‘Work the problem’: Firefighter-survivalist shares ‘Naked & Afraid’ lessons

Better Every Shift

Ventura Fire Captain Fernando Calderon has appeared on five seasons of Discovery Channel’s hit reality TV show “Naked & Afraid,” where participants are dropped into remote locations – without clothes – to survive for upwards of three weeks. Most of the show’s participants have years of experience living off the grid or teaching survival strategies – but not Calderon. He went from watching the show at the fire station to feeling “possessed” to apply.” It was the ultimate test to learn what he was made of. Now over 10 years later, Calderon is what they call an All Star in the Naked & Afraid universe – and he’s sharing the many survival challenge lessons that apply to the fire service. Plus, we dig into all of this:

• How the show helps Calderon reset
• Feeling pressure to make his fire department proud
• The superpower that gives him an edge on the competition
• Implementing “mental mind control” to make it through tough times
• The worst thing he ate during one of his survival challenges
• The competitor he calls a “wild card”
• The #1 food he craves post-competition

This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by TheFireStore. Better Every Shift listeners receive 10% off now through Dec. 31, using the promo code, FR10. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting TheFireStore.

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