In total, twelve American families were selected to participate in the show; upon arriving in British Columbia, one member from each three-person team was flown by helicopter to a remote backcountry location.
In her brief introduction, Hyak said, “I love competition. I was a college track runner; I play football now. But this is unreal, unlike anything else that I've ever done.” She and her family embraced each other and exchanged “I love yous” before Hyak was whisked to the wilderness.
Then, viewers met a Conifer-based family: survivalist Ryan Willis, along with his wife, Sarah, and brother, Sean — who Willis shook hands with prior to take-off. “All right. I’d hug you, but we don’t hug,” he joked.
One by one, contestants were dropped along the shore of a sizable lake surrounded by evergreen forest and distant mountains. They each arrived with filming equipment, a canteen of water and the clothes on their backs. No additional supplies were provided in the first 24 hours, so without tools, the contestants got to building makeshift shelters before nightfall.
Survivalists, including Conifer-based Ryan Willis, were individually airlifted to the remote wilderness.
Fox
“I’m gonna be the first one out,” commented Davina Christy, who spent the night without shelter.
Meanwhile, Willis’s lean-to structure looked rather cozy. He sought out bark and moss to create roof shingles and designated a spot for dry firewood within his rustic abode. “I’m actually pretty comfortable,” he said as he settled in for the night. Still, a camera captured him with eyes wide as a bear and cub rustled through the pitch-black woods not far from his camp.
Though some fared better than others, all contestants made it to morning. On day two, the families at HQ were given their first task: secure crucial supplies for their stranded relatives. At random, each duo was provided entry to the supply room and given one minute to fill a crate not much larger than a shoebox.
“Available supplies include water, fire, food, warmth and tools,” announced a voice over the intercom. “Supplies are limited, so anything you do or do not take will affect any team after you.”
“We’re about to see people’s true colors,” remarked one contestant. Some groups made verbal agreements not to hoard gear. But Jakoben Thomas’s family opted for a less egalitarian strategy. “I’m putting everything that can fit,” said cousin David as he tossed an extra knife into their crate.
“Is there a knife? Do we have a knife?” asked Foster as she and Nichols scrambled around the supply room. Not all the families’ turns were shown, but Hyak’s crate looked to be the eighth packed, at best. “So all of the knives have unfortunately been taken, which is kind of fucked up,” responded Nichols.
Some lighter than others, the crates were delivered via drone to each survivalist. Thanks to his parents, eighteen-year-old Anthony Banks received a well-stocked kit including a sleeping bag, gloves, a rope, a knife, a flint firestarter, a lantern, a tin of beans and a fishing kit. As he unloaded, Foster commented, “Damn, they got a lot of stuff in there.” Another contestant agreed, saying, “They got him everything and more.”
But Banks, a self-proclaimed bass angler, struggled to untangle his fishing line. Frustrated, he retreated from the lakeshore and back to camp, where he became the first survivalist to spark a fire. However, that win wasn’t long celebrated.
“I simply don’t want to be here if I can’t fish,” he stated, willing to forgo the $250,000 grand prize. “Hit the button. Hit the button now. Come pick me up now. This is not a request.”
Elsewhere, Willis was the second contestant to get a bonfire going. But others, including Woody Kaminer, simply gave up on the task. Exhausted and unable to figure out the hand drill method of starting a fire, he resorted to drinking unpurified lake water and was seen just hours later vomiting in the bushes.
“I just want to quit,” said Christy as the sun began to set. She was without fire and, for the second night, lacked shelter. “It’s going to be a miracle if I get through tonight.”
All the while, where was Hyak? Fans of the Denver local can hope that no news is good news — and perhaps see more of her adventure now, as both the first and second episodes are available on Hulu. If you don’t have the streaming platform, tune into Fox next Monday, February 17 at 7 p.m.
