Season One Talk: Wolves And Cougars And Bears, Oh My!

[peaceknit]

"Put your ingredients in your pot, let them shake hands and love one another."

 

Hahahahaha, this was great, Alan!

[LittleIggy]

When Lucas mentioned worms I thought he was talking about stomach contents. He also mentioned fish in the same sentence IIRC. I doubt he would eat wormy meat.

[walnutqueen]

I'd like to know why Sam is going after teeny mice instead of seafood.  And why Mitch hasn't figured out the tides after over a month. 

[cooksdelight]

I'd like to know why Sam is going after teeny mice instead of seafood.  And why Mitch hasn't figured out the tides after over a month.

Yes... asking myself the same things. When I saw how far his trot line was with high tide, I knew even if he did have fish, he'd never get them. They'd be gone by the time the tide went down, to predators.

[holly4755]

I went as background to some scenes in the Apprentice, we had to sign a waiver and got not a cent even though we did appear on TV,  So maybe if you are supposed to be a real person you don't get paid. While I don't think they get paid for the show,I think they may or may not get paid for outside appearances like the Today show and the narration shows. They would certainly have their travel paid for or not do the other shows.

 

For those with survivor businesses, I would imagine the bonus they get is more customers. 

 

Oh, I wanted to add how much I love this show and it's pacing, so easy to watch in the evening.  As to Lucas and the tarps, I remeber reading something about him taking extra tarps as his 10 things, He had a water proof ground cover, a tarp and then a translucent tarp, which I think he sues for the ceiling to get light into his Yurt. I believe he is the only one with a translucent tarp. I think that the solid tarp used also on the top is what he uses for his boat, sop he probably takes if off when he goes to sea.  

Edited August 7, 2015 by holly4755

[Quilt Fairy]

You're not supposed to eat animals with worms, that much I know. Especially if you don't know what kind of bird it is.

 

 

When Lucas mentioned worms I thought he was talking about stomach contents. He also mentioned fish in the same sentence IIRC. I doubt he would eat wormy meat.

I heard it that way as well. The stomach contents were fish and some worms. Maybe the fish ate the worms, maybe the fish had worms, maybe the bird ate the worms. When it was finally butchered it looked like he had a decent piece of breast meat that looked fine to me.

 

I'd like to know why Sam is going after teeny mice instead of seafood.  And why Mitch hasn't figured out the tides after over a month. 

We have seen Sam catch a salmon, but only one time. It does seem like he's focused on mice. Maybe he thinks of each one as a Totino's pizza roll. Lucas and Alan did say in the "Inside" show that the thing they had the biggest craving for was meat. Although this last episode it was pretty obvious Lucas was having a cookie and pie fixation!

 

I have never lived by the ocean, so I don't have a great familiarity with the tides except that they do exist, and high and low tides can vary widely. The screen said that the low tide when Mitch went to check his lines was 3.5ft higher than the previous low tide.  Without a tide chart, I don't think that's something he could have anticipated, so I cut him a lot of slack on that. However, I can't understand why he didn't tap out. He looks and sounds like a hollow man. When he just stares at the camera, he's not doing it for a joke like Alan.

 

So we now have 2 episodes left ;-( and 4 men remaining. It seems like the one man leaving per episode worked with the earlier editing but not now. I wonder if several people tap out very close together. This is going to be hard. 

[Quilt Fairy]

Came across this while searching for reviews of the show. It answers one big question and provides a surprising new piece of information:

 

http://daystune.com/2015/06/review-history-channel-series-alone-premiering-tv/

It’s typical in this day of “reality” TV, to doubt things are as they’ve been made to appear. One of the first questions for us had to do with the idea of the contestants filming themselves; how do they charge the batteries and download the footage? History was more than willing to give us the details, stating “Once a week the rescue team carried out a medical examination to ensure the survivalists were mentally and physically fit to continue. Memory cards and batteries were swapped out at this time“

 

 

[ethalfrida]

Came across this while searching for reviews of the show. It answers one big question and provides a surprising new piece of information:

 

http://daystune.com/2015/06/review-history-channel-series-alone-premiering-tv/

Most excellent post, Quiltfairy...

[cooksdelight]

That's good to know, because now I won't worry that Sam is going to crack up and not call for help.

[Quilt Fairy]

Also found this:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/in-historys-survival-show-alone-jeff-probst-isnt-coming-to-save-you/article25181677/

 

The contestants, who ranged in age from 22 to 47, were all men. One woman made it to the shortlist, but producers were unable to get in touch with her for weeks; her voice mail simply said, “I’m in the woods and I’ll call you back,” but she never did, according to McCarroll. He says if the show is picked up for a second season, he’s determined it will include a female contestant (they’ve already put out a casting call, and the first episode was History’s highest-rated non-scripted premiere of the year, which bodes well for a second season).

 

[cooksdelight]

Alright ladies.... you read it first here. :)

[rainsmom]

Really great articles!!! Thanks for posting.

 

I wondered way back at the beginning whether the production crew was going to visit to swap out batteries and whateve media they were filming on. Glad to have that confirmed.

[cooksdelight]

The show needs to find this guy!

https://www.facebook.com/TipTopLolz/videos/826664967447239/?fref=nf

[humbleopinion]

To answer some inquries from previous posts:

The pot of boiling spruce boughs was Sam's.

The links provided above reveal why Lucas didn't use branches to muffle the pitter patter of the rain.

He used a translucent tarp as the roof of his yurt to allow light into the structure.

Using boughs to muffle the sound of raindrops would block the light.

 

Google Ed Stafford-the guy who walked the length of the Amazon River losing original trekking partners but eventually finished  with a forestry worker he met.

Naked and Marooned was his show reminiscent of Alone.

[Quilt Fairy]

Not to dis the survival skills of Ed Stafford, but I remember Naked Castaway (as Marooned was called here in the US) as being a bust that only lasted 3 episodes. He didn't make it to his goal of 60 days, IIRC. And I dislike any show such as this one and Naked and Afraid for the 'naked' element. I think it's unnecessary, unrealistic, and is only added to up the prurient quotient and turn viewers into voyeurs.

[ghoulina]

I laughed when Lucas said his mother told him, "don't go crazy out there," and he told his mother something like, "that happened a long time ago."

 

I know! That sounds exactly like something I'd say to my mom. In fact, Lucas reminds me a lot of myself. I also cry a lot to process things. And he has admitted to being very verbal and enjoyed talking to the cameras, like they were a sounding board. I'd be the same way. I talk to stuff all the time.

 

Honestly, I really like all of these guys and give them tons of credit for lasting this long. Those freezing nights, frost on the ground, snow? I'd be out of there!

 

I loved how Alan thought those few flurries were a "full on blizzard". Gotta love a Georgia boy. I also love that he used the correct usage of "than I" instead of "than me". 

 

Mitch really hit on something when he talked about how if his family was out there he'd be busting ass a lot more. When it's just you you're working for, you don't work as hard. Really interesting. 

 

I think Sam is likely to go next, but I'm scared for how Alan is handling this cold!

[GreyBunny]

Poor Sam, he's falling apart. 

 

Lucas has the right idea, if you get bored start making stuff.  Build furniture, utensils, instruments to play, carve totems and animals to take home to the kids...keep busy to stave off the crazy.

 

Someone upthread had the right idea, the little tarp tents are good for a few days but to stay out for longer you need a larger cabin-type structure with enough room to move around to keep busy doing things for when it rains.  

Edited August 9, 2015 by GreyBunny

[Quilt Fairy]

Just a reminder to everyone, the Inside edition of the last episode is on tonight.

[cooksdelight]

Why is the guy in the cap even there?

[riverheightsnancy]

Exactly, I have been saying to myself, STFU Chris!!!!!!  I love how he was saying to Alan how he really wanted to experience the snow and the weather, when he tapped out 2nd on day 2!!! He made a choice to tap because he was afraid of the bears and the wolves,. So, STFU! Let Lucas and Alan talk. 

[cooksdelight]

Chris.... see, I couldn't even remember his name and I am too tired to hunt for it. LOL

Mitch would have been a good guest.

[Quilt Fairy]

cooksdelight, I put the episode reminder in this thread because it's the main one, but don't you want the discussion of the Inside shows in the Inside thread? Because I heard stuff that could be interpreted as spoilers.

[Anela]

Here's travel writer Bill Bryson's advice for when you meet a grizzly:

You might as well run.  It will give you something to do with the last 70 seconds of your life.

Hahahaha! I'm laughing out loud, here. I read his book five years ago, and thought of him tonight, when I found the show on on-demand. 

[HurricaneVal]

I kind of have the impression that Sam doesn't like seafood, so he's not eating it.  Which is completely silly in survival-type circumstances, but picky eaters are often not very rational.  My sister--who despises all seafood--would starve to death if left in a fish market. 

 

Fishing might be a skill Sam has never developed, he did say he was a better trapper and hunter than fisherman, but there's lots of snails and mussels etc. on his beach that he could be eating, but doesn't seem to be.  So, I suspect the reason why he hasn't worked on improving his fishing skills is because he doesn't like fish, so "why bother?"

[cooksdelight]

And clams... get out there in the muck and dig!

[Quilt Fairy]

I kind of have the impression that Sam doesn't like seafood, so he's not eating it.  Which is completely silly in survival-type circumstances, but picky eaters are often not very rational.  My sister--who despises all seafood--would starve to death if left in a fish market. 

 

Fishing might be a skill Sam has never developed, he did say he was a better trapper and hunter than fisherman, but there's lots of snails and mussels etc. on his beach that he could be eating, but doesn't seem to be.  So, I suspect the reason why he hasn't worked on improving his fishing skills is because he doesn't like fish, so "why bother?"

I just checked and Sam didn't take a gill net. He took the fishing line and hooks, bow and arrows, and a slingshot. We have yet to see the slingshot and I haven't noticed anything it would be useful for. Was he intending to go after squirrels, maybe?

[cooksdelight]

Bow and arrows? For self defense or something, because he's not been out hunting.

[rainsmom]

Not sure if this is a spoiler:

We've seen Sam and the bow on commercials, so I assume he did try to hunt. Just not sure when.

 

Slingshot, if you're skilled, can be used for animals the size of a coyote and smaller. So squirrels, rabbits, and ducks would probably be the major targets where he is. Probably more efficient to trap squirrels and rabbits, though. I'm surprised there wasn't more trapping happening among all of the participants. More specifically, surprised there wasn't more trapping on LAND. We've seen lots in the sea!

[ghoulina]

You're going to expend a lot of energy with a bow. If it were me, I'd take it for defense purposes perhaps, or if I was already REALLY good with one. But I'd be much more likely to use the gill net and try other fish traps these guys have devised. Set it and forget it. 

[ProfCrash]

I get the feeling that Sam is the least experienced of all the participants. I don't know how much experience he has with fishing but it sounds like he has a good deal of experience with trapping and shooting food. The fact that he took pretty much took all hunting materials and hardly any fishing materials seems to indicate that he is not adept at fishing.

 

I actually wonder if they are restricted on what they are allowed to hunt. It's not like they could do much to preserve meat when they first arrived. Now it is probably cold enough that they could dig out an ice box and store food in the ground. Dig below the frost line, line the hole with spruce boughs, put the food in there, cover with spruce boughs and some larger pieces of wood. The food would stay good for a decent period of time because of the cold and you could reduce the time you spend foraging.

[cooksdelight]

Until a cougar or pack of wolves comes along and digs it out and eats it. :)

[ProfCrash]

Glenn on Life Below Zero uses this method. He puts wood down first and then uses heavy items on top so that it cannot be moved. It seems to work for him in Alaska and I know that he hunts various wild cats. I think it could work in BC as well. It would only work as long as the ground remains cold but I have a feeling that is a decent amount of time where the guys are living.

[rainsmom]

I actually wonder if they are restricted on what they are allowed to hunt.

I wondered this myself, so I checked out BS hunting seasons. Pretty much anything they would come across -- including bear and cougar -- was in season while they were there. My guess is the producers covered their butts and got hunting permits for everyone for everything.

[muffkins]

Now it is probably cold enough that they could dig out an ice box and store food in the ground. Dig below the frost line, line the hole with spruce boughs, put the food in there, cover with spruce boughs and some larger pieces of wood. The food would stay good for a decent period of time because of the cold and you could reduce the time you spend foraging.

 

Unforunately, it doesn't really get cold enough to freeze constantly.  A couple of days here, a couple of days there, but generally it fluctuates enough that you don't get a frost line at all.  You could dig a larder pit and keep stuff cool and out of the way, but it won't really freeze.  Black bears do hibernate, but the cougars and the wolves don't.  Also racoons are everywhere as well, and they are crafty little things, and will probably get into it.

[ClareWalks]

Finally got to watch last week's ep!

 

Lucas: damn, don't call it a comeback. I mean wow. That yurt was EVERYTHING. And making a little guitar was genius. Loved his little song, because I make up songs like that all the time. I'd love to form a trio with him and Alan, we could perform Jesus Christ Superstar in its entirety on beard power alone.

 

Mitch: hard to tell where his head's at, he is just a naturally stoic dude. Kind of odd that he hadn't yet determined the tides, but it seems like his area has weird tides (like when low tide was way different from one to the next). I wonder if he will try to move again. Sucks that he's not in the sun.

 

Alan: pickings are getting slimmer but still Alan perseveres. I do wonder how he'll handle the cold, though. His shelter doesn't seem adequately warm for him at the moment. Maybe he will build up its insulation.

 

Sam: he is definitely my pick to tap out next week, and I think he should. As much as $500K would help his family (and yeah, why AREN'T they mentioning that more?! Talk about motivation!), he really should not miss the birth of his son. That's the kind of stuff people might really regret. Especially if he missed the birth and then didn't end up winning the cash.

[Quilt Fairy]

As much as $500K would help his family (and yeah, why AREN'T they mentioning that more?! Talk about motivation!),

It is interesting that NO ONE mentions that as a reason they're out there. Could it be that any mention of the actual prize was intentionally edited out?  I feel sure that if we had some producer narration it would be mentioned A LOT. 

 

Still can't figure out how a show this good made it on the History Channel.

[humbleopinion]

It was bound to happen...

A youtube cover for Lucas' Two Note Song

 

Enjoy!

[cooksdelight]

He needs to get that thing copyrighted, stat!

[riverheightsnancy]

I thought that was Elaine from Seinfeld playing the song! 

[ProfCrash]

I am sure that the money is a part of the motivation but I suspect that for many of the contestants the challenge of surviving by themselves for a long period of time was more appealing. They might have used the money to justify articipating to their loved ones but I think that Alan's idea that he is happy with what he has done and he will tap when he gets too uncomfortable is more the norm.

 

I also wouldn't be surprised to discover that the money was more important to the early tappers then the folks still participating. If you go out there and you are most concerned with winning the money you probably are not in the right head space to deal with a totally new environment that is pretty overwhelming. Bears, cougars, trees, rain, moss, always wet, water hard to find, lack of food.

 

Just a guess

[riverheightsnancy]

For any of the guys that do this for a living or have a company that teaches survival skills (I know Mitch does, Lucas maybe?), the money for the family and business (and not embarrassing oneself) is a big deal. It can really impact the business and cash flow.  I remember when Dustin tapped (#6), he was floored that he was #6. I think a lot of these guys underestimate how they are doing and are overestimating how well others are doing. It is psychological upward counterfactual thinking. That would be a question that I would like asked to the final 4, "When you tapped out, where did you actually think that you would rank in relation to other (if any) prior tap outs?"   Nervous about tonight!!!  DVR is already programmed, as I teach a summer class tonight and generally do not get home until after the show has already started. 

Edited August 13, 2015 by riverheightsnancy

[humbleopinion]

Wouldn't it be awesome if the last Tapout gets in the boat with his rescuers and motors over to the last man standing's camp to inform him that he is the WINNER.

Good TV if the winner was just going about his business, unaware, and the last Tapout surprises him by showing up to announce the end of the competition and they are going home.

[riverheightsnancy]

Wouldn't it be awesome if the last Tapout gets in the boat with his rescuers and motors over to the last man standing's camp to inform him that he is the WINNER.

Good TV if the winner was just going about his business, unaware, and the last Tapout surprises him by showing up to announce the end of the competition and they are going home.

That would be so awesome. Although, I personally hoped that the last person would not know that they won, UNTIL they tapped out. I know sadistic, but that was what I hoped the show was going to do. 

[humbleopinion]

Thought about that also but the Alone production crew needs time to spend with their families, regroup and start auditioning the Season 2 Aloners to be sent out so we don't have to wait too long for the next season.

 

Hoping that they audition carefully so we can get on board with the cast they choose and be as invested into the 10 participants as Season 1.

Different environment, different climate, harsh situations to flush the weaker Aloners to tap out.

Lucas and Alan return to host or blog in some capacity.

[rainsmom]

We need a season 2 wish list, speculation, and spoilers thread.

 

(It's Thursday! It's Thursday! It's Thursday!)

[humbleopinion]

We need a Alone Reality TV Celebrity Season.

Eivin Kilcher from Alaska the Last Frontier.

Ray Lewis from the Last Alaskans.

Eric Salitan from Life below Zero.

[rainsmom]

Okay, here's what I want:

 

I want a show where celebrity survivalists are paired with non-survivalists. They have a week to train them for the environment they're going to, and then the student has to spend a week in the environment alone. At the end of the week -- if the student lasts the whole time -- the student is graded by the celebrity on how well he implemented what he (or she) learned.

 

It could easily be a competitive show. Three celebrity survivalists. Three students. Each has to be alone in the environment, and at the end those that made it the full week are judged by all three celebrity judges.

[humbleopinion]

I am positive both of our ideas have been pitched somewhere by someone in Hollywoodland.

[ClareWalks]

There are so many unanswered questions with this show. I hope we get some answers tonight.

 

My main one: WHAT IS MITCH EATING?! We haven't seen him "get food" since that one giant fish back in the first week or so. All they show is Mitch struggling to get food, but he must be eating SOMETHING, for pete's sake.

[cooksdelight]

Jeff Probst has been trying to put together a celebrity Survivor, but no one will bite. And that's a show where you are constantly surrounded by people 24/7 and you get fed well. They'd never go for this.

 

Well.... James Spader might.