Alone - The Series

Does anyone else watch this series? Its on the History Channel.

I've been watching it since the first season (its into season 8 this year), partly because the first two seasons were filmed on Vancouver Island. This season is particularly interesting for me cause it is being filmed in my area. Well, not quite. The location is 220 km west (about a 5 hour drive) in the heart of the Coast Mountain Range. They did a very good job of keeping this quiet cause no one seemed to know anything about it, until an article in the local paper just before it went to air. This coming Thursday (June 17) will be the third episode.

If anyone has any doubts about how many grizzlies they have seen so far, let me tell you, they have not filmed them all! This area is heavily populated with grizzlies! I think the woman who is building the pit house will have the best protection from them. The pit house is a modification of the pit houses that are traditional in this area. What a lot of digging! I think she will be warmer than everyone else, too.

The wild onions that one person found are fairly common in that area and will dry well for storage. It will be interesting to see how much and what types of wild food they will find.

The scenery is as stunning as they have made it out to be. No photo editing needed on this trip. Chilko Lake is 65 km long and oriented so that the winds really blow from one end to the other. It has a reputation for being a dangerous lake for boating. And yes, it is that beautiful, turquoise blue colour.

Comments

  • ltwickey
    ltwickey Posts: 369 ✭✭✭

    I love this series! I watch it as much for the educational opportunity for skills, but for the stunning beauty of the areas they film it!!

    I have not seen all 8 seasons, yet... I cut the cable cord 3 years ago!! No regrets on my part, but drives my friends and family insane because I am at least one season behind!!!

  • Annie Kate
    Annie Kate Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭

    Looks good, thanks @torey.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,289 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey thanks for letting us know about the series. It sounds really good.

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @torey I think I’ve watched 3 series, the first two on Vancouver Island and the 3rd in South America I believe. Do you try to pick the winner at the beginning and blown away by who eventually wins? Obviously being self sufficient and having bush craft skills are important, but mental resilience is a big one!

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @JodieDownUnder It is a game in our family to choose a winner at the beginning and see who actually wins. You certainly have to have a good mind set to do this expedition and go the distance.

    I don't like seeing the participants starve themselves just to win money but I do like seeing who has the most ingenuity when it comes to making do with what you have.

    These people are very well prepared in a variety of bushcraft skills but I am always surprised at the under use of some of the available plants. They might be short on food but they could still be making teas full of vitamins and minerals. I was just gob-smacked that they were starving in the two Vancouver Island seasons. Vancouver Island is a temperate rain forest and they all had ocean-side locations for fishing, clamming, crabbing, seaweed harvesting, etc. not to mention the green plants that grow for most of the year with very little winter dormancy. But that was the first two seasons. The participants seem to have become more skilled and more knowledgeable about the areas they are going into as the seasons have progressed.

    They have said that this is the most dangerous season they have done, because of the grizzlies. It was September when they starting filming and that is during the salmon run in the river and up the lake to tributary streams. That will bring in the grizzlies along with other predator dangers, too. Cougars, black bears and wolverines. They also haven't mentioned the fact that if you do decide to tap out or require medical assistance, they might not be able to get to you right away. As I said, Chilko Lake is a dangerous lake and there are wicked storms (especially in the winter) that blow through there and might prevent rescue by boat or chopper.

    Its really generated a lot of interest in this area, even with people who have never watched the series before.

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @torey it’s so good to have “ your region” highlighted on international TV, so people not familiar, have some understanding on where you live and the challenges and delights that you encounter. As I said, I’ve only seen the first three series and like you a little perplexed about plant knowledge, except for Nicole Appelian, who caught salmon very efficiently and knew her plants. Or the dude who had heaps of dried fish and stockpiled but didn’t eat and got carted off for medical reasons( severe weight loss) all about choices, I guess. I look forward to seeing the other series and especially season 8.

  • Marjory Wildcraft
    Marjory Wildcraft Posts: 1,615 admin

    Hi @torey I too have cut the cable cord and gosh, with the book and TGN don't have a lot of time for tv. But you may recall I love to attend primitive skills gatherings - well back when we had them :).

    As you can guess, quite a few of the folks who attend primitive skills gatherings have been on Alone. At one of the gatherings a group of the shows participants did a panel discussion os the show, what they learned, some of the 'back story' stuff, etc.

    At that timer (I['m not sure how the program works now) but participants could choose 3 items like a hachet, rope, matches, or other items. One woman participant (her name is escaping me at the moment) said if she could have done it differently, she would have only taken the duck fat they offered. Food is way more important than tools.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @Marjory Wildcraft That is very cool that you got to meet some of the participants. And hear how they would have done things differently.

    I think you are allowed to choose 10 survival items off a list now. Didn't know that duck fat was one of the items. I'd be going for that, too. Any kind of outside food source that you are allowed would be an advantage.

  • JennyT Upstate South Carolina
    JennyT Upstate South Carolina Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey My husband likes the show and watches it online. I'm not sure if he's seen all of the seasons or not.