what the future holds for her and her
courageous spirit.
An Early Start
Knives Illustrated: Many contestants
from “Naked and Afraid” say their
childhood wasn’t traditional but
filled with constant experiences
exploring and interacting with Mother
Nature. Would you say yours was like
this as well?
Kaila Cumings: From an early age I was
always outside playing in the woods,
exploring, building shelters, playing in
the brook near my parents’ house, and
so on. I was always naked too, running
around with nothing but my cowgirl
boots on. I just loved being outside.
knivesillustrated.com JULY/AUGUST 2019 • KNIVES ILLUSTRATED 17
Above: Years of
“paying her dues” in the
shop has paid o as
Kaila creates beautiful
custom knives as her
full-time job.Right: Kaila feels at
home in the shop as she
begins another project.