EJ Snyder has spent 206 days in very tough, uncompromising environments, having to create his own shelters, forage for food, and keep warm in the elements–all in the nude.  EJ–a.k.a. “Skull Crusher”–is an extreme survivalist, and has appeared six times on the reality television show “Naked and Afraid” (as well as other shows). So are reality shows really as challenging as they look? Do the crews ever help out struggling contestants?  EJ shares all the dirt (so to speak), and gives lots of practical tips about how we all can survive extreme situations. After all, even those of us who never plan to spend days or weeks in the bush may find ourselves in a hurricane or blizzard–or, as EJ likes to say, a “zombie apocalypse!”  

In this episode:

02:09–How EJ got into the Army, and how that led him to “Naked and Afraid”

04:41–Why naked?

06:19–EJ's major “concerns” in the wild, + the four pillars of survival

08:49–Are reality shows rigged? Are they really struggling as much as it appears?

12:28–Dealing with the camera crew

13:14–The beauty of vulnerability, even for “alpha males”

14:01–Story behind the nickname “Skull Crusher”

16:23–Why survival skills are important for everyone, not just adventurers

20:34–What really surprised EJ from doing “Naked and Afraid”

22:37–Losing weight–and what he ate–on the show

25:30–How to keep warm in the wild

28:19–Why we all need to know survival skills

32:18–How EJ's childhood affected who he became

Want to know more about EJ?

• Find him at his website: www.ejsnyder.com 
• Follow him on Instagram: @ejsnyder333
• Tweet him on Twitter/X: @ejsnyder333 

Want to know more about “What It's Like To…”?

• Subscribe to this podcast on YouTube! Go to https://www.youtube.com/@WhatItsLikeTo2023 
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Elizabeth Pearson Garr Podcaster

Elizabeth Pearson Garr has spent a lot of her life asking questions. A daughter of a professor and a principal, as a kid she loved sitting at the “adult table” during their dinner parties so she could participate in the “real” conversations.

Elizabeth went on to graduate with honors from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, and promptly attended professional cooking school to become a food writer. That led to various career opportunities, including becoming one of the first employees of the Television Food Network; writing/producing gigs at networks from PBS to E!; anchoring/reporting at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana; earning a graduate degree in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University; and various and sundry other things. The through-line to all this has been curiosity. Elizabeth is a skilled interviewer who loves diving deep into research, finding connections, and telling good stories.

Elizabeth has a husband, two daughters, and a fluffy white dog who rarely leaves her side.