Alone: "The Item I've Received the Most Flack for" Matt's 10 Items (Season 8) | Exclusive | History

[@HISTORY]

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!

[@SPACE_GEKKO]

I'd be happy to do so, but it seems there is no way of streaming it in Europe/Austria.

[@calmauric8218]

History, what about Australia? Please broadcast on our Netflix or Amazon prime or bloody something!

[@calmauric8218]

@Yung G nope. Get 2 seasons in then all services request an American cable company password

[@dubleowe773]

He didn’t mention his emergency weed stashed in the sleeping bag.

[@Catbus-Driver]

@@frankG335 Could have hid it in his pooper

[@OGTylerP]

@@Catbus-Driver few grams in his prison pouch...

[@chrisgraham9110]

Does that count as tinder?

[@dubleowe773]

@@chrisgraham9110 absolutely.

[@joetheblacksmith8071]

@@frankG335 they are not allowed to wear jewelry

[@NoKamalaIn2025]

You gotta be mighty confident in your friction fire skills to not take a ferro rod or some type of fire making tool into the bush

[@saltysoldier2289]

Yeah, even if you're very competent it's a waste of calories.

[@trump45and2zig-zags]

Just dumb in that climate

[@trump45and2zig-zags]

@@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

[@ke6gwf]

@@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.

[@Pygmus]

@@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.

[@oldsoul8330]

If I ever went on this show I would bring a bed and breakfast as one of my items.

[@NobleSavage44]

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.

[@jam1701]

The show must have a contract with Silky this year. Everyone has a Silky folding saw. I have a Katanaboy and it’s great.

[@angryshrub1]

I don’t know about a contract, but Silky saws are the best. They probably all have them because they just work.

[@funonvancouverisland]

Ya they are just the obvious choice. Everyone's picks are based on what worked best in previous seasons I'm sure

[@BeSatori]

I'm not aware of anyone else making that scale of folding saw, and the quality is great.

[@ke6gwf]

@@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.

[@funonvancouverisland]

@@ke6gwf I believe if your trying to survive in our forest long term, and you can only bring one saw, it has to be the big one 🤪

[@aspitofmud6257]

Right off the bat I knew a hair comb was not going to be one of his ten items.

[@aspitofmud6257]

😎🙃😁

[@aspitofmud6257]

@@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. 👇

[@ke6gwf]

@@swanhillfarm I have spent a lot of time out in the Pines with Matt, and I laughed at the comment, and I think Matt would too! ;)

[@jooky5]

Underrated comment

[@robertlogan9682]

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.

[@dranelittle7726]

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.

[@kdkulhanek]

He does not seem the most confident, I hope his bowdrill skills from the Virgin Islands work in the wet damp North

[@monkeyman2174]

You are so right. A lot of extra work to use a bow drill. Might be a big mistake.

[@jackvoodoo2900]

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

[@ke6gwf]

@@jackvoodoo2900 he spent years practicing and teaching trapping and fishing, and knows EXACTLY what he's bringing and why... ;)

[@kwdoug]

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.

[@paladinsmith7050]

@@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.

[@mikeseeley1042]

This guy was such a jerk cussing out his audience before tapping out, I was happy to see him go.

[@ViliamiLatu]

😆 😆 I know. He quit real quick

[@thegreenmercenary]

The guy definitely had a chip on his shoulder.

[@17Liberty76]

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) 🙄

[@justinsigmund6200]

Mora garberg is a great knife choice. I would have went with the carbon steel version though. That way after I got my first fire going, I could make char material and use the back of the knife for flint and steel. Also with the snare wire it might have been a good choice to bring a multi tool. That is my 2 cents. I wish them all the best of luck.

[@sparrowflying864]

He should have took a saw with carbon steel blade for throwing a spark. You can get a spark of a baco laplander. He probably wanted a knife that wouldn't rust up.

[@justinsigmund6200]

@@sparrowflying864 for that scenario I'd go with katana boy over the bahco. Main reason is with the size of the wood there. Don't get me wrong though, the bahco is great.

[@BeSatori]

@@sparrowflying864 The saw is carbon steel.

[@BeSatori]

The saw is carbon steel. Any particular reason you don't believe that knife is carbon?

[@ke6gwf]

@@BeSatori I would prefer a stainless steel knife just so I don't have to worry about corrosion. I don't see much use for making sparks if I can make a bowdrill, so that's not a sales point for me.

[@harvestvillage695]

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.

[@tzaylor]

I love his gamble of taking rations! How many days of free work does that buy him.... 2 or 3? Everyone kills themselves making shelter before food. It will be fascinating to see if this pays off. While we can all easily say it's a waste of an item, if he uses it to get a Jumpstart maybe it will pay off. In my opinion the trick (for capable survivors) is getting fat calories before winter. It's not just eating, it's a race against weather. So this bought him some time in that race. But what do I know, I'm sitting on the couch with tortilla chips right now.

[@ke6gwf]

If he took high carb rations that would give him the ability to go wolverine on shelter, fire and food at the beginning, before dropping into the slow burn keto. Having the energy to rapidly scout and track his area and select trapping and hunting locations, cut and drag, and all the other high energy activities, could make a big difference.

[@tzaylor]

@@ke6gwf totally agree

[@simonwaddington1866]

Yet I've never seen contestant who took rations actually say they were eating them. Do they snack on them at night and not tell us, or do they save them for end game and then it's a complete wasted item because I don't think any ration taker ever won - maybe there is a spreadsheet somewhere of all the contestants and what they took and where they placed. Would be interesting. Not to mention we've seen many folks manage to build a final shelter after one or two weeks if not longer.

[@ShoahBiz]

@@simonwaddington1866 I looked it up and for seasons 1-7, 64% of people brought foot rations. 57% of “first and second place winners,” brought food rations.

[@dranelittle7726]

one ration of pemmican is 5000 calories. It can be mixed with diced, boiled and fried cambium and feed you for 3 days. Best to leave behind the bow and the snarewire and take another ration, too, of chocolate.

[@blacknatsu6623]

I love when these hippie weekend warriors get a dose of reality.

[@crush42mash6]

I always love seeing the Canadian Northwest being challenged. Solid

[@frankarmilio8902]

Never seen this show but I can bet money this guy didn't win. When you talk about comfort for why you brought the knife because it's "easier on the hands"....you ain't making it in Alaska my friend 😂

[@ke6gwf]

How much do you want to put on the line? ;) And if you have ever tried doing extensive work carving traps, skinning big game, etc and gotten blisters or cuts from the edges of a Leatherman, you might understand that a knife with a good handle is much more valuable than a Leatherman.

[@jasmineirwin7166]

Let’s be real here the one and only item anyone needs is the bear grills survival knife.

[@bearsredzone845]

You are right he didn’t win.

[@sukimanhussin4627]

Yep.. Tapped out in episode 5 (day 22). Went all out to blame the audience for his suffering and failure..

[@billwithers1349]

@@ke6gwf you are completely fos Jordan skinned a moose with a multitool you need the two real deal files/chisel, visegrip, awl/drill, gouge, of the modified Crunch. multitool.

[@SerrLou]

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.

[@ryu-ken]

He's gonna fail so hard

[@aliengranpa]

I remember the guy that lost his ferro rod and immediately quit because it's THAT important.

[@psyamok3735]

@@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.

[@pdnbeats]

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.

[@County_da_kang]

The guy that didn't bring one in season 6 made it to the final two. 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@jazzy8009]

I don't think he has ever experienced a Canadian winter. Should be good

[@johnmiller8592]

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

[@petersymons7817]

Thank you

[@max_fjellstorm]

Please stream this show in Germany aswell!

[@KnivesandNature]

Would be great ! Grüße aus Bayern

[@max_fjellstorm]

@@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

[@Fender1031]

Im always interested in the contestants that buck the trends of the previous winners and last 3/ runner ups. Ferro rods, axes and multitools seem to be on 90% of the lists of all the winners and runner ups. I think season 3 started the multi tool trend, So its a bold move not picking any of the tools that previous winners had. Bringing something like a Leatherman Surge for me would be paramount over a fixed blade as you can customize it or just even bring the standard one with the diamond file and you have a tool that is going to do a lot of every day tasks for you including maintaining your other tools. It seems like he is choosing things for immediate convenience rather than long term necessity except the ferro rod part, he is relying on his background which is what we all do but I am fascinated to see how his time plays out.

[@REDDSQUAW]

I will be watching along with ya...just wondering why he choose not to wear moccasins (shoes lol)...ur feet are the most important to take care of out there!..jus say n🙉🐾🐾🐾

[@ke6gwf]

@@REDDSQUAW he will make mocs with the first animal he takes. Can do a bark shoe tied on with paracord if he gets into cold conditions before he takes an animal. He is taking the tools that save time and energy, but is totally capable of doing this with nothing, it just takes longer. And he's taking the tools he has years of personal experience with, rather than what some other person tried.

[@ke6gwf]

@Average Joe then you should look up Matt down on his island camp, book a class and let him and his wife teach you how to be reliably proficient with bowdrill ;) I bet his kids could teach you, I am sure they are better at it than I am by now... Lol It's not a hard skill to learn, the hard part is finding people who know what they are talking about to learn from, unlike most of the KZbin videos etc.

[@UneducatedPhotographer]

Skipping on the ferro rod for the water bottle seems like a really great choice for the non-survivalist.

[@dranelittle7726]

@@REDDSQUAW if he did that, he's a damned fool, which prooved to be the case and it didn't take long, either. You dont need the canteen or the cookpot, if you know anything. You can boil 3 gallons of water in a tarp lined pit and store it in the sleeves of your outside shell's jacket.

[@dranelittle7726]

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?

[@victorhood3453]

Silky saws are far and away the best saws ever produced in my humble opinion !

[@dranelittle7726]

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.

[@markm1138]

Good call

[@aaronluna4341]

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.

[@dranelittle7726]

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]

@@dranelittle7726 Whatever man, let’s see you post a video making a friction fire set made from stone tools.

[@escapetherace1943]

@@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.

[@Gillesgip]

Interesting choices, I've often thought about a saw over an axe. I'm leaning with a saw. Look forward to the rest of the season

[@NoKamalaIn2025]

I'd take both. They both have their advantages. Just my opinion

[@MegaHalftrack]

If he makes it to the winter would be hysterical to see him try to cut through the lake ice without an axe….lol….. rookie

[@ke6gwf]

@@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.

[@mikaeremichellepeck1169]

I looked up every winner of Alone, and every one of them took both a saw and axe .

[@jamesellsworth9673]

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.

[@josiahmorris5799]

Yeah, his choices show confidence.

[@ke6gwf]

You chose well. Lol He's one of the best people I know at these skills, and I would be shocked if he doesn't make it

[@blacknatsu6623]

He has no chance. Episode 4 he goes home, he may be able to squeak into episode 5 but I doubt it.

[@dranelittle7726]

@@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

[@dranelittle7726]

@@ke6gwf guess you were shocked, since he didn't even last a month. Many WOMEN have done much better.

[@cocovasquez1]

Mora Garberg sighting, Nice.

[@blacknatsu6623]

He’s gone in Episode 4, maybe he squeaks into 5 but I doubt it.

[@ke6gwf]

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!

[@blacknatsu6623]

@@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.

[@blacknatsu6623]

Well looks like fat boy made it another episode, yet it’s the same amount of days, they are just making episodes. This will be a short season.

[@dranelittle7726]

@@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.

[@ke6gwf]

@@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.

[@reyrobles4151]

This dude upset and taking it out on the audience about his lack of discipline. He signs up for it and cries lol. I knew he wasn’t going to last

[@browncoat516]

Hair bungie:yup. Shoes:nah

[@REDDSQUAW]

I'm from Navajo Nation...( my rez is in the mountains )...u got this✊ ..❤💛🖤🤍

[@legionvad9744]

Wish they made this competition a global one, Would love to take part in competition like this.

[@rallysport4207]

What do u mean Virgin Islands and the uk are on this season… why couldn’t other places be?

[@legionvad9744]

@@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.

[@thegreenmercenary]

They don't care about your nationality. Just apply.

[@dranelittle7726]

I doesn't even freeze for the first month that they are there and it never dips below 0F before they leave. It's 20F degrees warmer at Chilko, compared to Great Slave Lake.

[@SurvivalRussia]

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....

[@dranelittle7726]

that's the way it's always been. So your comment is stupid.

[@RAYANDERS-w4t]

thanks

[@Patshes]

Excellent choice 🆒😎👍

[@edwilson6366]

I couldn't help but notice this guy is barefooted. He talks about keeping warm in his sleeping bag so he knows he's headed for cold weather. I'm just say' in.

[@JJones-cl4dm]

man I ain't trusting a bow drill somewhere that cold and damp forget that. nope.

[@BeSatori]

Breaks my heart to see all the fishing gear after learning all the fishing restrictions you all had. Looking forward to seeing how you fair Buddy.

[@Jona7Fer]

What exactly are you referring to? No Gill nets allowed?

[@dennisleighton2812]

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.

[@dranelittle7726]

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

[@MrRavenski23]

Wow Dan Jett has a lot to say in the comments. Wonder how I manage to survive that long, I am 72, without ever meeting Dan Jett to tell me what to do.

[@jasmineirwin7166]

You came across him too eh. Isn’t he just a peach?

[@suzz1776]

love how he is barefoot. lol. even if I was planning on going barefoot, I would still wear a pair of heavy boots so I could use the leather or the laces etc.. plus in the snow u need feet coverings. .

[@dranelittle7726]

no kidding. snow or not, cold weather is a horrible threat to bare feet and ice ridges can slice your feet wide open, then you have a horrible infection risk and for what? So you can be like Lundin? (and LOSE)? Man, to me, if you aint in it to win it, just stay home with your mommy.

[@eibbor171]

interesting gamble lets see if it pays off

[@eibbor171]

@mel devine Oh so your a survival expert as well,why couldn't you go on the show ?

[@georgiadailyr3448]

Bow drills are only good in dry conditions it gets wet out and your gonna be cold

[@dranelittle7726]

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.

[@knowledgeispower6192]

Ferro Rod, Ferro Rod, Ferro Rod.

[@kencoffman7145]

I'd personally skip the fishing line, opting to use the inner paracord, for a ferro rod.

[@dranelittle7726]

then you dont get the hooks, DUH.

[@jasonarcher7268]

I've got the same saw. That thing is awesome.

[@dranelittle7726]

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.

[@paulatkinson9027]

Matt is my favorite contestant this season. It’s very interesting to hear his rationale for supply choices. Can’t wait to see more!

[@gunnarchristensen5092]

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

[@longrange4748]

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😳

[@thegreenmercenary]

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.

[@feleciajohnson8467]

Did i just hear correctly he didnt bring a fire starter?!hes nuts

[@max_fjellstorm]

And no shoes 😂

[@BeSatori]

He's not the first.

[@ke6gwf]

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]

@@ke6gwf its also very wet tho it will be interesting to see him thrive

[@ke6gwf]

@@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.

[@bigal25938]

What brand folding saw did you have?

[@zone8848]

at 2:30 did I see plastic clasps on that cooking pot? I think it’s only a food container

[@seanmorris]

Its a Zebra billy, they're from Thailand and have a good reputation in (at least, if not in other countries) British bushcraft circles for years (Ray Mears using them for one thing). They're stainless steel, the solid bail arm is usefull when pouring out hot contents. The plastic clips enable the lid to be locked on which is handy when carrying water etc. Its trivial to remove them for use over fires and put them back on again when needed but many just remove them for good or replace them with stiff wire. They come with a handy bowl that nests into the top of the pot though I don't think he's taking that (might be counted as an extra item?)

[@chadpru892]

Can you bring any size hooks? What about hair hooks to catch really small fish?

[@dranelittle7726]

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.

[@jgbelmont]

I have seen those Silkys break. I would have brought both an axe and saw.

[@theirishaxe9405]

I don't see anything wrong with his items. Pretty smart if he's already fluent with the bow drill

[@hillary6563]

It's stupid to head into that environment without a Ferro rod, regardless of how proficient you are at primitive fire-making.

[@JoeRocket-sf6qs]

The word is proficient ,fluent is for your second language.

[@stephenlyons7438]

The issue i foresee is he comes from Virginia , totally different climate then this. The wood , kindling , basically everything is going to be wet or at best damp. He's going to have a really crappy time gets fire started and keeping it going. I think he made some bad choices with his equipment. He's going home first.

[@hillary6563]

@@stephenlyons7438 Completely agree.

[@County_da_kang]

@@stephenlyons7438 spoiler alert. He didn't go home 1st lol

[@Airik1111bibles]

I would take a light my fire Mora Companion . It has a built in fire rod and will work just fine for a belt knife. That's two items in one. If also use survival para cord ...it has fishing line inside it . Another two in one item .

[@ke6gwf]

Some of us don't like ferro rods, they have little use, and are much less reliable than a cedar bowdrill with paracord. ;)

[@damonthomas8955]

@@ke6gwf I am certainly no ferro rod nerd, but I have never had a problem starting a fire with mine.

[@michaelbochnia5686]

@@ke6gwf easy to lose a ferro rod, lose a bow drill, make a new one. For the past 25 years I work on nothing but natural friction fire methods. I happened to be a caretaker Matt's first year of teaching, he was pretty good then, I am guessing much better now.

[@melindaburdette341]

Good luck with bow drill 🔥 starter.

[@dranelittle7726]

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".

[@ulfpetersen8706]

oh no he has no shoes

[@chrishanes1495]

man ive started from season 1 and now on season 3 in patagonia.. seems dissapointing in season 8 to see them allowed to bring such nice tools lol.

[@alph8654]

Never wise to not take a ferro rod. Energy saver to the max !!!!

[@irafowlerjr.7492]

Good items, what brand is that saw?

[@coopergaffney6159]

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)

[@dranelittle7726]

in one day, you can make an air-tight, rock solid debris-ice, 10x6x6ft quonset hut, stuffed with dry debris. When you wear all 7 layers of the clothing you can take/make, with debris between each layer, on top of 3 ft of compressed dry debris, with 2 ft of compressed dry debris and layers of tarp all around you , you wont need a fire down to -20F. That was as cold as I was able to test it and I had to drive 300 miles north of my home just to do that. There's no logs to be cut to make this shelter at all and you need no sleeping bag nor warming fire. Your body-warmed air is trapped in the upper part of the shelter, where you are. The cold, denser air settles into the lower 2 ft of the shelter, where you are not. In one day, you can gather a huge pile of debris and make the tent out of the 20x20 tarp and a few poles. Dont set up the tent where you cant dig some pits and dont have LOTS of dry debris. As My dad said, " get closer to the fire". That meant set things up to have minimal "lost- motion" time-effort. I once left an 18 year old boy processing several thousand rds of .45 brass. It was in a big cardboard box. I returned 2 hours later and he was reaching WAY up over the sid of the box and down into the small amount of casings remaining, one by one. I said, "jesus", got out my knife and cut a big semi-circle out of the near side of the box, making it 3x as quick and easy to access the casings. His eyes glazed-over. :-) Wake up and smell the coffee, folks.

[@Alkhoholic]

He showed a Garberg in this clip but used CS SRK in the show :)

[@billwithers1349]

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.

[@johnbiven4472]

This guy: from the Virgin Islands and has a man bun Also this guy:I don’t use a leather man because it wears on your hands

[@loryspencer8215]

Easily the most annoying contestant so far...put some shoes on, white boy dreads...

[@paulnokio1199]

He's doomed

[@MrJonrocker]

@@paulnokio1199 Get a blister on his thumb and throw in the towel

[@NobleSavage44]

@@MrJonrocker , Can’t be eating your fish stew, and not have a way to make a cup of brew. 😂

[@ke6gwf]

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...

[@michealgriffin3468]

Anyone know when alone season 8 is being shown on now tv in Europe, great series.

[@usethefooorce]

Should have packed some boots too

[@dranelittle7726]

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.

[@genkiferal7178]

so knowledge and a good brain are the best tools? I always say they are the best weapons, so being the best tool seems true, as well.

[@dranelittle7726]

Chlko lake is 20F degrees warmer than Great Slave Lake. The weather there is not much of a threat at all.

[@cthorno2991]

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.

[@robshipley7543]

No axe or ferro rod good luck to ya your going to need it

[@ke6gwf]

He's got Madd Skilz with what he brought, no luck needed ;)

[@spacecryptid1769]

He just wanted to show off his silky saw because they are the best

[@peasantsrevolt4780]

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.

[@dranelittle7726]

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.

[@lokiwestlind1522]

Um. He said 10 items, not 20 right?

[@martinlutherpierce609]

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.

[@escapetherace1943]

and then everybody clapped.

[@petersymons7817]

Large saw beautiful

[@BackseatSurvivor]

The Mora Garberg is very smart!

[@dranelittle7726]

no, it's not. A modified Crunch is much more useful, along with the Cold Steel shovel, modified to have 8" of saw edge.

[@behindthespotlight7983]

first impression: no chance

[@bobralke8044]

Watched episode 3, a mouse chews through his bow string. If he tied it together why is his brace height perfect, it shouldn't be. Did he have a spare or was this reality TV fckery.

[@nubbydigger6920]

The whole thing seemed really forced.

[@Oldsparkey]

I was wondering the same thing about the brace height of the string. It must of been some TV Magic.

[@rageoid]

This guy was not built for the actual uncontrolled wilderness.

[@stephenaulds2925]

Anybody know how long this guy lasted??....

[@dranelittle7726]

3 weeks.

[@ahdelpme2059]

yes

[@rexmccomb7589]

Looks to me like you should’ve brought some shoes

[@bigal25938]

What’s included in the food ration pack?

[@longrange4748]

they can choose , maximum 2 food items from this list 5lbs of beef jerky (protein) 5lbs of dried pulses/legumes/lentils mix (starch and carbs) 5lbs of biltong (protein) 5lbs of hard tack military biscuits (carbs/sugars) 5lbs of chocolate (Simple/complex sugars) 5lbs of pemmican (traditional trail food made from fat and proteins) 5lbs of gorp (raisins, m&m’s and peanuts) 5lbs of flour (starch/carbs) 2lbs of rice or sugar and 1 lb of salt

[@rilianriggs4620]

No ferro rod, no win. It takes too much energy to make fire by hand, especially when its wet and windy

[@BeSatori]

Do you think someone would be attempting any type of fire out in the wet and wind?

[@ke6gwf]

@@BeSatori yes, Matt would if needed, and he will do great because he's spent years practicing exactly that, and with a bow drill it's a cinch ;)

[@rilianriggs4620]

@@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

[@mab0852]

@@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.

[@dranelittle7726]

@@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.

[@jasongobbell3578]

I can’t wait to watch this season He won’t last a month at the most!

[@ke6gwf]

What do you base that on? What is he lacking?

[@jasongobbell3578]

A reliable fire starter for one! A bow drill fire is difficult at the best of times.. and near impossible when you add in rain or snow which he will experience not to mention the amount of calories that it takes to make an Ember! I base it on years of knowledge in bushcraft and survival and that’s my opinion and I don’t remember asking you for yours!

[@sukimanhussin4627]

22 days to be exact..

[@darthvegan435]

@@sukimanhussin4627 But it wasn't fire issues that put him out...

[@billwithers1349]

@@ke6gwf everything

[@azelkhntr4992]

Going into the wilderness w/o an axe is a bonehead choice. You need both the saw and the axe.

[@BeSatori]

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.

[@ke6gwf]

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.

[@Hardcore-Homestead]

The saw is far superior to an axe. It's not even close.

[@azelkhntr4992]

@@ke6gwf He's not going to make the finish line.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

Zach Fowler won with a military shovel and a saw...and no ax. The shovel had chopping capabilities on campfire-sized wood.

[@gregkirby9059]

do multi tools count as one item?

[@justanothercaptain6566]

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]

I think he will do just fine with his tool choices. That saw will make A LOT of firewood. Yep.

[@justanothercaptain6566]

@@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.

[@BeSatori]

Have you used one of those saws yet?

[@justanothercaptain6566]

@@BeSatori I have one. But the one that doesn’t fold. I use it for canoe trips! It’s awesome

[@ke6gwf]

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.

[@robertfelts8773]

I've never seen the show but I can count to 10 and he has more than 10 items

[@asmith7876]

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.

[@robertfelts8773]

@@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

[@asmith7876]

@@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.

[@robertfelts8773]

@@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

[@gail_blue]

I hate to say it, but despite any skills this guy has, I think he's lost on item choice alone. Red flags include: no axe, no multi tool, and a cooking pot with plastic parts. And he's going to bow drill fire?! The ration will buy him a week, but after that, he's gone.

[@sparrowflying864]

Its really wet there and it gets cold. So I'm wondering how the bow drill will pan out. If he had a carbon blade he could generate a spark onto some charcloth which he could make in his pot or water bottle. He could even get a spark from two rocks. The water bottle would come in handy for putting hot water in to stay warm, but you could do the same thing with hot rocks in your billy pot. Before frostbite that what to do. Go with size 8 hooks. The bigger the hook the better chance of losing your fish. But I wouldn't be counting on just the fish hooks. You can make your own fish hooks out of bone or thorns. 25 hooks would be easy to lose in 3 plus months. Imjs. I would for sure take the rope hammock to make a net or for extra cordage. My ten choices, Rope hammock, gill net, paracord, ferro rod, snare wire, cook pot, rations, hatchet, -60 synthetic sleeping bag, carbon steel knife. I would take the warmest clothing i could get and extra long stuff. For more material.

[@gail_blue]

For reference here's what I would take, in order of importance: 1) Axe- Gransfors bruks small forest 2) Pot - Solo stove pot 1800 (remove plastic) 3) Ferro rod 4) Fishing line with hooks 5) -30 Sleeping bag 6) Snare wire - assorted 7) Multi tool- leatherman surge (with file) 8) Bow and arrows 9) Paracord assorted - some glow in the dark 10) Saw - silky katanaboy

[@BeSatori]

@@sparrowflying864 He has 2 carbon blades with him. In the land of cedar (where its most wet) bowdrill is always doable. That said, they are east of the cascade crest and I don't think it's as wet as you think.

[@ke6gwf]

@@gail_blue is it best to take the tools that you have been training with and using in survival situations for years, or using the tools someone else has trained with? His focus has been on survival with no tools, so everything he took is a labor saver, not a necessity for survival. It's so much easier to make a bowdrill with a knife and paracord, than with only native materials for instance, but a bowdrill will get a fire going under literally any conditions very reliably, much better than making a few sparks.

[@ryan250cy]

@@gail_blue my list is the exact same, except I would probably take a Scandinavian Forest Axe to make wood processing a bit more efficient

[@kan-zee]

Tapped out day 22 (3weeks) due to starvation and missing family