

The intent of the show is not the main reason I enjoy it, so both.
 
  • #25
I'd be impressed if he hadn't squeezed its guts out of his mouth. About all he MIGHT have swallowed was the skin. But there is a cut at that point, so who knows how much of it he actually ate?
 
  • #26
I wouldn't let that one clip swade your opinion; in other episodes he drinks piss, elephant poo, eats an eyeball etc. and the guts don't come out...

I'm pretty sure he is eating these things, whether he survives off of them I do not know.
 
  • #27
mbisCool said:
I wouldn't let that one clip swade your opinion; in other episodes he drinks piss, elephant poo, eats an eyeball etc. and the guts don't come out...

I'm pretty sure he is eating these things, whether he survives off of them I do not know.

Why the hell would he drink piss for?
 
  • #28
Cyrus said:
Why the hell would he drink piss for?
It was that or American Beer?

(ps. Yes I know if you are from San Fransisco/Oregon/or anywhere that Budweiser doesn't have 100% market penetration - that there are many delightful Amercian microbrews, and I deeply apologise)
 
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  • #29
Survivorman is painful to watch. But real. He films himself and actually has to make do with next to nothing. His wilderness survival tips and skills are incredible.
 
  • #30
mbisCool said:
I wouldn't let that one clip swade your opinion; in other episodes he drinks piss, elephant poo, eats an eyeball etc. and the guts don't come out...

I'm pretty sure he is eating these things, whether he survives off of them I do not know.

http://www.daughtersoftiresias.org/bearwiki/Evidence
-Is this the same guy?
 
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  • #31
Cyrus said:
Why the hell would he drink piss for?
How about the episode were he took off his t-shirt, peed in it and then wrapped it around his head. I do that on hot days and it's an excellent idea.
 
  • #32
Evo said:
How about the episode were he took off his t-shirt, peed in it and then wrapped it around his head. I do that on hot days and it's an excellent idea.
He does seem to get his shirt off, an unreasonable number of times.
 
  • #33
I don't know about you all, but I can't count the number of times I've been deserted in the tropic rain forest/calahari desert/grand canyon/tropical deserted island/ ...:rolleyes:

I'd like him to be honest, take out his cell phone and see if it will make a call. I bet it will nine times out of ten.
 
  • #34
You have to admit it has shock value. Like the time he tried eating a maggot infested puma he found.
 
  • #36
I wonder how they would do on Komodo Island.
 
  • #37
Evo said:
You have to admit it has shock value. Like the time he tried eating a maggot infested puma he found.

Pfft, Andrew Zimmer eats that kind of stuff all the time and doesn't make faces while eating such things.
 
  • #38
One thing I don't Understand is how they film Bear jump from helicopters alone. Moments later after seeing he had jumped alone, they switch to a shot right next to him in the air about the same distance from the helicopter meaning the camera guy would have had to jump at about the same time.
 
  • #39
mbisCool said:
One thing I don't Understand is how they film Bear jump from helicopters alone. Moments later after seeing he had jumped alone, they switch to a shot right next to him in the air about the same distance from the helicopter meaning the camera guy would have had to jump at about the same time.

Cyrus said:
Monkey film crews.

Parachuting Monkey film crews !
http://www.slantmagazine.com/images/film/cameraman.jpg
 
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  • #40
The one thing about survival, is that you never know when your really going to need the valuable tips and tricks that you can learn from such a show. Many of us will never need it, but if just one of us, finds our selfs in a vacation gone bad, something you may have learned from these types of shows my become your lifesaver.
 
  • #41
hypatia said:
something you may have learned from these types of shows my become your lifesaver.
Police/Fire/Mountain Rescue etc HATE these shows.
If you get lost hiking or your 4x4 breaks down STAY THERE - you are a lot easier to find sitting in a 4x4 on a logging road than deciding to go off into the woods equipped with your swiss army knife and a couple of episodes of Lost.

A recent sad example, http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9666094-1.html?tag=nl.e729
 
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  • #42
Those people didn't watch the show, or they would stripped the vinyl seat, reflective lenses, gasoline, wires and spark plug to build a GPS tower, and signal for help.:-p
 
  • #43
Or at least waited for a passing adventure show presenter.
Mugged him, stolen his credit cards and luxury hotel room key and then shared the cameraman's packed lunch.
 
  • #44
hypatia said:
Those people didn't watch the show, or they would stripped the vinyl seat, reflective lenses, gasoline, wires and spark plug to build a GPS tower, and signal for help.:-p

Leave MacGuiver out of this...
 

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