Alone Season 2: Episode 5 Thoughts and Commentary

This week on History's ALONE no one goes home, several contestants get much needed protein, we get a few looks more significant shelters, encounters with predators, rope swings, woods gym Inc., mouse for dinner, a massive storm, in-shelter sewage system and much more! Also don't forget Tomorrow 05/24/2016 at 9pm Eastern time over at Prepper Broadcasting Network (LINK) I will be talking to Dave McIntyre about his time on ALONE and what he has been up to since returning home, so be sure to join us in chat or feel free to call 347-202-0228 to listen to the show and press 1 to ask any questions you may have live on the air.

Review my Alone Posts From Season 1: Alone Episode 1 Review & Thoughts; Alone Mid-season Recap;Alone Season 1 Conclusions and Final Thoughts; Alone Season 2- Selection Process, Alone Season 2-Episode 1; Alone Season 2- Episode 2; Alone Season 2: Episode 3 Thoughts and Commentary; 

Alone Season 2: Episode 4 Thoughts and Commentary;

Want To Build Your ALONE Survival Kit? Start Here:

 

 Justin:

Day 10:

-Why in the world are you swinging from a rope alone in the middle of nowhere? That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw him swinging on that thing and I was just waiting for the mechanical injury to occur. But I guess if he is careful it could be a lot of fun and relaxing. I think I would have made a swing with a seat just because I'm a little more conservative and would try to avoid mechanical injuries a bit more.

Day 12:

-Built a gym much like Mick Dodges (guy is crazy but knows how to work out in the woods)- pull up bar, chain weights, rock weights, log dumbbell. I agree it will keep your spirits up and and much more but that's a lot of calories you need to replace quickly, hopefully he is able to keep those calories up so he can keep going to the gym.

-Survival workout program, great idea teach people how to workout in the woods while doing a survival class. I see a partnership with a gym in your future!

DAY 13:

-The little bit I can see of your shelter looks good, wish they would give us a good look at your shelter, appears to be a decent A frame type of shelter with some fairly large logs in place. I can't tell much about insulation but it looks like it could hold off a bear for a little bit!

-Kelp urinal, wow he has indoor plumbing! I don't know if its something I would try because of the potential smell but it is pretty nice not to have to get your rain gear on every time you need to pee in the middle of the night!

David:

Day 10:

-Had a stake come out of his gill net, yielded 0 fish in a week of deployment. That's crappy luck man, you have a cove but it doesn't look like you have a fresh water stream like several others to give you a prime spot to place your gill net.

-Thus far he has only ate limpets and seaweed, the lack of protein has got to be wearing on your energy levels by now.

-I like your log lounger, looks comfy there in that Lester River Borel Coat

-$500k is a lot of money but couldn't be your whole motivation for being there. I know it would drive me to stay, but at some point if it isn't about proving something to yourself and just about the money it won't be enough to keep going.

-Great quote: "Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God!"

Day 12:

-Got to love old school cane pole fishing, used to make rods a good bit as a kid. Glad you had luck with the process! Maybe this will inspire a few kids to get out there and try fishing with limited resources or what they find along the banks!

-A rock fish can live 200 years, wow.

-I like your table, good stuff man!

-Nice fast split wood fire! Check out one of my favorite split wood fires to make in the video below!

Day 13:

-About to loose your kitchen/fish processing log.... why not just pull it further onto shore?

Nicole:

Day 10:

-Shelter is looking really insulated these days, great work!

-Still digging the positive attitude with bears, ability to sleep post bear encounter, etc.You're becoming the person I'm rooting for and I try to remain neutral. Your attitude, skill set, camp setup and the fact you're an underdog (all of the medical issues you had to fight through and the longest lasting female contestant) make you easy to root for sticking around for a very long time.

Day 11:

-Holy crap she caught one heck of a fish! Going to have to smoke the heck out of that fish

-Wow cutting that fish head off while in the water it's going to drawl bears quick! She needs to get out of there asap!

-I think I would try to process my fish a little away from that area just because of the bear presence and the fact it would compromise my future fishing with the bear being really close to that gill net. It is essentially pulling their attention to the net where it might not have in the past ventured there due to her presence and scent.

-Might want to do a cooking camp as well, I noticed no one is doing that this year and I have no idea why? Maybe I'm just a little cautious, but without my trusty 44 Magnum strapped to my chest I don't want to fight a 600lb bear from a dead sleep and that says something because I'm a pretty big guy and will generally not back down from much.

-That's a ton of salmon to eat in one setting! I would probably smoke the crap out of salmon and eat a little each day with whatever I could gather thinking more long-term for those days when the massive storms hit.

Day 12:

-WOW, look at that shelter! That is by far the best shelter I've seen on a survival show bar none. That salmon gave her a ton of energy. She also insulated the shelter further with ferns. Heck of a job Nicole, you are putting the boys to shame on long-term shelter construction (at least what we have seen), granted Mike's projects are great and Justin looks like he has a mini cabin but one has perks and the other we haven't seen as much of. I really wish they would show more shelters and the resources in their immediate area.

Day 13:

-Take a look at her spare wood pile, good amount of wood stored in preparation of the storm. Really like Mike's setup better but hers looks like it will serve her well.

-Great work on that lean-to/Yurt, 0 leaks amazing!

-Gill net looks to be 40' from shore where as it is normally just a creek. Storm surge is crazy, good example for people to remember when camping near water!

Randy:

Day 12:

-Working on a permanent structure

-That log cabin is looking good for such a short time, why not try to make more of a permanent roof instead of solely relying on the tarp for insulation

-Has a trout line and small game traps out

Day 14:

-Desperate man eating slugs... don't think i could do it

-Mouse its whats for dinner. singed it, gut it and pull hair off cook a little more

-That was his first meet in 14 days... nuts!

Jose:

Day 13:

-His gill net is out in high tide and is at risk of loosing the net

-I think I would have got naked or down to boxers and a t-shirt before I got into the water, just to keep my clothes dry in such a wet environment.

-Wow that was good luck catching a salmon while cleaning your gill net!

-Chop stick seems like they are working great, now for the millions of Americians who have no idea how to use the chop sticks that come with their Chinese food you need to do a tutorial for eating with them and making them!

-Shelter is still just a tarp shelter it appears, that was a big surprise for me. Being that he teaches a good bit with Nicole (or so I've been told) I just thought their shelters would be a good bit alike and their approach would mirror each other, but sometime opposing theories are brought together to put on an epic class!
-The amount we are seeing of Jose really leads me to believe he is going to be one of the finalist for sure, two weeks and they have only given him 5 minutes of screen time. 

Show Credits:

-Looks like randy will make a boat next episode and Larry is going to war with a mouse

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Indy Hammered Knives Blanket Roll Harness/Wool Blanket Review

I have been using the Indy Hammered Knives Blanket Roll Harness/Wool Blanket Combo (BUY IT HERE- LINK) for about a month now (so that a minimum of 5 trips out for me but I believe it was 8 this last month) and thought I would provide you with my initial impressions and talk a little about some of the things this versatile kit can accomplish. You can set this kit up to be your entire kit for a 3-5+ day trip or for a simple over night trip. I personally have used it an all inclusive kit and also in conjunction with a haversack/messenger style bag (leaving the blanket roll in camp and having other supplies in the haversack for activities during the day a.k.a. trout fishing). In the video below I walk you through my base camp setup where I carry the 10 C's + a few extras.

Contents Of The Blanket Roll: In the picture below I have shown the contents of the kit in better light (minus the interior items from the Pathfinder Bush Pot) as I didn't get a few items in frame well enough for my liking and forgot about two items tucked away deep in the blanket. Contents of the Blanket Roll: 1) Gorilla Tape; 2) Two cotton bandannas; 3) SOL emergency blanket; 4) Head lamp; 5) 50' paracord; 6) two black contractor bags and two clear trash bags; 7) large ferro rod; 8) three tent stakes for diamond tarp setup (LINK on how I set it up); 8) four prussicks for the diamond tarp setup; 9) small hatchet (has been replaced with a larger one); 10) Mora Bushcraft Black (See my knife review here- LINK); 11) Micro 10 C'S kit (find out more information here- LINK); 12) Pocket Fire Kit (See More Information Here- LINK); 13) Bear Creek Freeze Dried Gumbo (Review Here- LINK); 14) Bear Creek Potato Cheddar Soup (Review Here- LINK); 15) Black Beans and Rice; 16) Asian Noodles; 17) Shrimp Ramon; 18) Lots of Oatmeal; 19) Therm-A-Rest (See more information here- LINK); 20) Grabber Tarp; 21) Inflatable pillow; and 22) Pathfinder Bushpot and Stove (See me use this kit with a DIY Hobo Stove- LINK)

Comfort of Carry: So you are thinking OK that's a decent amount of gear but how does it carry? It is surprisingly comfortable to carry in the manner below with a haversack to the left or right. The large leather shoulder pad does an excellent job at weight disbursement but does have the flaw of sharp edges that can scratch you a bit if wearing a t-shirt and the harness slides close to your neck. When wearing a Boreal Jacket with this harness that will never be an issue but for summer carry it may. I believe these edges will wear down in time so its not a huge issue for me at all especially since its still below freezing and snowing as of this weekend. 

Quality Of The Leather: The Leather is very high quality and thick. I would put it on par with the thickness and quality of Boston Leather Company who made my leather radio strap I have used at the fire department for the last fifteen years. The leather is a bit more rigid that the Boston leather was but should have an equally long service life. One bit of feedback I provided to the company was that the strap should possibly come put together (I was initially missing the strap with the shoulder strap connection) and with the leather patch sewn onto the wool blanket. 

Quality Of The Wool Blanket: Fast forward to 13:00 in the video below where I talk about the wool blanket. For those of you who just want to read my analysis of the blanket: 1) This blanket is quite soft for a wool blanket and is comparable to its fleece counterpart on softness and comfort; 2) It's quite thick, I would compare it to the traditional casualty style blanket in thickness; however, this blanket does much better at blocking wind. Overall this is an excellent wool blanket and you cant go wrong with it. While it is only 80% wool it is still a more than adequate for your next outdoor adventure and has become my go to wool blanket.

Winter Setup: This is my alternative setup for winter. While I only carried this setup for a few weeks it was a very warm alternative to a sleeping bag when you tie the entire kit up around you. I will probably change this up a bit next year but do like how it keeps in all of the heat in next to you on a cold winter night.

Modified winter Setup Using An Alternative Sleeping Surface: The weather outside was around 15 degrees and I found a bunch of dead standing grass so I setup this bed with the winter blanket roll and tarp as cover. Made for a warm and comfortable nights sleep.

What to do with the blanket roll when leaving it in camp: I usually wait to setup my camp until after dark unless building a quasi-permanent primitive shelter so if I want to leave my blanket roll in camp all I have to do is throw the harness over a low branch and hit the creek to get a little fishing in before dark. 

Items You May Be Interested In Purchasing:

Conclusions:

The Indy Hammered Knives Blanket Roll and Harness is a great piece of gear that will become a vital part of your traditional woodsman gear. Weather you utilize the harness to just carry sleeping materials (blankets, tarps, sleeping bags, etc.) or you decide to utilize the harness to carry a full kit or even backup kit it not only will not fail you but will surprise you with how versatile it can be. I have used a variety of packs in the past and honestly don't need all of that gear unless I'm planning to go out for a few weeks without a resupply plan (i.e. hunting, fishing or trapping) so a haversack and a blanket roll is honestly the perfect setup for me year round as it gives me all I need in a convenient setup that can be coupled with a haversack. So would I recommend this product? Without a doubt! At just over $100 this is a great little package for someone who wants to go a little more traditional with their woods gear.

I can't wait to try out Indy Hammered Knives, Blanket Pin (with striker and awl) and  micro survival kit as I'm sure their quality would be on par with this great product. Be sure to check out their website (http://ihknives.com/) which has all of their products and social media information.

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Sleeping In The Woods: What Works For Me (Ground Based)

So Amazon is running a big sale on outdoor gear, particularly MSR, Therm-A-Rest, Platypus, Sealine, and Packtowl so I thought I would share a few things that work for me (obviously I love my Therm-A-Rest as its always with me) but there are a variety of debris based shelters I have tried over the last year and thought I would compare and contrast those with my Therm-A-Rest experience.

Grass Debris Bed:

This past weekend I found a large amount of standing dead grass (well it would almost have been hay based on its height) in a power line right-of-way while walking between streams and looking for an overnight camp..... So.... I thought well that looks like a nice bedding material and I know that will make a heck of a fire so out comes the trash bag and in goes the bedding/fire material.

This material way very easy to collect (only five minutes for a compacted contractor bag full of material) and was easy to separate from sticks and other material laying on top of it (critical if you are not keeping the material in the bag or using something as a buffer between the material and your back- a stick in the back really impedes sleep). 

I used two logs to keep the material in place and provide an area in which the material can compress and will provide a bit of a wind break as well.

I threw the two blankets from my Indy Hammered Knife Works Bed Roll/Harness on top of the material to act as additional padding and if needed can flip the bottom blanket up over the other wool blanket for additional warmth. This really made for an extremely warm bed. I let the fire go out a few hours in as I was burning up in this setup (weather went up to 40 degrees overnight).

Evergreen Debris Bed/Shelter:

This debris bed was toasty and as an added bonus it smells like a random pine air freshener.

With pine bedding in a debris I always try to nearly fill the shelter with pine as 1) the more compressed material the more comfortable and 2) the less air space the warmer the shelter will be making it perfect for a fire-less camp.

Sleeping Pad Options ON-SALE Through This Weekend!

Therm-A-Rest:

(Buy This Therm-A-Rest HERE, ON-SALE! )

My Therm-A-Rest essentially is my main sleeping pad in the woods, while I do have a much larger/thicker knockoff version, this pad is much more comfortable and also packs down to be able to fit into the pathfinder bush pot if I wanted. No matter if its a fishing trip in Canada, Hunting on Alaska or just messing around in the woods of WV this sleeping pad will provide you with a comfortable nights sleep regardless of what natural materials you may have to work with.

The pad is large enough to just throw down on the ground without the tarp as used above even with a 6'1" 300lbs frame.

As you can see this setup is what I consistently use regardless of the environment. It works particularly well for what I do as I often get into the woods well after dark and have to setup my camp quickly and with only a headlamp to provide.

Garbage Bags Filled With Debris:

Contractor garbage bags are the accidental overnight trip's sleep system (for me at least). As you can see on the right hand side of the picture under the blue tarp I have two contractor bags full of leaves, twigs and whatever I could scoop in there in a hurry. I then covered those two bags with a yoga mat to keep from getting stuck in the bag with a twig. This sleep system is honestly extremely comfortable and reminds me of the old school bean bag chairs as far as comfort goes.... and lets be honest... who doesn't just want to jump on a pile of leaves and take a nap in the fall. I would speak to just the yoga mat alone but honestly it just isn't comfortable enough for me to even mention.

Conclusions:

Given the options in this article I would always take my Therm-A-Rest as it allows me to dedicate less time to searching for bedding material especially in the middle of the night. Having that compact sleeping pad is like an insurance policy for a good nights sleep as I know regardless of the environment sleep will always be taken care of. While I recommend everyone tries to spend a few nights in natural shelters I wouldn't put all of your cards on finding bedding materials as that can make for a long night if you are headed into an environment you are not extremely familiar with the resources it offers. For a day trip in the fall a space blanket, small tarp and a couple trash bags will make a great shelter and sleeping platform in just a few minutes if you are in a hardwood forest and the leaves have already fallen. In a Boreal Forest (or anywhere with a ton of evergreens) you can probably get by with a lot less resources for shelter and bedding as opposed to a hardwood forest as you can easily throw together a pine bed and utilize the pine for a shelter as well.

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DIY Wool Boreal Jacket

While you may not share the same terminology for this piece of outdoor gear as it is refereed to as a Boreal Jacket, Wool Blanket Jacket and Anorak Coat among other things its usefulness is universal. This piece of kit can be used as your outer layer as it will keep you warm even when wet, can be used as a your bedding material and can be used as outdoor clothing from early fall to late spring (depending on you warm you like to be and your geographic area). We undertook this project with one of the cheapest wool blankets on the market from Harbor Freight and wanted to build a common mans bombproof jacket for winter camping and outdoor tasks (granted we were a week late for the -25 weather it was made in time for shoveling and plowing duties during the latest 8" of snow we got last week and temperatures around 0 F). While this will never be of the quality of Lester River Bushcraft's Boreal Jacket it will do in a pinch and can serve as a decent alternative while your saving up for better gear (Lester Rivers Boreal Jacket offers superior stitching, increased storage, better materials and a much more quality coat).  So without further rambling here is a brief video explaining how we made the coat along with a few pictures demonstrating the process as well:

Building A DIY Wool Blanket Boreal Jacket:

1) Blanket Selection: The Western Safety wool blanket is not the best selection due to the fact it is 80/20 alone; however, it is also scratchy against the skin and a little too short for a healthy sized male. I would look into army/navy surplus stores (something we are lacking these days in WV) for a good surplus army blanket as many were 100% wool and some were quite soft. Granted you most likely will not find the type of material used by Lester River as no one seems to know where their fabric is sourced from.

2) Fold your blanket in half and layout a hoodie or sweatshirt that fits you well.

3) Make your cut ~2" outside of the hoodie outline to allow for layering (unless the hoodie is already large enough to layer under then only make it roughly 1/2" larger than your model garment)

4) After the first cut you should be left with an outline like this...... Don't cut off the bottom just continue to cut down straight to the bottom of the blanket which will allow the garment to reach the bottom of your pants pockets or further. If you have a shorter torso measure the blanket against your torso before you begin sewing and cut it off accordingly.

5) The finished cutout should look like is pictured. Be sure to leave as much scrap material intact as possible as you will need those materials to add onto your sleeves, front pocket, and hood.

6) So this is the blanket stitch and it is your best friend for this project as it is basically the only stitch you will need for this project.

7) Post stitching be sure to reinforce the the arm pit area as it is the most likely place for failure.

8) Measure your hood against the hoodie and cut it out and  sew around the cut out portions to avoid fraying. Be sure to have your two pieces of wool measured up to ensure it is symmetrical

 

9) Try to use natural seams in the front to help avoid needing to sew the that portion to avoid fraying. The picture above is what the hood looks like post cut out, just follow up with a blanket stitch on the seems.

10) A plate for color is a little large I recommend you use a bowl; however with the backing we put into the coat to allow for tightening makes the jacket much more versatile especially with a couple blanket pins or shock cord.

 

11) Cut out your front pocket to your specifications and sew the exterior  edges to avoid fraying and then blanket stitch it to your jacket in the position of your choice. 

12) Once you sew it on it should look something like the picture above (all the gear in the picture below is in the pocket along with his hands and there is no bulge and you feel no extra weight in your neck area as it carries well).

13) If you choose a smaller blanket like this one you more than likely will need sleeve extensions, to accomplish this you simply need to cut the wool to match the diameter of your sleeve and then blanket stitch it onto the sleeve (if you play your cards correctly on scraps you will not have to stitch any cut areas as they will be the seem that matches your sleeve.

14) Here is the Boreal coat with contents of the front pocket (PLSK1, Bacho Laplander, PSK/Fire kit and tinder pouch).

Want To Make Your Own? 

Short Cut?



Conclusions:

While this is not of the worlds best quality it is a bomb-proof piece of winter gear that can serve as a stand alone cover element or part of a more comprehensive kit. So now for the economics... Is this jacket worth the time and money investment? Time investment is rather high at 5+ hours whereas the cost is  $30+ depending on your thread and wool blanket. So depending on your sewing skills (only one or two stitches needed to complete this project), value and availability of your time and amount of money you have to invest in your clothing its a personal choice. So what are some other alternatives? I personally love Woolrich shirts and they are about the same weight as this blanket a little more stylish (adaptable to more social situations as well as the woods) but lack the options this shirt will afford. The higher end option is the Lester River Bushcraft Boreal Jacket and I can't wait to compare these two pieces of kit together. The Lester River coat is without a doubt the best in the industry, nearly every woodsman out there who can afford one has one and there is a reason for that. Another alternative is simply go with a fleece garment that mirrors wool but has slightly fewer properties than wool for wilderness us.  So for now I will leave you with those things to ponder, I hope to compare this garment to a few other and put it through the paces in the woods along the way side-by-side some alternatives.

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Diamond Tarp Shelter Setup

Diamond Tarp Shelter Setup:

Last week I posted about my 10 C's Haversack (LINK HERE) setup for hunting and was asked several questions about the shelter setup I was using in the last picture of that post so when Muzzleloader season (Yes I was Using the HR 12 ga. as a Muzzleloader- LINK) opened Monday I decided to go out Sunday night and camp using this setup again and document the setup for you. Temperatures were down to single digits (8 degrees F) so I added a wool blanket to my setup, took off for the woods at about 1am after I got off work and had my shelter setup within a couple minutes in the dark. During hunting season I always try to avoid fire because it tends to scare away game and find that this shelter helps keep wind and rain off you better than most other setups I have tried. So without further delay here is a video of how to setup the diamond shelter!

Shelter Overview and Setup: 

1) Shelter setup as attached to my Hunting 10 C's Haversack (LINK) along with my H&R Pander 12 ga. setup as a Muzzleloader (LINK).

2) The finished Diamond Shelter ends up looking like above. It was 8 degree F so I added a wool blanket to my kit for a sleep system but otherwise the same basic setup as my last post. When setting up camp remember to get the wind direction coming from the rear of the shelter.

3) To start this setup you need to secure a bungee cord (or cordage of your choice) to the tree of choice at roughly waist level. I tied two knots into my bungee cord to allow for an easy place to secure the S hook, this is essential as it saves time and keeps tension allowing you to secure the tarp without needing to keep tension on the tarp.

4) Go to the opposite side of the tarp and slide your prussick through the grommet and then slide a stick through the prussick to avoid damaging the tarp. You then drive your tent stake into the ground and secure your prussick to it as tightly as possible. ***Note- leave the prussick all the way out and tension if needed throughout the night (may be needed if there are high winds).

 

5) Tension and secure the other two sides of the tarp in the same fashion (pictured with the alternative security method of using two sticks).

6) Throw in your sleep system (pine bedding, debris bed, thermarest, garbage bag full of leaves, MSS, etc.) and you have shelter for the night in roughly two minutes.

 

7) Wool blanket and single digit camping is ready to go!

Conclusions: 

This shelter configuration is without a doubt the fastest I have personally setup and one of the most user friendly shelters. There is plenty of room for one (possibly two smaller people) and some gear under a 5'x7' tarp and it also provides excellent wind and rain protection compared to a standard lean-to. I also plan to do a post on another adaptation for this shelter I have been working on which will turn this shelter into a Mors Super Shelter using just a clear trash bag and maybe some Gorilla Tape. If you are going to try this shelter configuration out for yourself remember to get a bungee cord and tie a know in it about 3/4 of the way to allow for maximum setup efficiency.

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