Alone (TV series)

Contestants are dropped off in a remote wilderness area, far enough apart to ensure that they will not come in contact with one another.[7] The process begins in mid- to late autumn; this adds time pressure to the survival experience as the approaching winter causes temperatures to drop and food to become scarce. Although terrains may differ in each contestant's location, the drop-off zones are assessed in advance to ensure a similar distribution of local resources is available to each contestant.

Contestants each select 10 items of survival gear from a pre-approved list of 40, and are issued a kit of standard equipment, clothing and first aid/emergency supplies.[8] They are also given a set of cameras to document their daily experiences and emotions. Attempting to live in the wild for as long as possible, the contestants must find food, build shelters, and endure deep isolation, physical deprivation and psychological stress.

Contestants who wish to withdraw from the competition for any reason (referred to as "tapping out") may signal a rescue crew using a provided satellite telephone. In addition, medical professionals conduct periodic health checks on the contestants and may, at their discretion, disqualify and evacuate anyone they feel is unable to continue participating safely. The last remaining contestant wins a $500,000 cash prize.[7] Contestants are warned that the show might last for up to a year.[9]

Season 4 was also filmed in Northern Vancouver Island but included a team dynamic. Fourteen contestants, consisting of seven family-member pairs, were individually dropped off in remote areas of Northern Vancouver Island. The two members of each team chose 10 items of survival gear to be equally divided between them. The team chose one member to be taken to a campsite; the other began approximately 10 mi (16.09 km) away and was required to hike to the site, using only a compass and bearing to find the way. If either member tapped out or was medically evacuated, his/her partner was disqualified as well. The last remaining team won the $500,000 prize.

Season 5 contestants were selected from non-winning contestants from Seasons 1 through 4. The rules were otherwise similar to Seasons 1 through 3.

For Season 7, the contestants attempted to survive for 100 days in order to win a grand prize of $1 million. In an "Alone: Tales from the Arctic" segment at the end of each episode, host Colby Donaldson spoke post-season to the contestants featured in that episode about what occurred, accompanied by "never before seen footage."

Season 8 was filmed in fall 2020 on the shores of Chilko Lake, British Columbia, a high-altitude glacial-fed lake on the dry eastern side of the Coast Mountains. The season reverts to the original format of the show, with the last person standing (regardless of time frame) declared the winner and awarded $500,000.[10]

Season 9 was filmed in fall 2021 and set in harsh weather conditions of Northeastern Labrador. The season will feature two new digital content series: "The Ride Back", which will focus on the emotions of the participants ahead of tapping out, and "Shelter From the Storm", an in-depth look at the ingenious shelters the participants build. Also, for the first time, the participants have to deal with a prey-stalking predator, the polar bear.[11]

The first season of Alone premiered on June 18, 2015 and concluded on August 27, with 11 episodes. Alan Kay won the first season after surviving for 56 days.

Season 2 began on April 21, 2016.[7] The season had 13 one-hour episodes, including the reunion episode and the first "Episode 0", which shows how the 10 contestants (pared down from 20) were chosen based on survival skills (i.e. ability to make a fire without a starter, basic animal prep, shelter), on-camera personality, and how readily they learned the camera equipment.[13] This was the first season to include women (only men competed season one). The winner, David McIntyre, lost around 20 pounds in the first weeks alone. Mike Lowe was the most innovative contestant and made a sink, boat, football game, and many more objects.

Quatsino

Location of Quatsino in British Columbia

The second season was also set on Vancouver Island, in Quatsino Territory, located near Port Hardy, British Columbia.

The third season premiered on December 8, 2016.[15] The winner, Zachary Fowler, had lost 70 lbs (a third of his starting body weight) before the end of his stay. Season 3 marked the first time a contestant was pulled for medical reasons; the first was fourth place, Dave Nessia, who was pulled out when, due to inadequate caloric intake, his systolic pressure barely exceeded his diastolic pressure (80/60 mmHg), putting him in danger of death due to inadequate perfusion of the internal organs. He had been in starvation mode for so long, even though he left with 33 halves of dried fish still ready to eat, he was surviving with the thought of only eating half a fish every other day. The second, and the person who stayed the second-longest, Carleigh Fairchild, was pulled out because, at 101 lbs/45.8 kg, she had lost nearly 30% of her starting body weight and had a BMI of 16.8. Participants are automatically "pulled" at a BMI of 17 or less.

Location of Lakes Soberania, Montes and Escondido in Patagonia, Argentina[16]

The third season was set in Patagonia, Argentina, in South America. The contestants were spread across multiple lakes in the foothills of the Andes mountain range. Unlike in seasons 1 and 2, which were located on the Pacific Ocean, season 3's food resources were mostly limited to brook and rainbow trout, forage, small birds, and the possibility of wild boar. Contestants also were at a disadvantage because they had no access to the flotsam and jetsam that washes up on the Pacific Coast. They also had no salt source.

The weather in Patagonia is comparable to that of Vancouver Island, with rainfall averaging 78 inches a year. However, unlike Vancouver Island, snowfall is extremely common in the winter.

Predators in Patagonia include wild boar and puma.

Officially titled "Alone: Lost & Found", the fourth season premiered on June 8, 2017.[18] For this season, for the first time participants were in pairs (2) of family members (brother/brother, husband/wife, father/son), with seven teams scattered throughout the island. The prize was still $500,000, which would be split between the two. One member was dropped in the traditional manner, along a beach head with the idea that they'd stay in the relative area for their duration, while the second member was dropped about 10 miles out with only a compass and bearing and needed to hike their way to base camp. Supply items were still limited to 10 chosen survival tools total, that were split between team members until reconnecting. If one member decided to tap out an any time, the partner was also eliminated. Three teams never met up before tapping out, and it took eight days for the first team to come together. Pete Brockdorff experienced a medical emergency during his and his son's standard tap-out. It was severe chest pains brought on by the acid reflux he developed as a result of the lack of food. Jim and Ted Baird won the season after lasting 75 days.

Quatsino

Location of Quatsino in British Columbia

The fourth season was again set on Vancouver Island, in Quatsino Territory, located near Port Hardy, British Columbia. Teams were set further apart than normal this season, due to the 10 mile radius hike required to meet up at their rendezvous point.

Officially titled "Alone: Redemption", Season 5 premiered on June 14, 2018. The 10 contestants are non-winners selected from the previous 4 seasons of Alone.

Location of Khonin Nuga valley in Selenge Province, Mongolia

The fifth season was set in Northern Mongolia in Asia. The series was filmed in Khonin Nuga near the city of Züünkharaa, Selenge aimag.[20] "Khonin Nuga" is a valley located close to the Khentii Mountains of Northern Mongolia, one of the country's unique and still largely untouched places.[21]

Officially titled "Alone: The Arctic", Season 6 premiered on June 6, 2019.

Great Slave Lake

Location of the east arm of Great Slave Lake in Northwest Territories

Season Six is set along the shore of the east arm of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada, about 400 km (250 mi) south of the Arctic Circle and about 120 km (75 mi) south of the arctic tree line.

Officially titled "Alone: Million Dollar Challenge", Season 7 premiered on June 11, 2020. Unlike the previous seasons, instead of trying to outlast all of their competitors, the ultimate goal for the participants was to survive for 100 days on their own, which meant that there was a possibility of multiple winners—or conversely, no winners at all. At the end of each episode host Colby Donaldson lets the contestants comment on the episode which is accompanied by "never before seen footage."

The seventh season is again set along the shore of the east arm of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Drop off (Day 1) was on September 18, 2019.[24]

Officially titled "Alone: Grizzly Mountain", Season 8 premiered on June 3, 2021. The season reverts to the original format of the show, with the last person standing declared the winner and awarded $500,000. At the end of most episodes in which a contestant taps out, Season 6 contestant and fifth-place finisher Nikki van Schyndel (a survival expert and first responder) conducts a short exit interview at base camp a few days after the tap out.

Chilko Lake

Location of Chilko Lake in British Columbia

The eighth season is set along the shores of high-elevation Chilko Lake (Tŝilhqox Biny), British Columbia, a 40-mile long remote glacial lake on the dry eastern side of the Coast Mountains. The lake's surface is at over 3800 ft above sea level, making Season 8 the first Alpine season of Alone, being over 1000 ft higher in elevation than the next-highest season, Season 3, in Patagonia. Drop off (Day 1) was on September 18, 2020.

Season 9 premiered on May 26, 2022, and was filmed in the Nunatsiavut region of northern Labrador, eastern Canada.

Big River

Location of the Big River along the northeastern shores of the Labrador coast

Season nine of Alone sets survivalists in a location with one of the harshest weather conditions yet. Enduring wet, snowy, merciless conditions, survivalists' building ingenuity, mental willpower, and overall wilderness skills are put to the test as they must build their own shelters, forage their own food, and overcome numerous obstacles and dangerous predators in hopes of being the last person standing.

— History Channel, April 2022, Alone Season 9

Season 9 participants were dropped in September 2021 along the lower reaches of the Big River, Labrador, Canada, 35 km (21 mi) south of the nearest community of Makkovik. The river is surrounded by dense spruce-fir boreal forest dotted by muskeg bogs of peat and Labrador Tea. The surrounding area is abundant in wildlife including Brook Trout, Canadian Beaver, American Black Bear, Spruce Grouse, and Caribou, with the river visited by Harbor Seals in fall. Drop off (Day 1) was on September 18, 2021.[28]

Season 10 of Alone will premiere on June 8, 2023.[6] It is set in Northern Saskatchewan.