Alone Season 2

Does anyone recall what season 1 competitors brought food with them? It seems a lot more S2 brought food. Makes sense to give yourself a buffer.
 
1. 5 lbs of beef jerky (protein)
2. 5 lbs of dried pulses/legumes/lentils mix (starch and carbs)
3. 5 lbs of biltong (protein)
4. 5 lbs of hard tack military biscuits (carbs/sugars)
5. 5 lbs of chocolate (Simple/complex sugars)
6. 5 lbs of pemmican (traditional trail food made from fat and proteins)
7. 5 lbs of gorp (raisins, m&m’s and peanuts)
8. 5 lbs of flour (starch/carbs)
9. 2 lbs of rice or sugar and 1 lb of salt



Out of that list, I'd go with the gorp. The raisins to bait deadfalls, peanuts for the fat energy and who can turn down M&Ms?

I finally got caught up with both seasons. I have no delusions that I would do very well. Props to all the contestants. It sure puts survival in perspective.
 
Emergency rations from that list look the same as the choices we had. I stopped reading it when I saw pemmican listed. Dried/powdered meat, dried/powdered berries and solidified fat what's not to love?
When starving the body converts to burn muscle and fat for energy. Pemmican is made of muscle and fat so every pound you eat is a pound of human you get to keep.

You only get ten items. This year a few contestants chose double rations and gave up an item of gear. I only took one portion of emergency rations.

My List...

1. 0 degree bag - Wiggy's/lamilite. VCI winter temps only hover a few degrees +/- of freezing, but w/ frequent rain.
2. US Army Bivy - I have too much rainforest in my past to not take a bivy. I don't plan to dry my bag. I plan to never let it get wet.
3. Knife - Custom bushcraft knife made by Abe Elias of Diving Sparrow. I've known him for many years. He made it special for me for the show. ATS-34 stainless, scandi grind, green canvas micarta scales.
4. Axe - 2 lb BMC, 26 inch handle
5. Folding Saw - Silky Big Boy
6. 2 Quart stailness pot w/ lid
7. 300 yards of mono-filiment line & 25 hooks (They specified mono)
8. Gill net
9. Ferro rod
10 Emergency Rations - 5 lbs of pemmican in five, one lb blocks.
 
The kind of emergency rations used was something I was wondering about since season 1. Thanks for cluing us in pict. :thumbup:

I just assumed it was some standard lifeboat rations or something awful with no choice in the matter. Being allowed to choose is great. I think I'd be tempted to bring chocolate just as comfort food though pemmican is probably a more sensible choice. :D
 
I like your choices. One question why not a real saw? The silky is a great saw.. I've got one but if you don't have to hike far why not a real bow saw? And a real axe for the same reasons? Is there a total gear weight restriction or some other reason? Curious thanks
 
Emergency rations from that list look the same as the choices we had. I stopped reading it when I saw pemmican listed. Dried/powdered meat, dried/powdered berries and solidified fat what's not to love?
When starving the body converts to burn muscle and fat for energy. Pemmican is made of muscle and fat so every pound you eat is a pound of human you get to keep.

You only get ten items. This year a few contestants chose double rations and gave up an item of gear. I only took one portion of emergency rations.

My List...

1. 0 degree bag - Wiggy's/lamilite. VCI winter temps only hover a few degrees +/- of freezing, but w/ frequent rain.
2. US Army Bivy - I have too much rainforest in my past to not take a bivy. I don't plan to dry my bag. I plan to never let it get wet.
3. Knife - Custom bushcraft knife made by Abe Elias of Diving Sparrow. I've known him for many years. He made it special for me for the show. ATS-34 stainless, scandi grind, green canvas micarta scales.
4. Axe - 2 lb BMC, 26 inch handle
5. Folding Saw - Silky Big Boy
6. 2 Quart stailness pot w/ lid
7. 300 yards of mono-filiment line & 25 hooks (They specified mono)
8. Gill net
9. Ferro rod
10 Emergency Rations - 5 lbs of pemmican in five, one lb blocks.

Again let me say how much I appreciate your input here. The pemmican would have been my choice as well. I've prepared it myself and used it for extended wilderness trips. Not horrible by itself (it does coat the mouth and teeth but eventually melts, faster if eaten with a hot drink), but good when used to make soups too. The dried meat in it is a five to one ratio, that is one pound of dried meat equals five pounds of fresh. And from my experiences, fat content is a must for maintaining health and energy in cold weather environments. "Rabbit starvation" is a term referring to a diet of only lean meat with no fats.

No bacon and no coffee would have been a dietary challenge for me. I read an interview with one of last year's winners who mentioned his pot a day coffee habit prior to the competition. And I always tried to carry bacon, or jowel or fatback with me, sopping up the last of the melted grease with cornmeal hoe cakes or biscuits. I have forgotten coffee once or twice and substituted plants which almost certainly don't grow up there like sasafrass root or chickory.
 
pict - Looking back, is there any item on your list you'd change? Additionally, what item would you consider your most important?


My List...

1. 0 degree bag - Wiggy's/lamilite. VCI winter temps only hover a few degrees +/- of freezing, but w/ frequent rain.
2. US Army Bivy - I have too much rainforest in my past to not take a bivy. I don't plan to dry my bag. I plan to never let it get wet.
3. Knife - Custom bushcraft knife made by Abe Elias of Diving Sparrow. I've known him for many years. He made it special for me for the show. ATS-34 stainless, scandi grind, green canvas micarta scales.
4. Axe - 2 lb BMC, 26 inch handle
5. Folding Saw - Silky Big Boy
6. 2 Quart stailness pot w/ lid
7. 300 yards of mono-filiment line & 25 hooks (They specified mono)
8. Gill net
9. Ferro rod
10 Emergency Rations - 5 lbs of pemmican in five, one lb blocks.
 
I like your choices. One question why not a real saw? The silky is a great saw.. I've got one but if you don't have to hike far why not a real bow saw? And a real axe for the same reasons? Is there a total gear weight restriction or some other reason? Curious thanks

I'm going to give you an indirect answer, so try to follow my alternate example. There is a huge difference between an 18 inch Ontario machete and an 18 inch Tramontina. The Ontario is made from a thick slab of 1095 and the Tramontina by comparison is a light and flexible 1070 at about half the weight. Why carry that when you can carry a "real" machete.

If you chop through one kilometer of jungle you have done the same amount of work as clearing brush from a 1000 square meter lot. Trust me, I've done both with a machete. When you do multiple hundreds of swings a day with the blade you will curse that "real" Ontario and go buy a Tramontina. The Ontario is a great blade for certain applications, or if you're Conan the Barbarian. Bottom line. I'm not man enough to swing that much steel all day every day, but I know that and I'm OK with it.
 
Hi Pict_
Not sure if this was asked already, but would you make any changes to your gear that you brought with you now thats its all said and done?
Thanks for all your feedback!
 
LOL - It's all done but we're only 2 episodes into "said", so I'll hold off on that question.
 
I'm going to give you an indirect answer, so try to follow my alternate example. There is a huge difference between an 18 inch Ontario machete and an 18 inch Tramontina. The Ontario is made from a thick slab of 1095 and the Tramontina by comparison is a light and flexible 1070 at about half the weight. Why carry that when you can carry a "real" machete.

If you chop through one kilometer of jungle you have done the same amount of work as clearing brush from a 1000 square meter lot. Trust me, I've done both with a machete. When you do multiple hundreds of swings a day with the blade you will curse that "real" Ontario and go buy a Tramontina. The Ontario is a great blade for certain applications, or if you're Conan the Barbarian. Bottom line. I'm not man enough to swing that much steel all day every day, but I know that and I'm OK with it.

I get what you're saying but you're not carrying the gear far and not clearing land. I would think the main task would be shelter building and stocking fire wood for long term. A good size bow saw and a bigger axe would make more sense to me. Especially since you don't have to carry them any real distance. Did you guys have any restrictions on cutting trees such as only dead wood? Is this on reserve land or crown land? Interested in what laws apply and how much leeway they give you. Great show
 
I don't think they know how far they have to travel to find a suitable camp and what they'll have to clear. They're going into a big question mark so travel heavy or travel light comes down to personal philosophy.
 
Pict, thank you for all your comments and information. I enjoy the knowledge and learning.
 
Consider last season that Mitch packed up and made a high risk move to a much better spot. I'm sure he was glad that not all his gear was super heavy.
 
Interesting how the axe vs knife batoning debate reared it's head this season!

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Happy to find this thread after a similar thread was locked on another forum :rolleyes:

I was impressed with how Justin seemed to think through the decision of what to do with the duck and then stuck with his decision.
 
3. Knife - Custom bushcraft knife made by Abe Elias of Diving Sparrow. I've known him for many years. He made it special for me for the show. ATS-34 stainless, scandi grind, green canvas micarta scales.
Would love to see photos of that thing! Last December Abe made me a Boreal. I really like his style.
 
Randy showed some serious skill and determination out there tonight. If any of us were capable of handling friction fire there it was him. Cedar is really good friction fire wood, but it is totally waterlogged when you find it. Now that he has a fire he should be able to keep his kit dry but I don't envy the position he's in at all. I honestly don't know what happened with him out there so I'm seeing it for the first time like all of you.

I was also impressed with how well Tracy handled her bear encounter. Nicole and Jose are both very skilled in the bush. I expect to see great things from both of them. They are both totally at home in the wilderness.
 
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Randy showed some serious skill and determination out there tonight. If any of us were capable of handling friction fire there it was him. Cedar is really good friction fire wood, but it is totally waterlogged when you find it. Now that he has a fire he should be able to keep his kit dry but I don't envy the position he's in at all. I honestly don't know what happened with him out there so I'm seeing it for the first time like all of you.

I was also impressed with how well Tracy handled her bear encounter. Nicole and Jose are both very skilled in the bush. I expect to see great things from both of them. They are both totally at home in the wilderness.

Yes Tracy did great and both Jose and Nicole seem very at home out there. Impressive group of folks this year. We need more of you Pict!
 
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