I've read throught the last few pages and I'll address a few points. Questions about the reality of the show are all over the internet, not just here. I've seen all sorts of things floated as possible nefariaous"off camera" trickery. In short, there wasn't any. They weren't stocking us with food and water, giving us advice on how to survive, etc. The producers never attempted to script me, or give me any indication of the drama they wanted to see. Media and medical checks were held approximately once a week and they were short and to the point. A cameraman would grab my footage and restock my batteries. The producer would ask a few questions, what he should look for in my footage, highlights ect. The survival consultant would do a quick medical/mental check-up and they were back on the boat and gone. Any contact with the crew outside of that was limited to reporting any injuries or when critical camera gear went belly up.
Desmond has loads of skill at fishing and it is a shame he didn't last to show us all how that is done. He would have done very well at it. I saw one comment (not here) that his tap out was fake because it showed two camera angles! He took the time to set all that up, knowing the entire would would jump all over him. People ride him for being fearful but at least he flmed it all.
Everyone is so wary and sceptical about being tricked into believeing the show is real... IT'S REAL. We really were thrown into it. We really were alone, just us, our tools, our wits, our knowledge, and skills; dropped into an alien environment to figure it out, and shoot 4 to 6 hours of video a day doing it. Oh, and you're slowly starving to death. The raw reality of the show is that it exposes every weakness you have. IMO the first qualification is that you be willing to do that in front of millions of people.
Feel free to speculate and predict and strategize and analyze our efforts, we did all this so you can enjoy the experience along with us. I read lots of comments that are spot on, but can't say anything about them. Have no doubt, it is harder than you imagine to do it right out there working 12 hour days seven days a week for as long as you can last. They emphasized repeatedly during bootcamp and orientation that we would be totally on our own, no resupply, no replacement of broken or lost tools, no food drops on the sly, no contact with the outside world.
I will say this, if you have never had your head handed to you in the bush, you didn't go in deep enough or stay long enough. It can break anyone.
