I just finished watching the last episode of this year’s Out of the Wild series from the Discovery Channel and I had some thoughts about it all. I would be interested in what others thought as well. This series took place in Venezuela and had a similar format as last year’s Out of the Wild, The Alaska Experience. The basic premise is that 9 “everyday” people are placed in the middle of a remote wilderness where, with very little outside support, they must travel 70+ miles to reach civilization. According to the Discovery Channel website, each person was allowed to bring “only” the following items:
1 Pair of good hiking boots
2 pairs of long pants
1 Pair of trainers (aka running shoes)
2 long sleeve shirts
3-5 pairs of socks
bandannas — suggested
1 rain jacket (Gore-Tex or rubber)
Hat — Wide brimmed or baseball
1 pair of rain pants (Gore-Tex or rubber)
2 T-shirts
1 fleece jacket or wool sweater for warmth
2 pairs of shorts
3 pairs of underwear (not cotton)
Bathing Suit
Malarial drugs
In addition to the personal items above, each participant was able to choose supplies from a cache provided to them near their initial drop-off point. They were limited only by what they could or wanted to physically carry. Some of the gear was modern day survival equipment such as mosquito nets and fishing line and the rest was primitive equipment like that used by the Pemon Indians, the indigenous people that inhabit the area. This list included the following:
2 small metal-framed military backpacks
1 magnifying glass
7 Pemon packs
1 axe with handle
4 bows with real barbed 1 and 2 point arrows
1 axe without handle
1 flint stone rock 1 hatchet
1 spool of bailing wire
2 military belt-mount canteens
1 yucca strainer
7 round shoulder slung canteens
1 big fish trap
9 pairs rubber boots
10 fish hooks
9 hammocks
9 GPS Beacon transmitters
1 roll of 1/8" parachute cord-style twine
1 small dutch oven-style metal pan
4 pairs of leather gloves
1 big dutch oven-style metal pan
1 oversized metal cooking pot/wash basin
1 skillet
2 maps per leg
1 spool of 1/2" twine approx. 50' in length
300 electrolyte tabs
2 broad blade hunting knives with leather belt sheaths
3 tall baby food jars
1 Pemon big drop basket
2 boxes of tampons
4 small gourds
1 compass
1 large gourd with cork
1 lb of Pemon ground grain
3 machetes (small Pemon-style)
1 Block of local back salt beef
3 Pemon baskets
5 military fleece blankets
1 big flashlight and 4 extra batteries
1 spool of spare slingshot cord
9 mosquito nets
1 palm hook knife with no handle
2 candles
1 roll of screen mosquito net
9 whistles
1 file for sharpening
1 small roll of duct tape
Unfortunately, neither the show nor the website explicitly indicates exactly what gear was chosen and what was left behind (though I did note that not once did I see anyone wearing leather gloves - what's up with that?). In contrast, the website for last year’s installment, Out of the Wild - The Alaska Experience, very clearly states that the group took EVERYTHING from their cache – even a ukulele.
This is, at least, the official list. Careful observation during the show reveals that there were some other items that participants were allowed to carry. Included in this list would be at least one magnesium block with a firesteel, one fairly well-stocked first aid kit, some letters from home, and a very large “waterproof” Bible. In the Alaska Experience each participant was allowed to bring one personal item of their choice and it would seem reasonable that this group did as well – at least that’s what I read in to the presence of that huge Bible, the letters, etc. Looking at the official list makes me wonder what each of us think we would have lobbied to take/leave had we been there.
The format to me was fascinating and I very much liked the fact that no one was there to win a big cash payout or any other prize. An equally awesome part of the format was the fact that no one could be “voted off the island.” That is, no one could “vote” anyone off but themselves. Each person carried their own SPOT GPS locator and could press the “911” button summoning a helicopter to come take them out at any time they wished. This represents a lifeline that would not really exist in a “real” survival situation but, proved a mighty powerful temptation to most of these adventurers, too much for some.
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