Calling Bear an idiot is actually giving him a fair amount of credit. I have been amazed at the incredibly unsafe and hazardous stunts he performs on camera on the rare occasions when I have tuned in. It is understandable perhaps, because successful survival isn't very good fare for TV, being somewhat akin to watching paint dry.

I have often supposed that his televised antics, imitated by others, would kill someone some day. Apparently they have. Two young men drowned in the Zion Narrows recently, trying to float an improvised raft through the area. Their equipment consisted of a camcorder, and precious little else. According to the NPS report on the incident, they were recording their adventure for some sort of "Man vs Wild" competition.

Bear is at best a fraud.....