- Joined
- Nov 8, 2005
- Messages
- 1,339
Alright guys this is a big review on a lot of gear I've been testing and now have some time to write reviews for. Sadly, much of it is negative. Though it may be that I'm just difficult to please.
Bear Grylls Survivor Full Stretch Trousers
The Bad:
The zipper closures are orange and very obvious to anyone. They scratch your hand really bad. For my hand, it scratches just below the second knuckle on my thumb. The zippered pockets are the only pockets worth using as anything you stick in the normal side pockets will surely fall out. As I'm typing this, I can see the scratches on my right hand. The quality and finish is worse than I expected. I actually assumed they were made in England. They're made in China and to lesser standards than most outdoor clothes we would compare them to (EG: Mountain Hardwear, Columbia). The stretchy knee panels contrast badly with the trousers. The sizing availability is limited.
The Good: They fit almost like a good looking pair of jeans. They're not frumpy looking as is typical with outdoor trousers. This is assuming they fit you at all. I wear a size 36W (Maximum for my length), which fits like a pair of American size 34W Jeans. There is no way I could wear thermal pants underneath and they don't make a size 38W. So unless I lose some weight, these are strictly a summer trouser. The stretchy panels in the waist, crotch, and knees are brilliant. You could actually do yoga, squats, and lounges in these trousers without blowing out the rear end (as has happened with other trousers....another story for another thread). The knee panels are decent. There not knee pads. But if your on a bended knee setting up camp or whatever it's better than nothing. Sometimes the outdoor trousers can feel paper thin. These are not. They have a comfortable weight and feel to them. I may use a black marker over the orange zippers.
Bear Grylls Long Sleeved Shirt
The Bad: The orange zipper? This is not an attractive shirt. As outdoor shirts go, it's uglier than most
The Good: These have the stretchy panels (Though They don't feel as stretchy as the knee panels) on the shoulders. More importantly for me is the length of the arms. They are long enough. I feel I could reach my toes, pick my nose, and rock climb in this shirt even with the cuffs buttoned. Unbuttoned, they don't sag down like the sleeves of a wizard. The two zippered breast pockets are subtle and nice. The length on the bottom is great too. When I wear my backpack and fanny pack over this shirt, it stays put. If I tucked it in, it would stay in. It's comfortable to wear. I could fall asleep in this shirt. I could wear it as is in hot weather, or layer underneath for cold weather.
Tilley Airflow Hat (Their hot weather hot)
Bad: I like my frumpy hats that I can fold and stick inside my pocket. I can't do that with this hat.
Good: This hat fits me well. It stays put in the wind better than many similarly functioning hats I have owned. And, it looks good. My other, well worn frumpy hats look really dorky on a good day and downright weird on a bad day. This hat is only mildly dorky on a bad day and handsome on a good day. It holds it's shape in wind, feels light, shields the sun from my face, breathes well enough for me, and is currently my favorite mild weather hat.
Tilley Winter Hat
Bad: This hat will not stay on. At all. Forget worrying about the wind. You can't even bend down to tie your shoe laces with this hat on. It's retention system is a joke. It may keep it on if some wind hits you from the front. But not from the back or sides. It should use the same chin strap retention system as the Airflow hat. But it doesn't. It looks strange with the forehead warmer down, which may obstruct your vision depending on how far down you clench your hat. The ear warmers allow wind to pierce through. It's alright for mild weather that is well above freezing where you want to keep a warm head but not wear a beanie cap. I tried wearing this when exercising outdoors and it just wasn't happening.
Good: It looks cool for me. For what I do, for where I go. But I'm not sure others can pull it off. Mine is a charcoal color with little gray wool fibers blended in. It's comfortable at least.
Canteen Setup: This is the setup with the Nalgeane Canteen, Cup, Stove, Metal Cover, and a few extra items, packed into a zulu bag (It's sold on one of those websites that was recommended for canteens).
Bad: This had potential. It really did. Maybe it still does. I know Bear Grylls carries his kit around his shoulder using a single chord. But I can't even carry this around with the provided strap. I had to stop and readjust every thirty minutes or so. It feels heavy when full of water. The zulu bag is nice compared to the standard canteen cover. It's American made and built to last. It fits the canteen inside the cup and stove with room to spare. It even has a separate pocket for the metal canteen cover. You can fit a little of tinder, or a lighter, inside that pocket along with the cover. But, anything you place on top of the canteen unit will have to be removed every time you want to drink. A bandana is fine. As is a spork beside the canteen unit. But anything more than that and suddenly you have a survival kit that is a pain to drink out of. Isn't that the purpose of this canteen unit? Something of mini survival kit that you can carry on your person at all times and drink out of when your thirsty. And therein lies the problem. It's not comfortable to carry one the outside and it's not easy to drink out of. I experimented with carrying the unit on my chest using two straps. It caused excess fatigue in the shoulders. I tried using a binocular shoulder and chest harness. It was meant for carrying binoculars and sagged under the weight of this unit. It can be carried on your waist, but then along with my back pack, knife, and fanny pack, I have no room on my waist to spare.
Good: If you can get this unit to work for you, it packs a lot into it.
Update 11/20/11
Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel.
Bad: I came upon this shovel in search of the best backwoods shovel I could buy. It came up short, but I was expecting that. This met my expectations. This is a difficult shovel to carry on your person. It does fit inside my zipped up 40liter pack, but I would prefer to carry it on my person. I've hung it on my belt near my side, but the wooden handle bangs into my leg with each step. I would like this more if it was a one piece all metal design like their Bushman Knives. That would be awesome. I'd be willing to pay at least twice as much for that. The wooden handle will break eventually. I'm determined to break this shovel. I take it with me every hike and beat on any dead wood in my path. Both hands, putting all my might into it, as hard as a I can. It's still just as I bought it. For now.
Good: This is fun to use in the woods. It's a shovel first and foremost and does this task well enough. The wooden handle can also be used in limited capacity as a hammer for task that involve hammering steaks into the ground. So could a rock. But the wooden handler is gentler on the steaks. I've shattered hard plastic steaks before using a rock. I like the word steak. Bacon too. Bacon wrapped steak? Why not.
This shovel works well enough to chop through small tree limbs of less than an inch diameter. A club/large rock/foot could do the same thing. But with this it's both faster and easier. Given some time, you can chop through thicker limbs of about three or even four inches in diameter. Oh, it's fun to use too. The cuts are about as clean as a pumpkin pie cut with a tea spoon. I wouldn't build a log cabin with it. But it seems to be enough for making an expedient shelter or processing dead tree limbs for fire wood. You can throw it as tool for hunting or as a weapon. Held in my hands, it feels like it would make a better weapon than a medium fixed blade knife of six inches or less. If I were out in the woods and suddenly saw a mountain lion roar and run towards me in an attack, and I was without a gun and only had this shovel and a six inch fixed blade knife, I would reach for this shovel.
It could be better, but I like this shovel. When I do break it, I will likely soon buy another.
CountyComm Stuff: I bought a lot of stuff from CountyComm but nothing seems memorable or necessary.
County Comm Gloves:
Bad: Gloves only come in size large. No choice in color. I would have preferred these in tactical black (or pink).
Good: The gloves are great. They're light and small enough to pack into a small pocket. Their competition are those monkey grip brand (I'm wrong on the name) that Home Depot and Lowes sell. I bought a pair of those as well and in my size. They are a little lighter and more compact. But I prefer the CountyComm gloves as I feel they will be more durable in the palm, grip better, and breathe better in the back.
Black Rubber Necklace:
If you want to build a survival necklace and not wear a metal break away chain or possibly strangle yourself with 550 chord, this is it. It's rubber, and the clasp in the back will release with a little force and or the rubber will snap. But it should be strong enough to wear a neck knife with it or string some small survival items.
Bear Grylls Survivor Full Stretch Trousers
The Bad:
The zipper closures are orange and very obvious to anyone. They scratch your hand really bad. For my hand, it scratches just below the second knuckle on my thumb. The zippered pockets are the only pockets worth using as anything you stick in the normal side pockets will surely fall out. As I'm typing this, I can see the scratches on my right hand. The quality and finish is worse than I expected. I actually assumed they were made in England. They're made in China and to lesser standards than most outdoor clothes we would compare them to (EG: Mountain Hardwear, Columbia). The stretchy knee panels contrast badly with the trousers. The sizing availability is limited.
The Good: They fit almost like a good looking pair of jeans. They're not frumpy looking as is typical with outdoor trousers. This is assuming they fit you at all. I wear a size 36W (Maximum for my length), which fits like a pair of American size 34W Jeans. There is no way I could wear thermal pants underneath and they don't make a size 38W. So unless I lose some weight, these are strictly a summer trouser. The stretchy panels in the waist, crotch, and knees are brilliant. You could actually do yoga, squats, and lounges in these trousers without blowing out the rear end (as has happened with other trousers....another story for another thread). The knee panels are decent. There not knee pads. But if your on a bended knee setting up camp or whatever it's better than nothing. Sometimes the outdoor trousers can feel paper thin. These are not. They have a comfortable weight and feel to them. I may use a black marker over the orange zippers.
Bear Grylls Long Sleeved Shirt
The Bad: The orange zipper? This is not an attractive shirt. As outdoor shirts go, it's uglier than most
The Good: These have the stretchy panels (Though They don't feel as stretchy as the knee panels) on the shoulders. More importantly for me is the length of the arms. They are long enough. I feel I could reach my toes, pick my nose, and rock climb in this shirt even with the cuffs buttoned. Unbuttoned, they don't sag down like the sleeves of a wizard. The two zippered breast pockets are subtle and nice. The length on the bottom is great too. When I wear my backpack and fanny pack over this shirt, it stays put. If I tucked it in, it would stay in. It's comfortable to wear. I could fall asleep in this shirt. I could wear it as is in hot weather, or layer underneath for cold weather.
Tilley Airflow Hat (Their hot weather hot)
Bad: I like my frumpy hats that I can fold and stick inside my pocket. I can't do that with this hat.
Good: This hat fits me well. It stays put in the wind better than many similarly functioning hats I have owned. And, it looks good. My other, well worn frumpy hats look really dorky on a good day and downright weird on a bad day. This hat is only mildly dorky on a bad day and handsome on a good day. It holds it's shape in wind, feels light, shields the sun from my face, breathes well enough for me, and is currently my favorite mild weather hat.
Tilley Winter Hat
Bad: This hat will not stay on. At all. Forget worrying about the wind. You can't even bend down to tie your shoe laces with this hat on. It's retention system is a joke. It may keep it on if some wind hits you from the front. But not from the back or sides. It should use the same chin strap retention system as the Airflow hat. But it doesn't. It looks strange with the forehead warmer down, which may obstruct your vision depending on how far down you clench your hat. The ear warmers allow wind to pierce through. It's alright for mild weather that is well above freezing where you want to keep a warm head but not wear a beanie cap. I tried wearing this when exercising outdoors and it just wasn't happening.
Good: It looks cool for me. For what I do, for where I go. But I'm not sure others can pull it off. Mine is a charcoal color with little gray wool fibers blended in. It's comfortable at least.
Canteen Setup: This is the setup with the Nalgeane Canteen, Cup, Stove, Metal Cover, and a few extra items, packed into a zulu bag (It's sold on one of those websites that was recommended for canteens).
Bad: This had potential. It really did. Maybe it still does. I know Bear Grylls carries his kit around his shoulder using a single chord. But I can't even carry this around with the provided strap. I had to stop and readjust every thirty minutes or so. It feels heavy when full of water. The zulu bag is nice compared to the standard canteen cover. It's American made and built to last. It fits the canteen inside the cup and stove with room to spare. It even has a separate pocket for the metal canteen cover. You can fit a little of tinder, or a lighter, inside that pocket along with the cover. But, anything you place on top of the canteen unit will have to be removed every time you want to drink. A bandana is fine. As is a spork beside the canteen unit. But anything more than that and suddenly you have a survival kit that is a pain to drink out of. Isn't that the purpose of this canteen unit? Something of mini survival kit that you can carry on your person at all times and drink out of when your thirsty. And therein lies the problem. It's not comfortable to carry one the outside and it's not easy to drink out of. I experimented with carrying the unit on my chest using two straps. It caused excess fatigue in the shoulders. I tried using a binocular shoulder and chest harness. It was meant for carrying binoculars and sagged under the weight of this unit. It can be carried on your waist, but then along with my back pack, knife, and fanny pack, I have no room on my waist to spare.
Good: If you can get this unit to work for you, it packs a lot into it.
Update 11/20/11
Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel.
Bad: I came upon this shovel in search of the best backwoods shovel I could buy. It came up short, but I was expecting that. This met my expectations. This is a difficult shovel to carry on your person. It does fit inside my zipped up 40liter pack, but I would prefer to carry it on my person. I've hung it on my belt near my side, but the wooden handle bangs into my leg with each step. I would like this more if it was a one piece all metal design like their Bushman Knives. That would be awesome. I'd be willing to pay at least twice as much for that. The wooden handle will break eventually. I'm determined to break this shovel. I take it with me every hike and beat on any dead wood in my path. Both hands, putting all my might into it, as hard as a I can. It's still just as I bought it. For now.
Good: This is fun to use in the woods. It's a shovel first and foremost and does this task well enough. The wooden handle can also be used in limited capacity as a hammer for task that involve hammering steaks into the ground. So could a rock. But the wooden handler is gentler on the steaks. I've shattered hard plastic steaks before using a rock. I like the word steak. Bacon too. Bacon wrapped steak? Why not.
This shovel works well enough to chop through small tree limbs of less than an inch diameter. A club/large rock/foot could do the same thing. But with this it's both faster and easier. Given some time, you can chop through thicker limbs of about three or even four inches in diameter. Oh, it's fun to use too. The cuts are about as clean as a pumpkin pie cut with a tea spoon. I wouldn't build a log cabin with it. But it seems to be enough for making an expedient shelter or processing dead tree limbs for fire wood. You can throw it as tool for hunting or as a weapon. Held in my hands, it feels like it would make a better weapon than a medium fixed blade knife of six inches or less. If I were out in the woods and suddenly saw a mountain lion roar and run towards me in an attack, and I was without a gun and only had this shovel and a six inch fixed blade knife, I would reach for this shovel.
It could be better, but I like this shovel. When I do break it, I will likely soon buy another.
CountyComm Stuff: I bought a lot of stuff from CountyComm but nothing seems memorable or necessary.
County Comm Gloves:
Bad: Gloves only come in size large. No choice in color. I would have preferred these in tactical black (or pink).
Good: The gloves are great. They're light and small enough to pack into a small pocket. Their competition are those monkey grip brand (I'm wrong on the name) that Home Depot and Lowes sell. I bought a pair of those as well and in my size. They are a little lighter and more compact. But I prefer the CountyComm gloves as I feel they will be more durable in the palm, grip better, and breathe better in the back.
Black Rubber Necklace:
If you want to build a survival necklace and not wear a metal break away chain or possibly strangle yourself with 550 chord, this is it. It's rubber, and the clasp in the back will release with a little force and or the rubber will snap. But it should be strong enough to wear a neck knife with it or string some small survival items.
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