‘Alone’ Contestants Add ‘Homey’ Details to Their Shelters That Viewers Don’t Always See
Alone is all about survival. To last for any amount of time on the popular History Channel reality series, participants need to have the skills to hunt, fish, and forage for food, build shelter, and make fire. But making it to the final stages of the competition requires something more. If a contestant doesn’t have the mental strength to spend months isolated in the wilderness, there’s no way they’ll take home the show’s $500,000 prize.
Every Alone cast member has different strategies for dealing with loneliness and solitude. The hard work of survival helps many to keep from dwelling on their feelings. Others stay busy by making crafts for family back home or even musical instruments to entertain themselves. Contestants will also often spend time adding details to their shelters, some of which aren’t always visible to viewers. These amenities aren’t strictly necessary for survival but do make their stay more pleasant. And the happier a contestant is with their shelter, the less likely they are to tap out.
Callie North from ‘Alone’ Season 3 wanted her shelter to be comfortable
Callie North was a contestant on Alone Season 3, which took place in Patagonia. Early on, she realized that to go the distance in the competition, she needed to have a cozy place to rest her head. Her shelter’s amenities included a stone fireplace, rock flooring, and a broom for cleaning.
“Then I could have my shoes off when I came in and have an area separate from the outside that made it feel very comfortable and homey,” she explained in an interview with Dwell.
Callie also used a white tarp when constructing her shelter, which helped let light into the space. And outside of her A-frame cabin, she also constructed a sauna.
Nicole Apelian’s ‘Alone’ Season 2 shelter included a nightstand and a cedar floor
Nicole Apelian, who appeared in Alone Season 2, also added some basic amenities to her shelter to make her stay near Port Hardy, British Columbia, more comfortable.
“My shelter was super cozy and warm,” she shared in a 2016 Facebook update. Her modified lean-to featured a raised bed and featured a tarp on top that doubled as a rain catchment system.
“Other touches? A nightstand (behind the camera case), wooden hooks I made to hang my gear (to dry gear and so the mice didn’t chew on it), a cedar floor, my woodshed, many baskets I made, and hot rocks from my fire brought in every night to heat the space,” she wrote. “I was never cold in that shelter and felt very safe even when trees were snapping and falling from storms.”
‘Alone’ producers like creative contestants
Coming up with interesting shelter improvements and other creative projects can make a person’s time on Alone more tolerable.
For example, season 1 contestant Lucas Miller built a yurt with wooden shelves to store his belongings. He also made a ukulele and a boat. It was all part of a “bag of tricks” to help him stay positive during his time on the show, he told Outside. In season 2, Mike Lowe’s shelter included a table, fireplace, and even running water. Once he ran out of projects to keep him entertained, he tapped because he was bored.
Contestants who can work wonders with limited supplies and resources also make for entertaining TV. Alone producers have confirmed they look for people with a different mix of skills when casting the show.
“It’s not so much that we’re looking for a fan-favorite, we’re looking for creative ones,” executive producer Ryan Pender told Outside. “You have some folks who are well-versed in hunting, and others who may not be, but they’re really good with creative problem-solving using bushcraft.”
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