Winners of Netflix’s ‘The Outlast’ season 2 reveal hardest part about competition: 'It was excruciating'

PHILADELPHIA - Netflix’s ‘The Outlast’ season two contestants, Drew Haas and Drake Vliem chat with FOX 29’s Kamryn Scrivens about their experience surviving on the show that ultimately earned them a $1 million cash prize.

Haas, a commercial helicopter pilot, and Vliem, an oil field technician, were among 16 lone wolves dropped off in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness and told to ‘Outlast’ everyone else. The only rule is that in order to win, you must be on a team. 

When it comes to preparedness, Drake says he was somewhat prepared. 

"I'm naturally a fairly tough person. I don't really let a whole lot of things get me down. I don't let them get a whole grip on my reality of what's going on and so it really helped me out a lot, staying calm," said Drake Vliem. "I have dealt with some really sticky situations at work before, and I had to stay calm because if I wouldn't have, then, you know, things might have gone awry."

Meanwhile, Drew says he wasn’t as prepared.

"Before this competition, I kind of pride myself on mental stability and toughness. But even as much as I prepared for it, I wasn't prepared for what we had coming to us," said Drew Haas. "There's nothing that can compare you for that unless you've actually gone and done it."

During episode 1, the two found out that not only would they be teammates to start, but they were both from Texas, sparking a Texas bromance that proved to be both an asset and a threat. 

"Once people realized how close Drew and I were, they also realized that we, the two of us, were going to be there, period," said Vliem. "And we had a lot of reasons to stay. Both of us have similar personalities. Both of us have lived similar lives. You know, granted, we went into different professions, but we have a whole lot in common and it really helped us to talk each other down." 

"And Texas boys gotta represent, too," Haas chimed in. "That was huge for us, too. We just wanted to really make our state proud."

The road to winning wasn’t easy. 

From surviving with little to no resources in freezing temperatures, the two Texans say the hardest part was leaving their families behind.

"It was excruciating," said Haas. "I was starving. I was hungry, but none of that mattered compared to how bad I miss my family and I know what I can speak for, for Drake as well, how bad we missed our families. And me personally, I like wanting to quit, but not wanting to be a quitter. It was rough."

Vliem even shared that he would have dreams about his loved ones.

"My body held up really well at all the physical challenges that were presented to me, but my brain just kept reverting back to my wife and my children," said Vliem. "I would have dreams about it at night and I'll wake up in the middle of the night and I'd wake Drew up and be like, ‘Dude, I just had this crazy dream about my wife and kids,’ and now all of a sudden I'm emotional and I'm just missing being at home and missing, holding my kids."

Through all the trials and tribulations, the dynamic duo stuck together and got to take home a one-million dollar prize in the end.

"It really helped a lot that Drew and I were both going through similar situations with our family and we had each other to, like I said, pull us out of that dark place," said Vliem.