Tweet

Surviving abrupt isolation, on tap for summer 2015.

“… isolation can suck at the soul. It can bring a man to his knees in a surprisingly short time, quicker indeed than many physical or physiological factors.” John Leach, Survival Psychology*.

History Channel premiered their new wilderness survival series, Alone, June 18, 2015. Alone features ten men (already down to eight in just a few days), all would-be survivors, dropped off alone in separate remote inlets along the west coast of Northern Vancouver Island’s temperate rainforest wilderness (over 12 feet of rain annually). Each gets a kit: basic tools choices, tarps, sleeping bag, and the like, and clothing along with a documentary videography kit–they must document their own efforts, à la Les Stroud, Survivorman. The last man standing in the wilderness takes home a profoundly unique experience and a $500,000 check, their motivation for committing up to one year alone in the wilds.

Emotions run  high day one. Intellectualizations  and raw soliloquies begin even before drop off. Leaving behind family, letting go of society is very difficult. Viewers will experience more vicarious ups and downs along with survivors as episodes air. Emotional angst will be on display along with physical pains and deprivations.

“The toll that the isolation is going to play on all of us is not just being away from family. [It’s] not having a single human soul that you can lean on, that you can rely on. We’re all social creatures. It’s really going to hurt people. There’s going to be a lot of crying nights.” Brant McGee, Alone cast member.

Alone is unique among current productions insofar as participants are challenged by social and geographic isolation in addition to fending for themselves to secure basic needs; shelter, fire, water, & food. The winner will thrive, not just survive, in this damp cool wilderness. Resources abound, as do predators to haunt the night.

So far, primal fear of predators prowling the bottomless dark of temperate rainforest nights has sent two cast members packing. Josh, a fellow Ohioan, was first out after the first night. A curious bear with cub dropped by in the night for a sniff of his shelter, perhaps Josh’s last straw. Day one, Josh immediately experienced functional semi-paralysis due to fear of the very real presence of predators. He was too scared to scout for an adequate campsite further from primary bear territory. He failed to obtain fire, too. He pitched a quick camp amidst abundant bear sign, and he found bears in a tree nearby!

“To be honest with you. I haven’t went out and scouted anything yet and I’m afraid to, just simply because of the animals. I’m so afraid of bears and cougars that I don’t even know what to think. So, tonight’s going to be absolutely terrifying for me.” Josh Chavez, Alone cast member.

Chris Weatherman, a Floridian, left the island the third morning, primal fear again. Wolves in the night raised a ruckus along the ridge near his camp.

“I’m not going to be sleeping here under a piece of canvas with a bunch of wolves behind me.” Chris Weatherman, Alone cast member.

All cast members were armed with bear spray, but some expressed lack of confidence in its use for predator defense. Woodcraft skills are often conflated with wilderness skills. Wilderness exposure is not unlike rock climbing exposure. Both take getting used to. You can have all your basic skills down solid, but the shear experience, at first, can be overwhelming.

I carried bear spray with me in Katmai, paddling solo on Naknek Lake from Brooks Camp to Bay of Islands, etc.. Beforehand, I spent time with the bears near Brooks Camp where locals claim that, “people and bears have an understanding.” Nevertheless, large brown (grizzly) bears in the backcountry were intimidating. I pulled out to camp on a long island well off shore, certain I could let my guard down, but soon stumbled onto fresh grizzly scat, lumpy with large bone chips–I picked another island that night, and I never let my guard down.

I’m in no one’s camp, yet, but I’m going to tune in again to check up on Sam Larson. Larson exhibits playful wilderness spirit, so far. Of course, I’ve seen only what producers have elected to show me.

Tom Bain, Outdoor Readiness

*Survival Psychology, 1994. John Leach. Macmillan Press Ltd. This book is a must read for students of wilderness and calamity survival.