Naked And Afraid's 5 Most Brutal Locations Ever

"Naked and Afraid" is a series focusing on people trying to survive out in the wilderness without any clothes or shoes to wear. Each team member gets one item of their choice, and a fire starter to share between them. Most of the time, especially in the earlier seasons, the show features a team of two, a man and a woman, working together to survive. When it comes to whether men or women are better on "Naked and Afraid," the answer isn't very clear, but there's no denying that some locations make it much more challenging for people, regardless of gender.

There aren't many places that are fun to be in when you're naked and fighting for survival, however, some of the locations are memorable in their difficulty. From nasty swamps and mosquitoes to freezing cold mountains, "Naked and Afraid" has gone through some difficult locations, with the five below being the most harrowing for viewers and participants alike.

Louisiana's swamps were one of the first locations of "Naked and Afraid," and were still one of the worst locations to date. This location premiered during Season 1, Episode 6 of "Naked and Afraid." It featured Billy Berger and Ky Furneaux and was titled, "Beware the Bayou."

Swamps are already a pretty nasty place to be, especially when you're naked. The water is gross and still, with all sorts of creepy creatures underneath and items you can cut yourself on. Without bug spray, the mosquitoes are endless, and there are also leeches, alligators, and dangerous snakes that could be hidden in any body of water or nearby bush. Snakes aren't animals to mess around with, as you can ask the "Naked and Afraid" producer who nearly lost his life after a deadly snake bite.

However, that wasn't all Billy and Ky faced. In addition to the dangers above, there were hazardous weather conditions. The two spent most of the time wet, as their camps washed out early on in their time there.

You might think tropical beaches would be the way to go, but West Nalaut Island in the Philippines showed that isn't always the case. Jeremy McCaa and Cassidy Flynn showed that even the nicest-looking beaches can be a bit of a trial.

Their struggle appeared in Season 5, Episode 5 of "Naked and Afraid," titled "All or Nothing." Overall, it would have been a pretty pristine location, if it wasn't for the fact that they had no access to water. There was no fresh water on the surface of the island, and while the team attempted to dig a well, the tides and the low water table made it pretty much impossible. When Jeremy and Cassidy did finally get access to water, a dead mouse quickly contaminated it. However, it was when the water level fell and the well went dry that the two really called it quits.

Food was another issue. While it wasn't the main concern, it was difficult to find food besides coconuts. When they did find something to eat, like eggs, they had to fight against fire ants to get to it. Additional threats like mosquitoes and snakes made the nights and exploring a struggle.

There's nothing like trying to survive in the wilderness where even the plants fight back against you. In Cayo Venado, Mexico, there are not only black panthers to contend with, but trees full of poisonous sap known as black poisonwood, or Chechem. These trees have sap that's so poisonous, just touching the skin is capable of delivering painful blisters.

Brandon Dix and Robin Barber met up with this nasty tree in Season 4, Episode 9 of "Naked and Afraid," titled "Garden of Evil." Unfortunately, they crossed paths with the plant early when trying to make a shelter, and Brandon suffered for days in utter agony as the poison, sunburn, and mosquitoes attracted to the blisters caused by the tree's sap.

As Brandon started to recover, freezing cold rains and incredibly fast winds that are common in the area made life absolutely miserable. This location is one of those places where access to food and water is fairly plentiful, but it ended up not mattering in the long run.

Sometimes, it's the team and their survival skills (or lack of) that make a location a challenge. With Hakim Isler and Phaedra Brothers in Season 3, Episode 7, that isn't the case. They're placed in the Himalayan Foothills in India in an episode known as "Himalayan Hell."

These two "Naked and Afraid" contestants had quite a bit of skill between themselves. They knew how to filter water and how to tell if a stream is safe to drink from, built a fire, and made a very impressive shelter. Though the cold can be a huge problem for those trying to survive in the wild naked, the two managed to handle it quite well by building an impressive refuge. However, finding food in this location wasn't so easy.

The main issue is that a lot of the flora and fauna in the area are protected. The two weren't able to just pick any plants or hunt any game. They had to be selective, and it severely narrowed down what they can eat, to the point the two were surviving on a couple of small crabs and worms.

The last place on the list is the Maldives, another example of how islands aren't always the best place to be. Jonathan Klay and Alison Teal faced the challenge of the islands in "Island From Hell," Season 1, Episode 3.

Immediately, the sun made itself the biggest threat. At the time the two were dropped off on an island, there was an unexpected heatwave with a burn time of about five minutes. The temperature in the shade was between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Most nights, the temperatures only drop a few degrees, though they had a few cold nights with the storm.

Moving between islands was the best bet, but with the sun beating down on them, and the water filled with some of dangerous types of sharks, it wasn't the easiest task. Sand fleas, fire ants, and sharp coral also made the entire area difficult to explore, and even collecting food like fish was a fight with other animals and nature.