Learns his survival skills for each episode right before shooting

From BearWiki

Confirmed: Bear learns his survival skills for each episode right before shooting.

Many viewers are left with an impression of the show, given all of the 'tips' and 'skills' that Bear gives on each episode for all kinds of different regions, that he has some sort of vast knowledge of survival skills for all terrains. Quite the opposite, Bear learns his survival skills and tips for each episode two days before the shoot[1].

retzl90: How much research do you do before heading out to the location? Do you plan for certain possibilities, or is it mostly improvised?

Bear: I start two days beforehand with arrangers and experts filling me in on all the safety procedures, local animals, etc. I then try to get as many survival techniques that are native to that area as possible. I also have a pretty good idea of the things I want to do along the way, so then of course you’re dealing with things as they happen. What makes the final show is generally about a tenth of what actually happened, but that’s TV!

[edit] Analysis

Support: If you can even call it "learned". So much of the show is scripted, given what we know from what has been confirmed so far, that you might as well say that Tom Hanks learned island survival from making Castaway.

Oppose: That doesn't state that he isn't just "brushing up", or adding to his repertoire.

Oppose: It's impractical to expect a survival expert to be well versed in every ecosystem of the world (local fauna, flora). Grylls may have general survival experience which may help him survive any situation, but being reinforced before a shoot allows the scene to be more educational. His skills may be unrealistic, but the concept of the show is reinforced.

Support: There's nothing wrong with learning new techniques right before a shoot so there's no reason to pretend like it doesn't happen or that it's false. Like Grylls, any responsible hiker or outdoorsman would familiarize himself with the local plant and wildlife before committing to the land.

Support: Where does he get the truly HORRIBLE advice? I can't imagine any decent survival consultant giving him some of that advice. Jumping off a cliff? Swimming under a debris jam? Using knotted cord to arrest a crevasse fall? Climbing DOWN a waterfall? Floating down a frigid river in rapids? That HAS to be the producers introducing elements of risk and drama into the show. I can't imagine even bear would do those stunts in a real life situation.

Support: It's easy: he has bad scriptwriters.

Oppose: He openly admits to consulting with local guides before episodes. Anyone in his situation would do the same. The bit about him jumping off cliffs. I mean it's a TV show so they throw some action in to get viewers. If they didn't it would get the same viewership as botany documentaries.

Support: But a botany documentary is a DOCUMENTARY - it's meant to be truthful and accurate. MvW is deceptive, inaccurate, and has horribly BAD advice. Throw in the action, but call it ACTION-ADVENTURE, not a DOCUMENTARY.

Support: I would HOPE he would learn survival skills for the area right before going it; it is just a shame that he tends to throw the most important ones out the window for "entertainment".

Oppose: All the survival shows do this, it is common for all shows to have dry runs and rehersals before the real thing. In the making of survivorman episodes it shows Les Stroud doing the same in Alaska, Castaway episodes, etc. Quote from Wikipedia "The episode also explains that Stroud and his team extensively scout their locations ahead of time and consult with survivalists and natives to the area. The goal is both to ensure Stroud's safety and to sketch out interesting scenarios and techniques that can be illustrated on the show." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorman