How do I beat the Eventide Island trial?

Question

In the far southeast corner of the map, I found Eventide Island. As soon as I began walking on land, a shrine guru spoke to me and told me I had to undergo some kind of trial by finding three orbs on the island and placing them into three pedestals. The catch is that he took away all of my equips except for the Sheikah Slate and the paraglider. I have no weapons, no armor, no food, nothing. I am supposed to finish this trial using only resources I find on the island.

It didn't sound too hard at first - I was able to beat the initial monster camps on the beach using bombs and tree branches. However, one of the required orbs is guarded by a a huge group of bokoblins and one very strong moblin - a tough fight when all I have is a couple of low-level weapons and shields. Another orb is guarded by a sleeping Hinox (giant mini-boss) which I do not have enough resources to beat at all.

To make matters even more frustrating, you are unable to save while doing this challenge, and dying before the challenge is over forces you to restart from scratch.

What's the secret to beating this challenge? What strategy can I use?

Answer 1

Objectives

There are three orbs total on Eventide Island, and three pedestals to place them on. The three orbs are located:

1. In a tree-fort near the back eastern side of the island
2. In the middle of a monster camp full of low-to-mid level bokoblins and one moblin
3. Hanging from the necklace of a sleeping Hinox near the center of the island

The three pedestals are located:

1. Near the northern tip of the island, slightly off-shore
2. At the edge of a monster camp (near orb 2). It is covered by a flat rock that can be moved with Stasis.
3. Near a monster camp at top of the hill at the islands southwestern tip. It is covered by metal crates that can be moved with Magnesis.

The order you place the orbs into the pedestals doesn't matter, and it also doesn't matter which orb you put into which pedestal.

Strategy

So, with that info out of the way, here's how I approached this problem:

Gather Resources - An Apple a Day Keeps Your Death at Bay!

First you need to gather some resources. Taking out the monster camps on the beach is good start - they will provide some simple weapons and food. If you think you can take out the camp guarding pedestal 3, that's even better because there is a cooking pot and fire nearby which you can use to cook some health-restoring food and/or elixirs.

Orb 1 - Tree Fort Scuffle

Once you've got some weapons and a bow, you need to start hunting for the orbs. The simplest orb to retrieve is, in my opinion, number 1 (the one in the tree-fort). It's only guarded by a handful of bokoblins, which can be dispatched pretty easily using the materials you should have by now. I took this orb and put it in pedestal 1 (the off-shore one). (Remember that you can use Cryosis to make platforms to walk on the water.)

Orb 2 - The Bokoblin/Moblin Menace

The next toughest orb is the number 2. Sneaking into the camp, while very difficult, is not impossible if you take out the guards/lookouts first. If you are sighted, try to rush onto one of the lookout towers - the monsters are unable to reach you there (usually). When I did this challenge, a thunderstorm started during this fight, and because the moblin was holding metal equipment, he was targeted by the lightning strike and was killed instantly - I don't know if the thunderstorm is a scripted event or not, but if it is, this is a great way to eliminate the biggest threat (provided you get out of range of the explosion right before it hits). Once you've got some breathing room, knock the flat rock off of the pedestal with Stasis, then put the nearby orb in it's place.

Orb 3 - The Chicken's Approach

The last orb is not the most difficult, but it does have the most risk if you do it wrong. First, if you haven't done so already, clear out the monster camp guarding the third pedestal. Then, from the top of the hill, jump down and paraglide right onto the Hinox's stomach. He will not wake up - yet. Grab the third orb from its necklace, then jump off and run as fast as you can back up the hill to put the orb into the pedestal. The Hinox will wake up as soon as you jump off, but you should be long gone by the time it gets up and starts chasing you.

Victory

Once you place the third orb into the pedestal, the challenge ends, a shrine appears on the tallest hilltop, and all your gear is returned. Congrats! This is definitely one of the toughest challenges in the game, so you can feel proud to have beaten it.

Answer 2

So here's a few tips to beating Eventide Island.

1. Before you step foot onto the island, you can throw weapons onto the shore. Be warned though, any weapons you throw onto the island will be lost when you complete the challenge.
2. You don't need to kill the Hinox. You can paraglide down his body, grab the orb, and run for your life.
3. If you're intent on killing the Hinox, Urbosa's Fury makes him much much easier.

Answer 3

I've just read on a Youtube strategy video that not only can you drop weapons before stepping on the the beach by landing in the water then standing in the shallows, then pick them up after the challenge begins, but you can ALSO drop those same weapons before you place the final orb, and then pick them up after the shrine spawns.

That is, if none of this has been patched. I have no reason to believe it has from my reading but you never know.

The letsplayer whose video I was watching brought his Twilight Bow, and while I was thinking: "Do I really want to sacrifice my best bow to help me complete this challenge?" I read a viewer comment that asserts that you can retain you gear by dropping it again before placing the last orb.

I haven't tried this yet, but I will report back to let you know if it works. If anyone else has succeeded in doing this, please say so!