Bear Grylls v Ray Mears!

[woody67]

Go on then who gets your vote? I'm definitely in the Ray camp (scuse the pun.)

Ray....walk slowly to preserve energy

Bear....runs about like a headless chicken as fast as he can until he's nakt.

Ray....(whilst eating a cooked crayfish).."gorgeous, sweet as a nut" etc,etc.

Bear...(whilst eating a raw beetle)..."tastes like a rancid, month old prawn full of cheese."

Ray...wears the best waterproofs and clothing suitable for adverse conditions.

Bear...hasn't got a sun hat so rips his t-shirt off, has a widdle on it then wraps his round his bonce!

I could go on, but my wireless signal isn't very good in my bivouac! :wink:

Mark

 

[Rich]

If ever I was invited to desert island discs, I would take 3 Ray Mears with me. :lol:

Rich.

 

[Slim]

I like both.

The difference to me is that Bear Grylls is attempting to show you what to do if you unexpectedly found yourself in a survival situation. Hence the lack of suitable clothing etc. I think its great that he is willing to jump into a frozen river or quick sand, to show us how to survive.

Ray Mears, on the other hand, would never do anything like that. His knowledge is outstanding though, and there would be no-one I would rather be with if I were stranded.

 

[Gill]

If you unexpectedly find yourself in a survival situation, my advice is to always follow the Bear...

Straight to the nearest hotel!



Gill

 

[mr]

Having met the chap (briefly) on a professional level I can say Bear Grylls is affable, friendly soul with a background that verges on the inspirational. Youngest man to climb Everest and return, this after breaking his back in three places in a parachute jump while serving with 21 SAS at age 20 or somesuch. The two aren't really comparable in my book, they set out to do different things and have different backgrounds and approaches to life.

Cheers Mike

 

[RogerS]

Never really warmed to Ray Mears to watch much of his series.

On the other hand, the recent episode with the paragliders at Everest I found one of the most enthralling and watchable programmes that I've seen for a long time.

If I had to spend an evening in the pub with either Ray or Bear then it would be Bear every time

 

[Mcluma]

We watch it every sunday with my kids, and I always say its fake. This ofcourse to the outrage of my kids, who believe everything is true.

I had read articles of this nature a long time ago, and tell my kids that at night he retires into a nice hotel with good food and a shower

Yes some parts are grueling and are true, and yes it is a television show

and if you take all that into consideration, it is all very entertaining

AND THAT IS WHAT IT IS ENTERTAINMENT

 

[George_N]

I like both Ray Mears and Bear Grylls (who calls their son Bear anyway?) and find their TV shows enjoyable. That's just it though, isn't it, they are TV shows that have to be made to a timetable and budget. Even so, the sight of the Bear squeezing the last drops of water from a ball of elephant dung into his mouth makes you think about the sort of things you might have to do if your life depended on it.
On the other hand the show Ray Mears did on building a native American birch bark canoe was brilliant and quite inspirational for someone like me who likes to pretend he is a woodworker.

 

[kafkaian]

Have to say I'm a Mears fan, although he can get a little too Partridgesque at times. I prefer his calm and effortless yet academic and sincere style of oratory that lends itself to a genuine appraisal of the landscape and its endless possibilities!

Ray any day, with a bar of chocolate and a glass of wine in fron to fhtetelly on a Friday night while the youth goes out on the town wrecking their livers!

 

[PowerTool]

Another vote for Ray - amongst other things,I like the way he's not the most athletically-built chap ever,which helps me relate to him a bit more (similar age,similar build - all he's got that I haven't is ability,money and fame... :wink: )

Andrew

 

[srs]

I vote for Ray, he understands survival what Bear does if show you what you do to keep a last tenable grip on life, anyway of you are stuck in the wild Rays your man because if you rearly have to he is gonig to make better eating.

Any way SAS21 is only playing at being a big boy, part time Saturday And Sunday club......



Simon

 

[kafkaian]

Any way SAS21 is only playing at being a big boy, part time Saturday And Sunday club.....

Besides, Ray's the original firestarter

Prodigy Track

 

[mr]

Any way SAS21 is only playing at being a big boy, part time Saturday And Sunday club......



Simon

Not historically the case. Additionally it has an entirely different role to 22 SAS, although it was the foundation for the entire SAS regiment and remains the only example of a volunteer / territorial brigade to have been used as the basis as a regular army brigade.

Cheers Mike

 

[RogerS]

.....

Any way SAS21 is only playing at being a big boy, part time Saturday And Sunday club......



Simon

Sounds like someone got rejected....... :wink:

 

[srs]

No never went for the military life, the thought of dieing for another persons cause did not float my boat , but my job brings me into daily contact with most of the EU battle group counties along with NATO. and no I am not a professional Bin Laden impersonator.

Perhaps I should give the TA SAS a bit more respect but I think they are the poor impersonation of the real thing.

Simon

 

[StevieB]

It would seem from my reading however that 21st SAS are not supposed to be part time 22nd SAS - they have different roles and functions. 21st is primarily a deep recon unit, not a fighting force.

http://www.eliteukforces.info/special-air-service/sas-reserves/

One can never be sure what is really true about elite forces, shrouded in secrecy, myth and legend that they are. The above would make sense though - if I was on deep recon for days or weeks in often hostile territory, with limited communication and supplies then I would want the training that Bear seems to have. Eating grubs may be nasty, but I doubt knocking up a crayfish stew a la Ray Mears is feasible 20 miles behind enemy lines :shock:

Steve.

 

[srs]

Theres no shame in taking a few herbs to garnish with, even dried would be ok at a push.

 

[Benchwayze]

If ever I was invited to desert island discs, I would take 3 Ray Mears with me. :lol:

Rich.

Wouldn't you prefer three 'Rita Mears?' instead?
I think I would! :mrgreen:
John

 

[kmcleod]

definitely a fan of Ray Mears,,,,and its obvious that most of his knowledge is hard gained and that he is respected by the likes of the Royal Marine Artic Warfare Cadre / and the SBS,,,which having met some of them rate as a bunch of very tough professional individuals.

I think that Bear's limitation is in the type of program he is being asked to do,,,much more sensationalist, and visually exciting,,,,don't doubt that as a former member of 21SAS he is equipped with all the knowledge.

As for 21SAS being the only TA unit to form the basis for a regular unit - not true,,,,long before the SAS were ever thought of a small yeomanry unit in Scotland formed the first effective counter insurgent unit ever formed,,,their name - Lovat's Scouts,,,during the Boer War,,,the returned to TA status during the first world war, then during the second world war were again constitured into a regular unit,,,and became parachute ski reconnaissance,,,working mainly in Norway and the islands in the artic,,,some however became the core of the Lovat's commando's who relieved Pegasus bridge on d-day..
The Lovat Scouts still exist today as a small part of the TA in Scotland...

Oh, and what about the Artist's Rifles, werent they another TA unit that became regulars ?

 

[Benchwayze]

I don't know if I am a fan of Ray Mears... I am neutral I suppose. He does have the knowledge, but a lot of the time he shows us things that are overkill.

In a 'Military siuation, you wouldn't smoke behind enemy lines, so for sure you wouldn't light a fire, whatever means you used.

I call Ray Mears, 'Jungle Jim', (affectionately) but that doesn't make him a bad person I guess.

I have a story about an SAS member, but it's too long to go into here.
Regards
John