New TV Survival Show - Alone

One of the benefits that we have over the contestants is that we know how many have tapped out and how all the others are struggling equally.

You know all these guys are wet hungry and cold while visualizing all the others kicked back in a log cabin in front of a stone fireplace and eating a nice juicy bear steak sandwich.

As for foraging vs calorie expenditure, I'm sure that all of them have had a great drop in metabolism due to the die restrictions. With the exception of Lucas it doesn't appear that anyone is wasting much energy. Pacing and slow deliberate movements plus long nights/rest is going to lower the burning of calories. Also, probably one of the reasons for the lack of hunting.

Now that the cold has moved in they are going to start burning calories just to maintain warmth.
 
I just caught up on episode 8 tonight (I don't have cable, so I haven't seen whatever the special was), but I will be VERY surprised if one or two don't tap out next episode. I mean, Sam is losing his mind, and he seems to be the least skilled of those who are left. Lucas seems to have trouble holding it together, and his industry and ideas are great to watch in action, I can't help thinking that he sure does seem to look for big physical labor projects to do, which seems like it'd be a poor idea when your food situation was so spotty, as his is. When he's not working on building something, he's always crying and feeling sorry for himself. It's actually turned my wife off to him as a contestant (me too, even though the yurt was cool).

My personal favorite, Alan, seems to be the most level of the bunch, and definitely the one I'm rooting for. I do admit that he seems to have found the best spot for availability of food, as he seems to be the only one catching/finding sustenance with regularity. As for Mitch, he would be good to go if he could get out of his own way. He's going to have to work hard to keep finding food so he can stay in the game.

As someone else already said, I am sincerely surprised that no one tapped out when the temperature dropped into the teens. That is a recipe for serious bad times if you don't have the gear to stay warm.
 
My bet is Sam and Mitch go next, and that Lucas's next big make it/break it project is the one that breaks him.
 
Vinjints said:
My bet is Sam and Mitch go next, and that Lucas's next big make it/break it project is the one that breaks him.
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I agree. Sam, Mitch, then Lucas and Alan left for the win !

Im rooting for Lucas though. No one else has actually built all the crap that he has.

I mean, dude made a 'two-note' ukulele ! That has to be worth $10,000 at least. :p
 
Anyone else catch "Alone: An Inside Look" last night? It was very interesting.


Last night on "Alone: An Inside Look" Sam and Alan were talking about the mind game. Lucas said he enjoyed making things such as the boat and uk and that kept his mind occupied whereas Alan said he went inside his head.

They showed a short segment that showed Lucas had made a sort of stone fireplace against the side of the yurt and a shelf....

Mitch sometimes has that look in his eyes like he is out and ain't gonna comeback. I hadn't thought about it but 34 days of solitude might cause a person who wasn't screwed down tight to lose their sanity.
 
Dang wonder if the pvr recorded it. They didn't give any clues to the winner I guess.
 
This show, like any other reality/survival show [especially on history channel!!!] is mildly amusing at best.

Hot. Garbage.
 
I will start with this. Then get into how physical exhaustion affects your emotions:

Kudos to each of them - they had the guts to step up and test their skills for real. And, they had to do it knowing many many people would watch them succeed or fail. It's way more of an accomplishment than most online wilderness "experts" will ever attempt. More detailed analysis soon.

But, my hat is off to them for taking this plunge, no matter what the results.
 
My hope is they go home and become far better practitioners of wilderness skills and living, because this had to be a huge learning experience for each of them. They now know themselves better. What they do with it, or don't, will be interesting.

Lucas has a deep seated need to "do something great," something installed in him. He is expending way too many calories in an effort to measure up to whatever it is. His father was a woodworker, and he inherited those skills, but the way he has used them don't fit in with survival priorities. He gets deeply depressed when something doesn't work. I'll bet he didn't win.

Alan has kept his sense of humor and philosophy through it all. He has done what needs to be done mentally: made friends with crappy conditions. Literally, you have to learn to enjoy and embrace the suck, and dive right into it.
 
Brian Jones said:
Alan has kept his sense of humor and philosophy through it all. He has done what needs to be done mentally: made friends with crappy conditions. Literally, you have to learn to enjoy and embrace the suck, and dive right into it.
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From living in the land of "suck" more times than I want to remember and being in some pretty miserable deployed or combat conditions...this is exactly what is needed. There's a certain aspect of controlling what you can control and just learning to deal (and even laugh at) the situations you can't control. Alan's ability to be so introspective and use humor are mechanisms that translate well to such stressful situations as "survival". I know many love to talk about gear and kit; others love to espouse the virtues and benefits of skills and knowledge, but very few understand how important morale, attitude, humor and basic mental/emotional agility are when it comes to dealing with significant stress be it external or internal. The psychological aspect is one that is hard to duplicate but just can't be ignored.

ROCK6
 
If they grow from this experience, I cannot do anything but have the deepest respect for each and all of them. It's more than most people get to experience.

Many comments here and elsewhere by people who criticize and say they "could do it better", well, they don't realize they just exposed themselves as mere theorists who have never experienced the emotional and physical trials of a true survival situation.

Cheers, Rock6, you always bring wisdom from experience to us here.
 
It seems as if this show has been successful for History and I am hoping they will continue doing these but in different climates.

I'm wondering how many of the initial 10 would volunteer going for another round?

Alan stated he found himself missing and wishing he was back out there.
 
Brian Jones said:
If they grow from this experience, I cannot do anything but have the deepest respect for each and all of them. It's more than most people get to experience.

Many comments here and elsewhere by people who criticize and say they "could do it better", well, they don't realize they just exposed themselves as mere theorists who have never experienced the emotional and physical trials of a true survival situation.

Cheers, Rock6, you always bring wisdom from experience to us here.
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Well said, hope my nerding out on the details didn't seem like chewing into them. Compassion is one of the ultimate survival skills rarely talked about. Much respect.
 
Some of the Indian tribes of BC had a tradition of young men living alone for a year , to build character .



~ ~ ~ The serious winter storms haven't started there yet and they can last for days with high winds that will test a shelter.
 
Brian Jones said:
If they grow from this experience, I cannot do anything but have the deepest respect for each and all of them. It's more than most people get to experience.

Many comments here and elsewhere by people who criticize and say they "could do it better", well, they don't realize they just exposed themselves as mere theorists who have never experienced the emotional and physical trials of a true survival situation.

Cheers, Rock6, you always bring wisdom from experience to us here.
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"Alone" is reality TV, not a survival situation, its a game show, these guys are doing this to themselves.
They have youtube channels, its on TV, they have to expect, and want some critique.(sorry about spelling, dont have spell check on my phone).
Is it a bad situation they are in, sure, but its the one they asked for, for money.
They have a sat phone, and are less than 4/four hours away from rescue, less if something really happened.

Its not like nobody knows where they are, but if somebody offers an opinion they obviously dont know what they are talking about and are theorists, because they havent been in a survival situation. I left a few posts, and tho iv never been to the N. West i have been in as rock put it, the suck, (for money, not mom and apple pie)more than once, as im sure some of the others that left comments.
Nobody would watch the show if they didnt have opinions about what they should do or how they would do it different.

If they didnt want opinions they would have done it minus cameras or anybody knowing where they were.

Dont get me wrong, going through something like they are just because you said you would, and the only thing thats keeping you there is your word, is way harder than a real survival situation. You have no choice in a real survival situation. When th3 only choice is survive or die, its pretty easy to eat the sea gull, but when its just your word keeping you there its hard to justify the hardships. The longer you are 5here the easier it gets to justify why you should go home.

The respect i have the ones that are left doesnt have anything to do with the traps or fishing or the lack of hunting, its for the fact that they havent tapped out when its only thier word keeping them there.

JMO, YMMV, i like the show, ill watch it next seasen .
 
Just to be clear, I was not referring to anyone on this thread when I used the term "internet theorist." This has been a great discussion. I wrote that after scrolling through lots of comments on their YouTube channels and elsewhere.
 
Brian Jones said:
Just to be clear, I was not referring to anyone on this thread when I used the term "internet theorist." This has been a great discussion. I wrote that after scrolling through lots of comments on their YouTube channels and elsewhere.
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ok, I understand. (now):foot:

this is the only forum I go to, I do get on YouTube occasionally, and have seen some people swing a bit wide and a few go right off the tracks.

These guys have to expect that tho, any time you put yourself out there like that its going to happen.

I do like the show, and the thread so far has been IMO good.
 
Things do seem to be reaching the breaking point for several with the food situation. Alan's answer is kelp when all else fails. He's very practical. I think's I like hanging with him in the woods. We're not so far apart and I go to Blairsville GA on occasion. Like that town. Almost bought a boat there.
 
Brian Jones said:
My hope is they go home and become far better practitioners of wilderness skills and living, because this had to be a huge learning experience for each of them. They now know themselves better. What they do with it, or don't, will be interesting.

Lucas has a deep seated need to "do something great," something installed in him. He is expending way too many calories in an effort to measure up to whatever it is. His father was a woodworker, and he inherited those skills, but the way he has used them don't fit in with survival priorities. He gets deeply depressed when something doesn't work. I'll bet he didn't win.

Alan has kept his sense of humor and philosophy through it all. He has done what needs to be done mentally: made friends with crappy conditions. Literally, you have to learn to enjoy and embrace the suck, and dive right into it.
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'Do something great' is a good way to put it. As you say, sometimes even your skills can get you in trouble if you don't have the mindset to neutralise them, slow down and think.

It's a shame really. He's 31 or 32, I think, and hasn't really had that rite of passage into manhood. I think this is a big problem for most of my generation. People in their twenties don't ever really get a clear identity, and they're not used to struggling by themselves. Big problem for survival situations.

This will be a big success for him either way though. Lots of big mistakes and successes which will change the rest of his life. If he does it again those mindset skills will help him use his woodworking skills for the better.
 
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