What's going to be the latest 'Must Have' bit of Ray Mears' kit?

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eel28

Settler
Aug 27, 2009
599
11
Bedfordshire
Yes, except I posted it BEFORE the program went out, and something I've been considering for a while, so not really a craze. But I agree, sales of tent stoves will go up now.

I did try to convice the Mrs that we neeeeeeed one of those stoves, oh and the tent to put it in :) but i feel it fell on deaf ears :(
 

Klenchblaize

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 25, 2005
2,610
135
65
Greensand Ridge
The Ray Mears "Bushcrafter's Dieting Book"? This being printed on birch bark as sourced by the great man himself with a forward by Ann Widdecombe that questions the need for more guidance than: "Eat Less"!

I'll get my Swazi! :buttkick:
 
The Ray Mears "Bushcrafter's Dieting Book"? This being printed on birch bark as sourced by the great man himself with a forward by Ann Widdecombe that questions the need for more guidance than: "Eat Less"!

I'll get my Swazi! :buttkick:

Mmm, interesting. I wonder, in a starvation survival situation, who do you think would die first, the skinny bloke, or the slightly overweight one? That's my excuse anyway, "I'm not chubby, I'm just carrying my survival rations!"
Sadly, Rays excuse is a little more believable...

He looks more like a slightly tubby insurance salesman than an Action Man. (In Mears’s defence he has been suffering from Lyme disease for a decade – it was only recently diagnosed and treated – which left him unable to exercise.) But he says that he has made a conscious choice to promote bushcraft as something more than Wardle-style extreme survival.

From this article in the telegraph...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/6409585/Ray-Mears-on-bushcraft-and-reckless-broadcasters.html

I think we should give him a break on this issue, and appreciate him for his knowledge and philosophy, not his physique! But then, I am on his side of the Tubby fence!
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
Tubby rules!
Us "better built" types tend to feel the cold less, potentially survive longer on less food, are nicer to cuddle and tend to be friendlier than the "lean and mean" brigade!
Dieting is for losers!:D
 

rik_uk3

Banned
Jun 10, 2006
13,320
24
69
south wales
Strange how some think its OK to be very rude and pass comments on a celebrities weight and yet would not (openly) make the same comments about a member of the public.

As Ray has perhaps forgotten more bushcraft than many here will ever learn I can only put these derogatory comments down to jealousy.
 

Mastino

Settler
Mar 8, 2006
651
1
61
Netherlands
And, after the second time watching I saw the 'item': anyone noticed the watch? IMO a Rolex Submariner... good bit of kit!

And Rik_UK3: spot on! I think a lot of us would be dissecting carburetors or something if Ray didn't promote this wonderful activity of ours.
 

Klenchblaize

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 25, 2005
2,610
135
65
Greensand Ridge
Hardly a case of rudeness born of envy of the "great man" but rather a stab at humour with more than a nod to the 'mad' world of celebrity than any real concern for how RM looks in or out of his kit . Oh, and for the record I imagine he's no heavier than I if he'd only remove those god awful Lundhags!

And anyway I too have a certain make & model of watch which only serves to demonstrate Mr. Mears is in damn fine company!

Lighten up please as I fully acknowledge the good work RM has done and, even if we didn't know about the Lyme disease, the considerable dietary challenges he must surely face when travelling and filming will be mitigation indeed.

Cheers
 

Humpback

On a new journey
Dec 10, 2006
1,231
0
66
1/4 mile from Bramley End.
He the Great RM (peace be upon him) and my humble self are not portly or fatties but rather just under tall. Now that's cleared up can some one pass the pies please.

Great program. The instructional pieces he did on Country Tracks are well worth a visit on Youtube for those that enjoy his presenting style (He and I were thinner then too!)
Alan
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
Rays' weight isn't an issue, it's just a bit of fun and I'm sure he'd see the funny side. I reckon the saying that the camera adds 10 pounds may well be true because when I met him he wasn't that massive a bloke. He's in his forties and doesn't run marathons, he's bound to have a bit of bulk around him. Personally, I would rather be a bit bigger built as I am like a racing snake even though I eat all sorts of rubbish that should result in me being Orca big! I put it down to good dietary genes, but in a survival situation I don't reckon I'd outlast the tubbier amongst us if there was a shortage of food! Maybe in that case, they are bad dietary genes! :lol:
 

tobes01

Full Member
May 4, 2009
1,901
45
Hampshire
Seeing as there's a mood of forgiveness to RM for his size - and quite right too - I'm going to stand up for the price levels of the Woodlore shop.

Ray's whole philosophy is carry less by knowing more. What he does carry/wear is reduced to essentials, so he's known for certain items of kit such as the Swazi smock. He's hardly likely to be associated with second-rate kit - who of us would choose to do so if we had the option of the good stuff? Usain Bolt is not going to be running in Lidl own-brand trainers, even if they're not bad, Jensen Button isn't going to nip down the shops in a tatty Vauxhall Cavalier, even if that gets him there and back without a problem. Ray's a professional at the top of his profession - hell, he's responsible for much of the popular resurgence of modern bushcrafting - so Woodlore has to differentiate itself from the rest of the market somehow, and in this case it's by association with premium bushcrafting brands. Much of what you can buy from Woodlore is either exclusive to them, or of a higher quality than is available elsewhere, or simply not readily available elsewhere (e.g. Zebra billies or Swazi jackets).

And it is possible to go too far - wear too much Woodlore kit and you'll get laughed at for having all the gear and no idea. Much the same as turning up at a running track with gold Nike trainers and a beer gut.

I appreciate that with the current mood this is a bit like sticking my head in a lion's mouth and flicking his love spuds with a wet towel, but I like having Woodlore there - I can aspire to the best kit around, and 9 times out of 10 make do with something much cheaper. And once in a while, treat myself to something really good (if slightly overpriced) with a RM logo...
 

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