Jordan Jonas: Survival, Hunting, Siberia, God, and Winning Alone Season 6 | Lex Fridman Podcast #437

The following is a conversation with Jordan Jonas, winner of Alone season six, a show where the task is to survive alone in the Arctic wilderness longer than anyone else. He is widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest competitors on that show. He has a fascinating life story that took him from a farm in Idaho, and hoboing on trains across America, to traveling with nomadic tribes in Siberia. All that helped make him into a world-class explorer, survivor, hunter, wilderness guide, and most importantly, a great human being with a big heart and a big smile. This was a truly fun and fascinating conversation. Let me also mention that at the end, after the episode, I'll start answering some questions and will try to articulate my thinking on some top of mind topics. So, if that's of interest to you, keep listening after the episode is over. This is the Lex Fridman Podcast. To support it, please check out our sponsors in the description. And now, dear friends, here's Jordan Jonas. You won Alone season six, and I think are still considered to be one of, if not the most successful survivor on that show. Uh, so let's go back. Let's look at the big picture. Can you, uh, tell me about the show Alone? How does it work?

Yeah. It's a show where they take 10 individuals and each person gets 10 items off of a list, you know, basic items. It'd be an ax, a saw, a frying pan, you know, some pretty basic stuff. And then they send 'em all, drop 'em off all in the woods with a few cameras. And, uh, so the people are actually alone. There's not a crew or anything. And then you, uh, basically live there as long as you can, you know? And so the person that lasts the longest, you know, once the second-place person taps out, they come and get you, and that, and that individual wins. So it's a, it's a pretty legit challenge, you know? They, they drop you off, helicopter flies out, and you're not gonna get your next meal until you make it happen, so...

So you have to figure out the shelter, you have to figure out the source of food, and then it gets colder and colder 'cause they, I guess they drop you out in a moment where it's going into the winter.

Yeah, they typically do it in temperate, colder climates, things like that. And they start in, you know, September, October, so time's ticking when they drop you off. And, uh, yeah, the pressure's on. You got... It's, you know, you get overwhelmed with all the things you have to do right away. Like, "Oh, man, I... I'm not gonna eat again until I actually shoot or catch something." Gotta build a shelter. It's pretty overwhelming. Figure your whole location out. But it's interesting, 'cause once you're there a little while, you kind of get into a... Well, at least for me, I did. There was, like, a week, or maybe not a week, but, uh, that I was kind of a little more annoyed with things. You know, it's like, "Oh, my sight sucks." (laughs) Sucks. And then, and then you kind of accept it. Like, "You know what? It is-"