Wild solitude on reality TV

The goal of History’s Alone is simple: Ten trained survivalists live solo in the wilderness. The last person standing receives $500,000. Miles apart from one another, the survivalists really are on their own. Camera crews don’t even stick around—each contestant does his or her own filming. Season 1 contestant Alan Kay summed it up this way: “It’s just you, the Creator, and creation.” Nature reveals the glory of God. That’s good. But prolonged isolation highlights another truth God spoke eons ago: It is not good for man to be alone.

That’s the real challenge: learning to live without a companion.

The wilderness Rule of Three says an individual can survive three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Those physical needs take precedence at first. Contestants can bring 10 items from a preselected list (for example, a sleeping bag, a knife, a ferro rod to help start a fire). They also have clothes and a few emergency supplies, including a GPS beacon to call for help if they decide to tap out. No novices here. These are bushmen and wilderness guides. Field biologists and big game hunters.

By Season 7, which aired in 2020, the rules have changed. Any contestant who survives 100 days in the Arctic earns $1 million. Every season offers likable contestants with creative skills. One even crafted a bowling alley—perfect for not having a teammate.

The show has no overarching tie into faith, but some survivalists are believers. Season 2’s David McIntyre, a former missionary, uses his time in the woods to rethink his vocation. Others thank God for providing berries or fish, cry to the Lord for help, or praise Him for a rainbow. Being outdoors means the contestants are in the right place to consider the birds of the air or watch the diligence of ants (before eating them).

Rated TV-14, the series includes scenes that may frighten younger viewers. Season 3 contestant Carleigh Fairchild spots the gleaming eyes of a puma in the dark. Contestants seem to continually fall in icy water while fishing. In those moments, the show bleeps out the most offensive language.

The slaughtering of animals might tempt the squeamish to turn away. But everyone who shops at grocery stores should think about what contestant Kielyn Marrone points out after she traps a bunny in a snare. “Not everybody gets the chance to look in the eye of the animal you’re about to eat,” she says through tears. “When you have to kill your food, you don’t take it for granted.”

As loneliness takes its toll, the contestants find a renewed appreciation for the family and friends they left behind. “I want to keep going,” says Randy Champagne, a two-time contestant. “I just don’t want to do it without anybody else.”

—This story appears in the March 13, 2021, issue under the headline “Wild solitude.”