I found one of these Basic Bear Grylls Survival kits at the local Canadian Tire. I couldn't resist to see what exactly went into one of these kits. So here is the short review/opinion piece.
Unlike the SOL Origin Survival Kit linked below, the Bear Grylls Basic Survival Kit does not have any interesting casings or selling features to make it stand against the crowded survival kit market.
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,30342.0.htmlWhat you do get is the very basics needed to survive. And I do mean very basic. Point in fact, you will want to use this kit as a foundation, meaning you will be added more to it. Luckily enough, there is just enough room in the main package to add a few essentials. But more on that later.
The main package is a very fetching design of blaze orange with a striking logo. It should reflect nicely any light that flashed onto it.
The backside has some instructions on proper Alpine and Ground to air rescue signals. A nice touch. However, I would have rather had this information on the front side, and have a proper belt loop on the backside to increase my carry options.
Once you open the zipper on the bright ripstop nylon pouch, you are greeted with a space of about an inch or so that could be used to store other waterproof items. Dig a little deeper and you are confronted with a supposedly waterproof thick plastic bag with all the goodies hidden inside. I am happy the bag is clear which makes finding things a lot easier. What I am not all that happy about is that my example only wanted to seal three quarters of the way. Resulting in a not so waterproof solution. I don't have another example to examine, so I cannot say this is a problem that is endemic to all kits. Maybe I received a not so great waterproof enclosure. What I can say is that the nature of the materials used, and the skimpiness of the lock seal hints that this could be a greater issue then just my own. But that is just a guess at best.
So what is in the Bear Grylls Basic Survival Kit you ask? This is what is included...
- Gerber Mini Paraframe Knife.
- Emergency Whistle.
- Fire Starter.
- Waterproof Matches (A good thing as my waterproof bag isn't so waterproof),
- Snare Wire.
- Emergency Cord.
- Cotton Ball Fire Tinder.
- A small coil of dental floss.
Now, the knife isn't all that bad. It is sharp, small, and handy enough. It even comes with a small belt clip. So if you take this out of the survival kit, that should give you some much needed room for extras such as more tinder, fishing kit, medicinal supplies, compass, etc...
The whistle is a great design and is loud. I like the whistle quite a lot. Happy that it isn't one of those pea designs that tend to fail when you need them the most. The fire starter is a good one also. I would say it is easily the highlight of the kit to be honest. The metal tool also includes a bottle opener feature just in case your lost in the forest and you stumble on a case of beer. It seems an odd inclusion, but seeing that it was probably dead space anyways, I am happy they decided to utilize it for something.
So what is missing in this kit. Well I would include a small compass, a fishing kit, definitely more tinder if there is room. A wood saw is a must. I would also want a little more wire. The roll that is included is very very small. I would hate to try and make a snare with this amount of wire. Also a light solar blanket or two wouldn't take up too much room in the kit and would be very helpful.
As it stands, the Basic kit is very basic. At around 30 dollars, it could serve as a foundation. I just find the kit to be missing a few essentials, well at least to me and my needs. The fire starter is a keeper though. Also, this type of kit also comes along with the frustration of dropping everything onto the ground when you are digging things out. But that is just the nature of this type of kit. I know for myself, I will be looking for a better waterproof solution then what came with the kit. Mind you, I still prefer the SOL Origin.
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