“Man vs. Wild” Host Bear Grylls emerges from behind a tree after he downed a pint of his own urine to ward off dehydration.

Dropping temperatures and an early setting sun: these are sure tell signs that we are heading into winter. This year, however, may prove to be harsher than ever. In order to have any chance of survival, we here at The Warrior interviewed survival expert Bear Grylls, former British Special Forces member and host of the hit TV series “Man vs. Wild.”

In questioning Grylls about survival, three points, in his view were particularly the most crucial.

“Adequate shelter is definitely one of the top priorities in any survival situation,” explained Grylls. “Finding shelter is crucial, especially during the winter, to escape the elements, so one could attempt to make a makeshift house out of sticks and pine branches, but one would spend an excess of energy and time that can be spent on other, pressing issues. A better alternative would be to find the closest Holiday Inn or Bed and Breakfast and spend the night there once after the camera crew stops filming.”

Foraging and storing food is another top priority in survival and on this topic, Grylls recalled an event that happened in our area. “In an area with five grocery stores, people often don’t comprehend the severity of not having food. Last year, however, six hikers went missing in Brookeville. Not knowing that Sunshine Burger was only a few miles from their location, five of the hikers had already starved to death when their bodies were found, and one is still missing. What the hikers did not know is that they could’ve survived from the nutritious acorns that were abundant in the area. However, one must take extreme caution when gathering acorns. Squirrels are known for being aggressive in defending their stash and dozens of people die annually in the Mid-Atlantic states alone from squirrel attacks.”

In our discussion, Grylls corrected common misconceptions of surviving snowy environments. “The thing about yellow snow is that, despite what you are told about it, it is actually your lifeline at times. In cold, wet environments such as snowy fields, people often forget about dehydration. Now, eating any of the snow would dangerously decrease your core body temperature. So before you eat, make sure to urinate on the snow so that it is nice and warm upon consumption. I can personally assure that it is safe to do because I have personally drank my own urine several times on my show.”

With those parting words, Grylls left the room by leaping out the window, grabbing hold of a rescue helicopter’s railings, and flying off into the sunset. We do not know where he went next. But this much we do know: Grylls cannot be tamed, so he must have gone to answer Mother Nature’s call. He is most definitely roughing it in the wilderness, or may even be raiding the bacon tray at a hotel near you …