The Explorist

For our final episode of the season, show creators Ted and Jeff Alvarez step out from behind the curtain to talk about how The Explorist came to be, how the show gets made, and what comes next. Plus: Highlights from a season that spans five continents and many memorable characters — from the jungles of the Congo to the parks of Baltimore to the bottom of the world in South America.

For our final episode about modern hunter gatherers, we talk to National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan, who honors his indigenous background by documenting extant hunter-gatherer tribes in the Arctic. He shares stories about close calls out on the ice, why indigenous cultures are so resilient, and why harnessing that resilience might be the key to surviving an uncertain future.

In the last episode, we followed people in the Rewilding Movement who are trying to incorporate primitive skills into their daily lives. This time, we're going back in history to explore how hunter gatherers really lived — and how new science suggests the foraging lifestyle might've been easier, freer, and healthier than the civilized life. Then we journey to the fertile rainforests of Northern Congo to meet true modern hunter gatherers and the scientists who are trying to understand their way of life before it disappears.

Have you ever dreamed of leaving it all behind -- your job, your cell phone, your comfy life -- to walk into the wilderness and live off the land? Or have you ever wondered if you'd truly have the skills to make it out alive when an adventure goes south? If so, you are not alone. More and more people are learning how to start fires with sticks, build shelters from leaves, and forage for wild foods. The practice has many names, but some call it the Rewilding Movement, and it's spreading with everyone from paleos to preppers to techbros. For some it's a weekend escape; for others it's the beginning of a journey to build a life rooted in the dirt instead of concrete. But the path is fraught: hunger, cold, and isolation challenge even the most skilled modern hunter gatherers. The first rule? Don't let the fire go out.

Have you ever dreamed of leaving it all behind -- your job, your cell phone, your comfy life -- to walk into the wilderness and live off the land? Or have you ever wondered if you'd truly have the skills to make it out alive when an adventure goes south? If so, you are not alone. More and more people are learning how to start fires with sticks, build shelters from leaves, and forage for wild foods. The practice has many names, but some call it the Rewilding Movement, and it's spreading with everyone from paleos to preppers to techbros. For some it's a weekend escape; for others it's the beginning of a journey to build a life rooted in the dirt instead of concrete. But the path is fraught: hunger, cold, and isolation challenge even the most skilled modern hunter gatherers. The first rule? Don't let the fire go out.    Subscribe to The Explorist on:   Check out Ted Alvarez ' latest book, The Survival Hacker’s Handbook: How To Survive with Just About AnythingFind out more about Earth Native Wilderness School