Q&A with Jordan Jonas, Winner of the TV Series Alone

He was left in the Arctic with only a few tools to survive the winter. How long did he last?

If you’re looking for a binge-worthy show set in the outdoors, Alone strips reality TV to its most primal: 10 people are dropped off in the wilderness with only a backpack and a camera—and an emergency satellite phone to call when they are ready to quit. Whoever survives the longest wins. 

The competition always takes place in some of the wildest and coldest places on the planet—including Canada, Patagonia, and the Arctic. Not surprisingly, many of the competitors hail from northern climes. But one of its most recent winners was from Southern Appalachia.

Jordan Jonas of Lynchburg, Va., won season 6 of Alone—outlasting military survivalists, world-class hunters, and primitive skills professionals. Key to his success was shooting a 900-pound moose