Alone

[Everything Mac]

Probably sensible. I'd far rather carry an axe I've owned, used and thus know inside out, than a brand new XYZ axe that I know nothing about.

The same would go for a knife choice.


Right just managed to download and watch the first episode. Very good indeed. I really felt for Josh the guy that left. You could see in his eyes the moment he arrived he regretted his choice. And frankly I'm not surprised he left after what happened.


I have absolutely no idea how I would react to a bear encounter. I would like to think I'd remain calm but I don't know. Might need a change of pants and a ticket home who knows.


I've followed Joe Robinet's youtube channel for a while now so I'd like to see him do well.

Andy

 

[Jared]

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

Ah wish they'd put complete lists up.

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

Yeah, watched a couple of youtube vids from the contestants talking about their items. I think it was Joe that suggested that the reason they were quite similar is because they had some ridiculous items on the list.

 

[GGTBod]

The show went up massively in credibility for me when i found out they had to supply their own items that they chose from the list rather than use brand new items from brands who had paid to be used on the show as product placement items, like you said Everything Mac there is a lot of reliability/confidence to the user using a tool they are familiar with.

Jared there are plenty of great little vids that add a lot of depth to the background on the History.com/alone the full episodes listed there do not play in uk but all of the other vids do, the casting tapes give a good little window into each player

 

[Jared]

The show went up massively in credibility for me when i found out they had to supply their own items that they chose from the list rather than use brand new items from brands who had paid to be used on the show as product placement items, like you said Everything Mac there is a lot of reliability/confidence to the user using a tool they are familiar with.

Jared there are plenty of great little vids that add a lot of depth to the background on the History.com/alone the full episodes listed there do not play in uk but all of the other vids do, the casting tapes give a good little window into each player

Yeah, have watched a few of the clips, also relatively trivial to watch the full episodes on there with browser plugins, either tunnelbear or hola

 

[GGTBod]

i didn't know about tunnelbear or hola as i go online via avast vpn so can access anything anywhere, i was just meaning they won't play in uk to regular internet using folks, i gave up trying to explain stuff like that to folks online long ago, teaching my mother to use pc's and the internet used up all my teaching willpower and patience. I was talking to a fellow last week on a different forum who was giving holy hell to paypal for emptying his bank account and telling him it was his fault, after a few minutes talking he revealed he used the internet without any anti virus or malware protection and had for years stating that he had never needed it, i was going to explain how it probably took that long for the keystroke logger he picked up on day one of his internet use to fish all his passwords but then decided it would be like trying to wet a duck to get him to absorb the knowledge of his error and how to prevent it happening again but he was adamant paypal was to blame

 

[Everything Mac]

Watched episode two. Would like to see more from Sam and Lucas and less of Mitch. Seems like they have more kit than the ten item list - unless those plastic sheets they had all came under "Tarp"


Andy

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I have only watched the first episode and it isn't too bad, not as "staged" as I expected. I was surprised that someone didn't grab cedar bark to use as tinder.

 

[Everything Mac]

I though that was slightly the point? None are local to the area so probably don't really know what's good to use and what's not good... They're all on a level playing field.

Kit list for me:

1. Large Tarp - probably canvas and ideally a bright colour.
2. Sleeping bag - synthetic.
3. Large knife - 8" blade - Ideally one I can strike sparks off the spine.
4. Axe - minimum would be something like my hultafors forest axe. Though I'd consider a felling axe.
5. Large pot
6. Paracord
7. Fishing line and hooks. 20b test - maybe stronger
8. Bucksaw
9. Large ferro rod. The biggest you could get. - I'd cut that in half when I arrived and stick one half in my pack just in case I lost it.

10. All of the above are pretty much definite for me. I Could maybe sack off the saw but I know how useful it would be to have in general. I could use a bivvy bag, or indeed emergency rations, I feel like a gill net would be great but I have zero experience using them so that might be a bit of a waste. Maybe a leatherman, which would be a good choice as well.


All the best
Andy

 

[rorymax]

Watched episode 2 enjoyed it very much, impressed with Mitch's coracle crossing, risky but shows real determination.

Joe appears to be doing well though he has lost his ferro rod.

If I was to be cynical, if someone wanted out with 'dignity' then 'losing' ones ferro rod would gain understanding as a good reason to quit, as said, Joe looks to be doing OK so I am not suspicious of him (yet).

We know that there will be drop-outs, cannot say I would blame any of them for wanting to save as much 'face' as possible.

Josh was close to tears, the experience with the bears clearly rattled his confidence so much that he gave up there and then, I cannot say that I would have acted differently.

EDIT: I forgot about Chris (I think it was) dropping out, he too was close to tears. Other than dealing with the hardships, what is going through their minds, family, loneliness, the mental stuff has to be very hard to handle when the situation is not a game or a hobby.

It is very very difficult out there (much easier to be an armchair critic ), some of them would appear to have been landed a better 'pitch' than others as a starter point, I wonder if all the areas were recce'd in advance and considered as having equal opportunities for each contestant.

 

[Stevie777]

From experience just being wet can be bloody miserable, never mind the Bear/Wolf/Cougar factor.

 

[Stevie777]

Just looking at some of the options you can take with you. Knife, I can make shelter, Knife, i can start fire,(wood, fire sticks, friction stuff)... knife, i can carve a pot, Knife, i can make cordage of various thicknesses. knife, i can kill animal. Knife, I can make bow, Knife, i can do anything....Knife, knife, knife all the way.

Feel free to add other things you can do with a knife.?

 

[Everything Mac]

Why waste time making any of those items when you can take them with you?? At best you would have something that works but at worst you'd be making / using something you would depend on that might just be plain hazardous...

Andy

 

[cranmere]

On the other hand, having a pot, some cordage and a firesteel ready for use makes it much easier in the first few days when you're working to get a stable situation. Making things takes time, and time is a luxury when you're struggling to survive in the early stages.

 

[Stevie777]

Why waste time making any of those items when you can take them with you?? At best you would have something that works but at worst you'd be making / using something you would depend on that might just be plain hazardous...

Andy

I understand, but until we have a show where the contestants are flung in at the deep end with nothing more than their wits i'm calling keech

ether you go full Bielski or you go Julian Clary feart of the spider and stuff..

 

[Everything Mac]

Naked and Marooned with Ed Stafford?

I feel it's very easy to say that sat in a comfy chair behind a keyboard...

Andy

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I thought I would post a bit of the information that was posted across the pond on BCUSA.

The participants were given a list of 40 items of which they were permitted to pick 10.

 

[CLEM]

Is there anyway of watching this online as I've not got the channel???

 

[Everything Mac]

Clem, there's a link in the first post.

 

[Stevie777]

Is there anyway of watching this online as I've not got the channel???

there's also a link to the second show on youtube in this thread.

 

[OldJimbo]

This seemed so exciting until I heard the dreaded "History Channel" and eventually remembered that I have spent time on the west coast of Vancouver Island. You are more likely to get eaten in the UK. You'll have to book now years in advance to walk the West Coast Trail and your biggest fear should being trampled by the thousands of people.

On the mainland and further north you bet you can get "et" No-one has yet figured why in some valleys griz are docile and you can watch them eating salmon from platforms such as at Hyder. Other places like Bella Coola or Kitlope they may get aggressive. For sure my friend and student made a very sad mistake at the latter.
But if you wander at shoreline and are not in a fish camp, then you're fine! Just don't be where the griz are and you and your stuff will stay un-chewed and un-clawed.

So anyway Ii gave my grand-son my favourite companion and bedmate - Not his grandmother! -I gave him my Mossberg and was amazed at just how much it cost me in 3" Federal slugs, until he was satisfied. A few hundred dollars later and I was pretty impressed too. Lots of cheaper stuff in the meantime. So anyway this year my kid and his crew got called in to meet the conservation officer which is never good. But in this case it was just to inform workers that a bunch of griz had been released into their working and hunting area.

It's best to know exactly what you are up against before jumping in.