S03.E02: First Blood

[maczero]

Thanks for the additional info, JVR!  It sounds like pressing the emergency beacon isn't an automatic tap out since it was the medic's call to pull him out.   Although if they can't touch contestants then it sounds like it's difficult to accurately diagnose someone.  Because of the no touching rule, I wonder if the medic will always err on the side of caution and pull out a contestant no matter how minor the injury.

Quote

Thanks for adding here Callie. Two fish still wouldn't be much. I ate a lot of fish inside of 5 days, an embarrassing amount and pounds of wild edibles, but it did nothing to save me. Our metabolism might be different, but being low, you really notice it. If you get a cut, I'm sure you don't have to report if you get it cleaned up yourself? I get that they can't help you, that makes sense. But there must be a line between the two. Is Zach going to offer more details? I'd be happy to set the record straight. I only live 45 minutes drive away from him and have a platform for him to speak his mind, if you are talking to him, I'd be happy to help. He'll have to face it down at some point and from my track record you will see that I have done nothing but look for the truth. I was wrong about Nicole from season 2 and we had some good exchanges. Let him know that the offer is good. Many people would enjoy hearing the rest of the story.

Am I the only one who thinks the poster that responded to Callie is coming across as entitled?  Why does he feel Zach needs to further explain himself?  He pressed the button because he was injured.  Whether the injury was worth having someone check it out is a personal call.  A lot people might have self treated and be done with it, Zach chose not to.  I don't see what more needs to be said.

It looks like Sam put back on all the weight he lost when he was on the show.

Edited December 20, 2016 by maczero

[LocimusPrime]

On 12/15/2016 at 9:17 PM, Henry243 said:

Why do these people screening for the show Alone, allow contestants that miss their family on the first day and quit , or others that tag out for cuts that are less than what I have had shaving, to join the cast?  My God there are people out there that could go much longer even if they were just coming out of a coma, give me a break peeps and tighten up!

Moss bed is a true contestant!

Right on...I'm tired of people who are homesick ( immediately)  for their families on this show.

Has anyone set up a fishing net this season? Maybe I missed it, but haven't seen one yet. 

[GreyBunny]

2 hours ago, maczero said:

Am I the only one who thinks the poster that responded to Callie is coming across as entitled?  Why does he feel Zach needs to further explain himself?

Nope, you're not the only one. His chest-beating about how "you will see from [his] track record" that he's done "nothing but look for "the truth" was also offputting. He comes across as some sanctimonious mansplainer who also likes to talk down to people who are younger than he is. Creepy and obnoxious on multiple levels.  And he only lives 45 minutes away from Zach and wants to give him a platform to "speak his mind" (read, "grovel and explain himself")?  Run, Zach, run! Crazy annoying bearded woodsman mansplainer stalker guy wants to chain him up in his cellar.

[Scaeva]

I seriously doubt Zach purposely injured himself. If you're not taking in calories, not sleeping well, and doing a whole lot of physical exertion on top of that, you're probably not going to be at sharpest. Under those circumstances it probably isn't too difficult to make a dumb mistake. He's also only 22, so probably has the least experience out of the group, no matter how devoted he was to the whole wilderness lifestyle before going on Alone.

It also seemed like it was the medic that made the call. He needed stitches and they wouldn't or couldn't do it in the field, so that was that.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Scaeva

[riverheightsnancy]

On 12/19/2016 at 2:10 PM, jvr said:

Some dude called The Wooded Beardsmen questioned her take:

Thanks for adding here Callie. Two fish still wouldn't be much. I ate a lot of fish inside of 5 days, an embarrassing amount and pounds of wild edibles, but it did nothing to save me. Our metabolism might be different, but being low, you really notice it. If you get a cut, I'm sure you don't have to report if you get it cleaned up yourself? I get that they can't help you, that makes sense. But there must be a line between the two. Is Zach going to offer more details? I'd be happy to set the record straight. I only live 45 minutes drive away from him and have a platform for him to speak his mind, if you are talking to him, I'd be happy to help. He'll have to face it down at some point and from my track record you will see that I have done nothing but look for the truth. I was wrong about Nicole from season 2 and we had some good exchanges. Let him know that the offer is good. Many people would enjoy hearing the rest of the story.

And she responded with:

Interesting info, I still think he could have went on with the injury, she backs down from saying he HAD to call when he got injured to he could have dressed it and waited it out. So maybe he panic dialed? Or wanted to quit and took this out? Or it was a serious injury that needed aid right then. We may never know...but Zach was whiney and wasn't going to win injury or not.

 

Is it me, or does the Wooded Beardsman guy sound like her was a contestant and/or has inside knowledge to the show? 

[cooksdelight]

Quote

Although if they can't touch contestants then it sounds like it's difficult to accurately diagnose someone.  Because of the no touching rule...

Wait, didn't we see medics checking people's (Alan?) blood pressure in the past? Someone from the show mentioned it, so I'm not sure there is a "no touching" rule??

[maczero]

39 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Wait, didn't we see medics checking people's (Alan?) blood pressure in the past? Someone from the show mentioned it, so I'm not sure there is a "no touching" rule??

That's different.  We know that the contestants receive health checks every few days.  What I was referencing was a post from Callie (one of this season's contestants).   She said if the medics and the production crew respond to your distress call and they assist you in any way (in this case diagnosing a medical issue) then you're out.

[cooksdelight]

Thanks for the clarification! :)

[jvr]

1 hour ago, riverheightsnancy said:

Is it me, or does the Wooded Beardsman guy sound like her was a contestant and/or has inside knowledge to the show? 

I googled him, he makes youtube videos about wilderness survival type stuff. I think he is just deep in the community that these people travel in and probably thinks he has a platform (and more experience then them) to interview these contestants about what they experienced and why they quit, he makes videos about the show for each ep too. His talking about his food intake I think is him explaining how he has responded to food on his own personal walkabouts or solo expeditions.  In his videos on his channel you can see his face and I don't recognize him from earlier contestants but he could maybe work with the show in some capacity but that wouldn't look very good since he makes predictions on who will last and win.

The Wooded Beardsman's Youtube Channel

[Liberty]

1 hour ago, cooksdelight said:

Wait, didn't we see medics checking people's (Alan?) blood pressure in the past? Someone from the show mentioned it, so I'm not sure there is a "no touching" rule??

Yes.  It is disheartening that this is reality television, and not necessarily as it is promoted.  Entertaining none the less.  As maczero points out they are regularly visited for a 'health check', although that seems to be ignored when the show is promoted.

Edited December 20, 2016 by Liberty

[LocimusPrime]

Last season, I made a couple of posts on how to change the show for the better and got shot down pretty much. Anyhow....the Russians are making an extreme versions of "Alone".  Anything goes. You can battle, fight, set traps for other opponents.  It's called Game2 and is going to be set in Siberia. Not only do you have to battle the elements but you might have to battle each other! 

Only the strong will survive 

[riverheightsnancy]

52 minutes ago, jvr said:

I googled him, he makes youtube videos about wilderness survival type stuff. I think he is just deep in the community that these people travel in and probably thinks he has a platform (and more experience then them) to interview these contestants about what they experienced and why they quit, he makes videos about the show for each ep too. His talking about his food intake I think is him explaining how he has responded to food on his own personal walkabouts or solo expeditions.  In his videos on his channel you can see his face and I don't recognize him from earlier contestants but he could maybe work with the show in some capacity but that wouldn't look very good since he makes predictions on who will last and win.

The Wooded Beardsman's Youtube Channel

Thanks for that. He definitely sounds like he has inside knowledge. Maybe the interviews he does with the contestants help with that perspective? I don;t have time to watch, who is he predicting will win? 

[jvr]

18 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

Thanks for that. He definitely sounds like he has inside knowledge. Maybe the interviews he does with the contestants help with that perspective? I don;t have time to watch, who is he predicting will win? 

He has Dan as the winner (trapper animal skins guy) which is a good guess but his top 3 consisted of Dan, Greg and Zach, hehe. For season 2 he had Fucking Larry winning it all with a top 3 of Larry, Jose and Mike which was pretty good guess since 2 of the 3 made the top 3, he had winner Dave as 4th. Mike probably could have gone as far as 3 if not for Barbara.

It appears he made a casting tape for season 2 but I didn't watch it so I don't think he is involved with the show, just an outdoor enthusiast who talks to the cast.

Edited December 20, 2016 by jvr

[Scaeva]

I'd be surprised if Dan doesn't go far, if for no other reason than we haven't seen him yet. If he was an early tap you'd think they'd have squeezed him into one of the first two episodes.

[piequinn35]

If there's a trend that the winner was shown on the first episode, then one of the 3 is the winner: Britt, Callie or Fowler?

[riverheightsnancy]

15 minutes ago, Scaeva said:

I'd be surprised if Dan doesn't go far, if for no other reason than we haven't seen him yet. If he was an early tap you'd think they'd have squeezed him into one of the first two episodes.

Yeah, I thought that about Jose & Mike last year. haha.  I think it will be Fowler. His attitude reminds me of Alan. 

[jvr]

34 minutes ago, piequinn35 said:

If there's a trend that the winner was shown on the first episode, then one of the 3 is the winner: Britt, Callie or Fowler?

I'd be happy with a Britt, Callie, Fowler top 3 from what we seen so far.

[Joan Z]

If you've watched Alone videos on YouTube, you've seen The Wooded Beardsman comments lol

 

On 12/16/2016 at 2:09 PM, Canada said:

From looking again at Zach's life before the show, I have to question his solo camping adventures.  I feel like he lives in the woods in the back of his parents' big fancy house and uses the luxuries offered there on a regular basis.  So, yes, he 'lives' outside for extended periods, but spends large amounts of time in the house!

Yes, exactly my thoughts! He said he lives in the back country so I expected to see a cabin or something but then they showed his parents big fancy house.....lmao

On 12/18/2016 at 7:50 AM, ClareWalks said:

In season 1 Chris Weatherman was on survival forums doing the same thing. Who? Exactly ;)

Haha Chris who? Lol. So far Fowler seems to be doing fine and seems crafty like Mike. I just hope he's not missing his wife and kid

On 12/18/2016 at 10:13 AM, riverheightsnancy said:

Jose (Season 2) had videos blogs of each episode and he did not win.  Can you provide the link for Fowler? I would love to hear what he has to say ! ( My mom lives about 30 minutes from Fowler and I bet that we each know people who know each other due to the proximity of the location). In retrospect, I think that Jose's videos were an indirect form of building up to justifying why he tapped. To save face, if you will (and I say that as a Jose fan). I think that he was really disappointed in himself and believed that he SHOULD and MUST win. I remember Jose's videos, in that the very first one he started out by defending everyone and saying that the home audience doesn't understand how hard it is. Again, I think it was building up for his ultimate tap out. Really rooting for Fowler. But I like Brett (Britt?) and the lady who is the naturalist. I think that Greg (Drywall guy) can go far unless he keeps getting lost. I think Dave is odd. Can't put my finger on it, need to see more of him. Not sure about the rest, I never saw the preview show and purposely did not look at their bios.  

Here ya go http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?29029-Alone-Season-3

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=627137

He's Zachary Fowler and Makery and Mischief. So far everyone seems fine so tough to choose a favorite. 

[SRTouch]

11 hours ago, Joan Z said:

Here ya go http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?29029-Alone-Season-3

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=627137

He's Zachary Fowler and Makery and Mischief. So far everyone seems fine so tough to choose a favorite. 

Thanks for the links. Interesting to see many of the same thoughts on different forums, and of course hearing from Fowler. Fowler is restricted by his contract about what he can say, but he did clear up some points. First, like pretty much every contestant who has ever talked, he points out how much time and effort it takes to film, and then is ultimately cut in editing. Lots more going on that we'll never see - but then we knew that. He mentions he made a spring fish trap like Megan, but it didn't make the cut. Yep, lot more "survival" type stuff edited out that I wish they showed.

A question many of us have asked, how come we never see anyone eating the rations we know they have? Well, it's pointed out that wouldn't be very interesting to film. Ok I get that, but why pretend contestants are starving when they have rations stored away.  Here, we all thought Dave was going to tap because he was starving last season, then I read that he still had a couple pounds of pemmican when he won.

I'm one of the people who poked fun of Britt's flat roof shelter, saying he needed some sides on the pavilion. According to Fowler, that wasn't Britt's living/sleeping shelter. He says on the other forum that they were having daily morning showers, and what we saw was a shelter Britt made to work on projects while sheltered from rain. That makes sense, of course there are no sides, he just wants shelter from rain, but all the available sunlight that he can get. Hmmm, I remember going through the same thoughts last season with Mike. At first I thought Mike had a terrible shelter because all we saw was his work shelter for all his projects, and all along he had a small, cozy, and easier to heat in cold weather, sleeping shelter.

Like another poster said, Callie came on a different forum to defend Zach.  Fowler spent some time defending him as well. Fowler posted that Zach seemed to be a strong contender during the testing/evaluation time before they started, and was the only one who started a bow/drill fire in damp conditions. Soooo, maybe I was too hard on the kid... but wow was his whining annoying.  Course, back in season one I thought Lucas and his crying was a waste of air time at first. Then he ended up a favorite, with his boat, yurt, ukulele, etc... by the time he tapped I was sorry to see him go.

Another thing that I took from the other forums I didn't consider it before. Though it makes since now that it's been pointed out, the shock to the system from the change in diet has to be factored in. According to Fowler, it hit him a few days into his stay, leaving him with a headache and lethargic and a little clumsy as his body shifted from North American processed foods to wild hunter/gatherer fare. Possible contributing factor with both Zach and Mary Kate from last season? Add in being distracted by the camera, performing and filming while trying work with sharp tools... accident waiting to happen.

Edited December 21, 2016 by SRTouch
Wording changed

[holly4755]

I think the darkness and the dampness is getting to a few.  most people camp ion better weather.  The guy who found his wife on Craig's list seems to live it but now does it with a family, seems he lived alone for quite a while. 

[Juliegirlj]

Considering Zach immediately appeared to hightail it down to the beach to call for help after cutting himself - with his affected arm hanging lower than his heart, and not applying pressure, it seems safe to assume he doesn't belong there. In my opinion, on what we saw on the show, that cut was not severe enough to go home. Granted, infection is a concern but he could have kept an eye on it, used charcoal poultices, etc. That kid wanted to go home, and may have gone to the extreme of hurting himself on purpose to save face. 

Could be editing, but making ONE fish basket is not proactive enough in food gathering. 

[Juliegirlj]

I wonder how many contestants actually test themselves prior to being on the show to see how they react to a very low calorie diet? It affects everyone differently depending on their metabolism. I know some people quite skilled in outdoorsman skills, that could not go 48 hours with little calories. 

[Quilt Fairy]

The thing about one contestant defending another is that they really don't know what happened, either.  They can say "We all found it much harder than we thought it would be" or "They didn't show how much rain we had", but since Callie wasn't with Zach at the time he had the accident and tapped, she's only going on what was aired and what he told her after the fact.  She wasn't there.

[meep.meep]

I know I'm really late to this, but the amount of outrage people are showing towards Zach is amazing.  He was there for 8 days, or 192 hours.  They showed approximately half an hour of that, and some was footage of before he left.  I think there's an awful lot he could have done that went by the wayside.

Callie might not have been with him at his site, but unlike us, she had access to all the support people who picked him up.  It's entirely likely that she knows a lot more than what was aired.

Maybe I'm identifying with him because I've had the same experience with birds.  When they start up non-stop calling at 2:30 am, you are a little less understanding than when it's light outside.  And I wasn't even camping.

I'm sure after I watch a few more episodes I'll start being able to tell the women apart.  Callie is the one who caught fish on her line and built the chair.  Meghan (?) is the forester?  There's a third one we haven't seen in Patagonia yet.