Naked and afraid naked (photos)

The first time you hear about it, Discovery’s Naked and Afraid might sound like one of those reality-show parodies you’d see on 30 Rock or SNL. A pair of fit strangers doing the whole Survivor thing, attempting to survive in the wild for 21 days—but they’re naked? It’s a network executive’s dream.

But when you actually watch Naked and Afraid, the (blurred-out) nudity quickly stops seeming titillating, and starts seeming like the first of many insurmountable problems facing these insane people who have inexplicably signed up for this challenge. You’d think that even those who managed to thrive under the show’s difficult conditions might be reluctant to sign up for more.

Enter Naked and Afraid XL, a series that raises the stakes by challenging 12 top Naked and Afraid competitors to work together for 40 days of survival in some of the deadliest conditions on the planet. The new season, which premieres on Discovery at 10 p.m. on July 10, takes the would-be survivalists deep into the South African bush. How did they pull it off? GQ spoke to two of this season’s Naked and Afraid XL participants, and , about what it takes to survive 40 days in the bush with nothing but the skin on your back, and every challenge you might possibly face—should you ever, somehow, improbably, find yourself in the same situation. You never know.

How to Survive the Actual Worst-Case Scenario, According to the Guys from Naked and Afraid

Luke on Naked and Afraid: Namibia