Q&A with Alone cast

4 August 2023

Alan

Age: 43

From: Birmingham

Occupation: Woodland Manager

Biog

Father of two Alan runs two businesses with his wife, selling ethically sourced meat and teaching outdoor skills to other families. As a big family man, Alan would love for his kids to watch him complete this monumental challenge on TV so that they can feel proud and hopefully inspired.

Alan is autistic and says that he is highly verbal but lacks a sense of social propriety and has a poor short-term memory. He’ll often sing loudly to himself.

He finds solace in the outdoors, is a keen forager and loves cooking, writing and passionately debating politics.

Whenever he has had to overcome challenges or low points in his life, the outdoors has always been something of a comfort zone. Alan now has a chance to experience ultimate solitude and discover whether the skills he has gained can help him to survive.

 

Interview with Alan

Why do you want to take part?

I have been a fan of Alone for a while and I always thought it looked like a dream come true. So from my point of view someone’s rang me up and said, listen this is what we’re going to do, we’re going to give you the resources you need, we’re going to provide a safety team, we’re going to pay for your flights and we’re going to put you in the wilderness with no one else around for as long as you can possibly stand. I was like, what? There’s absolutely no way I wouldn’t do that, I just don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t do that. Unless of course they were so incompetent that they thought they might die, which is understandable. So I don’t know how anyone can’t see that, it’s very strange for me to think people wouldn’t want this experience. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for decades and every time I’m out on my own in the woods I want to be out there for longer. So I’m not saying it won’t be hard, it might be that after three weeks I’ve lost my stuff, I’m wet through all the time and I really need to go home, you know, but that’s still three weeks out there alone and that will be two weeks longer than I’ve been able to do before. And I will be extremely happy for that. But I’m planning on doing longer than three weeks.

What traits do you think you have that might help you not only in life, but in this epic adventure that you’re about to embark on?

Autistic traits include a very poor sense of social boundaries, a very limited sense of social understanding. So to me most of the stuff that people are doing with their little nuances and signals and everything are just witchcraft to me. I’ve no idea what they’re doing most of the time. My short-term memory is shocking, but my long term memory is almost perfect. If I’m interested in something, I’ll learn it and it’ll be with me forever. I am hypersensitive to basically all senses, so my hearing, especially, and my smell and my sense of touch are really, really sensitive.  I’ll hear things that other people don’t.  Plus, I have an extraordinarily high pain threshold, which has got to be useful on this show one would think. Also, I really like routine and I find, generally speaking, that other humans just mess up my day, so not having them around will be really nice for me. I think I’ve got a really vast store of knowledge and when I’m focused on a thing, I don’t really care if I’m uncomfortable, I don’t think about it at all, I do the thing that I’m doing until it’s done and I forget about everything else. And I think that that focus will also be really helpful. I get better when I’m on my own and I get happier when I’m on my own. I’m at my best when there are no other humans around and that’s always going to be the case.

What does being completely alone mean to you?

I really love being alone.  I like to focus without distractions. I find that people are a constant drain on my energy all the time. I like to be in charge of everything myself, everything that I’m doing and I like the quiet and the peace. I like to be in my own headspace. When I was a kid, the only time I was safe and happy was when I was on my own and I’ve never changed, never deviated from that.

How do you think you will cope with the environment?

I don’t mind being cold or uncomfortable and I don’t mind having to struggle to get my food. These things can be annoying, but they are minor irritants to me. But what I really need is a lot of headspace all the time, a lot of quiet and I never feel like I’ve got enough of that. So I think I’ll really like the alone time.

What character traits do you have that you think will be useful for this challenge?

I think that the resilience I developed as a child means that I know that I won’t be giving up. There might be some reason, like I might get poorly or something, and then say, okay, now I need to tap out. But in general terms, I am very, very resilient, I’m not going to stop unless I really have to. And that’s got to stand me in good stead right from the start.  Plus I think I’ll be happy out there, I’m well built for this challenge.

Do you want to win?

For me this is an opportunity to prove skills but also to gain more skills and to find new ways to solve problems and to go really next level as a bushcrafter.

This kind of opportunity does not come around very often and I don’t plan to waste it. So my focus is very much on that, that’s what I want to be doing. And when I think about what I’m doing, I do not think about the money, I think about that. But at the same time I do like money, so I’m not going to say no to the money, but I think there are other people who might go longer.  There are lots of things that could go wrong out there and that’s fine.  If something goes wrong, something goes wrong, I don’t mind that. It would be sad if something went wrong early. I just plan on just going until I can’t go anymore.

How do you think you’d feel if you had to tap out?

There’ll be so many emotions out there and part of this is managing myself mentally and emotionally when I’m tired and hungry and cold and all that stuff on my own for weeks and weeks and weeks. So I’m not going to worry about that. I don’t know how I’ll feel at the point that I tap out. I might have had a spiritual revelation by then and be in a completely different headspace. But if I tapped out before I felt I had to, if I left and got on the boat and went home and thought, you know what I could have got over that, then that will be a regret for me and embarrassment as well.  I don’t want to be tapping out needlessly or just being out there and being incompetent, that would embarrass me and make me feel bad about myself. Missing the opportunity by just tapping out early would be a huge waste.

What do you see as the bigger challenge - the physical or the mental?

The only thing I’m worried about out there is procuring food. I’m not worried about the mental at all, maybe I should be, but I’m not. I’m going to be learning that a lot on the job. I can forage, but whether I can produce enough calories from foraging depends a lot on the land that I’m on and it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do. And the physical, I mean, unless we’re talking about the cold and the wet, I think I’m physically up to the challenge, but obviously if things go wrong,that’s a worry of course. I know how to build a fire, so I’m just going to stay warm as much as I can.

You’ve been tested quite a lot in terms of what you can endure and what you can survive, but do you think there’s still the chance that you might surprise yourself with how mentally strong you are?

I just assume it’ll go really well and when it doesn’t, I’ll be slightly disappointed, so that’s it. I don’t anticipant having mental problems with anything out there, but I know that when I’m out there it’ll be different. I just don’t really think that way. I’d get anxious if I started thinking about all the different terrible things that could happen and how I’d overcome them. I’m just going to fall off each bridge as I get to it.

What are you expecting this experience to be like?

I’m trying to focus on the fact that I have been many times in the woods with no stuff, and I have made that work for me just fine.  However, this time I’m doing that for longer, but with the right equipment with me, and in a really nice part of the world.  This is something I have been looking forward to for a long time, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m going to just try to relax, because I think that’s more helpful.  It’s going to be fun and I’m going to have a great time and relax and enjoy myself. I appreciate that may not be how it pans out but that’s ok, there’s no point in worrying about that until I get there.

What is the thing that you’re most looking forward to?

I think that when you are cold and wet and tired and hungry and don’t have a roof over your head and you’re very uncomfortable but then the next day or the day after you do have those things, that is a beautiful, spiritual experience that fills you with joy from the tips of your toes to the top of your head, and I love that feeling. And when you make your own fire and you make your own shelter and you catch your own food, and you sit there in your shack which is basically squalor, and you’re fed and you’re warm, those are good times, I’m looking forward to that. I’m also very much looking forward to having the northern lights above me, wolves howling in the distance and a fire on, all at the same time.  That’s the plan.

 

 

Elise

Age: 32

From: London

Occupation: PR Executive

ABOUT

After reading about female explorers when she was younger, Elise was inspired to start ‘Woman with Altitude’, a project where she leads expeditions following in the footsteps of history's forgotten female adventurers, using only equipment that was available to them at the time. Through this project, Elise shines a light on these inspiring women who defied societal norms and who were often overlooked compared to their male counterparts, while challenging the traditional narrative of adventurers being fearless and male.

Having suffered with anxiety and panic attacks since moving to London, 11 years ago, Elise has found that reconnecting with nature has been  instrumental in her recovery and helped inspire her project.

Elise wants to take on this challenge to test everything she has learnt through her project and to show that all women have a place in the adventure and exploration space.

 

Interview with Elise

Do you think you’ve got what it takes?

I’m terrified of the cold but I know I can get through that. For me, it’s the other side of it - the fishing, the bush crafts, the building of the shelter – those are things I have never done before, so that’s my worry, that I don’t have what it takes there. Then mentally I’m sort of 50/50 because I’ve obviously got my self- doubt, but I also know from the past things that I’ve done, that I can stick out an unpleasant situation.

What do they see as your competition?

The competition for me is definitely with myself, because I don’t want to be in competition with the landscape and with nature, I want to be fully immersed in it, and I want to try and, I guess, thrive and not just survive in it. Everyone else for me is separate. I know there is prize money, but to be honest I didn’t actually know that when I agreed to go on the show. It’s all about proving to myself that I can do it. I’m not going to worry about what anyone else is doing, who has come out, who is going to stay to the end. I’m not even thinking about the end because in my head there is so far to go until I even get there. Maybe if there’s two weeks to go, I’ll start thinking about it, but for now I just need to get there and, get used to being by myself and try to get through the first few weeks.

How do you feel about taking part in this adventure?

For me this is the biggest adventure of my life. I have never been this remote. I have never been dropped off in the middle of nowhere with not a clue where I’m going to be. Because usually when I do my trips I plan everything meticulously myself; I know what’s happening every second of every day, who is going to be there and what’s going to happen. For me this is completely a loss of control in that sense. So this loss of control is a big adventure for me, sort of letting that go. And the location as well; we’re literally in the middle of nowhere. I have never been to a wilderness like this; I have never experienced bears or moose, or anything like that. I don’t know what they sound like. I also have no previous bushcraft or survival experience, I've never made a fire without matches, I've never used an axe, chopped down a tree or built a shelter before. So yeah, it’s definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever done, and probably will ever do. It’s extreme, it’s really extreme.

What’s the longest you’ve been alone, and how do you feel about that aspect of this?

I am a really sociable person; I really like human company. I think the longest I’ve ever been alone before is on one of my trips - I was alone for three weeks in the middle of the mountains in Scotland. But even then I saw people on the paths, I said good morning to people, I was chatting about what I was doing. I won’t have that on this adventure. I was alone from people I know but this is totally different in a way because I’m not going to have any communication with anyone. And I think when that happens you do go into deep recesses of your brain that I don’t think I’ve ever really been in before, so I’m quite scared about that. But I think with everything else going on, I’m just going to take each day at a time and I’m going to try not to think of the past or the future, and just think about the present day, what’s happening that day, what I need to do, and remember that there is an end. And I guess I’ll just talk to myself a lot, because everyone has to talk.  Humans aren’t really meant to be alone for long periods of time. I also would like this time maybe to delve into some of those quieter bits of my mind, and to see what’s in there. I’m looking forward to it, but I don’t know beyond a month how I’ll be feeling. I don’t know how I’m going to react.

Do you think this could be pivotal in your life?

I think this is huge, this is the biggest thing I’ve ever done. And it can go one of two ways; if I have an awful time and I can’t do it, it will totally knock my confidence. But if I thrive and I do really well, and I catch that fish, because I’ve never really caught a fish before, it will just open so many other doors. I must admit, I am terrified to go out there, but I’m equally excited. Once I’ve done this, I think I will have a lot more confidence going into other things.

What is the thing you’re most looking forward to seeing or doing?

I’m most looking forward to seeing the Northern Lights. I’m also really looking forward to that moment when I have caught my first fish and I’m sat outside my shelter and can actually take a little bit of time to appreciate where I am, once everything has calmed down. I've always wanted to be fully immersed in the wild, to become part of nature and live off the land - I can't wait to become a completely wild woman. I’m also looking forward to seeing the animals as well, especially the bears. Although I’m terrified, I can’t wait to see a bear. And just being fully immersed in nature, especially when I can actually relax, because I don’t get that in London, I don’t get that at home, and I think that’s what I’m really craving now in my life.

What would it mean to you to win?

Oh wow. I can’t imagine myself winning, so I just can’t see it, but if I did, it would be completely nuts. It would mean so much actually, because I can’t see myself getting that far.  Getting that far would be proving to myself that I can and I have done it and I think that would change my mentality about believing in myself. It would mean a huge amount to me.

How dangerous do you think this is going to be?

I mean there are bears, it’s cold, if I get wet, if my sleeping bag gets wet, then that’s kind of game over.  You can’t stay out there if you’re cold and wet. It’s really unforgiving.

How do you think you’d feel if you have to tap out?

I’m not planning to tap out unless I am injured or ill. I haven’t thought about it in an “I can’t take this anymore” scenario. So if I am at that point where I’m not injured and I’m not ill, and I haven’t lost too much weight, I don’t know what will be going through my head at that point to warrant that.  I can’t imagine it.

Are you worried about big animal encounters?

I have never been around a moose or a bear before, so I think it’s going to be a whole new experience. I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to act. I know moose are huge - I’m more scared of them than the bears. I’m just going to take on all the safety advice I’ve been given, and just try and stay out of their way. I’m not hunting them. I think if they come through the camp I’ll just have to try and stay calm and deal with it as best I can, but I’m not going to actively seek them out. But I’ll be terrified if a moose comes into the camp, I will be scared. But I just have to try and stay calm and deal with it. But again, I don’t know how I’ll act until it actually happens because I’ve never come face to face with one before. The big animals are not my biggest worry, I’m almost looking forward to seeing them in their habit.

Tell me how much this challenge means to you.

This challenge means a lot to me. If I can do this there’ll be so many demons in my head that will get blown out of the water. It is such a big thing to do and I’m really proud of myself for even accepting the challenge. It’s huge, and it means a lot and, I think for my confidence it’s going to be amazing.

 

 

Eva

Age: 24 (turned 25 during filming))

From: Leeds

Occupation: NHS Project Manager

ABOUT

Inspired by her dad's love of the outdoors, 24-year-old Eva is a determined and fiercely independent, confident hiker with basic bush-crafting skills, who wants to prove that young women can be confident and capable alone in the wild.

She is an outdoor obsessive and loves spending her free time rock climbing, hiking and wild camping. The outdoors is her happy place and going on a solo hikes or camping trip is her favourite way to deal with stress or difficult moments in her life.

Eva grew up suffering with lots of different health problems – none of which doctors could diagnose or put their finger on. Finally, one year before taking part in Alone, having pursued her own research, Eva was given a diagnosis of Ehler Danlos Syndrome – a genetic collagen default.

Having spent years being labelled as unfit and not capable, the diagnosis finally meant that all her symptoms made sense and it was her lightbulb moment. The condition means she suffers from gastro issues including chronic indigestion and heartburn, joint pain, scoliosis, hypermobility and dizziness, but with the confirmed diagnosis, she is now able to manage all these symptoms.

This life-changing diagnosis has also made her realise how important it is to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way.

 

Interview with Eva

How much survival experience do you have?

I was a scout for 10 years, where I learned absolutely tons but then I forgot half of it, so I have spent the last year or two relearning a lot of the stuff that I initially learned. I definitely don’t have the most survival experience or knowledge but I do have loads of experience foraging in the UK, which I think will be a really useful skill set.

How have you prepared for this challenge?

I have updated my foraging skills and refreshed my fishing knowledge. The fishing definitely worries me a bit as the size of the Canadian fish seem to be pretty big and scary compared to the stuff back home. But regardless, I think a lot of it will just be a learning on the job kind of thing. You can read all the books, look at all the websites but it’s no good if you can’t do it in practice.  This will be the biggest learning curve!

How do you think you will feel if you have to tap out?                           

I will be absolutely gutted if I have to tap out. I always beat myself up about that kind of thing. If I do, I know it won’t be an easy decision for me at all but I have become quite good at listening to my body so I think if I reach a point where I know it’s come to an end, as hard as that will be, I won’t be willing to put myself through permanent damage.  I will see how it goes but if that happens, I know it will be a heart-breaking moment regardless of the reason.

What are things you think might lead you to tapping out?                                           

I am really prone to injuries, so any sort of dislocation or bad fall and I will be out for sure. Keeping on the weight will be a challenging with my existing gastro problems, caused by Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I find it quite hard to keep weight on but I need to keep up the weight to avoid falling over and hurting myself.  Those will be the main things, I think.                                           

How do you think you’ll handle being completely on your own? 

Being completely on my own, relying only on myself is huge.  I think not being able to have instant contacts with friends and families will be one of the biggest challenges mentally for me.  Regardless of any tricky scenarios I get myself into in life, there is always someone at the end of the phone to support me through it or give me advice.  I’m always ringing my dad for advice so not being able to ring him to ask what to do in a scenario is going to be really tough. I don’t think I have mentally comprehended the concept of not being able to contact people, having had a mobile phone since I was 10. I don’t even remember not having a mobile phone so that’s going be really weird. I am excited to not be on my phone but yeah it’s going to take a bit of getting used to. 

Do you have a plan of action for dealing with emotion and stress or anxiety when you are actually in there?

Over the past few years I have found that rather than saying I am really anxious, it’s really helpful to remove myself from it.  Removing myself from those emotions makes it way easier to deal with it and means I’m not overwhelmed or consumed by these feelings.

What do you think your biggest weakness will be out there?

I think my biggest weakness is going to be keeping up with the physicality aspect.  I know I am going be in a certain amount of pain, I just don’t know how much pain I am going to be able to push through when on top of that, I’m not eating very much. Mentally, I think I will be able to keep pushing and pushing but it’s knowing when to cut my losses now and I am not going know what that point is until I am actually out there.              

What do you think your first night in the wilderness will be like?

The first night is going be my biggest hurdle by far. If I can get through that first night and not completely freak out then I am sort of set up quite well for the rest of the experience. Even thinking about lying in a half built shelter in the dark, in the wilderness, makes me quite scared, but riding through that fear that first night and knowing that if I managed one night then I could do multiple makes me feel like I’ll be OK.              

What is your plan for the first night shelter?

I am going to spend that night finding something to lay under in case it starts raining and just assess where I’ve been dropped.  I think I’m just going to try to spend that night not freaking out. I am doing nothing fancy for like 24, 48 hours.

What do you think it says about you that you want to do this?

That I'm a bit nuts? I think all my friends and family they won’t really be so surprised to find out that I'm doing something like this. Over the past few years, I've been on a bit of a mission to do weird and wonderful stuff anyway, and my dad would be all over this. So anyone who thinks I take after my dad would know I would do something like this.

Why do you think you've got what it takes to win this?

I think the things I've gone through over the past few years have made me really resilient. Even though I might not have the most relevant skills or knowledge in specific areas, I think doing something like this is 80-90% mindset and picking yourself up from challenges and being able to be resilient and keep going is something that I’m good at and will serve me well during this challenge. 

Is this this biggest challenge of your life so far?

I would definitely describe this as the maddest thing I've ever done. I've done solo backpacking in the UK. I've travelled abroad on my own. I've done wild camping in winter in the Pennine Way in like minus degrees. But there's always my warm bed waiting at home. And in those instances, I’m putting myself in those situations for a set amount of time and I've got my mobile phone to call family and friends whenever I want, if I need support. But with this, I’m totally relying on myself, nobody else. I will rely on my skill set. But I think for me the exciting element is relying only on myself for absolutely everything and seeing how far my own resilience and my own skill set take me.         

How do you feel about being on your own generally?

I actually really enjoy being on my own.  As somebody who is self-identified as quite introverted, I enjoy being around other people, but I like to then retreat on my own to recharge. I also just find it really cool that you can be on your own and nobody else can tell you what to do. Like when I'm hiking, I have my own space and I love being able to just stop for breaks whenever I want without having to compromise with anyone. I can make all the decisions. But then on the flipside, when stuff starts going wrong, there's nobody to bounce off and ask if we should do certain things – and that’s the scary bit.

Is there anything in particular that you're scared of in this challenge?

Just the unknown, really. I've not encountered a bear or been in the deep water before, so the fear for me is not knowing how I'm going to react to those kinds of things. It's not the thing itself. It's more about whether I’m going to panic to the extent that I can't stay. How am I going to emotionally react to the unknown?  That's the biggest thing for me, knowing what my reaction is going to be, rather than the bears, the water, the wolves, the weather, all of that kind of stuff. Yeah.                    

What are you most looking forward to?

Just being out in nature.  Anytime I get to just sit outside on my own in nature is the absolute best thing for me, so getting to do that for an undefined amount of time I just amazing. And when that first sunset appears, I actually think I’ll sob. I can't wait!                                           

What do you think your main emotion will be going into this?

My main emotion currently is just excitement. There are definitely some nerves, but they seem to be in the background at the moment. I'm just super, super excited to get my teeth into it and see how I'm going to handle it. I'm sure that I'll change pretty quickly when I'm not catching any fish and I'm not eating anything. But for now, it's excitement.                   

Do you have a strategy to win this?

My strategy is just little and often. I'm not going to be chasing the big game. I'm not going to walking for miles and miles away from my shelter. I'm just going to look for any little opportunity to find some food. I'll be going for it. So the small fish, the berries, the small animals, birds and stuff like that. That's my strategy, definitely. 

What would it mean to win the competition?

Coming away as the winner would mean so much more to me than just the money.  Just knowing that I’ve managed all the challenges and managed to survive and stay out there longer than anyone else would just be such a sense of pride. The money would be great and would be life changing, but for me it's that personal sense of satisfaction that I pushed myself as hard as I could. But I'm planning to win. I wouldn't want to go into this without the mentality that I think I can win. So…game face is on!

 

 

JAVED

AGE: 58

FROM: Ripon

OCCUPATION: Business Coach and Mentor

ABOUT 

Organised and methodical, Javed worked as a scientist, as a senior manager and now enjoys coaching and mentoring others. He often uses his love of extreme sports to raise monies for local charities.

Javed considers himself to be ambitious with a curious nature, to the point where he built his own house from scratch throughout lockdown as a challenge to himself.

Despite edging closer to 60, Javed remains extremely motivated and even surprises himself at his inability to keep still, and is always looking for his next adventure. 

Javed was brought up in Birmingham as one of seven children, to first generation immigrant parents from Pakistan.  He and his family didn’t spend much time in the outdoors when he was a child, and he didn’t learn to swim or ride a bike until his late 20s.  He didn’t know about the existence of caving or other extreme sports until he went away to University – it was here that his love for outdoor adventure was born.

Now in his late 50s, Javed’s fitness is at peak level and he now runs faster and for longer than he did 20 years ago. He can’t wait to see how physically and mentally fit he can be at the age of 70…. and 80?

Taking on this challenge for Javed is about being completely self-sufficient and really getting to know himself, whilst alone in the wilderness. He is doing this for his family, especially his two daughters. He wants to make his family proud, and for them not to be afraid of exploring opportunities that come their way.

 

Interview with Javed

Why did you want to do this?

Good question. Initially I thought this was not for me. I didn’t think I had the requisite skill set, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought actually this is the kind of stuff I’d quite like to get into one day. And in an ideal world I would move into this slowly and get to know more about the different things that I need to understand. However you rarely have time to prepare properly, life is not like that … these days I will do a pretty quick assessment of what something involves, what I need to organise, what might happen ….. and then often just jump in. I am fairly fit and strong, and if I jump with my eyes open, ready to learn, maybe I can adapt to this environment in a relatively short space of time. The environment that we’re going into is not very forgiving, so there’s a lot I am going to have to learn pretty quickly, and that need for learning is part of the excitement.

Do you have a plan to get through this challenge?

I am a planner. And I know that the plan won’t survive first contact. But at least if I have some plans, they can then evolve and I’ve got something to work with. I’m starting with a three hour plan. In the first three hours, I definitely need to do certain things, especially if I am dropped late in the day when daylight is fading. I also have a three day plan and a three week plan and then I have a three month plan. So those plans will be continually informing each other and they’re constantly evolving. In fact I even have a 3 minute plan which is not to panic or make any silly mistakes at the start. The key though is to balance that planning approach with enjoying the experience, being in the moment and making the most of what is a wonderful opportunity to listen, learn and appreciate things that I have never experienced before. 

Would you say this experience is a totally new challenge for you, in lots of ways?

It is. I was going to say I’m outside of my comfort zone, but I never really think of it in those terms. I’ll learn lots of different skills and have lots of new opportunities here. I’ve never hunted, I’ve never fished. I’ve only really foraged in supermarkets. So in many ways, I don’t really have some of those obvious skills. But over the last couple of  weeks I’ve been reading, I’ve been listening to podcasts, I’ve been watching You Tube videos, and I’ve practiced a few things in my garden. I am hoping that some of the knowledge and some of that skillset has filtered in, and has been bedding down. What I seem to have is an ability to learn practical stuff quite quickly. Once I’ve seen or tried something, I’ll give it a proper go, so, for example, as long as I’m shown how to hold an axe safely, I think I’ll be able to make that axe work for me.                                         

Do you see this as a big challenge?

I am not sure I even think of it as a challenge. It’s an opportunity to really learn and discover some new things. It’s not about confronting difficulties, but more about being open to opportunities to really experience something new that many people will never get the chance to experience. I am really excited about that, and then managing that excitement, and not letting that overwhelm me so that I can stay safe and hopefully thrive in the environment. I don’t know whether we will thrive, it’s going to be quite a challenging environment but if I can at least be safe and be present in that environment, enjoy it and maybe stay ten weeks? If I get close to ten weeks I would be super, super proud. I’d be super proud to be here and to be safe for two weeks. But I think if I can get beyond the first three days then there is a very good chance I get to three weeks. If I get to three weeks then I am expecting to go for ten weeks. 

Do you feel ready for this?

Am I ready for this experience in the Canadian wilderness all alone?  I’m not sure you can ever really, really be ready. I think it’s more about whether my attitude is right at this moment? Am I ready for an adventure? Yes, I am always ready for an adventure. Is my attitude right for this kind of project ?  Yes, I think I am ready, so yes I am ready.

How do you feel about being completely alone?

I am very happy in my own company a lot of the time. Most of my days out there, I plan to spend an hour or two sitting quietly, doing some simple repetitive tasks. I am really looking forward to that time. I know though that being alone for an hour is quite different to being alone for weeks and weeks. That’s part of the attraction of this kind of journey and this kind of experience. I am really curious to see what that’s going to be like. How does each day feel, what changes on day two and day five and day 20 … and beyond.  That learning in itself will be a real motivator for me. And yet like most people I need to plan, to do, to celebrate, to grumble, to learn with others. That’s life for most of us, much of the time. Many of the things we do on a daily basis are easier and often better if done with someone else. So I guess this need for complete self-sufficiency is an adjustment I need to be ready to make.              

What are you most looking forward to as part of this experience?

I am looking forward to lots of different things to be honest. There’s the time to just sit and reflect. The time to explore and develop some new skills that I’ve always wished I had, that I am now going to get time and a requirement to develop. For example I quite like building camp fires, and I am going to get a chance to build a fire every day now and try lots of different fire lighting techniques. I am interested in seeing what all the wildlife is going to be like. It’s certainly different to the animals in Northern England. We don’t get a lot of bears, wolves, moose or bison back home. I expect there might be some of them around where I set up camp …… so I am curious about how that will feel.

Is there anything you’re not looking forward to?

I know for some people the hunger might be an issue but I already fast regularly. Some days I only eat one meal. So within reason, I don’t mind that. I’m not sure what the hunger will be like a month or so in. I am curious to see what that regime, of not just having little food but a complete lack of food, will be like for a period of time. I don’t mind the cold, I quite enjoy the cold. It’s the admin around that that I think will probably be frustrating at times. That you can’t simply sit in your cabin and luxuriate in the warmth and the fire. I guess some of the admin might be a little bit tedious. But I am not sure there is anything I am not looking forward to.                                                       

Is winning a motivator for you?

I always work back from the completion. I tend to work back from what I believe is a sensible end point. And with this event I don’t think of it as winning, to be honest. Because I think anybody who comes out here and spends even a week enjoying this lovely environment, is a winner. If you go home from this safe, having learnt something and having properly engaged in the environment, you’re a winner. I would like to stay the full time. In my mind there is no doubt that if I can get some of my housekeeping right and if the fishing net and the snare wires start to work, and I can harvest some game and fish, I should be here for the duration.          

How do you think you’d feel if you had to tap out?                                                                

It depends why. If I have to tap out as a result of a slip or trip, it will be just one of those things. I will be a little bit cross that I’ve been clumsy or maybe just unlucky. I’d feel disappointed that I haven’t had an opportunity to really maximise what is a lovely opportunity. At the moment I can’t imagine I would tap out because I’d had enough. I like to think that it would be tapping out because I’d got to the stage where I felt wasn’t really able to look after myself properly.  I’ve promised my family that I won’t do anything stupid.

Do you think this will be the most intense experience that you’ve ever had in your life?

Many of the extreme things I’ve done in my life have been, like racing across mountains or exploring deep caves, are in many ways, much more challenging, but these are usually over much shorter periods of time than I expect from this adventure. So apart from being chased by a bear, or maybe something being on fire, I don’t expect that level of intensity. The fact that there is no contact with other people, that I won’t have a smart phone or credit card with me, so I won’t easily be able to access other resources, will mean I am going to have to create what I need with the limited tools that I have. And I have no others around me to help me through the journey. That’s what makes this quite different and particularly challenging. It’ll definitely be a bigger learning opportunity.

What was the trickiest part of the preparation?

Not being able to tell family and friends about the TV programme. I had to invent some stories about a special trekking holiday.

How do you think this will change you?

I think I will become even more appreciative of some of the simple things. Clean running water, ground to walk on that is free from trip hazards, no wild animals outside your shelter, a smile from a stranger, a hug from someone you love.

 

 

KIAN

AGE: 19

FROM: London

OCCUPATION: Student

ABOUT

Kian is the youngest person taking part in this series.  A self-confessed survival nerd, Kian has a huge passion for the wilderness, constantly reading and researching the subject, in order to become an expert in the future. 

He is currently at university where his subject is War Studies. His real passion, though, is the wilderness. He’s read multiple books and attended several courses. He's usually the youngest on the courses he takes part in by about 20 years!

Kian is a real optimist and believes that hope and positivity can drive you through any obstacle.  He is also highly skilled at judo and won gold at the London Youth Games in 2019.

 

Interview with Kian                                              

Can you tell me how you feel about this challenge?

I cannot describe how huge and how crazy this challenge is. I’m also slightly scared because I feel like I could go 30 years on this planet and this could be the most interesting and most amazing thing I ever do and I’m having to grapple with that now at the age of 19. That’s how big what I’m about to do is.  I’m about to go out there and I’m fully aware that this may be the most important thing and the most amazing thing I ever do in my lifetime which is crazy. It’s very, very exciting and very, very scary.

Is this the most extreme thing you’ve done in your life?

I’m only 19 and I’m keenly aware of my youth. I just think this is probably going to be the greatest challenge I’ve ever taken on.

How does it feel to have this opportunity at such a young age?

I’m the youngest contestant taking part in this series.  I’ve just turned 19 and I feel really, really lucky to be the youngest person. It just puts a massive grin on my face. I can’t fathom how lucky I am to have been picked to take part.  This is my dream. I’ve thought about this for years and years. And here I am about to live it at 19. It’s ridiculous, I can’t wipe the grin off my face.

From all your life experiences so far, what do you think is going to help you get through this challenge?             

At the age of 19, I like to think that I know my body and I think I do know myself at this point but I’m looking forward to doing further inner research. I know that I can push myself to do difficult things. I did Judo for many years and from that, I learnt to push myself to physical extremes in competitions, fighting, etc. I found school very, very difficult but in Sixth Form I pushed myself, I studied every day and I ended up with three As and it was a real graft over a prolonged period of time. So I like to think that I know that I can apply myself for periods at a time. And this is going to be a different kind of application but I’m still really looking forward to it.                                            

Do you feel you have something to prove in this process?

At the beginning of this process, I did feel like I had something to prove to myself and to the people watching. I wanted to represent Asian youth, I wanted to represent young people, being only 19. But I’m looking forward to just experiencing as much as I can of the land, taking what I need for it. And I do want to stay out here for as long as possible. I would love to win this challenge but ultimately just being there is a huge, a huge present in itself.

How did your parents feel about you coming doing something like this?                                 

I think they were very, very selfless and I think they held back a lot of what they were feeling for my sake so I wouldn’t worry. I think they definitely felt a huge amount of fear, a huge amount of excitement and I think they understand how huge and crazy this opportunity is for me. But I’m not just going to be on TV, I’m going to be surviving in a Canadian wilderness. So if that was my child embarking on this challenge, I’d be bricking it. I’d be very scared and I imagine that’s exactly how they’re feeling but I know that they’re trying their best to support me as well, which I really appreciate. I do think my mum and dad have tried to mask a little bit of how they’re feeling for my sake, so I don’t worry. But I can definitely tell they’re terrified. Maybe I’m wrong and they don’t really care, maybe they’re thinking, “let him go, he’ll be fine, he’ll come back or he won’t.”             

Have your parents sent you off with any particular instructions?                             

Don’t die, don’t get eaten by a bear.  I think those were the two main ones that have really stuck. When they were sending me off, my mum and dad said, “you’re out there to survive, but it is a competition and the most important thing is that you do what’s right by you, you enjoy the process, you take what you need from it and ultimately this is a once in a lifetime experience so just make the most of it.”

Before doing this, how much time had you spent away from home?                                           

Not much at all. I’ve just finished my first year at university so that was probably my first experience of prolonged periods of the time away from home, staying out. I found it a little bit difficult but it was never too bad because I was only an hour away from home and if I wanted to just pop home for dinner, I could and then go back to my flat. This is a whole different beast entirely.

How much preparation have you done for this? 

I’m so under prepared, it’s ridiculous. I like to think I’m very much a weekend warrior when it comes to bushcraft and survival and it has been over the past four or five years and my skills have been increasing on a very slow gradient but they have been increasing.

Do you think people might underestimate you?

I’m genuinely not that bothered about what other people think. I don’t know if that’s arrogant or naïve, I’m not sure. I don’t have any expectation for myself to do hugely well, I don’t have any expectation to fulfil for other people. I don’t need to do fantastically well and starve myself for people back home to say I’ve done well.  I’m doing this for me, to experience this wilderness in hopefully its truest form and I do want to push myself to my limits and experience true hardship.

How much does this mean to you?

This means a huge amount to me. I can’t describe how much having this opportunity means to me. It’s so incredibly exciting and so incredibly terrifying. Just standing out on the banks of the Mackenzie, I feel a tingle from my toes to the tip of my head every now and then and I can’t tell if it’s fear, excitement or a mixture of both. It’s also hugely terrifying because I have to just grapple with the fact this may be the most amazing thing I ever do in my entire life and I’ve hopefully got another 20, 30, 40, 50 years ahead. So I try not to think about that part but, I’m just really, really excited.

What do you think is going to be harder – the physical or mental side of this challenge?

I think the mental is absolutely the only challenge here. I think your body can really, really push itself and you can really push yourself. But mentally, the isolation, the ability to push through hunger, to push through fatigue, depression certainly is going to be the biggest challenge.

How do you think you’ll cope with the mental challenge?                                            

I can be extremely tired, extremely thirsty.  I know that I can push through that, no problem, but I’m really not sure how the isolation is going to affect me, that part of the mental challenge, the alone part - that’s something I’ve not had experience with before. That’s going to be new to me and I’m really looking forward to seeing how I react to it and hopefully it’s going to be okay. I’m going to just try and tough it out.                 

Do you feel ready to go out there?

Honestly, I’ve been up and down. I felt really confident at times and I’ve also felt waves of anxiety and fear about what am I about -, but I’m not afraid and I’m going to take it straight on.    

How will you feel if you have to tap out?

I could be the first person to tap out and I would not mind. I could be the fifth person to tap out and I would not mind. What would crush me though, was if I was the second last person to tap out, that would be very difficult.  I think deep down, even if I were second last, or if I won, the experience of just being out there in the first place is the experience of a lifetime. I’m just so grateful for all of it. Whatever happens, I will still have had a huge, fantastic experience I will never forget, and every day that I spend out there, will be a huge gift, so I’m going to stay out there for as long as I feel comfortable pushing myself. I’m going to push myself as hard as I can, become comfortable in discomfort, and at the end of the day, if I have to come home for whatever reason, I will have had an amazing, once in a lifetime experience.

What are you most looking forward to?

I’m most looking forward to a really intimate connection with nature. It’s an interaction with nature in an actual world that most people just never, ever get the opportunity to experience. I’m also really looking forward to being uncomfortable and to seeing how I deal with that and I’m really looking forward to seeing how far I can push myself.              

Would you like the experience to change you?

I’d like this experience to change me. I hope to be an entirely different person when this experience is over, than when it began. I’m looking for a huge amount of personal growth. I want to find out more about myself, and I want to be a much better person when I come out of this experience, than I am going in. 

What do you think you’ll learn about yourself?

This is probably the most honest experience anyone can go and do because there’s nowhere to hide out there, between you and the environment, or you and yourself. I think I’m going to learn exactly how uncomfortable I’m willing to be. I’m going learn how much grit, how much determination I’ve got, and how resourceful I am, how versatile and how out of the box I can think. I’m also going to learn how strong my human will to survive is, which people underestimate all the time.  I’m going to learn a huge amount.

What’s your plan for the first night? 

Build a simple type of shelter.

Do you have any idea where you’ll build your shelter? 

I know I need to build it close to the water but far enough away from areas that look like they’re good for hunting, so I don’t disturb the wildlife. I want it to be close to resources, close to trees, close to water, close to food sources but I’ll have to get the lay of the land when I get there and that’s a huge amount of the excitement, just going in there absolutely blind. 

What do you think your emotions are going to be like?                                                 

They’re going to be terrible. The most important thing is to stay level headed, and to try and keep my emotions in check. If I have a huge roller coaster of ups and downs, I’m going to find it a lot more difficult. I’m pretty sure I’m going to cry a couple of times. 

 

 

LAURA

AGE: 40

FROM: Lincolnshire

OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur

ABOUT 

Laura went through a massive transformation as she reached her 30s, discovering the outdoors, fitness and adventure. Since then, she has taken on several endurance events, including rowing the Atlantic. 

This new lifestyle is a far cry from the life Laura previously lived.  Throughout her 20s Laura ran her own beauty salon, living a lavish lifestyle, seeking material happiness and enjoying the finer things in life. As she approached 30, she took stock and realised that she was deeply unfulfilled, so she gave up the salon, the glamorous clothes and her bling lifestyle in an attempt to find the real Laura.

Laura has always wanted to have the opportunity to take on a challenge at this level and she’s desperate to see whether she is both mentally and physically capable of doing it. For Laura, this adventure would pull together everything she has devoted the last 10 years of her life to learning.

 

Interview with Laura                                            

Why did you want to take part in Alone?

This is the ultimate adventure - it’s all of the lessons that I’ve taken from my previous challenges put into one and putting me to the test to see how well I’ll do. I’m desperate to get out and connect with nature, and be away from the noise of digital and other people and to go really, really deep and see what I’m capable of. I feel a deep desire to go through this discomfort. And I just want to see if I am capable of getting my water, getting my food, building my little home and finding out how I will cope whilst doing all of that.

What strengths will you bring to the wilderness?

My strengths are my routine and the care I’ve put into my body and mind. I love a routine, I’m very methodical and I like scenario planning and thinking of solutions.  I’m also really good at self-care, looking after my body because I’m a runner and I exercise, so that helps me stay injury free. Plus I keep my mind healthy. So I’m looking forward to taking those strengths and skills out with me, because it’s not all about axe work and knife, it’s about looking after my feet, looking after my mind and getting lots of sleep as well. So I’ll just find that balance between all of the skills.

How big a challenge will this be for you?

This is going to be my biggest challenge to date, my ultimate adventure.  This involves such minimal kit - I’ll be by myself, just me and mother nature. This feels like the ultimate challenge and all the lessons that I’ve learnt previously have led to this moment.

Mental or physical, which do you think you’ll be stronger at?                                                   

I will probably do better at the mental side, only because my skills aren’t as strong as I would like them to be. During previous challenges, I’ve found my body often says no more but my mind tells me to carry on, so I’ll just keep listening to my mind and carry on, especially knowing that if I have a bad day one day, the next day might be a good day. 

What worries you the most about this adventure?

If my kit gets wet, if I can’t build a good enough shelter and the weather gets the better of me, that concerns me because generally that means I might have to tap out. But then I try not to focus on those things because if I think about it enough, it might happen.  The only way that I can stop those things happening is by focusing on what I can do.

What do you think most people would think about you doing a challenge like this?    

When I tell my friends that I’m doing this, they will say “of course you are.” Other people might wonder why on earth I would want to do that, but those who know me know this is absolutely perfect for me.

What do you see as your main competition?

I feel as though once I’m out there all sense of competition will be lost because the reason I’m there is to find the lessons.       

Would you like this experience to change you?

I would like to find some lessons to help me become more rounded, soften those sharp edges and help me cope with everyday life a bit better.

How will you feel if you have to tap out?

If I had to tap out, despite feeling disappointed, I wouldn’t want to live with a regret.  If that is the case, I’ll just accept that’s happened and cherish all the moments before that. I’d like to come away feeling great rather than feeling sad about having tapped out.

How do you think you’ll cope with the hunger? 

Because I have done several long fasts, I feel confident, knowing how my body and mind is going to act. It’s going to be a bit of sticky transition but I feel happy with how I’m going to cope. I’ve also got these extra six kilograms on me, that extra bit of fat. Saying that, it’s not going to stop me going out and finding food every day, because ideally I wouldn’t want to get into that mind-set of relying on my bodies stored energy.

How did your passion for the outdoors begin?

My passion for the outdoors began with a run to the end of my road. I’d seen people on TV, running across the mountains and in the forest, and I always wanted to do that. So, the obvious thing for me was to start running around the block.  Then that run led to longer runs, which led to marathons. And it just kept escalating and the more stuff that I did outside, the more I loved it and felt so fulfilled. It was not something that I’d ever experienced before. And so as that grew, all of the materialistic stuff, all of the shopaholic traits that I had, they kind of burnt out and my outdoor passion grew.

 

 

LOUIE

AGE: 28

FROM: WALLASEY

OCCUPATION: BUILDER

ABOUT

Louie is a builder. His job means he is constantly on his feet, which helps him to keeps fit.

He loves wild swimming, camping and mountain climbing but his dream has always been to be dropped somewhere with just an axe, so that he can live in nature and construct his own shelter.

A few years ago, Louie had a serious motorbike crash, which meant he couldn’t work for a year. He spent all of his savings on bills and couldn’t get out of the house. The feeling of helplessness Louie experienced after his accident is something he never wants to go through again. He likes to fend for himself and make his own decisions.

Louie believes that taking part in Alone will give him the confidence boost he needs and will make him feel unstoppable.

 

Interview with Louie 

How would you describe this challenge for you?

What I’m about to do is probably the ultimate test. You can be good on paper, you can have a PhD, or like me, you could be good with your hands. But I think this challenge I’m about to do will test every ounce of grit, determination, intelligence, and common sense. This is the ultimate challenge for anyone, and I just hope I’m ready for it. 

How do you feeling about getting there?

I’m terrified to go in. I’m not even going to try and sugar coat it, or try and be an arrogant typical guy. I’m actually terrified to be dropped in there on my own. Your imagination can be your worst enemy as well as your friend. But at the moment it’s my worst enemy. It will be beautiful where I’m going but I can’t help but think about being alone in this desolate place, with no food.         I’ve thought about it a lot over the last few months. Where I’ll be, what the fish will be like.  I’m ready for it though, because I’ve already terrified myself enough with what I think I’m going to be faced with, and I just want to see if that matches my imagination.

Why do you want to do this then? Why is it so important for you to do this?                          

This is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. I find my best memories have come from when I’ve been terrified. When I’m doing something a little bit dangerous or outside my comfort zone it helps with my personal growth. It makes me feel like I’m not a kid anymore, I’m a man. Doing this calibre of challenge will do wonders for me, or completely crush me. But I’m ready to find out. 

Where do you think you’ll be challenged most?

This challenge for me is all about survival. I’m a very practical kind of guy so how good a shelter or fire I can build should be second nature to me. What I’m more concerned about is the mental side. For me, this a hundred percent a mind game. The physical bits can help me through it, but when push comes to shove, this is a mental challenge, and I’m really ready to see what I’m actually made of.                                            

How do you feel about being completely alone?                                 

I’m good in my own company. I work by myself. I go to the gym by myself. I spend a lot of my days alone. But I’ve always got the option to be with other people so when that option is taken away from me, that’s going to be the true test. When I don’t have that person to hug, or that phone call to have, or even a group of people to people watch. I’ve always thought I would do well on my own but this will be my true test to see if I am right.          

Do you feel ready for this challenge?

I feel as ready as I’m ever going to be. I’m still at that age where I’ve got a lot of fight left in me. Practically, I feel very strong and I’m at a good place where problem- solving is quite fun for me. I’m not scared of suffering a little bit. I’m kind of embracing it. I know it’s going to be tough, but there’s just nothing else I’d rather do. I can’t concentrate on anything else. I just want to be part of this.  I’m as ready as I’m ever going to be.             

Do you want to win?

It’s not even so much about winning, I just don’t want to quit, because if the worst happens, then it happens.  I don’t want to go home with the regret of tapping out. 

If you had to tap out then can you imagine how you would feel?                             

I think if I tapped out it would hurt more than a bad crash.  This is a big deal for me. In my own head, I’ve kind of put my own integrity into this challenge, and if I fail by quitting, I’ll feel I’ve just let myself down. I’m harder on myself than anyone is.

Do you see this as the greatest adventure of your life?                                                                

Yes, this is the greatest adventure of my life. Even if I become a millionaire in the future, that still wouldn’t even come close. With all the money in the world, I couldn’t have put myself in this position again. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m very aware of that. I haven’t been able to think of anything but this challenge for months now. I’m excited to be dropped. I’m ready for it.                                                

How do you think this will change your life?

It could change the way I look at myself. I’m still unsure if that’ll be better or worse.  That will depend on how I do.                                                                  

What is your plan?  

I think a lot of people will expect me to build a huge amazing shelter straight away. But that’s not going to be the case. I’m going to kind of build slow, and when I’ve got the calories to pay for the materials as such, I’ll put an extension on it. That’s my tactic, so I’ve always got something to do. The last thing I want to do is build a big shelter and then just sit there for however long. I’m a slow and methodical kind of person. My main worry in there is finding a food source. So, I want to get accustomed to hunting and fishing as quickly as possible.  I feel fairly comfortable that I can survive. So, yeah, that’s it.                                               

How do you think you’re going to cope with hunger?               

One of my concerns is the hunger side of things. I do get moody if I miss a meal. But then again, it just kind of drives me more into my hunting and fishing mode. But I feel like if I had food, the whole challenge wouldn’t be the same. That makes it more gritty. It’s the extra icing on the cake of this whole challenge. In a very peculiar way, I’m quite excited to know how it feels to be that hungry. I’m excited to see how good food tastes when you haven’t eaten for three, or four days. But I’m also terrified that this is what will take me out of the challenge eventually.

 

 

MIKE

AGE: 49

FROM: Manchester

OCCUPATION: Joiner

ABOUT

Master craftsman Mike can build pretty much anything out of wood, whether that’s a house, furniture or anything in between.

Mike describes himself as a kid locked in a grown-up's body. He loves adventure and holidaying and believes his biggest achievement in life is his daughter.

He lives on the street he grew up on in Manchester.

In the late 80s, he was very into the acid house scene and struggled with drug addiction. It took him many years to get clean but he turned his life around and now loves spending time alone in nature, having trekked waterfalls, wild camped and travelled around much of the world.

He believes he has the capabilities to succeed on the show and thinks it’ll test his knowledge to the max. He also very much enjoys the solitude that being alone in the wild brings.

Interview with Mike                                             

Why did you want to take part in Alone?

I’ve always wanted to do this because it’s out of the norm.

Do you think you’ve got what it takes?

I’m a pretty simple person and I like to try and keep things that way.  I’m a joiner, shelter building, I’ve fished all my life. It’s just the mental side of it, er, because that’s, that’s where it’s at.                     

What do you think you’ll find the most difficult?

I’m a people person, so that’s what I’m going find the most difficult, being alone.                  

Do you think you can make use of that time alone? 

I think the time alone will be a good thing, just to evaluate life. Similar to how we re-evaluated our lives during lockdown, so this will be like that, but on a more severe level, because there’ll be no telephones, there’ll be no people knocking on the door, there’ll be no TVs, there’ll be no fridges full of food. So these feelings will just intensify naturally.

How do you feel about being on your own?

I’m curious about how the mental side of it is going to go. But not to a point where I’m anxious and afraid of doing it.

What do you expect this experience to be like?

I’d rather everything be a little win and a positive.  It’s going be extremely difficult and painful, and anything other than that is a bonus. That’s how I’m going in. 

Which do you think will be harder for you - the physical or the mental part of the challenge?

I think the mental will be way more tough than, than the physical. I don’t even think I can comprehend some of the thoughts that I’m going to have coming into my mind.               

What do you see as the competition?

For me, the competition is simply how I’m going to deal with, resolve and get over every situation that comes at me. That’ll be the challenge. That’ll be the thing that I’ll have to conquer whilst I’m out there. It’s certainly not about the other people. It’s all about the location, and what you’ve got in the bank to bring to the event.     

Do you think this experience could change you? 

This experience absolutely will change me, one hundred percent. Going into this, there’s nothing else to do other than change my outlook on how I’m living my life at this moment in time.                                

How do you think you’ll feel about tapping out?    

I think it’s a big reality. It doesn’t matter how skilful you are at certain things, it’s like the underdog can always come and steal the show. I could have an injury or I could eat something that I shouldn’t have eaten, or I might go out of the game.  Anything can happen. 

What is your main emotion when you think about this challenge?

When I think about the challenge, mostly I feel excited. A little bit nervous, a little bit anxious. I do feel confidence but I don’t think it’s with an arrogance. I hope it isn’t. I hope it doesn’t come across that way. But the overall feeling is excitement.

What would it mean to you to win?

On a personal note, winning it would be proof that I have enough about me to deal with every situation that’s put in front of me.

Do you think this could be a pivotal moment in your life?               

I’m hoping that this is a defining moment in my life, that may result in a career move. Hopefully doors open will open for me that I’m not expecting. I’m hoping that it has an impact and that it changes my life.

What are the elements that you feel most confident about?                                                     

The shelter building is probably my most confident area, followed shortly after by the fishing. But that’s all I’ve done all my life. I’ve been a joiner all my life, so if I’ve got a got a poor shelter it’ll be embarrassing.

There are going to be moments that are scary during this. How do you think you’ll handle them?

I’ve just never really been that worried or concerned about the animals out there. I’ve got this strong belief that they want to stay away from us as much as we want to stay away from them.

 

 

NAOMI

AGE: 26

FROM: London (originally from Wales)

OCCUPATION: Clothing Designer

ABOUT 

Naomi is a freelance outdoor clothing designer and is the studio manager of a fashion school in Chelsea but fell in love with the outdoors during her research into creating clothing suitable for extreme environments. As part of her research into what makes a successful outdoor clothing brand, she is often found trekking in extreme weather conditions and taking on challenging expeditions. She loves challenging the stereotype of being a fashion designer who is just as at home in the wild. 

Naomi has a three-year-old son who will celebrate his fourth birthday while she is away in Canada. She became a mother in her early twenties and says she is often judged for being a ‘young mum’. This has made her determined to live a life filled with adventure and opportunities.

Naomi is incredibly social and loves leading a busy life. Whilst this is her day-to-day, she loves spending time in the outdoors, alone, to reset and challenge herself.  

Naomi grew up in coastal Wales where a love of the outdoors was encouraged.

By taking part in this challenge, , Naomi wants to prove that it's possible for women/mothers to have a career in an industry in which women are underrepresented, roles that have previously been labelled as manly traits, whilst also having a family and career.

Interview with Naomi                                          

Why this challenge in particular?

This is going to be a huge challenge for me. I am always with people, whether it be friends, partners, family. I'm surrounded by people every day and so the main challenge for me is going to be the social aspect; to be completely on my own is not something I'm used to. I'm a young mum, I've got a big family, and I've just never been on my own. But I crave that a lot. I often go out to do an expedition on my own, but I end up mixing with lots of people and making friends. So it will be really interesting to see how I do, just completely alone.     

Is that something you're nervous about? 

I'm terrified of being on my own. But for me, having that feeling is exactly why I need to be doing it. If I was comfortable being on my own, I wouldn't be here. The fear is what's pushing me to do it.

Why do you think you've got what it takes?

I don't necessarily think I've got what it takes to win, but I think I've got what it takes to give it a good shot. I've definitely got the drive to put myself in an uncomfortable position and to really challenge and test myself. I have a need to better my skills in no matter what area that is. I always want to kind of push the boat a little bit further, test myself a little bit further, and mentally get stronger day by day. So that's the biggest thing for me.           

What will this experience mean to you?

This will be the craziest thing I've ever done in my life. I thought having a son in the last year of university was hard, but this is going to be just something I could never compare anything to. I won’t be able to go home and compare it to an experience anyone else has had, because how many people have had to survive in the wild with very little kit without any human interaction? It's not something people do, so the fact that it's unrelatable is what makes it a crazy, wild adventure.

Do you have something to prove to people?

I just want my expectations for myself to be met, and that for me is what matters and should be the only thing that matters.                                 

Why are you doing it now?

I have to do it now. If I don't do it now, it won't happen, this opportunity isn't something that will come around again. It may be wild and I had a thousand reasons to say no but to have the chance to survive in the Canadian wilderness, immerse myself in nature, test my skills and dive deep into myself.. it would be crazier to turn it down.               

Which do you think will be more challenging? The mental or the physical?         

The mental challenge is going to be the hardest by far. I think for me, just going into an environment where I've got too much time to think, I'm going to get weirder and weirder by the day. I talk to myself enough at home, so I really have no idea how I'm going to be out there. I think it's going to be really important for me to face my mental challenges. The physical challenges will also be hard.  It's not an easy thing we're going to do. I'm definitely not the best joiner or fisherman. I have basic skills in these areas, but I'm willing to learn and really dig my teeth into and get to know what it takes to do well in those physical challenges. But the mental challenge is a difficult one to learn, and that will take more time. 

Tell me what big moments you’ll be missing. 

The biggest moment I’m missing is my son turning four. That’s going to be hard.  I never thought I’d miss a birthday and I don’t ever want to miss a birthday but I think he will love to look back and go ‘wow on my birthday, look what Mummy was doing, it was so cool’. So I think I will celebrate it in my own way. Being the control freak I am, I’ve already planned out his birthday at home and sorted his presents and written him letters each week that he can open, so I’ve done as much as I can to be a part of that day for him, despite not being able to be there physically.  It will be hard but I hope it’s motivation for me to do well.              

Do you feel ready for this challenge?

I don’t think you can ever be ready for this challenge. I personally am not ready for this, not at all. If I had more time I still wouldn’t have been ready for this challenge. I think not allowing myself to overthink it is probably the best thing. I can obviously practice my skills but I don’t think I can mentally fully prepare myself for what I’m about to do, because I can’t compare it to anything I’ve done before.                                         

What are you most scared of?

Animals. To be fair, if I saw a bear in the day I would think it’s the cutest thing and I would go out and want to touch it, which I won’t. The animals don’t frighten me in the day. I think the biggest thing that scares me is my own mind. So at night, if I hear a noise, I’ll just go into overdrive. I’ll instantly think it’s the worst thing in the world and, they’re all coming after me. That’s what I need to work on. It’s not necessarily the environment or the things I’m going to be facing out there that scares me, it’s what my brain will do in those situations. That’s what scares me more than anything. I think humans are a lot more scary than animals. I’m very lucky to be on my own in this, but equally as unlucky.   

What would you say you’re most looking forward to in the experience?                  

Just getting time to myself.  How many young mums get this? I think having time to yourself, just really getting to know who you are without any outside influence, that’s so rare. You could be at home on your own all day but you’re having all these outside influences all the time and they slowly form who you are as a person. And as great as that is I just want to know who I am on my own.

How long do you think you’ll last? 

I have not set myself a goal in terms of how long I’ll last. I mean I see my son’s birthday as a great starting point, but after two days, I could think this is not for me, and question why I am I doing this. I hope I don’t have that experience but it might happen. I hope I go far, I’d love to, but I’ve not allowed myself to think about it. I’ve not allowed myself to think about winning, I’ve not allowed myself to think about a timeframe. I’m kind of just going in and will take it day by day and I’ll have a celebration each day I make it.      

What do you consider to be the main competition?

I’ve never looked at this as a competition. Every person out there is amazing and deserves a shot, so I’ve not allowed myself to view them as my competition. I think for me it’s I’m in competition with myself. If I can challenge myself mentally and physically to stay out there, and I do that, then great, I’ve won. If I’ve got through two weeks and that’s longer than I ever expected, then in my mind I’ve won. I don’t need that first place to feel like I’m a winner, I need to know that I’ve got to where I would like to get to, to feel like a winner. 

What would it mean to you if you were to go on to the end to win?                                           

If I was to win, oh my gosh, I think I’d be in so much shock I wouldn’t know what to do. I’ve just not allowed myself to go to that place yet. It would allow me to raise my son in a way that I would love to. I love living in London, but I want a houseboat. I would happily live on a canal somewhere and just travel around with him and have even more freedom with life. So winning would allow me that. It would also allow me to potentially pursue the outdoor industry more and show women, and young girls that this is an option for us.  I think being a positive representation for women, mums and young girls is amazing. If I can do that, great, that would be a huge takeaway from the show.                                    

Would you like this experience to change you? 

I’m hoping it changes me to a degree. I’m very happy with who I am as a person. It’s taken me a long time, but there’s always room to grow, and to get to know my true self.  This is going to be a great chance to grow, I'd like the isolation to allow me to gain a deeper understanding of myself.

What happens if you have to tap out?

I won’t be sad if I have to tap out. I think I will be a little disappointed. It depends on the environment. If I’m injured or I feel unwell in myself I will tap out and I won’t question it, because I want to go home a healthy mum for my son, that is so important to me. I don’t want to put myself in a position where I’m going to be a worse-off person.  I don’t ever want to do that to my family, they don’t deserve that. So if I tap out for those reasons I’ll be okay, I’ll be very happy with that choice. If I tap out out of fear, that is one I will regret. I often spook myself quite easily,  I’ll hear a noise in the kitchen at night and turn the light on because I can’t sleep. So if I tap out because I’ve scared myself silly, I know days later I’ll be regretting that heavily and that is something I’m going to work on a lot out there, to battle through those fears, because that is one of the reasons I do not want to tap out for.

How much tougher is this going to be than previous challenges you’ve taken on before?

This will be the toughest challenge I’ve ever done, because I’m testing a thousand different skills.  I won’t have food, or shelter, or water. I’ll have to combine all these skills to the ultimate test.  Usually when someone takes on a challenge it’s either a physical one, or a mental one, and it focuses on something specific.  This is so broad and you need to know so many different things, and your mind needs to be in the right place.  It’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. 

What’s your plan for your first night shelter?

My first night shelter is going to be very basic. If it can keep me warm and dry that’s all it needs to do. I don’t care what it looks like.  As long as I’m dry, I’m happy. If I can get a raised bed made, brilliant. I want to try and relax by a warm fire and take in my new surroundings.          

How do you think you’ll cope the first few days?

The first few days will be the most mentally challenging of the whole process, I’d imagine. There’s so much to think about – finding my way around, getting to know where I’m going to get my water from, how I’m going to get my first bits of food, my shelter, there’s so much to do in those first days.

Do you have an overall strategy? 

I have zero strategy. I probably should have a strategy but I just have zero strategy. I think taking it day by day, every little thing I achieve is going to be the biggest high and I just want to enjoy those moments as much as I can and use those moments to keep me going.

 

 

PIP

AGE: 47

FROM: Aberdeenshire, Scotland

OCCUPATION: Wild Swimming Coach

ABOUT

Pip is a wild swimming coach, outdoor instructor and a mother of two, who served 17 years as an Army Officer and became the first female Army Commando. She is now dedicated to supporting others through outdoor-based activities and experiences at the family woodland centre.

Despite being in some intense situations in the past, Pip believes she’s never really experienced a full survival situation and is keen to see how she’ll fare.

Interview with Pip                                  

Why do you think you’ve got what it takes?

I’m curious about the environment, I love discovering things so I go into everything with an open mind. I have a baseline of skills that will sustain me but I’m keen to explore them and develop them in any way possible, I think the immersive nature of the challenge is going to be something that’s not only super exciting but super scary because we don’t normally put ourselves in those sorts of situations. We reach a point where we’re comfortable and life, moseys along, so to actually decide to put yourself into something like this quite interesting. Hopefully my resilience levels will help me keep going. 

What does it say about you wanting to do something this extreme?                             

That I’m a little bit crazy. I think it’s important to take the opportunities as they come and do things that you really want to do. My whole life, my career was defined by doing things I wanted to do that I was excited about, that I thought would engage me and allow me to learn from or push me as a different person or improve my character. I’ve tried to take all those experiences that I’ve had to help me become that person and I think that this is something very similar.                            

Do you think being in the military and having the experiences that you’ve had have given you a different outlook or different coping mechanisms that might be useful here?       

I think the military has taught me to keep my stuff clean and organised. Trying to make sure I know where all my kit is at one time. I think routine has always been really key for me too. I was at boarding school so I had routine there and the army just thrives on routine. So I think both of those elements are going to be beneficial for me on this experience.                                  

What would it mean to you to win? 

I think if I could walk away with my head held high, knowing I have just given everything my best shot and that I had tried, I would be happy at whatever stage that leads me to. If I can continue down this journey ‘til the end, whatever the end might be. This is going to be an experience that’s going to just take me into my next stage of my life and give me the energy to just keep going, and keep loving what I do, sharing it all and inspiring more people again.                         

How do you think you will cope with being away from loved ones?                            

I am okay with that. I am used to being separated from loved ones. I went to boarding school, I was in the army. I lived in Canada for two years and went home once or twice. I compartmentalise my family and my feelings and my love for them and focus on what I am doing. And I am quite happy with not being engaged with them regularly. I feel completely at ease that they are loved and they love me and they are proud of me and that they’re being looked after.

Do you feel ready for the challenge? 

I think I am as ready as I can be at this time. I wouldn’t say I’ve been preparing for this my whole life; it’s not one of those things. You never feel 100% ready for these things.

What are you scared of, going in there? 

Having never encountered a bear face to face, it is quite a worrying situation to find yourself in.

How would you feel if you had to tap out?

If I had to tap out I would really hope that there would be understanding from my family, for whatever reason I was tapping out for. I’ve got to live with the decisions that I make and I’ve put them through me coming here and doing this. And I’ve put myself through it and I had to be sure about it. So to tap out I have to be sure that it is the right decision because I have to live with it. This is a really big thing, if I’m going to make that decision to tap out, I just really hope it wouldn’t be on the spur of the moment. It’s something that I would have to consider for some time. But I am also not saying that it’s not something that might happen. I’ve not been put under these conditions before. I do not know how my brain is going to react and how it’s going to tell me what I need to do and what I don’t need to do. And I think if I can just listen to my heart as well as my head, I’ll be in a good place.                    

What do you think you’ll get from all the time alone?

It might be that I work through some feelings that come back to me or some memories. I really don’t know what might happen out there. I would anticipate coming back more humble and more appreciative of what’s in my life right now and be grateful for everything that I have. If I could come back with humility and appreciation, then I think that would be a positive thing.     

Can you talk to me about what the first night will be like?                                                         

I think the first night is going to be like The Blair Witch Project. I think it is going to be an absolute rollercoaster, it really is. There are going to be a huge amount of emotions and feelings and not just mental but physical as well. I anticipate there’s probably going to be rain, there might be wind, it’s going to be dark. There’s going to be a lot of unfamiliar noises and it’s accepting I’m in there and actually talking myself round and dampening down my fears, just trying to embrace the situation that I’m in. I think there’s an element of shock and awe that’s going to be in there really, probably a lot of self-doubt about why I am doing this, why I have put myself in this situation, if I really want to be here.  I think there will be a lot of that on the first night. After that, it will get better, I hope.                   

Do you have an overall strategy? 

Take each day as it comes, one day at a time, that is my mojo.  Celebrate the positives, move forward from the negatives and it’s not bombs and bullets. 

How do you think you’ll cope? 

Keeping busy is going to be key but also this comes into the appreciation of and the empathy for other people and the situations that they have been in. Realistically, thinking that other people have been in survival situations where they’ve managed for longer than three weeks and they’ve survived and come out the other side. People have done it. Everybody is different and physically we’re different so it’s very difficult to say how I might cope. I cope well with not eating a lot at home. How I’ll cope with the added pressures of everything else we’re doing around here, I’m not sure. But, I think trying to just keep busy and perhaps have an appreciation of other people who are in situations whether they want to be or not would be helpful.

 

 

TOM

AGE: 39

FROM: Portsmouth

OCCUPATION: Expedition Company Director

ABOUT

Tom had a tough time at school. He was overweight, lacked any confidence, picked on by his peers and came academically bottom of his year.  While he presents as a determined and confident guy these days, he says this is something he has worked on building over the years as he struggles to overcome an imposter syndrome from his childhood.

It wasn’t until making it into university that Tom truly found himself, living a year abroad mapping coral reefs for his degree. It was here that he discovered a love for exploration and adventure. After many years of working unfulfilling 'cubicle based' jobs Tom set up his desert island travel business as a means of monetising his passion.

Tom was trained to deal with polar bears when he walked to the North Pole. He only encountered a mother and her cubs at long range but after the race later learned that he was being stalked by one due to prints on his ski tracks.

Tom thinks competing on Alone will give him the validation he feels he needs to overcome his imposter syndrome. He also wants to prove wrong all of the people who doubted him when he was a young.

 

Interview with Tom

Why do you think you’ve got what it takes to do this challenge?                                                    

I find I feel my best self when I am immersed in nature, when I'm outside of the intense city life. I don’t know how on earth it will be doing that with the loneliness aspect, and with the calorie deficit. But the map’s unexplored and I like pushing myself to my limits to grow as a person.

What are your strengths, and weaknesses, and how will they help you or not in this adventure? 

I'm definitely untrained in this environment to date I have only ever practiced tropical bushcraft. Using only a machete and never lifting an axe so I'm going to have to be very careful learning on the job. I'm pretty pragmatic, I  can look at challenges and somewhat work them out.  I'm pretty good at fishing, starting at 10 years old fishing off the pier in Portsmouth. Adversity builds resilience, in addition to my adversity growing up I walked to the North Pole, and that did allow me to experience what it is to live adversity to such a great degree. With the sun never setting we would walk sometimes for 30 hours pushing myself to my physical limit. I know that I can do that, and that gives me a lot of self belief that I can work through challenging situations in life. I know that when we want quite we are only at 40% of our real limits. 

How do you feel about this challenge?                                                           

I am eighty percent really excited, and twenty percent terrified!  It’s this kind of back and forth of fear and excitement, I oscillate through every day, especially as we get closer. This is the biggest adventure of my life, it’s the culmination of these experiences that I've had in my past leading to this huge adventure. Excitement is definitely the overwhelming emotion that I'm feeling. 'Alone' is the survival Olympics. It’s just the rawest, most real adventure and I'm just very grateful to have a chance to partake in it. Not many people ever get to go out into the wild, and live this kind of experience. It’s a very special adventure to be able to partake in and time in nature can be really cathartic for us.

Do you have something to prove in doing this?

I definitely do have something to prove.  Though it would be amazing, the prize money is not my real driver. It’s proving to myself that I do have the resilience that I think I perhaps do. I guess I have something to prove to those who have doubled me in the past. I've always had a point to prove, since being an academically failure.  

Which do you think you’ll cope better with – the mental or the physical?

I think I'm going to be better mentally, and I think this is a seventy percent mental challenge, thirty percent physical challenge. The two really tie in to each other. If you are not keeping yourself busy, eating good or sleeping much, the more that’s going to weigh mentally on you. So this really is ebb and flow, , the less that you do with the physical the more that you're going exacerbate the mental challenge. I feel like I've got a pretty decent coping mechanism. I feel like I can feed myself fairly well out there with my fishing skills, But who knows.

How do you think you're going to cope physically?                                 

I think I'm going to be able to cope, but I know that my body is going to hurt. I'm going to try and do lots of stretching, and I'm going to try and learn meditation, and breath work, and, and really work on my self care out there, looking after my feet, looking after my hands. I think it all starts with looking after yourself, with the rest built on top of it. Once more the Mental Physical link.

How about your mental coping mechanisms? How are you going to deal with the hard times out there?                

I've been learning breath work recently, and I find that really helps to settle my anxiety. Meditation is something I know is really beneficial in this environment so I will give that a crack. 

How about your optimism? Is that something that’s going to come into play out there?

Definitely, I'm a seriously optimistic guy and its helped me so much in life to see opportunities and take chances in life, like this! Optimism and positivity are critical attributes that we see time and time again in  people who make it out of survival situations.  It’s one of those things that you can't fake. I think if you tell yourself you're positive, you tell yourself you're lucky, or you smile lots, all of these things help to make you more positive, more fortunate, happier. My positive disposition that I think really helps pick me up in darker times.

How do you think you'll cope with that kind of isolation?                                                  

I don’t know. I'm completely untested,  I’d like to think that I can deal with it, I can process it, I can rationalise it, but I just don’t know.  It’s an uncharted territory for me and it’s impossible for me to say. I know I will miss my wife and son, but my, hunch is I'm going to be able to deal with it, and I think you have to have that self belief, that you're going to be able to do it, and it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but I don’t know, Deep down I'm an introvert and I think that helps. I plan to be compassionate with myself, I think when you are one your own and your only friend is your voice in your own head its important that voice is a kind one.

Do you feel an out of your depth with this?

Yeah, I'm definitely out of my comfort zone when it comes to this environment, I've never survived one night in temperate woodland before.

What are you scared of?

I'm really scared of the ways I can injure myself. So using my axe incorrectly when I'm tired and it can all be over. I'm also afraid of my fire getting out of hand in my shelter. You have to be meticulous, and considerate about everthing. Small mistakes have huge consequences out there. I'm not so scared of the animals,  I don’t believe they are actively hunting me, I just need to not startles them. I really want to feel part of the environment, and then I want to feel welcomed into it, and not feel like it’s me versus the wilderness, me and nature are in this together. I guess I'm also a little worried about how my brain will react with that level of solitude. Not many people have ever gone that amount of time without human contact and if you have any demons in the recesses of your brain they will be sure to show up and torment you with no way of distraction. 

What are you most looking forward to? 

I'm most looking forward to really slowing down, and feeling at one and at peace with my environment. It’s a unique opportunity to live simply as our ancestors once did, without worrying about bills, and organising work. My wilderness job is just simply shelter, water, fire, food, and looking after myself.  to live at that simplistic level is, is really exciting to me and I think could be immensely cathartic.

What do you see as your main competition in this whole process?                                               

The competition is really myself, and me doubting myself, and having to prove myself. I wish everyone else the best experience possible, and I will be genuinely vying for them as I'm out there hoping they're doing well. It’s really just me versus myself.

Are you planning to win this? 

Absolutely I'm planning to win this. It’s going to be a beautiful experience and winning would be the icing on the cake. It’s already been a great experience just getting to the start line. So long as I don’t make a fool of myself and only last a week or so I will be happy with myself.

What would it mean to you to win? 

I think if I won this maybe I would dispel my imposter syndrome for good. I would be proud of myself. It would really improve my self belief, maybe it would exorcise the childhood failures, the doubters, the feelings that I had as a failure, as a kid. Maybe I could put all that to bed once and for all.

Is there a part of you that wants to prove how far you’ve come?                                                  

Yeah, I'm definitely trying to prove myself. I'm trying to prove myself to my school, to my teachers, to my family, to my friends, to myself. I can't help but have that desire to still look to prove people wrong from my childhood.  I think it’s really good, to an extent. There is a healthiness to that, that just drives me forward, to always be trying to better myself, and prove myself year on year, never being too complacent in life.

What are you hoping to teach your son?

I try to be a good role model to my son. We teach him that kindness is more important than anything  but this I think doing this me accentuates me as  role model that I’m really proud to be and it hopefully showcases my resilience or my skills, which are things that I can inspire him with and make him more resilient as an individual. I hope it inspires him to follow on a similar path as he loves nature, he loves hiking, he loves camping.  So I also just want to inspire him to also love the natural world and to be out there always growing as a person. When I asked him if I should do this, the sage little 5 year old turned and said to me; "of course you should -  ’to try is good". I was blown away. 

How unique is this experience?

Completely few get the chance to live this experience with somewhat of a safety net. Doing something like this is next level and it really allows me to go further out of that comfort zone and grow. I’m very excited about it.

How prepared are you for this experience?

I got a personal trainer for the last 6 weeks and started doing some core work and getting my mobility and strength better. I’ve also put on some weight. I’ve put on 18 kilos in seven weeks! drinking coconut oil, double cream in my coffee, eating a lot of pork scratchings. So, getting fat and fit!

What could make you tap out? 

In my mind right now there’s nothing that’s going make me tap out. In my mind I will only leave early because I’ve injured myself or I’m sick. that’s how I’m approaching this. I think all of us probably feel the same way. This map is uncharted. We don’t know how our minds will react in that situation.

What will push most to limits?

I think the thing that will push me most to my limits will be...the hunger and the solitude and the combination of those, like a dripping tap that erodes at your psyche. My positive demeanour and disposition could be pushed off kilter by those two elements coming in. The mind does funny things I think when you’re hungry, when you’re lonely, when you’re tired.  And so all of those pushing together could really trick me into tapping out.

How much tougher is this?

This is going be tougher than any other challenge I’ve undertaken, primarily because it’s a mental challenge. I’ve done physical challenges in the past but I’ve never undertaken such a mental challenge. Especially one with solitude. We’re social animals. I don’t know what that mental toll feels like. I’ve never challenged myself from a mental perspective, just a physical perspective. The two are intertwined but I think this will be the hardest thing I’ve ever undertaken.

How feel about first few days?

I think the first few days are really important. My emotions are going to be sky high, my adrenaline is going to be really intense. I think the natural desire is going to be to do everything as fast as possible and to build a home, I need to have my food, my fire, everything organised but in reality I’m just going to pragmatic and be happy with fifty percent. 

What’s your overall strategy?

My overall strategy is being slow and considered and methodical. My strategy also revolves heavily around fishing.  I have a few things that I will build out there to make it easier and I think building things is really going be good for my mind too.  So, keeping myself busy, keeping myself grounded, looking after myself, really focusing on the boring parts like cleaning yourself well, looking after your feet, looking after your hands. Just doing the routines and mundane parts of this experience but doing it well and methodically, I think is really important.