Alone Australia

[Vader]

zachary...as can be seen in animals all over...even apex predators....most hunts end in failures so you can go without food for a long time...that's why I think it pays to practice some fasting so you know you CAN do it...heck i did it for 3 days WITH doing weights as usual,
the hardest day was the 2nd morning, after that you get used to it...and 3 days is not that long anyway. Water is def more important.

Fasting can work. The guy who won the series in Mongolia didn't eat anything the whole time he was out there. Initially it was because he simply wasn't capable of catching anything - but after a while he adopted it as his formal strategy. It worked for him - but it may not work for everyone.

 

[CaptchaProofBot]

Fasting can work. The guy who won the series in Mongolia didn't eat anything the whole time he was out there. Initially it was because he simply wasn't capable of catching anything - but after a while he adopted it as his formal strategy. It worked for him - but it may not work for everyone.

not necessarily the whole time..just so you can get thru a few days without food without losing your marbles and you'll get some sustenance eventually so I'm looking fw to Kate showing how to get tubers/roots/berries ? etc...

 

[Blue Arrow]

Alone Australia: Woke & Soft.
Should be over in a fortnight.

 

[Hojuman]

Can't believe that bloke " tapped out " after one night.

 

[Sqotty from office works]

Can't believe that bloke " tapped out " after one night.

12 hours and 46 minutes.
Most schoolgirls would curl up in thier sleeping bag and cry for a least 52 hours.
Ugh utter embarrassment.

 

[Hojuman]

One from left field here, but maybe it might ring a bell with someone.

Was watching ( l think ) something like 7.30 report years ago and they had a story about this either Belgian or French bloke who lived off the grid in the wilds down in Tassie, hunting with his bow & arrow. He'd pop into civilisation once in a blue moon for a beer and chat at the pub.
Wish l could find some reference to him somewhere. Was a local legend in the area where he lived.

 

[Sqotty from office works]

One from left field here, but maybe it might ring a bell with someone.

Was watching ( l think ) something like 7.30 report years ago and they had a story about this either Belgian or French bloke who lived off the grid in the wilds down in Tassie, hunting with his bow & arrow. He'd pop into civilisation once in a blue moon for a beer and chat at the pub.
Wish l could find some reference to him somewhere. Was a local legend in the area where he lived.

Not sure about that one.
There was a girl many years ago who got a Cray boat to drop her off on a island down matsyker Island way, there was abc footage of that one.

 

[Hojuman]

Not sure about that one.
There was a girl many years ago who got a Cray boat to drop her off on a island down matsyker Island way, there was abc footage of that one.

It does go back-a-ways Sqotty. Need one of our Tassie brethen.

 

[CaptchaProofBot]

12 hours and 46 minutes.
Most schoolgirls would curl up in thier sleeping bag and cry for a least 52 hours.
Ugh utter embarrassment.

i saw bits n parts of the US one (had the entire series but never got to watch it all) but felt like the yanks were genuinely into it while the Aussies are made up mostly of wannabe influencer type

 

[Vader]

i saw bits n parts of the US one (had the entire series but never got to watch it all) but felt like the yanks were genuinely into it while the Aussies are made up mostly of wannabe influencer type

Really? I didn't get the feeling that any of them were the "influencer type".

 

[CaptchaProofBot]

10 from 41:

Our First Reactions to the 41 Approved Gear Items for Alone Australia Contestants

From flints to flannels, here's the gear contestants had to choose from and what we think of it.

weareexplorers.co

 

[CaptchaProofBot]

FWIW, chatGPT:
Preparing for a long period of solitude in the wilderness requires a combination of mental and physical preparation. Here are some tips to help you prepare mentally for the TV series Alone:

1. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness meditation can help you develop the ability to focus your attention on the present moment, without judgment or distraction. This skill can help you stay calm and centered when you are alone in the wilderness.
2. Develop a positive mindset: It's important to approach the experience with a positive and open mindset. Focus on the opportunities for growth and learning, rather than the challenges and discomforts.
3. Visualize success: Visualization is a powerful tool for building confidence and preparing for challenging situations. Imagine yourself thriving in the wilderness, and visualize yourself overcoming obstacles and achieving your goals.
4. Build resilience: Building resilience requires practicing skills like self-care, stress management, and problem-solving. Develop a plan for coping with stress and setbacks, and practice these skills before you go.
5. Embrace the experience: Finally, try to embrace the experience for what it is – a unique opportunity to test your limits, learn new skills, and connect with nature. Remember that you are not alone – the show's production team and medical staff are monitoring you closely, and you have the support of your fellow contestants.

hmm...no.5, interesting

 

[TheEscapeClub]

It's worth noting that the first season of Alone had 2x contestants tap inside 48 hours - and 6 of 10 contestants were gone within 8 days. Then there was a big gap, to the 7th contestant, who left after 39 days (the winner was still standing on day 45).

The later US seasons had fewer early tap outs, and most of those were medically withdrawn. The contestants in these seasons were better prepared - having watched previous seasons, and thus having a better idea of what to expect. I suspect the casting agents may also have improved their selection, gaining experience in identifying contestants who are more likely to go the distance.

The difference in the tapping out within 48hrs in the US one is that the first had black bears all through his camp during the night and the second one had a pack of wolves on the Ridge immediately behind him.

They were both genuinely in fear of their lives.

The 2 Aussie ones just had no heart or resilience

 

[TheEscapeClub]

I wonder if there's a diversity-pick element with those first two? Both clearly not up to it.

I'm all for seeing strong Indigenous people succeed in this show, and even a few I know in the south-west of WA who'd give it a real crack if they were willing to leave their Country.

In my view they were set up for failure a bit. That Rod bloke looked like he knew a lot of culture but the survivalist stuff really is next-level and requires a specific skill set.

Applications for season 2 closed on Sunday, here's a screen shot of what they're looking for in applicants.

 

[faible]

Applications for season 2 closed on Sunday, here's a screen shot of what they're looking for in applicants.

View attachment 1650270

Surely there were more women that applied that had a sufficient skillset such that the school teacher was an unnecessary casting.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Surely there were more women that applied that had a sufficient skillset such that the school teacher was an unnecessary casting.

Female, first nations.

In the mining industry, she would be known as a unicorn. She was probably the first cast.

 

[Vader]

The difference in the tapping out within 48hrs in the US one is that the first had black bears all through his camp during the night and the second one had a pack of wolves on the Ridge immediately behind him.

They were both genuinely in fear of their lives.

The 2 Aussie ones just had no heart or resilience

To be fair, the first one knew his camp was right next to a bear trail when he set himself up - he just couldn't find anywhere else to setup camp. To me, that's self-inflicted, and on-par with the woman who burned through a whole ferro rod within 48 hours, and couldn't get a fire lit. Both eliminated due to poor skills.

As for the second guy... it was never clear just how close the wolves came to him. One of the guys in the Slave Lake seasons stared down a whole pack, just outside his shelter. For the S1 tapper, it came across as fear of the possible, rather than a direct physical threat. He came across as being unprepared mentally for what he would be facing - which is not entirely dissimilar to the guy who tapped because he wasn't prepared mentally or emotionally for being away from his family.

 

[StingBitten]

Applications for season 2 closed on Sunday, here's a screen shot of what they're looking for in applicants.

View attachment 1650270

It's all there isn't it? Clear as day they were going to pick under-prepared applicants who ticked those boxes.

 

[StingBitten]

Can't wait for tonight!

 

[Vader]

It's all there isn't it? Clear as day they were going to pick under-prepared applicants who ticked those boxes.

At the end of the day, they're casting a TV show - and one which needs to fit within the SBS Charter.

The diversity thing affects all TV shows these days.

No doubt they have many criteria for selecting the participants...

• Strong characters - think "big white hunter", "manic ex- Army", and "hippie"
• Diversity
• Survival Skills

Ideally, they want people who check all 3 boxes. The prepper & survivalist communities aren't that big in Australia, and the subset of prepper/survivalists who would want to be on a TV show is even smaller. With only ~1000 applicants to choose from, it's not as if SBS were overwhelmed for options when casting their contestants.

 

[faible]

Ideally, they want people who check all 3 boxes. The prepper & survivalist communities aren't that big in Australia, and the subset of prepper/survivalists who would want to be on a TV show is even smaller. With only ~1000 applicants to choose from, it's not as if SBS were overwhelmed for options when casting their contestants.

It took a couple of season in the US for the application pool to really build, the skills needed to win S1 were drastically lower than those needed to win seasons 6 or 7 where the winners were very, very capable and never really on the verge of just having to suffer at the point they won.

 

[Vader]

It took a couple of season in the US for the application pool to really build, the skills needed to win S1 were drastically lower than those needed to win seasons 6 or 7 where the winners were very, very capable and never really on the verge of just having to suffer at the point they won.

The key to their victories were the beast kills. Wallabies are apparently fair game, and they definitely provide more meat than rabbits & squirrels, but they're not in the same weight division as a musk ox.

However, I do agree with you 100%. Nobody in the Aus version looks like building anything that might come close to the Rock Shelter.

 

[faible]

The key to their victories were the beast kills. Wallabies are apparently fair game, and they definitely provide more meat than rabbits & squirrels, but they're not in the same weight division as a musk ox.

However, I do agree with you 100%. Nobody in the Aus version looks like building anything that might come close to the Rock Shelter.

Certainly luck was involved where they were able to actually find big animals whereas not everyone even saw them, but having the skills to locate, track and bring down something like the musk ox was a level beyond what we've seen from almost any other participant. Plus the rock shelter, plus the horde of berries and alternative sources of nutrition, plus transporting and storing the meat, and doing it all at a point where he was actually able to freeze the meat rather than too early on.

 

[Vader]

Certainly luck was involved where they were able to actually find big animals whereas not everyone even saw them, but having the skills to locate, track and bring down something like the musk ox was a level beyond what we've seen from almost any other participant. Plus the rock shelter, plus the horde of berries and alternative sources of nutrition, plus transporting and storing the meat, and doing it all at a point where he was actually able to freeze the meat rather than too early on.

This is all true, but it's not the point I was making. I was talking about opportunity.

Yes, the US contestants were lucky to find these animals on their patch, and skillful enough to kill them and store the meat. At the end of the day though, they had the opportunity to do so, because the animals existed in that landscape, and hunting regulations allowed for them to be killed.

The largest animals the Alone Australia contestants are allowed to kill are wallabies - and local hunting regulations do not permit the use of a bow & arrow. The Aus contestants simply don't have the opportunity to make a "beast" kill, which can genuinely setup a contestant for a big win.

I agree about shelters, and the fact that nobody has gone looking for non-animal food sources yet. What we don't know is what food sources even exist in that environment - noting that the Aus version kicked off in the middle of winter, whereas the US versions start filming in late spring (while there are still berries to be found). The lack of interest in shelter building, from most contestants, is definitely a key difference between the two. Scrounging for vegetable/fruit food sources may, or may not, be an expertise issue.

 

[faible]

This is all true, but it's not the point I was making. I was talking about opportunity.

Yes, the US contestants were lucky to find these animals on their patch, and skillful enough to kill them and store the meat. At the end of the day though, they had the opportunity to do so, because the animals existed in that landscape, and hunting regulations allowed for them to be killed.

The largest animals the Alone Australia contestants are allowed to kill are wallabies - and local hunting regulations do not permit the use of a bow & arrow. The Aus contestants simply don't have the opportunity to make a "beast" kill, which can genuinely setup a contestant for a big win.

From memory the preview showing someone killing what looked like it might have been a possum? I can't imagine having much opportunity to kill a wallaby without any bow or arrow though, agreed.

I don't think the landscape appears to lend itself to multiple months of survival, we haven't seen anyone forage anything yet, no way to catch birds, not sure on rodent availability. We'll see how long they last i suppose.