#41: Alan Kay -- Alone, Wilderness Survival, Mindset of Isolation

"All profound things are preceded and attended by Silence." - Herman Melville This week on the podcast we are honored to bring you wilderness survival expert Alan Kay. Alan was the season one winner of Alone on the History Channel, which is probably the best (aka least reality showish) demonstration of wilderness survival on TV. Ten people were dropped off in separate locations on northern Vancouver Island with minimal supplies, they could quit whenever they wanted, and whoever outlasted the rest was the winner. After 56 days of remote survival; foraging for food, filtering water, building shelter and creating fire in one of more soggy and untamed wildernesses in North America, Alan was declared the winner. More impressive than the physical aspect, he also managed to stave off loneliness as he faced what is a rarity for most of society these days, complete and utter isolation. In this episode, Alan shares how to prioritize your needs in a survival situation, what his mindset was going into the challenge and how focusing only on what he could control led to his success. We also spend a lot of time diving deep into the mindset of isolation. This was a fascinating topic because most of us will never experience complete solitude, especially not for the length of time Alan did. Alan is an educator in wilderness survival, so this podcast also covers various topics such as shelter construction for warmth, how to stay safe in mountain lion country, skills you should learn from previous generations and strategies to stay dry and warm in the wilderness. I really want to thank Alan for chatting with me. It was a fascinating conversation that I'm excited to share with you guys. Also just wanted to give him props for being so open and raw about his experience. How to contact Alan: If you want to book Alan for a survival clinic you can reach him at his website http://alankaysurvival.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/alankaysurvival/. He teaches everyone from beginners to more advanced wilderness folks. I truly believe that the skills he promotes are essential skills every single person should have at least a basic understanding of. Booking a class is something I am definitely interested in pursuing in the future. More Like a Bigfoot Podcast Subscribe and Review on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/like-a-bigfoot/id1160773293?mt=2 Find our Archive on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464