Photo: Discovery Channel
By now, everyone knows the premise ofNaked and Afraid.Two survivalists are marooned in a harsh location without a stitch of clothes on. For 21 days, they brave the elements while in the most vulnerable state imaginable.
Then there’sNaked and Afraid XL,the 40-day challenge in which a group of participants forms a community based on survival. For more than a month, they try to survive the location — and each other.
But now, two seasoned survivalists are kicking it up a notch. Jeff Zausch and Laura Zerra will do a typical 21-day challenge — and then immediately go into the 40-day challenge ofNaked and Afraid XL.If they succeed, it will be the longest continuous stretch that any participants have survived.
So, how does one prepare for a two-month challenge?
“It’s crazy to even think about,” Zausch tells PEOPLE. “That’s two months without clothes, without a proper meal, living out in the wilderness. There was a lot of mental preparation involved. If you’re not mentally strong, you’re not going to make it.”
Discovery Channel
“When you look at it as 60 days, it’s like ‘holy sh–, this can’t be done,’ ” Zausch says. “So I had to break it down in my head as 3 equal segments of 20 days.”
Zausch and Zerra have survived together, and they’re two of the show’s A-listers. According to Zausch, he couldn’t have had a better partner.
“When I saw Laura standing across from me in the jungle, I knew that this was the best case scenario. I know her strengths. She’s the most mentally tough woman I’ve ever met in my life,” he says. “She has incredible survival skills. But more than anything, she’s got a great attitude. She’s upbeat and optimistic. That’s what I value the most.”
Viewers can watch the digital seriesNaked and Afraid: Savage,that chronicles Zausch and Zerra’s adventure.
Will they survive the full 60 days? TheirNaked and Afraidepisode will air Sunday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel. Immediately afterward at 9 p.m., the new seasonNaked and Afraid XLwill premiere.
source: people.com
