The Naked and Afraid franchise debuted on the Discovery Channel in 2013 when two strangers (a man and woman), were dropped into the jungles of Costa Rica with no food, water, or clothing and were expected to survive 21 days in the rainforest. Each contestant on the show is allowed to bring one personal item, such as a knife, firestarter, a bug net, whatever. In later episodes, they are also provided with a pot to boil water.

The show has a loyal following and there are now a variety of spin-offs, like Naked and Afraid XL and Naked and Afraid XL Next Level. They all follow the same basic premise, but with added survival time (40 days, 60 days) or the show starts with twelve contestants/teams instead of just two people.

Image via YouTube/Discovery
Image via YouTube/Discovery
loading...

I'm hooked on the show.

Even though the show has been on for nearly a decade, we've just recently become somewhat addicted to the series at my house. We frequently binge-watch episodes on the weekend. We started with Season One a couple of months ago and have been slowly catching up. I generally have a tough time with "reality" shows, but there's something about the Naked and Afraid formula that works for me.

Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery Communications
Show producers. Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery Communications
loading...

Frozen: Rocked by the Rockies

Season 8, Episode 1 of Naked and Afraid XL premiered over the weekend of 7/31/22 and this time, the crew is back in Montana. It's not the first time they've filmed in Big Sky Country. They were here in 2020. Discovery gives this synopsis of the new season,

Twelve elite survivalists take on their toughest location yet, the sub-freezing Rocky Mountains of Montana. To find scarce food in this frozen wilderness, the survivalists must compete with some of North America’s most deadly predators: mountain lions, wolves, and grizzly bears just emerging from hibernation for 14 days on NAKED AND AFRAID XL: Frozen.

I'm not sure exactly how their filming schedule works, but I assume this latest episode was filmed in late spring this year?

Fans are trying to guess where in Montana the season was filmed.

Sometimes Google is a miracle worker, but today she failed me. Every link I found with my query "Where was Season 8 of Naked and Afraid XL filmed" only brought back results that said somewhere in Montana. If you watch the show, perhaps you'll see a recognizable landmark. One thread on Reddit suggests the show was filmed near Livingston, likely in the Paradise Valley. When I viewed the trailer, it appears to show Emigrant Peak in the background. Would you ever be on a show like Naked and Afraid?

This Family Friendly "Montana Town" Is Frozen In Time

One of the coolest places to check out in Montana is the "Old Montana" town of Nevada City. Located just on the other side of Virginia City, Nevada City is the perfect example of what life was like back during the gold rush in the 1800s.

With several different buildings to tour and friendly folks to guide you through your visit, as well as tell you the stories of the times, Nevada City is not only educational but fun for the whole family.

More From 103.7 The Hawk