I'm Alison Teal from Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid and Alison's Adventures - AMA;-)

Hey.. nice butt.

Mahalo! :-)

Mekalekahai mekahiney ho to you too.

Allllllriiiigghhhhtttyyy then!!

Can you explain the show “Naked and Afraid” in your own words? I saw a commercial for it and thought they were making a show about my sexual history.

Hahaha. I thought it might be dating show at first too;-) It's (I think?) the most difficult survival challenge ever documented on TV...it's basically a primitive "Adam and Eve" concept..no prize...just a test to self worth

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Uncensored? Dont know!

Alison, I just want to commend you on manning up when your partner wouldn't. I was especially amazed at your weaving abilities. Congrats on the show!

Thank you so much, and as a self plug on my crowd funding program at the page there is a perk where if you donate I will send you a handmade hat, made by me!

There is a chance you could be making a looootttt of hats.

I sure hope so! Spread the word for me http://www.redcapes.com/projectDetails.aspx?pid=47 the money isnt for me, its going towards a good cause and every bit really helps!

How many awkward boners happened? I mean I'm really really not trying to be immature but this is the first thought I had when I saw the commercial. I LOVE survival and can't get enough Les Stroud, but I can only imagine how awkward it would be for me as a guy trying to accomplish things having a cute naked woman running around. I can hardly focus doing anything when my fiance is running around half naked at home lol

Surprisingly - ZERO... sunburn maybe???

Having other needs noticeably unmet does hinder the sex drive a bit.

Also, boner-control is something you begin master by the age of 30. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I've not had an unnecessary or inappropriate hard on in years.

ya humm..not sure ..guess you'd have to ask Mr. Marine on this one...

Haven't seen the show, only ads for it. What's the point of survival shows when you guys are naked? Is it just a hook to get people to watch it?

That's what I thought at first...but then when I started the show I realized how it was 24/7 legit survival and soooooooo hardcore...basically, by taking away clothing - which is your #1 shelter, it makes it the ultimate challenge! But whoooo know right?;-)

Question, what military training did.your partner have? Because.he seems like a whiney bitch(former marine here).

Good question, he was a marine, just not well versed in primitive survival

as a woman i have to ask! what the heck was it like to be on your period with no tampons, no pads, no underwear, nada!?? Felt your pain with the cramps but also couldnt help but wonder how you handled the business side of things!

It was Hooooorrrible! ....the only emergency item I was finally allowed to use was a tampon...

I am addicted to this show, and was curious about the period thing also. I'm so glad that your partner didnt end up quitting, and I loved how you really took care of business when he was in pain. He seemed to gain more respect for women as a result of that. You're awesome. :)

thank you! yep it was pretty knarly...glad we finally came together...

marry me?

Ring?

this is moving too fast. im scared

hahaha Married and Scared..new show

Nice butt cheeks.

cheeky

http://cdn.meme.li/instances/400x/39614163.jpg

Hahaha!

I've only watched 2 episodes so far, haven't seen yours yet. But it seems to me that this show is following the standard Discovery Channel model of finding people who don't get along very well and putting them in stressful situations together. The editing seems to focus more on the interpersonal drama rather than the actual situation.

This isn't aimed at you of course, but rather Discovery production staff. Did you feel pressured by the producers, or was there any discussion of highlighting issues involving personal drama?

Interesting you see that cuz I kinda do too...Jonathan and I were just discussing it! I was like, "Wait what about the 40 ft ladder I built, and what about the fishing net I made" etc etc...BUT, as a film maker myself, watching someone build a fishing net for 5 days is probably pretty boring....sooooo guess they are going for the action packed scenes and character dynamics...

I'd much rather watch something on Discovery channel that would actually help me survive (if I ever needed it) than drama. There are a thousand other channels for that. Honestly, building a 40 ft ladder and a fishing net sound super interesting, considering you're using stuff from the jungle.

I agree!!!! Hoping they release more of it...I made a badass fish hook too;-)

Are you going to wink with every comment reply you make? ;-)

;-)

Did you actually step in Jonathans poop behind your shelter, or did you just say that to make him feel bad for breaking a basuc survival rule?

MULTIPLE TIMES!;-(

how much do you guys actually interact and converse with the crew? are you also shooting 24/7 or is there down time without the crew filming you?

No downtime...ugg! They followed us whether we liked it or not...and we were not allowed to converse much unless it was an emergency

They watched you poop?

nooooooo ewwwwww

I've always wondered about survival type shows. How much does it suck having to drink nasty water and eat maggots just to make it through the day while the camera crew is a few feet away eating their twinkies and drinking coffee? Living in a crappy little shelter made of sticks and mud while the camera guys drive their four wheelers to their air conditioned hotel rooms at night? Damn near freezing to death/horrible sun burns while the crew is all bundled up/covered in sunscreen sun hats, etc...? Does stuff like this take a toll on you during the filming? (Haven't seen your episode yet, but it's on the DVR)

it was pretty wild...but to be honest...we were soooo remote that the crew didn't have it much better then we did...but they did have trail mix which i could smell in their bags an when I got home I slept with a bag of it under my pillow for a wk;-)

How were you approached when asked for the first time to do this show? Was being naked what started the whole idea or did that come later on?

Producers approached me with it very early on to help develop...was naked from the beginning...at first I was like "WHAAATTT!!!" but when I learned it was legit, I wanted to put myself to the test..I've never actually taken a survival class...I guess it's just a lifestyle!

I watched your episode, and your survival skills were really impressive. You had good instincts (like not drinking that nasty cloudy water), you used the resources on the island very effectively, and you really stepped up when your partner was down for the count with massive sunburn. (BTW - I think you got ripped off in the final "Primitive Survival Rating" - IMHO you should have scored much higher!). Do you think the show accurately portrayed your experiences?

I hate to "diss" Jonathan, but he made a poor showing for the Marine corps: surely he knew he was prone to sunburn - why didn't he get a base tan beforehand or even just apply some sunscreen on the day shooting began? Also, who in their right mind drinks dirty water when they have fire available for boiling it? In fairness, he's not here to defend himself - maybe you can convince him to come on Reddit and do an AMA...? :)

Congratulations on the show, and best of luck with your campaign!

Ya...not sure why he didn't lather up in sunscreen the first day or get a base tan...I think he's expectations of a survival challenge were not quite the same as mine...it was a tough experience...glad we both mad it out alive...thanks soooo much for watching and for the kudos! Being in Nature and following intuition is really fun - when it's not life or death...

If you want me to be able to help offer my skills to our future generations...please spread the word for everyone to check out my crowd funding campaign on Red Capes (which is the new Kickstater for "do good" projects) - it will help me go on a national school tour to inspire and educate kids!!! http://www.redcapes.com/projectDetails.aspx?pid=47

What was the worst thing that you had to do to survive?

eat a coconut grub!!! tasted like rotten maggots and I threw it up - on Jonathan!;-)

Watched it last night - You were great - Few things:

1. I HATE editing

2. Did anything happen with you 2? I know I would be like "listen... camera crews gone... just us... hungry... bored... ya wannnnnaaaa?"

No hankypanky

oh real quick, did he really drink that cloudy water willy nilly like they showed? - You didnt?

Yup!

Was it weird going back to wearing clothes after not wearing them for so long?

I'm still not

Haha Jokes...ya it's funny sometimes I have to stop myself from changing into my bikini in public...

Loved the show! Do you and Johnathan still keep in touch? That was the biggest burning question my wife and I had when the credits rolled. Thanks for doing this AMA!

Yup, just talked to him yesterday! After you go through something that crazy you have no choice but to become friends! Hes actually quite the gentleman and has a beautiful little girl

So glad to hear you two still keep in touch! Out of all the other episodes it seemed like you two really connected the best!

Yes we kinda became like bro and sis...know how to push each others button...def got some good laughs...he's not a bad guy...just not a primitive survivalist...

Bear Grylles gets naked on like every episode. Why didn't he ever think of bringing a female partner...

Hahaha..goooood question...

Hey I watched your Naked and Afraid episode last night. Was Jonathan really as helpless as he looked in the episode? I know they can edit these things to create any reality they want, but it sure seemed like you were pretty much the only one pulling any weight for most of it. You also seemed to handle the emotional aspect of it a lot better. Either way it was great fun to watch.

Yes and no....he was pretty badly brunt and that took a lot out of him...we have VERY different thoughts on survival...but yes, I did more then they even showed...guess who got the clam? and dug half the whole? I have to say he is a total gentlemen though and got the short end of the editing stick;-)

Nice. Yeah the whole time my wife was saying, "This is like how lions work; the female does all of the work and the male saves his energy in case he has to fight something. Now if some hyenas showed up, he'd totally kick their butts."

OOO good analogy!

Was he burnt before the show even began? It looked like the episode started with him being very red.

Yes a bit...but it happens SOOOO quick when you're 20min from the equator...

what advice can you give to aspiring film makers and/or adventurers?

Get any sort of camera you can get your hands on, and start shooting!

Whilst naked?

Could!

Saw the show, and was very impressed with you. How did you talk yourself into doing that show (naked being the fear I would have had)?

haha...thank you! I thought about it for months...the producers came to me early on...I thought, "well I either do it or I don't - and I think I will regret it more if I don't"...but then it turned out to be more then my wildest dreams and I'm happy that it's epic!

Hey Alison! so glad you're doing an AMA.

Sense everyone is asking silly questions about Naked and Afraid, I'd like to ask about you're true passion: Alison's Adventures!

How and when did you start this program? Do you have any specific goals to accomplish with this? You've done a lot of traveling... what were some of your favorite places??

Thanks!!! Yep it's been an 8 year process of filming...almost all on my own...with some amazing volunteers around the world...so excited to finally launch the film on my website...want to inspire kids and show them what is out there in the world and how they can make a difference...check this out and pleeeease spread the word so I can do so! http://www.redcapes.com/projectDetails.aspx?pid=47 Ideally I would love to become the "Oprah of Adventure" and change/help people's live allll over the world;-) Honest I love home sweet Hawaii....ooo and Bali!

I dont recall ever seeing in the episode whether or not you guys started boiling or disinfecting the water from the well. Was that hole a complete waste and you two only drank from coconuts or did you end up using the well

No not a waste...we found a can to boil water..it was briefly in one of the shots;-)

YOU ARE A TOTAL BADASS!! Really made that guy look like a buffoon. His reaction to you bringing back coconuts was baffling.

Were you briefed on who your partner was and his background? or was it completely random?

Completely random, I had no idea who he was until we met on the beach

You defientantly pulled all the weight! but that sunburn looked horrific.

worst sunburn I've ever seen..poor guy!

Hey! Followed you on instagram before the show and always wondered, how do you support your travel expenses around the world? By the way keep being awesome!

Volunteer donations and sponsorships, plus the kindness of an amazing global family! :-)

How did you get tied up in this show? What was your reaction to being told, hey, we're going to send you in with nothing...literally.

Producers contacted me a year ago and I was like, "you want me to do what?!?!" then I learned more about it.

Loved your episode! And I apologize upfront if this has been asked already, but after spending 21 days with little to no food or water, do you have to have a special diet or ease back into eating once you get back to the real world?

Yep should have but was craving Chocolate soooo bad that I attacked http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvN5v1CCu4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUjYiM-YLuOQN-4S0I7PfgVg

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I was definitely afraid during the storm!

During the course of the show he went from being pretty rude and snippy with you, to realizing what a true jewel he had to help get him through. Was that tension pretty accurately portrayed in the show, and when during those 21 days did you notice the shift to him being more kind?

yep pretty accurate...I would say getting that eel was pretty epic cuz he/we has tried soooo many times...

Are you allowed toilet paper? If not, what's the alternative?

gotta know which leave or rock to choose;-)

You said you were homeschooled in a whirlwind of adventure? What was that like? How did homeschooling go while you were traveling? Did you just set up class in a tent or something? Do you have any really vivid memories from your crazy childhood?

Hahaha yep ...it was more like "tent schooling" ...I remember going to "real school" for the first time at the base of Mt. Everest and thought it was rad! Check it out in my film Rita http://alisonsadventures.com/portfolio/rita/

how did you feel once he started throwing up from drinking the water? after you said you personally wouldn't drink it.

He didnt throw up, he had diarrhea!! When he was really sick I felt very thankful for what my parents had taught me

Did you want to kill him when you stepped in the poo. Also how involved were the camera men/producers?

hahaha...yep was ready to clock him with a coconut...they could not change or alter anything we did...just follow us...I was surprised at how legit it was...I'm like wow they are just watching us starve...

What was it like to kill that eel over on the super sharp coral reef? I'm surprised you guys didn't get hurt on that stuff! Even I was cringing when you were running around wacking it just waiting for someone to slice open their leg. Oh and what were the hunger pains like if you ever got them? 21 days with pretty much no food or water is insane! Congrats on surviving :)

O we did! can't believe they didn't show the other side of my bloody legs and hands!!! coral was soooo sharp....never understood what starvation was like til this challenge...! Mahalo!

How would someone who has lived a 'regular' life best get started as an adventurer?

Do you ever work odd jobs for periods of time or are you entirely supported by the public?

Haven't seen your episode yet, but I enjoy the show so I'm sure I will. Thanks for doing this!

Get a map and a dart board! :-) Buy a ticket to your favorite destination. I do odd jobs, for instance I worked on Eat, Pray, Love. I also do a lot of 'adventure modeling' Thanks for the good questions!

How badass did you feel afterwards?

honestly I was pretty proud of myself ...was ready to take on Pipeline...until I realized my surf muscles were gone;-(

How long did it take to recover from the muscle loss...or are you still recovering?

was a pretty wild recovery with a bit of PTSD...I had a found day plane flight right after it...and when I got home the first night I woke up in the middle of the night trying to spear an eel on my parent's kitchen floor (that didn't exist) ...My mom had to shake me awake....crazy eh?

Is working under Patagonia one of the best jobs of all time? and if you had to surf one wave with one board for the rest of your days which would you pick?

Haha....yep Patagonia rocks...Love to stay eco with all my stuff...my boards are made of soy and my bikinis recycled plastic bottles

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I am a nerd stuck in a surfer girls body, so yeah, fast typer!

Were there any unforeseen challenges trying to survive naked? Did you get any weird vibes from the crew at all?

crew was amazing...we actually have one of Bear Gryll's film crews...the rat crawling over my head at night was pretty unexpected....

Watched your show last night. I think it's awesome that you where able to make it through the 21 days. If you could do it again would you?

Good question...was actually just thinking about that....hummm....hard to decided...it was pretty challenging...probably...but hopefully with Brad Pitt..jokes;-)

What was your favorite part about survival?

My favorite part was eating a chocolate bar at the end of the 21 days!

How did you avoid getting sunburnt?

two reasons...I had a pretty good base tan coming from Hawaii and I put sunscreen on the first day before I got on the boat...AND I made hats and coverings which he refused to wear at first

I was super impressed with the weaving, especially that you thought of making hats for sun covers. I don't think people appreciate how important just regular clothing is for keeping us healthy, warm, and NOT sunburned. Great job!

yep it's our #1 shelter

Do they have a list of where they will shoot the season's episodes and you can choose an open spot? Or do they already have a location assigned for you?

They assigned us the location and I only found out about a wk before...

Is it safe to say that gingers are more adept at surviving in well shaded areas?

Haha! I think we can say that!

I saw the show and it was wonderful. What was the worst part of the ordeal?

Thanks for watching my show, the worst part of it was when I sliced my boob open trying to get a coconut down!

that hurts my own boob just reading that

It sucked but they couldnt show it

What was it like growing up in different places around the world? Also, do you have a favorite place to travel?

Pretty wild! Didn't really understand that I led a different life til I was a teen...nothing to compare it too! Travel fuels the soul! Check out my film Rita it shows what it was like;-) http://alisonsadventures.com/portfolio/rita/

I love sooo many places...Bali, Hawaii, Morocco...actually want to go back to the Maldives and SURF!

What was your first meal when you got back from hell?

Chocolate!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvN5v1CCu4&feature=share&list=UUjYiM-YLuOQN-4S0I7PfgVg

It looked like you and Jonathan were having trouble finding fish (for reasons that I don't remember off the top of my head). What other food were you consuming before then for protein? It didn't seem like there were many options.

It also didn't specify other ways that you collected clean water after Jonathan dug the hole. Did you collect the rain water from the storm?

Great job, by the way! I don't know if I could have handled it half as well as you did.

we ate some sea snails...ewwww....yep some rain water for sure - gather in coconut leaves...THANK YOU!!!!!

That eel actually looked pretty delicious. Was it any good?

What was the first thing you ate when you got on the boat or back to a hotel?

The eel was the best thing I have ever tasted, considering my hunger at that point. Here is a video of the first food! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvN5v1CCu4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUjYiM-YLuOQN-4S0I7PfgVg

Do you still eat coconuts? Or are you done with them forever?

funny...thought I would hate them after that but crave them more now and eat them almost every day!

Were you given any precautions or vaccinations or any medicine before the show? Did you catch any disease?

No precautions, did general shots like tetanus, and went to the doctor for the first time when I got home! Was given a clean bill of health and told I was one of the healthiest people hes ever seen!

You are an attractive lady and I appreciate you doing the show. You were awesome! My question is, was there any sexual tension between you and jonathan? Did he ever insinuate anything or make a pass at you?

Jonathan was a complete gentleman the whole time!

so, you come here often?

LOVE REDDIT as much as PINKit;-)

I just saw the episode, and my main lingering question... just how bad was that guy's junk sunburned?

baaaaaaad

Did the episode do the experience justice?

Btw - you're AWESOME.

Thanks! Yes, but a lot can happen in 21 days! They didnt show the 40 foot ladder I built to get coconuts down! :-(

Wow, yeah you should push for an extended edition where they show more things like that, if you have the influence.

I am working on it!

Thanks for doing this AMA Alison! Watched your episode but I have some questions. If the Marine knew he was going to get sunburn WHY didn't you guys head in for shade immediately and try to make some type of clothing? You did an awesome job at weaving, so why didn't you make something for him or have him make something? It's like he was trying to prove hes some macho man, impervious to the sun, and ended up looking like a sissy.

yep...not sure why he didn't lather up that first day....I sure as heck did and I'm tanner...or take the hat I made him? I guess maybe he was just running on adrenaline at first? thanks for the note and for watching!

ok... I have to ask. My wife brought this up while we were watching the show and I apologize if this is intrusive in any way, but when it's "that time of the month" how on earth did you keep yourself clean?

The ocean!

Are you used to being naked in public? If so, does it feel different to be naked on camera?

As I said in the film, I was always known as the nun so no I am not used to being naked in public.

Alison, you are so frickin hot. Just thought you should know.

Mahalo!

Hmmm...next question. What do you prefer...scuba or freedive?

Freediving!

How much crew is with you at all times? Are they also naked?

They couldnt make it to us during the storm, and no they were not naked! Haha!

How big is the camera crew and what kinds of interaction do you have with them?

Do you still talk to the guy you were with?

Were you ever truly afraid for your life/survival?

The camera crew was a 3 man crew, we had very little interaction, they just followed us around. Jonathan and I still talk, I just spoke with him yesterday. During the storm I was afraid, and the sharks are no joke!

Loved the episode and felt terrible for you when THAT HORRIBLE MONTHLY time occurred. What was the most awful moment of the excursion and how did you recover mentally from it?

lots and lots of chocolate after I got home!;-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvN5v1CCu4&feature=share&list=UUjYiM-YLuOQN-4S0I7PfgVg it was tough...I ate noni leaves...and tried to breath!

How does one manage to get a show on Discovery?

They contacted me!

857

First off, Towards the beginning of the episode your partner was rather condescending. I think you handled it great :) there's a time to fire back and a time to keep your cool. That must have been hard considering he was down and out. It was awesome to see a woman take charge because so often we're made to feel like we can't survive without a man. My 7 year old daughter watched the show with us and wanted to know what the scariest animal you saw was? As for my question, do you think you would have survived easier with another parter/ alone? I do have to give him props for apologizing and giving you credit. That sunburn was epic!

Tell her there were these wild bats that would fly over at sunset and were super spooky...it was def tough to take on a lot of it on my own...Jonathan was a gentleman and we bickered like bro and sis...yes I would have loved to have someone with primitive survival skills - we could have built a swiss family robinson masterpiece;-) but Jonathan did end up being very respectful and it/I changed his life and I'm grateful for that! Please help me inspire and educate more kids http://www.redcapes.com/projectDetails.aspx?pid=47

What's next on the adventure list and do you ever lose interest in any particular thing?

I want to go back to the Maldives and help with beach cleanup. I have lost some interest in editing as I have been editing 8 years of footage for my show!

What's it take to prepare yourself into going into other countries you're not familiar with and also to get yourself physically and emotionally prepared?

I always say you need to pack three things...money, health, humor...and KEEP THEM;-)

Was this the longest that you've had to survive in the wild for? Even after 21 days you seemed incredibly energetic. A 100% difference than the girl from the first episode.

P.s. You rock!

About a month, but not normally naked! The crew called me the energizer bunny of survival!

What was harder, a month with clothes, or 21 days naked?

Def 21 days naked...my family and I prided ourselves on the right gear to survive with..;-)

I saw a commercial for Alison's Adventure and it looked like you were in the Andes, if that is where you were did you go any where near Mount Kataa?

Are you referring to this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=b8k-x6n-NfI we were near Ausangate