Men's Journal

Survivor producer Mark Burnett

After entering the 1992 Raid Gauloises adventure race, ex–british army paratrooper Mark Burnett realized such an event would make for great TV. Three years later he created Eco-Challenge, then Survivor in 2000. Now he’s launching Expedition Africa: Stanley & Livingstone on the History channel (Sundays at 10 p.m.), which follows four modern explorers retracing Henry Stanley’s 1871 expedition to find British explorer David Livingstone. We dug through the superproducer’s bag to see what gear he packs.

By Frederick Reimers

-

-

Katadyn Exstream XR Water Bottle
Burnett most appreciates a water scrubber like the Exstream when he doesn’t have one. “In Madagascar during the Raid Gauloises, we used our socks as filters. Ireally wish Ihad it then.” Because of its built-in filter, the Exstream doesn’t require iodine or pumping to eliminate pesticides, cysts, viruses, and bacteria. [$50; katadyn.com]

-
-
-

Sean John SJ131S Sunglasses
These shades won’t hold up in an adventure race, but they do have shatter-resistant, UV-coated lenses — and in Burnett’s case, one other distinction: His pair belonged to Sean John founder Diddy. Working with him on StarMaker, Burnett kept commenting on the glasses. Finally, Diddy said, “Burnett, shut up. Just take them.” [$180; seanjohn.com]

-
-
-

Gregory Advent Pro Backpack
According to Burnett, the paratrooper’s adage is “one pack to carry enough gear for a week after parachuting in.” His choice: the Advent Pro, with ultralight silicone-impregnated fabric and lots of outer pockets for quick access. Gregory stopped making that pack this year, but the newer Z35 carries the same load more easily on a beefier suspension. [$149; gregorypacks.com]

-
_
_

Spyderco Byrd Raven G-10 Knife
“It’s common sense to me to carry a knife,” says Burnett. “It goes back to parachuting and worrying what would happen if Igot stuck in a tree.” He prefers a folding Spyderco similar to the new Raven G-10, a rugged model with a 3.5-inch blade. It won’t stop a charging bear, but a real man uses his fists anyway. [$40; spyderco.com]
-
-
-

Mountain Hardwear Synchro Jacket
Even if Burnett’s in the tropics, he carries his thick Synchro softshell. “It gets cold at the higher elevations at night,” he says. “It’s windy, you’re wet from the rain forest, and you’re waking up before first light.” Plus, the jacket’s taped seams and waterproof-breathable laminate can keep storms at bay. [$190; mountainhardwear.com]

-

-

-

This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.

-
-

Print this article