Bear Grylls hosts in style actuality TV exhibits the place he teaches survival expertise. Whereas I respect that Bear Grylls has introduced the topic of survival to the mainstream, I believe he’s ridiculous and promotes reckless habits.
Contemplating that he’s foremost a celeb determine, it shouldn’t be shocking that he has capitalized on the success of his TV exhibits with a line of “Bear Grylls Survival Gear.”
No matter what you consider him, I don’t suggest shopping for Bear Grylls survival gear for these 7 causes.
You Are Paying for the Bear Grylls Title, Not the Gear
Grylls doesn’t actually make Bear Grylls survival gear. As a substitute, it’s made by an organization referred to as Gerber which has been round for 70 years.
When the Gerber model wanted a lift, they knew that among the best issues they may do for themselves was strike a take care of Bear Grylls. They get the ability of Grylls’s title, and Grylls receives an enormous lower of the merchandise offered.
Celeb branding on merchandise is nothing new. It is likely one of the oldest advertising and marketing tips within the guide. Now, there’s nothing flawed with superstar branding – however you’ve bought to remember the fact that you might be paying further for the superstar title.
For instance:
Have a look at the Bear Grylls Final Knife on-line; it’s mainly the Gerber Massive Rock with a celeb title.
The Gerber Massive Rock knife prices a complete lot lower than the Bear Grylls knife!
Each knives are Tremendous Edge and Drop Level.
They’re the identical size.
They’re the identical high quality.
So why does the Bear Grylls knife value twice as a lot? Since you are paying for his title.
Bear Grylls Survival Gear is Poor High quality
The survival gear by Bear Grylls isn’t unhealthy high quality. But it surely undoubtedly isn’t good high quality.
I’ve learn a number of complaints concerning the merchandise, primarily the Bear Grylls knives. The cheaply-made pommels have a tendency to interrupt off—the blade chips and cracks. The rubber deal with causes blisters…
Bear Grylls merchandise are okay in order for you one thing low cost for easy duties. However right here’s the issue with the Bear Grylls merchandise: they’re marketed for SURVIVAL.
The unhealthy evaluations I’ve learn are from individuals who tried to make use of the gear for survival duties (akin to batoning wooden or clearing a campsite). Once they tried these duties, the Bear Grylls gear failed them.
That is your SURVIVAL we’re speaking about, so purchase the very best quality gear you possibly can afford!
Bear Grylls Survival Gear is Made in China
Want I say extra?
The Kind of Metal is Not Listed
When selecting a survival knife, one of the vital necessary issues to think about is the kind of metal. On the whole, all survival knives are constructed from both chrome steel or carbon metal.
However there are numerous totally different sub-types of those steels – and they don’t seem to be the identical!
For instance, 440A is likely one of the commonest varieties of chrome steel. But, it’s too smooth for many survival makes use of. As a substitute, you’d be higher off when you selected sort 154CM, ATS 34, or S30V.
Bear Grylls does NOT checklist what metal his knives are constructed from. That is at all times a nasty signal!
Be taught extra about how to choose a survival knife right here, together with the perfect varieties of metal.
Bear Grylls Knives Are Not Full Tang
Tang is the a part of a knife that extends into the deal with. Very low cost knives simply solder or bolt the blade onto the deal with, so it may simply break off when you hit it with any quantity of strain.
Against this, full tang knives have blades that go all the best way into the deal with. These are the sturdiest. Even when the deal with breaks off, you possibly can nonetheless use a full tang knife.
Though Bear Grylls knives promote themselves as “full tang,” some aren’t a real full tang. The tang will get smaller within the deal with, which suggests it isn’t as robust.
It’s one thing between a partial tang and a full tang the place the deal with is molded across the tang (the right time period for that is an encapsulated tang).
The Bear Grylls Headlamp Has a Low Battery Life
After my knife, my headlamp is my favourite piece of survival gear. They’re a lot extra sensible than handheld flashlights. In case you’ve ever tried to pee at the hours of darkness whereas holding a flashlight, then why a headlamp is nice.
I used to be actually disenchanted with the Bear Grylls headlamp. It has simply 2 brightness settings (8 lumens and 25 lumens). On the low lumens, it lasts 15 hours. At excessive lumens, it lasts simply 8.75 hours.
That’s the reason the silly headlamp features a substitute battery pouch. May I point out how uncomfortable it’s to hold a spare battery across the head strap!
You’ll be able to simply discover better-quality headlamps in the identical worth vary. Take the Black Diamond Storm headlamp. At 25 lumens, it lasts for 125 hours (in comparison with simply 15 with the Bear Grylls headlamp!).
Even the super-cheap Princeton Tec headlamp (Amazon Hyperlink) burns for 96 hours. (New to tenting? Learn this text for a list of camping gear and supplies)
Read more about rechargeable headlamps.
Bear Grylls Survival Gear is Kitsch
Among the Bear Grylls’s survival gear has cool issues, like how the knives have firestarters constructed into the sheath and have survival whistles hooked up. However these are solely cool till you notice how impractical they are often.
I don’t desire a whistle dangling when I attempt to lower, chop, or baton (security hazard, anybody!). Oh, and the whistle isn’t even that loud. You might buy a better one for just some {dollars} (although I’ll admit that the firestarter works nice).
By no means purchase survival gear as a result of it comes with some “cool” further. That is virtually at all times a surefire signal that the gear is unhealthy high quality. Good high quality gear doesn’t have so as to add tacky extras to get individuals to purchase it!
I additionally would discover it relatively embarrassing to put on/use survival merchandise with the title of a man who as soon as gave himself a tactical enema on TV to spice up his scores…
So What Survival Gear Ought to You Purchase?
Not all of Bear Grylls’s gear is unhealthy high quality, and plenty of reasonably priced merchandise are within the line. If you’re an beginner camper who wants some fundamental tools, then selecting Bear Grylls survival gear is ok.
However you shouldn’t select survival gear as a result of some actuality TV present host has endorsed it.
You will discover a lot better gear for a a lot lower cost. Do your self a favor and take a while to analysis trusted manufacturers of survival gear.
Have you ever tried it? How do you prefer it?