I live on the west coast of Vancouver Island. There are a lot of black bears here. Usually if they know you are around they tend to stay away from you, unless you have fish.
Alone
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Not having seen the program (cant access it) Im making a number of assumptions (which are probably wrong) in making my selection of kit
1. Participants would be fairly static i.e. set up permanent camp and forage and hunt over a few mile radius
2. Takes part in an area of relatively good access to food / water.
3. Event is over an extended period and a range of seasons - perhaps a year
4. Backpack not one of the 10 elements
I didn't find this straight forward but never the less a fun exercise
1. Knife would like a mora sized knife and an axe but that choice represents two items so going for one heavy duty knife. Probably something chunky like an Esee 5 which is a compromise but will cope with a number of tasks (though none of them well).
2. Buck saw 24 collapsible buck saw for processing shelter and fire wood
3. Tarp Heavy duty rip stop canvas 6m by 5m. Provides a robust (if heavy) cover for a sizable shelter that will cope over a year or so in all weathers
4. Paracord reel of 100 m. You can never have too much. It is surprising how quickly you use up a few meters of it
5. Monofilament line 100 m of 35 Lb line (perhaps heavier)
6. Hooks Pack of small high quality fish hooks - you can catch big fish with small hooks but not small fish with big hooks.
7. Steel water bottle Nalgene. It would double as water carrier and cooking/eating pot
8. Ferrocerium rod
9. Winter sleeping bag would go for hollowfibre rather than down filled as it is less vulnerable to damp
10. Luxury item would go for one luxury item to cope with the psychological demands of living alone. My choice would be either:
Young dog (terrier) as companion
Or - if that is not allowed
Wind up portable radio
1. Participants would be fairly static i.e. set up permanent camp and forage and hunt over a few mile radius
2. Takes part in an area of relatively good access to food / water.
3. Event is over an extended period and a range of seasons - perhaps a year
4. Backpack not one of the 10 elements
I didn't find this straight forward but never the less a fun exercise
1. Knife would like a mora sized knife and an axe but that choice represents two items so going for one heavy duty knife. Probably something chunky like an Esee 5 which is a compromise but will cope with a number of tasks (though none of them well).
2. Buck saw 24 collapsible buck saw for processing shelter and fire wood
3. Tarp Heavy duty rip stop canvas 6m by 5m. Provides a robust (if heavy) cover for a sizable shelter that will cope over a year or so in all weathers
4. Paracord reel of 100 m. You can never have too much. It is surprising how quickly you use up a few meters of it
5. Monofilament line 100 m of 35 Lb line (perhaps heavier)
6. Hooks Pack of small high quality fish hooks - you can catch big fish with small hooks but not small fish with big hooks.
7. Steel water bottle Nalgene. It would double as water carrier and cooking/eating pot
8. Ferrocerium rod
9. Winter sleeping bag would go for hollowfibre rather than down filled as it is less vulnerable to damp
10. Luxury item would go for one luxury item to cope with the psychological demands of living alone. My choice would be either:
Young dog (terrier) as companion
Or - if that is not allowed
Wind up portable radio
Just watched E2...interesting. Unusual Coracle though, but the idea was good. Anyone got any winners in mind yet?
Just watched the first episode, very enjoyable! I appreciate they edit this thing to make it "exciting" but it was good. Bears, wolves and cougars would certainly give you a dodgy nights sleep 
I bet they all wished they brought a copy of Mors Kochanski's "Northern Bushcraft" with them!
Look forward to watching the second episode - any bets on how long they will last? The guy was hoping to do 90 days?
I bet they all wished they brought a copy of Mors Kochanski's "Northern Bushcraft" with them!
Look forward to watching the second episode - any bets on how long they will last? The guy was hoping to do 90 days?
I would have made a raft with a shelter by now. I would live on the raft only coming ashore for water and fire..or i would make some sort of floating fire thingy only coming ashore for water. I know bears can swim, but not to clever with and eyefull of pepper spray or i would live up a tree with pointy sticks facing downwards or i wouldn't even bother applying for such madness.. 
Subscribed to him a while back by the looks of it.
Yeah, he got the skills, but does he have the will power.? now that the big girls bottoms have been eliminated it should get very interesting. i'm going with everyone will be out by week 3
Well... Brant & Mitch are strong contenders with obvious skills but Lucas has the heart IMHO to go the distance.
Disappointed that Chris tapped out, he looked like he'd strangle a bear on the first night and use it as a pillow.
Hmm, just comparing kit lists to what's in the show...
http://www.history.com/shows/alone/cast/mitch-mitchell
No tarps listed... but in episode 2 he makes a shelter with two tarps.
http://www.history.com/shows/alone/cast/mitch-mitchell
No tarps listed... but in episode 2 he makes a shelter with two tarps.
Not wanting to be critical, as in that situation, everything seems to be tougher, and go slower than you anticipated, but after 3 days, I would have had the trot lines set and baited with insects, worms, And Ive seem them panning shots of gulls on rocks, and they have catapults.
I've been chatting with Joe and Dustin who are on the show and they have said there were several things they were supplied with which are not part of the chosen kit, 2 of these things are tarps which the majority of each persons camera gear was wrapped in waiting for them at their drop off points, they were also supplied with a can of bear mace each, some of the players also took an extra tarp as one of their ten chosen items
Ba, curse my slow rig internet. Waiting for the First episode to download so I can get it watched. Once I've seen it I'll jump back in with some more informed comments.
Interesting to see how familiar the kit choices have been. I liked that one of them has taken a Leather-man, I'd have been very tempted to do the same personally.
Andy
Interesting to see how familiar the kit choices have been. I liked that one of them has taken a Leather-man, I'd have been very tempted to do the same personally.
Andy
I think the kit choices were quite similar as they were all choosing from a list of 40 allowed items but they have not yet been allowed to divulge the full list of possibles, they also had to supply their own versions of each item they chose
That's all very well provided you have first sorted shelter and water since both of those are critical. Several of the castaways had serious trouble with water.
It does show up the progression though. The first few days are stabilising your situation to a survivable state. Then you start to have enough time to think about trapping and potentially for starting to build better facilities or maybe even to explore to find a better location. Longer term - I would guess around the 3 week mark - you should hopefully have food and water reasonably sorted and at that point if you're looking to stay long term then things like a really good shelter, making things like storage baskets etc become practical.
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