S04.E00: Making the Cut

[Chit Chat]

I came in late to this show.  I watched the last half of last season and really enjoyed watching each person's journey, especially the self-reflection.  I'm not too thrilled with the 2-person format either.  I really don't want to sit and watch the inevitable bickering that's going to take place.  It's going to happen in this environment and when you're hungry.  Then again, maybe it'll show people who can work through the drama, and they'll all end up better people for having  taken on this kind of challenge without killing their loved one!  ;)   Here's hoping for the best!

[roamyn]

Rather than lose one item to an extra sleeping bag, couldn't they just take a double sleeping bag as one item?

 I can't remember if the sleeping bag was originally part of their automatic items (like the clothes).  If that's the case, then wouldn't act of them automatically get the clothing & sleeping bag, without resort ingredients to losing one of their 10 items?

[dustoffmom]

I believe that the sleeping bag is one of the ten items.  Reason being is I recall in past seasons there has been some discussion now and then about what bag they brought and why they chose that one.  The one fellow who put his camp in a flash flood area and woke to his tent wet inside and out.  He was crying the blues as he had a down filled bag and feared he would never be able to get it dried out.

[mlp]

I just watched the intro and was impressed by all the preparation.  This must be an extremely expensive show to produce.  Because what we see each week is so stark and minimalist, I hadn't given much thought to the extent of what goes on behind the scenes before.  

Based on the brief introductions, I like the father and son pair in which the son looks like a wild man but has a degree in water conservation or something like that.  I haven't retained any names yet.

Apparently, raccoons in advanced states of rigor mortis are still good to eat.  Blecch.

[cooksdelight]

7 hours ago, mlp said:

Based on the brief introductions, I like the father and son pair in which the son looks like a wild man but has a degree in water conservation or something like that.  I haven't retained any names yet.

They are my pick also. :)

[humbleopinion]

Favorite is Team Brockdorff.

Cancel Pete aged 61- a falconer, hunter/fisherman, and snorer extraordinaire

Sam, age 26-Young Grizzly Adams look alike, degrees in Fisheries Management and Hydrology, described by Adam, the survivalist evaluator as having one of the most extensive knowledge base of North American plants and primitive tool expert

Dad is in for the bonding and Sam for the thrill.

Sam self predicts Dad's snoring will be a problem.

[peaceknit]

On 6/11/2017 at 1:00 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

Especially when, AFAIK, the show was a huge success.  Did the ratings slip?  Did they think we were bored?

OK, my opinion as to why the format was changed...I think it came down to the contestants' mental and physical health and lack of, at the end of last season. A couple of them were just barely hanging on at the end. That one guy (don't remember his name) looked like a frickin skeleton. I don't think the producers were down for that any more - too risky.

Edited June 13, 2017 by peaceknit

[SRTouch]

Finally got around to watching the 'Making the Cut.' And hey, I kind of liked what I saw. Season two had too many professional wilderness people. I'd have to go back and check, but off hand only one I think that wasn't an instructor or semi-pro survivalist was F*ing Larry. (Yes, I know there were others who were not instructors, but those folks didn't last long.) Season 3 way too many starving folks just trying to outlast the others - too much Naked and Afraid. Looking at the bios for this season, I remember one wilderness guide (one of the Baird brothers) and think one of the young blacksmiths said he wants to be a guide. We have a couple off grid homesteaders types team, subsistence hunter, ex Green Beret... for the most part amateur outdoorsy types, but not professionals.

Ok, yeah, starting to look forward to seeing what happens.

[humbleopinion]

Last season had too many participants with stars in their eyes, hoping to get a gig as a host of an cable show spotlighting their bushcraft skills.

Last time on VI there was too much trash to treasures, hope they limit the re purposing...Mike just needed wifi to wash up and he would have rigged up a laptop and Face timed with his beloved Barbara.

[ProfCrash]

9 hours ago, peaceknit said:

OK, my opinion as to why the format was changed...I think it came down to the contestants' mental and physical health and lack of, at the end of last season. A couple of them were just barely hanging on at the end. That one guy (don't remember his name) looked like a frickin skeleton. I don't think the producers were down for that any more - too risky.

They could have fixed that by starting the game earlier in the spring so that people could harvest and preserve more food. The skinny dude actually had food that was stored and was not eating it because he was an idiot. He deserved to lose for that reason alone. The second place contestant was pulled because her BMI was too low, and I think that was the trigger for this change.

I suspect that they are looking for a way to keep the shooting under three months. Starting earlier, allowing for more resource gathering and preservation, would not accomplish that. Adding a second person, so increasing the amount of food needed, the likelihood of injury and the likelihood for conflict leading to leaving should shorten the filming season. If they wanted a longer season, they would allow each person to bring 10 items, not 10 items between the two, and shoot earlier.

The original concept, how long can a single person survive in a particular place in the wild is no longer in play. The idea of being alone together is silly. They don't want people pulled because of weight loss so they have to find some other way to increase people punching out and adding a second person, without changing when they film or the amount of stuff they can bring, is going to lead to just that.

[humbleopinion]

From the makers of Alone, watch the new show...Family Survival.

Love for each other, the outdoors and adventure will test these family duets as they play to outlast the other teams in a game of last team standing wins.

 

What I fear is the mental and emotional dominance of one member over the other to keep going when one is wanting to quit and the other doesn't allow it, refuses to listen to their partner.

Hoping weather and the wildlife will knock out the ones who don't make a weatherized shelter, sustainable cooking area and safe camp zone.

Don't want any guys like last season who chose to do the minimum to save his strength, minimize his need for food and he played a waiting game.

[Az-Zj]

10 miles over rough terrain  compared to just looking at it on a map can add miles to the actual distance. The folks that are doing the hike are in for more than 10 miles.  Up and down (terrain) does not equate when people are looking on a flat piece of paper.  

[humbleopinion]

Factor in the time of day they get dropped off, the weather conditions, if they have the ferrous rod to start a fire or if it is with the partner who got dropped off at their camp, if they are skilled at navigation...lots of factors.

Tease shows us the husband makes it to his wife.

Jesse, the Military guy yelling for his brother, Shannon.

[rmontro]

7 hours ago, Az-Zj said:

10 miles over rough terrain  compared to just looking at it on a map can add miles to the actual distance. The folks that are doing the hike are in for more than 10 miles.  Up and down (terrain) does not equate when people are looking on a flat piece of paper.  

For all the complaints about the format change, I think the hiking aspect should be an interesting addition.

[ProfCrash]

The hike will be more then challenging. They are going to be bushwhacking. I don't know if they will have a map or just a direction to go.

[cooksdelight]

I think they only have the GPS thingamajig to tell them which direction to head toward.

[ProfCrash]

The other thing to consider is that it means that their partner cannot move to far from where they are dropped off at because that is the location that their partner will be moving towards. It could limit the ability to start building in a better location.

[SRTouch]

3 hours ago, ProfCrash said:

The hike will be more then challenging. They are going to be bushwhacking. I don't know if they will have a map or just a direction to go.

Definitely. Lots of rugged, up and down, dodge around this or that obstacle while keeping track of the direction. They'll be in terrain where you can get turned around even when you have a compass - doesn't take much to miss your mark when all you have is a bearing and compass. A couple degrees off, follow a raven or ridge instead of going straight, easy to end up on the wrong beach after walking 10 miles. I was thinking compass and map, but as a friend pointed out, they may be given a GPS tracker and not a compass (or both). Camper has the tag and the hiker a tracker which homes in on the tag. Still pretty darn challenging, but unless the hiker is hurt they should eventually find their partner - even if, as ProfCrash points out, someone moves to a better location before establishing camp.

[Quilt Fairy]

I'm pretty sure I heard "compass direction" so I don't think they'll be getting anything as high tech as a GPS tracker to find their teammate.  I hope all the hikers choose a machete as one of their 5 items.

[humbleopinion]

Better...got soap to wash my hands after a long day of clawing myself up the sides of cliffs....

[riverheightsnancy]

How the hell did I miss this? And they are teams? Not sure how I feel about that. I will have to watch the episode on demand. 

[rmontro]

4 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I'm pretty sure I heard "compass direction" so I don't think they'll be getting anything as high tech as a GPS tracker to find their teammate.

I also believe they said that they were going to have to navigate by compass. 

[Quilt Fairy]

18 minutes ago, riverheightsnancy said:

How the hell did I miss this? And they are teams? Not sure how I feel about that. I will have to watch the episode on demand. 

Nancy, you only missed the "meet the teams" ep last week.   The real show starts tomorrow night.

[Az-Zj]

On 6/9/2017 at 6:48 AM, AZChristian said:

I think they took the soap because . . . only man/woman/married team.  And they hope to be out there "alone" for months.  Think about it.

I was thinking the exact same thing!!

[Az-Zj]

17 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I'm pretty sure I heard "compass direction" so I don't think they'll be getting anything as high tech as a GPS tracker to find their teammate.  I hope all the hikers choose a machete as one of their 5 items.

If they get a gps to the site, they might as well just ask google..."ok google, where is my partner?"  Compass and azimuth  is the only way they can do it and still keep credibility.  Guessing that will be at their sites in 10-12 hours not days or weeks.  Following a compass a d direction is the easiest thing...if they had to orient a map and find their own way that would be completely a different story.

[rainsmom]

4 hours ago, Az-Zj said:

Following a compass a d direction is the easiest thing...if they had to orient a map and find their own way that would be completely a different story.

Can you explain what a "d direction" is? If they don't have a map, I think this will be VERY difficult, because the terrain they're crossing isn't flat. There's no guarantee they can proceed in even a sort-of straight line.

Ed. to add: I'm an idiot! Ignore this question. I didn't read carefully and see that it should be "and direction." Sorry!

Edited June 15, 2017 by rainsmom
Reading too fast.

[ProfCrash]

"I think they only have the GPS thingamajig to tell them which direction to head toward."

They all have a satellite phone and a GPS tracker. That does not mean they can use the tracker to navigate. The tracker is there so that they can be easily found by the crew if a rescue is needed. I would be surprised if they let them use a GPS to find their partner. Then again, it might not be horrific if they did. The hike is still going to seriously suck

[dustoffmom]

Oh come on...this appears, to me at least, as a simple typo/miskeyed letter in that the necessary 'n' did not get entered correctly.  I assumed it was meant to read "and direction".

[cooksdelight]

LOL, you can tell I know nothing about compasses or GPS. I use WAZE on my phone in the car because it talks me to wherever I am going.

I thought they said that they had one unit, it has the button to call and tap out, and the other to find their way. Thank you all for the clarification! :)

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, ProfCrash said:

"I think they only have the GPS thingamajig to tell them which direction to head toward."

They all have a satellite phone and a GPS tracker. That does not mean they can use the tracker to navigate. The tracker is there so that they can be easily found by the crew if a rescue is needed. I would be surprised if they let them use a GPS to find their partner. Then again, it might not be horrific if they did. The hike is still going to seriously suck

Yeah, I think we need to differentiate between a GPS tracker and a tag. Ok, I don't know the real names, but to me a tag is just something that broadcasts a signal and worthless for the someone with to navigate with. You can actually get a tag for a pet, so that if they get lost you can find them. OTOH a tracker is what you would use to track down who or what has the tag.

My thought is that I agree that finding something with only a compass and a heading is NOT easy, even for someone who has trained with a compass. Give someone a map AND a compass, it becomes easier, but still not a sure thing - especially not over ten miles of rough terrain. Heck, maintaining your bearing is hard on flat ground, we're talking steep hills covered in dense forests and undoubtedly rain and slippery conditions.

But, when I brought up the whole question, I was thinking all we had heard was they were going to be given a direction to walk. I heard that and thought to my own training using a map and compass and said to a friend I bet half those people get liet. His answer was no, they'll give them tags and a tracker. I really don't know, but we'll all know tomorrow. 

[rainsmom]

2 hours ago, dustoffmom said:

Oh come on...this appears, to me at least, as a simple typo/miskeyed letter in that the necessary 'n' did not get entered correctly.  I assumed it was meant to read "and direction".

LOL. I think you're absolutely right. I was reading quickly and didn't parse it.

[cooksdelight]

1 hour ago, SRTouch said:

I really don't know, but we'll all know tomorrow

Tonight! Tonight! :)

[SRTouch]

19 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Tonight! Tonight! :)

Ah, yes, but I work nights so won't know til I watch the recording... still, guess I should have been clear, or someone would blame me for missing the premier ?

[cooksdelight]

I was afraid you had your days mixed up, I do that sometimes!

[MostlyContent]

20 hours ago, riverheightsnancy said:

How the hell did I miss this? And they are teams? Not sure how I feel about that. I will have to watch the episode on demand. 

I was wondering where you were!   I was afraid you were boycotting the 'team' aspect.  lol!

[fountain]

I figured the tracker was GPS and the partner had a location tag.

 

I didn't see anywhere they showed how far each person got. If it took a long time and someone could only get a real mile a day of progress then this could be "Alone" for a while.

 

I find the partners angle interesting.  

[holly4755]

I think the husband only got point 3 miles, this can be a long hungry trek. . 

[dyna]

it'll never go much beyond 60 days, on Vancouver.  The sea coast is a horrific place to be in winter.  The producers probably lost money on season 3 and that wont happen again. Season 4 is going to be very short. The guys trying to travese the island need machetes and aint got any.