Bear Grylls Survival Academy (minimal bashing please)

dks · **on:** November 26, 2012, 10:15:26 AM

Bear Grylls Survival Academy:

"This week the inaugural Bear Grylls Survival Academy took place in the Scottish Highlands, giving six intrepid travellers the chance to learn a variety of bushcraft and survival skills, from building a shelter to foraging for food. Telegraph Travel spoke to Bear Grylls about why he set up the course, his future adventures, and the most disgusting food he’s ever eaten."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/9698850/Bear-Grylls-Survival-Academy-roasted-rat-for-dinner-anyone.html

Interview:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/9666300/Bear-Grylls-interview.html

kmanct3 · **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2012, 07:42:19 PM

Les Stroud would be an awsome time, but Bear Grylls? Wonder if that included the hotel rooms?

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2012, 08:14:21 PM

Well that took all of one post to reach a hotel reference. As for the course itself - it looks well overpriced, unless there's some stuff that article doesn't divulge. Interesting that it's his ex-army buddies who were his crew on the shows

kmanct3 · **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2012, 12:52:12 AM

All kidding aside, it probably would be a pretty cool experience. Couldnt ask for a better place than the Scottish Highlands !

Gareth · **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2012, 02:11:52 AM

Well I can tell you that you are in no way "guaranteed to have wind, rain and cold, 365 days of the year." in the Highlands.

If anyone wants to pay me £3000 to take them into the Highlands for a week I'll happily make the time.

nuphoria · **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2012, 05:12:16 AM

Minimal bashing?!

Good luck with that

Northern Geek · **Reply #6 on:** November 30, 2012, 03:44:45 PM

Sounds like fun. Pricy, but fun.

I have to admit, I like Bear. He's fun and as long as you keep in mind that the show is mainly entertainment it's a pretty good show too. There's some useful nuggets in there as well sometimes.

Doesn't sound like he's too involved in this though.

karlito · **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2013, 03:19:28 AM

I wonder what's for dinner?

Say what you will about the guy, but he was a SAS soldier, recovered from a broken back, and has a very enviable adventure resume.

Swearengen · **Reply #8 on:** March 17, 2013, 03:35:33 PM

As a former Marine I'm gonna say something many will disagree with.

In today's military, food/shelter/water/survival are NOT a concern that is regularly taught or dealt with until you are down to small unit operations in enemy territory for longer than two week periods.

When in ANY unit whatsoever, the shortage of food/shelter/water would bring that unit to a standstill rendering it combat ineffective very quickly. This is why logistics in a modern military are stressed so heavily to senior noncoms and officers. Without reliable supply you would be spending exorbitant amounts of time and energy scrounging instead of maintaining combat patrols/operations.

I sincerely doubt Senor Grylls spent much time in survival mode until his show began airing. Here's why: it would be ridiculous to allow an elite unit like the SAS cadre to be out of the Brits supply chain thereby cutting down on their combat effectiveness.

I'm not saying Grylls isn't somewhat informative, but I'd much prefer a course with Les Stroud, a man who regularly marches out into true wilderness with nothing but his balls, brains and a Multitool (made sure to throw that last one in to give you guys a braingasm).

dks · **Reply #9 on:** March 17, 2013, 04:16:52 PM

There are plenty of Bear Vs Les threads, a lot newer than this one, where people have made their points regarding both TV entertainers.

Have a look in them too and comment accordingly.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #10 on:** March 17, 2013, 04:44:23 PM

Quote from: karlito on February 07, 2013, 03:19:28 AM

I wonder what's for dinner?

Say what you will about the guy, but he was a SAS soldier, recovered from a broken back, and has a very enviable adventure resume.

And climbed Everest.....

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

Gareth · **Reply #11 on:** March 17, 2013, 05:53:03 PM

The logic, as I understand it, is that units like the SAS (and the SAS Reserve in which Bear Grylls served) are taught survival skills due to the fact that part of their brief is to be infiltrated behind enemy lines and so cut off from regular supply.

Swearengen · **Reply #12 on:** March 17, 2013, 06:36:19 PM

Ah yes. Immense credit for Mt Everest (no sarcasm). My love for climbing would allow nothing else. Long to climb Everest before keeling over from too much steak and beans, but sincerely doubt I'll ever afford it.

Grylls' adventurous spirit and his charity work are inspiring to me, and I look forward to whatever he's doing next (and will likely watch it). Controversies be damned, he's got guts, determination, and ambition enough for me to be interested when he's attempting something new. To me, he's a cross between Evel Knievel and Sir Edmund Hillary. It's just that my sense of personal preservation tells me to follow a guy like Hillary or Stroud, not Knievel, up a mountain.

Gareth · **Reply #13 on:** March 17, 2013, 08:07:43 PM

LOL, I think your sense of self preservation is working very well.

leigh.ratcliffe.5 · **Reply #14 on:** June 13, 2013, 11:00:25 PM

Personally I'd rather be in a situation with Bear. I do not want to be in a situation with Les. Absolutly not.
Two reasons:
1) Bear carries a water bottle, knife, cordage, metal cup and a reliable firestarter. Which makes him a sight smarter than Les.
2) Bear is a very good motivator. When it drops in the pot that is going to be very, very imprortant.

comis · **Reply #15 on:** July 25, 2013, 11:48:44 AM

This should be a fun class judging from the trailer and make for good TV material.

To his credit, Grylls is definitely fit and agile; yet I am always amazed at the 'stunts' that he would do, like hanging from a cliff or climbing a high bridge bare-handed. Definitely not something I would attempt(probably never will be that fit to do so anyway), let alone if I am playing a calories game for a real survival situation. I wonder will he demand the same for all his classmates in this new show?

Also, can't help but to notice how many times the orange-gray Gerber tools flashes on screen, Gerber tools manditory?