In the new episode of 7 vs. Wild, the candidates deliberately break a rule that was specifically designed for this season, putting themselves in great danger. However, the production also played a role.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Season 5 Episodes 1 and 2 of 7 vs. Wild.
What rule was broken? In 7 vs. Wild Season 5, specific rules were established that only apply to this season. They are intended for the safety of the participants, as the Amazon rainforest poses many more dangers than the previous filming locations.
One of these rules states that there must always be a fire burning at night to protect the candidates from wild animals. Snakes, spiders, and other dangerous animals can be deterred by the fire. Mosquitoes are also driven away by the smoke.
However, the candidates spend the first night without a fire and thereby break the most important rule of the season at the very first opportunity, though they are not solely to blame.
Former contestant Knossi knows fire well:
Too little time
Why aren’t the candidates making a fire? The candidates of 7 vs. Wild have reached their first camp in Episode 2. There, their guide Chico, who had already caused trouble in the first episode, left them. However, the candidates have little time remaining. There are only about 1.5 hours left until sunset.
While the candidates do their best in the division of labor to make the camp livable, the search for firewood proves to be particularly problematic. It had been raining during the drop-off, and the high humidity of over 80% makes most of the wood unusable.
This led to the fact that despite great efforts, no campfire could be successfully kindled at first. The participants sacrificed a bottle of hand sanitizer as an accelerant, which at least promised short-term success.
After much work, the group managed to get a fire going, but due to the darkness, the supply of firewood was too low. Thus, the participants decided to spend the first night without a fire.
Why was there so little time? The candidates of 7 vs. Wild had a long journey to their drop-off location. The three-hour hike through the rainforest with guide Chico also left some participants struggling. Thus, the candidates had little energy and time for building the camp, which was likely intended by the production.
Since Season 1, it has been part of the concept of 7 vs. Wild to challenge the candidates right at their drop-off. In past seasons, participants have been allowed to swim to the drop-off point or jump from a helicopter. However, in this case, the measure seems to have been set too high. Even the professionals David Leichtle and Joe Vogel were under pressure.
Even if the production is of course concerned about the safety of the participants and has accordingly established the rules, they should have allowed the candidates more time to ensure the construction of a safe camp. However, the group consciously decided against the safety rule.
It remains unclear whether everything went as planned during the drop-off or if there were problems that caused the candidates to arrive late at their destination. This might be explained in an episode of the show’s “Behind the Scenes” format. In the previous season, there was already a major argument in Episode 2: Not even 24 hours after the drop-off in 7 vs. Wild, the group is already on the verge of splitting
