Bear Grylls

[Rogue Chef]

I was watching Bear Grylls on the Discovery Channel the other night. He was dropped into Siberia by parachute.

I'm pretty sure his parachute was in the RM freefall teams colours.

If so where did he get it from?

[aspinall]

Not sure on this but isn't he ex - SAS or something he has some military background i think . . . as ive said im not sure on it

[London Boy]

He did 3 years with the Artists!

[Seraph]

The re-run of this series has just begun on freeview.

I remember the furore when it was revealed Grylls was somewhat misleading at times....

"A crew member said yesterday that after the camera stopped Grylls would often stay in hotels - including one with internet access and blueberry pancakes for breakfast - and that many of his daring missions were stage-managed"

I see the re-runs now include a disclaimer with reference to the above.

As for the chute.... He seems a man of some means and influence, so getting hold of what ever equipment he wants would probably be effortless.

For my part, anyone who eats live poisonous crawlies is one crazy son of a bitch.

[Rogue Chef]

Bear has had a nasty accident in Antarctica:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -fall.html

[Artist]

Once upon a time the RM free fall team were sponsered by the 1664 lager brewery mob. The chutes were in the Corps Colours with 1664 centered on the chutes in the breweries LOGO. At the time they were the most modern chutes going so they were highly prized by all the team.

So maybe he glommed one off an Oppo who was a member of the free fall team in the late eighties as they were not owned by the Corps but by the members of the team once the sponsership was dropped due to the fact that they were not Pussers kit. Only guessing mind.

Artist

[Sisyphus]

Once upon a time the RM free fall team were sponsered by the 1664 lager brewery mob.

'Once upon a time' was after the time when we were jumping with any rigs we could cadge, on any jumpships we could get our hands on!

My last jumps with the 'RM freefall display team' at the BBC Birmingham Tulip Festival earned me 35 quid - which was more than my pay as a corporal for the week!?

I got a letter from Jim Goldsworthy with a £35 cheque in it!? It was unheard of. I nearly rejoined - but made the right decision! Not that I don't wonder about it sometimes

Since then, apparently, they get access to RN Wessex and the latest jump rigs available, etc. Oh, and they've broken a World Record or Two. Rock on Guys!!! I'm not jealous. Honest?!?!

[Shoulderholster]

It all comes down to crafty editing,I was half watching one of the episodes when he was 'inserted' by parachute off the coast of some jungle.
What grabbed my interest was the fact that the canopy was in the Corps colours,and it looked like it was a drop over Studland Bay.
It was filmed from a distance,and when whoever was doing the jump hit the water it cut to Mr Bear bobbing up to the surface gasping and spluttering in a completly different rig.
I can remember the Freefall Team getting those parachutes in the Corps colours,but the 1664 bit is news to me.

SH

[jabcrosshook]

I don't trust Bear Grylls that much, on one episode he climbs down a waterfall by using the vines, but you can quite clearly see a black harness around his waist and thighs with a rope attached.

[Ruth]

No vines in Antarctica, maybe that was why he came a cropper

[Rogue Chef]

Of course many of the scenes are staged, it's television. He's not supposed to get killed, otherwise the rest of the series would be a bit flat.

SH,
In the episode (the Siberia one) I saw, it was definitely him using the rig.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lBi9FoGlJQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RvEbNgD ... re=related

This piece gives some insight into the claims of fraud:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_vs._Wild

[Seraph]

Of course many of the scenes are staged

You'd think someone would already have mentioned that!

[Sisyphus]

Not unlike the shots of intrepid 'heroes' climbing mountains, trekking across searing deserts or the Antarctic, struggling on manfully - along with a cameraman, sound recordist, etc......

[Rogue Chef]

I watched a programme about Steve Irwin and how they filmed his 'Crocodile Hunter' series. Much the same as Bear Grylls and I daresay the others of that genre. There is also a programme about Bear, his crew and the making of 'Man vs Wild'. Bear explains that it takes up to ten days to film a single episode that portrays a 24 hour survival experience. He lives out for the night bit but for the remainder of the time he and his crew stay in locally available accommodation.

The risks they take are very real (Irwin is dead and Grylls has recently had a bad fall) but they have to be stage managed to make effective TV.

[anglo-saxon]

Grylls was in 21 SAS as was his dad who was also an MP for Isle of Wight. I don't think it was a very long stint as he broke his back climbing and was laid up for a horribly long time (somehting like 18 months). He bounced back to climb everest though and at the time was the youngest ever to do so.

Of course all of his stuff is staged. He's not going to die to make a show. On anither sight I saw some planks waxing on about how he was a phoney, etc., and how "you wouldn't take such risks in a real life survival situation, blah, blah". Well, a lot of what he does is from shher devilment it appears, plus he shows things like what it's like to drop through snow into a cravass, etc.. He does somethings that would definitely make me uncomfortable. As for his jumps, I couldn't attst to any rig colours, but I've seen him perform some interesting exists of helo skids and they weren't fake. It's all just entertainment, so who gives a toss. Actually, he comes across as a real gent. I can't help liking the guy.

Ray Mears on the other hand...I think he could live of his body fat for many moons!!