Andrew “Reptar” Forestell is an accomplished thru-hiker, but most recently he was a contestant on Naked and Afraid. While you’ll have to watch the whole episode to find out how it went, we were able to catch up with Andrew for a few questions regarding the experience, and whether thru-hiking and backcountry experience had any relevancy to the show.
1) How real is the experience on Naked and Afraid?
When you’re butt-ass naked in the African bush at night and realize that a lion could maul you to death at any moment, and spiders the size of your hand are crawling around you, it doesn’t get much more real than that.
2) How did thru-hiking help prepare you for the episode?
I’d have to say mental fortitude. Naked and Afraid, like hiking, is much more of a mental challenge than it is a physical one. Staying in a positive frame of mind is paramount when attempting either, I think.
3) Was any part of the experience similar to being on a long-distance trail?
Dealing with copious amounts of cold rain reminded me a lot of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Specifically, the 100-Mile Wilderness in mid-October when temperatures were in the low 40s.
4) What surprised you the most about being out there?
There were a few things that surprised me. The first was sleep deprivation. I knew I wasn’t going to get much sleep out there but I got maybe three or four hours a night if I was lucky. Second, how much rain we got. I had researched it before going in and the monthly average for that region was like 4.8 inches. We got probably double that. I found out later on day nine alone we got something like 4.3 inches.
5) What was the biggest challenge?
Time management. Sitting on the couch and watching the show it seems like people are always just lounging around. We spent so much time collecting wood just to boil water. The second water was cool enough to drink we’d chug it, go fill it up again, and start the process over. Literally, all day long until bedtime we had a fire going and water boiling. That doesn’t leave much time to collect more firewood, find food, build a better shelter, or make animal traps. That being said, knowing what I know now would make a huge difference if I ever did a second challenge.
6) What did you find you were most well-equipped to deal with?
Probably making fire. My one item was a Ferro rod so I practiced making a fire in the rain over and over before heading out. That or my feet conditioning. I trained for hours every other day for months walking barefoot on different types of rocks. However, there wasn’t really any stopping the acacia thorns and devils thorn. It was like walking on nails.
7) Do you think it was a fair portrayal (in the final episode) of what it was like out there?
I think the production crew did a great job. I was a little worried before I saw the episode because I had heard horror stories of other TV shows doing people dirty by creating drama that wasn’t there or something but this crew was awesome. I really think they did a great job given the amount of time they had to work with.
*How can people follow you?
I’m on all the socials as Reptarhikes. YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc.
*How can people watch/rent/buy your movie The AT Experience?
Just Google The AT Experience; it should be the first link that pops up.
