Anybody else watch this. I try to watch it every year. It comes on in April. It is one of my life long goals to Complete the Eco Challenge.

If you don't know what it is, I'll explain it. A team of 5 or so has a few days, 3-6 I think, to travel over 300 miles without using any motorized form of transportation. If they use a canoe, then they have to carry the canoe to the next outpost where they can drop it off. They have to climb mountains, cross lakes, hike through deserts, and swim through freezing water. It is so intense. People have gotten seriously injured doing it. I think some people have actually died trying.

I've only heard a little bit about this. I'm surprised I hadn't heard of it earlier - it sounds like a cool show. It's the braindchild of Mark Burnett, the guy behind Survivor.

I'll be on your team. : ) What get's most people is their feet get all chopped up and blistered. Some tips, no old people on the team or wusses. If someone dies just leave 'em. Make a rule that if anyone gets sick the rest of the team gets to stone them to death. :) Canibalism is ok. Don't put the dork in charge of the map. Learn how to use a compass before you start. If someone gets swept away downstream let them go instead of wasting hours trying to save them. If they make it back to camp later, kill them. If your team is going slow, make wild wolf noises to make them run faster. If you see any wild animals eat them. Take a rifle with you to slow other teams down. :)

awwww dang i was hoping to be on your team ;-) lol j/k

-Brian

I saw this one Eco-challenge with an old lady in it. I guess she was trying to make a point that old ladies still got it or something. She crapped out partway and her team had to forfeit. They all looked sad but didn't want to put the blame on her for losing. I could have told you that was going to happen. The Eco-challenge is hard. If the Navy Seals can't win it who can? I watch it evertime it comes on. :)

Just saw a commercial for it, its gonna be on USA this year.

Whoa--I just saw the Eco Challenge this morning. A friend taped it for me last night. They're showing it for 4 nights in a row. There's a Playboy Bunny Team. And leeches! Lots of 'em--standing up on one end--like they're saying hello! It also looks different somehow. Eco Challenge seems to be more formatted like Survivor. There's more "FEELINGS" and "PERSONAL ISSUES." (I dunno if I like that. There should be more focus on more teams. Not just the Australians and Americans.) Borneo's a hoot! And I can't believe some of these teams don't even know how to read maps! I mean--swimming out to sea for 5 hours. What are these guys thinking of? What--they don't even look up to see where they're going?

I've seen some of that Borneo EcoChallenge on tape already; it is much much worse than Patagonia last year. I've been to Borneo on assignment, and it is 120% HUMIDITY. You are always sweaty and your feet are wet all the time. They don't show it on the telly but the leeches literally jump at you like vampire earthworms. By the time those people are done, I guarantee you half of them will come down with dysentery or some other intestinal parasite.

And I agree, Wart, some of those people are ridiculously unprepared. They can't repair their boats, their bicycles are too flimsy, their clothes are all wrong, and some can't even swim. And like you, I would also like to see other teams besides the Americans, the Aussies & the French: where are the Japanese, for instance?

As for competing in the EcoChallenge, I wouldn't do it in a million years. I would have to pay $12,000 to Burnett for the privilege of having leeches burrow into my willy (see 3rd episode) and possibly jeopardize the existence of my future descendants? NO THANKS! ($12,000 is the team entrance fee.)

Playboy Bunny Team? On Eco-Challenge? Is that a joke?

That playboy team didn't do half bad. I only saw episode number 2, so I don't know how they finished etc.

Playboy Team was disqualified. They didnt make it on time to the PCs. But they chose to finish the race--unranked. But to me they didn't finish because they were told they could bypass the jungle---so thats a flaming copout. Some teams spent 4 days in that jungle. And they were Bunnies but not RECENT ones. They looked a little long in the tooth--for Bunnies. (Translation in the civilian world: Not too bad.)