Ultimate Survival

[Nathan C]

I've been watching Ultimate Survival Alaska on nat geo and am kind of fascinated with it.

These guys are the real deal kind of adventurers and were told to pack gear to survive fiftyish days in the bush, then they get dropped off with 72 hrs to navigate to an end point.

I'm curious what kind of gear you would take if you needed to survive 50 days in AK?

[SideStitch]

I'd have some extras over a normal loadout. I'd take a gransfors bruks wildlife hatchet or small forest axe. Firearm would likely be a marlin lever action 45-70 in stainless, and maybe a ruger super single six.

[Nathan C]

A pack raft, crampons, and probably some Helly Hansen rain gear. Maybe an ice axe depending on season?

I'd wear Filson wool pants and maybe a good wool shirt too. I'd definitely take wool under layers.

For a firearm I think a 22 mag rifle would make sense, with maybe a stout pistol and spray for bear defense.

If you're in a group then one guy with a scoped rifle, one with a shotgun, another with a rimfire would cover the bases of gathering whatever food you ran across.

[liteisrite]

Not sure what I would take but this is a really good topic. I do like some of the gear choices they have. I like the chain saw blade and the fishing kit. I would probably take first lite wool pants and wool clothes in general and high end rain gear. I like the over under rifle Willie had as well.
Other items I would consider would be some sort of bear deterrent and some tools for snow and ice maybe some webbing and minimal descent control. Not sure if I would take a pack raft or not. I guess as for the show, it depends how much you know about the terrain you will be on. Do you know the locations somewhat or are you totally at the mercy. It would be an interesting exercise even in the lower 48 if you had an area as large as Alaska to work with and were shuttled from locations. Think you could be in Death Valley or remote high mountains in the same week.

[Nathan C]

Boots- Lowa Sheephunters
Knife - stainless Mora and a sharpener
Fishing kit I'd either do a tenkara rig or a hand fishing rig on a bottle.
Water - probably nalgene bottles and iodine or the tablets.

[liteisrite]

What has been going on with this show ? I cancelled my tv and this is one show I liked

[Nathan C]

It's still going. They were last dropped off on a remote island and had to forage for food for several days. They were able to get a few ducks and geese, salmon, and the Raineys almost missed the plane due to being on the wrong side of a tidal flow.

I think the legs of the trip are back to back and they don't get re-supplied during the duration. They're trying to recreate a Nat Geo expedition from a long time ago.

It seems less staged than most shows of the kind.