Four separate groups of regular people are dropped into the wilds of Alaska, and their first task of survival is to find their shelters. Dennis and his daughters meet a bear almost immediately, Greg and Bernice are tested by trying to climb a huge glacier, Jeff and Elizabeth kayak through a dangerous ice field and come face to face with another large bear, and Tim, Allan, and Jasmine find themselves completely lost after just a few hours.
Greg goes hunting for mountain goats, in spite of never having shot a gun before. Dennis and his girls go fishing for salmon, and discover this is no easy task. Jeff and Elizabeth look for alternative sources of food, and Tim, Allan, and Jasmine attempt to prepare for the sub-zero temperatures that are just around the corner.
Carolyn goes hunting for moose in order to get a good supply of meat for the cold weather. Paul gives the Flower Lake trio some useful advice, and their diet changes dramatically. Jeff and Elizabeth continue to struggle to find an acceptable food source, and stress begins to break them down.
Winter falls upon Alaska, and the four groups are pushed to their limits to collect enough food, water and firewood to survive. Several groups go hunting, Tim into the mountains for goat, and Jeff and Elizabeth search for moose on Icy Bay, but neither hunting party has any experienced hunters in their groups.
Tim, Allan and Jasmine learn that hiking from Flower Lake to Hawkins Glacier is no walk in the park. They estimate their journey will take three days as the crow flies, but they have some major obstacles in their way: blizzards, ice shelves, rivers, and the toll taken by their bodies from dehydration. Greg and Bernice have some problems as well at Hawkins Glacier, and Jeff and Elizabeth take a trip of their own to find the mouth of Icy Bay.
Tim, Allan and Jasmine finally make it to Hawkins Glacier, but Greg and Bernice tell their visitors that they don't have enough food to share with them, forcing the threesome to make a critical decision- stay at the Glacier and fend for themselves, or return to Flower Lake. At Icy Bay, Jeff and Elizabeth weigh their options when a family crisis hits back home, and the Wise family come together when Dennis reveals a health issue of his own.
It's time for the four groups to return to civilization, but first they have to hike to the the rescue plane, battling dehydration and cold along the way. Once back, they go through some unexpected culture shock when they get back to the bright, electric lights of home.
After returning from Alaska, the four groups have a reunion, hosted by Les Stroud.
The experiment begins when nine ordinary people are abandoned off in Central Alaska with only a few essential supplies and a goal to make it back to civilization. Alaska wastes no time testing their wilderness experience and severe hunger sets in.
Alaska has claimed one victim but the group must press on. On the second leg of the journey, the team is faced with many challenges including a desperate search for food, a brutal snowstorm and a grizzly bear sighting.
Starving and weak, the remaining six team members fight for survival by hunting the second largest rodent in North America.
The group takes shelter from the frigid weather under the wing of a dilapidated crashed airplane. The team is starving and finding food is their main priority as one team member is on the verge of collapsing.
The long days of constant physical labor, freezing temperatures, and lack of food in Alaska has wreaked havoc on the team. Now, with some outside help, they're on the hunt for bear.
Alaska continues to challenge the group in ways they never dreamed possible and they are shedding pounds at an alarming rate. After failing in their first attempts at bear hunting they remain determined to go back out and get the big catch.
The frigid winter temperatures and lack of food are eroding the group's will to survive and Carolyn is slipping nearer to depression. Trish takes matters into her own hands as she goes on a hunting spree to help feed her starving team.
After battling Alaska for nearly a month, the group is desperate. The snow has fallen, temperatures have plummeted, and they are out of food. The search for signs of civilization has grown ever more important if they want to make it out of the wild.
Nine people are dropped in Venezuela’s vast wilderness with one goal: find civilization. After sleeping on Mt. Roraima, they trek into the jungle where they battle hunger, fatigue and weather. By day three, hypothermia could force the first to leave.
The group grows desperate when they find themselves lost in the jungle at night with no water. Michael proves his worth by tracking a deadly South American snake. While hunting, Brad and Sam are attacked by the very animal they're trying to trap.
The harsh reality of the Venezuelan backcountry forces the first person to quit. The team gets to their new camp but they find themselves without shelter when a severe storm rolls in. Nick and Michael make a meal out of termites.
The group takes shelter in a Pemon Indian hut and Brad goes hunting with handmade arrows. Sam and Michael still can't see eye to eye and the group isn't happy. The journey may come to an end for two more people.
Six people remain on the journey. The hungry team catches a break and hauls in their biggest catch yet but it's not enough to keep another person from quitting. Also, Sam reveals an embarrassing medical issue to the rest of the group.
Five people remain on the quest to make it out of the wild. Nick and Brad become stranded by a flash flood. Ryan contemplates pushing the button and Brad gets a message from home.
The remaining group struggles to build a raft sturdy enough to carry them down river. They celebrate their largest kill and biggest meal of the journey. But the joy is short lived and emotions run high as the desperate search for food continues.
Life on the river proves more difficult than anyone imagined. The physical exertion and lack of food causes one member to collapse. The rest of the team must rally as they desperately search for any sign of civilization.
