Watch all new episodes of Alone, Thursdays at 9:30/8:30c, and stay up to date on all of your favorite The HISTORY Channel shows at history.com/schedule!
@@TheColJoker still a SHOW with the point being winning money so why put yourself at a disadvantage? Did you happen to notice how wet it was when they were showing b roll? Which is more of a calorie saver? Bow drill or ferro rod? Even his own logic was dumb
@@trump45and2zig-zags chances are that he will rarely have to use the bowdrill, because you can generally find coals buried in the ashes for several hours after a fire dies down, especially if you put some green wood on top before leaving. Then you just take the coal and some tinder and get a fire, less energy required then with a ferro rod. A coal, from either a bowdrill or a previous fire, is also much better in damp conditions than sparks, because it provides a long lasting steady source of heat that can dry out damp tinder, whereas it has to be dry for sparks to work. So bowdrill might be more energy than a ferro rod in dry conditions, but it's also much more reliable under any conditions, and requires nothing that you can accidentally lose. If you haven't been using bowdrill extensively for many years under all imaginable conditions, you may not have confidence in it, but don't discount it in the hands of an expert.
@@TheColJoker the trick on the show seems to be getting to most work out of your calories. I guy went in to S6 without a steel because he too was confident in his friction start skill. What he didn’t account for is that after a few weeks you’re trying to friction start frozen wood.
Did he switch knives at last minute? Here he shows Mora Garberg, but in episode 3 while carving his figure four to catch his mouse he’s using a Cold Steel SRK.
@@funonvancouverisland I don't know about everyone else, but Matt picked the one he knows works best for his survival style based on years of experience... I usually prefer the smaller Silky pocket saws, but I can understand why he likes the big one.
@@swanhillfarm You didn't see me out there because you weren't looking. As for why there's so many rude comments is because you cannot see the humourous comments. It may help you if you just reread a comment before you bring your inaccurate judgements into the conversation. You may leave your apology below. 👇
he knows nothing about trapping or fishing "sizes of line" gives that away.- as well as the no leatherman which for trap making I've found to be a tool you wouldn't trade for anything its beyond useful saw file scissors pliers a hook in the arm hand leg foot is game over on this show and hes using large suiside style hooks he cant and doesnt name one species of fish yet claims there is an array ... and he says a thicker blade helps with fire making ....in no way is that true in any way you can spark off the spine of any knife aslong as its carbon content is sufficent then he walks away with NO SHEOS ON
I have known him for 15 years. He could be there with nothing and be just fine. Next to tom brown himself, I would put my life in his hands, no joke. I think he may need to ham it up for the camera and show.
@@monkeyman2174 Once you start a fire it can last for weeks if you're staying in one spot and maintaining it. Even when you go to sleep and the fire goes out there will be some coals left if it's not raining.
If you don't have much experience with an axe it's smart to go with the saw. You can split wood with wedges and way less chance of injury and no sharpening needed. A tarp and ferro rod would of helped imo.
if you know anything, the ferrorod is a wasted pick. you can' easily fire-roll a strip of your shemagh, using rust from your shovel as an accellerant. I cant believe that people dont know to bury their coals, charcoal and dry wood in the ashes. Then you dont need to start any more fires "from scratch" . Once you have a fire, you can have charred punkwood and ashed tinder, kept dry in a bag made of tarp and tape .With those aids, it's very easy to star fire with any hard, sharp rock and any carbon steel tool. For insurance, half a day suffices to make a big pump drill, which always easily gives you friction fire.
The first time I made a friction fire was a very sobering experience. I learned the hard way that one drop of sweat off the end of your nose will quench in a split second what it took over an hour to get (including making the kit) 🙄
@@KnivesandNature ist doch diskriminierend das die Kerle das in Deutschland nicht ausstrahlen oder?? Man zahlt für sky wo der ganze Mist drin ist und dann kommen da nicht mal die gute Sendungen. Verdammte Frechheit
do you people KNOW that they are not allowed to move more than 1.2 miles from their drop off location ? why would you need to carry water when you can't be more than a 10 minute trot from camp?
This guy has never seen any of the other seasons. Everybody that doesnt bring a farro rod quits early. Bowdrills take too much work and energy, especially when you're cold and exhausted. The water bottle in favor of an axe or farrow rod is stupid.
@@aliengranpa ferro rod, is extremely important for everyone in Alone. Joe the self proclaimed survival instructor, was the one who started to cry and quit immediately. I have also lived with families who live and travel in the jungle, that do friction fire on a daily basis. They never own a ferro rod, those are real off grid jungle people. Alone is a series featuring city people serving themselves pretending to be jungle people.
The only guy that didn't bring a ferro rod with him was Nathan Donnelly from season 5 and guess why he tapped....He set his tent on fire on day 72! EVERY other contestant in EVERY other season brought a ferro rod. A couple of them lost it though and quit. If he is confident in his bow drill skills and can maintain a single coal every night then he won't have a problem. Zach Fowler (Season 3 winner) barely used his ferro rod although he brought one because he maintained his coals every night by burying his fire before sleeping and digging it up in the morning.
I agree with Frank. If you’re worried about hand comfort using a pocket tool in the wilderness you’ve picked the wrong challenge. That wire is going to chew your hands up worse
When I camped in the Andes I would boil my water at night put it in a stainless steel water bottle, slide it into a wool sock then put it in the foot of my sleeping bag. It kept me warm and cozy all night then the next day I had clean boiled water to drink.
I have a WHOLE LOT MORE RESPECT for MATT when I hear him in his own, not edited by producers, words. His theory going in is SOUND and the footage shows him to be a lot less 'blinky' than some commentators on the ALONE fan page have noted. I NOW rank MATT with my top participants as being able to make the most of his time on the challenge...and even to win.
@@blacknatsu6623 exactly right. He's a fool to not have boots. The only correct items he took were the pemmican (if that was his choice of a ration) and the fishing kit. The rest are either inferior or a complete waste
I’ve been making friction fires for over a decade, even with natural cordage. I really wouldn’t go on that show unless I had a chunky ferro rod. They are just too easy to use and they can be soaked for months and still work. When your hands are numb and you lose dexterity, friction fires are difficult. Maybe he really is confident in his friction fire abilities.
you obviously know almost nothing. Make a big pump drill and friction fire is always easy. Fire roll a strip of your shemagh and bury your coals in the ashes. Once you have a fire, you can use ashed tinder and charred punk wood to easily start fires with any hard, sharp rock and any carbon steel tool.
@@aaronluna4341 he is actually kind of right. Friction fires are a huge waste of energy but it only has to be done 1 time and you can very easily light up pre-charred material you can make from that first fire. It's how the world started fires before the invention of matches, and it honestly is pretty convenient. Yes your ignitions are less hot but they are guaranteed once a spark touches charcloth or charred punk wood/mushroom and should be easy to get going with the kindling you accumulate in your camp. Bring a carbon knife and you are most likely able to find a stone that can throw sparks in most environments. That frees up an entire item slot.
@@MegaHalftrack did you know that you can make a great ice axe with a stone and a stick? Stone axes work much better for ice than for wood, and he's an expert at stone tools, went for a year one time using nothing but stone tools. I would not be surprised if the saw would not put a hole in the ice with less energy than an axe anyways.
Hmm, last week you said he would be gone in episode 3, seems you are editing your comment to hide your wrongness lol So far he seems to be thriving and not under any particular stress, so you might want to push your pessimism a little further out!
@@ke6gwf no, I edited the comment because of a speeding error and you know it. They showed the filming up to 21 days or so, don’t worry he’ll be gone next week. Plus I didn’t even se him on this episode.
@@ke6gwf NOBODY but Jordan has ever done well and even he lost 5 lbs after he got the moose. your "thriving" guy just starved-out, same as everyone else.
@@dranelittle7726 he didn't starve out, he tapped out because of overwhelming loneliness that he hadn't known was an issue. He did a video on it on his channel.
@@rallysport4207 what i meant is i wish they could select competitors from different countries (putting politics aside for once), bring them all togather to compete.
you can also, if need be when it turns really cold, cut up the bivy and make clothing out of it. The tyvek is somewhat breathable, so it doesn't have the condensation problems that the tarp clothing sometimes has. However, you want to keep the bivy intact for as long as possible, so that it's easy to gain the extra warmth needed at night and just as easily shed that warmth when it's overheating you in mid-afternoon.
the water bottle is an excelente choice , just think of the number of persons in survival shows that taped out , or where forced to tap out due to dehydration , a water bottle makes sense , he just wasn't the right man for the job , i will never forget matt , he was the first survival instructor i saw crying like a little girl , hope he is doing ok😳
All the restrictions and stuff detract from the whole spectacle! But, that is because it's entertainment, and an artificial competition. If they wanted it to be a REAL competition why not have the only restriction being take whatever you want to, as long as you carry it from the outset! Also, the no firearm restriction is ridiculous.
If you know anything, in one day you can make a shelter that's so solid, air-tight and insulated that it needs no fire down to -20F degrees, as long as you have brains enough to leave on your 7 layers of clothing (with debris between each layer). This includes having no sleeping bag
He took the materials to make an excellent bow drill, and there's lots of Cedar up there, so he can have a reliable bowdrill within about 20 minutes of walking into the woods, which will work more reliably than any other type of fire starter, short of a torch. He isn't just showing off, that's just how he does it.
@@feleciajohnson8467 bowdrill is one of the best options for starting fire in wet conditions. I watched a friend take a bundle of fresh picked green grass in the spring, dip it into water, and then take a bow drill coal (California Redwood, very similar to the cedar they have up there), and very slowly and carefully blow it into fire. It took a long time, but the bowdrill coal dries out the grass nearest to it, which then smolders drying out the next layer, and so forth, until a ball of dripping wet green grass was on fire. The great thing about bowdrill is that it creates heat and friction, which dries out your bowdrill wood, creates hot and dry tinder powder, and then gets it smoldering, and creates a coal that can last for quite a long time, so unlike sparkers etc, you don't have to find perfectly dry tinder in order to have a fire, plus it requires nothing from civilization to do, just skill.
He owns a camp in St Croix, but that's not where he is from. Is there a particular reason why you think his hair style will have an impact on his skills and abilities? Have you ever tried skinning big game or carving trap parts all day with a Leatherman? Blisters seriously reduce your ability to function in winter conditions, and so it's a valid choice based on years of experience, and watching thousands of students get hurt by a Leatherman...
you can make a bow and arrows on-site in less than a day, and fire-harden the bow, so that it doesn't lose its 'spring" the way that green wood does. This bow will not be adequate for taking big game, but it will take rabbits to 10m, and take fish in the shallows, from the shoreline.
Everyone saying they understand his logic with the water bottle. I'm like, WTF are you smoking? He basically said, "I can do everything with it I can do with my cooking pot." He basically brought two pots.
you dont need the axe, saw, paracord, ferrorod, sleeping bag, belt knife, bow, snarewire, cookpot. or gillnet. You DO need a ration of pemmican and one of chocolate, a saw edged shovel, a modified multitool, the 3 lb block of salt, the reflective 12x12 tarp, the big roll of duct tape, the cotton rope hammock, the 2Go Systems Trifecta XL bivy, the fishing kit (as 11 treblehooks and 2 large single hooks, which become sewing needles. The rations are just 10,000 calories, at most 4 day's food. Because of the very high fat content of the right rations, tho, you can mix them with 17 lbs of diced, boiled and fried cambium. This will get you thru a week of making the tarp tent, making the pontoon outrigger raft, making the four 1 gallon each baked clay cookpots and their lids, making the pole array of 11 towed treblehooks, with the streamer lures, made out of ribbons cut off of the reflective tarp. If you are not able to catch at least 4 lbs of fish per day, mixing them with 1 lb of cambium, then you should just hole up in a debris pile, making the 2000 sq ft of netting possible out of the rope hammock. ad waiting until day 45 when you can catch plenty of fish. It takes VERY few hours to gather up plenty of debris. Simply do not set up your shelter where you dont have such debris.. Make a rake out of a bushing branch or sapling for gathering deciduouts leaves and pine duff. Put the debris on the 12x12 tarp and carry it into the tarp tent. The reflective bivy can be cut up and converted into reflective clothing if need be. Ditto the reflective tarp. Stuff debris between all layers of your clothing and it will be much warmer. So the sleeping bag is very much a wasted pick. When you go out on the water, do not wear normal clothing or boots/socks. Wear the tarp-based booties and clothing and if need-be, the bivy-based layers, too, with debris stuffed under those layers. Then when, not if, you get wet, you dont have to dry out clothing. All you have to do is dump off the wet debris, shake the water off of the tarp/bivy clothing, add dry debris, maybe warm up with a hot rock inside of the bivy, or with dry clothng on for a bit, then get back to work . Never go out on the water without a fire being as close as possible, with hot rocks, dry clothing, coals buried in the ashes. Then you can get warm and dry in 5 minutes or less.
I hope he does well. Bucking the trend as he seems concerned with hydration and I assume he's a bit of a gun at fishing which will help. Smart choice on the small game tips that will stand up if they go in the ground too.
you've got half a dozen other items that are just as pointless/inferior as a canteen. Bow, paracord, cookpot, axe, saw, sleeping bag, ration, belt knife. You want a multitool, saw edged shovel, modified Crunch multitool, the reflective 12x12 tarp, the bivy, the cotton rope hammock., the big roll of gorilla tape, the fishing kit, the snarewire, the slingbow.
How are they all able to bring so much fishing line? The big roll alone is probably 1000yds. The items selection list says, “1 300-yd roll of a single-filament fishing line up to max of 20 lbs weight test + 35 assorted barbless hooks (no bigger than size 7/0, no lures.)” Seems like they all have way more than 300yds
there's 3 other ways to start fire. All of them MUCH easier than bow drill. The fire roll of a strip of your shemagh, a big pump drill and flint and steel. Also, you can just bury your coals in the ashes. only ONE fire has to be started "from scratch".
The Silky Katanaboy 500 was a smart choice, but that was a whole lot more than 10 items... I am aware of the fact that Alone has "Special" rules when it comes to the definition of items, but bow arrow and quiver is 8 items alone....
Water bottle is the best idea. Ditching the axe for a saw is a good idea. TBH paracord is over rated. A ferro rod, and use that snare wire to lash shelter would be my choice over assorted nylon twine. None of this actually matters. What matters is what actual gear/clothing you bring.
I went w/out a saw and never missed it once. But an axe is the swiftest way to take yourself out of the game (and life), if you're not very skilled in using them. Taking both is usually redundant which there is no room for on this challenge.
He's trained in how to survive with no tools at all, so everything he takes is simply a labor saver, and for his style, an axe really isn't needed. He's not going to be splitting any large logs, and the knife works fine for splitting small sticks, and the saw cuts through trees much better than any axe.
If you know Matt well, you probably understand that all of these are luxury items. He could have picked a wet noodle. I think he wins unless significantly injured or hypothermic. It depends on what happens, not what's in this pack.
Yes, he was my favorite instructor at tracker school, and we know he needs nothing, but I think he may need to ham it up for the show..just a guess. I have known him for years...he is legit.
My thoughts exactly. I see a bag full of time savers and extra comfort lol I am hoping that he is able to get food easy enough that he can go all natural, cordage, stone tools, etc. But starting in the fall puts a bit more time pressure on.
when you know to use 4 8" long, 4" OD logs to make an alternative Swedish fire torch, and use it to ignite the 3 log Siberian fire lay, there's very little processing of wood and no splitting of logs. When you only need a fire to cook and to boil water and you stone- boil 3-gallons of it at a time, and store it in the sleeves of your outer shell jacket, you only need about 10% as much firewood and 5% as much wood processing as you "think' is needed. Knowing how to properly make a shelter and clothing and how to use debris as insulation is how you dont need the sleeping bag or the warming fire. This saves 3 weeks of calories and time in 80 days, which is how you have time to make the 2000 sq ft of 3" mesh netting out of the cotton rope hammock, (10 days) make the four 1 gallon each baked clay cookpots and lids, (one day)make the pontoon outrigger raft (2 days) and the array of logs that let you troll with 11 treblehook trotlines, using streamer lures made out of the reflective 12x12 tarp (1 days) . Little wooden spoon shapes make the ribbons of tarp rotate as they are towed behind the raft (as you row it). The netting, raft and trolled lures/treblehooks are how you catch the 400 lbs of fish needed to win while weighing only 180 lbs as a 6 ft tall man. You'll lose at most 30 lbs of body fat. IF you know to mostly stay holed up in your debris pile. That's 120,000 calories of fish and you can mix in 30-60,000 calories of diced, boiled, fried cambium. The difference comes from people's different ability to pass the cambium thru their gut. A small woman can win by catching 250 lbs of fish.
If you watch the numbers as he counts them off you'll see that the fishing kit is a single "item" even though it's actually composed of several pieces. The show is a little strange that way.
@@asmith7876 5 kits. Water, shelter, food, fire, and first aid...if they are letting them take multiple items and call it 1 thing because it is a kit then 5 is all one needs
@@robertfelts8773 The rules make a bit of sense. A bow and nine arrows and literally nothing else because that makes ten? Not even the quiver? They do have some weird rules but it's their TV show so they can do as they please. I predict it WILL go off the air eventually because someone will die of something, eventually. And that will be the end.
@@asmith7876 it isn't the rules that are problematic to me, it is the presentation of 10 items not being items but rather being kits. It seems petty, but then again if it is petty then they choose to be petty in representing it that way
Wow, no axe? I get his logic on the water bottle. But to take a water bottle over an axe? In extreme cold climate? It's going to be interesting to see how that pans out for him.
@@aspitofmud6257 For the fall months, I couldn't agree with you more, Sir. But once the sub 0 Celcius months hit, and he needs to process wood to burn to stay warm...he'll have a harder time of it, than if he brought an axe. But let's see. I wish him well.
We tend to use small wood for fires, because cutting a big log and then splitting it is a lot of wasted energy, if you can just break up small dead sticks, and maybe cut a few larger logs to make a back log or star fire etc. Very little use for an axe. Oh, and the thick bladed knife can be used to split by pounding on the back side with a stick to drive it through. He's taking the things he knows from his years of practice work for HIS style.
if you know anything, you need VERY little in the way of wood processing, cause you dont need poles for your winter shelter, nor any sort of a warming fire.
@@BeSatori Have you watched the show? I've seen contestants even with ferro rods have trouble when storms blow in. When the snow comes he's gonna have trouble
@@rilianriggs4620 you do realize he spent 72 days on the show with no ferro rod right?? Wouldn't be my choice, but it is possible and has been done by a few by choice or circumstance.
@@mab0852 you're fos. This guy never lasted a month. That was the bearded guy. You dont need or want bow drill. Fire roll a strip of your shemagh and then bury your coals in the ashes. No more need of fires "from scratch". It's amazing how ignorant people are.
It's a silky katana boy. If you're interested I highly recommend the big boy, it's the next step down but I've ripped through trees ranging up to 9" diameter in minutes. The big boy also fits in my hidden woodsmen day ruck. Where as the katana boy will not. ( Just for size reference)
No ferro rod is dumb no matter what. Once it snows friction fires are almost impossible in controlled situations. It blows me away how many people tap because of home sickness even while thriving.
maybe for an ignoramus like you, but if you know to fire-roll a strip of your shemagh, using rust from your shovel as an accellerant, it's quite easy. Then you just keep the fire alive for 12+ hours at a time by burying some coals, charcoal and dry wood in the ashes. Once you have one fire and know about ashed tinder and charred punkwood, you can easily ignite other fires with any carbon steel tool and any hard, sharp rock.
You've got to take the 3 lb block of sea salt, or you wont function worth a hoot. You need those electrolytes in order to stay properly hydrated. When you're dehydrated, you're weaker, can't think properly, are more prone to illness and infection. The salt will help you choke down the 400 lbs of live weight fish and the 50-100 lbs of diced, boiled and fried cambium needed to only lose 30 lbs of bodyfat in 80 days (if you mostly stay holed-up in a debris-pile). That lets a 6 ft tall 180 lb man win, you see. Ditto a 5', 5", 130 lb woman, who will lose only 20 lbs. Until freezing weather is nearly a constant, you need the salt to preserve your meat/fish. You'd normally take lots of stuff that's unnecessary, like the axe, snarewire, bow, cookpot, ferrrod, gillnet, belt knife, so there's plenty of room to take the salt. Ditto the pemmican, chocolate, 12x12 reflective tarp, the big roll of duct tape. The saw, belt knife, sleeping bag, cookpot, paracord are not needed either. They are replaced by the saw edged shovel, the modified Crunch multtiool, the baked clay cookpots, the cotton rope hammock, the reflective bivy.. The hammock offers 10x the netting and cordage you can take as paracord and the gillnet. By knowing how to use debris and proper shelters, make fire by fire-rolling a strip of your shemagh and to bury your coals in the ashes, you can skip the ferrorod. By knowing to make clothing out of the tape, bivy, and the tarp, you are much better off than with the sleeping bag. The only thing normally taken that's not un-needed or inferior is the fishing kit and that should be taken as 2 large single hooks (which become sewing needles) and 11 small treblehooks. If the barbs are not allowed where you're going, grind them off.
This guy deserves more credit. He was the only HIV positive contestant on alone. It's not easy to go out there and do this stuff when your immune system is compromised.
If fishing gear is considered a single item then why not take a backpacking rod and reel with you. I would not even think of going without a ferro rod. It looks to me like he hasn't really given all of the gear needed a lot of thought. Think about what the folks that won in the past and try to copy them if you have a doubts. I like the idea of emergency rations , if they limit the amount. Hope they last providing he knows how to Bear proof them.
I understand the bottle, but I kinda think he's got too much line. I'd have went with a reflective tarp over the bundle of random cordage. The tarp can also collect fresh water and signal for help.
I just started watching alone and Netflix only has season 7 one question I do have is all the contestants confined to a specific area or are they allowed to roam
So if they get a bad song they got to stay in that 5 MI range man that sucks like that really sucks I'm going through watching season 7 right now and there are some bad ranges where they're just no game no fish barely any forgeable fruits and vegetables very little materials and these people got to try and survive for a hundred days no wonder they end up starving themselves
why not just stone boil 3 gallons at a time, and store it in the sleeves of your outer shell's jacket. You dont need the cookpot at all. All shoreline mud can be refined to produce workable clay. Then you make 4 of the 1 gallon each cookpots and lids out of that clay.. You can kebab small bits of food on wooden skewers over low coals. You can roast fish on a plank, with a stick platform underneatch the melted fat. You can fry on the shovel, minus its handle or on a thin, flat rock. You can make an earthern or stone oven.
He was the biggest crybaby I’ve ever seen on one of these shows. Only worried about who would judge him. He really should’ve just not talked about that because I judged him because he was such a big baby and talking about it all the time.
