Naked and Afraid...? What

I'd have bring my cold steel kukuri but I'd have to duracoat it first due to rusting issues
 
To all of the Becker bashers, google up ANY of your favorite brands and see how many of them have been broken. I've had many different makes of knives and I've found a broken one or two of each. Not a specific brand fanboy, just pointing out the facts.
 
Yeah, the first two guys to tap out on 'Alone' were obviously freaked out by the wildlife, and were in the most severe stages of gun-withdrawal. In the first case, I can't fault him for leaving; he had the bad luck to be dropped off less than a hundred metres from a mother bear and cubs, and had two bears outside his tent the first night -- arm's-length away, in total darkness, separated by just a thin piece of fabric, with only a knife for protection (maybe bear-spray[?])... F**k. That.

He might have been okay; the bears ran when he finally found his voice. But you can't predict a bear's behavior. One of the remaining 'contestants' tried to scare off a large adult crossing a channel in his direction, and it wasn't intimidated in the least. The second man to quit felt even more naked without his gun, and went to Jell-O when a few wolves started howling. I don't have as much sympathy in his case; a bear sticking its snout inside your tent in the dead of night is one thing, but you have to expect some howling wolves. He was apparently attacked by a German Shepherd once, but he should have been better prepared to hear some howling. 'The Grey' was an excellent film, but wolves don't attack people all that often. The attacks that have happened recently have mostly been wolf-coyote hybrids in eastern N.A., for some reason inclined to take on humans when neither wolves nor coyotes would dare. Cougars, on the other hand...

Sorry, I've gone off-topic. From 'Naked and Afraid' (and Stuck With Some Idiot for 21 Days), to 'Alone' (and Fully-Dressed in Wet, Freezing Clothes, Until Finally Becoming Cougar-Scat).

Alone/Naked Afraid is very interesting...I find myself shouting at the TV...having spent time in the bush when I was a pup and sitting on the couch now I seem to know all the things they should be doing and how to do them, although I don't have the distraction of bugs biting my va j j.
 
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Heat treatment fluke aside, I don't like the BK9. Don't like the ramp. Don't like the swedge tip. Don't like the standard scale materials either. If I had to take a Becker, it'd be my 15. On a budget similar to a bk9? I'd take an Ontario SP-53.

From what I own? I'd take my Skookum Bushtool in 3V anywhere that wasn't mandatory machete country. In a thick jungle I'd take my ESEE Junglas.

Just saw a video on the Ontario SP53 and it was impressive...
 
I think I'd go with either an Esee Junglas or Esee 6...tough choice. Depending on which environment I was sent to, I may even choose the Esee 5 if I really needed something overbuilt that can take anything.
 
To all of the Becker bashers, google up ANY of your favorite brands and see how many of them have been broken. I've had many different makes of knives and I've found a broken one or two of each. Not a specific brand fanboy, just pointing out the facts.

Good point. The a bad HT'd knife can slip through QC for anyone. Twenty seconds on image search showed a broken ESEE 6, and a broken SYKC 1311. It happens. I'm personally more worried that the company does the customer right for a replacement (assuming the problem WAS bad heat treat), and making sure it is not a systemic/widespread issue.

Lets see. I think I would probably want to take something like the BK12, or the BK9. I say the BK12, because I think the 6in blade length would split any wood that I'd think I'd need to split, could chop "ok" if it needed to, and is still pretty for all manner of knife tasks. The I chose it over the ESEE 6 because I just don't like choils, but the same arguments would work for the ESEE 6.

The 9 is one that I own, that I am constantly impressed with how well it acts like a smaller knife. Sure, if I could get a production version without the thumb ramp, and as a drop point, I'd prefer that one I think. But over all, they don't bother me enough to cause me any real grief, so I'm fine with the BK9 as is.

For "Alone", I think I'd take a smaller (but full tanged) blade in the ~4.5in range (BK16, ESEE4, Survive, etc), and an Axe.
 
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Whoever started batoning that piece of wood with any knife was sure uninformed on wood types and tree contruction. Looks like a locust with at least two distinct ring patterns. That stuff is extremely dense with a supper tight fiber pattern. I have split a lot of that stuff for firewood and a piece like that would give a 24 ton wood splitter some pause.

This guy is absolutely correct. That is Locust and it's about as dense as wood can get. I buy timber for a living and have cut, split, stacked, and burned firewood my entire life. This stuff is tough as hell. Also the piece they are batoning is way to large in diameter. You " could " break any knife with a piece that size with those double hearts. So I say that picture only proves someone was doing something with a knife that just makes no sense at all. The reason for batoning is to get dry tinder, not to split firewood for your outdoor boiler!
 
That'll buff right out.

All kidding aside, this is an interesting question. The choice between a stock blade and something customized/modified would be tough.

I'd say an ESEE Junglas or possibly a BK5 Camp Magnum.

But either way, there's no doubt in my mind that I'd never make it 21 days in the conditions those people have to deal with. I'm fine sitting at home on my couch and watching them suffer the bugs, dehydration, starvation, cold, mental anguish, etc.

The Naked and Afraid XL 40 day challenge should be REALLY interesting to watch...

Plus a beer in hand!
 
I know this is a knife site, and I also love knives. And if I were to take a knife I would probably opt for my Spartan Harsey Difensa.

But that said, after watching a number of episodes, I would want to bring iodine. I know basic flintknapping. Groundstone can be made even when there is no knappable stone. But safe water is pretty darned precious.

The Spartan Harsey model 1 looked damn cool on an episode of "man, woman, wild"
 
Alone/Naked Afraid is very interesting...I find myself shouting at the TV...having spent time in the bush when I was a pup and sitting on the couch now I seem to know all the things they should be doing and how to do them, although I don't have the distraction of bugs biting va j j.

Bugs biting VA jj, not good
 
Yeah, the first two guys to tap out on 'Alone' were obviously freaked out by the wildlife, and were in the most severe stages of gun-withdrawal. In the first case, I can't fault him for leaving; he had the bad luck to be dropped off less than a hundred metres from a mother bear and cubs, and had two bears outside his tent the first night -- arm's-length away, in total darkness, separated by just a thin piece of fabric, with only a knife for protection (maybe bear-spray[?])... F**k. That.

He might have been okay; the bears ran when he finally found his voice. But you can't predict a bear's behavior. One of the remaining 'contestants' tried to scare off a large adult crossing a channel in his direction, and it wasn't intimidated in the least. The second man to quit felt even more naked without his gun, and went to Jell-O when a few wolves started howling. I don't have as much sympathy in his case; a bear sticking its snout inside your tent in the dead of night is one thing, but you have to expect some howling wolves. He was apparently attacked by a German Shepherd once, but he should have been better prepared to hear some howling. 'The Grey' was an excellent film, but wolves don't attack people all that often. The attacks that have happened recently have mostly been wolf-coyote hybrids in eastern N.A., for some reason inclined to take on humans when neither wolves nor coyotes would dare. Cougars, on the other hand...

I think anyone who has spent an inordinate amount of time in the wilderness has to be attracted to some of these shows.

Footfalls and maybe some snorting or breathing around the tent at night is normal in many places. If the food is hung a good ways away and you didn't forget and bring the Dentyne and peppermint toothpaste into the tent, the biggest factor for most people becomes their imagination.

As to "Naked and Afraid," I'd never attempt it due to the 'no shoes' policy alone. And if I were allowed shoes the nighttime bug/insect factor would probably be next. it's like....been there, done that; why?

For me the main entertainment provided by "Alone" is the fact that so many people are now so distant from the reality of nature. Their own nature.
 
I think anyone who has spent an inordinate amount of time in the wilderness has to be attracted to some of these shows.

Footfalls and maybe some snorting or breathing around the tent at night is normal in many places. If the food is hung a good ways away and you didn't forget and bring the Dentyne and peppermint toothpaste into the tent, the biggest factor for most people becomes their imagination.

As to "Naked and Afraid," I'd never attempt it due to the 'no shoes' policy alone. And if I were allowed shoes the nighttime bug/insect factor would probably be next. it's like....been there, done that; why?

For me the main entertainment provided by "Alone" is the fact that so many people are now so distant from the reality of nature. Their own nature.

My reaction to the first two guys that tapped out was they really could not have had much experience in the bush or the very least certainly no knowledge of bears and wolves. Also I wonder if they knew before hand where they were going. If I knew that I would be in an area where they was a good population of predators I would bone up on their behavior..the very least you can do is pee around your perimeter..again easy for me to say having just eaten 2 hot dogs with all the fixins..
 
The Spartan Harsey model 1 looked damn cool on an episode of "man, woman, wild"

It is a darn cool knife, though I have to say that when I got to handle one of the prototypes my impression was "this is awesome, but way too big for me to actually find generally useful." The Model I is freaking sexy though.
 
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