Friday, June 9, 2023

Alone Season 10 - Cast & Pack Contents

 
Several contestants this season had uncommon choices.  Cade, brought a bar of soap, and Luke brought salt.  I can see value for the salt, as it is hard to obtain unless near the sea.  Soap, can help maintain a clean body which promotes better physical health, which also promotes good mental health.  None of the previous winners have brought these items before.
 
Everyone brought a Bow and Arrows, which is also unusual.  Only 6 of the past 9 winners brought a bow and arrows.    
 
Saskatchewan Canada, one of the most remote places in the world.  Ten (10) seasoned contestants, with five (5) over the age of 50,  competing for a $500,000 prize on the best survival show ever, Alone, on the History Channel.  This is perhaps the oldest and most experienced group of contestants ever.  Let's look at what 10 items they chose to carry in their backpack.


 

 

Let's meet the cast and see what they are carrying in their pack.

James "Wyatt" Black

Age: 50

Hometown: Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada

Profession: Business Owner

Wyatt is a mixed bag of Scottish, Irish and English descent. Born in Barrie, Ontario, he lived his first nine years in New Lowell, then moved to Dorset when his parents, Wayne and Patricia Black, bought a small marina on Lake of Bays where he will always call home. He is the oldest of four with three younger siblings: Warren, Samantha and Yevette. Wyatt comes from a long line of hunters, fishermen and general outdoorsmen. He’s also very proud of his family’s support of Canada and its allies in World War I and II with grandparents on both parents’ sides being veterans.

Since Wyatt could walk, he was in the woods and fishing the lakes and rivers of Ontario with his grandfathers, father, aunts, uncles and siblings, and that has never stopped. It is as essential to him as breathing and has been responsible for some of his fondest memories. Wyatt is honored to share these wilderness traditions with any new members of his family. Growing up in Dorset, Wyatt had the good fortune of meeting some awesome trappers who were more than happy to share their knowledge, wisdom, and stories with a young man who was willing to listen, learn and help. Old Lorne Greenaway had a trapper’s shack where he, his son Paul, son-in-laws Len Lock and Ronnie Ryan, and friend Roy McKay would skin fur, share tricks of the trade, and swap lies. Wyatt attributes all of his trapping skills to these men.

Wyatt is the proud father of two boys, Andrew and Evan, who have given his life new meaning and made every day that much more special. None of it could have been possible without the love and support of their mother and Wyatt’s lovely wife Michelle, who met him in high school and is still putting up with him today. Wyatt has been a coach of minor league baseball and always has tried to play an active role in his community to make it a better place for everyone.

The challenge of Alone has captured Wyatt’s attention since he saw the first episode. He’s been a fan ever since and has no trouble saying that many of Alone’s past participants have touched him in many ways. He is hoping that he can do the same for others while he embarks on this journey to test his skills and share with the world the trials and tribulations that have made him who he is today.

Here are the ten items Wyatt selected to bring on his survival journey to the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Cooking Pot

2. Axe

3. Saw

4. Ferro Rod

5. Sleeping Bag

6. Snare Wire

7. Paracord

8. Fishing Line and Hooks

9. Bow and Arrows

10. Multitool

 

Cade Cole

Age: 28

Hometown: Crowheart, WY

Profession: Hunting Guide

Cade was born and raised in rural Texas, where he spent the majority of his childhood hunting and fishing in the Texas Hill Country. Stories of adventure and the tales of long-gone mountain men out West inspired his imagination and fuelled his hunger for the wild, which would eventually lead him to the Rocky Mountains. His lifelong passion for the pursuit and conservation of North American wildlife has earned him great success as a hunting guide, and an outstanding reputation as an expert hunter and tracker. He currently resides in the foothills of the Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming with his wife, Danielle and their son, Clifford.

His time on Alone provides a critical opportunity—that in a world of human impact, he can cement a legacy for himself as a hunter of dwindling, untamed lands.

Here are the ten items Cade selected to bring on his survival journey to the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Knife

2. Multitool

3. Shovel

4. Fishing Line and Hooks

5. Sleeping Bag

6. Bow and Arrows

7. Ferro Rod

8. Snare Wire

9. Cooking Pot

10. Bar of Soap

 

Lee Ray DeWilde

Age: 59

Hometown: Huslia, Alaska

Profession: Pilot

Lee is one of fourteen children raised and homeschooled in the wilderness by his Caucasian father and Native mother along the Alaskan waters of the Yukon, Koyukuk and Huslia rivers. Born in the woods of the Yukon with his father acting as midwife, Lee did not see another community until the age of 15 when he first flew in an airplane. His family moved amongst several camps on the rivers throughout the year for trapping, spring hunting/gardening, lumber milling, and seasonal work in the village of Huslia.

As a young man, Lee followed in his father’s footsteps, doing seasonal work in the village during the summers and spending winters trapping north up the Huslia River and its tributaries. Later, he left the wilderness to continue his education, earning his aircraft maintenance and pilot licenses, and a mechanical engineering degree. After he and his wife, Lilly, raised their children in Fairbanks and at their fish camp downriver, they moved back to the villages where he started an aircraft charter business and his wife became a high school principal.

Living and serving his people back home in Huslia reconnected Lee with the life and people he grew up with. It inspired him to both learn more from the elders of the land and his ancestral roots, and to educate the younger generation with what he knew.

Participating in the Alone challenge will provide Lee the opportunity to push his Native woods knowledge to new limits. His hope is to win the half million dollars and use it to purchase a larger airplane that will better serve his people.

Here are the ten items Lee selected to bring on his survival journey the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Paracord

2. Sleeping Bag

3. Cooking Pot

4. Ferro rod

5. Fishing Line and Hooks

6. Bow and Arrows

7. Snare Wire

8. Multitool

9. Axe

10. Saw

 

Mikey Helton

Age: 31

Hometown: Rome, GA

Profession: Carpenter

Mikey grew up in a small town. Even at an early age, most of his time was spent in the wilderness. Nature was always a way for him to escape—a way to be free. When he was young he had to live without common comforts. Having no running water or electricity meant learning how to live a different way and learning how to survive. He learned how to hunt and track animals. He learned how to fish and trap. He learned how to purify water for drinking and how to make fire. These are all skills that he continues to hone today.

Mikey is a carpenter by trade. He has a beautiful wife, Hazel, and five wonderful kids. They practice alot of natural and traditional methods—making natural medicines, harvesting wild foods, and crafting anything they can from nature. His youngest son, Nikolai, is autistic. Even through his sons daily challenges, Mikey and his family spend as much time in nature with him as possible. “Nature has a way of healing”.

Alone is the opportunity for Mikey to change life for his family—especially his son. Mikey wants to provide more opportunities to help Nikolai on his journey and make life easier for his son.

Here are the ten items Mikey selected to bring on his survival journey the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Axe

2. Saw

3. Ferro Rod

4. Multitool

5. Fishing Line and Hooks

6. Paracord

7. Cooking Pot

8. Snare Wire

9. Bow and Arrows

10. Sleeping bag

 

 Luke Joseph Olsen

Age: 39

Hometown: Maui, HI

Profession: Entrepreneur and Glass Artist

Luke was raised in the deserts of southern Idaho at his family’s hot springs resort “Miracle Hot Springs”. His parents, Larry and Sherrel, are the authors of the #1 best-selling book “Outdoor Survival Skills,” and founders of The Anasazi Foundation and other wilderness therapy programs. Luke is the youngest of eleven children and had to keep up with an extremely adventurous family. At age 11, two of his brothers let him tag along on a sea kayaking expedition on the Sea of Cortez, and he later guided ten similar expeditions for the Corps of Discovery, solidifying his love for the sea. He is a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) divemaster and surf instructor in Hawaii and loves sharing his love for the water with others.

Luke worked at Anasazi and Corps of Discovery at a very young age, guiding groups through primitive wilderness expeditions. This gave him the opportunity to witness the inevitable changes in values and perspectives that come with overcoming the challenges of wilderness living. In his early twenties, he moved to northern California with his wife Delia, and they homesteaded a medical cannabis farm deep in the Trinity Alps for seven years. They then moved to Oregon and started a recreational cannabis business in order to produce and distribute Willie Nelson’s brand “Willie’s Reserve.” Currently, Luke has a glass art business “Dichroic Images” and teaches ancestral skills at Pono Outdoor, a home school enrichment program. He also consults for several cannabis operations in Oregon and California. If he wins the prize money, he and his wife plan to develop their own hot springs land in Idaho into a community gathering, educational and healing space.

Luke is excited to take on the Alone challenge to connect with his father, who passed away a few years ago, and to challenge himself and his skill set in a new environment.

Here are the ten items Luke selected to bring on his survival journey the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Block of Salt

2. Sleeping Bag

3. Cooking Pot

4. Gill Net

5. Snare Wire

6. Bow and Arrows

7. Multitool

8. Saw

9. Fishing Line and Hooks

10. Shovel

 

Tarcisio “Taz” Ramos Dos Santos

Age: 35

Hometown: Becket, Massachusetts and Sergipe, Brazil

Profession: Direct Support Professional/ Musician/ Homesteader

Taz was born and raised in the smallest state of Brazil by the Atlantic Ocean and spent his whole childhood living off the land without electricity or running water. He lived this lifestyle because he needed to, in order to fulfill his basic needs to survive, live, and to thrive. As he got older, Taz wanted to escape the hardship that it is to live off the land, so he decided to pursue education. He attended high school in the nearby town and fell in love with theater, deciding then that he would strive to become a professional actor.

Then, at 16 years old, Taz got the news that he was going to have twins. He finished up his education while making ends meet to support his newborns and himself. Through his acting career, Taz met his ex-partner who brought him to the U.S. where he continued to distance himself from the traditional living style he grew up with in pursuit of a more modern way of life. However, at 24, as he crossed the Utah desert on a survival course, he had a change of heart. Taz realized that he had a set of skills that was very valuable for himself and for the world, and by pursuing a modern lifestyle, he was letting those skills go to waste. That year, he stopped running away from nature and decided to embrace it and dive deeper into the beauty that is to be connected to all elements of nature, hunting, fishing, foraging and listening.

He found himself on a homestead in Western Massachusetts, where he was able to reconnect with nature in a way he hadn’t in years. After a couple of years, he moved into his treehouse, where he has been living ever since.

Currently, Taz works as a direct support professional helping individuals on the autism spectrum to explore the natural world by taking them on hiking excursions on the Appalachian Trail—helping them to create gardens, learn to be musical, play sports and practice survival skills. Taz also transposed his artistic skills from acting to the musicianship realm. He is part of a few musical groups in the Berkshires that explore and share his cultural heritage. One of Taz’s new musical projects is a traditional music trio called Samba Trio, with whom he tours in Western Massachusetts sharing traditional and modern Brazilian music. In his free time, he homesteads, jams and plays chess with friends from all different walks of life.

Taz is incredibly excited to take on the Alone challenge. He has dreamed for years of buying a home with a piece of land and bringing his twins from Brazil to live with him on his homestead. He knows the competition is tough, but if he can pull it off, winning this competition could finally give him a sense of belonging and the warmth of his family in this new country.

Here are the ten items Taz selected to bring on his survival journey the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Sleeping Bag

2. Ferro Rod

3. Cooking Pot

4. Axe

5. Multitool

6. Fishing Line and Hooks

7. Paracord

8. Snare Wire

9. Bow and Arrows

10. Tarp

 

Jodi Rose 

Age: 45

Hometown: Worland, WY

Profession: Owner of Wild River Tables

Jodi’s love of all things self-reliance began in childhood. The influence of her homesteading grandparents and parents led Jodi on a lifelong journey of surviving and thriving in the wild.

Growing up in the rugged mountains of Wyoming provided Jodi with the unquestionably unique opportunity to be at one with nature and to use only what nature provided. Jodi’s parents were contract fence builders and guides and were consistently contracted for jobs that took them deep into the wilderness of Wyoming. Much of Jodi’s childhood and teenage years were spent on the back of a horse in the mountains following her parents on one adventure to the next, all over the state. During that time never a moment was lost to teaching Jodi and her siblings the arts of bushcrafting, wilderness survival and self-reliance. Horseback riding and self-reliance came naturally to Jodi, and since those young days she spent on the back of her horse, she has always felt at one with nature. Her love of the wilderness and animals began her down the path, which eventually led her to find her way to Alone.

Jodi and her partner, Frank, have five children together. Zak, Klayton, Josie, Josh, and Isac were raised on the family cattle ranch in the middle of the Wind River Indian Reservation. Jodi and her husband have continued the generational tradition of teaching self-reliance and living off the land to their children. Her family resides in the remote wilderness of the Rocky Mountains for five months of the year while procuring beetle kill pine for their family furniture business, Wild River Tables. The rest of the year, they work side by side building epoxy river tables and furniture.

Jodi is passionate about living off the land and connecting to God through nature. She continually strives to learn new things and is always testing her self-reliance. Her desire to truly test her skills will become a reality in Northern Saskatchewan on Season 10 of Alone.

Here are the ten items Jodi selected to bring on her survival journey to the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Bow and Arrows

2. Fishing Line and Hooks

3. Cooking Pot

4. Paracord

5. Multitool

6. Snare Wire

7. Saw

8. Axe

9. Sleeping Bag

10. Ferro Rod

 

Ann Rosenquist 

Age: 56

Hometown: Northern Wisconsin

Profession: Off-grid Organic Farmer

Ann still vividly remembers when her parents made the big move from the hustle of Minneapolis to a little rustic resort along the rocky shores of Lake Superior in northern Minnesota. As a five-year-old, Ann fell in love with the great outdoors and spent her childhood rambling through the forests building forts, and learning about all of the wondrous plants and animals. Fishing, hiking and cross-country skiing through the boreal forests were her favorite activities all through school.

After college, Ann worked in a myriad of different jobs over the years including hospitality, bus driving, and factory work, and even had stints as a personal trainer and a shiitake mushroom grower. It was being outside and growing things that ultimately became her career path and her life.

Ann and her partner Tom operate an off-grid, organic farm in far northern Wisconsin. Tucked deep into the forest, they grow many small fruits, tree fruits, herbs and numerous market vegetables. Most of Ann’s days consist of growing things, tapping birch and maple trees, wild ricing, foraging for mushrooms and picking up roadkill. Winters are spent flying through the woods on cross-country skis or snowshoes, making jams and jellies, tanning hides and making buckskin clothing. Both Ann and Tom teach various primitive skills classes at Wintercount, a primitive skills gathering in Arizona, every year.

On Alone, Ann sought to fully engage all of her accumulated life skills and ingenuity to thoroughly enjoy this amazing experience no matter what comes her way.

Here are the ten items Ann selected to bring on her survival journey to the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Sleeping Bag

2. Saw

3. Snare Wire

4. Paracord

5. Multitool

6. Axe

7. Cooking Pot

8. Fishing Line and Hooks

9. Bow and Arrows

10. Ferro rod

 

Melanie Sawyer 

Age: 54

Hometown: Essex County, NY

Profession: Living History Teacher and Founder of Wild Foods

Melanie Sawyer was born in the Cotswolds on the west coast of England and pretty much spent her childhood mainly in the countryside. She has always been at her most peaceful in the woods and nature, preferring to be surrounded by trees and learning about plants and wildlife rather than attending social gatherings. In short, she is happier alone.

After her studies at college left her with big debt, she took a leap of faith to pay them off. She approached and was signed by a model agency in London. She became the face of ‘88. Traveling extensively and living a life she could not believe was possible, she eventually settled in New York City, started a family and transitioned to behind the scenes. She has worked for 24 years as a Baby Wrangler on kids’ fashion shoots on locations across the country. Melanie believes strongly in giving back and helping others. She volunteers for many charities and, in 2013, she received the Certificate of Congressional Special Recognition for her work in the community.

Melanie now lives off-grid with her fiancĂ© Brian in the remote beauty and wilderness of the 6-million-acre Adirondack State Park. Their home has solar banks for electricity, a 600-foot deep well for water, and chickens, ducks and pheasants for meat and eggs. They hunt Snowshoe hare, deer, and grouse for supplemental meat, and fish extensively in the surrounding lakes and rivers. She believes passionately in sourcing as much of her food as possible directly from nature. Melanie has two biological children, Felix and Lucas, and Ollie, their cousin, who she counts as a third. They range in age from 19 to 22 years old and she is incredibly proud of them all and couldn’t wish for more amazing humans!

In 2021, Melanie combined her love of 18th Century history alongside her traditional living, foraging and survival skills and founded Thunderhawk Living History School. Thunderhawk is invited to teach and reenact at museums, schools and historical locations on the East coast. Melanie sees that teaching history in authentic surroundings and period-correct detail helps people learn more easily when they see exactly how life was for both Native, English and Scottish peoples in the 1700s in New York State. All of the Thunderhawk Guides’ teaching personas stem from their own heritages.

“If you can feed yourself, you can free yourself.” As Covid gripped the world, Melanie saw a sharp rise of interest in her community and students in foraging wild plants and mushrooms. As a way to help educate people and source them, Melanie created Wild Foods and Wilderness, which introduces alternatives to the normal vegetables and fruits you might see in stores and markets. Wild Foods and Wilderness teaches you the history behind who introduced foreign or long-forgotten native foods to the Americas and how to source and prepare them. You’ll be surprised at some of the things you didn’t know you could eat, and some you won’t know at all but will be happy to befriend.

Melanie is incredibly excited to be a part of Alone Season 10 and to put all of her skills to the test. She hopes the show inspires others to get out into the woods and learn too! She wants to press the importance of always trying, even if it means making mistakes in the process. There is no success without pushing yourself and your boundaries of what you think you can do, along with an element of working through failure before you master a new skill. Get out there and get learning. Carpe Diem!

Here are the ten items Melanie selected to bring on her survival journey the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Bow and Arrows

2. Snare Wire

3. Fishing Line and Hooks

4. Saw

5. Multitool

6. Sleeping bag

7. Cooking Pot

8. Ferro Rod

9. Food Rations

10. Food Rations

 

Alan Tenta

Age: 52

Hometown: Columbia Valley, BC, Canada

Profession: High School Teacher

Alan lives in the Columbia Valley in British Columbia, Canada with his wife Lisa; they have two children, Davis and Mackenzie. Alan teaches at the local secondary school and shares his passion for the outdoors with his students. It was his Outdoor Education class that initially encouraged him to apply for Alone.

Alan was introduced to the outdoors at a young age. Under the guidance of his father, Alan developed a passion for fishing, hunting, and archery. Fishing the small creek below his house with a worm and float developed into a love of fly fishing. Later in life, his interest in archery allowed for a natural transition to bowhunting. He enjoys camping with his family and friends, adventure motorcycling, fly fishing the local lakes and streams, and bow hunting deer, elk and turkey.

Being a participant on Alone will be Alan’s ultimate adventure. He looks forward to pushing the limits of his physical and mental capabilities and, at the same time, testing his skills as a bowhunter, fisherman, forager and bushcrafter.

Here are the ten items Alan selected to bring on his survival journey to the bone-chilling temperatures of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada:

1. Ax

2. Saw

3. Ferro Rod

4. Fishing Line and Hooks

5. Bow and Arrows

6. Sleeping Bag

7. Cooking Pot

8. Paracord

9. Snare Wire

10. Multitool

 

 For an episode by episode report, click here: Alone Season 9 Pack List

 
Alone Season 10 Pack List
 
Survival Pack (Security Patrol or Bug Out pack)  
 
Greenbriar (catbriar) 

Top 10 List of Prepper info
Top Rated Prepper Handbook Posts of all time
Top Rated Prepper Website
Top 15 Prepper Movies or Shows'
 

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Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Ammo Prices - March 2023

 

Please be sure to share this link with your friends so they don't over pay for Ammo.
 
Ammo prices look to have bottomed out in February and March so it may be time to stock up.  A common question is how much Ammo do I need?  Here is a scientific answer to that question:  


 

Prices remain higher than 2019 levels due to the inflation from massive government spending and printing money.  When more money is printed, it is worth less. Inflation is a hidden tax where the government gets (prints) more money at the consumers expense (inflation). The best price found was: https://bulkmunitions.com/gun-store/9mm-115-gr-fmj-pmc-9a-1000-rounds/ at $0.219 each, followed by $0.269 each at: https://southerndefense.com/winchester-white-box-9mm-115gr-fmj-bulk-range-pack-200rds/ 


 

The lowest 5.56 price was $0.41 from https://www.outdoorlimited.com/prvi-ppu-5.56x45mm-nato-ammunition-m193-pp52-55-grain-full-metal-jacket-20-rounds/  but at these low prices they may sell out fast.  For NATO quality 5.56, my preferred choice for many reasons, the best price was $0.50 each at https://www.natchezss.com/winchester-usa-lake-city-m193-rifle-ammunition-5-56mm-55gr-fmj-3240-fps-1000-ct.html  Shooting many different brands and types of ammo can result in lower accuracy.  For this reason, I prefer the NATO spec ammo for 5.56 in 55 grains.

 

Rim Fire 22 caliber ammo is a must have, for training, pleasure shooting and hunting small games.  It is cost effective and much better for training beginners than giving them a hand held cannon to shoot.  My kids start out shooting a BB Gun, around age 10, with close supervision, and then graduate to a 22 in a few years. At age 12, they are safely shooting metal targets with confidence.. Bing.... Bing.... Bing... Bing... Bing.... Bing... hitting every shot using a western style 6-shot revolver.  

At 7.7 cents per round ($0.07), you can buy 3,250 target rounds for $250 at: https://www.luckygunner.com/22-lr-40-gr-lrn-federal-champion-auto-match-target-3250-rounds .  This is the same price as 10 boxes (500) AR rounds.   You can buy smaller quantities of good quality at $0.16 per round at: https://www.bulkammo.com/100-rounds-of-22-lr-ammo-by-cci-40gr-cprn

 

There are still some calibers of ammo that while available, it may require some searching to find them.  If you have trouble finding any of the common rounds above, post a comment below and let us see if we can help you. 

For more information, click below.

 

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