Alone

As someone who has spent a great deal of time in the back country I can say without a doubt that this is the realest of reality shows. I find it very entertaining watching the contestants do the wrong or right thing and then deal with consequences of there choices. I have also learned a thing or two - like using a tarp to build a boat or something that will float (never considered that, but I have a canoe so I never had to). The longest amount of time I have ever spent alone is 6 days and I have been alone for days many times over the years. I can tell you first hand it can really mess with your head.

Storms, vermin, predators, insects even the silence it all effects you. My hat is off to all the contestants who survived for even a few weeks. Your all winners in my book.

Someone posted, there isn't one documented wolf attack in history. You need to do some research. Many documented attacks plus 5 fatal attacks since 1989.

Most recent attack, a 14 yr old boy in MN. He survived. A woman was killed by 2 wolves just a few yrs ago in Alaska.

Just the lack of sunshine for so long will cause great psychological stress.

Those that give it low ratings probably want a somewhat scripted/planned show like Survivor or Amazing Race.

Of course its a slow paced show, no host to try and make it interesting, no competition for food rewards, no hype. It is just men left alone to record their daily struggles.

Being out there in the wilderness at night with no protection is no picnic, and I can tell you have never done it if you think it is.

I can say this because I grew up in northern Canada, and as a kid we would chase away black bears and we saw them all the time when i went hiking with my friends. I was 12 at the time and a group of us would chase these bears away, we lived in a town of about 350 people up near Alaska, a small Canadian mining town, and so I got used to seeing all kinds of wildlife. There was one time an older black bear turned around and started charging back at us after we had chased it across a big baseball field at night, I have never ran so fast in my life, and the kids I was with ran as well, as there was no protection out there on a field with nothing to climb or hide behind, we had a golden retriever who was my family's dog, He had warned me more then once about some bear while camping or fishing, and had many times he had stood his ground protecting us, but that time he ran faster then all of us, and speed past me.

I have also read all the stats about wolf and bear attacks, and while it is one thing to understand that there has not been any real wolf attacks documented, it has happened. And there are numerous bear attacks having been documented. There is a big difference between a timber wolf and a normal wolf. When I was around 15 years old, I went hiking and being a kid was oblivious to my surroundings. I was crossing a river, when I felt something, so I looked up, and there was a timber wolf staring at me also crossing the same river, it wasn't the usually way a dog looks at a person, it is very different, you could see he was trying to decide if I was food or not? It was super scary, the two friends I was with bolted, and having no choice at that time, I did the same. When he started to run at us I could tell he still hadn't decided what he was going to do, but it was just instinct. I got to a bunch of trees and climbed up them quickly and he stopped at the base of the tree and looked up. He then heard another hiker call out down the trail, and he gave me one last glance and bolted. if I was alone he might have decided to eat me, seriously, while most Hollywood portrayals of wolfs is ridiculous, attacks do happen, and a timber wolf is a real predator, unlike a normal wolf which i feel like I would have a chance against, a timber wolf is so much bigger and made to kill big prey. Their chests are huge, as well as their paws and teeth.

Anyway, it seems like easy money this show, but to the credit of the people who have left, it is another thing when you are actually being stalked by the bear, all the way back to camp, that is serious behaviour and I have no doubt that such a bear would attack when it showed no fear, and actually showed aggressive behaviour. Admittedly wolfs, I would be less scared off, but is is still another thing to have no way of protecting one's self and no way to get help quickly. To those who think it would be easy, well, go try being in a tarp tent, without even a zipper, and see i you think you are as brave when a cougar, bear or timber wolf is scratching on your door.

The best thing any of them can do is create a big fire at night, that would go a long way to scare away animals, and create some sort of protection. I can't wait to see anyone here who thinks it is easy to get out there at night, and see how they do. Again, it is a completely different thing to read stats, or to meet bears with the protection of a car, a good tent, even the protection in numbers, then when you are all alone, with no weapon, and know you are pumping fear hormones into the air. You have no idea how scary that can get, it is no wonder that the people who have had predators come back to their camp have left... I do not blame them, even having my experience with bears and wolfs.

Maybe the show's producers should take people up on these forums who think it is easy.

Shocking, I know. A reality show that actually seems real without interference from producers or outright scripting.

I recommend watching this at a faster speed - I prefer 2x. The show plods along most of the time. The episodes themselves consist of half doing and half talking behind b-roll of the environment, with cliffhangers stuck on each commercial break. There's a lot of downtime with the whole zooming out showing the contestant's area which will have you reaching for the fast forward button.

These downsides are mitigated by the heartbreaking moments in each season. Don't be naive like me and immediately dismiss it because it's a reality show. The reviews here are what encouraged me to give it a shot, so thanks ya'll.

There are a lot of"reality" shows out there that are just not good and most likely staged. This has to be the most"real" show I've seen on TV. Besides that, it's absolutely the most interesting show I've seen. The mental aspect of being alone for so long always seems to catch up to the contestants. The skills are great, but until you can cope with your emotions, it means nothing. Sometimes the drop off location is not as good as others, but that's the part that shows how good of a survivor these folks are.

I highly recommend this show just based on the fact that it is legit and lets you into the lives of very diverse individuals and what they see as important to them. Couldn't recommend this show more.