Episode 9 "Garden
of Evil" finds Brandon and Robin in Mexico in Cayo Venado . They must deal
with panthers, poisonous sap, cold temperatures, and mean snakes.
Brandon accidentally sits underneath a Chechen tree which has poisonous sap. I never even knew such a thing existed. His wounds get infected-- nasty stuff. The medics are called in several times to help him. Luckily Robin knows of a nearby tree (the Chaca) that counters the effects.
Their fire goes out when its 46 degrees. The medics are again called and wrap them up in space blankets. It's just too cold and too wet to continue. Both tap out at the same time (becoming the first couple to do so). Brandon says "Mother Nature is a bitch".
PSR:
Brandon: beginning 6.8, ending 6.1 (taps out with his partner on day 14)
Brandon: beginning 6.8, ending 6.1 (taps out with his partner on day 14)
Robin: beginning 6.9,
ending 6.1 (taps out with his partner on day 14)
AK
& Jason
In episode 10
"Redemption Road" AK (Amanda Kaye) and Jason are in Guyana. If AK
looks familiar it's because we saw her previously in season 2's the
"Peruvian Amazon" episode (where she tapped out on day 4). There are
caiman, piranha, and stingray to contend with this time around. For their
survival items Jason brings a machete and AK brings potassium permanganate (to
purify water). First time I remember anyone bringing that.
They try it in some
water. AJ gets sick almost immediately. Apparently she mishandled the
permanganate. Her eyes and skin burn (known side effects?). It's so bad I fear
she might tap out...again.
I must confess that I
never heard of potassium permanganate before. It apparently is widely available
at drug or pool supply stores. KMn04 (also know as permanganate of potash or
Condy's crystals) has several different uses in survival situations. It can
purify water. Put the smallest crystal in one glass of water. Let sit for ~30
minutes (or until the water becomes a purplish pink). Voila, you have drinkable
water. It can also be used with (glycerin or antifreeze or brake fluid) to
start a fire. Thirdly it can be used as an antiseptic. WARNING: This is volatile
stuff. Ingesting too much may result in death. Avoid direct contact with skin.
It's always best to test your tools before you actually need them (to avoid
such problems).
Check out the tons of
videos on YouTube and elsewhere for more details:.
- Survivalist Prepper: Survival Kit: Potassium
permanganate for water, wounds and fire starting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmtjdQlWGdA
- The Modern Survivalist: Potassium permanganate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snP4EbjhJwk
- Peak Survival: Potassium permanganate: Water
purification, first aid and fire starter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V91Gc0xEcB0
Back to the show. Jason
hunts for a stingray but doesnt catch it. They eat tiny crabs instead. AK
thinks they should build another shelter farther away from the water. Jason
thinks its a dumb idea and they should concentrate on finding food instead. The
two fight at night but make up in the morning.
Jason
Seems Like A Really Cool Dude
They finally work
together and catch a stingray. Is this the biggest kill ever on N&A? I dont
remember a bigger one. Anyway, its starts flooding and they make a run for
AK's shelter. Now Jason doesnt think this is such a bad idea after all. They
later return to their first camp to find the rest of their food gone. Why
would you not grab your food when you leave? Some times I think they just do
stuff on this show for dramatic effect.
Thanks to their previous
good meals, both hang in there till the end. They build a raft and head
five miles down the river where they're picked up by the extraction team. And
its back to warmth, clothing, and food.
PCR:
Jason: beginning 6.2,
ending 7.1
AK: beginning 4.3,
ending 6.8
Debbie
And Bo Are One Of My Favorite Couples
In episode 11
"Surthrive" our contests are again in Guyana but this time they're at
Surama Lake. Bo's a green beret. Debbie is a registered nurse and mother of
three. There are LOTS of caiman, venomous snakes and disease carrying sand
flies to battle. For survival items they have a bow drill, mosquito net (Bo)
and machete (Debbie).
Bo is a take charge
alpha male so that initially causes conflict. Debbie calls him out on it and
they end up working well as a team. On the first night, despite their mosquito
netting, they get devoured by ants and flies.
Due to dehydration, they
drink water out of the lake (without boiling it). Not sure that was a good idea
but they dont seem to have any lasting side effects. It starts raining (but at
least they have some fresh water). They get a fire going on day three. Bo helps
Debbie make a bra from some cloth he found. Is there just random cloth laying
around in the jungle?
They use the mosquito
net to try to catch fish. That doesnt work so they build a fish trap. Bo
catches a big catfish which they dine on. A caiman later gets caught in the
trap. That's a great find but he's full of tapeworms. They thoroughly cook the
caiman and eat it anyway.
On day 14, Bo catches a
snake so that's good eating too. So far they're doing great. But then the rain
begins. It continues for four days straight-- finally ending on day 21.
It's extraction day.
They have to cross the lake. Luckily the caiman dont get them. They make it to
the village and leave. Upon returning home both Bo and Debbie come down
with cutaneous myiasis (which in this case is from sand flies). Nasty
stuff. Bo has it on his ear. Debbie has had two biopsies (on her chest and
foot). See additional info about myiasis here: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/skin-disorders/parasitic-skin-infections/cutaneous-myiasis Bo
says "Guyana bites back". It definitely does in this case.
PCR:
Bo: beginning 7.3,
ending 8.3 (which is one of the highest score I've seen)
Debbie: beginning 6.2,
ending 6.9
How
Do Two People With No Survival Experience Fare?
Episode 12 "Easier
Said Than Done" features the winners of a nationwide hunt for two fans to
do a special fourteen day challenge in Nicaragua. Unlike the other contestants,
they dont have previous survival experience.
Paolo and Kristin are
given primitive survival training before they leave. See some of the sessions
here: http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/naked-and-afraid/show-us-what-you-got/
They take a machete,
fire starter (Kristin) and fishing line (Paolo).
They find a waterfall
and build their camp near it. Thats also a risk because predictors will be
visiting the water as well. Paolo drinks from the waterfall but Kristin is
hesitant. She finally gives in when she has no other choice. Luckily neither
suffer ill effects.
After freezing and
getting eaten by bugs, Debbie says she takes back what she said about the
previous contestants. "Its really, really hard".
Paolo is alone and
without a weapon when he finds a coral snake. He kills it with a stick. They
cook the snake and eat it. Kristin is happy but thinks it was too much of a risk
for Paolo to take.
The two contestants have
the usual conflicts. They have differing goals for their adventure. Paolo is
out to prove himself. Kristin is more positive and is there to enjoy the
experience. They discuss their differences on day 8. Kristin tries to make a
peace offering of a bird trap. They find a big ass spider and agree to stay
away from him/her/it. I personally hate those things!
They eat a small crab.
Paolo is starting to black out due to lack of food. On day 13 they catch a bird
in their trap and are overjoyed. It looks delicious after they have been
starving.
Kristin and Paolo have
to climb up a mountain to their extraction point. That is pretty scary given
how weak they are from not eating. Kristin is about to run out of steam. Paolo
is worried she may not be able to get their on her own steam. Luckily
they are finally victorious. I would be interested to see if the two could make it for 21 days instead.
PSR:
Paolo: beginning 4.2,
ending 5.1 (14 day challenge)
Kristin: beginning 3.6,
ending 4.4 (14 day challenge)
Grade: No grade assigned
since this is a reality show.
Photo Credits:
World According To GMonster
TV: Heavy On Sci Fi, Horror & Adventure; Light On Reality
August
15, 2015
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