This season’s crop of 10 elite survivalists on Alone appear to be doing a little better than their predecessors. Many of the contestants are better prepared, but fear and mistakes are still having an impact. Once Desmond White was alone at his designated camp area, he took a look around, and after seeing signs of bear everywhere, he called and requested they come back and pick him up. So the first person to leave on the new season of Alone didn’t even last for 24 hours.
8 people remain. Can they withstand the elements? #AloneShow https://t.co/5LSIeNQbqa
— HISTORY (@HISTORY) May 10, 2016
Due to an injury, the second person really had no choice but to leave the Alone challenge. Mary Kate Green was splitting kindling when her ax slipped and sliced her hand open, severing a tendon. Her injury was unfortunate, as she was beginning to set up a nice camp site and it would have been interesting to see what she came up with if she had been able to stay longer on Alone . Despite the terrible wound in her hand, she didn’t panic and calmly triggered her emergency signal as she attempted to dress the wound while waiting for the Alone crew to come to her aid.
Other critical mistakes on Alone could very well factor into how long some of the final eight may be able to stay. For Alone participant Randy Champagne, losing his ferrous rod means he can no longer quickly start a fire. After numerous tries, he is able to use a bow drill to get a fire going, but since he is alone, he must tend the fire constantly to keep it from going out. As conditions get even colder and wetter on Alone , he may be forced to leave if he can’t keep a fire going.
The wilderness is a lonely place. Embark on the #AloneShow Solitary Showdown: https://t.co/q8a4a8LqRb pic.twitter.com/zGs6mcsZxu
— HISTORY (@HISTORY) May 6, 2016
Alone survivalist Tracy Wilson is having problems with bears, and during the second episode titled “The Beasts of the Night,” she was forced to confront a mother bear with a cub. This was probably one of the most dangerous situations she could possibly find herself in alone, but she handled it well. She had to use her air horn and her only flare, so hopefully she scared them enough that they will avoid her camp site in the future. She may not be so fortunate next time, having to face a protective mother bear alone again could easily put Wilson in a life-threatening situation.
Everyone at this point in the Alone experience has some type of structure in place and can make fire. The problem now facing the Alone survivalists is how to find enough food to sustain themselves. Several of the Alone participants have set up gill nets, and a few are already reaping the benefits. No one has enough food yet to be able to do something like set up a smoker, which would help keep the food from spoiling, but it will be interesting to see what the Alone survivalists come up with in regard to food storage.
As the lack of food begins to take a toll on the remaining eight Alone participants, starvation begins to affect both their mental and physical capabilities. The next Alone episode, appropriately titled “Hunger’s Grip,” will push some of them to the edge of giving up. Whether these Alone contestants can push through the effects of extreme hunger in order to keep going remains to be seen.
Journey into the unknown with last night’s episode of #AloneShow online, On Demand or on the app! https://t.co/yRXoJVFNbg
— HISTORY (@HISTORY) May 6, 2016
The situation the Alone participants finds themselves in will only get tougher and more dire as they continue to fight alone against debilitating hunger, predators, isolation, and the harsh environment that surrounds them. Throw in a severe storm, and that may be the final straw for many of the remaining eight on Alone .
Alone posted on May 9 to their Facebook page two sweepstakes opportunities for fans of the series. The first sweepstakes states that someone can win a trip to Vancouver Island if they pick the winner of Alone’s second season. The second Alone sweepstakes offers an extreme camping prize pack.
As the Alone participants live in total isolation while self-documenting their experiences, their numbers will slowly dwindle down until only one remains. The person who manages to tough it out the longest on Alone will receive a cash prize of $500,000.
Alan Kay, who won the first Alone competition, quickly became the favorite as viewers watched him adapt and put to use his impressive and creative survival skills. Even though the current group of hardcore survivalists may be better prepared after learning from the experiences of the original group of Alone participants, they will still need to remember just what it takes to win this competition.
Deadline noted that the Alone series is produced by Leftfield Pictures. Brent Montgomery, David George, Shawn Witt, and Gretchen Palek serve as the executive producers for Leftfield. Russ McCarroll and Zachary Behr executive produce for the History channel.
Are you a fan of Alone ? Do you think you could live in such conditions all alone? Leave your comments, thoughts, and opinions below. Alone airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on the History channel.
[Image via History/ Twitter ]