SPOILERS
Opening quote: “Laws change; people die; the land remains.” – Abraham Lincoln
History’s Alone is set in the charming frigid and deadly arctic timberline around Canada’s very deep Great Slave Lake. This is week two.
How bad is bad? And how bad does it really need to be before you call uncle?
To win a pot of $500,000 by enduring the coldest location in the history of Alone: The Arctic you have to bring your “A” game. The last to tap out will win the prize.
But then…by episode two — aptly titled “Tainted” — and by day eight there were just eight contestants left.
Who tapped? Let’s revisit:
Alone cast
The full cast includes Tim Backus. Nathan Donnelly. Nikki Van Schyndel, Donny Dust, Jordan Jonas, Barry Karcher. Ray Livingston, Brady Nicholls, Woniya Thibeault, and Michelle Wohlberg.
Last week’s tap
Tim Backus
Episode cast shown:
Donny, Nikki, Jordan, Ray, and Michelle.
Tool lists
Donny selected:
- Sleeping bag
- Bow and arrows
- Paracord
- Saw
- Pot
- Emergency ration
- Knife
- Ferro rod
- Fishing line and hooks
- Ax
Jordan selected:
- Paracord
- Saw
- Ax
- Sleeping bag
- Frying pan
- Ferro rod
- Fishing line and hooks
- Bow and arrows
- Trapping wire
- Multitool
Ray selected:
- Multitool
- Saw
- Ax
- Sleeping bag
- Pot
- Ferro rod
- Fishing line and hooks
- Bow and arrows
- Trapping wire
- Knife
Nikki selected:
- Knife
- Pot
- Ax
- Sleeping bag
- Saw
- Paracord
- Bow and arrows
- Fishing line and hooks
- Ferro rod
- Trapping wire
Michelle selected:
- Ax
- Multitool
- Folding saw
- Sleeping bag
- Pot
- Fishing line and hooks
- Trapping wire
- Emergency ration
- Ferro rod
- Paracord
Most common items selected among by all the five:
- Ax
- Fishing hooks and lines
- Sleeping bag
- Pot
- Bows and Arrows
Predators:
Lynx, cougars, muskox, porcupines, moose, wolverines, Grizzly Bears, Brown bears, Black bears, wolves.
Day 6. Nine people begin.
Donny
This dad and “widow maker” heart attack survivor starts strong and is full of confidence. He has constructed an admirable shelter using moss and many supports to create a warm cocoon called a “bear den.”
He also carves a lethal “rabbit stick” that can fell a deer if properly thrown.
Jordan
This Virginia native is on the thin side and worries about food and starvation. Like Donny, he left his wife and children to make a go of it for the prize money.
Nikki
This Canadian we met last week and she has made progress on her shelter, but her demonstration of making an alder “deadfall” snare goes south as she cuts her hand deeply, the wound is serious.
She calls then hangs up and vows not to tap out. She carefully tends her wound and makes it another day.
Ray
This father and husband has an ease in the wild and is an avid hunter and fisherman. And after six long days, this hungry man finally catches a lake trout.
He discovers after gutting and scaling it the stomach shows evidence of many parasites, so he must cook it ultra well done to ensure he does not become a host to a horrible worm.
Day 7
Donny
Donny is in fine form in the opening shots cutting firewood and he feels hungry. He takes advantage of a sunny day and winds up going on a hunt, finding a muskrat den which he successfully kills the animal.
He inspects for disease and parasites and deems the meat is edible. Cooked muskrat tastes good he says.
Michelle
This sturdy Canadian grew up in a homesteading type “do or die” environment and knows how to hunt, fish and deal with roughing it. She scavenges a steel 50-gallon drum and constructs a fishing raft out of it that floats and has hooks hanging below.
In between chores, she takes off her boots and the steam rises from her sweaty feet-this is not good in the Arctic.
Nikki
She’s making do with one working hand and arm, and fells a tree and cracks a joke. She has high spirits and seems to be healing up well.
Day 8
Donny
Things go south fast for Donny who is shown cutting firewood one minute and then deathly ill the next, the worst kind of sick: Dysentery.
He cannot afford to lose fluids and electrolytes given his heart attack history and the meds he needs to take daily. He suffers a rough night and is empty in the morning.
Who tapped out?
Donny Dust sadly. His emotions are all over the place and he tearfully apologized to his kids for tapping out, which is what he does next.
He is devastated and quite ill from the muskrat he ate the day prior. The paramedics pick him up and his Alone journey is over.
Next episode:
Will begin with eight contestants.
Alone airs Thursday nights at 10 PM on History.