History Channel’s reality show “Alone: Polar Bear Island” is the ultimate test of human will as contestants endure total isolation among predators looking for a meal.
Season 9 of the self-documented series follows 10 participants who are dropped into a remote valley in the wilderness of Labrador, Canada, where they are only allowed to carry 10 items that will help them with their stay in polar bear territory – in the hopes of outlasting everyone else to claim the $500 000 prize.
Contestant Dr Teimojin Tan, who took along a sleeping bag, axe, multitool, ferro rod, pot, bow and arrows, paracord, trapping wire, fishing line and hooks, and emergency rations, described his experience on the show as “incredibly life-changing”.
Tan was asked to join the show due to his insight into survival and primitive living.
Over the past decade he has also been in the Canadian military and has travelled extensively where he was exposed to multiple indigenous populations and learnt survival tactics.
“This was a way for me to test everything that I’ve learned from the medical side, survival side and from a spiritual side as well. The adventure was incredible and there was a lot I learned along the way. I think for all those reasons and more it was a no-brainer to say yes,” he said.
The show, which has already aired internationally, is currently on DStv’s History Channel.
Tan said his preparation for the show started about six months before filming. He trained mentally and physically to give himself the best advantage in the wilderness.
“One benefit that I had was my training in the military where I learned through experience how to adapt and respond to failure because in survival situations, when you’re completely reliant on yourself for shelter, food and sustenance it’s bound to have a multitude of failures so I think being adept at treating yourself well and talking to yourself with kindness is something that I learned very much in the military and that was only reinforced through my medical practice.”
He said from a physical standpoint he had to put on extra weight to compensate for his extra fast metabolism.
“If I don’t eat six meals a day I typically lose weight, so it was not only about being strong, it was about gaining a bunch of weight as well. I tried for six months and gained about 30 to 35 pounds (between 13kg and16kg),” he said.
Describing the conditions in Labrador, Tan said it was incredibly “wild”.
“Out of all the places I’ve been to, Labrador and especially the big river area, felt incredibly wild. I didn’t see any sign of made-man things. It just felt incredibly ancient.
“The weather changes very fast, it was one of the biggest threats out there. It could be sunny in the morning and torrential in the evening. It could snow a little bit, and be warm again, so just the change in temperature was difficult.”
He said it made it really hard to hunt for food.
Speaking about his encounter with the polar bears he said: “I don’t want to give away any spoilers – but I was terrified. We are in a very highly populated bear territory, specifically black bear and because of global warming the polar bears are roaming more south, so that was something we needed to take extra precaution with, whether it was with bear bangers, which made a loud noise, or bear spray.
“We also had to be mindful of what we ate, where we ate and which wind direction we were doing all those activities in. It was terrifying. There are bears that can take you from your legs under your tarp. There are a lot of stresses out there,” said Tan.
After the show had ended and Tan needed to go back to “normal life”, he said he had difficulty reintegrating into the modern world.
"There were a few main things I had difficulty with. The first was my appreciation for food. The way I saw food had changed. When I saw a lot of waste, that was difficult to see and partake in and it is something that I still have trouble with today.
“In addition to that I feel the way I want to connect to people has changed as well. When you are out there you not only establish deeper connections with yourself but you also value the important relationships in your life and it questions the type of relationships you want.”
Tan has also been in physical rehabilitation for tennis elbow after an injury on the show.
“My physical rehabilitation is also something I’ve worked on. I think it’s been over eight months now. Injuries in certain parts of your body just need time to heal, so that’s been a long road,” he said.
He said “Alone” is for anyone who is interested in the outdoors or wants to witness a first-hand human experience.
“It’s 10 different people with different skill sets but also different journeys, so to see that human experience without any gimmicks and self-recorded is really worthwhile and it might give viewers a deeper understanding in your own situations and hopefully inspire you in some ways and get you outside.”
“Alone: Polar Bear Island” airs on Thursdays at 8.15pm on History Channel (DStv 186).