By Slaton L. White

Ten years ago I went on a week-long salmon safari in Alaska, living out of a slide-in camper in a Silverado equipped with a Duramax 6.6-liter V8 turbo diesel. It was an epic adventure, and looking at my old notes I see I raved about the truck’s performance. “Moved well from a dead stop. Quiet, even at full throttle. MPG: averaged between 11 to 14 mpg.”

A lot has happened to GM since then. After teetering on the brink of insolvency for years, it finally plunged into bankruptcy two years ago. What many people don’t know was that the company came perilously close to Chapter 11 in the 1990s. But they got a stay of execution. Know why? The Silverado. It was just about the only GM product people wanted to buy...and they bought enough of them to help keep the company afloat.

The Silverado was good then...and it’s good now.

I can say that after logging 900 miles in one recently. The 2500 4WD Crew Cab is a stout build, and boasts a maximum towing rating of 17,000 pounds. That means that when you drive it without a trailer or with an empty bed, it’s a bit rough. But when you get some weight on those rear wheels, it tames down nicely.

By David Maccar

by David Maccar

It’s official: Gerber’s complete Bear Grylls Survival Series of knives, tools and gear is now available to the public. The line features several products, including the flagship item, the Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife, which I reviewed last year when I got an early sample, along with the Parang Machete. The line also boats two survival kits, two different sized multi-tools (the Ultimate Multi-Tool pictured here), several folding knives and a fire starter.

The sixth season of Grylls’ survival series, Man vs. Wild, premiers tonight on the Discovery Channel and Bear will have the Ultimate Knife by his side. Let’s see how it holds up on the show.

By David Maccar

by David Maccar

You may remember a couple months ago we reviewed two items from a new line of survival knives designed by TV host and survivalist Bear Grylls and Gerber Legendary Blades. Now, another of TV’s famous survivalists will release a blade bearing his own signature touches.

Les Stroud, of “Survivorman” fame, has joined forces with the Norwegian knife company, Helle, to create “The Temagami – A knife you can actually use in the wilderness.”

According to a press release from the company, Stroud once found a Helle knife on the forest floor while trekking the Temagami Canadian wilderness. Getting a hint as to where the name came from?

Apparently it was “the best knife Stroud would ever use,” and he did so for several years until the wilderness reclaimed it.

From the release:
Years later, Helle became interested in Stroud as Survivorman, attracted to his philosophies, his values, and way of thinking. Helle approached Stroud to design a new knife – a knife that could be used by true outdoor enthusiasts seeking the real thing: a natural way of life. When Stroud told the story from Temagami and realized the knife he found in the forest was actually a Helle knife, a rare opportunity for partnership was forged.

By Dave Hurteau

Hey did you know Cabela’s is getting into music instrument business?

From the Mandolin Café:
Thomas L. "Tommy" Millner, Chief Executive Officer of Cabela's, the World's Foremost Outfitter® of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear has announced the acquisition of New Millennium Acoustic Design Carbon Fiber Mandolins of Waterville, Vermont.