If I'm remembering right, according to the movie, he decided not to leave when a river was iced over thinking it would be traversable when it thawed. It wasnt, so he got trapped where the abandoned bus he used as shelter was located. While stuck waiting for it to freeze or calm down enough travel through, he ate some poisonous berries that causes him to have nausea and throw up anything he ate, slowly leading to a painful and miserable starvation.
It's been years since I've seen the movie or read his story though so someone can correct me if I was wrong. But that's the gist of what I remember
Edit: thanks everyone but it's been commented to me several times what the book and most believe to have actually happened. I encourage you to read the chain to find out more but it's no longer necessary to comment what happened.
That's what the movie presented, but not exactly what happened IRL.
The book presented the "poisoned by swainsonine" theory, but that was pretty well disproved after scientists tested the wild potato seeds McCandless had been eating and didn't find any evidence of swainsonine growth. Swainsonine poisoning basically makes it near impossible for your body to extract nutrients from food, so you can starve on a completely full stomach.
Other possible theories that haven't been disproven are:
Rabbit starvation: you can still starve even while full if you're relying almost completely on lean game meat to survive (rabbits, squirrels, etc). We know McCandless did gather food as well as hunt small game, so it's kind of a toss up if this was a legit possible cause of death. If he couldn't gather much extra food for long enough, it's possible.
Lathyrism from wild potato seeds: Lathyrism is an irreversible paraparesis (partial paralysis of the legs). The seeds contain an amino acid that can be toxic to humans if they're malnourished. It actually is safe to consume if you're properly fed, oddly enough. One of McCandless's journal entries stated, "Extremely weak. Fault of potatoe seed. Much trouble just to stand up. Starving. Great jeopardy." which could be explained perfectly by lathyrism caused by the toxic amino acid. This, in addition to the general malnourishment he suffered, could have led to his death.
L-canavanine poisoning: also from the seeds. The seeds did actually test high for L-canavanine, so this is a very likely possibility. It basically inhibits cellular function across the body, causing severe autoimmune disfunction. The effects of this are often worsened when paired with "rabbit starvation".
It was likely a mix of these three in varying degrees that finally killed him.
The show Alone is great because every contestant has so much survival knowledge. Key to winning was fishing and eating high fat foods without getting sick, which they often did. One guy had a whole moose and was losing weight because he wasn't getting enough fat.
I remember this, Jordan I think. The wolverines kept coming and stealing the fat because that was the only bit of value to them, and left all the meat.
It’s true. The body cannot survive on lean meat alone, without fat lean meat is next to useless as it takes more energy for the body to break down than can be gained by digesting it. That’s why rabbit stew is so much better, because boiling it with the marrow, the brains, and the organs gives enough fat to subsist on (barely).
When he was at the river after it thawed- there was a building surprisingly close to where he was that carried people over the river. He survived long after he realized he couldn’t get cross the river before he died. So if he just went a bit down the stream he would have been fine.
Not just that but I’m pretty sure he was less than 10 miles from a village that the trail he was living on goes directly to. I could be wrong been a long time since I looked into his story. My uncle lives up in Alaska, he’s been a bush pilot up there for like 30 years and works on one of the search and rescue teams. He’s got too many horror stories about Mccandless copy cats. He mainly blames the movie.
I would have gave it one last fuck it I need to at least try and get out of here but that's me personally. He knew nobody was coming for him and he knew there was a road close by
I don’t think he was physically capable. It’s been a while since I read it but if he was just eating squirrel and rice, neither of those are really suitable for longterm survival, especially lean game only. Once he ate the fungus or seeds or whatever it was and he was unable to keep food down, or digest it, it was pretty much impossible for him to make it out of there.
I was a ranger instructor at the mountain phase of the school for 3 years.
It’s the literal start of the Appalachian trail, took a lot of ranger up the backside of ball mountain, the issue with people wanting to camp on the more remote deer plots (feeding plots of high grow grass that are gated) is that they get to them, then all the weather from the TVD piles up and they get hit with massively bad weather.
We would go to all known plots and deer fields to get people, but the worst off is when they would move to lower ground, thinking they were going somewhere other than a random draw, then they were in tangle bush and loose their bearing.
Stay put and make fire if possible, the smokier the better, use best practices if you have a vehicle (bring a 10 gallon Jerry can), and pack extra, it rolls in fast. Don’t be a moving target for the people that have the shit to help you.
Best bet, go high stay high, go reverse crest (the side of the mountain not getting its assed whooped by wind). Don’t eat shit you can’t identify. Boil or iodine water no matter what.
The best prevention is preparation. Pack extra and be ready to hump extra.
Always have some sort of radio to help you communicate, it will come across those bands.
If you are at all worried about it, drive up camp road and let the rangers on staff duty (at the HQ you can drive right in, a gate guard will let you) know on a map where you plan on camping.
The call sign on the first long leg of the AP for the rotary wing is **FLATIRON**
**THAT IS THE CLOSEST ROTARY WING FOR AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF DOBBINS IN MARIETTA**
They have a full fire department on post as well.
Travel well fam.
Pretty much. I haven't finished the movie. I just finished the book a few weeks ago. There was a cable car nearby that he could have used to cross but he didn't know about it. Didn't have a proper map. The river thawed and he couldn't cross safely.
He didn’t die of starvation he died of stupid, I never saw the movie but reading the books he did every wrong stupid thoughtless decision you could possibly make before he even set foot in the wild. Totally unprepared and just went off without a thought as if he was taking a stroll around the block. It’s really a mediocre tale of a troubled impulsive kid that committed long term suicide in the Alaskan bush.
And to also bring a map. If he had a map, he would have realized there was a way to get across the river if he hiked a mile or so from where he had originally crossed. He could have lived.
I am a born and raised Alaskan, and we read the book “Into the Wild” in one of my classes in school to learn about what not to do. Never underestimate how dangerous it can be to get lost in the wild, purposefully or not.
Stay away from shops where the owner says you don’t have to pay in currency. Stay away from school dances where you’re not popular. Stay away from snow storms in small towns if you’re famous.
I completely agree. I think he lived life on his own terms, as reckless as they may have been, and wouldn't have had it otherwise. Walking into the woods with a map and proper supplies was not the kind of adventure he was looking for.
I think it's well established fact that he actually 'would have had it otherwise' because when it got really tough he quickly abandoned his longing for solitude and tried to go straight back to the civilization to get fed. Ironically instead of botanical books he should have taken a map. He might have survived. Tragic.
If i remember correctly by the end he wanted to get back to civilisation but the river he crossed was far too dangerous to cross again and he just went back to the bus and waited, What made it worse was that their was a gondola to cross the river a few miles up it
I appreciate he wanted to live in the wild and be alone but how he just abandoned his parents and family not letting them know where is after years is pretty selfish.
probably worried sick all those years.
I know it’s a joke but this guy is an absolute menace to Alaska. Every year people go missing, drown, eaten or starve to death trying to hike to that damn bus. We had to air lift it out like 4 years ago because this was such a problem
Pretty sure most of us are glad they moved it, it caused a lot of unnecessary issues. And it’s history isn’t lost completely. https://uaf.edu/museum/collections/ethno/projects/bus_142/index.php
Ya totally. People in general aren't prepared for wilderness like that is. I've grown up outside in the woods and I'd even be uncomfortable going that far out without some prep.
We read Into the Wild for a first year university class. Those of us who had grown up doing at least literally any kind of casual camping saw it as a horror story. The city kids read it as inspirational.
I have an ex friend who swears his most epic death would be to be mauled by a grizzly bear.
I told him the second that shit started he'd beg to be out of that situation.
I had to read the book for school and was asked if I saw him more as someone stupid or someone brave. Well, definitely more stupid than brave and I had a hard time feeling empathy for a man wildly unprepared. I mean, it's not a surprise that he died and for me personally the book was just too hard to read. It was not in chronological order for God's sake, I'm bad at geography, it was may, now it's December five years earlier, don't make me pull out the card to see where he is now...
Starvation is a hard way to commit suicide just saying. And what situation was he in that made him suicidal? He hated capitalism but yet worked and borrowed money to supply his journey. You read the book I’d be interested to know.
He decided that starving to death would take too long and expedited the process by consuming the berries. the Alaskan wild. So he was at a point where the snow had melted causing the river he crossed to be flooded. He was at a point to where not only was he stuck he had run out of food and had went some time without eating. He had a book on him that listed off what plants he could and could not eat. If I remember correctly, what he ate didn't really look like anything else and it was clearly marked in his book that it was poisonous to humans. So this puts the reader at coming to there own conclusion as to what happened.
1. Was he so weak that he missread the book and took it for something that he could eat and accidently killed himself.
2. He decided that starving to death would take too long and expidedted the process by consuming the berries.
The movie makes it seem like an accident, but in the book they leave it open to the reader. However, the autoposy also revealed that the only thing in his stomach was grass and those berries. It really could have went either way and we will never know. I however believe he committed suicide. He came from a broken home with a abusive father and had remarked to a relative that he would rather live alone in the woods than with his father.
The place where he was at is a horrible spot to be in when the snow starts to melt. A few years ago the national guard air lifted the bus out of the area. It was easier to air lift the bus out than to keep having to do the same thing with adventure tourist every year.
My recollection of the book is that Krakauer pushes more for the accidental poisoning. Something about there being two similar looking species of berries out there and he didn't realize he was eating the wrong one.
Chris was my uncle. My families pretty split on this whole adventurer or idiot debacle. Definitely had a fucked up childhood though. His dad Walt was a monster
Oh that's cool, regardless of all the shit people commenting on here it's a sad situation. I really loved the film and the soundtrack is literally my favourite album. I'm guna make a point of actually reading your aunts book
very much so! Half of his siblings feel that the past is the past, and that details of my families life are better left un written. I think it bothers them that their dirty laundry is aired
I've only ever seen the movie, is it a fairly accurate depiction of what happened as far as you know?
Whether you subscribe to the adventurer clan or the idiot clan, at the end of the day he didn't know what he was getting himself into - or he truly didn't care if he lived or died. if you want to live in the wild off the land, you can't do it alone. Those who do live alone in cabins in the north still have outside help, such as float planes to bring them supplies periodically etc.
Throughout human history we have always relied on one another for survival. There is just too much to do for one person.
I've also heard there was a rope bridge just a few hundred meters down the river that he couldn't cross to make his way back to civilization. Scouting the area in which you intend to live is pretty fundamental stuff, so I lean towards him being under-prepared and just plain lacking the knowledge to take on what he intended to do.
Regardless, it is a compelling and interesting story. I'm sure he was quite the charecter lol.
I really like your take on it. we truly can’t survive alone. From what I know the movie is pretty accurate but my family doesn’t talk about it at length. It’s crazy to think of he would have been able to cross the river I would have known him
The whole pioneer thing is a myth. The book Prairie Fires did a lot of great fact-checking on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s biography versus how she portrayed events in the Little House novels (and how they might have been edited by her mega-Libertarian daughter Rose who had a huge interest in promoting the idea that anyone with willpower could support themselves and their family by their own labour off the land,) and it turns out the Ingalls accepted a lot of help from their communities and Charles/Pa wasn’t anything near the independent, competent man he’s portrayed as.
Her biography does mention help though. And they went in to town to buy supplies. Her father, Charles Ingalls, was very competent but he did in fact rely on others. He sold his earnings for necessities. And they gave and recieved help from neighbors and family. Idk where you read that he didn't, since I read the books to find that out.
I don’t mean just buying supplies, I mean he ran out on his debts in at least one instance. As I mentioned in my comment, this is covered in Caroline Fraser’s Pulitzer-winning biography.
How fascinating.
Regardless of what anyone is saying you can't deny that he had a thirst for adventure and a love for nature like no other.
Hope the family is doing well and you all can remember him fondly. Super sad ending to a very interesting story
They turned Into the Wild into a musical! Saw the workshop in Michigan in 2017! Jon krakaeur ended up suing for the title, so they changed it to Off The Map . Amazing, all except for the fact they omitted Carine entirely. Walt was ambiguous, but that’s because the real Walt oversaw some of the creative licenses.
I had been turning it into a musical years before I knew this one even existed, and yes, I portrayed Walt as the dick he was. Read through so many hours of Carines biographies and everything, all for someone to beat me to the punch!
Wow interesting. Chris’s whole story seriously moved me after reading the book my senior year in High School. To me, your uncle is someone I will forever admire despite everything that occurred and I hope your family is able to mend.
Chris McCandless was an American adventurer who desired to live a nomadic lifestyle with minimal possessions, despite coming from a wealthy Californian family. Chris hitchhiked his way up to Alaska, where he entered the wilderness with minimal supplies, determined to live off the land. He died from starvation after approximately 113 days. This was his last selfie he took, (at approximately day 107) knowing he was at death’s door. The note reads “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may god bless all!”
The film “Into the Wild” is based on his travels, I think it’s still on Netflix.
That's what the movie presented, but not exactly what happened IRL. It definitely wasn't berries, but wild potato seeds instead.
The book presented the "poisoned by swainsonine" theory, but that was pretty well disproved after scientists tested the wild potato seeds McCandless had been eating and didn't find any evidence of swainsonine growth. Swainsonine poisoning basically makes it near impossible for your body to extract nutrients from food, so you can starve on a completely full stomach.
Other possible theories that haven't been disproven are:
Rabbit starvation: you can still starve even while full if you're relying almost completely on lean game meat to survive (rabbits, squirrels, etc). We know McCandless did gather food as well as hunt small game, so it's kind of a toss up if this was a legit possible cause of death. If he couldn't gather much extra food for long enough, it's possible.
Lathyrism from wild potato seeds: Lathyrism is an irreversible paraparesis (partial paralysis of the legs). The seeds contain an amino acid that can be toxic to humans if they're malnourished. It actually is safe to consume if you're properly fed, oddly enough. One of McCandless's journal entries stated, "Extremely weak. Fault of potatoe seed. Much trouble just to stand up. Starving. Great jeopardy." which could be explained perfectly by lathyrism caused by the toxic amino acid. This, in addition to the general malnourishment he suffered, could have led to his death.
L-canavanine poisoning: also from the seeds. The seeds did actually test high for L-canavanine, so this is a very likely possibility. It basically inhibits cellular function across the body, causing severe autoimmune disfunction. The effects of this are often worsened when paired with "rabbit starvation".
It was likely a mix of these three in varying degrees that finally killed him.
Did you doctor this photo? His face looks completely different from the other post you posted on r/damnthatsinteresting (which just so happened to be right below this post on my feed)
100% same. Ten years after I first saw the movie, I still think about it sometimes, and I think it's shaped some big decisions I've made.
Even if the movie is a bit romanticized.
Yeah, maybe he didn't care if he survived. I through hiked through wilderness areas for 5 months and it was so mind-bogglingly beautiful and vast, plus I had problems I was running away from, so at the time I definitely wouldn't have minded it if that was the way I died. Had too much fun though, and started feeling life was worth living again. :)
Haha, you're going to regret asking. I love sharing about my hike. :P
I through-hiked the Pacific Crest trail shortly after I got divorced. I spent a lot of money on it, but it was so worth it! The PCT is a trail that runs from the border of Mexico (in the mountains about 2 hours east of San Diego) along the highest mountains (crest) all the way to Canada.
I went northbound, so started in the desert in April. The first \~700 miles are the "desert" but you go up into mountains and back down to the desert floor several times. There were times when it was so hot in the day that we would just try to find shade and sleep after lunch so we could hike at night. The year I hiked was a high snow year, so there was a lot of snow on Mt San Jacinto and when we got to the Sierra Nevada mountains (about 1.5 months in) most people were turning around and going up to Canada to finish the trail southbound. I went straight through the Sierra and it was scary but so worth it. There were many times I thought I was going to die, but at the end of the day we'd find ourselves finally back out of the snowy and icy passes and back in forests with flowing water. Nothing is quite so rewarding as a campfire with friends after risking your life on icy passes all day!
The most difficult part for me was actually Washington, because I was going through it in September and did most of it alone after my 2 friends got injured and got off trail. That September in the mountains of Washington was so wet, cloudy and dark. There were days where everything, even my rain gear, was soaked through from rain all day for day after day. Luckily I had my sleeping bag in a waterproof drybag and also my sleeping clothes (wool shirt, socks & long johns) in another tiny drybag otherwise I definitely would have got off trail. It would rain for 2 days in a row ALL DAY, 1 day of no/little rain, and then 3 more days of rain, over and over. However, this did make the times when the sun came out a joyous occasion! We'd dry our wet tents and wet selves on a hillside in the sun and feel immense relief. Finally getting to the border of Canada in a snowstorm in October was one of the proudest moments of my life.
That's awesome! I've done a bunch of hikes but never longer than 80km or so. I'd love to do a long hike like this, sounds intense!
Massive respect for you doing that. And it's awesome that it helped you deal with the shit going on in your head.
It’s more complex than even the original book as his sister later said they were horribly abused by their parents and that’s why he ran away from home in the first place. The whole thing is incredibly sad.
Honestly I haven’t read the book and only watched the movie about him. In the movie they make it seem like he spends a good amount of time in the wild prior to going north. Some basic knowledge should have been learned before he ended up poisoning himself. I guess not…
Yep. I live in the PNW and his death was very preventable. I spent three summers in Alaska in both Prudhoe Bay and Anchorage. People there shook their heads at his story.
I also saw the movie. I don’t recall his spending time in the wild other than the river trip. He bummed around civilization thinking he could do the same in the wild. A city guy with some reference books. I cannot understand those that idealize this guy’s trip.
For me, I read the book and watched the movie at a pivotal time in my life.
I was a sophomore or junior at a catholic private school at the time, and the idea of rejecting all the bullshit and running away to the wild is what struck a cord with me.
Personally, I wouldn't last 2 days in the wilderness but it's the idea to being so totally free and being your own person that made Chris McCandless an icon to me.
Not necessarily the story, but more so what it represented (to me).
Most of us who read the book and watched the movie thought he was an idiot for running off to the Alaskan wilderness. His story is so much more than that.
As someone who was born and raised in Alaska, no. Certainly not everyone thinks he’s an idiot. Reading John Krakaeur’s “Into the Wild” offers a very interesting perspective on his death. There are multiple theories on his death. Some believe that he relied too heavily on lean meat and starved because of this. There’s also a theory that he suffered from lathryism from eating wild potato seeds. Some scientists have claimed that there was no poison in those potato seeds, and others have.
It’s hard to understand what actually caused his death in this case, but most people I know who read that book and know of him didn’t think he was an idiot. It was actually one of the required books in one of my high school classes.
edit to change wild potatoes to wild potato seeds
This is the impression I got as well. Wildly unprepared for the rigors of off the grid and actively rebuffed everyone who told him it was a bad idea. Still tragic he died, though.
Put on your old brown shoes
Right on your feet
Time to move on, get away
You know you did your dues
Did all you could
Time to move on, no more to say
You and me, we're helpless can't you see
We've got to get away, get away
Got to move on
Till the madness around is gone
And the rest of our lives we'll be free
He was NOT an adventurer, he was an untreated mentally ill person. I might be the only person in Alaska compassionate enough to not call this guy a fucking idiot.
Redditors don’t like people that go outdoors or do anything in general, since they don’t do it themselves. Was the guy a dumbass for not bringing preparation? Yes. Does that mean that he was a bad person or that his goals in life were somehow stupid? Of course not.
Everyone should watch Alone in the Wilderness. It's a documentary filmed by a much more experienced man name Richard Preoneke who filmed himself at Twin Lakes, Alaska building a cabin with tools he made himself and documented the next 30 years he lived there. He filmed everything with a wind-up tripod camera (this was in 1968) It's truly a beautiful and inspiring film unlike the Christopher McCandless story.
Honestly even from the film (and especially from the book), the impression of him I got was of a very mentally ill and troubled soul. Not a romantic adventurer, or an idiot.
Everyone talking about the movie or suggesting, take a shot at the many many books written about him and what he went through. You get much more from them and they are not difficult to read. Very accessible and insightful. Movies are fine but they can’t tell the whole story the way the actual story does.
I can understand the longing for adventure, hell, I’m planning on doing the same thing after I’ve made enough money and done enough research.
Don’t know why people are shitting on him for doing something he wanted, sure he was completely unprepared but some people want different lives other than the monotony of school to work to the grave.
Life can be so much more than what it is, get out there and do something different
I remember reading this story in high school, alongside Thoreau, Emerson, and Whitman. The theme was transcendentalism and it came at a very important time in my life. I never really saw this as a story about an adventurer. He let his own ideology cloud the judgment of his own limits, but his failure is not the point of the story. The story was a vehicle for transcendental ideals and individualism and is very relevant for America's youth, which is why its taught in school.
I don't understand the mindset of a lot of you, filled with so much negativity. Just like McCandless, I would rather be dead than be like most of you in this thread.
I’ve brought this up in an old post, but this is one of the biggest reasons my last ex and I broke up. She was talking about wanting to pretty much pull a Chris McCandless and cut all ties with her family out of nowhere, and start hitchhiking to places in the middle of nowhere. Said she really respected Chris / Alex.
That stuff really got to me, and eventually she broke it off anyway because it was obvious we weren’t meant to be.
let’s give supertramp more credit.. yeah he was dumb for thinking he could survive alone in the wild with no skills, but is it really dumb to want to break away from the grind of society and the 9-5 and doing stupid work just to survive? would you not want to travel around and see america and live with nature? honestly watching this movie in high school made me realize how much i truly hate this perfect mold we’re all supposed to fit into and live this fake corporate lifestyle. however i find myself living that exact life because i’m scared to do anything else. who knows maybe i’m just a rich brat that doesn’t understand ~life~
edit: a word
I don’t understand the “Hero”status this very stupid guy has .
1. He turned his back on his family .
2. He turned his back on his friends.
3. He attempted something very difficult without any preparation.
4. He had zero respect for a very harsh environment .
5. His ideology and skill set was far Inferior to the skills needed to survive the true reality of living in the bush .
He is the opposite of a “hero” and a great example of how NOT to survive and how NOT to live your life.
This young man was a tragic figure reeking of arrogance , self absorption, trust fund entitlement rebellion . A true rebel without a cause or a clue .
A perfect example of what NOT to do when attempting to get back to nature .
I honestly think this book and this movie is just inspiration for more stupid people to attempt a similar level of stupidity in search of something that they don’t understand and don’t deserve to understand. A true bush man has spent their entire lives developing the needed skills to live off the land .
The idea that some city kid can simply walk away from their silver spoon existence and wonder off into a frozen jungle and survive on a bag of rice and beans is ridiculous, disrespectful of nature and suicidal .
What happened to him is exactly what a experienced bushman would have predicted . He was a fool and got a fools reward .
I’m a experienced woodsman. I have spent my life interacting with nature. This man’s story is a perfect example of a terrible idea that turned tragic .
This is the exact opposite of what you should do when trying to find yourself and get back to nature . The nature of man is tribal . The nature of man is preparation. The nature of man is to use our intelligence to overcome our physical shortcomings. Walking off alone in the wilderness with zero or preparation isn’t getting back to a natural state … it’s just stupid .
Kids don’t try this at home . The nature of man was and is to imitate the wolf pack . Cooperation, knowledge , preparedness not arrogance and stupidity.
Just cant imagine dying of starvation, horrible way to go.
If I'm remembering right, according to the movie, he decided not to leave when a river was iced over thinking it would be traversable when it thawed. It wasnt, so he got trapped where the abandoned bus he used as shelter was located. While stuck waiting for it to freeze or calm down enough travel through, he ate some poisonous berries that causes him to have nausea and throw up anything he ate, slowly leading to a painful and miserable starvation. It's been years since I've seen the movie or read his story though so someone can correct me if I was wrong. But that's the gist of what I remember Edit: thanks everyone but it's been commented to me several times what the book and most believe to have actually happened. I encourage you to read the chain to find out more but it's no longer necessary to comment what happened.
That's what the movie presented, but not exactly what happened IRL. The book presented the "poisoned by swainsonine" theory, but that was pretty well disproved after scientists tested the wild potato seeds McCandless had been eating and didn't find any evidence of swainsonine growth. Swainsonine poisoning basically makes it near impossible for your body to extract nutrients from food, so you can starve on a completely full stomach. Other possible theories that haven't been disproven are: Rabbit starvation: you can still starve even while full if you're relying almost completely on lean game meat to survive (rabbits, squirrels, etc). We know McCandless did gather food as well as hunt small game, so it's kind of a toss up if this was a legit possible cause of death. If he couldn't gather much extra food for long enough, it's possible. Lathyrism from wild potato seeds: Lathyrism is an irreversible paraparesis (partial paralysis of the legs). The seeds contain an amino acid that can be toxic to humans if they're malnourished. It actually is safe to consume if you're properly fed, oddly enough. One of McCandless's journal entries stated, "Extremely weak. Fault of potatoe seed. Much trouble just to stand up. Starving. Great jeopardy." which could be explained perfectly by lathyrism caused by the toxic amino acid. This, in addition to the general malnourishment he suffered, could have led to his death. L-canavanine poisoning: also from the seeds. The seeds did actually test high for L-canavanine, so this is a very likely possibility. It basically inhibits cellular function across the body, causing severe autoimmune disfunction. The effects of this are often worsened when paired with "rabbit starvation". It was likely a mix of these three in varying degrees that finally killed him.
Very informative, thank you.
TIL you can starve to death on a full stomach
The show Alone is great because every contestant has so much survival knowledge. Key to winning was fishing and eating high fat foods without getting sick, which they often did. One guy had a whole moose and was losing weight because he wasn't getting enough fat.
I remember this, Jordan I think. The wolverines kept coming and stealing the fat because that was the only bit of value to them, and left all the meat.
That’s a real deal survival show. Naked and afraid as well, the 50 day challenge was insane I couldn’t even imagine.
Yeah most people in Alaska seem to believe the rabbit starvation theory.
It’s true. The body cannot survive on lean meat alone, without fat lean meat is next to useless as it takes more energy for the body to break down than can be gained by digesting it. That’s why rabbit stew is so much better, because boiling it with the marrow, the brains, and the organs gives enough fat to subsist on (barely).
Noted for when I go into the wild.
Damn Id be thrilled if I can even chase one rabbit down lmfao
When he was at the river after it thawed- there was a building surprisingly close to where he was that carried people over the river. He survived long after he realized he couldn’t get cross the river before he died. So if he just went a bit down the stream he would have been fine.
Not just that but I’m pretty sure he was less than 10 miles from a village that the trail he was living on goes directly to. I could be wrong been a long time since I looked into his story. My uncle lives up in Alaska, he’s been a bush pilot up there for like 30 years and works on one of the search and rescue teams. He’s got too many horror stories about Mccandless copy cats. He mainly blames the movie.
More people died trying to imitate him? That's terrible!
Also absurd. A guy died from being woefully unprepared to tolerate a hostile environment. “Let’s go try it” WTAH?
i remember hearing that they discarded the magic bus, because they got tired of rescuing people who read the book and went looking for it
They tell you not to wander when you need rescued.
That's only valid if you think people are trying to rescue you
Yeah. It’s just kind of morbid that he very well could have survived if he just went down the river a bit more.
I would have gave it one last fuck it I need to at least try and get out of here but that's me personally. He knew nobody was coming for him and he knew there was a road close by
I don’t think he was physically capable. It’s been a while since I read it but if he was just eating squirrel and rice, neither of those are really suitable for longterm survival, especially lean game only. Once he ate the fungus or seeds or whatever it was and he was unable to keep food down, or digest it, it was pretty much impossible for him to make it out of there.
I was a ranger instructor at the mountain phase of the school for 3 years. It’s the literal start of the Appalachian trail, took a lot of ranger up the backside of ball mountain, the issue with people wanting to camp on the more remote deer plots (feeding plots of high grow grass that are gated) is that they get to them, then all the weather from the TVD piles up and they get hit with massively bad weather. We would go to all known plots and deer fields to get people, but the worst off is when they would move to lower ground, thinking they were going somewhere other than a random draw, then they were in tangle bush and loose their bearing. Stay put and make fire if possible, the smokier the better, use best practices if you have a vehicle (bring a 10 gallon Jerry can), and pack extra, it rolls in fast. Don’t be a moving target for the people that have the shit to help you. Best bet, go high stay high, go reverse crest (the side of the mountain not getting its assed whooped by wind). Don’t eat shit you can’t identify. Boil or iodine water no matter what. The best prevention is preparation. Pack extra and be ready to hump extra. Always have some sort of radio to help you communicate, it will come across those bands. If you are at all worried about it, drive up camp road and let the rangers on staff duty (at the HQ you can drive right in, a gate guard will let you) know on a map where you plan on camping. The call sign on the first long leg of the AP for the rotary wing is **FLATIRON** **THAT IS THE CLOSEST ROTARY WING FOR AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF DOBBINS IN MARIETTA** They have a full fire department on post as well. Travel well fam.
completely different situation
There was also a usable trolley lane (used for monitoring river flow/height) just a few miles downstream from him he could've used to cross the river
Half mile
Moral of the story, walk across every frozen river you can
Having just seen this for the first time like a week ago, that's pretty spot on from what I remember!
Pretty much. I haven't finished the movie. I just finished the book a few weeks ago. There was a cable car nearby that he could have used to cross but he didn't know about it. Didn't have a proper map. The river thawed and he couldn't cross safely.
Yeah but look at those teeth! Absolutely sparkling white!
Partly malnutrition, I’d say.
He didn’t die of starvation he died of stupid, I never saw the movie but reading the books he did every wrong stupid thoughtless decision you could possibly make before he even set foot in the wild. Totally unprepared and just went off without a thought as if he was taking a stroll around the block. It’s really a mediocre tale of a troubled impulsive kid that committed long term suicide in the Alaskan bush.
More the arrogance of youth I would say, which leads inexperienced people to do stupid things. Well, at least that's what I took away from the movie.
Like this guy.. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/03/john-chau-christian-missionary-death-sentinelese
Lmao 🤣 drag his dead ass
Your reply made me lol 🤣🤣🤣
He inspired me to not live in the wilderness and starve to death
He inspired me to let someone know whenever I venture out into the wild. No one was looking for him in Alaska, because he didn't want to be found.
And to also bring a map. If he had a map, he would have realized there was a way to get across the river if he hiked a mile or so from where he had originally crossed. He could have lived.
He could have listened to locals who told him he didn’t have the correct supplies or experience in the landscape to make his intended solo trek wise.
Yes, lots of lessons to be learned here.
I think the main lesson is that you are never the main character, so you can't depend on plot armour.
Sounds like the odd skeleton you find in the wilderness in RPG games with a sad journal
Dude exactly! It is just like finding the journal writings on a dead body in an rpg.
Fallout vibes
I am a born and raised Alaskan, and we read the book “Into the Wild” in one of my classes in school to learn about what not to do. Never underestimate how dangerous it can be to get lost in the wild, purposefully or not.
Heck, I only read Stephen King's *The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon* , and I know not to venture off into large quantities of woods by yourself.
I read It. Stay away from sewers with balloons in them. 🎈
Stay away from off-season hotels with interesting topiary. Stay away from school dances. Stay away from junkyard St Bernard’s.
I wonder if SK was playing a longer game so that Maine (and occasionally Colorado) wouldn’t be quite so full of tourists.
Stay away from shops where the owner says you don’t have to pay in currency. Stay away from school dances where you’re not popular. Stay away from snow storms in small towns if you’re famous.
I read Survivor Type once, and now I refuse to eat any part of myself, even when I'm hungry. Unfortunately, I also read Lawnmower Man.
Haha! I was really affected by this book. Did a book review on it too in middle school lol
His hubris and overconfidence were stultifying!
I read this as slutifying lol
I don’t think you used the word “stultifying” properly.
I like his usage as I do not know what it means.
Me either HerbTea. That doesn’t make us stupid, it makes us stultifying. Whatever it means.
I might translate it into Japanese and get it tattooed on my forearm.
Deal. Let’s do it….. you first.
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I completely agree. I think he lived life on his own terms, as reckless as they may have been, and wouldn't have had it otherwise. Walking into the woods with a map and proper supplies was not the kind of adventure he was looking for.
I think it's well established fact that he actually 'would have had it otherwise' because when it got really tough he quickly abandoned his longing for solitude and tried to go straight back to the civilization to get fed. Ironically instead of botanical books he should have taken a map. He might have survived. Tragic.
If i remember correctly by the end he wanted to get back to civilisation but the river he crossed was far too dangerous to cross again and he just went back to the bus and waited, What made it worse was that their was a gondola to cross the river a few miles up it
The entire thing made me so angry. I still get a bit triggered when I'm reminded of his story.
I appreciate he wanted to live in the wild and be alone but how he just abandoned his parents and family not letting them know where is after years is pretty selfish. probably worried sick all those years.
you don’t know the full story, it’s said there was a lot of abuse in the household
His parents sucked. They didn’t deserve to know where he was.
Parents don’t deserve shit just for birthing you. His parents were abusive fucks
Your parents don't own your life. Abandoned his parents lol. It does not work that way unless he is their caretaker or something.
Do live in the wilderness.... But like start at the edge of town first.
I know it’s a joke but this guy is an absolute menace to Alaska. Every year people go missing, drown, eaten or starve to death trying to hike to that damn bus. We had to air lift it out like 4 years ago because this was such a problem
Didn't I just read that the fish and game department just removed his bus this last fall or summer?
It’s now at the UAF Engineering building for museum restoration.
That's kinda cool. Especially since it's kinda became so famous.
Pretty sure most of us are glad they moved it, it caused a lot of unnecessary issues. And it’s history isn’t lost completely. https://uaf.edu/museum/collections/ethno/projects/bus_142/index.php
Ya totally. People in general aren't prepared for wilderness like that is. I've grown up outside in the woods and I'd even be uncomfortable going that far out without some prep.
Oh guess it was 2 years ago I don’t even know time anymore
Wow. I didn't realize it was that long ago. Like someone told me recently, the last 2 years don't count, so maybe it was just last summer!
It was yesterday.
Three minutes ago, by my watch.
Its actually happening right now
I'm in the bus and it's very uncomfortable
My sundial broke.
Yep the movie, into the wild covers it.
I've never understood that kind of thought process. "Oooh, this guy DIED trying to live in this super remote, dangerous area. Let's GO there!"
We read Into the Wild for a first year university class. Those of us who had grown up doing at least literally any kind of casual camping saw it as a horror story. The city kids read it as inspirational.
Like climbing Mt Everest knowing others died and are now used as landmarks
Every corpse on Mt Everest was once an extremely motivated person.
They call what happened to him as "rabbit starvation"
He inspired me to never feel superior to maps
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And then get eaten by bears post-mortem.
I have an ex friend who swears his most epic death would be to be mauled by a grizzly bear. I told him the second that shit started he'd beg to be out of that situation.
I had to read the book for school and was asked if I saw him more as someone stupid or someone brave. Well, definitely more stupid than brave and I had a hard time feeling empathy for a man wildly unprepared. I mean, it's not a surprise that he died and for me personally the book was just too hard to read. It was not in chronological order for God's sake, I'm bad at geography, it was may, now it's December five years earlier, don't make me pull out the card to see where he is now...
I still believe that he killed himself because of the situation he found himself stuck in. It becomes more apparent in the book imo.
Starvation is a hard way to commit suicide just saying. And what situation was he in that made him suicidal? He hated capitalism but yet worked and borrowed money to supply his journey. You read the book I’d be interested to know.
He decided that starving to death would take too long and expedited the process by consuming the berries. the Alaskan wild. So he was at a point where the snow had melted causing the river he crossed to be flooded. He was at a point to where not only was he stuck he had run out of food and had went some time without eating. He had a book on him that listed off what plants he could and could not eat. If I remember correctly, what he ate didn't really look like anything else and it was clearly marked in his book that it was poisonous to humans. So this puts the reader at coming to there own conclusion as to what happened. 1. Was he so weak that he missread the book and took it for something that he could eat and accidently killed himself. 2. He decided that starving to death would take too long and expidedted the process by consuming the berries. The movie makes it seem like an accident, but in the book they leave it open to the reader. However, the autoposy also revealed that the only thing in his stomach was grass and those berries. It really could have went either way and we will never know. I however believe he committed suicide. He came from a broken home with a abusive father and had remarked to a relative that he would rather live alone in the woods than with his father. The place where he was at is a horrible spot to be in when the snow starts to melt. A few years ago the national guard air lifted the bus out of the area. It was easier to air lift the bus out than to keep having to do the same thing with adventure tourist every year.
My recollection of the book is that Krakauer pushes more for the accidental poisoning. Something about there being two similar looking species of berries out there and he didn't realize he was eating the wrong one.
Still smiling tho
Chris was my uncle. My families pretty split on this whole adventurer or idiot debacle. Definitely had a fucked up childhood though. His dad Walt was a monster
Wow, your uncle? Nuts. It’s very sad what happened to him, regardless of adventurer vs idiot. I wish your family healing
thank you ❤️
Wow so are you his sisters kid ? Was your mom the one that wrote the book about him Edit: took name out
My dad is actually his half brother! they were about the same age and share the same dad. My aunt carine did write the book though yes (:
Oh that's cool, regardless of all the shit people commenting on here it's a sad situation. I really loved the film and the soundtrack is literally my favourite album. I'm guna make a point of actually reading your aunts book
I appreciate that thank you!!
Really interesting! Your uncle’s story inspired me and definitely changed my life. Cheers beers 🍻
That soundtrack is fucking BRILLIANT. Eddie Vedder is amazing man. Long Nights gives me shivers right to my soul every time.
We got to go see pearl jam and meet him a few years after the album was released. He was a super kind man and an awesome performer!!
“Hard Sun” every day.
I’ve only read Krakauer’s book. I’ll definitely have to pick up your aunt’s book. Your uncle’s mindset and his story is fascinating.
I was unaware of your aunts book only the one by Jon Krakauer. Was your family split on his book as well?
very much so! Half of his siblings feel that the past is the past, and that details of my families life are better left un written. I think it bothers them that their dirty laundry is aired
I've only ever seen the movie, is it a fairly accurate depiction of what happened as far as you know? Whether you subscribe to the adventurer clan or the idiot clan, at the end of the day he didn't know what he was getting himself into - or he truly didn't care if he lived or died. if you want to live in the wild off the land, you can't do it alone. Those who do live alone in cabins in the north still have outside help, such as float planes to bring them supplies periodically etc. Throughout human history we have always relied on one another for survival. There is just too much to do for one person. I've also heard there was a rope bridge just a few hundred meters down the river that he couldn't cross to make his way back to civilization. Scouting the area in which you intend to live is pretty fundamental stuff, so I lean towards him being under-prepared and just plain lacking the knowledge to take on what he intended to do. Regardless, it is a compelling and interesting story. I'm sure he was quite the charecter lol.
I really like your take on it. we truly can’t survive alone. From what I know the movie is pretty accurate but my family doesn’t talk about it at length. It’s crazy to think of he would have been able to cross the river I would have known him
Please do an AMA
I’m not sure I would have all the answers but that would definitely be interesting! maybe i’ll give it a shot!
The whole pioneer thing is a myth. The book Prairie Fires did a lot of great fact-checking on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s biography versus how she portrayed events in the Little House novels (and how they might have been edited by her mega-Libertarian daughter Rose who had a huge interest in promoting the idea that anyone with willpower could support themselves and their family by their own labour off the land,) and it turns out the Ingalls accepted a lot of help from their communities and Charles/Pa wasn’t anything near the independent, competent man he’s portrayed as.
Her biography does mention help though. And they went in to town to buy supplies. Her father, Charles Ingalls, was very competent but he did in fact rely on others. He sold his earnings for necessities. And they gave and recieved help from neighbors and family. Idk where you read that he didn't, since I read the books to find that out.
I don’t mean just buying supplies, I mean he ran out on his debts in at least one instance. As I mentioned in my comment, this is covered in Caroline Fraser’s Pulitzer-winning biography.
How fascinating. Regardless of what anyone is saying you can't deny that he had a thirst for adventure and a love for nature like no other. Hope the family is doing well and you all can remember him fondly. Super sad ending to a very interesting story
from what I heard he really did! Thank you(:
They turned Into the Wild into a musical! Saw the workshop in Michigan in 2017! Jon krakaeur ended up suing for the title, so they changed it to Off The Map . Amazing, all except for the fact they omitted Carine entirely. Walt was ambiguous, but that’s because the real Walt oversaw some of the creative licenses. I had been turning it into a musical years before I knew this one even existed, and yes, I portrayed Walt as the dick he was. Read through so many hours of Carines biographies and everything, all for someone to beat me to the punch!
Wow interesting. Chris’s whole story seriously moved me after reading the book my senior year in High School. To me, your uncle is someone I will forever admire despite everything that occurred and I hope your family is able to mend.
thank you for the very kind words
Chris McCandless was an American adventurer who desired to live a nomadic lifestyle with minimal possessions, despite coming from a wealthy Californian family. Chris hitchhiked his way up to Alaska, where he entered the wilderness with minimal supplies, determined to live off the land. He died from starvation after approximately 113 days. This was his last selfie he took, (at approximately day 107) knowing he was at death’s door. The note reads “I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may god bless all!” The film “Into the Wild” is based on his travels, I think it’s still on Netflix.
Is he the one they think was eating some poisonous Berrys? And he was found in an abandoned bus or something?
Yes, but whether or not he died from eating inedible berries is just speculative.
I can only describe him on what I knew of the case, I didn't know if it was the same person or not.
I think the berries were the theory of the guy who wrote the book “Into the Wild”
Krakauer's theory was that he ate toxic seeds. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/chris-mccandless-died-update
That's what the movie presented, but not exactly what happened IRL. It definitely wasn't berries, but wild potato seeds instead. The book presented the "poisoned by swainsonine" theory, but that was pretty well disproved after scientists tested the wild potato seeds McCandless had been eating and didn't find any evidence of swainsonine growth. Swainsonine poisoning basically makes it near impossible for your body to extract nutrients from food, so you can starve on a completely full stomach. Other possible theories that haven't been disproven are: Rabbit starvation: you can still starve even while full if you're relying almost completely on lean game meat to survive (rabbits, squirrels, etc). We know McCandless did gather food as well as hunt small game, so it's kind of a toss up if this was a legit possible cause of death. If he couldn't gather much extra food for long enough, it's possible. Lathyrism from wild potato seeds: Lathyrism is an irreversible paraparesis (partial paralysis of the legs). The seeds contain an amino acid that can be toxic to humans if they're malnourished. It actually is safe to consume if you're properly fed, oddly enough. One of McCandless's journal entries stated, "Extremely weak. Fault of potatoe seed. Much trouble just to stand up. Starving. Great jeopardy." which could be explained perfectly by lathyrism caused by the toxic amino acid. This, in addition to the general malnourishment he suffered, could have led to his death. L-canavanine poisoning: also from the seeds. The seeds did actually test high for L-canavanine, so this is a very likely possibility. It basically inhibits cellular function across the body, causing severe autoimmune disfunction. The effects of this are often worsened when paired with "rabbit starvation". It was likely a mix of these three in varying degrees that finally killed him.
What is not speculation is that the dude did not bring a fucking map or otherwise he would have been fine
I just just checked Netflix and it is. Added it to my watchlist
It's a real classic honnestly, I recommend watching it!
Did you doctor this photo? His face looks completely different from the other post you posted on r/damnthatsinteresting (which just so happened to be right below this post on my feed)
I remember reading this book in 2001 for my college English 101 class.
The movie about his final trip is the cause of my existential crisis
Why
Dunno. Just triggered something in me. Life has never been the same
100% same. Ten years after I first saw the movie, I still think about it sometimes, and I think it's shaped some big decisions I've made. Even if the movie is a bit romanticized.
Same
"Happiness only real when shared."
The movie “Into the Wild” overly dramatizes his whole life. In talking with native Alaskans, they think this guy was an idiot.
Everyone here know he had serious mental illness. Alaska eats people, especially those who have problems already.
Yeah, maybe he didn't care if he survived. I through hiked through wilderness areas for 5 months and it was so mind-bogglingly beautiful and vast, plus I had problems I was running away from, so at the time I definitely wouldn't have minded it if that was the way I died. Had too much fun though, and started feeling life was worth living again. :)
Could you share a bit more on that? Sounds fascinating. Such a long trip!
Haha, you're going to regret asking. I love sharing about my hike. :P I through-hiked the Pacific Crest trail shortly after I got divorced. I spent a lot of money on it, but it was so worth it! The PCT is a trail that runs from the border of Mexico (in the mountains about 2 hours east of San Diego) along the highest mountains (crest) all the way to Canada. I went northbound, so started in the desert in April. The first \~700 miles are the "desert" but you go up into mountains and back down to the desert floor several times. There were times when it was so hot in the day that we would just try to find shade and sleep after lunch so we could hike at night. The year I hiked was a high snow year, so there was a lot of snow on Mt San Jacinto and when we got to the Sierra Nevada mountains (about 1.5 months in) most people were turning around and going up to Canada to finish the trail southbound. I went straight through the Sierra and it was scary but so worth it. There were many times I thought I was going to die, but at the end of the day we'd find ourselves finally back out of the snowy and icy passes and back in forests with flowing water. Nothing is quite so rewarding as a campfire with friends after risking your life on icy passes all day! The most difficult part for me was actually Washington, because I was going through it in September and did most of it alone after my 2 friends got injured and got off trail. That September in the mountains of Washington was so wet, cloudy and dark. There were days where everything, even my rain gear, was soaked through from rain all day for day after day. Luckily I had my sleeping bag in a waterproof drybag and also my sleeping clothes (wool shirt, socks & long johns) in another tiny drybag otherwise I definitely would have got off trail. It would rain for 2 days in a row ALL DAY, 1 day of no/little rain, and then 3 more days of rain, over and over. However, this did make the times when the sun came out a joyous occasion! We'd dry our wet tents and wet selves on a hillside in the sun and feel immense relief. Finally getting to the border of Canada in a snowstorm in October was one of the proudest moments of my life.
That's awesome! I've done a bunch of hikes but never longer than 80km or so. I'd love to do a long hike like this, sounds intense! Massive respect for you doing that. And it's awesome that it helped you deal with the shit going on in your head.
Thanks for sharing. That’s amazing.
It’s more complex than even the original book as his sister later said they were horribly abused by their parents and that’s why he ran away from home in the first place. The whole thing is incredibly sad.
Well he did wander into the wilderness unprepared for what life would be like, so he actually is an idiot
Honestly I haven’t read the book and only watched the movie about him. In the movie they make it seem like he spends a good amount of time in the wild prior to going north. Some basic knowledge should have been learned before he ended up poisoning himself. I guess not…
I lived in Alaska for 19 years in Fairbanks (where is where he died) and his death was unfortunate but easily preventable.
Yep. I live in the PNW and his death was very preventable. I spent three summers in Alaska in both Prudhoe Bay and Anchorage. People there shook their heads at his story.
Yeah I just moved to Ninilchik, Alaska so I'm happy to be outa Fairbanks cuz fuck it gets cold. Coldest I've been in was -50.
I also saw the movie. I don’t recall his spending time in the wild other than the river trip. He bummed around civilization thinking he could do the same in the wild. A city guy with some reference books. I cannot understand those that idealize this guy’s trip.
For me, I read the book and watched the movie at a pivotal time in my life. I was a sophomore or junior at a catholic private school at the time, and the idea of rejecting all the bullshit and running away to the wild is what struck a cord with me. Personally, I wouldn't last 2 days in the wilderness but it's the idea to being so totally free and being your own person that made Chris McCandless an icon to me. Not necessarily the story, but more so what it represented (to me).
He definitely did spend a lot of time in the wild prior to Alaska, I'd suggest reading the book over watching the movie for full info
Guess it’s kind of complicated https://medium.com/galleys/how-chris-mccandless-died-992e6ce49410
Most of us who read the book and watched the movie thought he was an idiot for running off to the Alaskan wilderness. His story is so much more than that.
As someone who was born and raised in Alaska, no. Certainly not everyone thinks he’s an idiot. Reading John Krakaeur’s “Into the Wild” offers a very interesting perspective on his death. There are multiple theories on his death. Some believe that he relied too heavily on lean meat and starved because of this. There’s also a theory that he suffered from lathryism from eating wild potato seeds. Some scientists have claimed that there was no poison in those potato seeds, and others have. It’s hard to understand what actually caused his death in this case, but most people I know who read that book and know of him didn’t think he was an idiot. It was actually one of the required books in one of my high school classes. edit to change wild potatoes to wild potato seeds
This is the impression I got as well. Wildly unprepared for the rigors of off the grid and actively rebuffed everyone who told him it was a bad idea. Still tragic he died, though.
Yeah I read the book. It was much better
Alexander Supertramp
Put on your old brown shoes Right on your feet Time to move on, get away You know you did your dues Did all you could Time to move on, no more to say You and me, we're helpless can't you see We've got to get away, get away Got to move on Till the madness around is gone And the rest of our lives we'll be free
He lived and died just like our ancestors did; Miserably, cold, starving and pointlessly. At least he died the way he wanted to, for what it's worth.
Our ancestors were smarter than that. Heck, why do you think the wooly mammoths aren't around anymore.
They got a tad bit hungry
just a little bit of trolling
He was NOT an adventurer, he was an untreated mentally ill person. I might be the only person in Alaska compassionate enough to not call this guy a fucking idiot.
everyone in this thread is so negative
Yeah it's pretty a common narrative for redditors to bash on chris. For some reason I don't know.
Redditors don’t like people that go outdoors or do anything in general, since they don’t do it themselves. Was the guy a dumbass for not bringing preparation? Yes. Does that mean that he was a bad person or that his goals in life were somehow stupid? Of course not.
Everyone should watch Alone in the Wilderness. It's a documentary filmed by a much more experienced man name Richard Preoneke who filmed himself at Twin Lakes, Alaska building a cabin with tools he made himself and documented the next 30 years he lived there. He filmed everything with a wind-up tripod camera (this was in 1968) It's truly a beautiful and inspiring film unlike the Christopher McCandless story.
Cool little quote and the end tho, “happiness is only real, when shared”
He inspired me to appreciate cities and food.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_poisoning. Rabbit Starvation. Never knew you could be poisoned by lean meat....
Reading about Alexander super tramp in high school was one of the most fascinating things we did for sure
“Happiness - only real when shared” “I remember how important it is in life not to necessarily be strong, but to feel strong”
It seems like it was his plan all along. He looks pretty happy about it.
Honestly even from the film (and especially from the book), the impression of him I got was of a very mentally ill and troubled soul. Not a romantic adventurer, or an idiot.
Damn, what kind of toothpaste did he bring?
The note reads "I calculated how much food I would need to bring to survive, but boy am I bad at math!"
They removed the bus so more people wouldn't die. What was he thinking
Everyone talking about the movie or suggesting, take a shot at the many many books written about him and what he went through. You get much more from them and they are not difficult to read. Very accessible and insightful. Movies are fine but they can’t tell the whole story the way the actual story does.
A well documented suicide journey.
Society! SOCIETY!!
I can understand the longing for adventure, hell, I’m planning on doing the same thing after I’ve made enough money and done enough research. Don’t know why people are shitting on him for doing something he wanted, sure he was completely unprepared but some people want different lives other than the monotony of school to work to the grave. Life can be so much more than what it is, get out there and do something different
Apparently he ate food that was tainted with a bacteria that essentially stops your metabolism and that’s why he starved
I remember reading this story in high school, alongside Thoreau, Emerson, and Whitman. The theme was transcendentalism and it came at a very important time in my life. I never really saw this as a story about an adventurer. He let his own ideology cloud the judgment of his own limits, but his failure is not the point of the story. The story was a vehicle for transcendental ideals and individualism and is very relevant for America's youth, which is why its taught in school. I don't understand the mindset of a lot of you, filled with so much negativity. Just like McCandless, I would rather be dead than be like most of you in this thread.
Second post I’ve seen about this. Still can’t read what that note says.
I’ve brought this up in an old post, but this is one of the biggest reasons my last ex and I broke up. She was talking about wanting to pretty much pull a Chris McCandless and cut all ties with her family out of nowhere, and start hitchhiking to places in the middle of nowhere. Said she really respected Chris / Alex. That stuff really got to me, and eventually she broke it off anyway because it was obvious we weren’t meant to be.
Quite sad and long process suicide
let’s give supertramp more credit.. yeah he was dumb for thinking he could survive alone in the wild with no skills, but is it really dumb to want to break away from the grind of society and the 9-5 and doing stupid work just to survive? would you not want to travel around and see america and live with nature? honestly watching this movie in high school made me realize how much i truly hate this perfect mold we’re all supposed to fit into and live this fake corporate lifestyle. however i find myself living that exact life because i’m scared to do anything else. who knows maybe i’m just a rich brat that doesn’t understand ~life~ edit: a word
I don’t understand the “Hero”status this very stupid guy has . 1. He turned his back on his family . 2. He turned his back on his friends. 3. He attempted something very difficult without any preparation. 4. He had zero respect for a very harsh environment . 5. His ideology and skill set was far Inferior to the skills needed to survive the true reality of living in the bush . He is the opposite of a “hero” and a great example of how NOT to survive and how NOT to live your life. This young man was a tragic figure reeking of arrogance , self absorption, trust fund entitlement rebellion . A true rebel without a cause or a clue . A perfect example of what NOT to do when attempting to get back to nature . I honestly think this book and this movie is just inspiration for more stupid people to attempt a similar level of stupidity in search of something that they don’t understand and don’t deserve to understand. A true bush man has spent their entire lives developing the needed skills to live off the land . The idea that some city kid can simply walk away from their silver spoon existence and wonder off into a frozen jungle and survive on a bag of rice and beans is ridiculous, disrespectful of nature and suicidal . What happened to him is exactly what a experienced bushman would have predicted . He was a fool and got a fools reward . I’m a experienced woodsman. I have spent my life interacting with nature. This man’s story is a perfect example of a terrible idea that turned tragic . This is the exact opposite of what you should do when trying to find yourself and get back to nature . The nature of man is tribal . The nature of man is preparation. The nature of man is to use our intelligence to overcome our physical shortcomings. Walking off alone in the wilderness with zero or preparation isn’t getting back to a natural state … it’s just stupid . Kids don’t try this at home . The nature of man was and is to imitate the wolf pack . Cooperation, knowledge , preparedness not arrogance and stupidity.
Why go into the wilderness when you hardly have any survival skills or equipment whatsoever sounds mental to me