I recreate ancient crafts and skills for a living. To find information on these skills we look to archeaology and similar existing practices in surviving cultures.
It is amazing how often I find the same job being done differently in differing cultures or time periods.
The people doing these tasks could all be described as experts in their own environment, but if placed in the area of anothers expertise would, no doubt, be criticiced for doing it wrong.
The interesting thing is, they all get the job done.
Ray Mears is a human being with a great interest in bushcraft. He has been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and has made his interest into a living for himself...... It would seem that more than a few people are jealous of that fact...... That's their problem and not his.
If anything is to be criticiced it is the "Cult of Mears"..... We've all seen it. Minutes after the airing of his programs someone will post "What was that widget Ray was using? I must have one....."
There is no doubt that Ray gets some interesting toys, it's not surprising really. Manufacturers must be falling over them selves to get gear onto his program because his endorsment carries weight with a huge section of the public.
Is this something we can blame Mr Mears for?... I think not.
Read it again, Ray Mears is a human being, he is not divine, he is not infalible and he is not made of stone.
Consider for a moment. If you made your living from bushcraft wouldn't you read one of the best bushcraft information resources on the net?... If you were Ray Mears would you use that as your user name?
I would be very surprised if Ray was not lurking somewhere on this forum and perhaps adding useful information in places too.
Lets not flame the guy for helping to put Bushcraft into the lexicon of Joe Public.