Bear Grylls, My Hero

Have been wondering what to blog about for a while... Shld I write about the recent trip to KK? Write a review of my polar running computer? Or write a photography review of recent snapping opportunities? All seemed like too much effort... Bah...

Then, turned on the discovery channel and I just have to tell u about Man vs Wild... If u've never watched it, each episode is about how this dude, Mr. Bear Grylls, who is an ex navy or special forces officer or some super well trained fella who knows everything, survives and finds his way out of life threatening environments. His journey always starts with him parachuting into deserts, jungles, mountains and anywhere else where there are threats from wildlife, lack of food, water and shelter. His aim - to get out alive and return to civilisation.

Of all the episodes I've watched, I have seen him battling and skinning snakes, chopping a skunk in half to salvage part of the body that doesn't have the stench, getting stung by bees to harvest honey - all for the sake of food.

And he'll somehow construct instruments for use to cook, scale down mountains, lay traps to catch game a la McGyver style from whatever he has - his parachute, his pants, his parka, skin from carcasses he finds along his way, etc.

One thing that never fails to amaze me though, is when he's really desperate for water and is at the brink of dehydration, he would drink his own urine. YA! He says, only drink when it's fresh, leave it any longer and it's a breeding ground for bacteria. Urine is, after all, 95% water (and wat, 5% of YUCK?!) Picture this - him pouring the urine into his mouth, spilling over to his face, chin, his clothes... *grimace*

Oh ya, he has kept urine in the skin of the snake he's eaten. It would be knotted at both ends, slung over his shoulders, just like a long inflateable balloon.

And after being hydrated, he soldiers on...