I wonder how Bear Gryls would have played it?  Likely not as well as Edward Rosenthal, who survived six days without food or water in a remote section of Joshua Tree National Park before being rescued on September 30th.  

While on a short day hike in Joshua Tree, Rosenthal became disoriented and wandered 25 miles into the desert, finally seeking refuge in a small canyon.  He conserved as much energy as possible while in the canyon, moving only enough to stay in the shade.  His early attempts to flag down rescue helicopters failed to get their attention, as did the two flares he shot into the night sky.  So he waited, hunkered down in a tiny canyon that provided some shelter from the sun.

"That little five acre canyon saved my life.  It always had some shade."  He said at a press conference Tuesday.  

Rosenthal wrote messages to his wife, daughter, and family on his hat during his ordeal.  He left funeral instructions, going so far as to name his pallbearers and dictate the menu.  

When he was rescued, he was severely dehydrated and couldn't raise himself to meet the helicopter.  

Imagine, six days alone in the searing desert heat, battling your mind and gnawing hunger, and surviving!  Kind of makes drinking your urine and eating a bunch of gross bugs seem pretty stupid and pointless.  

Via The Boston Globe