Man vs Wild’s Bear Grylls is a world famous survival expert and extreme adventurer. In the popular TV programme, he’s battled his way out of the most hostile environments on the planet using just his wits and survival experience. Time Out’s self proclaimed outdoor expert James Sibley chats with the grizzly man of nature

In season two (of Man vs Wild) you took Will Ferrell to Sweden and in the new season we see Jake Gyllenhaal make an appearance. Is the safety of these celebs a big thing on your mind?
Yes, it is. I feel really conscious about that. I think when you’re on your own, you work at your own level and everything is happening pretty fast in my head subconsciously. It’s a very different dynamic when you’re having to think for somebody else and realise that they don’t know the stuff that I just do subconsciously. With Will, I was endlessly saying: “Look, just stay put; just wait while I do this. You can’t wander off, there’s a 500ft drop down here at the edge of that corner.” Both Will and Jake said after the shows that it was life changing for them. It’s always a great thing to see that change in people as their confidence grows.

I think it was in season five you took a few fans with you. If you ever come to Hong Kong do you think Time Out could tag along with you?
Yes, you bet. It’d be fun. That was a cool episode to shoot with the fans – a wild one. We took two complete rookies, one from Brooklyn and one from Michigan, up the high mountains in Canada and I loved that show. We are going to do a series for the next season, like a boot camp, called Ultimate Survivor, where I basically take 12 guys, train them up with all the skills, whittle them down and end up with one. So that will be fun. It’s all about empowering people with the skills that I’ve learned over a lifetime.

What tips would you have for people in jungles (if anyone in HK is heading that way)?
It depends on what sort of terrain you’re in. In jungles, I always pick on the same principles – protect, rescue, water, food. And if you look after the basics, the principles are the same. I think you have to be careful of the wildlife especially in jungles. When people first go to jungles, they tend to just grab for things and they don’t look. I think one of the lessons of the jungle is always look before you reach out and grab a branch or try to support yourself on something because there are so many hidden nasties, even from little things like toxic caterpillars, fruit or snakes. You don’t notice these guys on branches.

The last time you shot in China was in 2009 during typhoon Parma. Can you tell us a bit about that experience?
Committing! Hurricanes in a jungle are very unforgiving with trees coming down like matchsticks but it is a sober reminder that the wild can turn nasty very fast and that sometimes you have to think smart to escape nature’s clutches. We ended up taking refuge in a deep cave.

We’ve watched you get a concussion in Canada and break your shoulder in Antarctica. What’s the worst injury you’ve sustained during filming?
I broke my shoulder climbing in Antarctica a few years back and almost cut off my finger in the Vietnamese jungle, not to mention being bitten by viper snakes and almost taken by a saltwater crocodile! With each show that we survive, I am always so relieved and when we are out there, the senses are always on overdrive because they really need to be.

How does it feel to be named the youngest Chief Scout and why is it important to you?
It’s a huge privilege to support and encourage adventure in young folk around the world. There are now more than 28million scouts and we are growing faster than ever before. Kids want to be part of that adventure and to learn those skills, and the Scouts is where they can thrive.
 

MAN VS WILD 6 airs every Monday at 10:00pm, starting September 5 on Discovery Channel