Say what you will about Bear Grylls but the man certainly is a survivor. And I'm not just talking about his talent for staying alive in the wilderness. It wasn't all that long ago that he was weathering the storm of the revelation that his television show Man vs. Wild had staged some segments for dramatic effect. At the time, it was quite a scandal in the outdoor world, but Bear has proven to be a resilient guy and he has managed to put that speed bump behind him and become more popular than ever.

The Bear Grylls name has proven valuable to gear companies too. He has put his name on a line of clothing from Craghoppers, a nifty new stand-up paddleboard/tent combo and a number of knives and other tools from Gerber. I've had the good fortune of testing and reviewing several items in the Bear Grylls Gerber catalog and I have continually come away impressed. The blades are always high quality, the handles are sturdy and each of the products comes across as a well designed and built for use in the backcountry. Recently I got my hands on the Bear's Survival Hatchet and true to form it continues the legacy of a high quality and useful tool that you'll want in your pack.

First impressions are always important with any piece of gear and this hatchet makes a good one. It feels incredibly sturdy and well balanced in your hand. The hand axe weighs a mere 20.8 ounces (590 g) but when it strikes its target it hits with more punch than that weight would typically imply. That means this is a tool that feels great on your pack but still offers plenty of power when it comes time to put it to use.

The hatchet's rubberized handle make it easy to grip, even in wet conditions. It has a couple of finger notches ergonomically incorporated into the base, closer to the blade itself, that help you to wield the axe with more precision when doing fine fork. Slide your hand further down the handle when you need to strike with power. Either way, this is a hatchet that can handle all of your backcountry needs without missing a beat.


The blade is a mere 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) in length, which gives you an idea of just how compact this hatchet really is. Despite that, the sharp, incredibly durable blade will slice through wood with ease. Need some firewood? The Survival Hatchet will have you warm and dry in no time at all. The opposite end of the blade features a second striking surface, this time one that is flat and very versatile. Roll the axe over and you have a great hammer for pounding in tent stakes for instance, which will be much appreciated when pitching your tent on hard ground.

Gerber has included a nice nylon sheath for the axe that fits the blade nicely but doesn't detract from the compact nature of the axe. The sheath includes a pair of loops that make it easy to attach to your pack or your belt, keeping it within easy reach when needed. As with all of Bear's other products from Gerber, the Survival Hatchet also comes with a mini survival guide that has plenty of tips for staying alive in the backcountry.

All in all, this is another great product from Gerber and Bear. If you need a compact, lightweight hatchet for your backcountry adventures, than this is the perfect choice to add to your own gear closet. It is a durable, versatile and high quality tool that will prove to be worth its weight in gold.

Gerber prices the Survival Hatchet $48 but it can be found online for less. For instance, Walmart sells the axe for just $32.35, which is an incredible bargain for a tool like this one. The online store has other Bear Grylls products available as well, most of which can be found by clicking here.

From the "now I've seen everything" category we get a new inflatable stand-up paddleboard from Coreban that also has the ability to serve as your tent while out on your SUP adventures. And if that wasn't enough of an incentive to buy, the board also comes full endorsed by none other than Bear Grylls himself.

The new system is called the Ultimate Adventure Tent and it features a specially built shelter that is designed to wrap around Coreban's existing Scout inflatable SUP board. The tent uses three poles – one on the nose and two on either side of the board at the back – to keep the structure in place. When it is full assembled there is room for one occupant with the Scout actually serving as a sleeping pad, which is actually rather ingenious. Mesh sides allow fresh air to get in while keeping insects at bay.

The system has been designed for expedition paddleboarding on rivers, lakes and other relatively calm bodies of water. It includes a waterproof bag for keeping the tent and other camping gear dry while paddling all day and the Scout has integrated cargo nets on the front and rear to ensure essential gear doesn't easily get washed away. In short, it should be just about everything you need to spend a few days or weeks exploring your favorite waterway.

There is no word yet on when the Ultimate Adventure Tent/Scout SUP board will ship. The design is still being tweaked an Coreban has been relatively tight lipped on its specifications at this point. Still, considering how popular stand-up paddleboarding has become in recent years, this has the potential to be an interesting product. There is no word on cost either.

Thanks to Gizmag for sharing.

Well known television personality and adventurer Bear Grylls has announced that he is bringing his Survival Academy to the U.S. giving outdoor enthusiasts an opportunity to learn how to survive in the wilderness using techniques that Bear has developed himself. If you've ever watched Man vs. Wild, I'll leave it up to you to decide if that is a good thing.

All kidding aside, the program does offer to teach attendees how to survive in the backcountry. They'll learn such skills as how to tie nots, navigate through wilderness terrain and how to administer emergency first aid. They'll also learn how to find food, build a shelter and travel safely through tough environments. There are a variety of course options available, including 24-hour options for adults and families, as well as a five-day ultimate survival option that will test the skills that are learned.

The U.S. version of the survival academy will kick off in November and will take place in the Catskills Mountains of New York state. The actual official dates have not been made clear just yet, but you'll find more information on the course on the Bear Grylls Survival Academy website. No word on U.S. pricing yet either, but the 24-hour adult course costs £349 in the U.K., which roughly translates to about $530.

From what I can tell, Bear won't actually be teaching the course but will instead have certified instructors running the seminars. They'll use his approved techniques but how much direct influence he'll have on the actual training remains to be seen. I'm guessing that the techniques that will be taught will resemble more traditional survival training and not the kind of extreme stuff that Bear is known for on his television show.

Last week I shared a funny safety video that Bear Grylls made for New Zealand Air. It mixed Bear's trademark outlandish survival tips with a huge dash of humor to convey the message. Judging from the feedback and the number of views on that post, I'd say it was a hit.

Now we have  a follow-up video with some behind the scenes footage from the making of that safety film. It gives us a glimpse of the tremendous effort that went into making the safety film, which turns out was quite a production. It seems like it was a lot of fun to make and the three young boys steal the show.

When Air New Zealand went looking for a new spokesman to give their safety demo they decided it was a good idea to bring Bear Grylls in to educate passengers. The video below demonstrates Bear's unique ability to offer his own brand of survival and safety advice, which we all know isn't typically for us mere mortals. After checking out the funny video, hop over to airnzsafety.com to enter a contest to win a trip for two to New Zealand.

It appears that Bear Grylls and the Discovery Channel have patched up their relationship and are going into business with one another once again. Earlier this week it was announced that Grylls would return to the network with a new show entitled Bear Grylls: Ultimate Survivor. Discovery had ordered 6 one-hour episodes to begin airing later in the year.

Ultimate Survivor will take a bit of a different spin from Grylls original show, Man vs. Wild. This time out, the show will tell true stories of ordinary people put into extraordinary survival situations. The show will dramatically reenact elements of those stories as a set up for Grylls, who will then try to duplicate the feat of person who survived the events in the first place. Those situations could include surviving a plane crash in the Amazon, getting stranded in the desert or lost in the mountains. 

Bear's return to Discovery comes less than a year after he and the network parted ways in a dispute over projects that he was contacted to do but wasn't taking part in. Obviously there weren't too many hard feeling about the way things ended, as it seems both parties are eager to work with one another again.

The announcement of this new show comes on the heals of Bear joining forces with NBC for a new reality show that should be set to air later this year as well. Exactly what that show will be about remains a bit nebulous, although I suspect we'll find out this summer. Either way, fans of Grylls will be seeing a lot more of him soon. 

Thanks to Outside Online for the tip!

A few years back I reviewed the Bear Grylls Folding Sheath knife, finding it to be a well built and very functional piece of gear to have in your pack in case of emergency. At the time, the Bear Grylls line of products from Gerber was relatively new, but it was clear that the company had put a lot of thought into its design and construction. Fast forward to 2013 and the Bear Grylls line has continued to evolve with subtle improvements and changes to the formula being implemented over time.

Recently, my friends at the Outdoor Pros sent me the top of line BG Ultimate Knife for review and I was eager to put it to the test. Considering how much I liked the first Bear Grylls knife that I used, this new version has some high expectations and standards to meet. Turns out I needn't have worried however, as the Ultimate Knife lives up to its name, offering everything you could hope for and a lot more.

The knife's carbon stainless steel blade is just shy of five inches in length and offers both a fine and serrated edge, which gives it a nice level of versatility. A very comfortable, rubberized handle provides a sturdy grip and a nice feel in the hand, which helps to make deft and precision cuts when necessary. The base of the handle is capped with a stainless steel end that can serve as a hammer in a pinch, while the sturdy construction gives you the feeling that his is a knife that can stand up to plenty of punishment.

The Ultimate Knife is lightweight and well balanced which adds to the overall feeling of confidence when holding it in your hand. Additionally, the blade held a nice edge and did a nice job of slicing through rope, wood, plastic and a variety of other materials. My model was sharp out of the package, although I did spend a little time honing the edge a bit further before testing.

While the Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife is a solid product on its own, Gerber throws in a few extras that extend its functionality a bit further. For instance, it comes with a lightweight and comfortable nylon sheath with an integrated edge sharpener. This comes in handy if you find yourself out in the field with a dull blade. A clever and useful fire starter rod is also included and stores safely in the sheath as well, while a safety whistle dangles on a lanyard at the end of the knife's handle. A mini-copy of Bear's Priorities of Survival comes with the knife too, proving useful tips for living off the land should you find yourself stranded somewhere. Thankfully, it doesn't provide instructions for drinking your own urine or wrestling a bear.

Overall, I feel the Gerber has done a great job of creating a versatile and useful knife for hiking, backpacking or climbing. It is comfortable in the hand and slices through most materials quickly and easily. I did find the addition of the safety whistle on the end of the handle to be a bit distracting however, so I snipped it off and stored it in my pack. Having a safety whistle while traveling in the backcountry is always a good idea, I just didn't appreciate it hanging off the end of the knife. Aside from that I have no real complaints about the Ultimate Knife, finding to be well built and sturdy, yet lightweight and easy to handle. It even comes at a great price point, with an MSRP of just $62. Not bad for everything that it brings to the table.

Note: There are a number of reviews online complaining about the quality of this knife and how it actually breaks quite easily. Most of those are for an older version of the Ultimate Knife and Gerber has since changed the design and created a more rugged version  that doesn't suffer from the poor craftsmanship that plagued earlier models. Indeed, my version is as sturdy and solid as any knife of this kind that I have ever used and I didn't find it to be cheaply built in any way. The lower quality Ultimate Knife should be out of the sales channel by now, so anything you buy should be the upgraded one. Just in case however, Gerber provides a lifetime guarantee which will replace your knife if you ever run into any problems.

Thanks again to the Outdoor Pros for sending this my way!