Season Two Talk: Brand New Contestants, Same Old Bears

[riverheightsnancy]

50 minutes ago, seasick said:

My guess is that having to get med assistance though (i.e. getting her hand stitched and monitored) would be against the rules for staying on.  I'm assuming if she cannot take care of it herself she's out.    (but I do get what you're saying about her initial 'doomsday" reaction to things)

I was thinking this as well, and we are likely going to find out next episode. If it is against the rules to offer medical attention, and she absolutely needs it, then she is out. It is like Survivor. Once the MD says you cannot stay, you are out. She was not my pick for first woman out, at all. 

[SRTouch]

I got sidetracked earlier thinking about Jose and Nicole not making an appearance as of yet, did some googling, and found Nicole has added to her website presence. I had already read her bio on her Eco Tours International site  http://www.ecotoursinternational.com/about/ but followed the link from there and found her personal Alone page at  http://www.nicoleapelian.com/alone/ 

No real spoilers on the site, but it gives more background on her and how she prepared. For example, here's a quote from an article link "I knew that fire starting was a real issue for people last year. It’s such a wet environment in Vancouver Island. So for a month prior to the show, I would strip bark and take that bark and dip it in a tub of water overnight and then in the morning I’d take this soft, wet cedar bark and I would make it into a tinder bundle until it was dry enough so that I could get a fire with my ferro rod.”  http://decider.com/2016/04/21/alone-s2-nicole-apelian-interview/ 

She also has a "Behind the Scenes" http://www.nicoleapelian.com/forums/topic/alone-behind-the-scenes-episode/ page where she promises to answer questions, although she warns she (can't comment on anything from as yet unseen episodes. I thought I was getting a hint on next person gone when I noticed a picture with only 8 people - nope it was a picture from before they went to the island (Larry still had his beard) and the pic had been cropped to add a logo.) The last question she answered was from April 24. I plan to pop over and read her comments as time goes on. 

[seasick]

5 hours ago, ghoulina said:

So 4 new dudes this week, and MK. But no Tracy (boo!) or Larry (yay!) 

 

MK seems to be doing alright for herself. She's got herself a covered cooking area (although my husband wouldn't stop bitching about how she killed a tree when she didn't need to) and a cute little door for her tent. Let's just see how well those things work out for her. Well, if we get to see. I'm not sure what's going to happen as a result of her hand injury. It didn't appear like it was gushing blood; I think sanitation is going to be the big issue. Grab some moss, girl! Natural iodine. 

Out of the new guys, I think I like Randy, the hipster Rollo, the least. He seems very mopey. When things didn't go right, he was saying the right things - "You have to adapt and keep trying" - but his tone of voice didn't match his words. He already sounds very defeated. And then, of course, he lost his ferro rod. Someone did that last season and it was game over. So I don't see how he could keep going. Even if he was capable of making fire without one, it would be a lot of work. So he'd either have to expend that energy every time OR keep it going constantly, which is also expending a ton of energy. Not a good situation. I said to my husband, "I think he's glad he lost his ferro rod". And my husband said, "I think he did it on purpose". I don't know if I'd go that far. But he didn't really seem like he wanted to be there. 

I think I'll like Mike the best. He's going to be the Alan of this season. I mean, I know he won't be as humorous or profound, but he definitely seems to have a good spirit about him, and appears very industrious. He seems very knowledgeable about all the plant life, and just a few days in and he's having to bury excess food! He really has potential to do well out there. So let's just hope missing his lady doesn't get too him too badly. 

Justin seemed pretty cool too, competent and positive. And I like the work he's doing with veterans back home. I'm hugely anti-war, in part because of how it effects the returning soldiers. I love that he is doing something proactive to help his brothers out. His little pet duck was so cute and I was very sad when he found it dead. I only wish he'd have saved it for bait instead of throwing it back to the water. 

David seems alright, a bit too soon to tell, but also looks to be possibly defeated by the foocd situation. What I don't get is, why do these people only try ONE thing? Set up a gill net AND a trotline AND some deadfalls. SOME deadfalls. Not just one. 

 

At any rate, I think this group is already off to a better start, given that we're a week in and only one tap out. Should be interesting going forward.

That was an interesting take on Randy. ("mopey").  I laughed aloud at your husband's comment. I actually had him as my top pick because he said in his intro that he had spent a couple weeks alone in the woods (actually said something like 'the longest I've ever been alone in the woods is a couple of weeks'   which I thought was a pretty good amount to do for no good reason)  Maybe he was just shy to the camera, but...  you may be right. His attitude did seem a little worn out even before he 'nudged'? his ferro rod into the fire.  Regardless, I am thoroughly annoyed with him because in his intro as a "survival expert" he forgot to mention that HE DIDN"T KNOW HOW TO FISH!!!      ( I like Jose too but I think he has less to prove and could tap out of boredom)  

I too was impressed with Mike's skill and knowledge, but his insistence on dwelling on the painful times in his life disturbs me.  I'm not sure going "alone"  with very present, un-reconciled pain from childhood is the best company to bring along.  (But at least it's not going to sneak up on him.)  I think Alan's strong point was his contentment with himself and his feelings about his life.  He was also enjoyable to watch because he didn't seem to feel guilty about leaving and although I'm sure he missed his family, he seemed to just accept it as part of the challenge and not dwell on it much.  This might sound cold, but I don't want to spend a lot of time in therapy with Mike--. I want him to build a killer log cabin, gain 20 pounds, and leave wearing a fur coat.  

And yes!!  I wonder the same thing about why they are not using several resources and techniques to catch food.  Some of them seem a little late to the party in even thinking about setting traps or fishing.  I know the ones who brought rations said it was their intent to not have to concentrate on food right away, but these are fairly passive techniques and don't appear to take that much time to set.

[jvr]

Hey Bear! Hey Everyone!

I'm late to the party this year but happy there is a new season. Hope we get another Alan. I have to say my early to quit list contained Desmond and Tracy.

Desmond: Bragging about Bears and acting cocky, former military with tours in Afghanistan and Iraq! Heard nothing about survivalist skills, knew he was done...and then we got the glorious HEY BEAR! First one to say it is done for sure (plus all the air time was a sure goner indicator). Sucks he got that particular camping spot, but he should have spent most of his time moving somewhere else. I think most people on their first night that encounter lots of animals will be closer to tapping out. They need time to get settled and acclimated before getting real fear put in their ass. I laughed when I saw the boat, I was still holding out hope no one would go before nightfall. I mean dude, you should be embarrassed. The shame alone should get you to try and stay one damn night! 

Tracy: Surprised the fuck out of me! The first image we got of her was shooting guns and her telling us she is former military and law enforcement. I'm thinking, she won't last long without her guns! I'm ashamed to say her size made me also think should wouldn't do so well with so much physical labor but damn (I thought the same a little about Desmond but tall guys tend to hold weight better)... I'm thinking she might go far based off the first episode (I'm about to watch the second one right now). She was so calm, nary a complaint and had a rip roaring fire going. She looked ready to fight at night with the animals. lol Can't wait to see what she does going forward. The only negative is she sounded super depressed/ptsd/seekinglifesanswers-ish in her home segment, I don't think this show is the place for that.

So I was completely right and completely wrong in my first predictions. Can't wait to see the rest of the contestants. 

Also I'm black and born and raised in the city, I love shows like this. I think 99% of the population wouldn't last long put in this situation (1-3 days max), its the being ALONE that will tap most people and I don't think they realize how different it is having no one to rely on and alleviate your fears and concerns. I have done a lot of camping and hiking but always with medium to large groups of people and more than not in really nice campgrounds so I wouldn't even compare it to anything these folks are going through obviously. I like to think I'd last more than a day but then I'd be speaking out of my ass like Desmond. I have encountered black bears in the woods (one time a baby at that, I didn't stick around to see where mommy was) and it didn't freak me out but bears are around in even suburban areas of parts of Jersey and PA. I tend to think negatively about anyone whose life revolved around holding a gun unless they say they are an actual survivalist with wilderness training.

[humbleopinion]

Randy reminds me of Eeyore..depressed, gloomy...and got more bummed  when he rolled his ferro rod roll into his fire pit and it burned up.

As a survivalist, Randy should be able to figure out HOW to fish.

At least he tries to make fire as seen in the previews.

Betcha Barbara, Mike's wife is happy to take a break from being his whole world and emotional touchstone.

That must be exhausting.

Mike is so emotionally fragile you can feel hear the shards of glass shattering around his heart when he talks about his lonely childhood and death of his young daughter.

 

David, newest poster boy for Christian Mingle.

His blurb:

Divorced, father of 3 teens, pastor for 15 years in Brazil, global wilderness explorer, writer looking for a special someone to share a post apocalyptic world.

Don't be turned off by my Resting Byotch Face/Resting Sad Face, make me smile with a recent photo of yourself.

Am off to be alone on an island but will get back to you as soon as I can.

[Quilt Fairy]

8 hours ago, SRTouch said:

No real spoilers on the site, but it gives more background on her and how she prepared. For example, here's a quote from an article link "I knew that fire starting was a real issue for people last year. It’s such a wet environment in Vancouver Island.

And there's our proof that the 2nd season people knew (or should have known) about the difficulties of the first season people.

[jvr]

Yea, as soon as I saw Randy setting up those complicated ass traps I'm like, did you not watch Sam last season waste so much time crushing his fingers to catch those measly ass mice?!? You need to be getting your food from the river, nothing substantial is going to run through those damn traps. And then he loses his ferro rod and I'm like, did you not see strong capable Mitch have an emotional breakdown after he lost his ferro rod last season?!!?! That is the single most important thing you possess out there, guard it with your life. 

MK was looking pretty good there until she chopper her hand up, it looked pretty wide of a cut but I don't know how deep. I think she will need stitches and I'm not sure she can get that and stay in the competition. Like others I was getting tired of her daughter spiel but they all talk about stupid shit that doesn't matter and is annoying. I'm already tired of Mike's orphanage flashbacks.

[Fiddler1]

I'm so glad this show is back, and with it, this great forum!  I'm a lifelong camper and hiker, but I wouldn't last a day (well, a NIGHT) out there alone....no how no way ;)  It really surprises me, especially with this being the second season, that some of these people don't seem to be prepared in some areas.  If I were going, I'd make darn sure I knew every way there was to fish, that I could start a fire in my sleep, that I'd hold on to my ferro rod, etc.  Of course, this is all armchair quarterbacking from the comfort of my own living room, which only adds to the pleasure of watching....though the first episode of the first season made me so anxious I had to switch it off!  Couldn't resist coming back to it, though. 

Three weeks ago my friend and I were at the end of a four hour hike and about 100 yards away from our cars when we saw it -- a LARGE black bear browsing away maybe 25 feet off to our left.   We'd been talking and laughing and making noise as we went, so it must have heard us long before we saw him but aside from looking up at us once, it went right on eating and ignored us.  Our choice was either to go WAY back deeper into the woods the way we came (which we really didn't want to do...we were tired) or skirt around him (not something I really wanted to do either!) but knowing we were so close to the road and people and parking, we gave him as wide a berth as possible and got back to the cars.  We then spent the next 15 minutes looking at each other, saucer-eyed, repeating "We saw a bear!  We saw a BEAR!  A BIG bear!!"  :-D

Edited May 1, 2016 by Fiddler1
fix typing error

[riverheightsnancy]

9 hours ago, jvr said:

Yea, as soon as I saw Randy setting up those complicated ass traps I'm like, did you not watch Sam last season waste so much time crushing his fingers to catch those measly ass mice?!? You need to be getting your food from the river, nothing substantial is going to run through those damn traps. And then he loses his ferro rod and I'm like, did you not see strong capable Mitch have an emotional breakdown after he lost his ferro rod last season?!!?! That is the single most important thing you possess out there, guard it with your life. 

MK was looking pretty good there until she chopper her hand up, it looked pretty wide of a cut but I don't know how deep. I think she will need stitches and I'm not sure she can get that and stay in the competition. Like others I was getting tired of her daughter spiel but they all talk about stupid shit that doesn't matter and is annoying. I'm already tired of Mike's orphanage flashbacks.

It was Joe that lost the ferro last season, not Mitch. Mitch tapped out 3rd/4th from last. 

[ClareWalks]

Are they allowed to put the ferro rod on a carabiener? Because I sure as hell would, as easy as they are to lose. That one guy put his on an orange keychain which was pretty smart, but if it were on a clip as well it could be attached to you at all times.

[seasick]

38 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

Are they allowed to put the ferro rod on a carabiener? Because I sure as hell would, as easy as they are to lose. That one guy put his on an orange keychain which was pretty smart, but if it were on a clip as well it could be attached to you at all times.

I wonder about being allowed to bring a caribeener,  because I remember Justin mentioning the bonus of having a 'metal ring' on his hammock  ("I can do a lot with this")  --(I'm curious to see what).  But even a clip is useless if they must detach it and remember to put it back..  I thought about attaching it to a big --even annoying, piece of wood ... like the old gas-station bathroom keys.  .Or keeping it around your neck so you can toss it back on easily.  In the excitement and initial frenzy of getting a fire started  I get where you can lose track of things.  I was surprised that all of the ferro rods shown (except Justin's I think) had no bright marker. 

[humbleopinion]

Putting a neon orange tab on the ferro rod string to make it more visible was a tip of a hat to Joe, who put his fire starter on his jacket then flipped it in the water last season.

In Randy's case, the tab would have kept it from rolling.

Actually, watching the survivalist and outdoors experts fumble around, do boneheaded things and get scared witless by rustling leaves and cracking twigs is so entertaining and compelling.

Lucas spoiled us with uber competency- handmade canoe, stringed instrument, the unforgettable and haunting "Two Note Song"  and broke our hearts with his emotional fragility.

Can't wait for the breakout star of this season ala Alan.

[jvr]

2 hours ago, riverheightsnancy said:

It was Joe that lost the ferro last season, not Mitch. Mitch tapped out 3rd/4th from last. 

Really? Ok, was Mitch freaking out because he lost his fishing net then (which is very important too)? Why do I still think it was him with the ferro rod even though what you say sounds familiar.

ETA: It might be because both incidents happened near the water...I have this image of the person searching for the ferro rod near the water and also Mitch being upset about losing something near the water (his net). Plus I cared about Mitch a lot so I tend to think about him being upset and his eventually exit.

Edited May 1, 2016 by jvr

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, ClareWalks said:

Are they allowed to put the ferro rod on a carabiener? Because I sure as hell would, as easy as they are to lose. That one guy put his on an orange keychain which was pretty smart, but if it were on a clip as well it could be attached to you at all times.

Well, yeah a carabiner is listed as a permissible tool to bring along - problem is it counts against your ten items. Other good to have tools that made the list that we'll probably never see: a small shovel; a sewing kit; duct tape; and a LED flashlight. All good things to have when camping. 

I remember the discussion when Joe dropped his last season. Everyone agreed ferro rods usually have a hole for a lanyard to be attached. IIRC, he said something along the line that it had a lanyard, but he had to take it off because it counted as cordage. He planned to replace it when he got to his site, but never got around to doing it. Everybody has cordage of some sort, be it paracord, fish line, whatever, that can be used to make a lanyard in a few seconds. Just have a loop that you stick your hand through when you're striking it to start a fire. That way you can find it when you drop it - because we all drop it sometimes when we get a spark and hurry to nurse it in the kindling. I think everyone will agree a lanyard is a smart thing, but watch how many just have it loose, waiting to be dropped in the fire pit or roll off a log to be forgotten and lost.

[SRTouch]

15 minutes ago, jvr said:

Really? Ok, was Mitch freaking out because he lost his fishing net then (which is very important too)? Why do I still think it was him with the ferro rod even though what you say sounds familiar.

Yep, Mitch lost his net when the tide went out. Joe was making a fire on the beach, and set his ferro rod on his jacket. Later, he grabbed his jacket, not remembering the rod was on it. By the time he realized it, the tide had come in, and he couldn't find the all important fire starter.

[riverheightsnancy]

Yeah, Mitch lost his gill net with the tide, but not his ferro rod. Mitch was the first shown to have fire, and he made the leaf boat to traverse to a better location with water. He also skinned a seal. Mitch was my favorite, so I paid close attention to his scenes. He has some interesting Youtube videos on his experience and a recounting of what he took with him and his explanation for why he chose what he chose. That was an interesting after the fact kind of thing to watch. 

[seasick]

45 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

Yeah, Mitch lost his gill net with the tide, but not his ferro rod. Mitch was the first shown to have fire, and he made the leaf boat to traverse to a better location with water. He also skinned a seal. Mitch was my favorite, so I paid close attention to his scenes. He has some interesting Youtube videos on his experience and a recounting of what he took with him and his explanation for why he chose what he chose. That was an interesting after the fact kind of thing to watch. 

Yes the leaf boat!  That was so clever.    

I wonder what someone could do to give some extra assurance that the gill net would not be dislodged and float off. A long fishing line tether to a tree maybe?   I'll check out some of Mitch's youtube vids.  Which reminds me; thanks SRTouch for the links to Nicole.  

Although I loved Alan's relaxed and easy-going attitude,  Mitch and Lucas's ingenuity and determination was the most fun to watch.  Sam was adorable, but I didn't really enjoy his segments very much.   I was disappointed that Lucas? didn't continue to build his log cabin because the clay wouldn't work.  I thought he could have filled the gaps with moss, or even a combo of the clay and moss.  I would love to see someone build one this season.

So far this season i'm looking forward to Nicole's sunny personality and excitement (hope it lasts) Mike and hopefully Jose's knowledge (but not Mike's emotional trip)  and Tracy too.   I admit I can watch a little more of Larry's headlong assault and argument with Mother nature..  just because I found his attitude so astounding, (and funny).  Dave makes me curious because he's such a "Dad" figure or something. Although he's had an adventurous life, his personality doesn't read "grab adventure by the balls" to me.  Maybe in some ways he's like Alan.. laid back, not full of himself or male macho-ism.  He seems like a real softie on the inside.    MK prattles on too much.  If she stays (which I doubt) maybe she'll shut up for a bit.  

[riverheightsnancy]

One of the issues with Mitch and the gill net, was that he couldn't figure out the tides. Some of the low tides would occur in the middle of the night, which is dangerous to be out there in the pitch black. I think that he was unable to check his net on a bunch of occasions and he lost it during one of those stretches. I remember that he had a fish in his net once, but had to toss it because it had been in there too long. He got thumped on the forum for that, but someone figured out that the tides (where he was at) were really unusual and he had trouble getting a handle on when low tide would occur. (or something like that).

[ghoulina]

1 hour ago, seasick said:

I was disappointed that Lucas? didn't continue to build his log cabin because the clay wouldn't work.  I thought he could have filled the gaps with moss, or even a combo of the clay and moss.  I would love to see someone build one this season.

You and my husband both. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE he is bemoaning the fact that no one attempts to build a cabin.

[walnutqueen]

Yes, the tides seemed to confound some of the contestants, but others (Alan, Lucas?) may have figured them out.  If the new batch knew they were heading to the same area, they should've been studying sites like this : http://www.tides4fishing.com/ca/british-columbia/quatsino-village

[jvr]

11 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

You and my husband both. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE he is bemoaning the fact that no one attempts to build a cabin.

lol, it would be awesome to witness but realistically it takes a lot of effort and they are (will be) low on energy since they are calorie depleted. The smart thing to do is not do much at all. It sucks but we are probably in for a lot of people laying around and sleeping as much as possible once this gets deep into the weeks again. If they really wanted to build something serious they would need to do it right off the bat I think. This is another thing, building some type of cool ass house, we all think we would be doing if there but most likely we would just be sleepy and depressed all the time lol.

[riverheightsnancy]

5 minutes ago, jvr said:

lol, it would be awesome to witness but realistically it takes a lot of effort and they are (will be) low on energy since they are calorie depleted. The smart thing to do is not do much at all. It sucks but we are probably in for a lot of people laying around and sleeping as much as possible once this gets deep into the weeks again. If they really wanted to build something serious they would need to do it right off the bat I think. This is another thing, building some type of cool ass house, we all think we would be doing if there but most likely we would just be sleepy and depressed all the time lol.

I think that Lucas had enough energy for all of them. If anyone could have done it, it would have been him. Personally, I would feel a lot safer in a cabin, if it were me. 

[SRTouch]

3 minutes ago, jvr said:

lol, it would be awesome to witness but realistically it takes a lot of effort and they are (will be) low on energy since they are calorie depleted. The smart thing to do is not do much at all. It sucks but we are probably in for a lot of people laying around and sleeping as much as possible once this gets deep into the weeks again. If they really wanted to build something serious they would need to do it right off the bat I think. This is another thing, building some type of cool ass house, we all think we would be doing if there but most likely we would just be sleepy and depressed all the time lol.

I agree a cabin is unrealistic, just not something I would expect to see from someone dropped in the woods in late Sept attempt. Of the shelters we've seen, I like Randy's best. He has a tarp pulled tight to provide overhead cover, a fire pit with a wind break/reflector, and what looked like another wind break started to close off part of the open side of the tarp.

Speaking from my recliner, kicked back with a glass of sweet tea, I think the first few days to a week would be best served with a temporary shelter while scouting the area. Long term, something like Lucas' yurt, a tipi, are a solid tent like Sam put together. Alan lucked out last time, and I don't expect anyone to find something like that this time. Whatever they come up with needs to be able to stand up to strong winds.

[ClareWalks]

This has made me think about Lucas's energy levels a bit...he really did have a lot of "get up and go." He was also a vegetarian for a long time before he went out there (he ate a bird and some fish out there I think). Maybe subsisting on a diet like that made it easier to access his energy when he was foraging for most of his diet. I imagine if you are used to a plant-based diet, you feel pretty damn awesome if you are eating a bunch of seaweed and mushrooms. :)

[seasick]

2 hours ago, ghoulina said:

You and my husband both. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE he is bemoaning the fact that no one attempts to build a cabin.

Despite the naysayers, I'm with Ghoulina's hubby.    Most, if not all the participants say they are doing it to test their skills and I'm sure they intend,  at least,  to thrive and make the most of things--not just wait it out like a sentence.    I do get that their diet is lacking--and I'm sure it's hard to appreciate that from here,  but the tedium of boredom and the loss of interest in new challenges can be a big take-down factor.  I think it brings on the loneliness too.  And I'm not convinced it's just the diet that is to blame.  Loss of interest and motivation to keep improving things or finding new challenges can just be that.  

 I don't expect that everyone out there would think a cabin is worthwhile pursuit, but maybe one of them will.  I can't imagine that it hasn't been a thought in some of their minds going in.  

By the way what find did Alan 'luck out' with last season.  Was it rope?

[jvr]

Quote

By the way what find did Alan 'luck out' with last season.  Was it rope?

Alan found a cave, so it was a pretty solid place to escape the rain and wind without having to build anything. The big negative was he couldn't stand up in it.

Quote

I do get that their diet is lacking--and I'm sure it's hard to appreciate that from here,  but the tedium of boredom and the loss of interest in new challenges can be a big take-down factor.

I think your underestimating the impact of their starvation diet. If they want to win this contest they must not starve to death. In order to not starve to death they need to limit the amount of calories they are burning because they are not eating nearly enough to maintain or stop the aggressive eating away of fat and muscle in their body. The impact of this drastic limit on calories also effects their moods greatly, it's not really them choosing to not challenge themselves, they mentally are starving and their hormones are going crazy. They lack the energy to do much of anything besides think about how to find more food. To survive they must be able to use their energy efficiently lest they starve to death in the process of hunting and gathering food. We probably wont ever see the drastic effects this show could inflict on people because most will quit before it gets that far. That's why I hypothesize to get the most done it needs to be when you first get there because your mental and physical being is all downhill from there.

 

Quote

I don't expect that everyone out there would think a cabin is worthwhile pursuit, but maybe one of them will.  I can't imagine that it hasn't been a thought in some of their minds going in. 

If one of them has a steady source of food that is rich and nutritious then sure, they can pursue such trivial things like building a shelter that is beyond sufficient. If Tracy was able to use that oyster bed then she might have been doing better than most and been able to do things like thrive rather then merely survive.

If this show wasn't about outlasting everyone and being the last one standing  I think we would see some really cool shit from some of the really creative people.

[walnutqueen]

The lack of calories was a major factor last season.  Cutting trees with an axe or saw and building even a tiny log structure is a huge effort and expenditure of energy.  The little trees Lucas used for his yurt are nothing compared to the logs needed for a cabin.  It just can't be done without a reliable source of food for energy.

Edited May 1, 2016 by walnutqueen
cranky keyboard

[seasick]

Lucas and Mitch didn't let any grass grow under their feet..  they were pretty energetic and motivated to make improvements.    Maybe Lucas' former diet did help acclimate him to his diet. there.  

 I am aware that 'starving to death" would be a disqualifier and *get* the calories in/out  and the eating away at fat and muscle thing.   It was just a fun thought and speculation , (and frankly I feel a little 'jumped on' for it)   

I don't think it's an idea that is that out of the question because Lucas was willing to attempt it.  (in fact I was a little surprised at the size of the trees he was cutting and carrying which I thought was a bit crazy.)  

I'm aware that this is an "outlast" challenge,  and maybe the money is more important than they admit to.    I still think boredom can be a huge factor in a tap-out that allows the other challenges of hunger, loneliness rain, cold to loom greater.   But!  not being a participant I'm left with my armchair opinions like the rest of us.

[riverheightsnancy]

9 minutes ago, seasick said:

Lucas and Mitch didn't let any grass grow under their feet..  they were pretty energetic and motivated to make improvements.    Maybe Lucas' former diet did help acclimate him to his diet. there.  

 I am aware that 'starving to death" would be a disqualifier and *get* the calories in/out  and the eating away at fat and muscle thing.   It was just a fun thought and speculation , (and frankly I feel a little 'jumped on' for it)   

I don't think it's an idea that is that out of the question because Lucas was willing to attempt it.  (in fact I was a little surprised at the size of the trees he was cutting and carrying which I thought was a bit crazy.)  

I'm aware that this is an "outlast" challenge,  and maybe the money is more important than they admit to.    I still think boredom can be a huge factor in a tap-out that allows the other challenges of hunger, loneliness rain, cold to loom greater.   But!  not being a participant I'm left with my armchair opinions like the rest of us.

I still think Lucas could have done it, if he wanted to. That was his 2nd shelter right?  Even a variation of his Yurt, was more cabin like than anything anyone else made. (If Lucas put logs extremely close together, still in a Yurt shape, that would have been very good and a vast improvement over everything else). For me, the point of perhaps making a more permanent structure would be to weather a longer time there. At some point it will be winter (if anyone is still there) and a more permanent structure would allow someone to go longer. I mean, they must get snow there right?  If someone were in this to be there the longest, they might start with a temp shelter, and once they get water, fire and food going, start working on a shelter. Even if it took a while, it would be more safe and permanent and give you something to aim for to achieve as opposed to just "winning". They would act as if they were staying there forever. I think that the idea that a person can tap out, allows many of these contestants to stay in a "temporary" mindset and that is the first step towards a tap out (IMO). Imagine if you knew you could never leave. Your whole attitude about what you were doing would change, would it not? 

And with all that said, Mike had 3 fish on that day and a ton of kelp and seaweed. He buried some because he couldn't eat all of it. If his food supply stays like that, I don't think calories will be as much of an issue for him, and maybe he will build something sustainable? My feeling is that the psychological will take him out, and not the conditions like it does for many of the contestants. 

[jvr]

Quote

 I am aware that 'starving to death" would be a disqualifier and *get* the calories in/out  and the eating away at fat and muscle thing.   It was just a fun thought and speculation , (and frankly I feel a little 'jumped on' for it)   

Don't feel jumped on, we are all just stating opinions. I type a lot of shit and I guess it can seem like lecturing but I'm just bs-ing about an interesting topic. We will see this season how permanent people make their living quarters and if anyone goes above and beyond just trying not to die. :)

Mitch did a lot of stuff to better his situation I agree but to me it was always about food (better access, more consistency) so I wouldn't count him as one that was expending "unnecessary" energy. Lucas....Lucas was Lucas :) , I don't know what he was doing or his mindset but he obviously was thinking of more than just nourishment of the body with his upgraded housing structure, which was the best of the contestants, and his musical guitar. Like others noted, his house showed his ingenuity and I feel didn't take much effort or energy to build, I think the word I'm looking for is practical? It's worth noting though, neither one of them won (for various reasons). :) The dude who won laid in a cave lol.

It would be interested to examine whether Lucas's diet pre-show helped him keep his energy levels high. It's like most things I suppose, if your body is used to loads of artificial sugar or protein(meat, fat) or carbs (sugar), if you cut it off drastically you will get a "crashing" sensation (headaches, tiredness, cravings etc.). Since his diet didn't change much upon getting on the island (besides it just being less) it might have helped him adjust a little better.

[riverheightsnancy]

6 minutes ago, jvr said:

Don't feel jumped on, we are all just stating opinions. I type a lot of shit and I guess it can seem like lecturing but I'm just bs-ing about an interesting topic. We will see this season how permanent people make their living quarters and if anyone goes above and beyond just trying not to die. :)

Mitch did a lot of stuff to better his situation I agree but to me it was always about food (better access, more consistency) so I wouldn't count him as one that was expending "unnecessary" energy. Lucas....Lucas was Lucas :) , I don't know what he was doing or his mindset but he obviously was thinking of more than just nourishment of the body with his upgraded housing structure, which was the best of the contestants, and his musical guitar. Like others noted, his house showed his ingenuity and I feel didn't take much effort or energy to build, I think the word I'm looking for is practical? It's worth noting though, neither one of them won (for various reasons). :) The dude who won laid in a cave lol.

It would be interested to examine whether Lucas's diet pre-show helped him keep his energy levels high. It's like most things I suppose, if your body is used to loads of artificial sugar or protein(meat, fat) or carbs (sugar), if you cut it off drastically you will get a "crashing" sensation (headaches, tiredness, cravings etc.). Since his diet didn't change much upon getting on the island (besides it just being less) it might have helped him adjust a little better.

Personally, I think Lucas' high energy has more to do with his innate personality or traits (or if you want, mental state) than some of those other things, not saying that they don't count, but some people are just like that. Lucas was very labile in energy, behavior and emotional state. I think that is just his way. I bet he is/was a ball of energy as a kid. Compared to Mitch, who is really low key, kind of laided back, and introverted. Mitch (along with others) actually talked about not breaking a sweat and keeping the heart rate down. Totally different, but innate to each guy. 

And you are right, the guy in the cave won!  Alan had the right personality to last the longest. He had good and bad days too, but his optimistic personality saw him through it. Even Alan had some days where personal issues came up and he talked about his personal regrets and mistakes. I think one had to do with his oldest son, something like that. 

[humbleopinion]

Anybody else willing to opine on the condition of that extra fish buried by Mike?

The hole didn't seem deep enough, one swipe of a bear claw and sashimi dinner with a garnish of seaweed.

If he can't finish 3 fish then he must have been eating rations or a ton of kelp.

MK's tent poles and cooking place poles weren't dug in but propped up with big rocks.

One good breeze and she gets conked on the head by her teetering logs and everything goes to hell fast...again.

That is if she survives her axing the ligaments and tendons in her hand, leaving her thumb useless.

[humbleopinion]

Alan was going to use some of the 1/2 million winnings to get his son the eye surgery the family couldn't afford prior to Alone.

[jvr]

Quote

Anybody else willing to opine on the condition of that extra fish buried by Mike?

It sounded like he was going to eat it the next day, or at least check on it. I'd hope it would last that long but he might not be that lucky. I think I would have just ate it. :) And yes, I thought it needed to be deeper, at least to reap the benefits of the slightly colder temps. I didn't look too hard at it, it was maybe a foot deep? I'd think you'd need 3-4 feet deep to get cooler temps.

[SRTouch]

3 minutes ago, seasick said:

Lucas and Mitch didn't let any grass grow under their feet..  they were pretty energetic and motivated to make improvements.    Maybe Lucas' former diet did help acclimate him to his diet. there.  

 I am aware that 'starving to death" would be a disqualifier and *get* the calories in/out  and the eating away at fat and muscle thing.   It was just a fun thought and speculation , (and frankly I feel a little 'jumped on' for it)   

I don't think it's an idea that is that out of the question because Lucas was willing to attempt it.  (in fact I was a little surprised at the size of the trees he was cutting and carrying which I thought was a bit crazy.)  

I'm aware that this is an "outlast" challenge,  and maybe the money is more important than they admit to.    I still think boredom can be a huge factor in a tap-out that allows the other challenges of hunger, loneliness rain, cold to loom greater.   But!  not being a participant I'm left with my armchair opinions like the rest of us.

No reason to feel jumped on, it would be neat to see someone attempt a cabin. I just think feel that they'really wiser to spend their energy scouting out the area rather than beginning a major building project. Mitch built his raft and relocated in the first week to be closer to a water source. Remember, after abandoning his cabin building plan, Lucas decided he needed to move his camp to be closer to his food and water resources. Once boredom hit Alan made his fish trap. And I suspect Sam broke out his bow and arrows more to fight boredom than expectation of a successful hunt. 

On a slightly different subject - good grief there must be a lot of crap washing up on Vancouver Island. Seems like most of the people who started out with fish line for cordage have now found rope. MK now has a table. Last season Lucas found floats for his trot line, and Alan his bottles for fish traps.

[rainsmom]

Re: Alan's small cave -- A shelter where you can't stand up is a benefit in the cold. Heat rises. Make the shelter too large, and you can't heat it efficiently. The most efficient shelter would be a small one with lots of insulating debris, inside and outside. Obviously, if you bring a fire inside, you have to make adjustments for safety.

If I did something like this, my first shelter would be tiny and cozy. But I would work on another larger shelter, like Lucas did.

[muffkins]

Quote

Also I'm black and born and raised in the city, I love shows like this. I think 99% of the population wouldn't last long put in this situation (1-3 days max), its the being ALONE that will tap most people and I don't think they realize how different it is having no one to rely on and alleviate your fears and concerns.

I was raised in that area, and I wouldn't last more than a couple of days if I was alone.  Once you get wet and cold, being by yourself sucks.  Doing it in the summer would be easier, as there are berries and plants all over the place, but fall and winter things are pretty scarce.  Hell, being cold, tired and hungry in my house in the city makes me want to tap out sometimes.

[SRTouch]

15 minutes ago, rainsmom said:

Re: Alan's small cave -- A shelter where you can't stand up is a benefit in the cold. Heat rises. Make the shelter too large, and you can't heat it efficiently. The most efficient shelter would be a small one with lots of insulating debris, inside and outside. Obviously, if you bring a fire inside, you have to make adjustments for safety.

If I did something like this, my first shelter would be tiny and cozy. But I would work on another larger shelter, like Lucas did.

I agree, in fact, IIRC Alan said part of the reason he chose his shelter was that because it was small and he thought it would be easier to heat. As I remember, Sam said that his tent structure was designed with the opening above his bed to draw the heat from his fire into the tent. I have to admit that I thought Sam had a poor shelter at first. It seemed too open, and exposed to the wind out on that point, but turned out he knew what he was doing. After it was over he explained he had used that design in the past with good results.

We really have seen much so far from this group as far as shelter building. As I said earlier, I think Randy has a good temporary shelter which could be reinforced into being a good long term shelter if he decides to stay in that location (and of course if he successfully gets a friction fire started. MK acts like she like her location, what with her secondary kitchen structure, but like humbleopinion said above, the thirst stiff breeze will knock it down unless she strengthens it and stakes it down.

[riverheightsnancy]

I wouldn't last a day out there, although I grew up in Northern Maine and have a good understanding of how to be around bears and moose, not cougars or wolves though. 

I could never have a shelter that was a lay down only thing. Nope, That is too claustrophobic for me. I would have to be able to stand a little, even if hunched over. I do think that Alan's structure of being able to have your back against something that was solid and impenetrable, could be a mental relief. You would know that nothing would be coming to attack you from behind. There is a great advantage to that type of layout. 

[seasick]

26 minutes ago, rainsmom said:

Re: Alan's small cave -- A shelter where you can't stand up is a benefit in the cold. Heat rises. Make the shelter too large, and you can't heat it efficiently. The most efficient shelter would be a small one with lots of insulating debris, inside and outside. Obviously, if you bring a fire inside, you have to make adjustments for safety.

If I did something like this, my first shelter would be tiny and cozy. But I would work on another larger shelter, like Lucas did.

Frankly I don't know how Alan did it, (staying in that tiny cave )  especially since there were so many days of rain.  I believe he said it felt more like a grave (or tomb)  at times.  .  But he did.. we all have our tolerance levels and needs for space.  Considering the constant rain it would drive me crazy not to eventually have a shelter that I could stand and move around in.  

Speaking of rain I lived in Juneau, Alaska for a few months, which has a very similar climate.  It rains all the time.  My bf would always be having us going somewhere to do something and I'd always be thinking   "today??  shouldn't we wait for a better day to do this?"  Then of course I'd realized we could be waiting weeks for that.  There you had to make hay even when it rained.  He was used to it and it didn't faze him.  So I often wonder if these guys have the same mindset that I did--waiting for the rain to stop.   It doesn't.  Although I'm sure there are some things you can't do in the rain ( I would think cutting wood would be harder)   generally you have to put on the rain suit and embrace the day.  Welcome to the PNW.   Someone asked about snow:  It really doesn't snow much in the PNW.   in fact they noted that the average temp in VI  in the winter is 39 degrees F.  Nope, it's rainforest.  It just rains....  

I think Mike's fish will last another 24 if a bear doesn't get it.  There was still room after a couple of layers so i didn't think it was real shallow.  It's chilly there anyway.  Hope they let us know.

Re Mk's table:  a friend of mine saw it and said it looks like a kind of camera mount. I don't know.  But I do want to know.  If she gets any more furniture in there I'll get suspicious 

[cooksdelight]

Yeah, if a recliner makes its way into MK's shelter, I'll be looking for a side-by-side refrigerator next. :)

[riverheightsnancy]

4 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Yeah, if a recliner makes its way into MK's shelter, I'll be looking for a side-by-side refrigerator next. :)

A sub-zero, side-by-side, in stainless steel, natch. 

[holly4755]

One of hte contrestants the pastor from Brazil is posting on Bladeforums.com as Pict. 

someone else there pointed out somany videos appearing, there was Sam talking about people who are used to bears and people who are not. and Larry and some others are posting you tube as well.  Sam's is cute because he is watching his baby while giving his opinion,I must say he looks very well and happy. 

 

thsi link is in the middle of where I am reading now. so if you are interested,  here is the link the alone thread

 

here is the first video by Sam 

[Ina123]

On 4/29/2016 at 10:19 AM, riverheightsnancy said:

I haven't trolled any spoilers, but I have a strong feeling that we haven't seen the others because we will see a lot of them later on because they last the longest. I suspect that we have a longer front loaded show (i.e., people last longer right out of the box), but we will have more taps closer together a bit farther in and those people are being featured now. So if I was to guess, based on my extensive reality TV viewership over the last 10+ years, that is how they are editing it. I would surmise that we have also seen the winner too. I would hope that the editing is not so obvious, and this is just me spit-balling about editing in general. (again, I have not looked at any spoilers for this show-if there are any). Is there any possibility that people are still out there? 

 

I don't think we can speculate on a winner simply because of air time. Sam came in second and was barely seen. He hated the cameras. A lot of them have to get used to the camera also. Some of them last season just simply forgot to turn the camera on for some activities. There's still a lot of settling in going on right now.

[seasick]

37 minutes ago, Ina123 said:

I don't think we can speculate on a winner simply because of air time. Sam came in second and was barely seen. He hated the cameras. A lot of them have to get used to the camera also. Some of them last season just simply forgot to turn the camera on for some activities. There's still a lot of settling in going on right now.

I agree, but speculation is about all we have at times. I know I'm always looking for clues about who is going to last out there--that's part of the fun of it--but agreed they're not always reliable.    The editing is a decent clue, though.  .If they hadn't given the spoiler of MK's cut in the coming attractions it would have been a little suspicious that they revisited MK to that extent.    

 I wish they hadn't shown MK's hand in coming attractions, or even the Randy spoiler about losing his ferro rod. (he said enough that you could figure it out) especially since, in the case of MK, they spoiled for the sake of a teaser, but then only used it again as a cliffhanger instead of giving us the outcome. 

But to your point, I saw another run of different coming attractions last night and they never showed Jose.  I started thinking I've never seen him in any coming attractions so- Maybe?- something came up and he had to pull out.    Then I came to my senses a bit and thought I doubt they'd be doing the "9 people remain"  thing if one never went.   So, so much for camera time.   

They have tripods so I can't see a big problem with setting them up before they make camp or build a shelter.  I think as time goes by tho, laying around in your tent for days doesn't seem worth filming.  At least Alan relented to doing it and tried to make those times a little interesting with his poems, songs etc.

[riverheightsnancy]

2 hours ago, Ina123 said:

I don't think we can speculate on a winner simply because of air time. Sam came in second and was barely seen. He hated the cameras. A lot of them have to get used to the camera also. Some of them last season just simply forgot to turn the camera on for some activities. There's still a lot of settling in going on right now.

I disagree. We got a ton of Desmond, because he was first tap. His tap out was telegraphed, IMO. Same happened last year. We got a sprinkling of the ones who went far, a lot on the first taps, and then as someone approached a tap out, we got a lot more of them. I wouldn't be surprised if MK/Larry/Randy are the next three in any order, due to how much they have focused on them. It makes no sense for them to not focus on a person who is next to tap out. Now, if someone hasn't filmed much, then I imagine they would speak to them at the next medical visit, they need footage. At least something to work with. I think we saw a little of Sam in the beginning of the series last year, because he was going to get more time at the end and they knew that as they edited. Alan was the winner, (and great TV), so we got him all the way through. We got Lucas and Mitch all the way through too, and they went far.  

Based on editing Alone (ha, see what I did there, ;)  ) , I would say that Jose, Tracy, Mike, and the other female (cannot remember her name), go far or to the end. Obviously, time will tell. Editing (or edgic if you prefer-editing+logic, was such a big deal in the Survivor series, there were entire threads devoted just to this premise. Some would contend that you could tell who the winner was just from the very first episode's editing and the Million $$ quote, and those guys who are into that stuff would chart out their theories and see if it held to the end). I guess we will have to see at the end, but I do suspect that there is some type of method to editing a reality series in general. Each series may have their own parameters, but I do think that there is type or logic and flow to it. I have never taken film/video courses, but similar to writing a narrative, there tends to be a "story" with a beginning, middle, and an end. But, hey, I could be wrong, and time will tell. I have my money on Jose with Tracy as second based on editing. It is surprising that we have not seen a single second of Jose.  I think that it is acceptable to speculate, as I stated this is not based on any spoilers and I have not looked at any outside sites for any contestants. I will wait to the end to do that if I have a favorite. 

[Auntie Anxiety]

11 hours ago, riverheightsnancy said:

A sub-zero, side-by-side, in stainless steel, natch. 

With an ice dispenser.

[seasick]

13 minutes ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

With an ice dispenser.

.....and filtered water... lol

[seasick]

56 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

I disagree. We got a ton of Desmond, because he was first tap. His tap out was telegraphed, IMO. Same happened last year. We got a sprinkling of the ones who went far, a lot on the first taps, and then as someone approached a tap out, we got a lot more of them. I wouldn't be surprised if MK/Larry/Randy are the next three in any order, due to how much they have focused on them. It makes no sense for them to not focus on a person who is next to tap out. Now, if someone hasn't filmed much, then I imagine they would speak to them at the next medical visit, they need footage. At least something to work with. I think we saw a little of Sam in the beginning of the series last year, because he was going to get more time at the end and they knew that as they edited. Alan was the winner, (and great TV), so we got him all the way through. We got Lucas and Mitch all the way through too, and they went far.  

Based on editing Alone (ha, see what I did there, ;)  ) , I would say that Jose, Tracy, Mike, and the other female (cannot remember her name), go far or to the end. Obviously, time will tell. Editing (or edgic if you prefer-editing+logic, was such a big deal in the Survivor series, there were entire threads devoted just to this premise. Some would contend that you could tell who the winner was just from the very first episode's editing and the Million $$ quote, and those guys who are into that stuff would chart out their theories and see if it held to the end). I guess we will have to see at the end, but I do suspect that there is some type of method to editing a reality series in general. Each series may have their own parameters, but I do think that there is type or logic and flow to it. I have never taken film/video courses, but similar to writing a narrative, there tends to be a "story" with a beginning, middle, and an end. But, hey, I could be wrong, and time will tell. I have my money on Jose with Tracy as second based on editing. It is surprising that we have not seen a single second of Jose.  I think that it is acceptable to speculate, as I stated this is not based on any spoilers and I have not looked at any outside sites for any contestants. I will wait to the end to do that if I have a favorite. 

I think editing has foretold Desmond, MK and probably Randy.  But Larry?  I don't know.  I think both Larry and Tracy got the same amount of airtime and most of us think Tracy will go far.  I do expect to tune in to Larry day 7 and still see him continuing his day 1 tantrum (that would be funny) but I can't tell his fate from the editing so far.  

The Survivor thread stole my innocence to editing as they really do get into it!!  I'm not sure I'm happy about the new awareness I have.  I may have liked being all   "Golly!  Desmond's tapping?  who coulda saw that coming?!!?  But I don't mind playing off the editing on this show as it's man against himself and nature, and no game of a vote out, so it's truly anyone's game.   

[seasick]

11 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

Yeah, if a recliner makes its way into MK's shelter, I'll be looking for a side-by-side refrigerator next. :)

 

11 hours ago, riverheightsnancy said:

A sub-zero, side-by-side, in stainless steel, natch. 

 

37 minutes ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

With an ice dispenser.

 

22 minutes ago, seasick said:

.....and filtered water... lol

Wait!......  Was that a Keurig machine in the corner????