Recap: Naked and Afraid: “Fear The Unknown” Season 5, Episode 2

Hop aboard the party plane, N&A fans (can we call ourselves Nudies or something?): we’re heading to Belize for Naked and Afraid: “Fear the Unknown”. And on this three-week vacation, we’re not going to the Belize Barrier Reef or the amazing Great Blue Hole, we’re heading inland to the jungle. It’s gonna be humid in Central America, and when Naked and Afraid goes to the moist places, you and this week’s survivalists can look forward to bugs, bugs and more bugs! And also big scary stuff like Tapirs and jaguars and poisonous frogs, black widow spiders and snakes. And also maybe some Mayan ghosts, because let’s just throw the whole kitchen sink in there, shall we?

Trent Nielsen
Age: 44 years old
Occupation: Speaker/Corporate Trainer, Real Estate Investor
Current Residence: Salt Lake City, Utah
Relationship Status: In A Relationship
Survival Skills: Hunting, Friction fire
“I consider myself a semi-survivalist”
“I’m the only one whose had an encounter with Bigfoot.” And he’s afraid of the dark.
Trent’s Initial PSR: 7.4 out of 10.0

When I say that the people who are willing to be on Naked and Afraid are crazy, I’m generally being glib. Trent may be actually crazy; but not in a “you need meds” way, but in a daredevil, Keg-standing, wackadoo Wildman-way. You know, the delightful and fun at parties kind of crazy. (Also known as “Good TV”) He also has a self-described “crazy-ass life, with his crazy-ass girlfriend and six teenage boys,” so of you’re looking for the family to take over for Alaskan Bush People’s TV throne of insanity, I nominate this pack of people.

In his casting video, Trent promises a few techniques that no one has ever seen.

Annie Foley
Age: 38 years old
Occupation: Mother and wife, Farmer, Photographer
Current Residence: Essex, Illinois
Relationship Status: Married
Survival Skills: Shelter, Spear fishing, Wild edibles, Flint fire

In the last few years, Annie has lost many family members including her brother, and father and she tries to challenge herself pushing beyond her limits in memory of them. Annie’s starting PSR: is 6.1 out of 10.0

Annie’s casting video explains her fascinating childhood where her family essentially “lived off-grid” and survived very primitively. This experience seems like it may come second nature for this seemingly-resourceful woman. But, I’m assuming that she grew up with clothes and pants make a big difference. Also, can’t believe that she has 4 kids.

Day 1
When they meet, Annie and Trent both admit to being really nervous.
The duo has been given a machete and for their personal survival items, Annie has brought flint and Trent has brought a hammock. Say what?!? A hammock may be as useless as a magnifying lens or goggles. But after chopping down a few bamboo poles, he shows how uselful the hammock is be using it to drag the poles.

Trent also uses the hammock to make a sling to help hoist Annie into a palm tree where she hacks down some of the biggest balm fronds I’ve ever seen! They look as long as a school bus!

In a few hours they build one of the better shelters that I’ve seen Naked and Afraid and once it gets dark and temps start to plummet, they try to make fire. Happily, Trent makes fire and then no one is spending the night in the dark. Because I am not a fan of pitch black either. At the end of their first day, they’re feeling confident and jokey (when I’m nervous, I get really jokey too) but when they hear growls coming from the jungle, their eyes get as big as saucers.

Day 2
Annie isn’t feeling well. I’m sure it’s from her long and nervous night. They head out in search of water. Down the tummy butterflies! Annie and Trent find a spring an decide it’s clean enough to drink without boiling. They fill their bellies and their bamboo flasks and head back to camp to reinforce their shelter and build a stone hearth to heat it. Thel also find a bunch of termites and playfully taste them.
Trent: “Totally tastes like mint!”
Annie: “Mine didn’t!”
That night, Annie doesn’t seem to be sleeping.

Day 3
Trent goes to get more water while Annie sleeps in the shelter. Trent encourages her to drink a lot of water but she is feeling

Day 4
In the morning, Annie’s emptions have depleted her of her sparkle. She wants out.
Trent encourages her, “If you can do the hardest part, than you can do the easiest part. And we’ve already done the hardest part.” But Annie’s heart isn’t in it, and she taps out.

When his partner taps out he laments, “If she was as determined to stay as she is to go, we would have had an amazing 21 days.” Oh Trent, would would have been the best partner ever!
Once Annie’s gone, Trent is alone. He’s nervous person when he’s alone.
“I’m the jungle bachelor!” he laughs. “Bring it on!”
His first night without his partner, Trent realizes he’s anything but alone. A large predator stalks around his camp… “I can hear it breathing,” he whispers.

Day 5
Trent makes a door for his shelter withy of Gilligan’s Island.
“It’s go, go go; or die, die die.”
Trent makes traps to catch rodents and other small ground-level critters.
That night, another loug, growling animal crashes through his camp. Trent says “I’m too scared to go out there.” Me too, Trent! I’m telling you, stay inside!!!

Day 6
I love Trent, he may be poop-in-your-lack-of-pants-scared, but he’s infinitely entertaining! He sets more traps around his camp, and discovers that something has been collecting a pile of fruit nearby. I would steal this fruit and consider it a gift from the Mayan ghosts. What’s more scary— a real jaguar or a Mayan ghost?

Day 8
Trent hasn’t eaten much and seems to have been constantly tormented by whatever is stalking him at night. He’s living in a state of constant anxiety

Night 11
Trent is awoken by more growls, but this time he is extra-terrified.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so freaked out.” Trent yells out of his shelter and the animal runs away and comes back. If the growls that we Trent flees for his shelter screaming “Help Me!” and the producers and a rescue team rush in to make sure he’s okay.

The Naked and Afraid team finds Trent and he is SO relieved to see everyone. Me too! This is definitely the most terrified anyone has ever been on the show!

Day 12
A storm arrives and Trent hunkers down in his shelter. The rain is torrential and dumps down for the next few days. And Trent has no chance to hunt for food.

Day 16
Trent ventures out of his shelter and is instantly light-headed. His body is desperate for food. He sees a gopher but in his weakened state, he’s too slow.
That night, he’s stalked again. It’s not Big Foot, but it’s still terrifying.

Day 18
Trent drops coals into the gopher hole and teis to smoke the varmint out.
It’s like Caddyshack. Trent is patient, but for Mr. Gopher, it’s life and death.

Day 20
Trent has made shoes! And he’s still stalking the critter, which he’s now calling a mole. His patience pays off, because the furry critter pops his hear out and Trent is waiting with his machete. Voila! Dinner. Trent is so grateful and unbelievably hungry. “It tastes really good.” He says “It tasted like unsalted and unpeppered steak!”
What doesn’t kill you makes you strong. We’ll, I’m not dead yet! Trent has overcome his fear of the dark.

Day 21
Trent is weak, but ready for his hike to extraction. Trent’s extraction journet includes a jungle hike, a river swim, and a mountain climb. As Trent hikes, he hears the jungle beast growling at his departure. Trent hikes down the river and is so depleted of energy that he looks like he could collapse at any moment. And he does fall, but he doesn’t give up. When he reaches the pater’s edge, it’s unbelievable that he still has more journey to go. But a new minutes of TV time, the truck mercifully arrives. Trent looks like a skeleton of a man (He started out pleasantly plump) and I’m impressed that he’s not only conquered this experience, but obliterated his fear of the dark.
“I’m never taking my clothes off again!” He celebrates.

Over the course of 21 days, Trent lost 22 pounds, O(but he looks like he’s lost at least 35!)

His experience is the longest solo stretch in N&A history. The fack that he still wishes that he’d been able to complete the 1 days with Annie shows what a great person Trent is; he wasn’t thinking of his own experience, but also his partner’s. He never forgot about Annie, even once she left. Trent’s PSR rose from 7.4 to 8.2. For once I agree with Naked and Afraid; this is a good score for a man who had a pretty brave experience. Sometimes the hardest part of Naked and Afraid, and the biggest triumph, is overcoming the mental challenge.

Annie only lasted until the morning of Day 4, and her PSR fell from 6.1 to 4.5. She is a survivalist for whom; the mental challenge was too tough.

Other Naked and Afraid Episodes
Recap: Naked and Afraid Season 5 Premiere “Foresaken”
Preview Clip from Naked and Afraid Season 5 premiere
Casting Director reveals how to get on Naked and Afraid
Naked and Afraid casting secrets
Naked and Afraid XL reunion “Dirty Dozen Returns”

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