At the start of the journey, the contestants face the first signs of bears and wolves, and race to put up shelters and light fires before the sun sets, leaving them in the pitch-black night with only the sounds of the wilderness for company.
The scale of the challenge threatens to overwhelm 19-year-old student Kian, and while some contestants prioritise building shelters, others are focused on sourcing food. Builder Louie is desperate to make his first kill, but his hunting doesn't go to plan, while entrepreneur Laura has a petrifying night-time encounter and finds the isolation increasingly hard to bear.
Finding food becomes crucial as extreme hunger kicks in. Fishing the Mackenzie River is far from easy, which leaves some competitors increasingly desperate. For one first-time fisher, who has had severe anxiety and panic attacks in the past, the constant trial and error becomes a mental and physical battle. Another competitor faces a hard choice when their net catches something unexpected.
The battle with isolation takes a mental toll on one competitor, who struggles to control their emotions and homesickness, while another regards the experience as paradise - until an unexpected problem jeopardises their place in the competition. A wild storm upends trees and puts everyone in danger, and one competitor's terror doesn't stop there, as a predator targets them after dark.
One contestant builds a makeshift mousetrap and finds a bonus source of energy - but suffers an injury that could threaten their chances in the competition. Meanwhile, fishing efforts are sabotaged by a beaver and attempts to find meals become increasingly desperate. The mental challenge of surviving alone takes its toll, as one contestant relives a heartbreaking time from their past and loneliness reaches crisis point for another.
The ultimate test of survival reaches its climax for the final competitors. One contestant gets a surprising boost to their chances of winning but finds the long-term separation from family increasingly hard to bear. Another's fishing failures cause an unexpected injury, leaving them physically vulnerable. Plus, six months later, we revisit some of the competitors to find out how living alone in the wilderness changed their lives.
