What Gear Do You Really Need to Survive in the Outback?

The 10 Items That the “Alone” Competitors Took into the Field to Keep Themselves Alive
(An Analysis of Season #1 through Season #9)

​Our previous post on the “10 Essentials” got us thinking. Since what to take with you on your outings into the wild is always a hot topic, we decided to look into the issue a little further – searching for significant “real world” examples based on actual data – not just anecdotal history.  Based on the fact that we like to get out there, we decided to investigate the opposite end of the spectrum from a day-hike that we covered in our “10 Essentials” blog and look into:

What’s the gear that you need to survive for an extended period of time in the wilderness?

In our opinion one great source of information related to the gear that you need to survive in the outback for months is the History Channel’s TV series “Alone”. If you haven’t seen it, Alone follows the daily self-documented activities of 10 individuals (seven paired teams in season 4) as they survive alone in the wilderness for as long as possible using a limited amount of survival gear. With the exception of medical check-ins, the participants are isolated from each other and all other humans. They may voluntarily quit at any time, or can be removed if they fail a medical check-in. The contestant who remains in the wild the longest wins a grand prize of $500,000.

​Some other people may quibble, but to us, an analysis of the 10 essential items that the Alone competitors took with them into the wild is a great window on what gear you really need – regardless of what all of the internet wisdom and sales people tell you that you need.
 
Over the 9 Seasons of Alone there have been 94 people that spent a total of 3,669 days in the outback (an average of 39 days per person – with the shortest being 6 hours for someone that was scared off by a bear encounter and the longest being 100 days) – so that’s a lot of great data to pour over.
 
To analyze their gear the first thing to look at is where the Alone competitors had to try to survive during each season - since these locations and filming dates were significant because the climate and weather conditions that they were trying to survive fundamentally impacted the gear that they needed (as it will on all of your adventures). 

​The locations that have been given for each season of Alone are as follows:

• Season 1: Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (Fall 2014)
  • Oceanic to Subpolar Oceanic - Köppen Climate Region Cfb to Cfc
• Season 2: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2015)
  • Oceanic to Subpolar Oceanic - Köppen Climate Region Cfb to Cfc
• Season 3: Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia, Argentina (Spring 2016)
  • Temperate oceanic/subtropical highland climate - Köppen Climate Region Cfb
• Season 4: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2016)
  • Oceanic to Subpolar Oceanic - Köppen Climate Region Cfb to Cfc
• Season 5: Zuunkharaa, Selenge, Mongolia - Northern Mongolia (Fall 2017)
  • Monsoon-influenced subarctic climate - Köppen Climate Region Dwc
• Season 6: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2018)
  • Continental Subarctic Climate - Köppen Climate Region Dfc
• Season 7: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2019)
  • Continental Subarctic Climate - Köppen Climate Region Dfc
• Season 8: Chilko Lake, British Columbia (Fall 2020)
  • Continental Mediterranean Climate - Köppen Climate Region Dsb
• Season 9: Big River, Labrador, Canada - Northeastern Labrador – Artic (Fall 2021)
  • Tundra Climate - Köppen Climate Region ET

​Here is a world map showing the Köppen–Geiger climate classification to help you better visualize the climate that the competitors had to survive in:

The winners and the number of days that they lasted in the wild are as follows:

• Season 1: Alan Kay survived for 56 days
• Season 2: David McIntyre survived for 66 days
• Season 3: Zachary Fowler survived for 87 days
• Season 4: Jim and Ted Baird survived for 75 days
  • This season had 7 teams of 2 people each that started 10 miles apart from each other
  • Fixed blade knives, ferro rods and sleeping bags were given to each competitor and did not count against their 10 items
• Season 5: Sam Larson survived for 60 days
• Season 6: Jordan Jonas survived for 77 days
• Season 7: Roland Welker survived for 100 days
  • In this season the winnings of $1M were to be evenly divided  between any competitor that lasted 100 days; only Roland lasted that long.
  • Roland’s closest competitor was Callie Russell who made it 89 days before being medically extracted because she had frostbite on her toes.
• Season 8: Clay Hayes survived for 74 days
• Season 9: Juan Pablo Quiñonez survived for 78 days

What’s gear could the Alone competitors take with them?

​​To start their adventures the competitors select their gear for their time in the wilderness. To make it a level playing field the TV producers have developed a “Participant Gear List” as the basis for this selection. Here’s the listing from Season #9 that the competitors got to choose their gear from:

Clothing/Apparel/Personal Effects
Note: These items are allowed for all competitors and do not count towards their 10 special items, but competitors may not exceed the approved quota for each item:

• 1 pair of high-leg hunting boots
• 1 pair waterproof Arctic winter boots
• 1 T-shirt
• 1 fleece/wool shirt
• 2 wool, fleece or cotton sweaters
• 6 pairs wool socks
• 2 hats
• 2 buffs or neck gaiter
• 1 shemagh or scarf
• 4 pairs of gloves
• 2 pairs of underwear/briefs
• 1 insulated parka-style jacket
• 2 pair of outdoor pants/bibs
• 1 pair of fully insulated or waterproof winter pants/bibs
• 1 waterproof un-insulated shell/Jacket
• 2 pairs of thermal underwear
• 1 pair of gaiters
• 1 leather belt
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 pair of eyeglasses
• 1 personal photograph

 
Additionally, each participant is given a satellite phone (for either dire emergency use or to call to say that they are quitting), life jacket, medical kit, camera batteries and a tarp to stop the rain from damaging the camera equipment.

10 Items Selection List
Notes: Participants are allowed to select 10 items from the following gear list.

• Participants are responsible for sourcing and purchasing their 10 items.
• Participants may only choose up to 2 Food items.
• No duplicate items can be taken from the following list.
• Any loops of string attached to any tool, weapon or used as a neck loop will be deducted from the participants 80m of paracord, cotton cord or trapping wire allowance.

 

• Shelter
  • 12x12 ground cloth/tarp
  • 8-mm climbing rope - 10M
  • 550 Paracord - 80m
  • 3-mm cotton cord - 40m

 

• Bedding
  • 1 multi-seasonal sleeping bag
  • 1 bivi bag
  • 1 sleeping pad
  • 1 hammock

 

• Cooking
  • 1 large pot - 2 quarts
  • 1 steel frying pan
  • 1 flint or ferro rod set with standard-sized striker
  • 1 enamel bowl for eating
  • 1 spoon
  • 1 canteen/water bottle

 

• Hygiene
  • 1 standard size bar of soap
  • 1 8-oz tube of toothpaste
  • 1 face flannel
  • 1 40-mm roll dental floss
  • 1 small bottle bio shower soap
  • 1 shaving razor
  • 1 towel
  • 1 comb

 

• Hunting
  • 1 300-yd roll of a single-filament fishing line up to max of 20 lbs weight test + 35 assorted barbless hooks
  • 1 Primitive Bow Recurve or longbow + 9x Arrows
  • 1 small-gauge gill net
  • 1 slingshot/catapult + 30 steel ball bearings + 1 replacement band
  • 1 net foraging bag
  • 2 lbs of 20, 21 or 22-gauge stainless steel and/or brass trapping (snare) wire
  • 3 lbs of one solid block of salt

 

• Food (2 items max)
  • 2 lbs of beef jerky
  • 2 lbs of dried pulses/legumes/lentils mix
  • 2 lbs of biltong
  • 2 lbs of hard tack military biscuits
  • 2 lbs of chocolate
  • 2 lbs of pemmican
  • 2 lbs of GORP
  • 2 lbs of flour
  • 2/3 lbs rice / 2/3 lb sugar / 2/3 lb of salt

 

• Tools
  • 1 pocket knife
  • 1 hunting knife
  • 1 Leatherman multitool or similar
  • 1 sharpening stone
  • 1 roll of duct tape or 1 roll of electrical tape
  • 1 small shovel
  • 1 small sewing kit
  • 1 carabiner
  • 1 LED flashlight
  • 1 pair of ice spikes
  • 1 scotch-eyed auger
  • 1 adze
  • 1 2-handed draw knife
  • 1 hatchet
  • 1 saw
  • 1 axe

Prohibited Items
Note: This list is not exhaustive, any item not listed in the preceding lists inclusive above are prohibited items; this list serves as an illustration.

• Fuel, lighters or matches
• Bug spray/mosquito repellant
• Sunscreen/chapstick
• Sunglasses or prescription transition lens eyeglasses
• Goggles
• Beauty products
• Map
• Compass
• Unapproved technology
• Professional snares
• Firearms of any kind
• Ammunition
• Explosives or gunpowder
• Animal poison
• Professional fishing rods
• Fishing lures, flies, bait kits
• Fishing traps
• Food/beverage
• Decoys
• Animal calls
• Tree stands
• Professional bows/crossbows
• Scopes of any kind
• Tents or shelters
• Stoves, pressure cookers or other cooking appliances
• Hydration packs
• Fire pits
• Electric or propane lanterns
• Inflatable boats
• Filtration, purification devices, iodine tablets
• Coolers or food storage boxes

​So what 10 pieces of gear did the competitors take into the outback during each season?

​The tables below show all of the 10 items of gear that the competitors selected on a season-by-season, person-by-person basis; color coded to identify which gear was most commonly taken and which gear was least common selected (click on any data table to enlarge it): ​

Season 1: Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (Fall 2014)

Season 2: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2015)

Season 3: Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia, Argentina (Spring 2016)

Season 4: Vancouver Island, Quatsino Territory, British Columbia (Fall 2016)

Season 5: Zuunkharaa, Selenge, Mongolia - Northern Mongolia (Fall 2017)Season 5: 

Season 6: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2018)Season 6: 

Season 7: Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada (Fall 2019)Season 7: 

Season 8: Chilko Lake, British Columbia (Fall 2020)Season 8: 

Season 9: Big River, Labrador, Canada - Northeastern Labrador – Artic (Fall 2021)Season 9: 

​So that you can see all of the selections in one place, here’s the listing of all the gear from all 9 seasons shown side-by-side in the rank order of how often the gear was taken:

Here you can see all of the gear selections relative to the other options based on their averages over all 9 seasons:

Here you can see how quickly the variability in the gear selections dropped off once the top 6 items were selected - and even more so after the top 11 items:

Here you can see how often the top 11 gear items were selected on average across all 9 seasons:

So what can we learn from the Alone participant gear data about the gear that you really need to have with you to survive in outback for an extended period of time?

Well quite a bit. First off, if you get a chance to choose which gear to take with you into the wild – here are the top 11 items that will help you survive if you’ll be out there for a while:
 

1. Sleeping bag
   • It is imperative that you are able to be warm when needed and to get quality sleep – since without these your ability to perform your daily tasks will deteriorate.
2. 2-quart cooking pot
   • This versatile piece of gear can be used to haul water, boil water to eliminate any parasites (like giardia, shigella and campylobacter), drink from and cook your meals.
3. Ferro rod
   • Since fire is critical for warmth, water purification, meal preparation, nighttime protection from animals and your morale – having an easy way to start a fire is critical.
4. Fishing line and hooks
   • If you are going to be “living off the land” you need protein and fat – fish give you both – so you need a way to catch them; passively if possible using a trotline.
5. Axe
   • Being able to clear the land for a living space, obtain fire wood on a daily basis, and make all sorts of wilderness “furniture” and artifacts requires the ability to chop down and shape the forest around you.
6. Saw
   • As many of the Alone competitors discovered an axe and a saw both cut wood, but they excel at significantly different functions and require different levels of energy. A saw is a much more efficient cutting tool - especially when cutting down standing dead trees or fallen trees and branches less than 6 inches in diameter. A saw is also better for most construction projects since the ends are smoother.
7. Knife
   • A knife is irreplaceable for so many tasks and, in our opinion, for pure cutting they are far superior to any blade on a multitool; especially when you need leverage and strength. For tasks like cutting through wood or rope, gutting fish or dressing game you need a knife.
8. Bow and arrows
   • If you are staying in the wilderness past 21 days you are going to need a substantial amount of food – and that means larger animals. The most efficient way to hunt these animals is using a bow – but you have to be judicious with your shots since losing an arrow can be very costly.
9. Paracord
   • The ability to tie off items, lash together two logs, support a tarp, hang a bear bag, make a clothesline to dry off wet items, and a thousand other reasons requires some type of cordage. Paracord is strong and durable and weather resistant.
10. Trapping wire
    • Like with fishing, if you are going to be “living off the land” you need protein and fat - and a way to obtain it; passively if possible. Although small game is not as substantial as larger game (one 18-ounce Wild Rabbit has ~583 calories, with ~108 grams of protein, fewer than 12 grams of fat and no carbohydrates), and doesn’t have the fat found in fish, having the ability to trap them without expending the effort to “hunt” them is a great way to augment your food supplies.
11. Multitool
    1. In our opinion multitools are a mixed bag – they can do lots of tasks – but don’t do any of them that well; and they can’t replace a good camping knife. A multitool might come with pliers, a wire cutter, scissors, tweezers, a screwdriver, and several other functions, helping you cut down significantly on how much gear you carry, while a camping knife provides you with a single strong, sturdy blade. 

​Of course we also need to keep in mind the significant factors that influenced the Alone participant’s “10 items” gear choices:
 

• The climate where the participants were located:
  • Seasons 1 - 4 were in Temperate climates - Köppen Climate Region C
  • Seasons 5 - 8 were in Continental climates -  Köppen Climate Region D
  • Season 9 was in a Polar climate - Köppen Climate Region E
• Time of year was early fall transitioning into winter
• Their living locations all had proximity to water
• They were living in a fixed location versus traveling through the wilderness
• Clothes were not included in the 10 items since they were specified for each competitor to level the playing field

​Examining the detailed data over the 9 seasons of Alone also shows a few other interesting items

In Season 1 nine people took knives and one person took a multitool, but by Season 9 all ten people took multitools and two people also took knives. Clearly showing the value that people place on the versatility of their multitools.

Over the 9 seasons on average 8.6 people took axes and 8.4 took saws - a clear indication of the recognition that both are valuable and have advantages and disadvantages depending on their use.

​Fishing with a line and hooks is consistently preferred as the method for fishing over gill nets. Note that for Season 8 the rules were modified due to local regulation prohibiting the use of gill nets until 45 days into the season.

​Two participants tried to use a slingshot in Season 1 and another tried in Season 3 - but since they were not successful - no participant has brought a slingshot since them. Conversely the use of Bows/Arrows and Trapping Wire have grown virtually every season to where in Season 9 all 10 participants selected both of these items as part of their gear.

​Tarps and Emergency Rations were popular selections up through Season 4 - but since then have declined in usage - probably based on their perceived limited usefulness when compared to other items. Paracord has increased in popularity - but is still only selected about 80% of the time. An interesting fact given the number of survival sites that say you “must” carry paracord with you.

We are not the only people intrigued by what we can learn from the History Channel’s Alone TV show. A couple of other websites have taken their shot at analyzing the Alone gear too – here’s one that we liked the best:

A look at the gear from every winner and runner-up of the TV show Alone
https://theprepared.com/blog/alone-winner-gear-analysis/  

So what gear would you take with you on Alone? 

​It’s something to think about before you head out on your next wilderness adventure.