Bear Grylls Survival Gear Alternatives

Originally comparing Bear Grylls Survival Gear Alternatives back in 2017, this article has been updated and he now has much less cheap survival gear on the market. We’ll continue to update as new products are released and we get a chance to put them through the paces.

The Gerber private-label Bear Grylls survival gear offers wilderness survival staples at pretty good prices. The one thing that I would caution you on, though, is that the branding comes with a cost: royalties. In order to brand their gear, they surely have to pay Bear a cut of the proceeds- which layers some cost into the price. Bear is the star of plenty of books and survival TV shows, like Man vs. Wild– but that doesn’t mean gear with his name on it is the best.

I don’t necessarily have issues with the gear, since it isn’t that bad of quality for the price. That doesn’t mean it is the best value on the market, however; so we’ll compare a few of the more popular Bear Grylls survival tools with other options. Prices may change after we do our comparison, so adjust your own decisions accordingly. Also, keep in mind that Bear Grylls survival gear is priced to make survival and bushcraft accessible, so we are comparing for value and not necessarily the best piece of equipment.

Contents (Jump to a Section)

Gerber Bear Grylls Fire Starter Alternative

Fire starters shouldn’t be expensive. Gerber is charging an arm and a leg for a thin ferro rod, making it not that stellar of a deal.

It doesn’t really put up a good fight versus the ferro rods we’ve compared and tested before. Our top pick ends up cheaper, simpler, lighter, and provides many more strikes.

Gerber Fire Starter

Bear’s fire starter is almost obsolete now, with the newer model stripping his name off of the gear.

• 4.25″ length x 1/48″ diameter ferro rod
• Emergency whistle, waterproof twist lock case
• 2.6 ounces

$17* at Amazon

*at time of reviewing

Bayite Ferro Rod

This tried-and-true fire starter topped our ferro rod review roundup providing a massive amount of strikes for a good value.

• 4″ length x 3/8″ diameter ferro rod
• Paracord lanyard
• 2.1 ounces

$13* at Amazon

*at time of reviewing

Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Pro Knife Alternative

The ultimate pro knife is a pretty big upgrade from the regular Baer Grylls knife in that it is full tang and stainless steel. The blade measures 4.8” and comes with a fire starter and whistle. Unlike cheap ‘survival’ knives, you don’t store this stuff in the handle, but in the sheath and on the lanyard. This is great news because full-tang is pretty much a requirement when you are looking at fixed-blade survival knives.

Unfortunately for Grylls, there are simply better alternatives at the price. The Cold Steel SRK is a robust piece of quality steel that most people will prefer after getting to know both knives. It is the budget pick from our fixed-blade survival knife review, after all.

BG Ultimate Pro Knife

While it includes a slew of accessories, the knife itself is easily beaten in a straight comparison.

• 4.8″ drop point 9Cr19MoV steel blade
• 10.0″ length
• 13.7 ounces
• Nylon sheath

$46* at Amazon

*at time of reviewing

Cold Steel SRK

This big beater is inexpensive enough that you can feel good about abusing the hell out of it.

• 6.0″ clip point SK-5 steel blade with Tuff-Ex finish, 0.20″ thickness
• 10.75″ length
• 8.2 ounces
• Polymer sheath

$38* at Amazon

*at time of reviewing

Luminox Bear Grylls Survival Watch Alternative

One of Bear’s latest collaborations is with Luminox, developing close to a dozen Swiss watch models with survival styling. While the watch is extremely high quality, as you may expect from Luminox- you can get a lot more modern survival functionality for the price.

Luminox XB.3749

This is the most expensive watch of the collection, including a band compass, top-tier sapphire crystal face, and smooth Swiss action.

• Battery life: ~ 5 years (LR44 Lithium Ion)
• Water resistance: 300 meters
• Outdoor features: Anti-reflective coating, unidirectional bezel, micro gas lights, compass
• 45mm watch face
• 3.67 ounces

$749* at Amazon

*at time of reviewing

Garmin Instinct 2

This smartwatch bred for survival can solar charge – a clear function advantage over other smartwatch brands. It’s our upgrade pick from our survival watch review.

• Charge/battery life: 48 hours (can be supplemented by solar)
• Water resistance: 100 meters
• Outdoor features: 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter, global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo)
• 45mm watch face
• 1.83 ounces

$439* at Amazon

*at time of reviewing

Other Stuff Bear Sells

While he’s not out running a lemonade stand, Bear isn’t afraid to lend his popular name to some products. We’ve seen the Gerber and Luminox collaborations already, but he also has a lengthy partnership going with Range Rover.

He uses Range Rovers in a lot of their shows and does events for them from time to time. Both are known for their ‘adventurous spirit’, so it’s not a bad match as far as brand ambassadors go.

Bear also promotes Be Military Fit (BMF) personal training, and is working on an animated movie “Bear Grylls Young Adventurer.”

Plus, I’m sure he’s getting residuals from his many, many survival TV shows.

The Final Word

Slapping a famous survivalist’s name on a product doesn’t make it instantly a great product or good deal. You can stretch your dollars just with a little comparison shopping. Some of the Baer Grylls Survival Kit gear is legit and merits consideration.

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Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.