Its super hard to win if you dont have 60 lbs of bodyfat or if you dont find a major fat source. Lean fish dont get the job done. Take the optional 12x12 tarp, the duct tape, the gillnet, the hammock (more cordage/net), Chief AJ's slingshot/slingbow and 6 arrows, the fishline and 25 hooks, the 2 qt canteen cup with carbon steel, haftable, hinged lid, the leatherman surge with the optional longer sawblade, the 5 lbs of gorp and the ration of salt and sugar. You can short the battery into charred wood to light fires. Pcs of the tarp and the duct tape make containers. You can use debris and a big pc of the tarp that they give you to make a sleeping bag. The Surge's different tools are a big help, especially if you sharpen the flathead screwdriver into a chisel and convert the useless can-opener into a hook/scoop knife. Everyone that last's longer than a week or so quits over the lack of calories/fat. They all lose at least half a lb per day, on average and some have lost more than a full lb per day.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
what are your 10 picks for alone? very few understand that it's about fat aquisition.
- Thread starter tranee
- Start date
- Joined
- May 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,745
yes and no. shorting a battery to light fires is against the rules such as they are. your overnight calorie loss without a decent sleeping bag will be far more extreme, so not sure why you'd let it go. I don't think anyone is disputing that its about calorie accumulation, just that its really hard. This is the first round where mindset didn't drop the majority of the contestants, so its pushed farther along than some of them planned perhaps? Its the nature of competition, a winner the first time will be the last place within not too long, this proves just how good the folks they are finding are, and how ready they really are.
I think you've tried to simplify it too far, when the reality is that no one disputes its a calorie game, there is no argument there, but you don't seem to have a much better plan than they do.
I think you've tried to simplify it too far, when the reality is that no one disputes its a calorie game, there is no argument there, but you don't seem to have a much better plan than they do.
Welcome to the forum.
Since you seem to have it all figured out: Did you read the rulebook?
You can't use any of the camera equipment, like the batterys or lenses for your purposes. So what battery are you talking abbout?
And that charred wood you mention... Where did you find this, if you don't have a fire?
You think you're going to be warm and cozy in your piece of tarp instead of a nice sleeping bag in freezing conditions?
Have you tried this? And lived to tell the tale?
I've camped in the snow before. I was well fed and had a nice, warm down bag. And was very glad I did. I don't even want to imagine beeing very hungry and cold, in a drafty emergency shelter instead of my cozy tent, and crawling into a piece of tarp. For 75+ days. Even for 500.000 $. I'll take a slleping bag
And on hunting with slingshot and bows: So far, we have seen very limited succes with that. About all calories came from wild edibles and fishing.
Ask pict about it. After all he is a member of this forum, and he won last season. I think he could tell you a thing or two about it....
- gadgetgeek was faster
Since you seem to have it all figured out: Did you read the rulebook?
You can't use any of the camera equipment, like the batterys or lenses for your purposes. So what battery are you talking abbout?
And that charred wood you mention... Where did you find this, if you don't have a fire?
You think you're going to be warm and cozy in your piece of tarp instead of a nice sleeping bag in freezing conditions?
Have you tried this? And lived to tell the tale?
I've camped in the snow before. I was well fed and had a nice, warm down bag. And was very glad I did. I don't even want to imagine beeing very hungry and cold, in a drafty emergency shelter instead of my cozy tent, and crawling into a piece of tarp. For 75+ days. Even for 500.000 $. I'll take a slleping bag
And on hunting with slingshot and bows: So far, we have seen very limited succes with that. About all calories came from wild edibles and fishing.
Ask pict about it. After all he is a member of this forum, and he won last season. I think he could tell you a thing or two about it....
- gadgetgeek was faster
who said I didn't have a fire? one, they give you a flare, two, everyone, all the time, is not dropped off in a driving rain and friction fire aint that tough.Furthermore, they start you out in the summer or fall, so the fire is not immediately needed. They give you plenty of warm clothing. and in a day or less you can gather and dry out plenty of debris to make a sleeping bag. In mid February, I walked across ILL for 8 days, 120 miles, and all I had was a worthless kid's summer bag, a few trash bags, a set of longjohns, a set of sweats, a field jacket, a beanie, gloves, one spare pair of socks, a set of normal summer clothes and a set of bdu's. I lived on tang, instant oatmeal, and Peanut butter. I woke with snow on the bag 3x and never had a fire.
nobody's been dropped off in the snow, and nobody's even remotely had to handle the winter. Nobody's managed to have the necessary store of food to survive a winter.
nobody's been dropped off in the snow, and nobody's even remotely had to handle the winter. Nobody's managed to have the necessary store of food to survive a winter.
he won by losing a lot of body fat, that's what I"m saying. This year, they got to start earlier in the season, and apparently the game laws are simpler (or the entrants have wised up) cause 5 of them took bows this season. I guess that you're incapable of making a tarp shelter warmer, as required? you plan on being inept and lazy? Every item that you take is a pick that's not available for something else. Take the tent and and the sleeping bag, and you can't take the slingbow or the hammock, or gillnet, stuff that can feed you.
So you're nice and warm, but starve. Great way to go.
So you're nice and warm, but starve. Great way to go.
They tap out over depression, brought on by lack of fat calories. You get depressed, you lose your ambition, your ability to think properly, so needful things dont get done, your suffering increases, and you quit. Suffering can get much, much worse than what these guys undergo, yet people go on. To not take the food gathering stuff (or at least the potential-items that help) is to doom yourself
Since you seem to have it all figured out, and you are a badass on top of that, I wonder why I don't see you on the show?
Oh, maybe publicly stating you would cheat (using the equipments batteries or the flares) would keep you from beeing selected.
I think they look for people with integrity
Oh, maybe publicly stating you would cheat (using the equipments batteries or the flares) would keep you from beeing selected.
I think they look for people with integrity
- Joined
- May 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,745
Tranee, Lets not get started on the wrong foot. We are all about debate and new ideas here. However I'll let you know that rolling in like you are the expert doesn't fly here. There have been plenty of real experts (actual expertise might be debated, but the fact that they did things that were verifiable isn't) have been chewed up and spat out of BF due to attitude. Friction fire is easy. yep, sure is, when it is. When its not, well, that's where things change isn't it.
As to your points, yes they have a wider range of hunting options in Patagonia than they did on Vancouver Island, both in terms of actual game, and regulations. If you look at the tap-outs from all seasons, we have injuries, panic, dehydration, hypothermia, lack of calories, and shelter choices. Not just depression from lack of "fat calories" which isn't really a thing.
None of the hunting/gathering items are a sure bet, what happens if your gamble doesn't pay off? Many folks who could have gone farther didn't due to an equipment failure. But that is reality. Many people survive worse because they have no other choice. That's the competition part of the show. Can you keep yourself from pushing the escape button. Some can, some cannot, but they have the chance to walk away, that changes everything.
So you were able to walk a sustained 15 miles a day for 8 days. cool. go you. What does that prove? that you have pretty decent endurance? That it was warm enough you didn't need to consider frostbite? That you can do anything when you have calories to burn? Do I care? Not so much because its not relevant to the situation at hand.
What my 10 items would be would depend greatly on where I was going, and what I thought the best options were. I'd probably last a couple weeks before I got hungry and wanted to go home.
As to your points, yes they have a wider range of hunting options in Patagonia than they did on Vancouver Island, both in terms of actual game, and regulations. If you look at the tap-outs from all seasons, we have injuries, panic, dehydration, hypothermia, lack of calories, and shelter choices. Not just depression from lack of "fat calories" which isn't really a thing.
None of the hunting/gathering items are a sure bet, what happens if your gamble doesn't pay off? Many folks who could have gone farther didn't due to an equipment failure. But that is reality. Many people survive worse because they have no other choice. That's the competition part of the show. Can you keep yourself from pushing the escape button. Some can, some cannot, but they have the chance to walk away, that changes everything.
So you were able to walk a sustained 15 miles a day for 8 days. cool. go you. What does that prove? that you have pretty decent endurance? That it was warm enough you didn't need to consider frostbite? That you can do anything when you have calories to burn? Do I care? Not so much because its not relevant to the situation at hand.
What my 10 items would be would depend greatly on where I was going, and what I thought the best options were. I'd probably last a couple weeks before I got hungry and wanted to go home.
the same sort of guys who dont take the food producing gear are the ones who cut themselves, doint take the foodpreservatives, can't be bothered to do an hour's gathering of debris to make a sleeping bag, but take days and days to make a rickety primitive shelter, that the first windstorm will collapse.
That's the only thing that makes sense to do, quit, if after 2 weeks, you have not assured yourself at least 5 lbs per day of ready to eat food. You'll just be losing your day job for nothing, cause you're not going to win. You aint got what it takes, and one of the other guys is going to have more bodyfat, better location, etc.
Everything about this show is carefully calibrated/set up to have it be OVER in 3 months or less. If you were allowed to take an appropriate firearm, plenty of ammo, traps, nets, lines, hooks, food, shelter gear, anti-biotics, etc, yes, the long term stay can be done. But as this is set up, no way, Jose. consequently, forget about the axe, the big saw, etc, cause there's no point in working with big timber, in the short time that your calories will hold up. In fact, doing so just shortens your time/ability and increases (drastically) your risk of injury
Everything about this show is carefully calibrated/set up to have it be OVER in 3 months or less. If you were allowed to take an appropriate firearm, plenty of ammo, traps, nets, lines, hooks, food, shelter gear, anti-biotics, etc, yes, the long term stay can be done. But as this is set up, no way, Jose. consequently, forget about the axe, the big saw, etc, cause there's no point in working with big timber, in the short time that your calories will hold up. In fact, doing so just shortens your time/ability and increases (drastically) your risk of injury
Last edited:
Sorry bud but talk is cheap. We can all argue till blue in the face. Until someone gets out there and does it, it means nothing.
So its up to you to get out there and do it, Really do it!
I'm sure at some point lady luck will show her face and someone might get that big kill.
Its easy to say I walked or I ran 20 miles in a day out in the mountains when you are feeling good. Its easy to say I killed the boar when you are well prepared for it and know where to look for one. Now get cold for 5-6 days hungry for the last week not enough sleep. It will change everything when you put it all together all at once and then you need to hunt that boar.
But then we need folks that believe they can do and get out there and get things done. Be the first to find the source of the Nile or land on the moon. They are the ones who get out there and do it..
Do you get the hint????
Talk is cheap.
So its up to you to get out there and do it, Really do it!
I'm sure at some point lady luck will show her face and someone might get that big kill.
Its easy to say I walked or I ran 20 miles in a day out in the mountains when you are feeling good. Its easy to say I killed the boar when you are well prepared for it and know where to look for one. Now get cold for 5-6 days hungry for the last week not enough sleep. It will change everything when you put it all together all at once and then you need to hunt that boar.
But then we need folks that believe they can do and get out there and get things done. Be the first to find the source of the Nile or land on the moon. They are the ones who get out there and do it..
Do you get the hint????
Talk is cheap.
I walked 120 miles of ILL in mid February, in 8 days never started a fire, had no tent, nothing but common summer clothes, long johns, sweats, a beanie, cotton gloves, a field jacket, a few garbage bags and a kid's 50F summer bag. i lived on Tang, Peanut butter and instant oatmal. I had eaten nothing but those 3 items once, for 6 weeks, to see if it effected my workouts, and it didnt. i did take a multi-vitamin/mineral tab during the 6 week course, tho.
- Joined
- May 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,745
Good riddance. Hopefully he gets a tv show where he lives far away from everyone else, with all the benefits of a cabela's catalog and a black amex.
