Would you survive the "Naked and Afraid" challenge?
Not only are they perfect strangers, but they must work together to survive, each using their skills. They must live off the land, somehow, to last 21 days with no chocolate brownies. Sometime, the couples work well together, and form life-long friendships, and other times, they can't work together at all, and split up to survive the challenge on their own. Some of them thrive in this situation, and others are absolutely on their last gasp, as they make their way to the rescue boat/chopper/truck.
The environments are hostile. There is always have some sort of nasty creatures crawling around, and there are always snakes, many of them poisonous, some of them gargantuan and all of them scary, (to me, anyway), and there are billions of bugs, all of whom seem to live to bite the contestants. In several of the challenges, there are alligators and/or crocodiles, fish with poisonous spines, devil-monkeys, pythons and boa constrictors-- even lions, tiger, and bears. Oh MY!
Some of the people that participate in the challenge are lovely people I would enjoy meeting, and others have some real personality problems, and some are just misinformed idiots. There have been lots of times when I wanted to reach through the TV screen and thwock them up the side of the head... Hence, this article, because I can't contain myself any longer...
I guess you can say that I've become a fan of the show... Naturally, I wonder if there was any way possible, that I could survive. In all honesty, in my present weakened physical condition, no, I would not. I don't know if I could have survived it back when I was young, strong, healthy, and fairly robust, but I KNOW I couldn't survive it now. That being said, I have read a lot and learned a lot about survival techniques since those days long ago, so I could contribute something, any way. Back when I was young and healthy, I wouldn't have been able to survive because I lacked the knowledge to do so!
The basics for survival include: Water, Fire, Shelter, and Food, In my case, I would like to add chocolate and toilet paper, but that's not going to happen...
Water is the first thing needed. They are dropped off in the middle of wilderness, and THEY HAVE A MAP, but I've never seen any contestant consult the map to locate streams, ponds, rivers, lakes, etc. Maybe they don't know what to look for, but many gullies that have a large recharge area feeding it, will have a stream in it, to drain it. You don't want to go too far down the slope, because the land can become very swampy and icky, and you don't want to go too high up the slope because then your water supply is more likely to be intermittent. Stay out of the swamp, but don't fly with the eagles, either.
I once watched an episode where they found a cave, that was unoccupied by any dangerous animal and had a lovely waterfall, be it small, pouring down the front of the cave. To me, this would have killed two birds with one stone-- shelter and water, but the girl convinced the guy that the water was polluted with calcium, etc., and if they drank it, they would get kidney stones. WHAT? Maybe in 30 years or so, but not in 21 days! So there was a huge missed opportunity.
Only two couples have bothered to filter their water with charcoal from the fire, and I want to say, WHAT?, again. A charcoal filter will remove a lot of chemical contaminants, not that there will be a lot of chemical contaminants out in the wilderness, but it works, and it will make the water taste better. So filter it, then boil it, to remove an biological contaminants, and get on with it. In fact, the best way to remove ALL contaminants from the water is to distill it. Which, I think, could be done, if you have coconuts and bamboo. (See extraordinarily crappy drawing...)
(Not that I know), but Bamboo seems to be hollow all the way through, and if you jam the small end of a bamboo stick, into the large end of another stick and seal ith with mud, this should keep steam from escaping your distillation tube. Use leaves, tied to the end to direct the steam from the boiling water in the coconut, into the tube and voila, you have distilled water.
This brings me to the next necessity, Fire. About the only advantage a human has in that situation, (besides opposable thumbs), is our ability to make and control fire. IF you don't have a fire starter, you can rub two sticks together, or use a bow to twirl the stick, or pray for a lightning strike nearby. So, first on the agenda is to find a water supply, and the next thing on the agenda is to make fire.
Let the fire burn down, build a new fire, and use the charcoal from the first fire to make your filter. Not to mention, build a hearth for the fire. A few rocks will get the fire up off the floor of the forest, swamp, etc., so that when it rains, your fire will continue to burn. I watched an episode where the guy dug a pit for a fire, Sure enough, it rained, and they lost their fire-- the precious fire they had worked two days to build. No one seems to have a cave, other than the idiot couple, so be sure to build the roof of your shelter over the fire, to keep the rain out. Besides, the smoke from the fire will help repel bugs.
Food is next. I could go on and on about food, but won't. You can build a fish trap, build a bird trap, make a bow and arrow, or just hope and pray that something walks by that you can spear. An episode last week had a couple who were lying in the shelter bemoaning the fact that they were sooooo hungry, while an endless parade of crabs walked by their shelter, waving their claws in the air. No one ever seems to dig for roots, either. There are a lot of plants with edible roots, and perhaps they should familiarize themselves with the cornucopia of food that can be gotten from roots-- either boiled and cooked in the fire. I think for this challenge, you have to be prepared to eat just about anything.
I've only seen one couple boiling and eating ants and termites, and that astounds me, too. Even the baboons know to eat ants for protein. A lot of bugs are pretty good eating, now that you mention it. And the one thing that there are plenty of, is bugs.
Another thing, build a poop pit. Just dig out a hole, and make sure it is located downstream from your water supply. I mean, think, people!
I've never seen anyone fashion a clay pot, and put it in the fire. Why not? Usually, there is clay. Where there is mud, some of that is clay-sized particles. Clay hangs together when you squish it. You can take mud, mix it with water, and let it settle. Use the top layer to get clay. I've never seen anyone build a fish trap and bait it with anything. You have to put something in the trap to attract fish-- and just about anywhere has worms-- Dig some. Tie the worms inside the trap. Check your traps frequently.
I've seen some of the couples trap birds, but no one has ever plucked the bird before eating it. WHAT? Pluck the bird. If you're near the sea, you have salt, so boil some water in your pot, and keep doing it until you get salt crystals. Or store the salty water inside a coconut and cook with it.
What could you add, as a way to survive this challenge? Could you survive, Naked and Afraid?
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While I think of myself as a decent human being, there are some people on this show that I wouldn't want as a partner. Mainly the macho-stubborn ones, either a man or a woman. There are other people that, despite their skills, or lack thereof, I could enjoy being with them for 21+ days.
Another thing that bothers me-- no one ever sings. Maybe the show doesn't want them to sing, but I wouldn't be at all happy if I couldn't.
I need to get busy honing my palm frond weaving skills...
I've not seen the show, but I'm sure that I could survive, naked or not...Well maybe that's true. It reminds of the song, ''Run through the Jungle''..
Kavika stripping down and gettin necked.
Kavika stripping down and gettin necked.
Pics or it's not true.
Pics or it's not true...please?
OK, but don't be showing this around. It's between you and me only.
huminahuminahuminahuminahumina
(Apologies to Red for my highly inappropriate exuberance.)
LOL, being a shape shifter does have it advantages sister.
I think those contestants are out of their minds or are so incapable of earning a living that they are desperate and are getting paid for submitting to that torture.
Either is a distinct possibility, Buzz. A lot of them are exmilitary. Maybe they're looking for a thrill...
I think I could handle the survival challenge part, but except for the idea of attracting an audience I don't get the naked part? I have seen some episodes of it and the nudity doesn't seem to play much part except for when it gets cold and then it seems like it only serves to make the couple sexually uncomfortable. Since my most unappealing part (now) is my gut I wouldn't have any shame in doing it naked, if they could come up with a good reason to considering it supposedly to showcase survival skills.
I wouldn't do this unless I was guaranteed that the other participants would have as many things on their bodies that jiggled, swayed, flapped, flopped, wobbled, and creaked as much, if not more, than I do.
Same here. I would do it it naked, as long as the other naked person was as...um...un in shaped as I am...
I volunteered for for Air Force POW Winter Survival School in North Dakota (It was optional, but I volunteered for everything, because you got to learn a lot more stuff that way and besides, it was fun and of course I was only 18) but we sure as hell didn't do it naked (not at about 15 below zero)) Still I don't see how being naked proves any survival skills on this show.
I'm not sure, either! Maybe because it adds an element of angst... If I were out there naked, there would be plenty of angst to go around. One thing, for sure, is that without clothes, you feel a lot more vulnerable, and you are!
The good thing is that so far, no one has made fun of the other's appearance. YAY!
Dear Sister-- I was wondering how my partner would feel about going through this with someone shaped like Humpty Dumpty. I guess we all feel that way, at least to a point!
One thing-- no one's body is perfect. That helps!
Hubby and I watch that show quite often. I think I'd make it about 10 minutes or so.
Some of these places, I wouldn't even get out of the car/truck...
They mean "Pixelated and Afraid".
In the first place, unless an explosive blast blows all my clothes off, I'm never going to be caught naked. Nekkid perhaps, but that is another beast to explore. Secondly, I'm generally prepared enough to get to somewhere safe if lucky enough.
So, NosireeBob. No naked Tex forlornly wandering the wilds scratching various bodily parts, putting up with strangers, dodging critters with teeth and trying like hell to find a stash of Twinkies.
LOL, dear Tex!
Dowser!
Long time. I do hope y'all are doing bodaciously well in these strange times.
We're ok... Hope the same for you!
Good! And, thank you!
Hanging in there.
With a fingernail grip on reality, I might add.
I feel the same way... I've been told that black is white so much lately, I wonder if everything just isn't a shade of gray...
Gray to Black.
These days we apparently live in Bizzaro World America.
In fact, if we survive this junta, we may all get the opportunity to test our Pixelated and Afraid abilities.......
Tex, I agree... I think the people in charge have lost their senses! I'm truly tired of never having any peace...
I'm just trying like Hell to get back on top of a mountain where there are more critters than humans before the Thought Poleece come take me away to one of those FEMA Camps the right was whining about during the Obama years.......