# Anyone see "The Island" last night?



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Bear Grylls dumps a dozen guys on a tropical island and the first thing they do is run out of water. (They did get fire going and kill a large snake for dinner.) But here they are sitting on a beach, dehydrating (one guy has already been evacuated from heat exhaustion) with coconut trees all around them!!!!!! A green coconut holds about a litre of fluid that is isotonic, has electrolytes, and is a PERFECT rehydration fluid. All those guys should have had a few and they would have been fine. You could drink only kulau (as we called it in Papua New Guinea) and be fine forever. Gotta wonder....


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I didn't see it, are they supposed to be professional survivors?? Sounds very sad.


----------



## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

There are islands in the pacific that have high levels of strontium in the ground from nuke tests. If you drink the water from those coconuts you will die from radiation poisoning. 
I doubt they were on one of those islands but there are other ways to stay hydrated too. Using seawater enemas is one good way - setting up a solar still is another. There has to be a source of fresh water if there is abundant plant life. You might have to dig for it but it is there.


----------



## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

RNprepper said:


> Bear Grylls dumps a dozen guys on a tropical island and the first thing they do is run out of water. (They did get fire going and kill a large snake for dinner.) But here they are sitting on a beach, dehydrating (one guy has already been evacuated from heat exhaustion) with coconut trees all around them!!!!!! A green coconut holds about a litre of fluid that is isotonic, has electrolytes, and is a PERFECT rehydration fluid. All those guys should have had a few and they would have been fine. You could drink only kulau (as we called it in Papua New Guinea) and be fine forever. Gotta wonder....


I prefer to watch a show that is more tuned in to my demographic..............."Fat Guys In The Woods". :excitement:


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

No, they are not professional survivors, just a cross section of American men. Paul, I do not think they would be put on a contaminated island. That being assumed, the coconuts are just sitting there, full hydration packs in clear view! They haven't thought to dig for water yet. The table would probably be very shallow and not hard to access, and could be potable via a ground filter. A solar still would be good, but they would need some plastic. Don't know if plastic was in the pack they were given. You might be able to rig up something with a broad leaf like banana, but would have to compensate for wilting. They would also have to distill over a dozen gallons a day. That could be challenging. Temps on the island exceed 100 degrees during the day and combined with humidity, that is not survivable for long. One of their other errors was trying to do all the work during the heat of the day. There was a full moon on their first night, so a "freebie" there, if they thought about it.


----------



## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Thinking in survival terms is a condition that most people are not used to. Those of us that grew up that way or have been trained have a big advantage under harsh conditions.
Men tend to have egos and you put a dozen of them together and they start competing. That is never a good way to survive.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

PaulS said:


> ...but there are other ways to stay hydrated too. Using seawater enemas is one good way.....


One of my favorite ways to stay hydrated! Thanks PaulS. :encouragement:


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

PaulS said:


> Thinking in survival terms is a condition that most people are not used to. Those of us that grew up that way or have been trained have a big advantage under harsh conditions.
> Men tend to have egos and you put a dozen of them together and they start competing. That is never a good way to survive.


The whole show is about how these men would survive if dumped on an island. Even the camera men are part of the group. They KNEW they were going to be on this show - it didn't hit them from behind. If you KNEW you were going out with Bear Grylls on a survival show, wouldn't you think about at least water, fire, and shelter - how to prepare oneself for those minimal items? A couple of guys had the fire thing down - bow drill that was actually making smoke, but the guy who started the fire used his eye glasses. So at least some of them had thought about some useful skills. Finding water was not one of them. And it was interesting watching the personalities juggle for leadership. The best skill yet was finding an old bottle and respecting the one holding the bottle (bottle holder had the floor) when it came to discussions.


----------



## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The "talking stick" (in this case a bottle) is a technique I use when counselling families or couples. 

So, there was trash on this island; so probably a lot of what they needed was also available if they just knew what to look for....

I didn't see the show - no TV for me - but these "reality shows" have a habit of playing folks against each other to detract from the ability to actually deal with the issues of living.


----------



## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

I cought the end of one of his island shows....

They get a briefing on what to expect....

Its a "social experiment" with little substance.... 

Tbh I would give it a go... Bit its always a giggle, and within a week you will see who will and won't thrive in that environment... The one I watched a pissing contest was between the guy with basic survival skills and a company manger... Over 2 fat, lazy a holes...


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Bear grylls? Ill pass. He maybe has some info but he is an entrrtainer and a business man first. Its about the profit. That said i got a small fixed blade from gerber that he endorsed and i have to say i have it with me even now. I likes it. Prolly wouldnt own it if i hadnt found it on sale for 15 bucks though!


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I forgot to mention that wild coconuts are very hard to open. Even harder if you want to split it and save the juice. But it sure beats being dehydrated.


And you know I would have a feast going on down there!! LoL. Roast a pig in leaves underground. Fresh fish. Everything so good you don't want to be rescued....


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

James m said:


> I forgot to mention that wild coconuts are very hard to open. Even harder if you want to split it and save the juice. But it sure beats being dehydrated.
> 
> And you know I would have a feast going on down there!! LoL. Roast a pig in leaves underground. Fresh fish. Everything so good you don't want to be rescued....


They had 3 machetes. It only takes a few well placed whacks to open a coconut. Mature coconuts are for the meat they contain. The toughest part is getting the husk off. Green coconuts don't have much meat, but the large volume of fluid is excellent for hydrationand they aren't hard to pop a hole in to drink from. If you get one that has slightly fermented, it is fizzy - like carbonated juice. Yummy and good, too.


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

So I went ahead and watched all 5 episodes until the guys went home. What I liked is that the 4 camera men were part of the group and living under the same conditions. No medics or special production crews on the island. It was pretty raw. They were given 3 machetes, 3 knives, 1 day's worth of water and some minimal supplies. No bags of rice or beans. One they finally got a water source, finding food was the biggest challenge. They found an old fishing net washed up on the beach and after much trial and error were able to catch some fish once in a while. They speared a couple of rays, caught a small crocodile, killed an injured seabird, found some yucca root, coconuts, and harvested lots of snails which were their mainstay. Constipation was a big problem. They were extremely calorie deficient and food procurement was a full time job that expended more calories than they took in. None of these guys had killed an animal except one farm boy who raised game birds. A couple of guys cried when the crocodile was killed. They weren't necessarily wimps, but stressful events that have never been experienced before can take a toll on emotions.

Group cohesiveness was very difficult and I saw the value of having not only leader types, but also negotiator types. I thought the episodes were actually pretty realistic. They barely survived the month. If weather would have been bad (like monsoon season) they would have been doomed. They were probably all on antimalarials since they were in the south Pacific, but without that they would have all been really really sick with malaria and eventually died. They got chewed alive by sandfies until they figured to camp away from the beach. Over time they would have died from infected wounds, starvation, or disease.

What I took away from the show:
After SHTF, life will be very hard. 
1) Food procurement will be a LOT of work, even if you have a garden. Doing it all by hand, including tilling and carrying water will be time consuming and very laborious..
2) It will take a group to survive. There will be essential roles that one person cannot perform alone.
3) Group dynamics will make or break the group. Negotiation skills will be more important at times than pure leadership which turns dictator-like real fast.
4) There are a lot of differences in values and work ethics between generations. This will cause conflict and will have to be dealt with constructively.
5) Staying healthy will be hard. Cleanliness will be hard. Avoiding injuries and illness will be hard. Even something like constipation can be disabling.

Just like in the pioneer days, only the strongest individuals, physically and mentally, will survive. Don't under estimate the mental aspect of survival. I always wondered why my grandmother and great grandmother were such stern, harsh women. they did not smile, they did not cry, and they did not dispense warm fuzzies. My great grandmother came overland by covered wagon in the Oklahoma land rush and then raised her family on a homestead under severe, harsh conditions. After reading the diaries of other pioneer women, I came to realize that only the strongest survived and that there was no room for emotion or weakness. The women of my family were tough as nails because they had to be. That is what enabled them to survive such extreme hardship without going raving mad, but it was at great cost. They quickly learned to shut down the emotions. All energy was directed toward survival. Just something to think about. It seems to be part of the survivor profile.


----------



## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

Don't have cable so, haven't seen it. I can't stand reality shows, they are the new soap operas (though mini-series). With my schedule I rarely watch much TV anyway unless the weather just bites and there's nothing needs doing indoors.

Will not own a knife or tool with Bear Grylls name on it. There are others just as good without advertising for him.


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Boss Dog said:


> Don't have cable so, haven't seen it. I can't stand reality shows, they are the new soap operas (though mini-series). With my schedule I rarely watch much TV anyway unless the weather just bites and there's nothing needs doing indoors.
> 
> Will not own a knife or tool with Bear Grylls name on it. There are others just as good without advertising for him.


I don't have cable, either. I saw the first episode on TV and then the rest on youtube. I don't like reality shows, either, but there was something more basic and raw about this one. No bail outs unless someone actually needed medical evacuation. It wasn't a game - more basic survival by regular folks. No prize money to a winner. Lasting out a month on the island was the prize. No competition except within the group dynamics for leadership, division of labor, etc.


----------



## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

If they had been drinking coconut milk, constipation would not have been a problem.


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

They didn't use the coconuts as much as they should have. Protein made up a high % of their diets, and even much at that. The lack of fiber, the perpetual dehydration, the total change in diet and amount of food in the gut, as well as change in toileting routine all lent to the constipation problem. They did find some wild figs that helped for a short time, but when those ran out, the problem returned. We have found the same problem on mission trips that involve travel, change in diet and routine. We take meds for both diarrhea and constipation, both of which can be debilitating. Just something to be aware of and handle proactively at the first sign of trouble.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

RNprepper said:


> They didn't use the coconuts as much as they should have. Protein made up a high % of their diets, and even much at that. The lack of fiber, the perpetual dehydration, the total change in diet and amount of food in the gut, as well as change in toileting routine all lent to the constipation problem. They did find some wild figs that helped for a short time, but when those ran out, the problem returned. We have found the same problem on mission trips that involve travel, change in diet and routine. We take meds for both diarrhea and constipation, both of which can be debilitating. Just something to be aware of and handle proactively at the first sign of trouble.


Powdered psyllium fiber like Metamucil can be stored in mylar. I've got a number of gallon sized bags of Metamucil just for situations like that and they seem to keep well.


----------



## slewfoot (Nov 6, 2013)

James m said:


> I forgot to mention that wild coconuts are very hard to open. Even harder if you want to split it and save the juice. But it sure beats being dehydrated.
> 
> And you know I would have a feast going on down there!! LoL. Roast a pig in leaves underground. Fresh fish. Everything so good you don't want to be rescued....


When we were in the south pacific a few years ago we saw how the islanders open coconut's and it works very well. here is how they do it.
Samoans traditionally husk a coconut by firmly thrusting it onto the sharpened end of a stout stick, which is firmly planted in the ground or otherwise wedged upright. After piercing the husk, they holding the coconut against the stick with one hand, and press down with the other, separating off sections of husk. This motion is repeated until the entire husk is stripped off the coconut.

All coconuts have a face with one of three seams running between the two "eyes." The point of the seams form a "nose," and the "mouth" is below the nose. While the "eyes" are shell-hard, the mouth is always the softest part of a coconut, even a dried one, and can easily be punctured by something sharp and thin.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

This guy is supposed to be funny, but you can't hear him in this video too well.


----------



## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

PaulS said:


> If they had been drinking coconut milk, constipation would not have been a problem.


Correct as an excess of that stuff will give one the runs.


----------



## slewfoot (Nov 6, 2013)

I don't watch this show but am wondering , are their coconuts lying around on the ground for them or are they up in the trees? If they are up in the tree they would have to ether climb or throw something to knock them down. Both will take a lot of energy. How many players on this Island? One coconut won't go very far.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

They fall from the tree eventually.


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

slewfoot said:


> When we were in the south pacific a few years ago we saw how the islanders open coconut's and it works very well. here is how they do it.
> Samoans traditionally husk a coconut by firmly thrusting it onto the sharpened end of a stout stick, which is firmly planted in the ground or otherwise wedged upright. After piercing the husk, they holding the coconut against the stick with one hand, and press down with the other, separating off sections of husk. This motion is repeated until the entire husk is stripped off the coconut.
> 
> All coconuts have a face with one of three seams running between the two "eyes." The point of the seams form a "nose," and the "mouth" is below the nose. While the "eyes" are shell-hard, the mouth is always the softest part of a coconut, even a dried one, and can easily be punctured by something sharp and thin.


Same in Papua New Guinea. With a few well placed whacks, the dry coconut is split in half. Dry (mature) coconuts have the desirable meat that is rich in fat. the meat is grated out of the shll by using a serrated piece of metal that is attached to a seat that is straddled while the woman works the coconut. Th grated meat is them squeezed out in water to release the fat. The resulting coconut water is used to cook rice, greens, or as the base for a soup. The expended meat is thrown down for the chickens, pigs, or dogs.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

What brought you to Papua New Guinea. Thought I'd ask.


----------



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

James m said:


> What brought you to Papua New Guinea. Thought I'd ask.


My husband and I (teacher and nurse) saw the need for support personnel for a linguistic organization in the country. (PNG has the greatest language density of any country in the world. Over 800 distinct languages in a country the size of CA.) Preserving language preserves culture. Anyway, we went for a two year stint, loved it, got more training and then went back. Our kids were just little tykes, but graduated from high school there with excellent educations at the international school. We worked in various locations, including dense tropical coastal jungle and highland mountains. He taught school and I worked as a nurse practitioner, sometimes being the only health care provider for a hundred or more square miles. We lived in villages with the people and also in "modern" housing in an expat communuty of over 30 nationalities. Amazing place, but getting increasingly dangerous.


----------



## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

RNprepper said:


> My husband and I (teacher and nurse) saw the need for support personnel for a linguistic organization in the country. (PNG has the greatest language density of any country in the world. Over 800 distinct languages in a country the size of CA.) Preserving language preserves culture. Anyway, we went for a two year stint, loved it, got more training and then went back. Our kids were just little tykes, but graduated from high school there with excellent educations at the international school. We worked in various locations, including dense tropical coastal jungle and highland mountains. He taught school and I worked as a nurse practitioner, sometimes being the only health care provider for a hundred or more square miles. We lived in villages with the people and also in "modern" housing in an expat communuty of over 30 nationalities. Amazing place, but getting increasingly dangerous.


Awesome. An opportunity came up for me to apply at a seabird sanctuary near Midway island in the middle of the Pacific last winter. I never took it, I really should take one of these opportunities. Too many birds too much bending over.


----------

