Gerber Bear Grylls Fine Edge Ultimate Survival Knife

Posted on 05/12/2011 by Ray-H

I have had my original Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival knife for around 9 months and have used it on many a camp trip, the only thing that I did not enjoy on it was the serrations. So when I saw that Gerber were releasing a fine edged version it would make a very good knife a great knife. Considering Bear himself is English you have to wonder why such an endorsed product is only currently available in North America?

I do wish Gerber would specify the type of high carbon stainless steel that the drop point blade is made from as they do not mention it on the specification online. I would also like to see fine edged versions of the folding sheath and scout versions of the knife.

I am also concerned about the two pieces of metal that sit just inside the sheath, after removing the knife and placing it back in the sheath 10 times I noticed it was gouging as it did on my original knife.

So I removed them to prevent the edge being damaged, just as well that the sheath includes a diamond sharpener.

As with the original the fire steel throws a good spark and you can purchase a replacement  one for $5 should you wear it out or lose it, to prevent you losing the fire steel you could attach the whistle to it and wrap the cord around the sheath so that should the fire steel move from its stored location it would still be attached to the sheath.

I will add some cord to the sheath of the fine edged version and relocate the whistle from the pommel to the fire steel in the future as I felt the whistle affected my grip on the handle.

It’s nice to know that Gerber do listen to the feedback of their users and I would like to see a mollie sheath available. Not to make it a tactical knife, but to increase the options of carrying the knife and additional extras you could carry to improve your odds in a survival situation.

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Bear Grylls Survival Series – Survival Kits

Posted on 16/11/2011 by Ray-H

So far I have been very impressed with the items from this range, then I got the Survival Kits. I am impressed that each one came with a piece of Gerber hardware, however with the other items in the kit it seems that you are paying a premium for the endorsement.

It also concerns me that with the larger kit being named Ultimate Survival Kit it does not have the means to carry or purify water, which is a basic survival requirement. Both kits require some tweaking before I would want to rely on them in a situation, out of 10 I would give them both an 7. They are a good albeit slightly expensive starting point.

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John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman – How it all began! At The Bushcraft Show No.1

Posted on 21/09/2011 by Ray-H

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Woodmaster Mini Kit Sparker

Posted on 30/08/2011 by Ray-H

I was looking to add a small fire steel to one of my smaller survival kits and increase its versatility, that is how I happened to find the Woodsmaster Mini Kit Sparker on the survival.com website of the late Ron Hood.

It’s a ferrocerium rod 2 inches long with a diameter of 1/8 of an inch, simply scrape with any sharp object such as a knife or a shard of glass to produce a shower of sparks. I have added mine to a survival kit I built using the small tin included with the RSK Mk5 survival knife, it is a welcome addition to the flint striker wheel from an old clipper lighter. Thus doubling my options of making fire should I find myself in a survival situation.

They cost $3.50 each approx £2.20 or you can buy 5 for $15 with a small saving, you can order them here.

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Priorities of survival – Protection

Posted on 30/06/2011 by Ray-H

Number 1 in your survival priorities is protection. Protection from the elements. Protection from dangerous animals. Protection from hazards.

I think of protection as being made up of 3 layers: Clothing, Shelter and Fire.

Your immediate protection is the clothing you are wearing, if you are wearing suitable clothing you are being protected from the elements.
Wear layers that trap air in-between them in cold weather instead of wearing one thick garment. Avoid sweating and getting your clothing wet as your clothing can lose up to 90% of its insulating qualities as water will conduct heat away from your body 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Wearing suitable head gear and keeping your body’s core is vital.

Remember when its cold act before you get too cold.

In a warmer climate clothing and head gear will be your main protection from the sun by creating some shade, this can be made cooler if made wet.

Shelter can come in many options depending on your environment, look for natural shelters (such as caves, overhangs, hollows and trees) you can utilize which will help you preserve energy levels. In some situations you might be able to use a man-made shelter like a life raft or some safe wreckage, you can also use man-made materials that have been scavenged to help in the construction of a suitable shelter.
The most important thing to consider in a shelter is that it is stable and in a safe location away from hazards such as wind, rain, areas likely to flood, rock falls, insect swarms and animals.

Fire can provide you with heat, light, comfort and protection. There a numerous ways of lighting a fire such as a lighter, fire steel, match and car battery being some of the easiest options.

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