S07.E01: Million Dollar Mistake

[Quilt Fairy]

Quote

Ten new participants try to last 100 days in the Arctic to win $1 million.  They must overcome the first hurdle, which includes facing a variety of predators.

Airdate: June 11, 2020.

[muffkins]

Well, they almost lost me at blowing snot out of the nose.  I could have done without that.  

[patty1h]

The dude who rigged up that old boat into a heated bathtub is a bushcraft genius.  Hopefully he keeps being smart and doesn't lose his ferrous rod... unlike the guy who went home.

[azprimadonna]

The hot tub dude WAS the guy who went home.

 

[patty1h]

Really?  I honestly didn't pay that much attention to names since it's the first episode and the contestants faces are so new and haven't made enough of an impact to differentiate.  Too bad for him.

[SassyCat]

If I were that guy, I'd have gone back to that bath he heated by building that fire under it and searched that area before tapping out. I'd bet anything it was there. He had all his clothes off there. It may have fallen out of one of his pockets while taking off, or putting on his clothes. That's the most likely area he lost it in. I'd have stayed at least one night in that sleeping bag of superior warmth, to have the next day light hours to thoroughly search before giving up on the million. He was doing so wonderfully with all his building lore. Very disappointed we won't be seeing him continue.

[pezgirl7]

1 hour ago, SassyCat said:

If I were that guy, I'd have gone back to that bath he heated by building that fire under it and searched that area before tapping out.

I think that's what he did, but they didn't show it. He was lamenting that he didn't want to walk back because it was so far, but he needed fire. They were showing the time stamps, and it didn't seem like he spent that much time looking. For a million dollars, I feel like he should have spent more time, at least until the sun went down. I don't know what the temperature was there at night, but I also wondered if he could have went a night without fire, and picked up the search the next morning. I dunno, he just seemed to give up on the search way too quickly.

[humbleopinion]

Too bad Shawn is gone, he was entertaining.

Joe, lethal with just a stone and knocked the squirrel out of the tree. Snared 2 rabbits...he  didn't pack any extra weight on like past contestants and was already looking thin.

Roland looks like he will be a super contender.

Room Rater Roland a 10/10 for the stuffed bear over his shoulder and beautiful fur skins on the other side.

Kielyn, is snotty, literally. She looks to have the most Arctic experience.

[rmontro]

15 hours ago, muffkins said:

Well, they almost lost me at blowing snot out of the nose.  I could have done without that.  

Worst mucus scene since The Blair Witch Project. 

Seems like we spent a lot of time getting to know Shawn, only for him to quickly disappear.  He explained on the aftershow that he didn't want to spend the night without fire because it was a deterrent to the predators.  

The new format is interesting, you get a million if you last 100 days.  So if three people last 100 days, do they each get a million, or do they have to split it?

[Auntie Anxiety]

18 minutes ago, rmontro said:

The new format is interesting, you get a million if you last 100 days.  So if three people last 100 days, do they each get a million, or do they have to split it?

I wondered about that, too.

I’ll never understand why contestants on these shows don’t follow one simple rule: The minute you are done using the flint, put it into a pocket that zips up. Control what you can control.

[rmontro]

15 minutes ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

I’ll never understand why contestants on these shows don’t follow one simple rule: The minute you are done using the flint, put it into a pocket that zips up.

It's easy to make the rule, the trick is remembering to do it each and every time over months.  But having a routine is your friend.

[Chit Chat]

3 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

I’ll never understand why contestants on these shows don’t follow one simple rule: The minute you are done using the flint, put it into a pocket that zips up. Control what you can control.

It's not surprising that a man lost it though.  Not that all men are alike, but in my experience, misplacing & losing things are what they do!!  I thought he gave up too easily too.  Why didn't he at least try starting a friction fire?  

3 hours ago, rmontro said:

The new format is interesting, you get a million if you last 100 days.  So if three people last 100 days, do they each get a million, or do they have to split it?

Let's say that 3 people make it to day 89, then 2 drop out on day 90.  Does the third person still have to stay until day 100 in order to get the money?  That's what it sounds like.  They're probably banking on most of them dropping out long before then.  It will be very surprising if more than 1 makes it to day 100.    

[rmontro]

19 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

Why didn't he at least try starting a friction fire?  

He said he could barely get a fire going with the flint, because of how damp everything was.  So he figured getting a friction fire going would be impossible, plus he was exhausted.

And it's entirely possible none of them make it to 100 days.  I figure they came up with the 100 day idea because contestants in general have been staying longer.  I wonder how many get pulled by medical this year?

[AZChristian]

I wanted Colby to ask Shawn, "Did you find your ferro rod in your gear after you left?"

I had visions of him doing something like pulling his gloves out of a jacket pocket on the boat after he tapped out, and the ferro rod falling on the deck.

[Auntie Anxiety]

2 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I wanted Colby to ask Shawn, "Did you find your ferro rod in your gear after you left?"

I had visions of him doing something like pulling his gloves out of a jacket pocket on the boat after he tapped out, and the ferro rod falling on the deck.

I did too. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought I lost something and then it shows up because it was stuck deep down in a pocket. You get frenzied searching  and all reason flies out the window.

[TVbitch]

I'm kind of mad at Shawn. If he is such a student of the show, he knows that keeping your ferro rod secure is job one. And why was he wasting all that time and energy to make a hot bath? It's day 10. I can go 3 weeks in a harsh camping situation before I even give a rats ass about bathing ~especially if I am alone. 

I'm kind of afraid to watch the after shows cuz it may spoil who the winner is by their appearance or how happy they are or something. Are they doing those live?

Did they change the format to try to avoid giving out a million every season? But now they might have to give out more than one million. And it will make medical pulls more suspect. 

Since TV will be running low of programming, they should stretch the season out beyond 10 episodes. I could watch way more footage of the bushcrafting stuff, and I want to see everyone's first few days out there.  

[ProfCrash]

18 hours ago, rmontro said:

It's easy to make the rule, the trick is remembering to do it each and every time over months.  But having a routine is your friend.

Or the first week you are out there. What a stupid ass reason to go home for. Hope that was an amazing bath.

Love that it is back and with new folks. I love the idea of a big prize for lasting 100 days. Is it the last survivor and 100 days?

I hope we see some smoking of meat and storage this season. 

[Chit Chat]

18 minutes ago, ProfCrash said:

Or the first week you are out there. What a stupid ass reason to go home for. Hope that was an amazing bath.

I was happy for him in that moment, but I had a bad feeling that things were going a little too well for him.  Sigh.  I was interested in all of the stuff he was finding.  Some of that stuff was fairly old.  He could've had a treasure hunt everyday!

15 hours ago, rmontro said:

He said he could barely get a fire going with the flint, because of how damp everything was.  So he figured getting a friction fire going would be impossible, plus he was exhausted.

It seemed like he gave up so quickly though.  Maybe he didn't film everything.  I wonder if he even tried to make a fire.  He kept saying that he wasn't good at it, but I'd sure as hell be trying anything before I called it quits!  Of course that's easy for me to say sitting here in my cozy house with no bears breathing down my neck!!  I'm sure that he had to make a quick decision before nightfall.  

[humbleopinion]

Shawn was afraid that at night without fire he would be a predator's snack....so he tapped in the daylight.

Thinking stubborn cast members would try to make a friction fire, exhaust themselves trying.. sleep fitfully through the night...banging a pot and yelling Hey Bear....at daylight try again for a fire and trace every inch of his walk the day before....there is a neon orange paracord tied to it...

His mind just fritzed out and he lost all his fight and bravado.

Shawn's legacy...

Future cast paranoid about their ferrous rod...tapping it reassuringly in your zipped pant pocket multiple times a day to calm their fears of misplacing it...and if it is not there...easier to retrace a few hours steps than a half day..

Edited June 13, 2020 by humbleopinion

[AZChristian]

3 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

there is a neon orange paracord tied to it...

In that case, everyone out there ought to turn the ferro rod into a necklace!

Spoiler

I read somewhere else that he tried to get the producers to let him back out to his camp - with a new ferro rod - if he signed a waiver that he was no longer eligible for the $1,000,000.   The guy just wanted to continue his dream.

 

[humbleopinion]

Joe, another cast member who lost his ferrous rod on Day 3 as it rolled off the log at the beach and the tide swept it away explained that he meant to get around it but since he had to wait until the drop off to cut a piece of his allotted length paracord to tie it to his firestarter but he never got around to it...

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, ChitChat said:

It seemed like he gave up so quickly though.  Maybe he didn't film everything.  I wonder if he even tried to make a fire.  He kept saying that he wasn't good at it, but I'd sure as hell be trying anything before I called it quits! 

They did show at the beginning that the moss didn't want to catch fire, even with the ferro rod.  I don't know, I've seen too many contestants give up for weak reasons, I can't get down on Shawn too badly.  I think he was psyched for his adventure, but when he lost his fire stick he just wasn't mentally prepared for it, and he had a bit of a meltdown.  At least he didn't quit on the first day like we've seen before.  How long was he out there, 10 days?

I noticed on the aftershow interview he was wearing an "Alone:  The Arctic" t-shirt, so it's good he doesn't feel too shameful about it.  If it was a negative experience for him, I doubt if he would wear that shirt.

[Chit Chat]

7 minutes ago, rmontro said:

I noticed on the aftershow interview he was wearing an "Alone:  The Arctic" t-shirt, so it's good he doesn't feel too shameful about it. 

And he shouldn't!  He's a lot braver than most - me included!  I was liking him, so that's why I wish he could've stayed a little longer and maybe found the ferro rod.  

[Auntie Anxiety]

I’d love to see Shawn get a second chance on some future season of Alone. He embodied the spirit of what a survivalist’s mindset needs to be to take on the challenge.

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I was liking him, so that's why I wish he could've stayed a little longer and maybe found the ferro rod.  

When they came to pick him up, I kept expecting him to reach into his pocket and say "Oh, here it is".

[ChristmasJones]

The title of this episode was way too much of a giveaway. I was expecting someone to fall and hurt themselves. As soon as he started looking for the ferro rod, I knew he was going to tap out. 

I wish they would have shown him going back specifically to the boat area and crawling around on his hands and knees. The ferro rod has to be there because he started a fire at the boat!   

As the crew was walking up to pick him up, they had a shot of him patting his hands over the area of his front pockets - I half expected him to feel the ferro rod in there. THAT would have really sucked!!

So happy this show is back!! I'm not going to watch the after-episode interviews either - like someone else said, I'm worried some little detail will get into my brain and I'll know who won.

 

Edited June 14, 2020 by ChristmasJones

[Yeah No]

On 6/12/2020 at 6:32 PM, Auntie Anxiety said:

I’ll never understand why contestants on these shows don’t follow one simple rule: The minute you are done using the flint, put it into a pocket that zips up. Control what you can control.

I don't get it either.  I mean, right now I have one car remote and no way to locate it.  If I lose it, forget it, I'm grounded until I can get it replaced.  So you know I make for DAMN sure I know exactly where it is at ALL times.  I would make a spare but it's a lease that's expiring soon so I'm just being really careful for the next couple of months.

If my dream was to be on this show and I could win a potential $1M, I would have that rod in my sights every moment.  Geesh, you have to wonder if someone like Shawn is really all they claim to be.  Like if he can't even do that, and then he gives up that soon after not finding it, what does that say about him?  That tells me he may be a show geek with some very excellent skills, but he doesn't have the grit and the balls to go the distance it in this kind of extreme situation. 

On 6/12/2020 at 10:08 PM, ChitChat said:

Let's say that 3 people make it to day 89, then 2 drop out on day 90.  Does the third person still have to stay until day 100 in order to get the money?  That's what it sounds like.  They're probably banking on most of them dropping out long before then.  It will be very surprising if more than 1 makes it to day 100.    

Is the show prepared to give out $3 million if 3 people are left at 100 days?

10 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I'm kind of mad at Shawn. If he is such a student of the show, he knows that keeping your ferro rod secure is job one. And why was he wasting all that time and energy to make a hot bath? It's day 10. I can go 3 weeks in a harsh camping situation before I even give a rats ass about bathing ~especially if I am alone. 

What gets me is that this is a show about living in very extreme situations of scarcity.  Wouldn't you at least prepare yourself before you went on the show just in case you had to make a fire without the rod?  I wonder what people 200 years ago would have said about this.  Obviously there were people living in the woods in extreme situations without ferro rods and they somehow survived and made fire even when it was damp.  So I just don't get it.  This is a pet peeve of mine with the way people are today.  People are so dependent on technology today that they would freak out if they had to "rough it".  I'm old so when my power goes out I don't freak out and give up.  I remember what it's like to get by without computers and in certain situations not much more than a flashlight and a transistor radio.  I don't think a lot of younger people could handle living that way today.

Oh, and I personally think he was doing the equivalent of Instagram by creating the boat bath to make himself look "interesting" on camera.  He put so much into that that he forgot to pay attention to his ferro rod.  Well, that just shows me he didn't have his priorities straight.

[GreyBunny]

Aw, Shawn. He was fun and I wanted him to stay longer. The boat sauna was brilliant and he looked oddly cute in his knickers and fur cap and covered in shrubbery. He got a promising start on his cabin too.

Quote

I wish they would have shown him going back specifically to the boat area and crawling around on his hands and knees. The ferro rod has to be there because he started a fire at the boat!   

As the crew was walking up to pick him up, they had a shot of him patting his hands over the area of his front pockets - I half expected him to feel the ferro rod in there. THAT would have really sucked!!

Oh, yeah. When he realized it was missing and not in his clothes I almost yelled at the TV to go back to the boat. I thought for sure after he tapped he’d find it someplace stupid like in an easy pocket. 

I wonder about the prize money too, if they win they get $500k but if they make it 100 days or longer then the winner gets $1M?

Edited June 14, 2020 by GreyBunny

[Chit Chat]

10 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Wouldn't you at least prepare yourself before you went on the show just in case you had to make a fire without the rod? 

Exactly!!  He kept saying that he wasn't good at starting a fire, so why in the world would you attempt this show and not have acquired that skill?  Plan A: Ferro Rod;  Plan B: Making fire without a ferro rod.  You have to count on the unexpected under these extreme conditions.  It's like the one guy said - you can make all the plans in your head about what you're going to do, but when they drop you off, all of that starts falling apart immediately!! 

10 hours ago, Yeah No said:

This is a pet peeve of mine with the way people are today.  People are so dependent on technology today that they would freak out if they had to "rough it".  I'm old so when my power goes out I don't freak out and give up. 

I hear 'ya on that one!  I live in hurricane and tornado territory, so being prepared for the worst is how we live.   Unless it's 90+ degrees, going without power for days isn't that bad.  Granted, we do have a generator to run some lights and keep the refrigerator going,  but the calm of a quiet home is actually pretty nice!  

[ChristmasJones]

I would think that any true fan of this show, having seen someone else lose their farro rod, would do something like tie it to one of their belt loops or something - maybe put it on a necklace and practice putting it back on every time you make fire so it becomes an automatic habit.

[madmax]

Obviously not the first guy to lose his "fire steel," as he kept calling it, but yeah, I would have scoured every inch of the area where I had been before I tapped.  Especially since it was his dream.

I'm sure if they have another bring back the ones who didn't make it season, like season 5, Shawn will be back.

A bit off topic:  I LOVED season 5, and especially because Sam won.

[Dittohead]

When Shawn found that boat, I wondered  if he considered  using it for actual fishing. That's  what  I would have  done.  If it had leaks in it that couldn't  be  repaired,  then use it as a hot tub.

 

[rmontro]

44 minutes ago, Dittohead said:

When Shawn found that boat, I wondered  if he considered  using it for actual fishing. That's  what  I would have  done.  If it had leaks in it that couldn't  be  repaired,  then use it as a hot tub.

That's what I expected at first also.

[LittleIggy]

On 6/12/2020 at 2:04 AM, muffkins said:

Well, they almost lost me at blowing snot out of the nose.  I could have done without that.  

You and me, too! 🤢
Her shelter did look good.

On 6/12/2020 at 11:33 AM, SassyCat said:

If I were that guy, I'd have gone back to that bath he heated by building that fire under it and searched that area before tapping out. I'd bet anything it was there. He had all his clothes off there. It may have fallen out of one of his pockets while taking off, or putting on his clothes. That's the most likely area he lost it in. I'd have stayed at least one night in that sleeping bag of superior warmth, to have the next day light hours to thoroughly search before giving up on the million. He was doing so wonderfully with all his building lore. Very disappointed we won't be seeing him continue.

I was saying the same thing to the TV: “Go back to the hot tub!” It would have been funny if, on the “tap out” boat, he checked a pocket he had missed and found the rod. “Hey, I found it! Can we turn around?” 😆

Edited June 15, 2020 by LittleIggy

[Kelda Feegle]

Has anyone got any experience with the bear horns? I was wondering if they could be heard by the other Alontestants?

[Chit Chat]

7 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

It would have been funny if, on the “tap out” boat, he checked a pocket he had missed and found the rod. “Hey, I found it! Can we turn around?”

I've wondered what they would do if a contestant changed their mind by the time the boat got there.  I think once you make the call, you're done.  

[rmontro]

On 6/12/2020 at 2:04 AM, muffkins said:

Well, they almost lost me at blowing snot out of the nose.  I could have done without that.  

I wonder whose editorial decision it was to include that in the show?  I'd say it was questionable.

[PaperTree]

Shawn had an amazing cabin started, too.  Really dumb losing his fire starter.

I would take a new, trusty, bright orange BiC lighter if I could.

You could really scald yourself in that "hot tub" with no temperature control.

[humbleopinion]

4 minutes ago, PaperTree said:

You could really scald yourself in that "hot tub" with no temperature control.

Shawn had no hesitation dipping his family jewels in the hot water....his show boating(pun intended) seemed to lack common sense all around the boat spa situation which lead to his unfortunate tapping out....

[TVJunkee]

1 hour ago, rmontro said:

I wonder whose editorial decision it was to include that in the show?  I'd say it was questionable.

I was traumatized at the Super Bowl when they showed a close up of Tom Brady doing a rocket snot on the sidelines.   It's gross to watch, but highly effective.   I didn't see tissues on the any of the supplies list.  

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, TVJunkee said:

I was traumatized at the Super Bowl when they showed a close up of Tom Brady doing a rocket snot on the sidelines.   It's gross to watch, but highly effective.   I didn't see tissues on the any of the supplies list.  

Surely the NFL can afford to stock some tissues on the sidelines.

[LittleIggy]

10 hours ago, humbleopinion said:

Shawn had no hesitation dipping his family jewels in the hot water....his show boating(pun intended) seemed to lack common sense all around the boat spa situation which lead to his unfortunate tapping out....

If it wasn’t too heavy, he should have dragged it back to the camp site to make use of it.

[rmontro]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

If it wasn’t too heavy, he should have dragged it back to the camp site to make use of it.

Maybe he didn't want to draw predators to his camp to drink water out of it.

[LittleIggy]

On 6/16/2020 at 2:25 AM, rmontro said:

Maybe he didn't want to draw predators to his camp to drink water out of it.

So dump the water out of it. I was more thinking of using it for a useful purpose, such as a storage place for firewood.

[humbleopinion]

Immediately thought if the boat could be dragged to his camp it could be a sturdy wall or an emergency lean-to shelter stocked with essentials if his shelter burned down.

[peaceknit]

On 6/12/2020 at 3:32 PM, Auntie Anxiety said:

I wondered about that, too.

I’ll never understand why contestants on these shows don’t follow one simple rule: The minute you are done using the flint, put it into a pocket that zips up. Control what you can control.

I'd go one better and put it on a lanyard or clipped to a belt loop. I was shocked that he was yet another person that lost their ferro rod. It would be THE most important thing, imo.

[ava111]

On 6/13/2020 at 11:39 PM, Yeah No said:

 

What gets me is that this is a show about living in very extreme situations of scarcity.  Wouldn't you at least prepare yourself before you went on the show just in case you had to make a fire without the rod?  I wonder what people 200 years ago would have said about this.  Obviously there were people living in the woods in extreme situations without ferro rods and they somehow survived and made fire even when it was damp.  So I just don't get it.  This is a pet peeve of mine with the way people are today.  People are so dependent on technology today that they would freak out if they had to "rough it".  I'm old so when my power goes out I don't freak out and give up.  I remember what it's like to get by without computers and in certain situations not much more than a flashlight and a transistor radio.  I don't think a lot of younger people could handle living that way today.

Yes those people long time ago lived in similar situations and were doing fine. Except: Those imaginary people back 200+ years ago had probably shelter finished for a while and in there tons of supplies for starting the fire from scratch without Ferro rod - they would have ton of dry wood and kindling and old grass nests perfectly dry for easy start for fire in case the Ferro rod would be misplaced. Also once the fire started there would be someone doing nothing else just keep the fire going. Maybe 4 people in charge of fire and wood - 2 at night and 2 in daytime. So right there are already 3 positive things going in their favor for the people 200+ years ago - 1) dry materials and 2) someone who looks after the fire all the time and 3) more than 1 person using the friction technique to even start it and to give the tired person break and take turns until it's lit. 

In Alone camp you have only yourself to do and juggle all these 3 jobs. On this side we have wet materials - he said that his skill with drill is not very good plus the wood and everything was really wet and he had trouble to start fire even with Ferro and it was difficult. If he had already finished shelter where he would have storage of dry materials for fire starting he would probably didn't hesitate to give it a try at least for a while. But at that point he didn't have any dry materials. I also think he was extremely tired after that relaxing bath in that "hot tub" and that whole thing (finding it, getting water, finding firewood and start fire, keep looking for more wood to heat up the water and keep the fire going) made him afterwards very tired and sleepy and not in the best position to go try to look for the Ferro rod or try friction with wet materials.  Plus even if he would get lucky and made friction fire there would be huge amount of pressure to never leave it alone and accidentally loose the fire as he would be the one and only person doing it all - look for wood, water and food source while at the same time you have to catch a bit of sleep between putting new branches on fire to keep it going. 

So I think that's why he just gave up. Even if he would succeed to start fire with wet wood there was the problem of keeping it going while trying to build shelter, hunt, fish, process meat... Get some sleep... Without forgetting to add a stick to the fire here and there... All by himself. And the predators were very near and the one thing that would help to detter them he didn't have and didn't know if he could succeed and get it going even for 1 night.

I'm pretty sure they prepare themselves very well but once you are dropped on location your preparation and plans will have to be adapted immediately to the terrain, weather, food situation, water,  building materials situation and find the best possible place for shelter. I'm sure with your brain going million miles an hour its very easy to make a mistake. And even really small mistake might end up with huge consequences. (Like forgetting to put string on Ferro rod the first minute you get off the helicopter).

[Tammee]

On 6/15/2020 at 12:05 PM, TVJunkee said:

I was traumatized at the Super Bowl when they showed a close up of Tom Brady doing a rocket snot on the sidelines.   It's gross to watch, but highly effective.   I didn't see tissues on the any of the supplies list.  

omg that was no loogie, that was a bleepin SnotRocket!  Holy crap girl!  Youve got some good sinus cavities thats for sure.  I dont think i can get rid of that much snot in a month lol.  Im surprised she didnt save it.  Things can get a little tougher down the road, know what i mean Vern wink wink.  Just sayin..if peeps drink their urine...wink wink lol dumb.

Felt bad for the first one out losing his rod.  That has got to suck BIG!  If he would have backtracked just a lil.  He had it at the hot tub, had to light that, so look around there.  He might have been in such a panic anyway might have seen it and not even realize.  Thats a Tammee mistake for sure and would haunt me til my dying day.  Just becz of sheer stupidity.  And then my sister, the wit that she is, would probably put one in my crypt LOL.  For those dark nights heh

[Yeah No]

18 hours ago, ava111 said:

Yes those people long time ago lived in similar situations and were doing fine. Except: Those imaginary people back 200+ years ago had probably shelter finished for a while and in there tons of supplies for starting the fire from scratch without Ferro rod - they would have ton of dry wood and kindling and old grass nests perfectly dry for easy start for fire in case the Ferro rod would be misplaced. Also once the fire started there would be someone doing nothing else just keep the fire going. Maybe 4 people in charge of fire and wood - 2 at night and 2 in daytime. So right there are already 3 positive things going in their favor for the people 200+ years ago - 1) dry materials and 2) someone who looks after the fire all the time and 3) more than 1 person using the friction technique to even start it and to give the tired person break and take turns until it's lit. 

In Alone camp you have only yourself to do and juggle all these 3 jobs. On this side we have wet materials - he said that his skill with drill is not very good plus the wood and everything was really wet and he had trouble to start fire even with Ferro and it was difficult. If he had already finished shelter where he would have storage of dry materials for fire starting he would probably didn't hesitate to give it a try at least for a while. But at that point he didn't have any dry materials. I also think he was extremely tired after that relaxing bath in that "hot tub" and that whole thing (finding it, getting water, finding firewood and start fire, keep looking for more wood to heat up the water and keep the fire going) made him afterwards very tired and sleepy and not in the best position to go try to look for the Ferro rod or try friction with wet materials.  Plus even if he would get lucky and made friction fire there would be huge amount of pressure to never leave it alone and accidentally loose the fire as he would be the one and only person doing it all - look for wood, water and food source while at the same time you have to catch a bit of sleep between putting new branches on fire to keep it going. 

So I think that's why he just gave up. Even if he would succeed to start fire with wet wood there was the problem of keeping it going while trying to build shelter, hunt, fish, process meat... Get some sleep... Without forgetting to add a stick to the fire here and there... All by himself. And the predators were very near and the one thing that would help to detter them he didn't have and didn't know if he could succeed and get it going even for 1 night.

I'm pretty sure they prepare themselves very well but once you are dropped on location your preparation and plans will have to be adapted immediately to the terrain, weather, food situation, water,  building materials situation and find the best possible place for shelter. I'm sure with your brain going million miles an hour its very easy to make a mistake. And even really small mistake might end up with huge consequences. (Like forgetting to put string on Ferro rod the first minute you get off the helicopter).

I hear what you're saying but I'm sure that 200 years ago there were people surviving alone in the woods who did all those things themselves and managed to not lose their only method of fire making, and even if they did they had backup methods just in case.  I think people were more used to "roughing it" back then and knew that such a mistake could cost them their lives so they were better at not making it in the first place or improvising to overcome it if something unforeseen happened.

And I don't buy the business about the Alone contestants' minds going a mile a minute making it easier to make a mistake like that.  Every DAY since the Pandemic began that's my life to a T - feeling like I'm constantly reacting to different new situations in ways to ensure my maximum safety all while going about my shopping or whatever I'm doing at the same time.  It would be very easy for me to make the mistake of misplacing my mask or my gloves or to touch my face or (heaven forbid) have to use a public REST ROOM.  Meanwhile also having to remember the 20 other important things I have to bring with me like my cell phone, my car fob, my house keys, my wallet, my hand sanitizer, my sunglasses, my YOU NAME IT.  My mind is going a mile a minute in 20 directions every second - Should I get into that elevator?  Should I move away from that person?  Is my mask tight enough?  Will it be too dangerous to go into that store?  What do I need and where is it so I can run in and out as fast as I can without getting too close to anyone?  I am under constant stress and yet I DON'T go out without my masks or gloves, and I certainly don't misplace them because my life may very well depend on it!  Sorry but I just think that some of the people that go on this show are either not mature enough or responsible enough NOT to let these things happen.

[ProfCrash]

200 years ago people died living in the wilderness because something happened and they couldn’t make fire. 200 years ago people lived in the wilderness and died harvesting what they needed to live. They died before the age of a decent number of these contestants playing the game this time.