Survivor is known for forcing players out of their comfort zones, in all aspects: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Oftentimes, we as fans are not privy to all the things that are running through a player's head- their highest highs and their lowest lows, unless the edit reflects some of the in-the-moment reactions.
One of the shifting game elements that fans and viewers have often been privy to, however, is weather. Since the very first season, extreme conditions have challenged players to the core. From downpouring rain and monsoons to scorching heat and every variation therein, players have been tested like never before.
Possibly the most memorable challenge of all time occurred during Survivor: Kaoh Rong, when three different Survivors collapsed after one of the most brutal competitions in the show's history. The length of the challenge, combined with the absolute scorching heat, drove multiple players to extreme heat exhaustion, and one castaway, Caleb Reynolds, was eventually medevaced from the game.
Yet, images of Survivors huddled in meager shelters, shivering, trembling, crying, with whitened and wrinkled skin, are also burned into many fans' brains. The rain has absolutely wreaked havoc on players' mental and physical states, and the cold has even driven some players to quit the game entirely. So, which is harder to compete in: heat or rain?
Rachel LaMont offers insight into which weather element is harder to compete in
On the most recent episode of On Fire, the official Survivor podcast with Jeff Probst, this topic was brought up thanks to some extreme weather that the Survivor 48 castaways faced last episode. When they were brought in for the challenge on Day 22, it was absolutely pouring. Rain can be absolutely brutal to compete in, especially depending on the type of competition.
Rain is not just a challenge for the contestants, but a challenge for the crew as well. Jeff Probst explained what goes into prepping the crew for this type of weather.
"The headline is, we are an adventure crew and we're built for unpredictable and ever-changing conditions. That's what these teams do. So that means we are ready to adapt quickly... right away, you are dealing with movement and waves, and now rain. And then you have your camera teams racing to throw on their rain covers. Your assistant cameraman is constantly checking and wiping the lens to try and keep it clear... You also have your audio teams doing the same thing."
Jeff also spoke about communication with players, and simply being able to hear each other, as an additional element we don't see as fans. Despite the difficulty of the rain, though, Jeff makes it clear the crew loves these moments and is built for them. In the end, he says, he would much rather a rainy season than a scorching heat season, because the heat "brings players to their knees and they can no longer function."
Rachel LaMont, winner of Survivor 47, offered her insight from a player's perspective.
"It's this push and pull where it's in the cold, you're shaking, you're freezing... I can't even imagine how difficult it was to hold on when it is just pouring, right? But then, at the same time when it's hot, there are times when I thought I was gonna pass out. I thought my brain was melting... There were times when I would look at the puzzle pieces and not be able to see."
She ultimately came to the same conclusion as Jeff.
"I think both are really awful. But I understand, I do think rain is maybe better in the sense of you just have to fight through the shaking and the shivering versus the heat, which can just wipe you."
Jeff adds that the "brain melt" description is one used by many players in the past as well.
Ultimately, when players are stranded on an island with almost no possessions to their name and very little to eat, drink, or survive on, any sort of extreme weather is going to be brutal. Cold and rain can play with players' minds and really bring them to a depressed state. However, it appears heat is the worst of all, as the number does to a player's body and ability to think clearly alters the entire trajectory of a challenge or even a season.