Sam Larson was a contestant on season 1 of the Alone show, and winner of season 5 of the Alone show. In this episode we talk to Sam about everything from going into the unknown of a brand new TV show, his desire to take a different path in life, his teaching endeavors, and much more!

Find Sam in the following places:
Sam's Website
Sam's Instagram
Sam's Facebook

Find The Alone Podcast in the following places:
The Alone Podcast Facebook
The Alone Podcast YouTube

Transcript:

Sam 0:14

Hello and welcome to Episode 15, of the Elan podcast. Our guest today is Sam Larsen. We will all remember Sam from seasons one and season five of the alone show. So Sam, thank you so much for taking time out of your life and your schedule and your family to sit down and visit and share a little bit of your story with us today.

Sam Larson 0:35

Well, thank you, Sam, my new friend collecting Sam's

Sam 0:40

Yeah, it's funny before hobbies. It's funny before we hit record, I was reading through through Sam's bio and there was a experience that he had early in his life that was at least remarkable enough to make his bio that also involved another Sam. And so I'm not expecting this to make your bio. Like I have no illusions that you're going to go update your website to say you chatted with another Sam but you are collecting experiences with Sam's in your life apparently.

Sam Larson 1:11

Oh, I will add it to my website bio. Now, I haven't touched that thing in like two years. But it's this is worthy of spoke with Sam rose on the alone podcast. There

Sam 1:23

it is. Somewhere in there. Now. I appreciate that. I'll go check that later on to make sure that hits. It's funny I when I was reading through your stuff and watching through is like oh, yeah, Sam is a he's a character. And I tend to be a character at times as well. So hopefully, we can hopefully can actually make it through this without just like cracking jokes back and forth and not saying anything useful or like true at all.

Sam Larson 1:49

It's actually it's kind of interesting, because I like that's, I think it's my true character. Like when I'm around folks. And in my what's called, like, internal dialogue or whatever. I'm pretty goofy, like constantly goofing around. I think one of the funny things about when I actually got into the field, on alone, is that production was expecting a little bit more of that from me. But without an audience, it's hard. You know, it's part of the fun is being around people. And you're having goofy conversations. And

Sam 2:24

yeah, it feels like a different it feels like a production when you're doing it for just the camera as opposed to just being sad when you've got you know, people around and you're making people laugh, and you can see all that.

Sam Larson 2:34

Yeah, yeah, I mean, and I yeah, I feel the same way. It's like, I don't want to be produced. I don't want to film something that seems like I planned it all out. Yeah. Like every every dumb thing I do on the show in real life is really just spontaneous.

Sam 2:51

That's funny. I was. So I talked to Brooke a little while ago. And this is not a plug for books channel. Because I guarantee you no one that's listening to this doesn't already know of Brookes channel, she's kind of a big deal.

Sam Larson 3:05

It's not a plug for Brooks channel. It should be it it is.

Sam 3:09

But what has an amazing chat. Everyone here already knows about Brooks channel, because she's that well known and that awesome. But she did a really cool series. So if you haven't seen this, go back in her YouTube a couple years and she did like a pre and post season five video. And you can get some prime shots of the one and only Sam Larson. If you go if you go back and watch that you'll get a sense of of the true colors there.

Sam Larson 3:36

It's funny because I had no idea she was actually filming. Like I thought she was out taking pictures, or whatever with her camera. But I guess she was

Sam 3:45

maybe that's what she said. Yeah, that's what she told production Lee No, this is not a personal video camera that I'm making my own video on

Sam Larson 3:53

it very accurate. Whatever she captured. I watched those videos, you know, a couple years ago. Yeah, they're they're real. That's pretty much what it's like, yeah, no, no camp.

Sam 4:04

Those videos were awesome. I was like, Oh man, Sam is because like, you get a sense of your sense of humor. And you're obviously who you are from the show. But watching that was like wow, he is like a character like a lot more funny and a lot more like, you know, loose than you even got to see on the show. So that was really cool. But let's go ahead and and, you know, I used to try and like introduce and do a little bio of people. But then I realized that you know yourself way better than I do. And so probably makes more sense. Do you want to just take a minute and and share who you would call yourself and how you would introduce yourself?

Sam Larson 4:42

Yeah, well, I guess as of recently, I have sort of a fluid like description of myself based on what's going on. I've been a survival instructor or in the field of, you know, survival education or After education, since I was about 18. So that's, golly, like 11 years, I think. So. That's officially what I would say I do. Most of the time. It's taken a huge change, though, from the pandemic and everything like that most of my business was large event survival, instructing. And when every single large event is canceled, you're kind of left without that part of what you do. So I teach smaller courses of anywhere from like four to 12 individuals attend out of my homestead. Now, I've been doing a lot of just building my homestead and cultivating everything, turning it from like a garbage heap, basically, into a place where now my family lives, do a lot of work outside splitting a lot of wood, being a dad trying to write and read as much as I can. But I'd say my career is still officially, survival instructor.

Sam 6:11

That's funny. I wouldn't I mean, maybe your land is a garbage heap. But I was looking at your website. So for those, you know, listening his I mean, I'll let you we'll talk about that later. But looking at your website for your teaching, and your property sounds gorgeous, actually. Like, it sounds like a beautiful little spot.

Sam Larson 6:33

Yeah, the basically, when we purchased it, it was a rotted out mobile home. So it was really cheap, and a lot of physical labor. But we kind of just decided to take on the challenge, like save the money and put in the elbow grease, and the stuff that was good for it was beautiful. It's stuff that takes a long time to grow and mature, like the trees, and some of the topography and the privacy and, and such was there. And so we said, hey, we like that. It's a really small plot of land. Property taxes are sky high. Here in Nebraska, so small, is somewhat good. And then, yeah, it's basically how hard how hard you want to work to make this thing into into what you want it to be.

Sam 7:23

That's awesome. And I mean, you do live your classes there. Will you guys eventually live full time on that property? Is that the plan?

Sam Larson 7:31

Well, we've been living there full time. And we built a yurt and then we've got a small addition that's kind of hooked on to the year. We've been living there full time for over a year now. So I think, like 15 or 16 months total. So getting our feet wet. Learning all the mistakes we made holding it

Sam 7:51

holding us literally getting your feet wet. Let me think, hopefully the earth watertight

Sam Larson 7:57

only in the shower. Yeah. Yeah, not too leaky. Although you can hear the rain. So it's a it's a great phenomenon to be inside of a dry, warm environment still hearing the rain come down on the roof, which is rain when you live in a yurt full time is somewhere between the most relaxing and wonderful thing that you've ever experienced in your life. And like sheer terror. So like, depending on how hard it's raining, yeah, it's a monsoon or just like a calming, gentle rain.

Sam 8:32

And depending on if you're the adult or the child in the room, I guess that might be part of it. How are the kids liking the change of of scenery and the lifestyle. They

Sam Larson 8:43

like they they were so young, when we moved out here and when we purchased the land and everything like that. So I have three kids now, and the youngest has never lived anywhere else. So it's kind of like, they don't ever know what it was like to just live in one of our rental houses or the apartment or whatever we had lived before that which I kind of like they like to go out and explore. It's great for them just to have that freedom and to be able to sort of choose their own adventures every time they walk out the door. Take a dog with them and just go out and explore.

Sam 9:23

That's cool. Are you are you in the middle of like farmland? I mean, what's what's there and you have neighbors somewhat close by how does that situation kind of look?

Sam Larson 9:32

Yeah, so it's Nebraska. So we definitely are in an agricultural area. So I think we're gonna be very clear on my website, like we've got we're a treed agricultural area, not a wilderness area, but people from Nebraska who are you know, live in the context of where we are coming to my place and they're like, oh, cool, this is you got some woods and stuff like that. Whereas someone from like, Colorado would, would be totally honest. to some level at least or like Utah, but where you're from? Yeah. Yeah. But hey,

Sam 10:07

you could you could plant more corn if you cut those trees down.

Sam Larson 10:10

Yeah, exactly. That's what a lot of it is, man, we got farmers who just, yeah, some of them will just knock down trees and they want more space to grow whatever ethanol plants on.

Sam 10:24

It's funny, it sounds like you and I have like it we live in in totally opposite paradigms, right? You're living on a small acreage in, you know, out of town and all of that. And I live like, right in the city. But like something that makes me really sad is when I see a green space in the city, right, where there's original, not original, but like old growth trees that are, you know, 5075 100 years old, that have been in that space or whatever. And then they go cut it down and clear it so they can develop or whatever. And like part of me, like dies, when I see that it's really hard for me to experience that. And apparently, that's not something you escape when you get out of the city.

Sam Larson 11:03

Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, there's a lot more to rec at this point in Utah, whereas, you know, the virgin tallgrass prairie, like would be where I live is, I mean, there's less than 1% of the left. It's all just farmland and whatnot. But I actually did, I worked on a prairie for a few years, sort of between alone seasons. So that was kind of a cool experience, just as like a teacher naturalist way to do some work that didn't involve, you know, being in a cubicle talk on the phone and all that. But

Sam 11:41

was that was Was that like a nature preserve? Or were What was that all about?

Sam Larson 11:45

Yeah, so it was a, like 1000 acre nature preserve, and there was a, like a 1400 acre. Woods, that was a few miles away from that. And basically, it's just like, technically just city park, but outside of the confines of the city, or at least on the outskirts of it. And it's funny, when I, I talk about other people on a loan, a lot of other folks have, like a area around them, they can sort of learn from and have it be applicable, whereas I never really had that. Like I before I went to Mongolia, I spent the entire spring, fall, winter, and then all the way through that summer, before we started shooting, I was teaching kids ethnobotany of tall grass prairies, you know, in, in the Midwest, none of which is even remotely applicable to where we were at in Mongolia. Like not even not even close. It was all completely different. But I mean, it's amazing to learn, because that's a lot of stuff that's really being forgotten. But I would love to have spent, you know, last 10 years, just exclusively in the north, where they do all these, you know, alone shows, like I've got, I've got a good amount of experience being in northern areas. It's kind of where I was drawn to. And that's where a lot of outdoor education is like for me to pursue as a student. But I've never lived there for years and years, like some folks do

Sam 13:28

when you've lived there for long enough now, I think wandering back to this prairie preserve so it was that virgin prairie or was it something that have been reprint replanted and reestablish they were working on bringing back? I think we sort of was it a mishmash, in theory, it

Sam Larson 13:44

was a version prairie, like the people who had owned it prior to it being a preserve had run their horses through it, but they never like plowed it or anything like that. And so ideally, yeah, it was it was like a virgin tallgrass prairie that had been, you know, more or less untouched by everything around it, but the folks who maintain the land do a really good job of trying to use natural means of keeping the prairie healthy. Like they can't have bison on it. They have bison next to it like as I look kids, bison, but

Sam 14:22

they are almost in their natural habitat. Right?

Sam Larson 14:26

They'll bring in like cows from they can farm and sort of rotate them around the prairie to simulate what it would be like if bison were really there and grazing and, and to the kids that we would bring out there. Because basically every kid in the county or in the they separate it by watersheds for outdoor education. So every kid in our on our watershed would come out and go on to like a half day or a full day adventure either in the woods, wetlands or prairies and sort of just be able to explore so to them It might as well be just the middle of nowhere wilderness. And that sort of helps the grownups as well. Yeah, to get into that mindset.

Sam 15:11

Now, that's super cool. I mean to those that are listening. So if you do or don't know, so much of the American West, I mean, I would call it the Midwest. But then the Midwesterners get all, you know, they're the Midwest, the middle western portion of the country, the true middle western portion of the United States used to basically be, you know, majority flat prairie land, and you know, tall grasses, pretty, you know, not much for trees and whatnot. And over the years, that's all been plowed under and turned into farmland. And so now, instead of being the periods now, America's breadbasket, basically, and, and so that's, you know, the, we're discussing the topography and the area. So those classes, what kind of skills are you teaching on the prairie? Cuz that's fascinating to me. I think the the concept of bringing back a lot of the prairie lands and, and trying to get back in touch with that part of our geography, I guess, is super fascinating. I'm really interested in it like, for those listening, if you want to kind of see we're talking about, there's a really popular preserve, called the American prairie preserve, is one that you can kind of go look for and kind of read up. But so for you, Sam, what kind of stuff were you guys teaching on the prairie classes and all those other classes that you were involved in for the kids?

Sam Larson 16:27

Yeah, well, it was something that varied every day. And so that was kind of fun, I get into the nature center, and I would, you know, get to say hello to all my fellow guides, and then we would see who it was for that day. So depending on what age level, we would take, what they're studying in school, and we'd sort of like a rubric of it. And we would find ways to meet the curriculum requirements at the nature center. So if I get a group of first graders, and they're learning about habitats, and I take them around, I'd be able to show them, you know, three or four different habitats of some of our local wildlife. And then it would go all the way to, like in the fourth or fifth grade, where they're learning about natural history, as well as ethnobotany. All sorts of great things that are really, I mean, they're, it's our local history of the world around him. So it's exciting to be in a place where it actually happened and a place that kind of looks like it would have back in the day if you were heading across the prairie in a covered wagon. Yeah, just heading west so

Sam 17:45

it makes an Oregon Trail joke. Curious you don't get was it? Cholera? Cholera is that yeah, you got color?

Sam Larson 17:52

I mean, I always get cholera I don't

Sam 17:54

know. Yeah, they're that you either got cholera you got stampeded by buffalo or you got bit by a snake I think is kind of a typically how that went, right. Yeah.

Sam Larson 18:03

Or washed away when you're trying to afford a river. Like that.

Sam 18:07

Forgot about that. Time. Yeah, I feel like I heard this is a this is a total like, random hair. We'll get back on track here. But I feel like I heard that that game is like has made a resurgence. So for those listening there, you should eat right? If you're not familiar with the beauty that was the Oregon Trail. There was a a terrible computer game. I think it was I played it in school. I think it was primarily a like a learning tool. Yeah, that basically like was teaching you about life coming west, I guess. I don't know. Basically, everyone died of cholera. Is the running joke of the game. You you do everything right. You'd almost make it to your destination. And the game just couldn't couldn't be beat and so it had to kill you with cholera if you were doing too well.

Sam Larson 18:58

But I need more come. Yeah. Yeah. Amazon trail was good as well.

Sam 19:02

I did not experience Amazon trail.

Sam Larson 19:05

Yeah, Nevermind. Nevermind.

Sam 19:08

That's funny. You mentioned that the you had bison that we're basically I mean, pinned or corralled or whatever. Next to the prairie adjacent to it not actually on was Was there a reason why those weren't roaming? Was it like a safety concern with the youth being out in the actual prairie land? Or do you know why the bison weren't roaming?

Sam Larson 19:28

Yeah, I think they have like five or so I don't actually know because I wasn't in charge of it. But they have separate paddocks that they would go to throughout the year, depending on you know, the various growth so they wouldn't just enjoy any parts of the prairie but it's just a requirement of fencing for them. Like they would have had to have a 10 foot Ultra hardcore fence and they couldn't, of course, roam amongst the children. And so yeah, we had that was why

Sam 19:57

Utah has a couple of we have one Like, I think it's ancestral like one ancestral wild herd of bison that still remains in the hunter mountains. Yeah. And we have a, a transplant herd on what's called Antelope Island. And Antelope Island also happens to be very popular state park with runners and hikers and birdwatchers and whatever else. And it seems like every year or two, there's, you know, a story of someone getting roughed up by a bison because they, you know, got a little bit too friendly or Yeah, came around the corner at the wrong time. And so I can understand keeping the bison separate. But so you mentioned in there, you did a lot of work with the children and, and now your business that is hopefully starting to pick back up that you work a lot with, with larger groups. And I'm assuming that that probably means more adult age people. If I'm wrong, obviously, correct me. But is there anything do you miss working more with children? Is that? are you just happy teaching or matter who's in front of you?

Sam Larson 21:00

Yeah, it was really good to have that experience, I'm super thankful for it. It pays for virtually nothing. I mean, you're it's one of the lowest paying jobs in the city, I think it was, like, nine or 10 bucks an hour or something like that. But extremely fun. And it was just a way for me to get up every single day for at least half of my workday. And go out there and like be teaching. So it was a way to learn how to communicate different things about the natural world, to an audience and for a child audience, you're able to explain the things that you should be explaining to adults to children as well. So I think once you can tell a child something, you can tell an adult something in a lot of times, if you're only communicating with adults, you have no idea how to communicate with a child. And so that was the main benefit for me was just being able to communicate in such a way. And I also relate it back to like a couple summers later, I went out to the California survival school to instruct there in the birther called Santa Cruz mountains or something like that, just outside of Silicon Valley. And we literally did the same thing at the kids camp there that we did for like these big tech companies that would bring out all of their employees to do like a an off site survival training with us. So we just did the same thing in both groups. Because everyone's was sort of at that introductory level. Yeah, the difference was the kids never cut themselves with the knives. It was only the grown ups that would just I mean, it would just be a bloodbath. But at the end of the day, at the grownup camp, kids are always careful.

Sam 22:51

That's funny. That that's genuinely funny. And I wish we had time to pause and just marinate in that, because that's really funny that that makes me laugh. So you, so you taught in California, you've obviously are teaching it, and we're teaching other people in Nebraska. And so it sounds like have you done other? I mean, I'm going to say residency teaching positions like have you ever have you done more teaching in other places? Or is it permanently schools in California and then in Nebraska?

Sam Larson 23:24

Yeah. So going out to California, mostly to just learn from the owner of the school, Dan Baird, how he structures everything. And that was an amazing learning experience. Starting out though, right when I was 18, out of high school, I went to the jack mountain bushcraft School, which is up in northern Maine. And I spent a summer out there, I returned there the next year to be a teacher's assistant, but for a whole year just for part of the summer. And then I also got the opportunity to go on a was like a alumni trip to go up to the Cree, up in northern Quebec, to learn sort of like a cultural education there. I'm not sure if they, what they call it. But that was a great experience with sort of the same crowd of folks.

Sam 24:17

That's cool. As you said, you did that at 18. I mean, and obviously reading through your stuff, it sounds like you you chose it's funny, I mentioned this on the last shows I need to get off of mentioning it but it's interesting, like the more I talk to people, the more I'm I feel awkward saying like you chose a less traditional path, right? Because it's like, well, what's traditional? I mean, what are we talking about here? Right? But I mean at 18 You you're I mean maybe even before that you decided that you know doing the cubicle and the typical nine to five kind of just the grind right? Wasn't your thing. How did you come to that realization and and how did you decide that it was okay for you to take a different path because I kind of got the hint in your bio that there was some maybe some struggle there in your early life trying to figure out and what to do. But can you talk about that?

Sam Larson 25:14

Yeah, I guess it all spurred from me not being able to focus very well when I was in school. And so, I mean, I loved reading and writing, and everything else was just sort of out the window. I couldn't, I couldn't focus in class, I was a horrible, like, test taker. And I didn't like sort of the way that I felt like students were being funneled out. And I mean, I'd love the school that I went to, and everything Oh, good, but it felt like we were sort of like cattle. And there was different corrals that we would do best in. And so you know, we're kind of put in this corral to go to this, like a Community College or University of Nebraska, or, or straight to the career field, you know, whatever you want to do. But I didn't really like listening to people who didn't know me very well. Tell me about what I should be doing. I don't really like listening to anyone telling me what I should be doing. And there's, it's probably not 100% Positive. To have that type of mindset all the time. I'm trying to change things a little bit with listening to hi mom and dad. Yes, like listening to my parents or my my wife, especially. So now I'm a good listener, but back then I was a very poor listener. But I did like adventure. And so I think what I wanted to do is I'd have these adventures on various rivers across Nebraska there's great rivers in western and central Nebraska for paddling. It's sort of an escape from from just general farmland and city and all that and but I wanted to test if my relationship with the wilderness and with that type of recreation was purely like a romantic thing from the books that I've read every like Gary Paulson book, hatchet, sit right, read I read hatchet like 40,000 times. So I didn't do anything else right?

Sam 27:12

Didn't we all read hatchet? 40,000 times. Brian right Brian,

Sam Larson 27:16

right yet yet the whole Brian see I read the whole series. I read every outdoor book that Gary Paul's who recently died like a month ago, I think I read every book that he put out on the topic of wilderness, and so became just completely enamored with it. But I was wondering if that was if I was just being romantic. Or if it was a real practical thing if I actually like it. Like, how do you enjoy being out in the woods when it's really cold or really hot? Or you're hungry? Or you're, you know, you've been wet for days, whatever. So I That's why I went to Jack mountain bushcraft school because they had these long term immersion programs that you could do. And they offer college credit through a college. So I could tell my parents, hey, that they do offer college credit. So it's kind of like going to college and Sam's pretty smart guy. Right? I'm living in a shelter, but it's kind of like college. And Tim Smith, who runs the school put together a very convincing website. So so it was the perfect storm of Yeah, I guess launching me into the unknown. And so I did I mean, really, it all went very fast. Like I I went to do all that bushcraft training. And I guess I mean, I wish I have years and years more training before I got a loan the first time, but I was only like, I remember when I got an email. I had started writing about my adventures in the woods. And I got an email from casting from alone. And it literally said something like, Hey, Sam, I read your essay on being in the woods. I hear you've been camping one time. How do you think about trying out for this new show called the last survivor by though that was the working title of alone was the last survivor and so and I was like, I don't know. Sounds good. And so yeah, I was like 21 wet. So it all went super, super fast. Yeah. In there. And I think at that point, it was like so everyone who wanted to be on a survival show pretty much could get on one, like Naked and Afraid had just come out. And all these survival shows we're trying to launch everyone is trying to sort of capitalize on Survivor man and man versus wild not being on Discovery anymore. It's

Sam 29:48

the good old days. Good, good old day when anyone could get on.

Sam Larson 29:52

Yeah. And so I was like, Yeah, well, if if they're telling the truth about This the last survivor show, it's gonna be awesome. I don't think that they are. But if if they're actually saying we're going to be alone in the woods, that is a really good concept. So

Sam 30:14

here we are eight seasons later and people still don't think you're out there alone. I find that to be very curious.

Sam Larson 30:22

I know that holy cow eight seasons, though. Yeah, that's what I that's what I look at it and say I'm like, I cannot believe this thing is still on like nothing? Like, I don't know, you

Sam 30:32

know that what you're about to say is 100% true that that it is it? But it's still allowed to be on? Yeah. Like nothing has happened. Yeah. And to think that season nine, like the ninth round of people are, you know, just barely starting their long journey. And recovery? Yes.

Sam Larson 30:53

Yeah. Probably sometime in the I mean, I bet they all got back before the holidays, or whatever. But yeah, it's it's amazing to see that it's, it's gone this long, when really, there's no conceivable reason why alone should have ever produced and aired and cast and everything like something should have shut it down. In the process, like the insurance company should have said no way. Are you going to do that? You know, the staff to film it should have been like, have no end date? Well, that's not good for, from me being employed other places, you know, how are you supposed to find 10 people to go to the woods and to tell their employers, they're gonna be gone for a while, but who knows how long? Yes, so it was sort of just this. For me, doing season one. At no point was I convinced that the show was going to work out. Even while I was in the woods, I was not convinced that it was going to turn into anything.

Sam 31:57

So you're like, out there. It's funny, I was just talking to someone else. And they'd worked on the, like the behind the scenes work on a show. And they were like, Hey, you should check this out. And the show has been kind of disappeared, or now like, I don't know, if people know that that's the thing that happens, like, you know, you can pour your heart and soul and money and time and effort into a project that a the network loves. And then when they see the end product, they can just disappear it right. But since they paid for it, or they've done whatever, like it just disappears. And so that'd be kind of a funny thing being out there, you know, getting your butt kicked. Not the didn't do great, but it's a it's a thing for sure. And sitting there thinking like Man, I sure hope this at least, I hope at least season one sees the light of day. That'd be an interesting thing to be running through while you're also trying to survive. Yeah, and

Sam Larson 32:47

the guys who made CS, one happen, really, I mean that the whole crew of people made CS one happen. It's just a it's just a miracle that actually got off the ground. Like the production crew that was there it was bare bones. We had a we had a survival consultant. We had a showrunner and we had like a, like a director, photography producer. And it was pretty much three people and our boat operators who also owned the cabins that everyone was staying in. Like it was an up for season,

Sam 33:27

the cabins are staying in before they launched we got to me.

Sam Larson 33:32

I'm sorry, I should be clear, yes, stay in cabins during the filming of the show. But before launch, the crew stays there during the launch. And then participants go there after they've you know, out of the woods, of course. But to see that, like where we were at bare bones and to then go into season five, where we've got all these safety protocols set up. We've got all these this like information packet to look through. And well here's the rules. Here's how it goes now. And and to see this massive crew that of course is not there with you in the woods, but they do the B roll footage and they filmed beforehand. They do interviews and afterwards and there's a bigger safety crew to see it all. It's like wow, season one was the Wild West. We had none of this but it was it was amazing to see what it has the come after all these years. And yeah, to see what could actually function but also to look out and to know that I really because there was no one else from season one there. Everyone else is talking about what they did on their seasons. There is no one else and so for me I was like oh my goodness. They don't know like they don't know how just crazy it was for us. Like I still when I talked to the OG pretty producers and such who were there back in the day? They they just joke around with me as well, because they're like, yeah, it was crazy. There was 100 times that the show could have gotten just completely shut down. Especially with oh, golly, with Season One with filming where we filmed, we went through like a week of additional training, because we were on like tribal grounds, they didn't want us to wreck any of the artifacts, which obviously, you know, we didn't want to either. But it was, I know, just to the concept was so out there, like no one had ever just sent people out in the woods before to, to catch whatever they can. Like, you don't you don't think about it. But the majority of the time, when you're watching a survival show, if they get an animal, it's been scripted in advance, like, they went

Sam 35:54

there, my life is ruined,

Sam Larson 35:57

the romance is gone, it's gone. But if they've got a dead animal, it was planned in advance, they knew exactly how to get it, they spoke to the DNR or whoever, and they got a fever or a deer or whatever. But alone is just like, just go out and, you know, catch fish and traps and build shelter. And you'll figure it out. Yeah, you'll figure it out. And so there was no, there was no permit for that.

Sam 36:27

One, how stressful to to be the person who's like, you know what, I've got an idea. And it's gonna cost a million dollars to get this idea started. And the entire show is going to be run by people who don't run TV shows. Can we have some money?

Sam Larson 36:46

Do they have any professional characters? Oh, no. Oh, no.

Sam 36:49

Do they know how to tell a story and to thread storyline? No,

Sam Larson 36:55

no, no.

Sam 36:57

That's interesting. Something that I've wanted to do. Is I want to talk to the person whose brainchild was this show? You know, the those that listen, obviously we don't we typically don't spend a ton of time or the whole episode talking about the show. But I would love to talk to the person who's who was like, like, who sat up in bed one night and said, You know what I want to do? I want to do a TV show where we take people to the brink of death. Yeah, and let's let's do that. I think that that is a I just wanna talk to that person. Because I think that's so fascinating. And how did that idea come about? And how did it evolve? And? And yeah, what was it like, the first time you pitched that to someone? Like, what, like what happened? Because I'm sure that room was either went really quiet really fast? Or, you know?

Sam Larson 37:51

Yeah, yeah. And it, I think, if you're interested in doing that, there's some names that we could, you know, get you and I'm sure. I mean, they're probably busy people, but everyone wants to talk about it. It was a crazy adventure. And so And even now, there's people on the on the crew that you should probably talk to, at least as much as they can talk, because they've got amazing stories, as well from just being a part of this crazy thing around.

Sam 38:21

Dang. Well, well, yeah. We'll talk afterwards. And we'll, we'll compare notes. But because I think that that is just so interesting thing I really want to know, like, you know, to your point, I mean, I didn't realize I've talked to talk to Lucas, he's episode right before you. So I was able to hear a little bit about the season one excitement. And, you know, I've talked to some people from season two. And so you know, even, you know, even going into season two, it sounds like there was, you know, because you guys when season two started, I mean, just the timeframes, right? And so even in season two, it sounds like there was still some level of, like, what is this thing, right? Like, you know, hey, we've got this show, that's like, you know, we don't really know exactly what it is, but you want to be on season two. And it's like, imagine for season one, that that was pretty, pretty wild west. And so I think if I remembering correctly for you, was it season one that you would just find out that you were going to have children? Or was it Season Five that you just I think was season one, right?

Sam Larson 39:26

Yeah, we have this running joke between casting producer and myself. Were basically every time I am pregnant, my wife, they call me and asked me to go on TV again. So the first time it was our firstborn. The second time I was on alone was my daughter had just been born like a week before I flew out. Yeah. And so I was

Sam 39:49

joking with someone I was like, Man, the I can remember who it was I was talking to but we had joked about like, really like everyone wants to know, how do I get on the show? How do I get on the show? It's like well Planet. So your wife is about, I don't know, four or five, six months pregnant on lunch day. And you'll get on the show like that. There's a long string. So how, so How long had you been home when your first child came?

Sam Larson 40:19

He was born in February, and I got home in December. So a couple months, two and a half months, something like that.

Sam 40:24

How? You know, I've asked myself this question, but it's just fascinating to me. How was that transition? One, the transition coming home? Especially I think, season one, you know, the show has gotten, I'll say better, right? And and people that are going out now, not only do we understand or do they understand, you know, better how to take care of people. But like, if you're going into season nine, like you probably know, you don't know what to expect, like, you know, yeah, it's gonna kick your butt, and it's gonna be a thing. What was that like coming home, and like transitioning back into like, reality, I guess. But then also, like, right after that, boom, you've got a child?

Sam Larson 41:06

Well, for me, it was, I think I've had a different experience than most people, because I felt very hostile towards, you know, the environment or wherever we were, on season one is very hostile towards Vancouver Island. And I thought everything was stupid, like about my spot, and I didn't really let on on TV. But I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. And I had no idea really what to do. I mean, we had virtually no training on the ground that season. It, you know, it hadn't really been thought of, necessarily. And so at that point, I was just sort of happy to be home. And I just continued my daily life and thought, wow, that was a really cool experience. Super fun. But there was no real transition that I had to go through season five was way more different. Because season five, I mean, season one, I was just out there sort of messing around. But I wanted to take it seriously enough that I wanted to last as long as I thought I could season five, I was actually like, Hey, I should probably think about, you know, doing this as you know, as long as I possibly can, and giving it as much effort as possible and trying to win. And in order to do that, I actually became more comfortable with the idea of just being out there. And so I was thankful for things, and I slowed down. And I spent long hours sitting next to fire just thinking about my life. And it was just more of a transformative experience. Season Five for me. And so when I got home, it was extremely rough. Like there's there's still issues that I'm dealing with on a daily basis. That sort of, you know, spawned from my Season Five experience, like there's still anxieties that I have, daily, that I could just trace right back to, to that experience, even with aftercare and talking to a psychologist who's very skilled at what she does, and everything like that.

Sam 43:23

That's interesting that and I'm gonna make sense, right? It makes sense that your mindset going in I mean, it sounds like and if I heard you wrong, please correct me. But it sounds like what you're saying is that for you the mindset going into the different seasons, and maybe how that mindset played into how you mentally played the game and approached the the experience had a drastically had a huge impact, basically, on the outcome of the show. Is that kind of what I'm gathering.

Sam Larson 43:55

Yeah, I mean, I would have never played made it so long if I didn't sort of buy into the experience and say, Hey, I'm here, I'm not going to squander this. I'm going to really try to learn from this place, and I'm going to appreciate I'm going to appreciate it for what it is. I actually don't think I've ever publicly said the anxiety that I'm like, dealing with from it. But it's it's a little bit funny. So like not gonna say Can we can we go there you comfortable is one? Yeah, at least that Oh, yeah. Because it is it's a little bit funny for some of it. But it is it is very personal at the same time. But so the first thing that I have a lot of anxiety about now is vehicles. So being a passenger in a vehicle and traveling terrified of going really fast in a tin can. Like I at no point do I lose concept of exactly how fast my body is going Whereas other people seems like it's just no big deal they hopped in the car, but that time to slow down, you went through you think, yeah, by not being in a vehicle for all those all that time and and then just being kind of right back into it because you can't just not go on a vehicle and get from Mongolia to Nebraska, you can't transition that. Yeah. So there's that this next one is well, then sort of a boring one. I just really value privacy right now. So like, I live in the middle of nowhere in the country. And the odds of someone coming down my driveway and like knocking on my door are very low. And if they do, it's a really nice person. But I always keep my gate closed, because I just don't I feel really vulnerable if there's not a little bit of metal between like something Yeah, and privacy. Yeah. And then the third one, this is one that, like, in my normal daily life, people get a kick out of, I'm terrified of mail.

Sam 46:00

Like the study that comes from the postman.

Sam Larson 46:03

Yeah. But terrified is not the right word. That's a, that's a poor choice of words, but I get anxiety from, from receiving mail. I'm like, we need to talk about how all these people know where I live. I don't feel comfortable with this, like, you get some junk mail or whatever. And it's just, I just don't I don't want to open that mailbox. And, you know, that's interesting. It makes me really uncomfortable. Um, but yeah, those are my quirks.

Sam 46:39

So with, uh, with the we're just trying to think of how to word this. So with with the, the gate, you know, and the mail it. I mean, it You seem like a pretty happy trusting like, you know, you come across, at least as, like your mentality is, is that things will generally be okay. And like things will generally work out as opposed to like, the opposite of like, everyone's out to get us and type of thing. And so is it, is it a, a people problem? Or is there something else you think that is kind of driving that? Or is it just like, I was alone, and I didn't see people? Like, do you know where it's coming from? Like, kind of what the trigger the dividing line is there?

Sam Larson 47:21

Yeah, I guess you're right. Like, that's generally how I would describe myself. And that's generally how everyone in my life would describe me and I love having people around and meeting new people, I thoroughly enjoy it. Part of it is, like a fear of, like government. And so it was a big deal for me coming back. And sort of being like, wow, there's a lot of people who dictate what I do with my life, who will never meet me. And I don't really, like I'm uncomfortable with that. And I would say that, like, of course, I'm, I'm sort of this like, private, libertarian type, but to the extent where you just don't want any visitors like that. That's unhealthy, you know, what I mean, it's not healthy to be terrified of these things, and, and to create Boogeyman. And we see it all the time now with all this COVID stuff coming out. And, you know, people believing things that are clearly absurd. But I think that's part of what it stems from I have, I'm Sam and I have an unhealthy fear of, of government agencies. influence that are run by perfectly pleasant people who I enjoy speaking with. That's funny.

Sam 48:43

So I will I'll drag you out of your phone underneath your rock every once in a while and we're recording so to make sure that yes, you get your your proper dose of socialization No, it's It's so interesting. You mentioned the the cars thing reminded me of when I was talking to Callie north, so season three, Callie. She like her and one of the production crew kind of car acts I think was the day after she got back to camp or got back to wherever they were. So she had just tapped and then like, the next day, she gets in a car wreck. And when she was coming, I was like, Man, I can imagine that that would like I don't know if I'd recovered from that. That would be too much of a shock.

Sam Larson 49:30

Yeah, cuz you're just you're raw, completely raw coming out of there. And so everything is amplified. You feel everything. It's like so much more like you feel people's emotions coming out. I think you feel empathy for people a little bit deeper if you're not seeing people for very long. Like I have this that I still think about now. I feel really bad for people who are exploited by Television, whether that's like the news, trying to make headlines or reality shows, or whatever, like when I see someone who's clearly in a vulnerable state, but there's money being made off of them, like my heart just really goes out to, to that person like for this goes way back, but for when I was, I just got done with Mongolia. I think it's when that big school shooting was happening in Florida, I think is the Marjorie Tedder Correct? No, that's the that's it. Congresswoman. Smart edit Mark Marjory Stoneman Douglas, I believe it was down in Florida. And I remember just not being able to even be on social media, but just being an observer of the news and what was going on, and seeing these children who were extremely well spoken. But I feared that maybe they were being paraded around to like to meet the self interest of the news media. And so especially after going through an extremely traumatizing event, like holy cow, if some shooter comes into your school, and does that. I just remember feeling like very deeply for that specific group of people. And, and just like, sort of praying that time and space time, yeah, yes, exactly. So

Sam 51:35

it's, it's interesting, you've and I, it sounds like you've got a good relationship with production and with, you know, people that you've worked with on the show. And so, you know, we can you can tell me to knock it off. But you're, you know, are obviously, growing up, you mentioned how people telling you what to do, and like kind of planning your story for you as a problem. And then, you know, you've talked about how, you know, right now the sensitivities to other people kind of being used and whatever. Was it difficult for you? Or how did you feel about letting someone else tell, you know, two of the most important stories of your life? Is that something that has that sat well with you and that you were able to, you know, are you happy with that? I guess, maybe not even saying like you portrayed you, but just what was that? Like? Because it sounds like that might have been a conflict for you.

Sam Larson 52:27

Yeah, and, I mean, you're right, like, I have really good relationships with everyone I've worked with. And I think it's just because I appreciate what they've put into the show. I handled my first season a lot worse than my fifth season. Because fifth season, I went into it with basically just no expectations at all. The thing we tell people who are, like they get through their season, and it's about to air, and they're, they're fresh, and they're they've got all these expectations of like, I did these four really cool things. And I'd like them all to be on there. And we we sort of tell them, like, Hey, you're probably not gonna see any of those, you might see one or two. But the perspective of the person watching it has to be, you know, significant, like they after thing gets a significant moment, not just you, in your heart. So I would think I do think the show would benefit from taking every participant afterwards and saying, Okay, what are your top three or four experiences, but what happens to you? Because it's, it never happens. I will say this. The idea that, like the gist I get from people who've watched the show. What they tell me about my experience, is generally similar to what I experienced, but watching the show, for me, I never get that. So it seems like to me, the producers are telling a good story. And they're usually telling the correct story. But I've never felt like it's actually my story that's being told. And I think a lot of that I just have to sort of let go of and say Sam's story lives up in his head. And yeah, also in their defense, I will say this. People always talk about the cool things that didn't air. They never talk about the horrible, embarrassing, stupid things that you do that didn't air because the well since you were there, Sam,

Sam 54:44

I've got a question for you, pal.

Sam Larson 54:46

Yeah, what was that? Sam? What do you want me to answer for you?

Sam 54:50

You know, I just I have this really original question of the really crappy, terrible things that happened to you that didn't make the show.

Sam Larson 55:00

Well, since you asked, it's especially it's especially for season one. And I don't know if I made this unusable or if they were just like, Yeah, we don't have enough time. But I was trying to make a boat to fish in the waters, like a little bit deeper. She's one. And I was sort of scrapping all this stuff from the shore, like shore debris and things like that. And I think it was a total of like three and a half weeks that I put into this, this boat, but I was, I mean, looking back on it, I kind of just strapped some Styrofoam together and gone out there. We had so much of that on the shore, but I did I was being you know, foolish. But I made this horrible boat, and I just sunk, like to the bottom of the ocean. So like to though, but like, here's the dumbest thing I think I've ever done. And they they kept it a complete secret for me these gems, who have our footage. But I know what happened

Sam 56:09

in my heart money. So what you're what you're saying is, is that as opposed to being the big bad wolf. They're actually looking out for you guys. And you just laugh that's fine in that. Yeah.

Sam Larson 56:23

I'll just laugh.

Sam 56:25

Yes. Just laugh It's okay. That's funny that you're that you're your boat sunk any other. Just comical things that that happened that you're like, Man, I'd like to be able to show that to posterity.

Sam Larson 56:38

Kelly. I mean, if I thought for a while, I'm 100% sure I could think of something. They do usually jump right on those like, moments of stupidity. Yeah. So they do a really good job of using that resource. You know, stupid moments from alone participants. Oh, I guess there's one from Season Five that never aired. But it would have kind of been a cool story arc had it had a, you know, been made into it? Well, first of all, going back to the boat, I think the reason it wasn't aired is because I didn't let it affect me mentally at that point. So it sank to the bottom and I just cracked up laughing. I was like, that was so dumb. Like, how stupid is gonna have to beat it to do that. And maybe my reaction to this, in season five, also affected whether it got used or not. Or maybe they just missed it. But I was carving a spoon. And I cut myself like once every five years with a knife, and I use a knife almost every day. But I was just cutting along and my knife slipped and it just went straight into my hand. And I could actually like I've never done this before, but I could it was I was going so hard on it. And just with a multi tool knife, so not a good night. And I felt that bounce off of the bone. Oh, my pinky. Yeah, so it was like, and I just looked down, and it was just super gory. And I could actually, like, peel open the flesh and sort of see, Sam, you know, on the inside. Yeah. Actually, there's a whole section of my TED talk that I did last couple of years ago or something like that, where I've talked about this experience and how it sort of formed my perspective on the outdoors. But it took at least I won't say it took three weeks for that to fully heal. And it was almost like it was almost to the point where they would have pulled me for it. Because I wrapped the whole thing up i splintered it, I couldn't use that hand for you know, like at least a couple of weeks when you're splitting all your own firewood. It's kind of difficult to to do that with one hand. But yeah, like hit it during the med checks and things like that. But I'm still filming it like oh, look, you know, it looks a little better today or whatever. Yeah, I'm actually for one time this doctor in Mongolia, we had you know, English speaking doctors, like they kind of speak English, but not really. And he is interviewing me. You know, for context, like you have been saying, when you do a med check, it is very brief. It is not very often it's like once every 10 days or so, if not more, but this doctor looks at my hand and he goes, can you take like take your bandage off I want to look at the wound. And I said no. And the reason I gave though which was a true reason was I said no because I don't know if they're gonna give me any more bandage and my first aid kit, which was true, they probably I don't know if they would or not, but I said No, I don't know how much more bandwidth I have left. And and then the, the doctor goes back over and I actually see the producer, look at the doctor. And he's like, did he let you look at his hand? And the doctor says, yes. Oh, and I think what he heard the minister say, I know, I think what he heard the producers say was, did you ask him about his hand or something like that? Because he wouldn't have lied to him. But I did. The survival consultant, Dave holder, I did see he he sort of has this little pad of paper that he writes everything down on, like, he's always jotting down, no notes. He just looks at me. Does he knows what's going on. And he like, writes down a notebook. Like Sam has a hand injury that he doesn't want people to see. Dated, or whatever. Yeah,

Sam 1:00:52

that's funny. Have you you should I mean, you should track that doctor down and send him like a fruit basket.

Sam Larson 1:01:00

I should deserve whatever, you know, whatever he wants. So yeah, the Hmong or something like that.

Sam 1:01:06

That's hilarious. What a champ. I mean, intentional, unintentional. The story is fantastic. Either way. That's, that's funny. That is, that's funny. Well, we can, we're starting to run long here. So we'll transition and get you back to your family. But want to circle back to your teaching and your school and all of that. iceberg. Do that. Is there anything else that you want to mention or anything you want to continue on in that last thread we were on before we move on?

Sam Larson 1:01:36

Not really, I mean, but as an overall theme, just for me, I just appreciate what the show's become. And I appreciate all the people who have participated in it. I guess we've talked more about the crew, which like, don't get me wrong, they deserve a ton of respect. Like there's, there's no better crew for this type of show than what we have on alone. Not now that I can think of at least, but the participants who do this are just extremely special. And when I hear people talk about like, what seasons, they enjoy. It's just amazing to hear the stories of the people from alone, told through the fans, and like what stuck out to them and how they how it's affected their lives. And at the same time, it's amazing for me to be able to have relationships with other people from the show. Because you can just jump right into a conversation with these people. And have something really, really strong. in common. I don't know what kind of tangents I could go on here. But there's also times when you meet people like before they're on, and then you meet them afterwards. Like I have this really crazy story about meeting Callie from season seven. Before she was like a few months before she was on just randomly. But anyway, it goes back to

Sam 1:03:12

was it random? Or was she stalking you like I need to meet the SAM guy get some tips, bump into the grocery store.

Sam Larson 1:03:18

It's about as random as you can get. So well. It's not random that we were actually at a primitive skills gathering in in eastern Idaho called rabbit stick. And we were all kind of killing time she was working on a project somewhere. I was working on a project somewhere, we're both waiting to like to use something. And so we're sitting around in a circle, and we start talking to like various folks. And then we all decided there's like an atlatl range, which is like spear throwing. And we're like, why don't we just go up there and throw some, you know, throw some atlatl Yeah, so we all go up there. And we're just throwing, you know, throwing darts, and we're all terrible at it. And in the guy who's running the range comes up to me, and it's like, hey, you know, asked me something about alone. And so one of the guys in our group was like, You didn't tell us you're on TV? And I said, Well, yeah, it's generally it's a good thing to not just announce that you're on TV anyway. And then after that, we're like going back to our spots to finish up our projects. And Callie comes up to me and she's like, Hey, they've been trying to get me to try out for that show. Like, do you have any advice? Like should I do it? Are they gonna try to change my lifestyle? And so there was we kind of launched into a series of questions and I had actually already heard of who Callie was from Larry Roberts. Who said she just this awesome gal out in the mountains of you know, Montana 200 thing so it was like to go from just meeting Callie and hanging out with her and talking to her a few times on the phone and such to like watching how amazing she did on Season Seven I know it's one of the most special things I've ever experienced. Just seeing all these, these people, so

Sam 1:05:10

that's cool. Does it bring back like good stuff for you to see people having that experience in that transition? Like, what does it feel like? I guess inside of you like, what does it do for you? If anything? Yeah,

Sam Larson 1:05:23

well, I guess I was. So like, I had such low self esteem. Early on, I think some of us felt going into season one, by some of us that mean me that, you know, you wanted to look good on TV, you wanted to be memorable, you want to make your mark, you wanted to be identified as a guy who did good on TV, who is very impressive, who is, you know, a prominent figure in the survival world. And with all these seasons, sort of coming through now, if, you know, I don't know. Like, what 80 People have done it now. Something like that, sort of be able to separate from that from this, like, ego driven thing that was a part of table a set, like, just get that out of there and be able to say, like, wow, I really appreciated watching what you did on the show, and I think it just is representative of, you know, everyone, I think, like the cast of seasons, well, gosh, I can't even name one of them. Because I just appreciate every single season, the stories that are told, and that the people who just put themselves out there to participate in this thing. So yeah, I think that as a whole, you know, seeing people's experiences saying that this is about us as a collective, rather than it was always all about me, has been really healthy, and has helped me make some of the best relationships I've ever had.

Sam 1:07:03

That's cool. It's kind of like, you know, if you've got friends and family or others who, you know, do certain types of jobs, maybe law enforcement or military, right, there's just a different level of understanding that, you know, that I will never have. And, you know, that's, that's, that's really neat and special. I'm glad that that you are able to connect, and to keep and maintain those relationships and friendships, because it's probably very important to have other people that you can just be like, you just look at me like, huh, right. And everyone understands. That's got to be a very healthy thing.

Sam Larson 1:07:40

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's, it's some of the most healthy conversations that have ever had in my life or with other participants, because they can immediately jump on with you and discuss things like I talked to the, as soon as we're allowed to talk to people. I was on the phone with, with Megan from season three. Yeah. And you know, she was helping me process what was going on? And just, I mean, I couldn't even list I see people on social media, but like, what are your who is your favorite alone participant? And I'm like, Can I get a top? Third ad? I said, like, it's hard. Yeah. Because, and people don't realize how, how amazing these people are. And yeah, just it's just a privilege to like, be a part of it.

Sam 1:08:27

Cool. That's awesome. Well, thank you for sharing that. And, and so we'll go to your your teaching, obviously, you said that COVID You know, obviously took its toll. And so are things picking back up for you guys getting back in the swing? Or what does that look like for you right now?

Sam Larson 1:08:44

Yeah, I've actually seen somewhat of an increase in, like demand for survival training since the pandemic started. Yeah. So but it's, you know, connecting the dots and to who actually wants to come out and do training and such. So, yeah. And there's also there's a lot of things that I do outside of the survival space. You know, from being a dad, which is, for us, there's, there's a little bit more that our family does, together that sort of goes outside of just I guess I'm saying this in the weirdest way possible. So as not to share personal information, but they're being a dad is sort of an extended parts of my life. And then I would also say that my wife has a business that she runs, which, you know, I'm really happy that she does that. But like, that takes a little bit extra demand to so. Like I I say I'm really busy and I'm really bad at getting back to people which you of course know because you tried to give me This bypass it's not because people who are survival instructors and we're on a reality television so once are just like so popular it just because I'm I'm that's just my life I'm just living my life I should probably answer your actual question at some point your great day so yeah I want to launch back into more my survival training in 2022 I've got a launch of digital courses because a lot of folks from alone are all over the place like fans from alone are all over the place and they want to know they want to know like how would Sam do this? Like as a real instruction not him like on this show in the woods with Russ snippet is shown like what how does Sam say you should use an axe? How to Sam say you should carve and not cut your finger off? Like he said you're gonna do a boat building course. How to Sam from Nebraska? Build a boat, you know the boat and see where the vessel? Yes, by the way, Nebraska, the only state or province that is separated by three other states or provinces from the ocean. Were in a category all around we are so far from water just freaks me out. So yeah, bat boats, but the I am somewhat sufficient in teaching other survival skills I should be at this point. I've been doing it since I was like, no, yeah. late, late teens or so. But I'm going to get digital courses up and going. I hope to start a YouTube channel and then getting in person courses and even launching into a couple of multistate courses in 2022. So I'm really looking forward to the new year for sure.

Sam 1:11:49

Cool. Where can people find all those? I'll link them in the show notes and everything. But if people want to find you and you know, get more information on any of that stuff, where can they follow to make sure they get those notifications and stuff?

Sam Larson 1:12:02

Yeah. It's good to find me on social media. Anything I'll do will be filtered through that on social media platforms but also at Sam explores.com.

Sam 1:12:16

Okay, so Sam explores calm and then I think your public facing page on on Facebook is Sam Larsen alone, is that right?

Sam Larson 1:12:23

Sam Larson dash alone. And then everything else is actually Sam explores So Twitter, Sam explores Instagram at Sam explores. Tick tock. Not at Sam explores survival, Sam. And there's zero content on there because I don't I don't know how it works.

Sam 1:12:45

Apparently, you and this is great in the survival space and we can start a thing here. Apparently you start dangerous and deadly challenges and then tell people to do them is what you do on tick tock. And so that sounds like a fun thing to do in the let's play with knives and axes game. So

Sam Larson 1:13:02

yes. I mean, no, I mean, you should be safe. Sam rose for the record this being recorded. Sam Rose says you should be careless. No, no, I'm

Sam 1:13:13

Larson says no. And he didn't say that. Sorry. I was just we were we were laughing at something yesterday where I'm not laughing. But it's just amazing. The the ridiculous things that kids come up with like, hey, you know, they see things on tick tock, and then they go stick pennies and light sockets and stuff, right? Yeah, if you extend that to the survival space. So I'll get you linked and all those places down below will will not link the Tiktok since there's nothing there. But unless you're planning on

Sam Larson 1:13:39

it. Not reliable, reliable, we'll put it out there. Don't go to tick tock. We'll put it out

Sam 1:13:47

there. So you mentioned that you're you know, obviously and there's a lot again, this episode of we've spoken more about the survival thing than we typically do. So you did mention that there's obviously a lot more to you than the survival piece. And so is there any of that that you can share that you're comfortable able to share? Just kind of who who Sam is aside from all of that? Oh, your dad obviously you're a husband? Yeah,

Sam Larson 1:14:10

yeah, there's, there's some stuff I can share. Now. There's other stuff that I will definitely share later in 2022, but can't right now. But, um, I guess I'm very involved in, in our local church, so do a lot with that. I help lead a like a small group at the church. And I'm also on track to like do like a an eldership type program, you could call it and so reading a lot of books, discussing doing my best to like serve our community and things like that. So that's a big part of our life as well.

Sam 1:14:57

And in here writing right sounds like you Do a lot of writing, what space does that fill?

Sam Larson 1:15:03

Well, I'm certainly in the category of like guys who love to read just like love it. And it just doesn't always, always happen. But I absolutely love writing. That's it's how I communicate best I think. And I absolutely love reading books. So I hope to be writing more. Really all over the place, but alone. You know, maybe a little bit of current event, faith based, you know, being a father, things like that. But definitely including outdoor education as well.

Sam 1:15:44

Awesome. Well, Sam, as we as we wrap up, I just want to say thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and visit and take time out of your very busy schedule away from your family. You know, the thing that's most important in your life, certainly, in a lot of people's lives. So thank you so much for doing that. As we close out. Is there any last words you want to share with anybody any last thing you want to say kind of your last? Your your most important piece of advice? Anyone ever?

Sam Larson 1:16:14

Here's the most important thing I have to say. Earlier, you were talking about, like, you know, from this conversation, maybe you won't think we're friends. But Sam, we are friends now. Okay? Don't think we're not friends.

Sam 1:16:31

Alright, so that I can lead with that important thing I have to say. So Sam, Sam Larson leads new new conversations new people by saying I'm Sam Larson from the History Channel's alone show. And I will now lead my introductions to say, I am Sam rose, and I am friends with Sam Larsen, who was on the loan show on History Channel. So there we go. We've gotten that squared away.

Sam Larson 1:16:53

You and my mom and dad. Both start conversations that way now. That's great.

Sam 1:17:00

That's awesome. That is That is such a parent thing. Well, Sam, thank you so much again for your time and thank you for sharing your story a little bit about your life and and I guess expanding on what people know and understand to be the show alone. So thank you so much for that and we'll let you get back to your family.

Sam Larson 1:17:21

Thank you, Sam. Have a good one.

Sam 1:17:23

All right. Hey, you as well.