Bear Grylls Survival Kit

[Camoguy]

Well the brand name has been created. I was looking over some knives the other day and found the "Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Series kit. It does have some good stuff in it but it's wayyyyy overpriced IMHO. I would rather and have done my own without the big price.

Lookie here:

Gerber® Bear Grylls Survival Series™ Ultimate Survival Kit

[southerngal]

I saw this when I was looking at knives online the other day and I think I saw one in Walmart. Might be pretty good stuff but it did seem to be overpriced for what you get.

[oldsarge]

"Build the perfect survival kit" By John D. McCann, Krause publications. Once a celebrity puts their name on anything, the price goes up. Check out this book and I guarantee you will end up with something more useful then what Bear Grylls is using. This book was written with the intent of evaluating, re-evaluating and refining different types of kits and their components for any given situation. It is a well thought out book well worth the money. The biggest issue with any kit is that if you don't take it out and put it through the paces, you'll never know where it will fail you.

Bear Grylls also put his name on the Gerber knife used in the show. Trust me...there are better knives around than what he's using.

[wvbreamfisherman]

There's no doubt the man knows his stuff. However, anyone that's in a REAL survival situation and does the stupid stuff Grylls does (climb down waterfalls, swim icy lochs, run down steep slopes, float down a mountain stream with an inflated skin as a float, etc, etc.) is simply asking to get badly hurt. A LOT of the stuff on the show is staged for "demonstration" (read: shock) value.

There is a pretty good article on Field and Stream's page about assembling a survival kit:

I used this article as the basis for the kit I carry whenever I'm doing something out of sight of the road, which fits in a small belt pouch.

[Valdaree]

I've seen some of his TV programmes too and I wasn't impressed. He is such a drama queen! I saw a report that he'd stayed in a luxury hotel in one place where he was claiming to be sleeping outdoors!

[Michael]

For that amount of money, you could put together a kit that's more well suited for you and your situation. Honestly, the thing I like the most about that kit is the bag it comes in.

[WalkingMan]

@wvbreamfisherman-You have that right. I hope I never have to do any of the stupid stunts he does on the show. You are right about the show being done for shock value. IF you are used to being outdoors, unless you are very, very slow, you would never be in most of the situations he is in. Every time I watch that show I keep thinking "Indiana Jones would be proud". LOL

[woodsman]

Now than the man has his crew check every stunt, than he has them film it and he acts like he is making things up as he is goes, ask yourself do you really want to use something with his name on it? These things are for people who know next to nothing about wilderness survival and would probably not even know how to use the tools in the first place.

[southerngal]

Originally Posted by woodsman

Now than the man has his crew check every stunt, than he has them film it and he acts like he is making things up as he is goes, ask yourself do you really want to use something with his name on it? These things are for people who know next to nothing about wilderness survival and would probably not even know how to use the tools in the first place.

Love that! It's all about branding and selling products. My husband and I have said that a million times watching the show...it's great entertainment but as far as survival goes if you try that junk you will NOT be a survivor for long.

[3ofusnow]

I saw this supposed "survival kit" at a sporting goods store and could not believe the cost for what you were getting. You could put together a much better kit for less money on your own!