Oh Bear Grylls, we do love you. We love it when you leap out of helicopters into shark-infested water. We love it when you eat bugs, just to keep up your energy for your adventures. We love it when you climb inside a camel carcass to avoid a sand storm in the Sahara, we just don’t want to get in it with you.
I know that sometimes you pretend to make things a bit more dramatic than they really are and we forgive you for that. We’ve seen people mocking you on You Tube. I’ve hidden the videos away from my youngest son, you are his hero and he wouldn’t be able to stand it. My oldest son isn’t quite so in love with you and finds them funny but I’ve made him promise to keep quiet about your occasional indiscretions.
But Bear, you know how when you strike your flint, seconds later you have a roaring fire and you’re cooking camel steak? My boys have been striking their flints for hours. They’ve made piles of dried leaves, kindling, and newspaper. They’re not giving up but I have a feeling you’re making it easier than it is. Do you spend hours striking away at the flint and just don’t show it on camera? Does your producer have a trusty firelighter tucked away in his back pocket?
Father Christmas was very clever this year. Whilst shopping at Restoration Hardware, he spotted fire steels, ideal stocking stuffers for two boys obsessed with the Discovery Channel. When they were discovered in the stockings a loud ‘just like Bear Grylls!’ was screamed.
Now the boys have made piles of dry items on our patio and strike away at their flints. Nothing has happened yet. No fire. No camel steak roasting away on a hot rock. But it’s kept them occupied, they’re determined to make it work. Bear can do it, so they will be able to as well. Sparks fly, smoke wafts across but still no flames.
But thank you Bear, thanks for inspiring them to try. They’ve learned all about different countries and climates because of you. They know to pee on their t-shirt and wrap it around their head in the desert to keep cool. Or how to squeeze the stomach of a camel and drink its juices. They’re prepared to survive in any conditions and even think they may be in that very situation at some point in their lives.
They may need a bit more help with the fire though, if they’re relying on a fire steel for dinner, I may encourage them to always carry matches. If not, they may be going hungry, even if their head is cool and their thirst is quenched.
Oh Bear Grylls, we do love you.
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Forget the small boys, my husband loves Bear Grylls and would LOVE a flint thing to always wear around his neck. I must get one!
He’s the Chief Scout now in the UK, taking over from Peter Duncan!
Yup. Me too. Love him. Possibly for quite different reasons…
From the looks of their dry items, it would seem that they are missing kindling to get their fire started. Something that will take a spark very easily – cotton balls dipped in Vaseline, Mayadust, or something similar. And, it is pretty hard to start a fire with Firesteel and does take a little bit of practice. But having the right items to turn your spark in to a fire is essential. It looks like they are having a lot of fun though!
And Bear Grylls rocks!! I love watching his show. Staged or not, he still does the stuff you see him doing and he is crazy!
It is very satisfied to watch his show when i finished work and go back home~his clothes are great,but seems there are nowhere to sell in China…my students told me that they dreamed of being like such kind of person!
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