Alone Season 2 on History Channel

[NightSG]

There's just something so wrong about it. Anywhere I'm at in public, lots of people...but no one's talking. Nobody even looks at each other. Completely oblivious to each other's existence.

I watched a table full of college kids at the diner last week sit for at least 30-45 minutes without speaking to each other, heads buried in their phones.
Sure, I was playing Candy Crush on mine, but I was alone. I put it aside when there's someone to talk to, unless it's part of the conversation. (Sharing photos, looking up info on the conversational topic, etc.)

FWIW, the phone is a part of my survival plan. Even if I don't have service, OSMand has a preloaded map and GPS, and I have several reference PDFs saved. A small battery pack gives me a few hours usage beyond what the regular battery does, and I make a point of keeping the phone as charged as practical, so I should generally have time for at least a quick refresher on whatever the priority is at the time, plus checking the map every couple hours for a few days if trying to self-rescue.

[hunter63]

Maybe still want to toss in a compass and a map?

[finallyME]

So, I saw the second episode....Spoiler alert



No one dropped out this time. And it looked like everyone went a whole week. The first guy is probably feeling pretty crappy knowing that all the other people lasted more than 7 days. At least with the first season, all the ones that tapped out early had the condolences of others. It does seem that at least 2 are in trouble. The one guy who is a survival instructor from Utah seems to be having a hard time finding food, plus he dropped his firesteel in the fire. This is the second guy to lose a fire steel. I would think a good practice might be to bring one of those monster steels, and then cut it in half when you arrive and place the other half somewhere really safe. That would give you a backup. One of the girls also cut her hand really bad. They ended the show right then.... I really hate that.

I am thinking that there will be some people lasting a really long time this season.

[NightSG]

Maybe still want to toss in a compass and a map?

I generally have a compass of some sort. Around here, a paper map isn't much of an improvement over my memory, (and the compass is mainly to keep a straight line) though when hiking in places I'm not intimately familiar with, I do carry one.

The one guy who is a survival instructor from Utah seems to be having a hard time finding food, plus he dropped his firesteel in the fire.

Maintain the fire, use it to get some friction fire materials bone dry and wrap them in the tarp, (do the rules specifically say you can't tuck something in one of the camera cases?) and make charcloth. Plenty of fires were lit before ferrocerium was available, even there.

One of the girls also cut her hand really bad.

Are we talking "bleed out without stitches" bad, "cut tendon" bad, or just "this is going to be a PITA doing things one handed for a few days" bad? If the latter, hopefully she'll stick around, keep the wound clean with boiled water, and hang in there unless it shows actual signs of infection.

I am thinking that there will be some people lasting a really long time this season.

Part of me wants to see a season drag on for a year or more as the finalists build themselves cabins and settle in for the long haul.

[Zylumn]

From what I have seen from last season and so far this season they concentrate episodes on people that are on the verge or are going to tap out.
Interesting they haven't introduced Jose or Nicole yet.
Randy losing his fire steel and not bringing fishing line or rations I see him lasting at the most 2 more weeks.
Mary Kate was getting set up nice but cut her hand (didn't look too bad) but injuries play more on the mind than body sometimes. She also set her fire steel on the log she was using to cut up wood and after she cut herself it had fallen (if lost could pose a major problem for her).
Mike is the second after "Mr tap out" that is showing emotional stress. " My heart aches from missing my wife like the time I didn't get a Christmas present at the orphanage" Come on Mike and Man up.
They didn't show Larry or Tracy this show so they must be crusing along fine.

So in conclusion I see possibly Randy, Mike and Mary Kate tapping out in the next 2 or 3 episodes.

[finallyME]

I don't see Mike tapping for a while. He is eating good. I think he is the only one that is making video of his thoughts so they are playing those more.

The last think Mary Kate said was that she can't move her thumb. That could be because she cut the tendon. It is right in that area. I think she is going to tap soon.

[Zylumn]

Mike expressed last episode he is experiencing chest pain anxiety. While not a condition that is serious it could lead to future complications. He is experiencing this at day 5 or 6; mild depression and anxiety should be weeks or more away. Every day should become marginally more difficult for all participants. For Mike to have longevity he will need to work on controlling his chest pain anxiety.
How hard it hit him and how well he adapts and compartmentalizes it is still to be determined.
Again I say Mike taps in the next 2/3 episodes.

[WalkingTree]

Part of me wants to see a season drag on for a year or more as the finalists build themselves cabins and settle in for the long haul.

*chuckle* I must admit, something about me that some in here wouldn't be surprised at...that's what I'd try to do. If it weren't for certain things like if I ended up needing dental attention or vitamins I wasn't good enough to get out there, or just got really sick, at some point I'd even trek to somewhere else and hide so they couldn't find me again. Create some signs to suggest that a bear dragged me off or something. Then months or years later if someone finds me, can pretend that because of a dangerous animal encounter I got separated from my stuff (strategically leave certain things but take certain other things) and got lost, and was just trying to survive nonetheless not knowing what else to do.

...well, no, probably not. That would be crazy. But it's a fun fantasy.

...she can't move her thumb. That could be because she cut the tendon. It is right in that area

That would really suck - cutting your tendon.

[WalkingTree]

Finally got to see the first episodes. Yippee!

God that place is beautiful. I can smell it. I can feel it. The air. Dirt. Humidity. Wow.

(The site wants me to enter some passkey, according to my service provider. But I only use over-the-air and don't want to screw with anything else. Just ain't that in love with T.V.) But now people can watch the first 2 shows. (What's up though with not being able to see "episode 0"?)

I change my mind about Tracy. She's moved way up on my list. Seems much less ditsy than many we've seen, and very stable psychologically. Stark contrast to Desmond - hears a bird call and suddenly the forest is haunted and terrorizes him. There's a bear outside when Tracy's in bed? Pfff, who cares. Silly bear, tricks are for kids.

I feel ya, David. My natural expression always makes me look like I'm mad too. But I'm not. Hope you get your bigfoot sighting.

That one dude better learn how to fish. Was that Randy?

I'm feeling like all the ones who start talking too much...in a brooding way, that is...about missing people, or lose flipping firestarters and talk about being defeated because of that - it's like they're intentionally self sabotaging or already decided they need to leave, but are weaving together a cover story for it. Or just don't consciously realize yet that they've decided to tap.

Except for Mary - I'm gonna be pissed if she's hurt bad, cause she seems like a winner. Changed my mind about her too. But, the whole time she's splitting that wood like she was, I'm thinking "you're gonna cut your hand...you're gonna cut your hand...why the heck are you doing it like that?! Ain't you got no sense girl??" And pow. Cut her hand.

[Zachary Fowler]

Totaly got to cut your fire starters top 2 inches of and hang it around your neck. Then you still have 6 inches left if you get the one of the big ones. And you could mount it in a footlong stick, tied and pitch glued in place so u cant misplace it so easly. Not to mention bank your fire when you leave it so yoy can uncover good coals sill going. I dont see why your fire should ever go out.

And its been a weak why is everyone still living in temporary shelters. If your planing on being there a while id want to build somthing i could realy get out of the rain and take my wet stuf of in. Somwhere with anuf room to hang my nicer up to dry.

[kyratshooter]

Why have they not built better shelters?

Possibly because they don't know how! They are bush crafters and survivalists, geared to the temporary weekend shelter.

All of their expertise is in temporary makeshift shelters and building any real security is beyond their abilities. Did you not notice the pretty wigwams of twigs and leaf piles they were proudly showing off in the introductory episode?

It is possibly because all their previous work has been done in parks and areas where only temporary shelters are allowed, so the concept of engineering for a long term shelter is not in their mental tool kit. I have run into this thought process before.

At any rate, I can see no work done for a week of site occupation. they should have jumped on that quickly before their energy levels dropped, or while they had the emergency food rations to sustain their work.

I can guarantee you that by day two I would have had a log wall between me and the bears, cougars and wolves. It might have taken another day or two to chink it in but the logs walls would have been there.

I have worked at several historic sites where two or three of us would have a cabin walled up and roofed in a weekend. The walls do not have to be but 5'-6' tall. These guys even have the advantage of using one of the tarps as a roof. They could have put up a 6'x8' trappers cabin in two days, even working alone.

And it does not require flat ground. You can level out two footer logs on a couple of tree stumps or piles of rocks and set stills close enough to level to run floor logs and build up from there.

Last season no one built a real shelter either, and they remained miserable and wet the entire series. When fall sets in they are going to have 50mph winds beating those tarps to death.

[Zylumn]

Kyratshooter I have thought about this and have come to the conclusion that there has to be rules against such "permanent" shelters. Over 2 years of 20 "" highly trained survivalists and only 1 last year started to build a log structure but mysteriously a quarter the way through quit siting a lame excuse. It doesn't make sense with an axe and saw something solid could rapidly be constructed. Ya it could just be laws of the Natives who own the land not wanting 20 cabins built on their land.

[WalkingTree]

not wanting 20 cabins built on their land.

This, I could understand. Whoever's land it is from one time to another, all the little scars left behind by a t.v. show and all the little cabins, might be something that someone is concerned about.

However, a log cabin is not the only option, even though this reasoning might extend to all forms of shelter. I myself would certainly have something started worth living in and it wouldn't be a log cabin. Nonetheless, this would be extremely disappointing.

rules against such "permanent" shelters

It means that they're not telling us everything. And I wonder if they tell the participants before they get approved to be on the show. It means that we're going to continue to be increasingly bored and disappointed by this show. It means that it is little more than Naked & Afraid - they got some "stuff" instead of being naked and barehanded, but they're really not supposed to do anything after all except just hang on as long as they can. Hang on, helplessly, instead of doing anything. It means that it's little more than Dual Survival - they're not supposed to do much more than those guys did, trying to get rescued, except that they draw it out, helplessly, instead of ever doing anything. It means that they effectively lie to everybody...drum up a lot of excitement over some people choosing their limited items, saying that they have to survive out in the wild with those items, and then tell them that they can't really hunt anything except freaking squirrels or grub worms, and that they can't build anything except for stringing up their puny tarps and huddling up underneath them with a handful of freaking leaves.

[crashdive123]

TV shows like this are aired for entertainment in the hopes of drawing viewers and increasing the advertising revenue. They are not put in place to "tell us everything" and educate us.

[NightSG]

This, I could understand. Whoever's land it is from one time to another, all the little scars left behind by a t.v. show and all the little cabins, might be something that someone is concerned about.

Seem like if they can afford all the gear and a half mil prize, they ought to be able to buy a couple hundred acres of less-desirable land somewhere and sell it off afterward. And maybe bribe their way to ten "unlimited primitive hunting/trapping" permits each year. That's not likely to destroy an ecosystem anywhere that isn't already insanely delicate.

It means that they're not telling us everything. And I wonder if they tell the participants before they get approved to be on the show. It means that we're going to continue to be increasingly bored and disappointed by this show.

Yup. I really wish they'd just go ahead and publish the whole rule book on their site. Some things might make a lot more sense if we actually knew the underlying constraints. People don't quit watching football after they've read all the rules.

[edr730]

I wouldn't mind having a log cabin. If I was the horse who was dragging all the logs through the woods, I wouldn't use anything but cedar. It's lighter, straight and can be limbed and cut far easier. Any big logs just wouldn't be possible. I saw some cedar in an episode in what little bit I saw. Bark of cedar can be used for shingles too although thin. The one problem is that cedar and bears like the same kind of area. Aspen or popple might be ok if I found a higher area with many trees of the same size that I wanted. Usually that occurs where loggers have been in the past in old cuttings and I don't think they log there. Aspen, when green, is heavy and full of water too. I wouldn't start if all I had was hardwood to drag and cut. One foot diameter by 8 ft hardwood log I don't think I could drag two feet if at all. A six inch diameter by 8 ft hardwood log I could drag a fair distance, but I don't want to do too much of that and I don't want to cut, saw or limb many of them either. Maybe 4 inch would be possible. If all the conditions were just right it could make a nice permanent shelter. I can see a lot of those tarps getting tore up as well since many probably don't know how to be careful with them in the wind.

[edr730]

There might be basswood there. That grows in clumps of trees and it is usually straight and not that heavy. Maybe soft maple which grows in the same kind of clumps and isn't bad to work with. It could be possible with the right trees all together to build a little cabin.

[NightSG]

Kyratshooter I have thought about this and have come to the conclusion that there has to be rules against such "permanent" shelters. Over 2 years of 20 "" highly trained survivalists and only 1 last year started to build a log structure but mysteriously a quarter the way through quit siting a lame excuse. It doesn't make sense with an axe and saw something solid could rapidly be constructed. Ya it could just be laws of the Natives who own the land not wanting 20 cabins built on their land.

I wonder what the actual limitation is; building something too hard to remove later, or cutting too much live wood.

I think my first step after the basic tarp shelter would be a fairly solid wickiup. Take a few days if needed to get a rock solid frame, some greenery over it for insulation and to reduce direct heat on the tarp from the firepit inside, then dismantle the first shelter and use the tarp for a waterproof layer, with more branches over the tarp to protect from hail or falling branches, and keep it from flapping in every little breeze.

Not sure I'd really want to go to a cabin after that. Just the psychological boost of having a real structure with enough room to move around in and get some work done and clothes dried when it's pouring rain should make a pretty big difference in how long I'd be willing to stay.

Beyond that, skip the bow and make an atlatl and darts on site, if there's any sort of cane or straight saplings in the area. Sling too, if you have the spare cordage. Not likely to get much use out of them, but at least you free up a spot on your items list. A sturdy spear or two as well; pointy sticks and the skill to use them put us at the top of the food chain. Fish spear as much to pass some down time in a useful manner as to supplement the gill net's catch. Springpole snares near camp, both to get food and to surprise any bear that triggers one accidentally. (Small game size, not bear size; I'm just thinking it might startle the bear into running away when the pole pops up. Doing it a few times on successive nights could encourage them to stay away.)

Anybody else notice the Utah survival instructor is using the exact same knife Matt Graham used on Dual Survival? Wonder how much of his training is from Matt. If that's the case, he might be a long-timer...if he'll settle down and settle in.

[WalkingTree]

It's possible that the kind of shelter that I'd prefer to build anyway (2.0) would be permitted by their rules (except the 'fence'?). Though of course I don't know.

My shelter "one-point-oh" (1.0) would be a quick debris hut, incorporating my tarp, which doesn't need precise engineering and isn't too picky on what material is required nor processing that material. Just a decent amount of it. In the very beginning, what I'd spend possibly more effort and time on is the beginnings of a type of fence, and preparing the general site/immediate vicinity. The fence would take on an equally immediate and rudimentary form initially, intended to be upgraded when I could do so. It would eventually be an intermeshed affair of certain kinds of brush/timber, and a kind of caltrop/hedgehog - 3 sticks, 6 pointed, about 3 feet high...eventually many of them overlapping slightly with each other and loosely connected to each other with some simple unprocessed natural cordage. (There'd be other features to the 'fence' too, like some punji features, and maybe a cordwood-&-mud wall around the entrance of shelter 2.0 to come later, forming a courtyard within the larger perimeter fence.) The fence would create a yard around my shelter which homogenizes and reduces habitat for many smaller creatures, deters larger ones or gives me response time for them, and allows me to work on projects without something sneaking up from behind me so easily, to accumulate, store, and protect materials and projects, and to have little smoldering fires (even anti-rain fire structures) without starting a forest fire and to even possibly work overnight occasionally - napping during the day.

I think that I'd plan on/scout for a second site also, specifically for game processing and cooking/dining (take cooked food back to main shelter?), separated from my primary/sleeping site and hopefully located close to flowing water for disposal of animal remains etc (?). This site would really be just an area of ground prepared like a 'yard', with it's own 'fence' of sorts; stone fire pit, working surfaces, and some water containment options always already there; in addition to trying to otherwise work in a 'clean' manner (leaving no remains) I'd always spread ashes all over everything before leaving each time. The components which make this 'yard' can be relocated, re-making it elsewhere if needed sometimes.

Shelter 2.0 would be a type of A-frame which doesn't need any major logs, would not use my tarp, almost doesn't require any lashing (cordage), doesn't require the engineering involved in leaf-weaving or bark shingles for rain-shedding, wouldn't need clay for being some wattle/daub project (though I'd consider incorporating this feature)...but it would be very warm, very secure against mosquitos, secure against large predators in combination with other things, would shed rain and keep me dry, and very stable possibly against winds up to 50 mph without parts of it falling apart.

Considering all the concerns, and options, for the 'pooping dilemma'...I've thought that I might just make some kind of woven-stick basket, used in combination with simple dirt thrown into it during operation - and I'd just poop into it within the relative security of my 'courtyard', then carry it out and empty it somewhere each time into a hole far away or flowing water. Cleaning the butt while at home, or at the 'emptying site'...I dunno.

But again, by the time that my projects begin to accumulate, the show producers might come in and say "You have to stop making stuff. Though you're trying to compete with others in how long you can survive out here, you can't actually do anything or use the stuff we gave you to achieve this goal." So I don't know.

I might maintain a 'dummy' camp for the one that the producers are aware of...in actuality being a first shelter (1.0) which I simply pretend to use afterwards for appearances...while instead having my real 'homestead' off somewhere else that they'd never stumble upon.

[hunter63]

Wow....Should have signed up for the show...sounds like a plan.