Outside Online
advertisement
  • Home
  • Travel
  • Gear
  • Bodywork
  • Culture
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Photos
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
Subscribe to Outside Magazine


You Are Here:   Home  >>   You Go, Crusoe!

Survival Guru

Today's Question
What is the best way to get water if I'm lost in the desert? answer

What's the most reliable tool for starting fires? answer

Greasy Rider

Today's Question
What one equipment change can I make in my home to reduce my water usage most? answer

Why do you drive a grease-powered car, and should I do it too? answer

Videos
  • Jack Johnson Cover Shoot
  • Grand Canyon: 3D IMAX
  • Climbing El Capitan
  • Castaway:
  • Episode 1: The Arrival
  • Episode 2: The Quest for Fire
  • Episode 3: Mmm...Slime Nuggets
  • Episode 4: "Last Night, a Crab Tried to Eat Me."
Ask Dave
  • What kind of dog will make me look manlier? answer
  • Is there a sport that safely combines my twin passions for guns and kayaks? answer
  • How come most of the world's cultures enjoy eating goat, but Americans don't? answer

Online Favorites

  • "Into Thin Air"
  • Best Adventure Books
  • The O Files: Unsolved Mysteries
  • Dream Towns
  • Dream Jobs

Special Issues

  • Family Road Trips
  • Interactive Colorado
  • Literary All-Stars
  • Adventure Lodges
  • Oceanic Endeavors
  • Adventure Goddesses

Photo Galleries

  • Malia Jones
  • Amanda Beard
  • Julia Mancuso
  • Women Who Rock
  • Kelly Slater
  • Olympic Cities
  • Exposure: Sara Carlson
  • See All Galleries
share this article del.icio.us DIGG Facebook StumbleUpon

Outside Online

Online Exclusive
You Go, Crusoe!
For the July 2007 feature story "Me. By Myself. For a Long Time. (Very Long.)" now on newsstands, we sent Thayer Walker to the uninhabited island of Isla Pargo with little more than a dive mask, a knife, and the clothes on his back. Here, see video diary segments from his time on the island, a gallery of his photos, and hear a podcast interview with the man himself.

castaway Thayer Walker
Thayer Walker

Video Special: Marooned with Thayer Walker
In his 20 days on the Panamanian island of Isla Pargo, Walker had to find his own food, build his own shelter and battle the elements. Watch 11 video diary segments filmed by the castaway. [*Warning: Some of these episodes contain explicit language. Please be advised.]

Episode 1: The Arrival
Walker arrives on the Panamanian island of Isla Pargo to see just how long he can survive. His friends and family discuss their expectations for how long (not long) he'll last, and he makes a break for shore.
Watch Video

Episode 2: The Quest for Fire
After three hours on Isla Pargo, Walker makes camp and attempts to build a fire with a shoelace and wooden bow. Trust him, it isn't as easy as you'd think.
Watch Video

Episode 3: Mmm...Slime Nuggets
Walker finds his first steady stream of sustenance—raw mollusks that live in the intertidal zone, which he fondly dubs slime nuggets, and coconuts. Still, fire eludes him.
Watch Video

Episode 4: "Last Night, a Crab Tried to Eat Me."
Bamboo beds may sounds nice on paper but not on Isla Pargo. Walker battles sand ants and crabs, all looking for a piece of him, as he struggles for a full night of sleep.
Watch Video

Episode 5: The Virtues of the Coconut
Every action on the island takes something out of Walker. He demonstrates what it takes to work his way through one dish that's keeping him alive—the tough as nails coconut.
Watch Video

Episode 6: The Quest for Fire: Part II
"I will never again use the same nonchalance when I ask someone for a light." It's day six on the island and Walker is struggling with loneliness and frustration, and he's been humbled by his inability to make fire. He tries to stay positive and demonstrates the bow and drill technique he's been using.
Watch Video

Episode 7: Operation Bait and Bash
To catch a fish in the tidal pools of Isla Pargo, Walker utilizes his patented "bait and bash" approach. As he describes it, "basically, it entails me putting bait in this tide pool, waiting for the fish to approach, and then bashing it with a rock." See just how successful he is. Also, he waxes nostalgic on the attributes of the turkey sandwich and shows off his self-woven fishing net.
Watch Video

Episode 8: The Sugar Factory
At low tide, Walker makes his way around the island of Isla Pargo to a beautiful white sand beach and discovers a sweet change in his diet, and a future addiction—a crop of sugar cane.
Watch Video

Episode 9: Dissecting the Slime Nuggets
"Just like mom used to make." Walker offers blow-by-blow instruction on dissecting and preparing slime nugget (or limpets), the mollusk keeping him alive.
Watch Video

Episode 10: "I've got a problem. I'm addicted. To Sugar!"
"I'm not sure how many of these days I have left in me." It's day 17 and Walker needs his sugar high. He makes a trip to the Sugar Factory (a patch of cane) and talks about how he missed his opportunity to grab an iguana for dinner.
Watch Video

Episode 11: Leaving Isla Pargo
After 19 days, Thayer Walker prepares to leave the island. He discusses his failures and accomplishments and celebrates as he welcomes the arrival of his rescue.
Watch Video

Podcast: Q&A with Thayer Walker
Slime nuggets, sugar cane, and coconuts. That's pretty much all Walker had to live off of on the Panamanian island of Isla Pargo. He talks to Anthony Cerretani about the assignment, and why he needed bug spray more than just about anything else.
Listen to Podcast version

Gallery: Isla Pargo
See how Walker spent his time on the island in his photo gallery.
View Gallery




• Subscribe to Outside and get a FREE Gift!

• Give the gift of Outside Magazine!

• Subscribe to Outside Online's free weekly e-mail newsletter featuring gear reviews, fitness advice, galleries, podcasts, and more.
BlogVideosPodcastsPhotos
TODAY'S NEWS UPDATE!
Just wait 'til the food rankings
You may have seen the recent findings of the American Public Health Association and the Partnership ...

The Gear Junkie Scoop: Sugoi Majik ...
By Stephen Regenold Sugoi calls its new Majik shell "an elite waterproof jacket that offers ...

More Blogs:
  • South Pole Quest: A Taste of What's to ...
  • Update from U.N. Climate Talks in ...
  • Material Girl: Gift Guide, Part One
  • Featured Blog: Green Issues
  • Blog Home
The Peacemaker
Greg Mortenson works to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Greg Mortenson video Watch

winter gear video
Winter Gear
winter filming video
Winter Film
ROM video
The ROM

More Videos:
  • Russell Coutts
  • Gym Jones
  • Dean Potter
  • Photo Guide
  • See all Videos
Gone Missing
The crew of the Travel Channel's newest show talks about filming in Papua.
Gone Missing podcast Listen

Mike Rowe Speaks
Mike Rowe talks about his long strange trip to TV's dirtiest dream job.
Mike Rowe podcast Listen

More Podcasts:
  • Q&A: Climbing El Capitan
  • Q&A: Maggie Anthony On Son Eric Volz
  • Q&A: Photographer Danny Clinch
  • Q&A: "Coca Is It!" Author Joshua Hammer
  • See all Podcasts
Malia Jones photo gallery
Malia Jones
pirate photo gallery
Pirates
Rwanda photo gallery
Rwanda

readers  photo gallery
Readers
Julia Mancuso photo gallery
Julia Mancuso
Amanda Beard photo gallery
A. Beard

More Photos:
  • Cousteaus
  • Cuba
  • Rally Car
  • Submit Your Own Photo
  • See all Photos

advertisement




Subscribe to Outside Magazine!

advertisement
Crocs Inspiring Soles

special featrues

Gear Spotlight: Adventure Electronics
Our esteemed Gear Guy hones in the FAQs of the digital world in this exclusive archive.
The Green Issue
Earth Day may fall in April, but global awareness should be a 365-day concern. Let us help you stay focused.





Vacation Packages

More Travel Deals
  • Save 50% on packages to thousands of destinations
  • Thanksgiving flights from $166
  • Last Minute Deals for travel this weekend or next
  • Ski destinations packages from $181
Sign up for our Travel Deals Newsletter


More From Outside Online

Outside August 2008

  • Best Towns
  • Jeff Lowe
  • Burma Cyclone
  • Triathlon Training

Special Issues

  • 2008 Summer Buyer's Guide
  • 2008 Winter Buyer's Guide
  • Outside Blog
  • Unsolved Mysteries

Outside July 2008

  • Andy Roddick
  • Fitness Special
  • Summer Road Trips
  • Canadian Adventures

Online Exclusives

  • Spooky Spots and Terrible Tales
  • Literary All-Stars
  • Oceanic Endeavors
  • Adventure Goddesses

Outside June 2008

  • Malia Jones
  • Weekend Escapes
  • Satellite Radio
  • Joe Papp

Online Favorites

  • Outside Gear Blog
  • Gear Guy
  • Fitness Q&A
  • Adventure Adviser

Outside May 2008

  • Anderson Cooper
  • Best Jobs 2008
  • Surf Genius
  • Russell Brice

Outside Classics

  • Into Thin Air
  • The Whale Hunters
  • Raising the Dead
  • The Long Way Home


Vacation Ideas from The Away Network

Outside's Best Towns 2008

  • Crested Butte, CO
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Portsmouth, NH
  • Washington, DC
  • Rest of the Best

Gay-Friendly Vacation Guides

  • Asia
  • Europe
  • South America
  • United States
  • All Vacation Destinations

Best Fall Foliage

  • Black Hills National Forest
  • Glacier National Park
  • Great Smoky Mountains
  • Monongahela National Forest
  • Shenandoah National Park

Trip-Planning Tools

  • Cheap Flights 101
  • Cheap Hotels 101
  • Compare Rates
  • Travel Insurance Tips
  • Vacation Rentals Index

Top Scenic Drives

  • California's Deserts
  • Mountain Tours
  • Upstate New York
  • Weekend Road Trips
  • See All Drives

GORP's Fall Outdoor Guides

  • Where to Camp
  • Where to Fish
  • Where to Hike
  • Where to Mountain Bike
  • All Fall Guides

GORPTravel Trips

  • Active Resorts
  • Horses & Riding
  • Nature Observation
  • Culinary Tours
  • Volunteer Vacations

Fall Travel Guides

  • Active Travel
  • Cultural Travel
  • Outdoor Travel
  • Romantic Travel
  • All Monthly Travel Guides



  • Home |
  • Travel |
  • Gear |
  • Bodywork |
  • Culture |
  • Videos |
  • Podcasts |
  • Photos |
  • Archives |
  • Feedback |
  • RSS Feeds |
  • Subscribe to Outside Magazine |
  • Join/Login




  • About Outside |
  • Advertise |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Subscription Services |
  • Sponsorship Policy |
  • Outside Info |
  • Site Map |
  • Press Room

  • Outside Magazine Media Kit |
  • Photo Department |
  • Privacy Policy |
  • Contact Us |
  • Contributor's Guidelines

Partner Sites:
  • Away.com |
  • GORP.com |
  • Orbitz |
  • Cheaptickets |
  • ebookers |
  • HotelClub.com |
  • RatesToGo.com |
  • asia-hotels.com |
  • Outside's Go


©1994-2008 Mariah Media Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of material from any pages without written permission is strictly prohibited.