Bear Grylls is a well known figure in the world of survival no matter how you look at it, or how you feel about it. He has the survival street cred; he served three years in the British Special Forces (21 SAS), until he broke his back in three places in a parachuting accident in Africa. He has climbed Mt. Everest. Not too long ago, this rugged adventurer decided to endorse his own line of survival products. He was approached by several knife companies, and Bear decided to go with Gerber Knives.

Today we are going to take a look at these knives to see what all the hype is about. We will start with the most popular items in his line.

Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife – Survival Fixed Blade

Features:

• Weatherproof survival guide
• In sheath sharpener
• Fire striker on blade with magnesium rod in sheath
• Lanyard cord with emergency whistle
• Hammer / pommel
• Full tang combo blade with a textured TacHide handle

Looking closely at this knife, you might think it is another version of the Gerber LMF II. The knives are similar, but the differences are uncanny. This knife comes with all the bells and whistles (literally a whistle). The blade is high carbon steel that I have heard some horror stories about. Unfortunately the blade goes dull extremely fast because of the sheath. Normally this wouldn’t happen with a sheath. My favorite feature of the blade is the fire striker notch on the spine of the blade. Its downfall is that it does not seem to work half as well while wet. The handle, however, feels really good in your hand and ensures a solid grip whether wet or dry. I find the whistle to be a little weak and not very loud. As for the pommel on the bottom, it is solid and is good to hammer away at whatever you need to hammer. My favorite feature of this knife is the two holes on the top of the handle. Those holes can be used to mount the knife to a large stick, turning this knife into a spear. For the price, I would say this knife is a decent buy. It’s really not very expensive. Like they say, when in a survival situation, any survival knife is the best survival knife.

Next, let’s take a look at the Gerber Bear Grylls Folding Sheath Knife:

Features:

• High carbon steel combo blade
• Nylon sheath
• Thumb studs
• TacHide handle

This manual folding knife has some pretty impressive qualities. The blade locks up really solid and rarely has any blade play. Many people seem to prefer this knife to any of the other knives in the Bear Grylls line up. The handle has a nice feel to it, and it is made out of TacHide rubber that provides a lot of grip. Not only does this knife operate smoothly, and for the price you really can’t go wrong.

The only flaw that I have found in this knife is the finish on the blade does not stick very well. It comes off with very little use.

The Gerber Bear Grylls Parang Survival Knife:

Features:

• 13.5″ full tang black blade
• Bear’s Priorities of Survival pocket guide
• Wrist lanyard
• Ergonomic textured rubber grip
• Military-grade sheath

My first look at this machete was that it was a very cool style. It looks like a modern version of the traditional jungle tribesmen’s machete. Its heavy weight build makes clearing branches or vines a simple task. The blade is angled to help you clear out brush and/or limbs without any struggle. It is very well balanced and had a very nice grip to it. The overall weight of this machete is 19.4 ounces.

Overall, when considering these three knives, there are several pros and cons. My favorite perk about these knives is the price. They are all really fairly priced when considering you could easily spend hundreds on a knife. It is possible to own all three of these knives for a low price of about $120. My least favorite thing about these is that they don’t feel as solid as other name brand knives made by Gerber. If you are looking for something to put into a survival kit on a budget, then these Bear Grylls Survival Series Knives are a safe bet. Just remember, you always get what you pay for.

And here Bear explains the series in his own words:

Looking for some great survival gear? If so, then you will need to make sure that you include a knife on your list. Here we have listed our top 6 survival fixed blade knives.

#6 Gerber LMF II Infantry

This is the best knife to re-purpose as a hunting tool or weapon.

At 10.59” overall, this knife is perfect for any survival situation. It has a 4.84” blade made with 420HC stainless steel material that is perfect for chopping sticks into kindling or cutting rope to construct a shelter. The LMF II Infantry includes lashing holes and handle grooves so you can use the knife as a spear. This design makes it easy to transform your everyday carry into a big game hunting tool.

Another advantage is that the knife weighs only 11.4 oz and is easy to carry with its hard plastic and buckled ballistic nylon straps that are fire retardant coated.

#5 Spartan Blades Horkos

This is the best knife if you are looking for a combat knife or something for self defense.

The designers at Spartan Blades have 40 years of military service and experience, and they have applied that experience into a true design for a combat knife. This knife is  intended to serve the modern warrior and outdoorsman in a variety of missions and environments. The Horkos provides you with a 5.6875″ blade, perfect for any number of tasks. The blade itself is made with S30V stainless steel and coated with a finish.  The Horkos  has a nice micarta handle, which offers an excellent grip.

#4 Ka-Bar Fixed Blade

This is the best value full-sized fixed blade knife.

This happens to be the most famous and well known knife around the world. The Ka-Bar was designed by armed forces and used in World War II. The Ka-Bar features a leather wrapped handle giving it a comfortable and easy grip you can rely on. The blade is black coated 1095 carbon steel.

The Ka-Bar also comes with a leather sheath.

#3 ESEE Izula

This is the best fixed blade concealment/neck knife.

The ESEE Izula is a classic skeletonized neck knife.  It features 1095 carbon steel handle which is super tough despite the knife’s small size. This small concealment sized knife is perfect to wear around the neck, on your belt, in a bag or anywhere else that it fits. You can add canvas micarta handle scales for a more comfortable grip or just wrap paracord in any pattern or color combination you prefer. The knife comes in tons of colors, so it provides lots of options. This knife holds an edge very well and makes for an excellent concealment survival knife.

The knife comes with a kydex sheath.

#2 TOPS Tom Brown Tracker

This is the best knife designed specifically for survival.

Looking for a great survival knife? The Tom Brown Tracker is that knife. Its 4.25″ blade is perfect for chopping, hacking, cutting and or sawing. You could build a shelter, fasten a weapon and or even protect yourself from any threat that might be out there. The blade is made with 1095 carbon steel and comes in a black or camouflage pattern. The handle comes in either Rocky Mountain Tread micarta scales or the black linen micarta scales.

The knife also comes with a kydex sheath.

#1 ESEE-5 Fixed Blade

The best overall fixed blade knife.

If you are looking for a knife that can do it all. Look no further. The ESEE-5 is the top dog of knives. Designed by military SERE instructors for downed aircraft pilots behind enemy lines. ESEE stands for Escuela (School) Survival Escape and Evasion. The ESEE-5 features a powder coated 1095 carbon blade. The handle of this knife is made from micarta or G-10 for comfort and durablility. The blade itself is 5.25″ long. It comes with a straight or partially serrated edge. The knife has a full tang, which makes it virtually indestructible. The blade is also .25″ thick. The ESEE-5 has a glass breaker on the butt for knocking out windows or whatever barriers you may need to breach. The handle also features a bow drill divot for making fires. The ESEE-5 has a 100% lifetime, unconditional guarantee.

The ESEE-5 comes with a Kydex sheath with removable clip.

When a disaster strikes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says you should expect to be on your own for at least 72 hours. This 72-hour window of time gives responders enough time to react to the situation and find you. It may take longer for disaster relief to reach you, and it’s always smart to be as prepared as possible. However, remember that there is a limit to how much you can carry in a survival kit.

I am a big proponent of the K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Survival) system. There is a lot of information out there (on the web, in books) about what you to put in a 72-hour kit. This is a list of what I keep in my kit, and I think that it will be a great start for you as well.

A 72-hour Kit should contain:

1 gallon of water per day (per person) – Water is essential to life and without it you won’t survive.

Water Bottle (per person) – I prefer a stainless steel water bottle instead of plastic, something like this:

Water Purifier or filtration system – I like to carry an easy to use filter and some tablets. You can use bleach or iodine tablets.

3 day supply of food based on a 2,000 calorie diet (per person) – When you are gathering your food supply remember that there will probably not be any way for you to cook the food.

Eating Utensils – A mess kit works well, there are lots of options out there.

First Aid Kit – Should include

A storage case – I use a hard, plastic waterproof case like this:

A booklet of first aid instructions

Medication – prescription and over the counter (acetaminophen, ibuprofen)

Sunscreen

Chapstick

Super Glue

Insect Repellent

Gloves

Q-tips

Scissors

A blood clotting agent (like quick clot)

Emergency blanket

Lightstick

Bandages of various sizes

Moleskin

Neosporin

Gauze

Medical tape

Surgical pad

There are lots of other good things that you can also put in your first aid kit that will depend on your personal/family situation:

Feminine Hygiene Products

Allergy Medication

Weather appropriate clothing – In the winter, make sure that you have extra clothing for the cold.

Flashlight with working batteries; even better is a flashlight with a hand-crank or solar powered charger. Mine also has a radio included.

Whistle – this will allow you to signal for help

Cash

Sewing Kit- Needle and thread

Compass

Firestarter – I like magnesium rod firestarters, but matches work well too.

Dust mask

Towlette

Toilet Paper

Hand Wipes

Garbage Bags

Survival Knife (per person) – A lot of people will argue about what makes the best survival knife. I won’t.

Wrench, pliers, or a multitool

Maps

Cell Phone with hand crank charger – The one pictured has a hand crank, and a solar panel. It also has a radio and a flashlight built in.

Paracord or rope – I prefer paracord because it can be broken down for so many other uses.

Duct Tape

Gloves

Radio, ideally with a hand-crank. Here is another picture of a different one:

Signaling Equipment – If you prefer flares to whistles

Tent large enough to fit your family

Make sure that you go through the food and water in the kit and rotate it every 6 months. Also check your medications to make sure they haven’t expired.

Paracord, also known as parachute cord and 550 cord, is an extremely useful survival tool. Paracord is essentially nylon rope that has been intertwined to make it stronger. Standard 550 cord contains seven strands of nylon cord within it, and has a minimum breaking strenth of 550 pounds.

Today, I want to share with you my top ten favorite uses for paracord.

#10 Survival Bracelets – Wrapping paracord into a bracelet is lightweight and easy to carry on your wrist. Then you always have some in case of an emergency.

#9 Keychains and Lanyards - Paracord makes a cool lanyard or a knife fob. It can be tied into a monkey fist, or into a boondoggle easily.

#8 Shoelaces and Belts – You can use paracord to substitute for a belt in an emergency, or you could wrap it into a cool belt for everyday use. If you replace your shoelaces with paracord, then you will always have some on hand.

#7 Emergency Rappel Rope – Because paracord is strength tested to 550 pounds it is strong enough to hold a person’s weight. This would not necessarily be a comfortable way to rappel, but would work in an emergency.

#6 Knife and Tool Repair - Lets say the grip on your knife wears down. Paracord can be an excellent substitute to a slippery surface that has no grip. Some knives come with ready made paracord handles.

#5 Clothesline – You are stuck in the outdoors and don’t have a way to dry your wet clothes? Paracord is a great option.  Just tie a line between two trees!

#4 Repairing Bags and Gear – Hole in your backpack or bag? Paracord can fix that too. You can split the strands inside down to use as thread to repair bags, and clothes.

#3 Animal Snares – Usually for an animal snare, you need a strong rope. Paracord is a great option.

#2 Fishing Line – Just separate the strands within the cord, and add a hook.

#1 Building A Shelter -  The ultimate survival tool, for the ultimate survival need. Will hold up canvas, or pretty much any other material you would want to use to make a shelter.