Into the Wild with Dug North: Alone Season 12 Contestant, Survivalist, and Cache Cap Fan

When you’re dropped into the South African wilderness with nothing but your grit and ten survival items, every ounce—and every decision—counts. That’s the challenge Dug North took on in Season 12 of Alone. But Dug packed a clever advantage that didn’t count toward his official gear list: the Cache Cap™ by Wazoo Gear.

Because it’s classified as apparel, the Cache Cap didn’t count against Dug’s strict item limit, yet it gave him critical survival utility—from shielding him from the South African sun to securely storing fishing hooks when no container was allowed.

We were honored to interview Dug after his return. Below is the full, unedited Q&A from that conversation. His words speak for themselves—real, raw, and packed with hard-won wisdom.

---

The Full Interview with Dug North

Background:

Can you tell us a bit about your background—what experiences or skills do you feel best prepare you for this challenge?

My background is kind of diverse and possibly confusing to those who only know me for outdoor stuff. I find a lot of things interesting and when I decide to pursue them, I tend to do so pretty intensely. There are a few elements of my background that helped a lot with this challenge. First, I have always been pretty comfortable outdoors and I have had a couple of jobs that were entirely outdoors. Next, I have always found survival books fascinating, so I have been reading those for decades. I also studied anthropology and archeology in college, which exposed me to a lot of different cultures and ways of living in different environments. Finally, I have always loved making things with my hands. That’s useful when you have to make or make-do in a survival scenario.

How did your life before Alone—professionally or personally—shape your survival mindset?

Back in 2020, I started going on solo camping trips, taking only clothing and ten items from the ALONE item list. Doing this gives you a sense for how time and labor intensive most activities really are. When you add filming to the equation, you learn that it’s hard to get much accomplished beyond meeting your most critical and immediate needs. I think this leads to a “keep it simple” mindset.

Were there specific books, mentors, or past experiences that most influenced your approach to wilderness living?

I took four wilderness skills courses with Josh Enyart (aka The Gray Bearded Green Beret). His curriculum, teaching style, and book are laser-focused on skills, knowledge, and gear that has been proven to work well. These courses provided me with a solid foundation for operating in the wild.

I’ve also taken three courses with Keilyn Marrone from Season 7 of ALONE. Kie spent 80 days surviving alone in the arctic. She knows first hand what the experience is truly about. Two of the courses were week-long survival experiences that simulated the conditions on ALONE. This training helps you put the pieces together and learn where you might be likely to run into challenges that are particular to you. For example, I learned that I am prone to expect too much of myself in terms of demonstrating creativity. However, in a survival situation a solution doesn’t need to be clever -- it needs to work.

How did you mentally and physically train in the months leading up to filming?

I tried to take a comprehensive approach to my preparation. Physically, I put on about 30 to 40 pounds. While doing that I practiced rucking (hiking in the woods with a weighted backpack) and gradually increased the load that I was carrying. I wanted to be sure that I could handle my additional body weight.

On the mental side, I spoke to some people I trust who have been on the show and tried to take their advice. I did a fair amount of journaling to try to get clear on my motives, goals, core values, and possible outcomes. I also found a therapist to speak with about the upcoming experience. It’s hard to overstate how valuable all of this proved to be.

Alone Experience:

Was there any specific skill you wish you had practiced more?

I chose to bring fishing line and hooks as one of my ten items. I have practiced handline fishing and making simple lures many times over the years. The fishing line we were allowed to take was a lot heavier than what I have used in the past. I assumed it would behave the same as the lighter line I have used previously. The heavier line tangled and didn’t hold a knot in the same way. This led to some frustration. I wish I had practiced using the heavier fishing line!

I spent several years in my twenties working as an archeologist. During that time, I developed a habit of scanning the ground for features and artifacts. Though I haven’t worked as an archeologist for 30 years, I walk with my eyes glued to the ground. I wish I had practiced unlearning my habit of looking for artifacts on the ground.

Tools & Gear:

Were there any items you brought that were surprisingly useful, or not useful at all?

I had never owned a sun shirt. As kind of an afterthought, I bought a camouflage one with a hood. This proved to be a lifesaver. The radiation from the sun in the South African desert isn’t dispersed by moisture in the air (because there isn’t any). That shirt kept me from totally frying in the intense sunlight.

We were allowed two shirts. The other shirt was a long sleeve “safari” type of shirt. I’m not sure I ever wore it out there. The temps went from very hot to very cold and back again. That long sleeve cotton shirt just didn’t get used.

How did you approach selecting your limited gear? What items gave you the most fret?

Whenever possible, I chose gear that I know well and trust. The Cache Cap falls into that category. I don't think I ever got it on camera, but the bill pocket was a secure place to put my fishing hooks. This was really helpful because we are not allowed to bring containers specifically for the hooks.

I tried to focus on gear that I have experience with. I didn’t want to get out there and be surprised by a piece of gear that wasn’t up to the hard use that I was going to give it.

Next, I tried to select items that were multi-use, could be modified, or provided raw material that could be used in various ways.

I also tried to lean toward items that emphasized food procurement (e.g. fishing gear, bow and arrow) or saved calories (e.g. blanket, tarp, ferro rod).

My core items have been largely set for several years. I had to make some changes based on the new environment. First, the canteen. Second, salt. So two things need to go. Those things were probably a pemmican ration, a saw, or paracord.

If you would have to reduce it to only 3 items, what would it had been?

Steel water bottle - This was invaluable for treating water and being able to carry it with me.

Multitool - This contains so many tools, I consider it to be worth several items.

Ferro rod - I love friction fire, but my tests found the local woods to be VERY difficult to use. Given the need to constantly purify water, having a ferro rod made that task much easier.

What piece of gear earned its place every single day?

The pot, water bottle, leatherman, and ferro rod earned their place every day.

Generally speaking, what gear do you think is over-rated in the bushcraft, survival, and every day carry communities?

In the bushcraft community, I don’t understand really big survival knives. Beyond that, I don’t understand the trend on social media to “test” them with outright abuse. Learn to use a reasonably sized fixed blade knife and treat it with respect.

Generally speaking, what gear do you think is under-rated in the bushcraft, survival, and every day carry communities?

I see a lot of survival kits online (DIY and commercial) that don’t include anything to purify water. Bad water can totally ruin you. It’s not hard to include a metal container or a plastic bag with water purification tablets. Larger survival kits can include something like a Life Straw or Sawyer Mini.

Alone Experience Reflections:

What did being on Alone teach you about yourself?

Starting in childhood, I developed a habit of motivating myself with some rather harsh self-talk. While this strategy has worked to a degree, it has come at a cost. Having a ruthless, judgemental voice in my head has been stressful, limiting, and detrimental to my overall mental wellbeing. I have been doing it for so long, I didn’t realize that it isn’t the only way to get things done.

While alone in South Africa, I found that I can be kind to myself and still perform well -- perhaps even better. It’s unfortunate that I didn’t discover this until my 50s, but better late than never!

Did being alone shift your perspective on anything bigger—life, people, modern society?

There are a handful of traits that we developed as we were becoming the distinct genus homo: the use of fire, tool making and use, hypersociability, language, abstract thought, and culture. In the past, academics have pointed to each of these things in turn as the trait that makes us human. In fact, it is the synergistic combination of all of these things. The components don't simply add their individual contributions, but rather they enhance and amplify each other's effects.

What would you recommend every outdoorsperson know how to do—before they ever think about something like ALONE?

Try going on wilderness trips with a good selection of clothing and ten items from the Alone list. Limited amounts of food -- if you choose to take it -- should also count as an item. Boil all your water. Once you’ve tried this a couple times, do it again and try to film at least 8 hours of your activity every day. This will show you how much time, energy, and attention everything really requires. It is easy to take things for granted when you are at home, surrounded by loved ones, well rested, safe, clean, hydrated, fed, and with every resource at your disposal. That “Grand Strategy” of yours may not be all that realistic.

Looking back, is there anything you would’ve packed differently or done another way?

Second sun shirt, lighter more wicking socks

Has your perspective on everyday life changed since returning?

My experience made it crystal clear that most of us are living lives that are far removed from what our genus has done for more than a million years.

We don’t spend much time outside. We don’t find our food in the wild; We take clean water very much for granted. We don’t make things with our hands; Most of us don’t spend time benefiting from and contributing to tight little communities of people. We don’t revere our elders as repositories of crucial knowledge. We have abandoned tradition for novelty.

It’s no wonder that many of us feel stressed out, unfulfilled, sick, and entirely unsure of our place in the world. I am convinced that if we make changes to align better with our ancient past, we will feel better and do better.

Any other wisdom, advice, or insights that you’d like to share?

ALONE is an amazing show. It is very authentic and that is part of what makes it so compelling. Keep in mind that participants are out there for days, weeks, or months. Of that time, they record only a part -- perhaps 8 hours of each day. Of the hundreds of hours that a participant records, the broadcast will show probably less than an hour of their entire experience. What you see on TV is a tiny audiovisual slice of a demanding 24/7 physical and mental experience. As a viewer, you can’t know the full context of anything a participant may or may not do. Please don’t be too quick to judge.

---

Final Thoughts: From Dug’s Journey to Yours

Dug’s story isn’t just about surviving—it’s about rediscovering what it means to thrive. We’re honored he trusted Wazoo gear along the way and even more honored to share his words with you. Thanks, Dug.

👉 Want to try the hat that earned a spot in Dug’s gear list?
Grab your own Cache Cap here and start building your own Wild Capability—one pocket at a time.