Post: #1

I've been watching the new show Alone. It begins with 10 men being dropped off one-by-one in various different locations on Vancouver Island, miles apart from each other. It's a contest to see who can survive the longest, independent and all alone in the forest.

Each man, must find a way to survive far from every other human being on the planet, starting with only 10 items of his choosing.

The first episode begins with each of the ten men building shelter, trying to create fire, establishing a reliable water source and attempting to find food.

The woods are thick with bears and cougars, so there is real danger starting from day one.

You'll notice that there are no female contestants on this show. I don't know if the producers even tried to find any, but after watching an episode or two, you'll be confident that it be an extremely rare woman that could survive for long by herself in these conditions. It's very difficult even for the men, all of whom might be considered experts.

I also noticed that, while none of the men exhibit a massive ego, it's the ones who would probably be the most likely to talk about how tough they are when safely at home in polite society are the men who struggle the most.

The ones who appear to hold it together the best aren't necessarily the best picture of alpha, but that doesn't stop them from doing well when the going gets tough.

I highly recommend this show. Nothing on TV has held my attention this well in years. It's absolutely fascinating. The first season is only two episodes in, but I think that the parts that have already aired and the future episodes should provide for some interesting discussion here on the forum.

I don't want to give away any spoilers until others have had a chance to see the show, but I've certainly made some observations already that I'm eager to discuss with others here.

Post: #2

I didn't know this show existed, sounds pretty good. I know some guys that worked as foresters and tree planters on the island and its not the easiest environment, especially with the bears. They want the same food you do. Thanks for posting.

Post: #3

Are they supposed to stay in the exact area they got dropped off in?

Post: #4

I don't believe any of these reality show outfits. How dangerous can it actually be with a camera crew hovering around you at all times. They have to fabricate some drama and exaggerate any and all actual drama. Bears and cougars or not, I guarantee no one on this show is going to be killed by one.

Post: #5

The only show with a death that I know of was this one. And it got cancelled.

The first season was pretty good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Colony...TV_series)

Post: #6

(06-29-2015 12:43 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  I don't believe any of these reality show outfits. How dangerous can it actually be with a camera crew hovering around you at all times. They have to fabricate some drama and exaggerate any and all actual drama. Bears and cougars or not, I guarantee no one on this show is going to be killed by one.

According to the show's website, each man records his own experience in the bush:
Ten men enter the Vancouver Island wilderness carrying only what they can fit in a small backpack. They are alone in harsh, unforgiving terrain with a single mission–stay alive as long as they can. These men must hunt, build shelters and fend off predators. They will endure extreme isolation and psychological distress as they plunge into the unknown and document the experience themselves. No camera crew. No producers. It is the ultimate test of man’s will. I don't watch much TV but will check this out to see the scenery of Vancouver Island, one of my favourite parts of Canada and a place that I'm looking to move to one day.

Post: #7

I'm guessing each man gets a panic button and has to contact the production crew via radio periodically (off camera). That's the setup of Survivorman - except his longest stretch was 11 days. If there are bears in the area, then the men had security and medical staff nearby. There's no way History channel could get insurance coverage without it. Even so, it's got to wear on people.

How well do women do on Naked and Afraid?

Post: #8

(06-29-2015 01:41 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(06-29-2015 12:43 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  I don't believe any of these reality show outfits. How dangerous can it actually be with a camera crew hovering around you at all times. They have to fabricate some drama and exaggerate any and all actual drama. Bears and cougars or not, I guarantee no one on this show is going to be killed by one.

According to the show's website, each man records his own experience in the bush:
Ten men enter the Vancouver Island wilderness carrying only what they can fit in a small backpack. They are alone in harsh, unforgiving terrain with a single mission–stay alive as long as they can. These men must hunt, build shelters and fend off predators. They will endure extreme isolation and psychological distress as they plunge into the unknown and document the experience themselves. No camera crew. No producers. It is the ultimate test of man’s will. I don't watch much TV but will check this out to see the scenery of Vancouver Island, one of my favourite parts of Canada and a place that I'm looking to move to one day.

Sounds like survivorman, they have to document their own stuff. That was a good show, and the dude was from northern ontario too so I'm somewhat biased.

Post: #9

(06-29-2015 02:00 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  

(06-29-2015 01:41 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(06-29-2015 12:43 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  I don't believe any of these reality show outfits. How dangerous can it actually be with a camera crew hovering around you at all times. They have to fabricate some drama and exaggerate any and all actual drama. Bears and cougars or not, I guarantee no one on this show is going to be killed by one.

According to the show's website, each man records his own experience in the bush:
Ten men enter the Vancouver Island wilderness carrying only what they can fit in a small backpack. They are alone in harsh, unforgiving terrain with a single mission–stay alive as long as they can. These men must hunt, build shelters and fend off predators. They will endure extreme isolation and psychological distress as they plunge into the unknown and document the experience themselves. No camera crew. No producers. It is the ultimate test of man’s will. I don't watch much TV but will check this out to see the scenery of Vancouver Island, one of my favourite parts of Canada and a place that I'm looking to move to one day.

Sounds like survivorman, they have to document their own stuff. That was a good show, and the dude was from northern ontario too so I'm somewhat biased.

Survivorman was pretty good but the guy couldn't hack it up in Labrador, him and his crew had to be airlifted out to safety. That's one very tough part of our country, I work with a few guys from there who are some of the best outdoors men I know and another friend of mine is a hunting and fishing guide there, the size of the salmon and moose up in Labrador are incredible.

Here's the link to a news article I saw recently about a guy who filmed a cougar eating a wolf on Vancouver Island, its pretty intense, I wouldn't want that cat to be munching on my neck: http://globalnews.ca/news/2041149/vancou...nd-cougar/

I did a fishing/diving trip up there in the Port Hardy/Port McNeil area, it was amazing and I've never seen so much wild life in my life: seals, otters, eagles, sea lions, etc. I didn't see any of the big ones like bears or wolves but they are out there for sure and I'd want to at least have some bear bangers or spray if I was out there but ideally a rifle of some sorts.

Post: #10

(06-29-2015 01:41 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(06-29-2015 12:43 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  I don't believe any of these reality show outfits. How dangerous can it actually be with a camera crew hovering around you at all times. They have to fabricate some drama and exaggerate any and all actual drama. Bears and cougars or not, I guarantee no one on this show is going to be killed by one.

According to the show's website, each man records his own experience in the bush:
Ten men enter the Vancouver Island wilderness carrying only what they can fit in a small backpack. They are alone in harsh, unforgiving terrain with a single mission–stay alive as long as they can. These men must hunt, build shelters and fend off predators. They will endure extreme isolation and psychological distress as they plunge into the unknown and document the experience themselves. No camera crew. No producers. It is the ultimate test of man’s will. I don't watch much TV but will check this out to see the scenery of Vancouver Island, one of my favourite parts of Canada and a place that I'm looking to move to one day.

Well color me unaware. How do they charge the camera batteries!? Regardless I just never take "reality" TV seriously. Call me a skeptic; if it's made for television then it has to be catered to entertain.

Post: #11

(06-29-2015 02:45 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  

(06-29-2015 01:41 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(06-29-2015 12:43 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  I don't believe any of these reality show outfits. How dangerous can it actually be with a camera crew hovering around you at all times. They have to fabricate some drama and exaggerate any and all actual drama. Bears and cougars or not, I guarantee no one on this show is going to be killed by one.

According to the show's website, each man records his own experience in the bush:
Ten men enter the Vancouver Island wilderness carrying only what they can fit in a small backpack. They are alone in harsh, unforgiving terrain with a single mission–stay alive as long as they can. These men must hunt, build shelters and fend off predators. They will endure extreme isolation and psychological distress as they plunge into the unknown and document the experience themselves. No camera crew. No producers. It is the ultimate test of man’s will. I don't watch much TV but will check this out to see the scenery of Vancouver Island, one of my favourite parts of Canada and a place that I'm looking to move to one day.

Well color me unaware. How do they charge the camera batteries!? Regardless I just never take "reality" TV seriously. Call me a skeptic; if it's made for television then it has to be catered to entertain.

I'm not sure, I don't watch many of these shows either and like you I'm a bit of a skeptic, as you mention they are made to entertain. I could just watch them muted to check out the awesome scenery and wildlife, the stupid drama that they inject into these shows is very lame, maybe this one will be different, we'll see.

Post: #12

I like the concept of the show, but I'm disappointed at the location they selected. Vancouver Island isn't that "wild," it has a population of over 700,000 people and a pop. density of 60/sq. mile.

I did some quick Google Earth research on the exact site they selected:



A few things to note. First, these dudes are right on top of each other. One of them could yell at night and the one the next site over could hear him.



Also, the area itself is hardly wooded at all. The coastal area immediately next to the water has a few hundred meters (if that) of woods, but then the interior is bare, with a bunch of roads running over the whole area. Dramatic narration notwithstanding, I doubt this part of the island supports that many large predators.



I really love the outdoors, in particular completely wild, isolated places far from civilization, so I'm still gonna give this show a try before I pass further judgment. But I do feel that they could have selected a much more hard-core location for the shoot, either somewhere in Alaska (where you need to literally fly a plane for hundreds of km to get to the nearest road) or in Canada's interior. Plenty of lakes in both those areas to give the same type of feel as Vancouver Island.

Post: #13

(06-29-2015 04:17 PM)Fast Eddie Wrote:  I like the concept of the show, but I'm disappointed at the location they selected. Vancouver Island isn't that "wild," it has a population of over 700,000 people and a pop. density of 60/sq. mile.

I did some quick Google Earth research on the exact site they selected:



A few things to note. First, these dudes are right on top of each other. One of them could yell at night and the one the next site over could hear him.



Also, the area itself is hardly wooded at all. The coastal area immediately next to the water has a few hundred meters (if that) of woods, but then the interior is bare, with a bunch of roads running over the whole area. Dramatic narration notwithstanding, I doubt this part of the island supports that many large predators.



I really love the outdoors, in particular completely wild, isolated places far from civilization, so I'm still gonna give this show a try before I pass further judgment. But I do feel that they could have selected a much more hard-core location for the shoot, either somewhere in Alaska (where you need to literally fly a plane for hundreds of km to get to the nearest road) or in Canada's interior. Plenty of lakes in both those areas to give the same type of feel as Vancouver Island.

Okie dokie, time for a lesson in canadian geography and aerial image interpretation.

1. The population density that you've got is the average for the island, remember average. The only homes you can see on the map are in winter harbour and down to the fishing resort across the cove from where most of the competitors are...that is it. If you google images of or use google earth to look at the actual 'town' of Winter harbor it is hardly that.

2. The proximity of the dudes in relation to each other has one large factor in addition to a short overland distance, elevation. Climbing over those ridges to the next guy's area would be a bitch, as well as deflecting sound. Here is a photo from the island most of the dudes are on


3. "The area is hardly wooded"...Come on. Those varying shades of green you see are not farm fields, they are 2nd growth clearcut areas. The dark green is old growth area, the lighter green is newer growing forest and the brown is recent logging/cutovers. Walking through a coastal BC cutover is hell on earth, you trip and fall every 4 feet. This is probably a good example of a 'brown' area on the sat image


Last, "Roads through the entire area" Those are logging roads, not highways where you can hitchhike. They are used once or twice during the 80 year cycle between forest harvests and are more like trails. Here is a good example of a "road" in a coastal BC logging area


In terms of large predators, I don't know about grizzlies but black bears... Guess what they like? Old forest and large continuous clearcuts. Why? the clearcuts support easy to find rotten stumps to tear up and eat bugs as well as big berry patches. That island is black bear heaven for habitat.

The area that they are in is pretty typical for Canadian wilderness. Being in that shit is just as bad 10 miles from a town as it is 100. Thats the thing about the wild parts of Canada, towns just stop at the edges, there aren't any drifting suburbs where you will run into people, where the edge of town ends the wilderness starts.

Just some insights from your friendly neighbourhood canadian forester.

edit: You know who else loves logging roads? Wolves. Those cunning bastards are one of the few animals that use them like sidewalks to get around logged areas faster. Wild wolves intelligence is eerie, when we'd see them in newly logged areas like caribou country they'd on the forest edges and just watch or when you'd come back to an area in the truck they'd be standing on the logging road and casually part for you to pass through, like a gang of thugs and just stare at you as you drove by. Chilling, but there also has been maybe 1 human death attributed to wolves in Canada that I remember? Bears and Cougars are the real risk.

You can watch episodes online it seems http://www.history.com/shows/alone/videos there are definitely predators and I'm going to keep watching. It does a great job of capturing the isolation that washes over you when you are out alone and encounter a risky situation. Its giving me heebie jeebie flashbacks of bear encounters and freaking out when getting almost lost, falling down rocks or having a truck break down in the back of an abandoned logging area. Worth watching.

Post: #14

Exactly how these guys have enough battery power to shoot footage for days and days is a big question. I suspect that in addition to their ten personally items, they are loaded up with plenty of batteries.

One guy who crosses a river to gain a better location briefly mentions having to cross back and forth a bunch of times to bring everything across, so I'm pretty sure that these guys are actually carrying more tech gear than is typically shown on camera. I suspect a big case of batteries to go with a fully waterproof camera.

There is absolutely no crew. They are completely alone. They have a satellite phone they can use to tap out if they decide they've had enough, but they have to wait for a boat or sea plane to arrive.

While some of the men are only a few miles apart from each other, the show clearly states that locations have been selected because they are separated from each other by mountains and water. It's very unlikely these guys find each other.

As for whether they are allowed to interact with any civilization they encounter, as of the second episode, they show hasn't shared that information. However, I'm guessing no, as that would negate the purpose of the challenge.

Wildlife wise, there is plenty of it, from episode one.

Post: #15

...

Post: #16

damn! This show looks way better than other reality tv shows I've seen. I'm legitimately curious to see it now.

Post: #17

Good thing they did not pick women in this show or else it would be like this. Imagine if you were trying to survive and you run away from a caiman or lacked orientation skills.

Post: #18

Holy fucking shit this is riveting. Thanks for the recommendation

Post: #19

Christ... the women on the Bear Grylls show are stupid. They can't get a fire going so instead of trying new ways or looking for usable fuel... they cry and complain...

Do you think any of them even bothered to research basic survival and navigation techniques before going on the show?

Post: #20

(06-29-2015 10:51 PM)Lucario Wrote:  Good thing they did not pick women in this show or else it would be like this. Imagine if you were trying to survive and you run away from a caiman or lacked orientation skills.

I'm sorry, I could not finish watching that. It was far too painful. Could not making it past the five minutes of arguing about dirty underwear.

(06-29-2015 11:52 PM)Sharkie Wrote:  Holy fucking shit this is riveting. Thanks for the recommendation

I think the appeal isn't 100% what is happening on the screen, so much as, it starts to make you wonder. Not if you could survive. I think the show makes it pretty clear that you and I wouldn't stand a very good chance. But rather, if I did survive for a couple weeks, how long would it take me to build a decent shelter with a wall which wolves and bears simply could not enter.

Watching the first two episodes definitely awaken the "civilization builder" deep inside my evil Y-chromosome.

Post: #21

Yeah, this show it actually pretty good. After I saw a mama bear with cubs sniffing the Mexican dude in the middle of the night I was like, yep, this shit is for real. You'd never see that with Man vs Wild, Survivorman, or those retarded buddy survival shows, naked or otherwise.

I've done some solo hiking and camping in brown bear country, and man, that shit is scary! Once the sun starts going down, your brain automatically kicks in that primal fear that is as old as complex-life itself. Then when it's pitch black and you're in your small tent, feet touching one end of the tent and your head the other, every small noise outside is terrifying. I was in Wyoming camping just outside Yellowstone and I had my rifle in my tent with a cartridge in the chamber and the safety off, but as you're laying there you know that if a bear comes along and grabs you by the legs or head and starts pulling, there is shit all you can do, weapon or no weapon, in that pitch blackness. Can't really blame the two dudes who called it quits.

Post: #22

Thanks for the suggestion Suits. Been looking for something like this and I'm gonna watch this later today.

Post: #23

Good find, I love this kind of shows. Check out Solo hunter on youtube, it is good as well.

I am going to feel like a pussy until I learn some survival skills...

Post: #24

I didn't mention it before, but nice job on this thread Suits.

Just watched the 3rd episode, it was the best so far, shit got real with that bear.

Post: #25

Haven't watched any episodes yet but there are some cool videos about gear selection: