Canadian filmmaker and survival expert Les Stroud, uses survival skills and knowledge to survive alone for up to ten days (seven days during the first three seasons and ten days during seasons four and five), in remote locales where he brings with him little or no food, water, or equipment. Each location was scouted and planned extensively by Stroud and his team who consulted with survival specialists and natives of each area. The fact that Stroud films the episodes himself and endures the challenges of the wilderness, while dealing with the concomitant mental, emotional and physical stresses, is a major focus of the show.