S03.E06: Along Came a Spider

[Drogo]

Dangerous challenges wreak havoc on the participants and force most to consider going home.  While one is plagued by a potentially life-threatening infection, another battles against serious hypothermia.

[riverheightsnancy]

OK, SOOOO,  Master Strategist, Dan, makes fun of all the other people's methods of handling the alone time and even laughed and joked about people who cry and miss their families, and then cries and taps for that EXACT reason. Dan, you are a loser for making fun of others, NOT because you tapped out early (due to missing your family natch). 

NO Fowler tonight-BOOO    Never any Megan.  Worried about Greg, but he has more balls than Dan the "lazy man". Greg just keeps on, keeping on. He looks like that character from the Peanuts (Pig Pen) with the dust cloud around him, but he will have to be half-dead before he quits. It just isn't in him.  He finds a way. I sort of admire him. If I didn't like Fowler so much, I would be team Greg all the way. Worried about Callie. I wonder if they saved her tap for next episode? I think Kayleigh may also be soon.  Looks like "Foxy" makes an appearance again (I don't want Foxy killed!). I think that Fowler is gonna bag something, I hope it is not the fox though. 

[jvr]

lol. Bye Dan. :)

[dgpolo]

Do you think if Callie had left her clothes on she would've got bit by the spiders? When I saw Greg walk along the shore and then up it just a few feet, I knew there would be problems, I just kept thinking about Fowler and what he said about the water rising. I hope he can relocate one more time. And Dan! maybe now you understand why people try to keep busy?

[LittleIggy]

Dan, you didn't do what you "needed to do." You blew your mental game by doing the least you could do to survive. And you made fun of others. Karma!

[holly4755]

I doubt that Dan understands at all.  I am sure, that as shown on the show, he believes he is doing the right thing all the time. Self confidence or ego - you decide. 

Looks like Megan is on next week with the fox. Rabies? are there rabies in south america?  I know there is in Africa, burt not Europe or Australia(????) It used to be extinct in the eastern US until some idiot hunters in West Virginia wanted to repopulate the racoons they over hunted so they brought back some caught racoons from the south west and  - boom - rabies is back in the east! 

Fowler !!! great prescience with the on the lake. 

Very sad about Callie, but still Dan left before her biteless and calorie hoarding as he was. I am sure it will come out before the end on how she got the3 bites, I think she made her home too inviting, to all sorts of insects probably or maybe not. 

[jwc]

I would think one of the handier people would have tried to make a net to grab the fish with.  Not a big one to put in the water nut one to help you grab it when it's close to shore.  Easy to say from my couch with 20/20 hindsight I guess.

I think it is going to be cold down by the lake, Fowler may realize this.  Although that is where the fishing is obviously.

[SRTouch]

Callie starts off the show with day 45 with wool socks soup. Ok, she may not look like a car camper out for the weekend, but she still looks pretty clean for being in the woods over 6 weeks. I have a new barometer for how well folks are doing - whether or not they look clean. Callie, Dan, Fowler all look to have relatively clean hands. Carleigh and Megan - who knows, we hardy ever see them. Greg and Dave dirty - and Dave... I about cringe every time I see his dirty grimy hands as he slurps down his fish. Have to admit, though he may have shaggy hair and a dark shadow, Dave has less scraggly facial hair of any of the guys. Ah, bummer, like I said I have a terrible record with picking up hints from the previews. I said, no, I don't think that's Callie with the spider bites on her bum.... I was wrong, it was her and looks like she may have to tap. We do get to see her forage for plants to make a poultice... just hope it's enough as the pop-ups tell us this looks to be a BAD SPIDER (Chilean recluse). She works hard at keeping a positive attitude, but is realistic (and smart) enough to say she's not willing to sacrifice her health. As she's applying the poultice she answers a question I've seen raised a time or two - yes, they are allowed to break into the first aid kit. I suppose the thing is it's a one shot deal, no resupply, and the medics can't help. DAY 47 Dawn's with Callie bearing her bum to show us the results of the poultice. She thinks there's  a little improvement - I'm not convinced, looks bad to me. Anyway, she proceeds to make a little 4 string guitar to keep up her spirits - but the night is not good, she feels sick and can't sleep, but she doesn't want to quit. DAY 48 no sleep all night, and her lymph nodes in her groin are swelling - not good, sounds like she may be fighting a systemic infection, and with the limited diet her body is already fighting an uphill battle. She looks disheveled and rough and maybe a little feverish (oh, and that big old safety pin must be from the first aid kit). She spends this segment visiting her favorite spots, saying it may be her last day - ok, after the phone prank I admit I'm wondering if she's as sick as she's acting. Unless they've got a time machine, this wasn't her last day, as the episode ends on Day 51 Without another Callie appearance.

Dave starts us out for day 46, sitting in his shelter whittling and talking to the camera. He's the second contestant I've heard mention Wilson, Tom Hanks' volleyball on Castaway (actually, the other is Fowler, but that was in one of his newspaper interviews, not on the show). We get a good look around the inside of his shelter this week, and a few things pop out. I notice (actually someone on another forum noticed it first, so I was looking tonight) that somewhere along the way he has found an old fashioned teapot. Also, he has a wire grate leaning against the wall of his shelter. Sooo, they are finding some usable trash, as someone already pointed out Dan has a white box/grate and I see Carleigh with a plastic soda/water bottle. After a dry spell, Dave is doing fairly well with the fishing. Actually, seems like everyone is having better luck fishing. Some folks swear the moon phases have a lot to do with how the fish bite, so I wonder... Anyway, Dave gets a fish, and we see him slurp raw fishy inners with his dirty fingers, then back inside where he works on a drying rack - hey finally someone doing something to preserve food for leaner times. Oh, and continued work on what was already a good shelter. This is where we get to see some of his other finds. I see what looks to be a coffee can - and could that be duck tape on his legs as he's filleting his fish.

Day 46 with Greg, and he's dragging a little, sitting staring into space and needing frequent breaks as he gathers firewood. As he's chopping wood a couple things strike me - his clothes sure look dirty, and I'm not that impressed with his desire for big wood/big fire and sort of minimal shelter. He builds that big fire a few feet in front of his open shelter with only a log to reflect the heat into the shelter, then sits in dirty clothes, and dirty means less insulation, and complains he can't get warm. So, he's moving his camp since he's already collected all the nearby firewood. Ah, no, now the preview where someone gets soaked and has to battle hypothermia. He has a fish on, but it's snagged, so he wades out to get it. As he goes out he comments on how slippery it is, and sure enough he slips and falls and gets soaked. Luckily, he has that big fire going, so he can warm up a little as he puts on drier clothes. DAY 49 and Greg makes his move to be closer to the available wood. When we left him last time he was going to move if the next day was nice. Guess he got tired of waiting, cause he's moving in the rain. I wasn't impressed with his previous shelter, and he tells us the new one isn't going to be as fancy. DAY 50 not doing so good. He made his move in the rain, he's cold, everything is wet, and he's sitting there watching the lake rise. Day 51 2am, lake continuing to rise, now inches from the fire, freezing, he crawls into his sleeping bag to try to get warm, but can't sleep because he doesn't want to wake up in the lake. I'm worrying he might be going into hypothermia for real - as we go to commercial he's saying he can't take it anymore. 920am we come back from Commercial to see a boat... nope, not Greg... they tried to hide it by having someone standing on the shore with their back to and wearing a hood, but not Greg

DAY 48 finds boring Dan plaintiff the lazy, Still no real plan to do anything except the absolute minimum. As we've said, Dan is boring tv, and now his constant self reminders to be slow and steady are wearing even on himself. He's still trying to convince himself his strategy is working, but doubt is creeping into his voice. He gets a good fish, and as he's cooking we get a look around his camp. Really wish he wasn't so lazy about showing what he's done around camp. Don't know if he's doing laundry, but I see he's airing out his sleeping bag and hanging clothes on a line in the sun. Hey, as someone who has been in the field for months at a time, let me tell you airing out your clothes and sleeping bag really do make a difference, almost as good as laundry. Well, the beginning of the end. Talking about how Mom cooks fish at home starts the melancholy homesick blues, then he starts in on missing his son, and when he questions which is more important, being at home with the family or the money... well a phone call is on the way unless he snaps out of it. I wonder how long he actually sat there feeling homesick while telling himself to conserve calories. DAY 50 Dan has that thousand yard stare of a homesick ready to tap guy. Old conserve conserve dude is bored out of his freakin mind... hmmm maybe he ought to carve a Santa. Money just isn't motivating anymore. day 51 a boat coming down the lake... Dan is going home. He was my original pick, but not sorry he's leaving.

DAY 48 at Carleigh's site. I don't know, maybe it's  her voice, but she always seems so fragile and about to cry. I really don't know, because she seemed pretty fearless when big kitty visited. She's been having a tough time fishing, but I wonder if she is the only one who made a bamboo rod to fish with. She has tried a couple types of fish traps, but no luck. One thing I don't see is static lines and spring traps like others are using. I think Dave is another one who seems to rely on active fishing instead of baiting a hook and letting it soak. I think she really seems ill at ease with the camera, always looking back like she isn't sure if she has the camera in the right place - which may be why we aren't seeing a lot of her. Watching her I wonder when they do they voice overs. I wonder if she really started crying as she knelt on that point as it was getting dark or if the editors made it look that way just before she caught a fish. Oh, and for any non fishing folks, I've drowned a few worms, and I would really be concentrating on dusk and dawn for fishing. Anyway, sure enough, as it's getting dark she sees a fish coming up getting bugs off the surface, throws in a hook and lands a fish.

Well, we've reached day 51, and still have 6 folks. When the boat was coming, it was a toss up whether Callie, Greg or Dan were tapping. We last saw Callie on day 48 saying it may well be her last day if her infection continued to spread. Unless they're going to play with the time line, her poultice must have kicked in and started reducing the infection. Greg is having medical problems of his own, and the previews show him having a rough time. He needs a better shelter and he needs to dry out his stuff. Dave seems better this week, and Carleigh finally caught a fish. Megan... well I've about forgotten her. She impressed me early on, but we haven't seen her much lately. Fowler was a no-show tonight. Next week foxy comes back, this time visiting Megan, and we may actually see someone shoot something besides a log with their bow and arrow. Oh, and a deer visits Carleigh's site, and of course all she can think is that's a lot of venison. 

Edited January 13, 2017 by SRTouch
Wording changed

[GreyBunny]

Oh no, Callie!  Everything was going so well for her, she obviously is thriving out there.  One of the most mentally prepared contestants the show has had.  She  has swollen glands, nausea, and ulcers so she probably isn't long for the show, which is a bummer.

Dan:  HAHA! /nelson

Greg is a mess.  He was already having trouble getting warm and he was willing to move his camp even though there could be a cold rain, he was already making dodgy decisions.  I like the guy but it's time for him to see a medic.

[Scaeva]

I feel sorry for Callie. If not for the spider bites she seems like she'd be in for the long haul, and unlike some of the other contestants it doesn't seem like she's had any days where she has struggled. I'd be very surprised however if she isn't a tap on next week's episode. Her symptoms (and the crawl about the Chilean Recluse) all sound like an ER trip is necessary.

I wonder if we might lose two next week. Greg doesn't seem to be in good shape either, and potentially has hypothermia. 

[TaraS1]

Are they monitored by production in any way at all?  I just started watching last season, so apologies if this has been asked and answered fifty times before, but Callie's infection & Greg's hypothermia got me thinking.  If something happened and they were unconscious or unable to use their radio to call for help, how would production know there's an emergency?

[seasick]

Well that answers my question about how lake waters rise!    Who knew--barometric pressure would have such an effect on lake levels.   

Greg has my heart.  I love Fowler and how capable and clever he is, but Greg's vulnerability gets to me.  I am not very confident of his abilities to handle all the challenges he will face there, but the fact that he looks so much worse-for-wear yet hangs in..    Hypothermia is where a sauna is valuable.  Baking in hot steam would warm him to the bone.   I will say that I think he could do more to fight hypothermia.. jumping jacks,  push-ups,  warm rocks etc if not the sauna:  but he's still there and of the 6 left I think he has the least amount of experience with this. 

Dan! we tried to tell you!.. The mind can be your enemy.  Warm and well fed, it was your self -imposed boredom that did you in, saving all your energy for the ride home.

Callie got bit on day 45..  but no tap by day 51--  Evidently  she was able to overcome the infection or she would have been gone on 48 or 49 when she feared the infection was going to overtake her.  Although I appreciated all the information about the Chilean recluse spider, it probably had nothing to do with Callie.  Another 'wolf that never was'.  

It was obvious that there was going to be a boat at the end of this episode from the way they highlighted Dan,  Callie, and Greg all on the 'edge' of tapping,    and if nothing else I was grateful that they showed who tapped.  I feared the show would end with just the boat going out and I was ready to throw something.  

And it's nice that they play with the edit to make a suspenseful show..  but nearly zero on Megan in 50 days is pretty inexcusable. 

Three women and three men left!   Go girls.!

[seasick]

27 minutes ago, TaraS1 said:

Are they monitored by production in any way at all?  I just started watching last season, so apologies if this has been asked and answered fifty times before, but Callie's infection & Greg's hypothermia got me thinking.  If something happened and they were unconscious or unable to use their radio to call for help, how would production know there's an emergency?

I believe it was said at some point in the seasons that if there is no movement with their tracking device after a certain amount of time they check on them somehow...Likely a phone call.  And I wouldn't doubt that every morning they have to signal somehow that they are still alive.

[qtpye]

I have rarely predicted anything in my life and I predicted last episode that Dan will all of a sudden become the family man and tap out.

His surly anger was not a recipe for success.  Fricken Larry was angry, but he had perseverance.

I hate that stupid spider for maybe taking one of the best competitors in this competition ever had, out of the game.

I am impressed with how many people are left.

[seasick]

54 minutes ago, qtpye said:

I hate that stupid spider for maybe taking one of the best competitors in this competition ever had, out of the game.

Weelll...  One thing I notice about Callie.  She does manage to get her footage on air.  I have little doubt that the editors do look at her footage first.  A hot chick and a couple of skinny dip/nekked shots etc.  doesn't hurt.   

One way to get some air time is to have an issue that you can hang out there that suggests a tap.  Yeah the first one was a prank and glad for some levity there.  But there's a good part of me that tells me Callie knows how to  play the edit.  For sure she had the bites but I'm a little skeptical of the severity of the other symptoms.  And a couple of naked butt shots with the thong.. just good tv to many viewers.

[ProfCrash]

Quote

Are they monitored by production in any way at all?  I just started watching last season, so apologies if this has been asked and answered fifty times before, but Callie's infection & Greg's hypothermia got me thinking.  If something happened and they were unconscious or unable to use their radio to call for help, how would production know there's an emergency?

Alan's win showed us that they have a weekly visit from Production to replace batteries and do a medical check. They brought his wife out with them when they were scheduled for the weekly check up. I assume that the conversation is kept to a minimum and that they are not updated on what is happening at other camp sites but who knows?

No Fowler makes me sad but Dan tapping makes me happy. He is probably a nice guy but he was boring and I am reasonably certain that his strategy backfired on him. He gave himself far too much time to think and far too little to do. Then again, he outlasted everyone from Season 1 and I suspect he would have done fine in either of the previous seasons. His camp looked comfortable and well organized so he was doing stuff. Why not show that and why not demonstrate that he was doing something.

Callie's spider bites are scary. She seems to have a good grasp on what her symptoms are and when she needs to tap. She is doing what she can to prevent that from happening and seems to have a good head on her shoulder. Hopefully she is through the worst of it and she can carry on.

Greg is making some bad decisions. And now we know why Fowler's camp is up on the hill. He mentioned it in a press interview that his only flat space by the shore was too close and the rising water levels was too much to deal with. Greg moved from a secure location to an insecure location. There were plenty of trees for him to work with and he has tools for cutting them so I am not sure why he moved. Is easy to pick up fire wood worth the expenditure of energy to rebuild camp or would you be better off chopping some stuff down or up? I like him but I don't think the desire to buy his daughter land and build her a home is going to be enough to make it through this. His original shelter was not all that well insulated or prepared and his new one is even worse. His need for a large fire probably comes from a crappy shelter and the increasing cold. I cannot see him lasting too much longer.

Carleigh is something of an enigma to me. I am not emotionally invested in her and I am not sure why. I kind of ignore her screen time so I don't have much to say. I am glad to see that she is trying different ways of catching fish.

Dave is another one who I know exists but I tend to ignore. He does not engage me in any way. I suspect that there are others who are trying to preserve food although I don't know why they don't show more of that.

I am enjoying this season. At this point I would be happy with anyone winning but I would prefer Fowler, Callie or Greg. I have a feel for who they are and how they are proceeding while I don't have much to say about Carleigh, Dave or Megan.

[qtpye]

33 minutes ago, seasick said:

Weelll...  One thing I notice about Callie.  She does manage to get her footage on air.  I have little doubt that the editors do look at her footage first.  A hot chick and a couple of skinny dip/nekked shots etc.  doesn't hurt.   

Ha...your comments are making me think that next year they are going to cast some hot ex male stripper type of guy, who is always going to be taking his shirt off even though it is freezing, to do his talking heads into the camera.

Edited January 13, 2017 by qtpye

[ProfCrash]

We do not want Bear Grylls on the show. That man would get naked to do push ups claiming that it was the most efficient way to get warm in a cold environment. I appreciate the naked, because he has a nice body, but I doubt the strategy...

[seasick]

1 minute ago, ProfCrash said:

We do not want Bear Grylls on the show. That man would get naked to do push ups claiming that it was the most efficient way to get warm in a cold environment. I appreciate the naked, because he has a nice body, but I doubt the strategy...

well that's one thing.  But when he starts drinking his urine....  uh... no

[Trace]

I too was confused about Callie lasting 5 days after the reveal. I hate spiders with the heat of a million suns, so I would so be requesting medical attention.  I mean, she could call like other participants have and get it looked at, correct?  Maybe given some strong antibiotics?  Maybe not necessarily an automatic removal from the show.  Maybe I am grasping at threads but I want her to win!  She is by far the best!

[Ocean Chick]

Not sad to see Dan go.  Hope Callie's bites are improving due to her poultice.  I've gotten some really nasty spider bites in my own home, so I can empathize with her.  I'm good with just about any one of the remainders winning, at this point.

[seasick]

7 hours ago, SRTouch said:

- yes, they are allowed to break into the first aid kit. I suppose the thing is it's a one shot deal, no resupply, and the medics can't help.

 

4 minutes ago, Trace said:

I too was confused about Callie lasting 5 days after the reveal. I hate spiders with the heat of a million suns, so I would so be requesting medical attention.  I mean, she could call like other participants have and get it looked at, correct?  Maybe given some strong antibiotics?  Maybe not necessarily an automatic removal from the show.  Maybe I am grasping at threads but I want her to win!  She is by far the best!

I am a little confused by the medic rules.  What confused me is when the medic was treating Zach--he said he could not clean and stitch his hand THERE.. and that was when Zach looked defeated and they took him out.

So I wondered.. I always thought they were not permitted any medical intervention.  stitches--antibiotics--etc.  I thought the med checks were simply to make sure the were still healthy enough to continue.,  so I  still have a question on this.   My personal preference (and understanding) was/is that they not be allowed any treatment.  If it's a medical necessity then they must leave.  

[SRTouch]

10 hours ago, holly4755 said:

I doubt that Dan understands at all.  I am sure, that as shown on the show, he believes he is doing the right thing all the time. Self confidence or ego - you decide. 

Yep, all that trash talking about others who were keeping busy. I can forgive the trash talk, but it would have shown a little class if he admitted he maybe should have done a little something to keep his mind in the game. Hey, didn't need to be anything special, just something to keep the mind and hands busy. Nope, right to the end he waa saying his strategy was good, and he didn't care what any bleeping people thought about it. Remember how F'ing Larry perked up when he carved his spoon. At the time his spoon didn't look like much compared to Jose's art pieces, but it did the trick, gave him something to do, and lifted his spirits.

[Liberty]

5 minutes ago, seasick said:

I am a little confused by the medic rules.  

History does not want viewers to know everything, they have a lot more flexibility and mystery by not revealing what is actually going on.

Dan certainly got the villain's edit.  His thoughts were certainly more than strictly being defensive about his strategy for 50 days.  

[holly4755]

4 hours ago, jwc said:

I would think one of the handier people would have tried to make a net to grab the fish with.  Not a big one to put in the water nut one to help you grab it when it's close to shore.  Easy to say from my couch with 20/20 hindsight I guess.

I think it is going to be cold down by the lake, Fowler may realize this.  Although that is where the fishing is obviously.

I read somewhere, probably in a Fowler post, that nets are not allowed in those lakes and streams.  So if you brought a gill net you are out of luck. 

[seasick]

4 minutes ago, Liberty said:

History does not want viewers to know everything, they have a lot more flexibility and mystery by not revealing what is actually going on.

Dan certainly got the villain's edit.  His thoughts were certainly more than strictly being defensive about his strategy for 50 days.  

Although I cannot say exactly what History channel wants or doesn't want..I would agree that being cryptic about the rules allows them to change them if it suits them.

Yes, to be fair Dan did talk about his food fantasies also.  And counting paces...  But much about what he was Not going to do.  None of his comments were repeats.  But idle thoughts and no action isn't very interesting.  'NOT doing'  was the name of his game so they did make it the featured edit.  I doubt if they just left out all the times he was singing "Zip a dee do dah".

[SRTouch]

10 minutes ago, seasick said:

 

I am a little confused by the medic rules.  What confused me is when the medic was treating Zach--he said he could not clean and stitch his hand THERE.. and that was when Zach looked defeated and they took him out.

So I wondered.. I always thought they were not permitted any medical intervention.  stitches--antibiotics--etc.  I thought the med checks were simply to make sure the were still healthy enough to continue.,  so I  still have a question on this.   My personal preference (and understanding) was/is that they not be allowed any treatment.  If it's a medical necessity then they must leave.  

It is confusing. I think the big thing is Zach seemed clueless about proper first aid. Callie, OTOH has broken into the first aid kit a couple times now. During her brief appearance on another forum she answered someone's question about wearing a bandage on her thumb or finger and a blue glove on one hand, saying she scraped up her hands and was wearing the aid pack's latex gloves to keep the cuts clean. Then she used gauze and tape to treat her bites. Her self aid seems right on - well except for the lack of antibiotics. Poor Zach was clueless, didn't do any of the right things to stop bleeding, then bandaged the cut without cleaning it. I wonder if the medic might have let him stay if he had cleaned the wound before bandaging it. As I recall, the medic looked at it, saw dirt and debris with a half ass bandage, and rightly decided Zach couldn't care for the wound on his own, and said he needed evac. Sure, he may have gotten a scar on his forearm without stitches, but I don't think the decision to pull Zach was based on a possibility of scarring, but rather on Zach's poor wound care. Course, it goes without saying I could be all wrong, and the cut was much deeper and intense than we saw.

[seasick]

9 minutes ago, SRTouch said:

It is confusing. I think the big thing is Zach seemed clueless about proper first aid. Callie, OTOH has broken into the first aid kit a couple times now. During her brief appearance on another forum she answered someone's question about wearing a bandage on her thumb or finger and a blue glove on one hand, saying she scraped up her hands and was wearing the aid pack's latex gloves to keep the cuts clean. Then she used gauze and tape to treat her bites. Her self aid seems right on - well except for the lack of antibiotics. Poor Zach was clueless, didn't do any of the right things to stop bleeding, then bandaged the cut without cleaning it. I wonder if the medic might have let him stay if he had cleaned the wound before bandaging it. As I recall, the medic looked at it, saw dirt and debris with a half ass bandage, and rightly decided Zach couldn't care for the wound on his own, and said he needed evac. Sure, he may have gotten a scar on his forearm without stitches, but I don't think the decision to pull Zach was based on a possibility of scarring, but rather on Zach's poor wound care. Course, it goes without saying I could be all wrong, and the cut was much deeper and intense than we saw.

Yeah I'm not sure either.   What threw me was medic saying I can't do this Here  which led me to think he would have stitched it there and let Zach stay if it had been properly cleaned.  IDK.    Zach was pretty quick to call.  Either he panicked or it was the moment he was looking for.   Hard to say.

[riverheightsnancy]

Random thoughts: Even though Callie re-emphasized how "alone" they are, we all know that is not totally true (we have heard talk of a prior season where there was an actual road and a town near one of the contestants). The end of Alan's stay, they showed that they visit weekly for health checks (blood pressure, weight etc...) and probably for legal protection for production as well.  So when we found this out at the end of season one, it really isn't "alone" after all.  You would know that once a week, someone will come to see you, even that small interaction can lift spirits. 

I find it odd that a lot of Dan's thoughts were always voice overs. A good majority of his video was of him not talking-it struck me as odd-I thought why? I wonder if they had him voice over his thoughts after tapping, because he never talked (or very rarely talked to the camera)? I also wonder if they filmed some of that stuff after the fact as well. 

If any camper knows, I am curious. If you have an infected bite (like Callie's) wouldn't going into the sauna help (and application of the poultice)? Might that not bring the infection out? Just wondering if that could have helped (or maybe that is what she ended up doing)?

Seems Fowler was right about moving up the mountain and the lake rise. 

I cannot watch Dave at all, especially when eating. He is so filthy. His hands. It makes me retch. Greg is dirty, but he is not as gross about filming the eating as Dave is. I like Greg, but he is minimalist in what he is doing. he doesn't see it as permanent and is just trying to white knuckle it out. With Fowler and Callie out there, I don't think that will be enough to win. I think Fowler's happy and extensive media presence is a nod to his win. (IMO-not a spoiler)

ETA: I just want to thank SRTouch for the recaps. I remember watching this horrific show about a group of people who were going to start a new society (man, what was the name of that show?). It had so many issue like animal abuse and stuff, that the recaps were a really important part of the viewing experience. So thanks SRTouch! 

Edited January 13, 2017 by riverheightsnancy

[piequinn35]

We were shown Callie, Greg, Caleigh back and forth, then Dan and his boredom, then boom Dan tapped out at the end! :))

[holly4755]

1. monitoring the contestants while they are out there,  - they are required to wear GPS at all times.  I don't think that means in the sauna though.  It might be waterproof as many people have fallen in the drink at different times of the show. 

2. the weekly medical - I believe Alan or David said it consists of both a physical and mental check. Remember the first year when they discovered the guy drinking brackish water that was incoherent, he was taken out immediately. The do check for depression and other mental and physical things on the weekly check. This guy was drinking stream water and never thought about it tasting salty, the part of the stream he was drinking from was close enough to the ocean to be tidal. If you are in danger they remove you.  Last year there was Tracey, who called for a refill on her airhorn and flare after an animal encounter - they will refill that,  It looked like she tapped, but she said when they came out she had them look at her shoulder that  she had injured in a fall no video.  When the medic looked at it, they found she tore muscle and did serious injury to her body and they pulled her. She then spent hours in surgery and had her shoulder immobilized for months. She was going to tough it out in her mind.  The only reason we knew is she posted about it on Facebook after she was out and posted pictures of her stitches and cast. 

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, seasick said:

Yeah I'm not sure either.   What threw me was medic saying I can't do this Here  which led me to think he would have stitched it there and let Zach stay if it had been properly cleaned.  IDK.    Zach was pretty quick to call.  Either he panicked or it was the moment he was looking for.   Hard to say.

Well, I received the common Army basic medic training all enlisted folks got in the medical field. Never worked as a medic, but 20 years as a Pharmacy tech, and enough advanced first aid to pass the test and qualify as an Expert Field Medic. That said, I think by the time the medic got there Zach had limited the treatment options. As I remember, the medic didn't want to take off the bandage and restart the bleeding to properly clean the wound. Anybody else question how much bleeding there actually was based on the bloody guaze on the ground? I've see the aftermath of a real bleeder, and what we saw looked pretty minor. What the medic said and did indicated to me that he wanted to get back and soak the bandage off and give it a good cleaning because of the crap left in the wound, a better cleaning then he could give in the field. Yes, stop a bad bleeder, but unless it's really a gusher clean it before bandaging - unless the plan is to evac anyway. I thought the bit about needing stitches and not being able to do that in the field was more for the camera than fact, as he hadn't really examined the wound yet. Even if he didn't have sutures he could have used butterflies made of tape - but that assumes he thought Zach could monitor the wound,  which I question.

Edited January 13, 2017 by SRTouch
Clarification

[SRTouch]

42 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

If any camper knows, I am curious. If you have an infected bite (like Callie's) wouldn't going into the sauna help (and application of the poultice)? Might that not bring the infection out? Just wondering if that could have helped (or maybe that is what she ended up doing)?

Hmmm, not sure. Initial reaction is no. Part of the first aid would be an ice pack, because it would slow the toxin. But, after the toxin has done it's thing and killed the cells, causing necrosis... don't know if heat would help or activate any residual toxin. Ah, all my training was first aid, save the life, stabilize and evacuate if you couldn't keep the soldier in the field. I would have kept Zach unless it became infected, and monitor Callie to see if her skin ulcers grow and for indications of systemic infection. Actually, swollen lymph nodes and I would have been arguing for evac, but not insistant... yet. 

And, the forgotten guy is Greg. If he was right about entering stage 2 hypothermia, he needs help, because if he continues to slide downhill while alone it could be BAD. When he started talking about trouble with his hands, red flags started going off. The suggestion someone made about a sauna could be bad, depending on how far the hypothermia has advanced. Problem is, in advanced stages, if you warm the body too fast you can cause the blood to rush to the skin and extremities, dropping blood pressure too fast, and bad things can happen. Better option is push warm drinks, and try to wrap up in warmed clothing, warm the body gradually. If it's mild hypothermia, though, I think the sauna would certainly help.

[ClareWalks]

I don't doubt the severity of an infected poisonous-spider bite, but Callie seemed to be totally fine, besides the bites themselves and the swollen glands. I would have thought that an infection would mean that she would have a fever, at least, or feel lethargic or dizzy or whatever. She seemed totally perky even after the bites/swelling. Maybe she treated herself and felt better after a couple of days and decided to stay, hence why we didn't hear much from her 5 days after her "possible last day." 

[dgpolo]

3 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

I would have thought that an infection would mean that she would have a fever, at least, or feel lethargic or dizzy or whatever. She seemed totally perky even after the bites/swelling

I thought she said she did think she had a fever, also nausea which the pop up said was a symptom. She got no sleep at least one night and far from feeling perky, she seemed to drag herself to all the places she wanted to say goodbye to.

[ClareWalks]

Just now, dgpolo said:

I thought she said she did think she had a fever, also nausea which the pop up said was a symptom. She got no sleep at least one night and far from feeling perky, she seemed to drag herself to all the places she wanted to say goodbye to.

I missed the fever/nausea parts, oops. Her "dragging myself around" is definitely higher up the perkiness scale than my "perky." :)

[SRTouch]

14 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

I missed the fever/nausea parts, oops. Her "dragging myself around" is definitely higher up the perkiness scale than my "perky." :)

Yep, her "dragging" is Dan on speed ?

[riverheightsnancy]

2 minutes ago, SRTouch said:

Yep, her "dragging" is Dan on speed ?

Or "Blue Sky"!  (Breaking Bad reference right there)

[HurricaneVal]

I am very allergic to spider bits--as in they swell to tennis ball size mounds--so I would have had to tap right away.  Poor Callie, I have to say that the night after her poultice, when she said her infected bites looked better, I thought they looked way worse!  Then she started in on her other systemic symptoms and now I'm worried, though it doesn't sound like her problem is from the spider venom (so maybe not the brown recluse as the text on the screen postulated) but with a secondary infection coming from the wounds.  She does seem sensible, and clearly cognizant that for her future health she may need to tap out.  I just hope she stayed sensible, and didn't slide into delirium. 

 

Which is kind of the same story with Greg--he's also cognizant of his risks, and is wary of hypothermia.  But if he's really suffering from hypothermia these days later after falling in the drink then I think he's just not taking appropriate care of himself.  I can see hypothermia after the initiating event of falling into the lake, but days later?  I'm confused, is Greg's camp the same one that the lake water is encroaching on?  I do get him and Dave confused.  Greg is the big fire, had to move his camp so he didn't have to haul firewood a long ways since he depleted his first supply guy, right?  He must have moved his camp closer to the lake.  I am concerned about his tingling hands and other symptoms he was describing, but I'm starting to wonder if that was more general malaise caused by stress, hunger, poor nutrition, and lack of sleep.

 

So if the barometric pressure plus the hard rains are causing that precipitous rise in lake level, then Fowler moving his camp is looking even more like a survival genius.

 

Who was the manic whittler at the top of the show?  Dave?  His soliloquy to the camera, or his "Wilson" as he called it, was amusing, but when the POV moved to his manic whittling and sort of crazed voiceover, I started really worrying about his mental state.

 

Dan, Dan, Dan...you blew it.  You forgot one of the most important elements of survival is mental, and doing all those according to you "unnecessary" activities around camp would just drain your energy, you forgot that those activities also engage, occupy, and energize the brain.  So when you got food and stopped thinking about your hunger, your brain wandered and *boom* you were done.

[ProfCrash]

Quote

ETA: I just want to thank SRTouch for the recaps. I remember watching this horrific show about a group of people who were going to start a new society (man, what was the name of that show?). It had so many issue like animal abuse and stuff, that the recaps were a really important part of the viewing experience. So thanks SRTouch! 

Utopia. It could have been a fun show but they gave them a computer and allowed them to order food and stuff off the internet. It became quite the train wreck and fun in that way but that is about it.

Callie had a fever and nausea one night and her glands were swelling. Either this will work itself out fast or she will tap soon. I hope it works itself out because she is doing a pretty great job.

Greg said in the middle of the night that he was in stage two hypothermia but he did not tap. I am sure we will see the ramifications next week. I hope he moves back to his old camp but I suspect he is likely to tap.

[walnutqueen]

I have to admit Dan was the only contestant I was rooting against.  That's my extreme prejudice against trapping rearing its ugly head, so it was a relief when he also turned out to be a bit of a douche. Not sorry to see him go.

I am concerned for Callie and Greg, but they could still surprise us. Dave might be losing it - unless he's just normally a little crazy.

[SRTouch]

48 minutes ago, ProfCrash said:

Greg said in the middle of the night that he was in stage two hypothermia but he did not tap. I am sure we will see the ramifications next week. I hope he moves back to his old camp but I suspect he is likely to tap.

Yeah, if he was in stage two and kept sliding downhill, he could have easily needed help and been unable to find, let alone press, the panic button. He was already to the point where his hands were not working right at 2 am, with hours until dawn.

[AZChristian]

Regarding the sauna comment above . . . I'm IN NO WAY an outdoors person, but I would think she'd be LESS likely to have encountered the spiders while she was fully dressed in her "home."  (Have any of the others had spider issues?)  Had she been dressed, wouldn't they have been more likely to bite in an area where they could more easily reach her skin?  But stripping down to her birthday suit and creating a warm spot (like a sauna) seems like a perfect place to meet up with spiders and giving them somewhere to bite you.  

Please feel free to educate me if I'm wrong.

[HurricaneVal]

My worst spider bites all occurred in bed, while I was covered with blankets and wearing pjs.   They did bite exposed skin, though, and not under my pjs.

[dgpolo]

I just re-watched and found that I was wrong about Callie saying she had a fever, what she said was that she was feeling ill, felt like dry heaving and the next morning said she had gut pain a couple of times. She also mentioned the swelling lymph nodes.

When Dave was making his smoking rack I wondered why he didn't incorporate the wire grid he seems to have. Wouldn't it be better to lay the fish down flat to smoke, rather than hang it over a bamboo rod? And he didn't say anything about boiling the head into a soup which he could have now while saving the filets for later.

Greg's first camp looked as close to the water as his second one, there were several shots of him by his first fire and you could see the water just a few feet away. When he was at the site of his second camp you could see the smoke from the first one along the shore. He's going to have to go up like Fowler if he stays.

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

Regarding the sauna comment above . . . I'm IN NO WAY an outdoors person, but I would think she'd be LESS likely to have encountered the spiders while she was fully dressed in her "home."  (Have any of the others had spider issues?)  Had she been dressed, wouldn't they have been more likely to bite in an area where they could more easily reach her skin?  But stripping down to her birthday suit and creating a warm spot (like a sauna) seems like a perfect place to meet up with spiders and giving them somewhere to bite you.  

Please feel free to educate me if I'm wrong.

When they mentioned it might be a chilean recluse spider I hurried off to Wikipedia to read up about them. What I read is that they, like the recluse name implies, are not agression, and more apt to hide. Lots of bites occur in regular homes, not outdoors, and most bites are defensive that occur when people squeeze them while getting in bed, dressed, putting on shoes, etc. So, could have been as she dressed in clothes that she had hanging, getting into her sleeping bag, etc. But, from my reading I doubt in the hot moist sauba, as they supposedly prefer dry areas.

[AZChristian]

Thanks for the info.  I'm usually running to Google, but was doing something else this afternoon, and opted to take advantage of the superior knowledge of people here who know more than I do about outdoor life.  (Which would be ANY of you.)

:-)

[SRTouch]

1 minute ago, AZChristian said:

Thanks for the info.  I'm usually running to Google, but was doing something else this afternoon, and opted to take advantage of the superior knowledge of people here who know more than I do about outdoor life.  (Which would be ANY of you.)

:-)

Nope, not me, but the DVR and this tablet sure have changed how I watch tv. Now I sit with remote in hand, and when I hear something that I question I can just hit pause and google it and learn about whatever. When what's-his-name (3 day tap) said it was always dark in Patagonia and a popup came on saying they were getting 9 hours of sunlight, it was but a moment to learn his home state was currently having 9 1/2hr days.

[seasick]

2 hours ago, SRTouch said:

When they mentioned it might be a chilean recluse spider I hurried off to Wikipedia to read up about them. What I read is that they, like the recluse name implies, are not agression, and more apt to hide. Lots of bites occur in regular homes, not outdoors, and most bites are defensive that occur when people squeeze them while getting in bed, dressed, putting on shoes, etc. So, could have been as she dressed in clothes that she had hanging, getting into her sleeping bag, etc. But, from my reading I doubt in the hot moist sauba, as they supposedly prefer dry areas.

However, they only implied it was the Chilean Recluse.by giving us info on it.  It does not mean that that is what actually bit her..   And I don't think it was.  

(not saying a different kind of spider is a sauna dweller--just that they like to add the drama with the fake-out's and implications

Edited January 14, 2017 by seasick

[raven]

7 hours ago, riverheightsnancy said:

I wonder if they had him voice over his thoughts after tapping, because he never talked (or very rarely talked to the camera)?

I noticed this as well.  I thought in the same vein, that he just sat there not really saying anything and they had to add the VOs.   Well bye Dan!  Guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

C'mon show, HOW is Callie?  I could hardly believe they didn't get back to her, grrrr.  Much more concerned about her and Greg then Dan.   I liked Callie's poultice lesson and the look of her camp.  I hope she didn't have to tap - she is smart, she wouldn't risk her life.  I worry (as much as you can about someone we know is being monitored) more about Greg, who might not be in his right mind because of hypothermia.  I didn't think moving his camp that close to the water was a good idea. 

I don't think Carleigh is long for the show, just a feeling. 

Nice to see Dave's fish smoking, but UGH, so gross when he eats, dirty hands and fingers.  I get that he's hungry but it's so in your face.   He's not manic like in the beginning.

6 left at 50 days!  Better casting or because of the location, what do you all think?