Surviving Alone: The Wilderness Philosopher Who Hunted Wolverine with a Hatchet

He rode freight trains across America, lived with nomadic reindeer herders in Siberia, and became a household name after winning Alone in the Arctic. But Jordan Jonas is more than a survivalist—he's a philosopher forged by hardship.

In this episode, Travis Bader sits down with Jordan for a raw and real conversation on solitude, family, faith, failure, and the uncomfortable truths we face when stripped of distraction.

They explore the mental battles of being truly alone, the lessons from Siberian trappers and prison-hardened mentors, and the generational strength passed down through adversity.

Whether you're a hunter, a parent, a spiritual seeker, or someone grappling with modern life's noise—this episode will stay with you.

🔥 Topics include:

• What Alone doesn’t show you about survival
• How to confront yourself in silence
• The gift of failure and discomfort
• The legacy of hardship and how it shapes us
• Faith, family, and keeping joy through suffering

 

🎯 Perfect for fans of Man’s Search for Meaning, Alone, and anyone seeking deeper connection with nature and self.

 

https://www.jordanjonas.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hobojordo/  

 

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⏱️ Timestamp Chapters – Silvercore Podcast 156: Jordan Jonas

 

00:00 – Intro: The Outdoors Reveals Who You Pretend to Be
00:59 – Why Jordan Jonas stood out: solitude, humility, and raw truth
02:17 – Riding with nomadic reindeer herders and hunting wolverine with a hatchet
03:22 – Hollywood connections, Megan Hine, and FOX’s ‘Extracted’
05:16 – Technology, connection, and craving the wilderness
07:25 – Starlink fears, forced disconnection, and focus
09:00 – ADHD, distraction, and being an info concierge
09:50 – Origin of “Hobo Jordo”: Riding freight trains across America
12:42 – Nearly drowning on a train in a puddle during a storm
14:00 – Police chases, jail time, and the underground hobo network
19:33 – Genius-level hobo maps and community secrets
19:53 – How a spontaneous prayer led Jordan to Siberia
22:00 – Life in a Siberian village: cow milking, hay scything, and survival
24:17 – Learning to trap solo in the Siberian wilderness
26:22 – Falling through ice, hard lessons, and resilience
27:40 – Mental isolation: when unresolved thoughts fester
28:50 – The power of writing things down in solitude
30:52 – Advice for someone struggling with being alone
31:49 – Where Jordan’s calm mindset really comes from
33:31 – Three pillars of resilience: Reading, heritage, and personal experience
35:49 – Jordan’s dad: strength through suffering, humility through hardship
39:18 – Relationships as anchors for mental strength
42:03 – Embracing discomfort and growing through failure
43:56 – The moose miss: turning failure into fuel
45:26 – Encouragement for those battling inner demons
46:22 – Developing emotional strength through adversity
47:56 – Third-party perspective: How future you will view your actions
50:44 – What 10 items Jordan brought on Alone and what he’d change
53:22 – Gill nets, axes, and the tools of true survival
53:41 – Nikki’s experience getting pulled at day 52
55:10 – Why Jordan worried they’d pull him for being “too skinny”
56:16 – Post-Alone blessings: family time and purposeful living
58:06 – Joy, gratitude, and the awareness that nothing is guaranteed