When folks watch Discovery Channel's hit show "Yukon Men" at 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, they will see the film skills of a former local man.

Tim Attewell, 25, son of Tim and Rose Attewell of Jim Thorpe, braved the sub zero temperatures of Tanana, Alaska, for three-and-a-half months to document their daily struggle to survive.This season, all of the Yukon Men face challenges that test their survival skills and force them to ask difficult questions of themselves. Will I be able to provide for my family? Is this the lifestyle I want to live? But the cast are not the only ones who must brave these intense conditions.Attewell was there every step of the way to document this daily struggle to survive.He said he accepted the challenge to film this Discovery series because he wanted to experience an adventure, plus he thought the challenge to film in Alaska would be a good career move.Plummeting temperatures made it extremely difficult to keep the equipment running smoothly and simultaneously keep concentration on the filming."It's tough to get anything man-made to function the way it's supposed to at minus 50 degrees," said Attewell. "Cameras, snow mobiles, and four wheelers all needed extra care. The biggest challenge though was keeping our fingers and hands warm enough to still work the camera. I think we all got varying degrees of frostbite at some point."Spending several consecutive months in Tanana meant that he had to work just as hard to survive the conditions as the local residents."I was warned and warned about deep, unearthly cold...and they weren't kidding," said Attewell. "Fortunately the veterans of the crew were really good about helping me find the right winter gear so I came prepared."Áttewell said that he wore military surplus clothing to keep warm and something called "bunny boots" on his feet."The boots are water proof and are made of rubber with an layer of air between the layers of rubber," he explained.He noted that the air has to be adjusted in the boots when you fly because of the change in atmosphere.When the pipes of the town froze, the cast weren't the only ones chopping firewood for heat," said Attewell. "We had to pitch in and do our part for the community, because now we were a part of that community."They forged friendships with the people of Tanana, but that didn't make it any safer for them. Whether filming caribou hunts or snow machining, Attewell and his crew faced just as much danger as the cast, if not more."When they're hunting for bear and moose, we're right there," he said. "We had to film the crew and be mindful of what else was around us. I definitely would have felt more at ease if I were the one holding the gun instead of the camera."Attewell said, "This coming season is packed with so much action and adventure. The characters are some of the best people I've had the pleasure to meet, and their lifestyles are intense. My advice is to look forward to each week, you won't be disappointed."After it's all said and done, Attewell feels grateful for the opportunity to film such a grueling and real series."It's a much different lifestyle in Tanana, and there's no way to know what each day will bring, but it was an experience I'll never forget."He said "Out of all of the shoots I have been on, this was by far the hardest."Attewell said that the toughest part of my stay in Alaska was being away from his family."Yukon Men" airs at 10 p.m. EST Sunday, Oct. 20 on the Discovery Channel.