As long-time readers surely know, I am not a subscriber to cable or satellite TV. There is plenty of programming available broadcast free of charge over the airwaves. However, while on vacation recently in Colorado, I admit that I enjoyed watching some cable TV in the hotels. I especially enjoyed one program in particular on the Discovery Channel entitled Man vs Wild. The show demonstrates low-tech survival techniques in an entertaining way.
Here is the show description:
Bear Grylls is a seasoned adventurer who served with the Special Air Service, a special forces unit of the British army, where he was trained as a survival expert. His experiences include climbing Mount Everest, crossing the freezing North Atlantic Ocean in a small, open boat and climbing a Himalayan peak described by Sir Edmund Hillary as ‘unclimbable’. He has been places and done things that would defeat most normal people. But now, he is up against something completely different.
In each episode of Man vs. Wild Bear strands himself in popular wilderness destinations where tourists often find themselves lost or in danger. As he finds his way back to civilization, he demonstrates local survival techniques, including escaping quicksand in the Moab Desert, navigating dangerous jungle rivers in Costa Rica, crossing ravines in the Alps and surviving sharks off Hawaii.
Despite enjoying the show, I have no plans to subscribe to cable or satellite television. I still recommend free tv over cable/satellite unless you have a compelling interest in paid programming.