I always saw Into The Wild as being a cautionary tale. One told to show you what not to do.

@TheBookRefuge

2 ай бұрын

Same! It seemed to show how each choice an slowly add up and compound until you've really put yourself in danger by your own actions. No condemnation for him, but he took his own life into his hands. He's not at fault for people who came after him and did it with their own. 🤷‍♀️

@EMurph42

2 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@thereselarfield7177

2 ай бұрын

Yes… me too…

@judywright4241

2 ай бұрын

Plus, in the book AND movie, there were people WARNING him against what he was doing, and even had the kind hearted guy who gave Chris his waterproof boots. The saddest thing was Chris ‘got it’ at the end, by writing beauty was meant to be shared and signed his real name.

@lizzaangelis3308

2 ай бұрын

I always like to use these tales of misadventures to see what mistakes they made, how they dealt with the adversity. Could he have some something different that could have changed the outcome.

McCandless didn't know what people would do with his story, what other people did after he died isn't on him.

@mattjack3983

2 ай бұрын

No, it's not on him. If anything, his story should be taken as a cautionary tale. There's nothing wrong with setting out into the wilderness to live off the land and find yourself. But being properly prepared and having requisite skills to survive is a pretty important detail that Chris very foolishly skipped over.

@user-co8uy5rb2s

2 ай бұрын

McCandless had a very fantastical view of not just the wilderness, but life itself. He claims he hated money but by existing on the favors and gifts of others, he was still using money. Also, he was very untrained and unprepared for living in the wild. His fantasies killed him.

@eyetrollin710

2 ай бұрын

No it's the fault of people talking about him in any sort of positive way he should be mocked this whole situation should be a laughingstock the fact that anyone holds any reverence for him or has ever called him a hero or said he's Brave or Associated any positive words with him all of those people are the ones who are to blame, if we as a group looked at him in a rational way and said wow what an idiot no one would want to repeat what he did if he was openly mocked ostracized and called what he was a spoiled lunatic with an ego the size of Alaska then no one would idealize this, but it's the journalists and the KZreadrs and everybody else who says anything about him that was positive that is to blame for other people dying spinning a moron into a hero is Ludacris

@damonroberts7372

2 ай бұрын

The real blame should be on Jon Krakauer and Sean Penn for exploiting and romanticizing the story of a mentally ill young man who died by misadventure.

@EMurph42

2 ай бұрын

I have to agree with that. Chris has a foolish short-sighted idealistic frame of mind. This all happened like my freshman year of high school; kids were reading the book but not all like “he might not have made it but I will!” More like “look at this terrifying story of being off the grid.” I do not think most kids I knew romanticized it.

Chris's writings before his death are full of regret and how he realized he'd screwed up. It's a tragic story. He didn't want to die and his death shouldn't be glorified. RIP. ❤

@davids6652

Ай бұрын

Ppl get desperate when they’re faced with death as he was. But this clip is full of misrepresentation and has omitted so much info abt mr McCandless

@carwrapkingvinylwraps4097

28 күн бұрын

True but he was warned few times...

@stanzaloan3454

19 күн бұрын

Who's glorifying it? If his story inspires anyone, they missed the point.

@lordofpain3476

16 күн бұрын

He was foolish and idealistic .

@jennifermarie3158

14 күн бұрын

@@davids6652 The point of the video wasn't to focus on McCandless. There are lots of other videos that tell his story if that's what you want

As a 30 year student of wilderness survival, I view these as examples of how beautiful, yet uncaring the wilderness is. It’s neither for you nor against you & doesn’t care if you live or die.

@navagatingthroughthebeasts2908

Ай бұрын

It ain't personal

@dimplesd8931

Ай бұрын

So true

@Raelven

Ай бұрын

Nature is the most impersonal force in existence. She does her thing, she knows it works as intended, and she doesn't care if you intervene, and suffer consequences.

@djsdownhill2010

Ай бұрын

It’s like that for all living things…even us humans!😉

@cliffordbowman6777

Ай бұрын

Most people don’t either

People. “Into the Wild” is a cautionary tale, not a How-To manual.

@mikeseibert4889

2 ай бұрын

Ain't that the truth bro people don't realize how harsh mother nature really can be especially in Alaska.

@LuisTheMexican

2 ай бұрын

@@mikeseibert4889 mother nature is a motha

@sendmorerum8241

2 ай бұрын

Apparently, no one watched til the end.

@corneliusdinkmeyer2190

2 ай бұрын

A “How to Die” movie.

@midgetman4206

2 ай бұрын

For the 2 women who died as an example (others surely had similar ideas), I don't think they were trying to replicate what the man did. They simply wanted to see and experience the place with their own eyes and bodies, similar to going to museums or other historical sights. The issue is that they never accepted when they should have stopped. Ignorance or stubbornness, they didn't turn back when the situation was out of their league.

At 13 I read "My Side of the Mountain" about a boy that ran away and lived in a tree in the mountains. I thought that was so cool and wanted to do it. But I came to my senses realizing I knew nothing about survival..... at 13, just saying

@Willrocs

2 ай бұрын

😂 ha

@thorbrennergostasson8556

2 ай бұрын

AHA yes! been looking for the title to that book! There's a crappy old movie too! He meets a guy he calls Bandit too, right?

@jenniferingle888

2 ай бұрын

Love that book! Started a lifelong intrest in bushcraft.

@heathersmith8549

2 ай бұрын

That was one of my favorite books as a child

@janefreeman995

2 ай бұрын

I was also ready to live in a tree and train a peregrine falcon to hunt for me!

As an avid hiker i would hear many non hikers talk about McCandless like a role model. I'd always respond, "Nature wants you dead. Nature is a serial killer, forget that and you'll be the next McCandless." 🙄

Little published factoid: when Chris made his final hike to the river to attempt to save himself he trekked some ways upriver trying to find a safe crossing. When he returned to the trail, he chose to go back to the bus rather than scout the opposite direction downriver as well. Had he gone the other direction he'd have found a suspended trolley-rig by which he'd have been able to safely cross the river and had the chance to make it to the state road where he would've possibly encountered help. Fate and irony are very good friends, and also very cruel sometimes.

@gwynkaitis1259

25 күн бұрын

That is incredibly sad.

@johngerson7335

25 күн бұрын

​@@gwynkaitis1259I completely agree, it is.

@jamestabor7725

24 күн бұрын

I read or seen a documentary that said the exact same thing. Also something about a place around in the area vandalized.

@yavrielsechelle7431

24 күн бұрын

Nah. That has nothing to do with fate or irony. Fatigue, he gave up, lazy, depressed, despair. Those are the things that kept him from going the other way.

@SupremeGreatGrandmaster

22 күн бұрын

@@yavrielsechelle7431 I don't think you know what fate or irony mean.

There is a very good reason why our ancestors built shelters, bridges, boats; invented engines, weaponry, clothes...they didn't do it because they were sitting around happily in nature "living off the land". They did it because nature would, and did, kill and eat them alive.

@Kunfucious577

2 ай бұрын

Totally agree. It’s also super inefficient. It’s only romanticized because so few people do it. A significant number of people doing this would wipe out wildlife and wood.

@hannahp1108

2 ай бұрын

@@Kunfucious577Yes. And so many of us are so removed from what it's like to be in the natural world that it becomes romantic and we forget the dangers.

@vln987

2 ай бұрын

Absolutely, and we all worked together. No one did this alone.

@wendaltvedt4673

2 ай бұрын

Personally I don't see the appeal in living off the grid. I love nature but I also love grocery stores, A/C, showers and toilet paper.

@ccpperrett7522

2 ай бұрын

I live in Alaska. The indigenous people who live here no longer live primitively. There is a reason for that. We enjoy camping but living in a dugout or tent at minus fifty degrees is not romantic. Trust me. The people who live primitively have short life spans for a reason.

I live in Alaska and to be honest, we all grew tired of the costly rescues. Finally the bus was air lifted out of there by helicopter. It's sad that had to be done, but the average hiker rescued could not afford to pay for their rescue.

@richardstever3242

2 ай бұрын

That is the only explanation so far that has made any sense. The decision was not based on saving the fools, but rather as a relief for the taxpayers.

@helium5912

2 ай бұрын

No the truth is that it was sent to the University and will be on display. THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR TO SEE. Everything in america HAS to cost money. Anything free to see is NOT gonna make Uncle Sam happy. Leave the bus in the wild to rot away and people will stop going. Or totally destroy it. @@richardstever3242

@beneleonhard7915

2 ай бұрын

I just thought that this would be necessary. Good to hear, that it has been done. I early heard about the story and always went mentally back to what his motivation was, what he was trying to find - and in the end was telling to what was most important. I'm relieved to know that locals and rescue services are not further that much bothered by naive or careless people.

@gjmottet

2 ай бұрын

The museum of the North now has the bus and I have heard they want to replace it somewhere in the UAF trail system where it would be a mile or so from the trail head and be something to hike it, but done safely. Its about tourism dollars now

@beneleonhard7915

2 ай бұрын

@@gjmottet that is in itself another sad end to the story...

No one’s responsible but the fool’s who KNOWINGLY put themselves in harm’s way, especially all those after McCandless’s death. I read “Into The Wild” before the movie and it inspired me NOT to do the same. The romanticization of his story ending so tragically, and his personal regrets in his dying days was actually a huge de-motivator as no one romanticized what he was doing more than he did, so when even he left behind his final message of “happiness is only real when shared” it really sank home.

@deborahkimball-billups6405

12 күн бұрын

Exactly 💯

@user-cv8qe9ru8c

10 күн бұрын

Dope name my guy! Proud 2A Granite stater my damnself

@ItsMe-ic7on

2 күн бұрын

The ending of this movie to me was not romanticized in the least that anyone who thinks it is needs to go see a shrink

The story on Chris always makes me cry. His photos and how thin he was getting but still had a smile on his face. Even writing a final note.

I’ll honestly never understand why anyone would hear that someone died due to being unprepared and then go to the same place without being prepared. The only people who are responsible for unprepared are the people who are not prepared.

@kathrynlynch4317

2 ай бұрын

thinning out the heard - I will help you but

@maratonlegendelenemirei3352

2 ай бұрын

I know, it's absolutely hilarious to me!!!

@everkief8650

2 ай бұрын

I was just about to write a similar comment but you expressed my own thoughts better than I could have. I have genuine sympathy for anyone who finds themself in this similar situation but I'm baffled by their lack of detailed and objective thought, or planning. I hate to say it but it's way to similar to simply killing oneself, even if accidental.

@user-yy7hg4ph6f

2 ай бұрын

💯

@TheWorkmonkey1

2 ай бұрын

I suppose it's important to take into account, when pondering on these sorts of things, is that some people are really fucking stupid.

Reminds of that idiot who used to go and annoy the bears. He was convinced he had some sort of magical connection to them. Evidently, the feeling wasn't mutual because the bears mauled and ate him.

@judywright4241

2 ай бұрын

Chris wasn’t using cocaine that gave Timothy Treadwell (Timothy William Dexter) delusional thinking. Treadwell was close to fifty years old in contrast to Chris at 24. Chris, having had limited experience hiking and hunting with his father, there seemed to be rebellion against the ‘hypocrisy’ of his parents to ‘leave what they worshipped-money and things’ Many teens graduate feeling that way without leaving common sense behind.

@hauntsforhope

2 ай бұрын

And his girlfriend. Fools.

@bjmartin5225

2 ай бұрын

Yep

@user-nz7co4pk5s

2 ай бұрын

@@judywright4241 To be fair, I said that it reminded me of Treadwell, not that I felt they were identical. I guess I just see them as having the same romanticised view of nature. You are probably right about McCandless wanting to abandon modernity for a simpler life in the woods. The irony of this view is that it is the safety of modernity that leads people to have an idealised and romanticized view of the wilderness. Enough time has past and enough generations have elapsed for all of us to basically forget about how hostile and unforgiving the wilderness actually is. We may refer to her as "Mother Nature" but she has absolutely no maternal instincts towards us.

@elonever.2.071

2 ай бұрын

@@user-nz7co4pk5s I think McCandles saw his journey as a right of passage. A challenge marking the journey from young adult to manhood.

Into the Wild was a sad story because along the way McCandless met all kinds of people who loved him & wanted him to stick around with them. He ended up dying along because he refused to see that.

@pattamus1

Ай бұрын

He was mentally ill IMO, about 90% sure. He most likely had PTSD and anti-social disorder and delusions of grandeur (thinking he could do anything alone and needed no one). Just from a psychology student yet to graduate.

@blainwilson7937

Ай бұрын

He was deeply troubled and I believe a part of him was just fed up with the bs of life so in a way, he had a death wish.

@MiaDoe-fr1pz

Ай бұрын

Or, was unable to realize that. I'm not saying who is wrong or right about him just that we may never know. I purchased the book because I enjoyed reading Jon Krakauer works. This man's story is tragic and when I read about a piece of someone's life like this, I feel there is more to the story. I don't need to know it all. RIP brave soul. ❤

@marykwart9331

Ай бұрын

When the movie was being made in AK, they paid locals who encountered Mccandliss to not talk to an AK documentarian who wanted to tell the truth. I saw that documentary.

@marykwart9331

Ай бұрын

Native people have successfully lived where MCcandless died for centuries. His solo approach to survival reflected the dominant EuroAmerican individualist paradigm that in truth is total idiocy for actually surviving.

Part of the problem now days is the glamorization of the off-grid/wilderness survival lifestyle. Most people born after 1985 (yes I said most) can not even survive a weekend in a public campground without devices to help/entertain them. But for some reason, the idea of just dropping everything and heading into the wild, has become a goal for many under 35. I am 51 years old, former military and I struggled when I went off-grid. And I was 20 minutes from town. I grew up in the woods. I knew how to build shelter, hunt, camp etc. and I was a 19D in the military. I was still woefully unprepared for my first 6 months. A simple survival search returns 100k+ results on youtube alone. Nevermind off-grid, wilderness living, etc. And many people die every year reaching for this pipe dream they are not prepared for.

@Raelven

Ай бұрын

I wonder, if people knew there was no search & rescue, that no one was coming to look for, or save them when they get into the inevitable dire straits, a consequence of their own risk taking, would fewer people try things which they must know, on some level, they are utterly unprepared for?

@jlt131

Ай бұрын

@@Raelven I don't know if that would affect the numbers much - a lot of the people that go missing or get into big trouble out there also haven't told anyone where they were going or have any way of reaching SAR services, so wouldn't be able to even expect anyone to come find them.

@derek96720

Ай бұрын

The military teaches you next to nothing about real wilderness survival, so being a cav scout really isn't saying much. You're right in that KZread is a better education source at this point

@katiejon17

Ай бұрын

I was born in 1979 and I completely agree with you. I see parents at the grocery store with their children and they cannot even out their phones down.

@Susweca5569

Ай бұрын

​@katiejon17 I was born in the 1950s, and I've been learning survival and non tech ways to live since I was a child. I've lived in the woods most of my adult life, but I know my limitations. I will never take nature for granted. We are forever at her mercy.

If someone does something that leads to their death and then you go do the same thing knowing what happened to the other person, that's on you. Also when I say "that's on you" I mean the person who knew exactly what happened to the first person and knew the dangers but followed suit that it's on. Not the first person cause they didn't know others would copy. Now, with them, doing something that's very clearly risky is always a high chance of bad things/death. It's on them because they made that choice to take that chance. That's life.

@beachbumt1

2 ай бұрын

Exactly! Shame on KyleHatesHiking for labeling this video "Not a Hero". Back in the early 1990s, he set out, not for HIKING, but to find himself, to do something he dreamed of -- something most people are afraid of (searching for their inner truth). He broke the bogus system, even though it ended badly for him.

@noahhyde8769

2 ай бұрын

Yes, Chris acted completely idiotically. He was never all that far from help (he could have literally walked out of there), and didn't even bring a map. That is NOT something to make a book about, let alone a movie about. And it's certainly not something to imitate or chase. All over a stupid bus and a foolish trek. I'm sorry he died but he did NOT have to. This was a totally, 100% preventable tragedy. Same with the others who came after.

@beachbumt1

2 ай бұрын

@deathknell5167Doesn't matter. He labeled that thumbnail himself, basically calling McCandless "not a hero". I give McCandless a lot of credit for doing what he did. Yes, he could've prepared more, but he at least dared to live his dream. That's where the hero part comes in. As far as others not using their common sense seeing a raging river, it's sad, but on them and them alone. It's like swimming in the ocean on red flag days or during a hurricane and I have literally seen that, where people were letting their little kids (probably under 5 years old) play in the water with a hurricane approaching while I myself was too scared to get near the water, knowing if it came up closer to me, could've taken me out to sea. Again, common sense.

@antthomas7916

2 ай бұрын

​@@beachbumt1 Following your dreams and going out to find yourself doesn't make you a hero. It's inspiring and commendable, but it's not heroic. He didn't save anyone, in fach he kind of did the opposite. So technically, the thumbnail is correct.

@konnorlewis1869

2 ай бұрын

​@@beachbumt1 Kyle is right. The dude died and isn't here to help the world in anyway and his story only taught people to not go into the wild like an idiot.

I am from Norway, with much of the same climate and landscape as Alaska. Every year, the Red Cross or other rescue services have to pick up tourists on adventures that end with them being stuck on a mountain ledge or taken by avalanches. Tourists who defy all advice and get lost can end up paying large sums for helicopter and search. Nice with adventurers, but listen to what the local people have to say about your project.

@Winstonrodney6989

2 ай бұрын

If I have learned one thing from watching tragedy videos on KZread, it’s always listen to the locals!

@joannagodfrey5111

2 ай бұрын

we get similar stupidity in Scotland

@djomegaminus

2 ай бұрын

the tax payers end up paying not the idiots who defy common sense.

@adkviking69shofner98

2 ай бұрын

❤Norway

@DingDong-fq2mo

2 ай бұрын

We get similar tourists in Australia, putting themselves in danger and needing rescue in very different environs. Some people seem unable to learn from the mistakes of others.

Even today, there are still lots of preppers that stubbornly stick to the idea that they can go 3 weeks without food in those same conditions. it's part of what they call the "rule of threes". They don't understand that living in the wilderness requires far more calories than sitting at home on the couch. Chris McCandless ovbiously didn't know the area and a topography map would have saved his life. I checked Google maps and found that there was a bridge only 1.5 miles away from where the bus was parked. There was also a dirt road from where the bus was parked to the bridge. Even common sense should have told him that there must have been a way for the bus to get across the river and get to where it was parked.

@Doxymeister

29 күн бұрын

Ah, I was wondering how the bus got out there in the first place. Buses don't just pop up out of the ground like plants. Someone had to have drove it in there so there had to have been a bridge.

@liambyrne5285

21 күн бұрын

​@@Doxymeisterit could have come from a different direction

@behindthespotlight7983

20 күн бұрын

I greatly appreciate your comment. As a survival enthusiast and preparedness minded American it’s always bugged me bigtime that men buy brand new equipment, pack it into a bag then unpack it on youtube while pretending they know what they’re talking about. It isn’t helping the epidemic of idiots requiring SAR to continuously beat the mantra of “here’s my $300 bushcraft knife. I didn’t pack food because you can go three weeks without food before…” 🤦🏼‍♂️”Dude. Try going three days sitting in your climate controlled living room without calories then try to run the vacuum. Let alone ‘process wood’ for a bush shelter with that knife you overpaid for by 600%”

@blemishednicely8402

19 күн бұрын

The "rule of 3" isn't a goal...it's literally a critical threshold... 4 minutes without air (brain begins to die), 4 days without water (death by dehydration) & 4 weeks without food (death by malnutrition)...these are the 3 general rules of survival & death, they are NOT "goals" to attempt to plan around or play about with. Rare exceptions, people have survived longer without air (usually due to a stasis-like condition, say, falling into cold waters etc though almost all suffered brain damage as a result), people HAVE also been found alive past the water & food thresholds, but the organ damage resulting from it often kills them anyway OR compromises them for the rest of their (most certainly shortened) lives...technically it IS possible to double your expectancy without food if you were to drink beer (due to the b vitamins & other nutrients water doesn't have) - BUT that would also take a toll on your liver as well as dehydrate you & good luck finding a river of beer flowing in the wild. ...Guess they never stopped to wonder WHY life expectancies were so much shorter in the days of frontiers/pioneers & earlier... People who plan around death's door shouldn't be surprised when they eventually get invited in (& be it through stupidity, ignorance or arrogance, absolutely deserve what they get IMHO), sad as it may be for those they left behind~

@herpertderpert

17 күн бұрын

@@blemishednicely8402 hey if anyone out here ever finds that river of beer flowing in the wild shoot me a line.

He is NOT responsible for anyone loss of life. They are responsible for their own actions.

@user-is3dy7rp2e

23 күн бұрын

Ya blaming a dead guy that wrote a diary to warn others not to do what he did is a new level of avoiding accountability.

People romanticizing his isolation and wanting to follow in his footsteps are missing the entire point of his story: “happiness only real when shared.”

@LH_Vagrant

2 ай бұрын

Indeed, that single line is the big take-away from the story, or at least to me it is. As magical as the story (sans the ending) may seem to some, McCandless himself realised by the end that the true magic lay in the connections he found along the way. Whatever our interests and path in life, we're not meant to go it alone.

@pedroroque829

2 ай бұрын

@@LH_Vagrant Exactly, imagine the things he saw in Alaska and realizing he couldn't share them with anyone.

@Zodroo_Tint

2 ай бұрын

@@pedroroque829 That feeling is when you understand. When something great happening and you realize there is nobody there just you. And when you die that great thing only you saw will die with you like it never happened.

@lesliehammonds29

2 ай бұрын

@@Zodroo_Tint yes. I think it also speaks to how he idealistic view of what he'd done all that time had finally broken down as he died alone and scared. I do end of life care. It's scary to go through facing one's own mortality alone for most people. I think Chris was young enough that he hadn't given it much thought. Or if he had, it was in a removed way, like yeah I might die but I'll be dying in this noble pursuit. That's an easier thing to say when you're not staring death in the face. I think his story resonates with me because I so deeply understand what he was after. But I also so deeply mourn the way he went about it and the suffering he faced which could have been avoided. I think that statement, "Happiness is only real when shared" was a realization he needed to have, but that he had too late to save his life and got him off the self destructive path he was on.

@no1fibersplicer525

2 ай бұрын

@@lesliehammonds29 wry well said. You communicate you feelings very well.

I have an interesting connection to the movie - I rescued one of the wolves that were in the very short movie scene with a pack of wolves in it, about to steal his meat he had procured. Her name was Willow. She died here and is buried here. She was absolutely the sweetest wolf I have ever rescued. She lived with her companion named Gulliver, who was so devastated by her death that he died 2 weeks after she did, after having been perfectly healthy for years.

@sweeneytodd011

2 ай бұрын

Thats a sad end but it's great the animals got to have several years of, no doubt, a good life thanks to you 👏🐺

@BurroGirl

2 ай бұрын

@@sweeneytodd011 thank you. Yes they had a really great life, had an acre of land all to themselves, shelters, a pool, and Willow dug her own tunnels in the ground. They got brushed when shedding, as much as they would tolerate, lots of raw diet. Willow would roll over on her back to have her tummy rubbed.

@BurroGirl

2 ай бұрын

@@sweeneytodd011 before I took them they were kept on chains on a property in Alaska. There were 30 of them and the people who "owned" them bred them and a sold their pups to make $ and also charged people who came to walk the property to see "the largest wolf pack in Alaska". The State of Alaska ended it by threatening to shoot them all since they had no permit to have them, plus the state was cracking down on ownership of wolf hybrids. A number of wolf rescue sanctuaries got wind and made an offer to the State, with a plan to spay and castrate them all and move them out of Alaska. The State agreed. Veterinarians volunteered to do the neuters for free. Bob Barker donated a plane to fly them out down to Washington state, and from there they were transported on trucks to a sanctuary in Southern California.

@harrietbryant7772

2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for telling us about Willow and thank you for rescuing her. I will keep you and the animals you rescue and love so dearly in my heart and my thoughts. I’ve been rescuing homeless animals (mostly cats, I’m a city kid) for over 50 years and your story touched me in a way very few others have. Thank you so much for sharing part of your life and heart with us.

@BurroGirl

2 ай бұрын

@@harrietbryant7772 oh wow, thank you so much and I'm glad it touched you. Thank YOU for all you have done and continue to do for animals. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hero? No. Never. Just a good kid trying to escape family abuse and figure out how to heal. Reading his sister's book was incredibly insightful (after reading Into the Wild, obviously). Truly feel for her and her brother. Incredibly tragic story on all counts.

Over the years, as a resident of Alaska and Yukon Canada I have had the the discussion with many residents and most of us have agreed that we would have made the decision to DIE trying to cross the river rather than staying and starving to death. McCandless made many poor decisions during his short life.

I read the book years ago. For me it is more of a tragedy and a huge warning than anything else. Nature doesn’t care about us, usually. All in all, it’s often very young and young folks who underestimate what they are up against, not just in the wild but also with other potentially dangerous activities.

@sweeneytodd011

2 ай бұрын

My thoughts exactly.

@Pipsqwak

2 ай бұрын

Especially young men - they have the highest rate of accidental death due to reckless risk-taking while feeling invincible. McCandless probably thought that because he was young and healthy when he left, that he'd be okay and have plenty of time to just learn how to survive as he went along. He had no idea how to really live on his own, even in civilization. Unfortunately, the wilderness just doesn't give a shit about anyone or anyone's ideals, hopes, dreams, or spiritual quests and pretensions. If you don't have the nitty-gritty skills, you die. And sometimes even if you DO have the skills, you still die.

@allewis4008

2 ай бұрын

​@@PipsqwakPeople born from a life of ease often have a childish view of how the world works.

@scribbly2983

2 ай бұрын

I didn't think Krakauer romanticized what happened and was surprised people reacted by wanting to follow.

@michaelchase418

Ай бұрын

Nature doesn't care about us ever. We are just smart enough to utilize it, we've created lots of ways to ensure comfortable survival in much of it, but in the end- on a long enough timeline, nature is what kills us, either our human nature or the nature we can't control.

I did a lot of backpacking in my younger years and I never ceased to be amazed at the number of people I ran across who had no business being in the wilderness. No food/water, no knife, no shelter, no first aid kit, not even knowledge about local wildlife (especially bears) or how to start a fire. Couldn’t read a map, didn’t have a compass. Ignorance kills. Ignorance + lack of preparation + denial of reality are an unforgiving combo. McCandless is not to blame for those who idolized/followed him.

@elliotdryden7560

2 ай бұрын

Same. You walk on thinking "Well, I'll start a shot-clock timeline on THOSE two..."

@kaasmeester5903

2 ай бұрын

Never was much of a backpacker, but I've hit a few trails on holidays abroad. Yeah, I was totally "that guy": poorly prepared and unaware of potential dangers ahead. Had a few adventures as a result. Live & learn. Well, I'm glad I made it to the "live" part.

@tired7140

2 ай бұрын

I've helped numerous people in the back country that were so ill prepared food, water, shelter it's amazing. Now I totally understand why so many people die in the wilderness.

@Malitesta

2 ай бұрын

Krakauer’s book and the movie are about an actor playing Mc Candless being extremely lucky to have survived a few highly cinematic epics. Unfortunately for Mc Candless and a growing number of others is that they’ve mistaken being lucky while outdoors for being capable miles from the parking lot.

@meljane8339

2 ай бұрын

Wierd. Where and when was that? (I was in the "hug-a-tree" generation(s))

He starved to death because he ate a certain plant, he died before the Internet was a thing! The book had me in tears.. he regretted his choices..

Poor McCandless, he most definitely had depression, if not schizophrenia and he really was just trying to find peace

I live in the Yukon Territory and the Claire Ackermann story is very close to my heart. Her boyfriend is a French guy that used to live here. Truth is that his reputation preceeded him and next to no one wanted to join him on expeditions, as his recklessness and insane risk-taking was extremely well-known. Everyone was heartbroken about Claire's death, but knowing who she was with, we weren't surprised. He never took responsibility for any of it and continued taking insane risks in the wilderness and avalanche terrain, where he was partially buried but survived. Last news of him is when he left on a shitty sailboat from Skagway Ak with little to no sailing experience. Hubris and arrogance run rampant...

@winterwolf2012

2 ай бұрын

He sounds like a Trump supporter.

@grmpEqweer

2 ай бұрын

​@@winterwolf2012 ...Maybe.

@gib59er56

2 ай бұрын

Indeed the ego and hubris that goes with it is profoundly disturbing, and I have zero empathy with those that behave thusly.

@chadroberts4302

2 ай бұрын

Or maybe he is happy and living his best life! Hmm.

@grmpEqweer

2 ай бұрын

@@chadroberts4302 ...But someone else might end up rescuing him. Behaving foolhardily may end up needlessly putting volunteers through a lot of work.

One reason McCandless' story blew up: the "hypocritical prisons of suburban middle-class" aspect was heavily played and embraced. The media and Hwood LOVES that trope. (I'm not trying to minimize or downplay his feelings and experiences. He felt what he felt, and Hollywood happily ran with it.)

@RH-tv9hk

Ай бұрын

.

@jessyjulie5506

24 күн бұрын

There is some truth to that. Suburbia is a very unnatural, isolating way to live.

@RH-tv9hk

22 күн бұрын

@@jessyjulie5506 Not really. Depends on situation / person / location. Is it more stifling & isolating than floor 10 of a downtown bldg? Or a farm, five miles to the closest neighbor? A tiny town, 100 miles to the closest city? It's strange that out of all the environments to live in, suburbia gets the most disdain. Yes, it's not for everyone but the negative is overblown. Everyone has to live somewhere and there are plusses and minuses to most places

@jessyjulie5506

19 күн бұрын

@@RH-tv9hk I do think it's kinda isolating because most people who live in suburbs are commuters, so their work doesn't produce anything for the community they live in, unlike a small town or farm or city. Also, its hard to build community when no one is in town during the day, that's why they call them "bedroom communities" sometimes. Suburbs also cost a lot more to upkeep than a city or small town, because water has to be outsourced from far away and other reasons.

I lived up in the Fairbanks area from 2004 - 2012 (Uncle Sam stationed me there at Ft. Wainwright). When I got out of the military, I worked in sporting goods (selling firearms, hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses) at a local shop. I can't tell you how many starry eyed European and Asian tourist hikers came in through those doors (appalled at all the guns asking for bear bells and spray) completely oblivious to the fact that once you step outside in Alaska, you are stepping into the food chain NOT as the apex predator. You do your best to train and equip for survival, and you can still find yourself dying in Alaska; going in naive and starry eyed just makes that process happen faster. Blame lies with the people that romanticized "Into the Wild" just as blame lies with those that romanticized the Gold Rush over a century prior.

Guys, don’t make the trek into the wilderness to try to go find that bus. It has been moved to Healy, Alaska. You can find it and take pictures with it in the parking lot of the 49th State Brewery. It is a very cool place to eat. It’s just north of Denali State Park.

@LynnStAubin-od5qe

2 ай бұрын

Actually, the bus was moved in 2020 to the University of Alaska Museum of the North. The bus in Healy has been a tourist replication for years. It was used for the movie.

@IDunnoYouTellMe2152

2 ай бұрын

@@LynnStAubin-od5qe I was there this past summer (2023). I didn’t know that. Thanks for clarifying it.

@carsandcontraband7217

2 ай бұрын

😂 awesome.

@gjmottet

2 ай бұрын

@@LynnStAubin-od5qe Does the museum plan to place it in the UAF trail system so tourists can still get their "Alaskan Pilgrimage" without the risk of people wondering off and dying? I had heard that was the plan for the bus.

@tonydemaria3386

2 ай бұрын

They should place the bus 🚌 on top of Mt. Everest.

As John Wayne once said, Life is hard. It's even harder when you're stupid."

@nineteeneightynine432

2 ай бұрын

Living is hard enough without you fucking up -Breaking Benjamin

@casssmith2610

2 ай бұрын

Absolute truth

@casssmith2610

2 ай бұрын

Each person is responsible for their own behavior. Individually.

@JenneeB927

2 ай бұрын

Absolutely! 👏👏

@brickjamesOG

2 ай бұрын

😂

How is this any different than folks trying to climb Mount Everest and perishing in the process? It’s tragic for all involved but no one forced them to go.

Ten years ago we moved from Baltimore, MD to Olympia, Wa. It took us five days in January. After the gusty Dakota winds, various snowy mountain passes and largely below freezing temperatures I couldn't imagine how early settlers survived. All it would take is one big lack of judgement and that'd be it. This was done with large groups of people. Alone though..... Most of us wouldn't make it a week even with modern sensibilities.

@ultrarnr4454

Ай бұрын

So sorry you had to move to Washington. I'll keep in in my prayers.

@LordMcKrakenVonLittleBits

Ай бұрын

@@ultrarnr4454 Haha. This state is a lost cause. It's funny but I felt safer in Baltimore. At least there you have to look for trouble here it finds you. Had to pull out mace on tweakers trying to steal my bikes, had my tools stolen twice, the shop gets ransacked a few times a year (last time they got a pressure washer and a backpack blower) and I could keep going. In Baltimore we didn't even lock our house. The dealers up on the corner knew we were chill and kept the junkies away from us. Not saying I want to go back to the hood but we definitely need to get the heck away from here.

@gwynkaitis1259

25 күн бұрын

Right?!! We just drove from New Mexico to Oregon and back and I was just looking at the landscape the entire trip wondering how people did it? It was tough enough to travel in the comfort of a car, on a smooth (sort of) highway, stopping overnight in hotels, and getting our food from restaurants. I could not imagine the misery of some of these previous travelers. I am fully aware I could not do this. I could likely not even kill an animal for food.

@LordMcKrakenVonLittleBits

25 күн бұрын

@@gwynkaitis1259 Haha right! We'd stop and admire the beauty too without a care in the world. I think most of us modern folk wouldn't make it more than a month if we went back in time a couple hundred years.

The lesson I saw glaringly clear through the story of Into The Wild, was the fact that unless you spend years preparing for and learning how to survive in a situation like that, you're not going to. It blows my mind that so many people didn't get that and thought they could do better than he did.

@PanzerChicken69

2 ай бұрын

Only a fool chooses to live in the wild, there is no preparing against bear attacks, breaking a lim, unforseen storms, being unable to find food/shelter etc. Modern city people massively overestimate theire own skills but have lost all connection with nature and think they can beat her with stupid technology.

@SearchIndex

2 ай бұрын

Legally it’s known as ‘making extreme lifestyle sports accessible to, marketed to, and technology related to novices’ (As opposed to people who grow up in an extreme lifestyle location as ‘normal’) Historically it stems from a landmark 1979 snow skiing park legal judgment in Vermont regarding a skiing accident in a snow skiing park regarding ‘mobile youth cost prohibitive paraplegia’ The outcome of the case made national headlines overnight causing a domino effect of insurance gauging and land owner law changes So it affected how extreme lifestyle sports venues such as parks and resorts had to navigate insurance and legalities and signage and access McCandless was not adhering to park law and was legally trespassing and was not given access. So he popularized dangerous expensive illegal behavior.

@zachhessler8722

2 ай бұрын

Most of us get lucky though. We don't hear about those stories.

In 1991 I worked at a lodge in Glacier Bay Alaska. After a few months I got a job at the only cafe in the small town of Gustavus, AK, and lived in a shack. There I met a variety of odd characters coming through on their search for some kind of new life. One of these people was a very thin young man who had been making his way across Alaska living in plastic garbage bags. He told me his life philosophy, which is that people actually need a lot less to live than they think they do, including “proper equipment.” I went back to the lower 48 in the Fall to continue my studies, but I always wondered if I encountered McCandless, or just someone like him. These folks, totally unprepared for the winter, seeking a life closer to the wilderness, mostly anti social or a bit “off,” are all over Alaska. Some of them don’t make it.

@marcmeinzer8859

2 ай бұрын

When I was a camper at Northwoods Camp, Lake Temagami, Ontario, we naturally had a full outfit of freeze dried food and cooking gear along with our wood & canvas canoes naturally, and we would run into outward bound type people who couldn’t feed themselves. So we’d feed them. That totally cured me of any desire to live off of the land.

@seandelaney1700

2 ай бұрын

I have just always assumed there is a small bit of that in everyone who ever left to Alaska.

@MT-it9qt

2 ай бұрын

@Bingewatchingmediacontent just saw your comment after commenting: In the early '90s (can't pin down the exact year as it is decades ago, but 90-92 feels very right) I attended an english class at North Seattle Community College. There was one personality I distinctly remember. Judging by the reactions of other members of the class I am sure I am not alone. The young man was tall and thin. He seemed educated and his vocabulary and method of communicating an idea was often very difficult to follow, not because he sounded irrational but because he sounded complex. He also came across to me as being presumptuous, like someone who would attend a low level english class for the purpose of basting all around him in his intellect. Although I cannot remember his exact name, most of us chuckled when he told it to the class. It seemed very far fetched, very made up. Alexander Supertramp very much fits my memory of the chuckle-inducing name. He described to the class that he was living in Discovery park, in the bushes of that very overgrown park, eating pigeons over his campfire. He stood out as a unique loner.

@apriljk6557

2 ай бұрын

​@@MT-it9qt It's sad so many, usually privileged, young people think suffering is their only way to self-actualization or enlightenment.

@ThatGirlJD

Ай бұрын

​@@apriljk6557Sometimes people who have mental pain try to use physical pain to drown their mental anguish.

"My Side of the Mountain" was one of my top-ten favorite books as a child. As an adult, I frequently joke about disappearing into the woods. I'm an occasional camper and hiker. And I know that Chris's story is a cautionary tale. I guess people think they would fare differently than Chris did? Otherwise, I can't understand the fascination.

I read Into The Wild in high school and saw it as a cautionary tale. The movie romanticized the events, but it too was pretty sad. The guy clearly wasn’t looking at life through a realistic lens. McCandless didn’t tell anyone else to follow his path, so those who tried to trek out to the bus, or were inspired to head out to the wilderness, are responsible for their actions. Sadly, a lot of people are empty, suffering from mental illness, or lacking meaning in their lives. A romantic tale of leaving is all behind can give false hope, but that’s not the fault of Chris McCandless, or those who tell his story.

I think Les Stroud said it best, Chris McCandless was probably a very charming, intelligent young man, but he had no idea what he was doing. His experiences all ended with someone else saving him, pulling him out of trouble. He had no idea how to survive in the wild

@_nick_d

2 ай бұрын

Well said. Like he put all those experiences behind them & didn’t learn from them

@mi5iu491

2 ай бұрын

​@nickdotson21 man that last guy to see him alive deserves props for trying to tall him out of it. He even offered to take him shopping and pay for his gear but Chris turned everything down. He only took some boots, a jacket and some stuff the guy had in his truck.

@allewis4008

2 ай бұрын

Chris was a parasite (he robbed local cabins), who finally ran out of chances.

@REIDAE

2 ай бұрын

Charming? Probably. Intelligent? An intelligent man wouldn't have died the way he did.

@lenitaa7938

2 ай бұрын

@@allewis4008That may be harsh, esp if his reasoning was because he was hungry!

As an Oregon native, the Oregon wild is no joke. I would never go out anywhere into the woods unprepared, you never know if you need extra blankets, food, water, ect.. even for a day trip. You truly never know what's going to happen, from your vehicle breaking down, to it getting stuck, to getting lost, to many other things like animal encounters, natural disasters and or just an accident of sorts .You just need to always be prepared for anything to happen. Also please tell someone where you're going to be and for how long so someone knows when to start an alarm if necessary.

@petergomez6991

2 ай бұрын

Even in California we got snowed on backpacking one fourth of July weekend

@johnchedsey1306

2 ай бұрын

Not to mention the Steins mountains are so remote and isolated that you're truly on your own out there. That corner of Oregon is truly empty.

@maximumeffort78

2 ай бұрын

I’m up in the PNW too! Things can get mighty desolate, disorienting, and are perpetually wet! Definitely pack for fun and for safety! And keep extras in your car. If you’re a regular out there, get a Garmin!!! And if you’re a remote or urban caver, absolutely report your plan, route, entrance and exit times.

@Nighthawk268

Ай бұрын

Eastern Oregon backpacker here. The Eagle Caps are unlike anything else. Hells Canyon as well..

@blemishednicely8402

19 күн бұрын

Also, don't wear cotton...I live in B.C. (MUCH nicer/more hospitable climate than Alaska, for example) - the amount of people that go out for extended forays with all cotton is ridiculous... If you don't know, cotton is EXTREMELY absorbent & doesn't dry quickly or easily. Even outside of wet conditions/rain etc, it tends to get & stay wet. It also is a very cold material when wet & people routinely get hypothermic and/or freeze when it does. Even in summer, there are better materials FAR better suited to (& even designed specifically FOR) outdoor "expeditions". You'd be amazed at the amount of people that don't even consider that...don't even get me started on footwear. I've legit seen hikers hours deep in woods in flip-flops - not even GOOD ones, like $-store crap...

Weirdly further down the rabbit hole of deaths related to Chris is a woman who took the life of her lover. She had changed her name to Ezra McCandless because she had gained some inspiration from his story.

@HighSpeedNoDrag

Ай бұрын

What happened to Ezra?

I have been a nurse and sag driver on some major cycling tours. One time I was discussing some safety issues with the tour director and he said to me, "each rider is responsible for their own safety". Really can't argue with that.

Can we put to rest the idea of "living off the land?" Alaskan here. Subsistence living is hard anywhere, and especially so in Alaska. The green lushness of summer is an illusion--this is starvation territory. Living off the land requires extensive knowledge of flora and fauna and no small set of back-country skills. The indigenous population followed the migrations of the caribou and knew when the salmon runs came in. This land never could support a large subsistence population and even today, growing crops is a struggle. Even the cast of Alaska "reality " shows shop at Safeway. Chris was ignorant of what exactly he was attempting. If he had possessed the knowledge to know which plants were edible and how to preserve moose meat from the animal he killed, he would have probably survived.

@rt66vintage16

2 ай бұрын

I believe I read that Chris ate berries that were poisonous to him too.

@johnchedsey1306

2 ай бұрын

I grew up on a ranch in the mountains of Colorado. My parents had a vegetable garden and my dad butchered two cows a year to feed us. They definitely were quite good at being very self reliant. And that said...we still bought groceries and participated in the regular economy like anyone else! I'm more than happy to live in a city now and have multiple groceries stores within a mile of me.

@user-ci2mn1oy3w

2 ай бұрын

hth you can live in alaska for 2 years and not know to have salt? Why have a mere 22lr rifle, when for another $500, you can have a 223 AR-15 and a 22lr conversion unit. ? A 60 gr Nosler partition softpoint to the brain will drop any animal short of an elephant. In really wild areas, animals are not very scared of you, especially at night. So you can get 50m brain shots with flashlight on bears, moose, etc.

@harveetravels4080

2 ай бұрын

I agree! My partner is indigenous and talking to her elders about hiking and adventures in the mountains is usually met with "Why would you do that for fun?".

@davidwilliams7552

2 ай бұрын

Yeah he should have tried Hawaii

I appreciate that you have done this video downplaying the “heroism” of Christopher Mcandless (sp?). I go back to something all parents have said to their children - “if so and so jumped off a bridge, would you also jump off the bridge?” Going to Alaska is no joke and living off the land is no joke.

@Nylak-Otter

2 ай бұрын

Yup. I backpack through Alaska looking for predators in their natural habitats seasonally (I'm an animal behaviorist and specialize in wild and domesticated canids), but I'm also a Search and Rescue K9 handler/trainer, so I'm extremely overprepared. I understand the appeal. It's my dream biome. My first month-long backpacking through trip was when I was about 10, just accompanied by my older sister, and I fell in love with it. But I've also seen every which way that things have gone wrong for others, as well. Basically, he was an idiot, and he disrespected the local wildlife, lands, and humans.

Mental illness, ignorance of wilderness, lack of survival skills, lack of preparedness, love of risk, and bad judgment are all very real human flaws, especially in young adults. Much of that is especially common in young men. Paired with a romantic love of wilderness and the tendency to engage in solo activities, this kind of thing will happen. Jon Krakauer, I hope you didn't struggle long with feelings of guilt. Your book was great.

It's amazing how many people are affected by movies. I read the book, and saw the movie, but was never compelled to go there. These people acted on their own.

Great analysis. Here's my Chris McCandless story, for whatever the heck it's worth. I went to university in Fairbanks, Alaska from 1990-91. Worked in Denali Park in summer of '91. Transferred down to university in Juneau and had another summer of work in Denali lined up for summer of '92. I was already an experienced hitchhiker, so in early May of '92 I took a ferry from Juneau to Haines, Alaska and hitchhiked up through Canada and back into Alaska to get to Denali. This was a week after Chris had hitchhiked the same route, coming from the lower 48. He hiked into the wilderness outside of Healy and I started my job in Denali. I had friends in Fairbanks and would regularly hitchhike the route from Denali to Fairbanks, oftentimes getting dropped off in Healy and standing there waiting for another ride, with no idea at that point that Chris was just a few dozen miles to the west, living in the bus and fighting for his survival. Later that summer one of the employees for the company I worked for disappeared while on a solo backpacking trip into the park over the weekend. He had died of exposure and his body was found a few days later. Not long after this I heard about another guy who had died somewhere outside the park. Very little information was included with that story, just a report going around about another death in the area. I finished working there and then moved back to California to continue university. I had a subscription to Outside magazine. Later that fall I got the magazine in the mail with the article by Jon Krakauer telling the full story of what happened to McCandless. I made the connection and realized this was the other guy who had died that summer. I was blown away to read the full account of his life and especially to realize that I'd hitchhiked right behind him and then was living my life not far away from him while he was going through his ordeal. Years later, in 2017 I went back to work in Denali once again. Employee housing was in Healy. While I was there I learned that the bus that was used in the movie was parked at a bar right down the road, so I went there to visit it. It was filled with photos of Chris and copies of his journal writings. I really wanted to hike out to the real bus, but I only had weekends off and that didn't give me enough time to make the trek. Later I learned they had moved the bus out of the wilderness and it was now on the UAF campus in Fairbanks. In the fall of 2022 I had a trip planned to Alaska, including to Fairbanks. So I went to UAF and visited the bus, which was parked inside a room in one of the buildings on campus, where they were doing some work on it, I guess to place it in a museum somewhere. So that was a real full circle moment for me. As for who is responsible the other people's deaths, I would say that McCandless has zero responsibility. Anyone who hikes into the wilderness voluntarily is at the mercy of the wild and must take full responsibility for the risks involved. Still, they're all very sad stories. Life is a risk, be smart, do your homework, be prepared but eventually, if you want to go on an adventure, you'll have to make a leap into the unknown without knowing what is going to happen.

@kanamichelle7404

2 ай бұрын

Interesting crossover story.

@CoalCreekCroft

2 ай бұрын

Good story. One suggestion: PARAGRAPH BREAKS.

@GabrielTravelerVideos

2 ай бұрын

@@CoalCreekCroft Good idea, done.

@CoalCreekCroft

2 ай бұрын

@@GabrielTravelerVideos Sorry for being a critical jackass; usually I get grief but am a proofreader and insufferable. And also been begged to do the same! Never stop; excellent telling but some people freak out at large chunks ... yet will read 3x without a problem with breaks. Human nature. Cheers. Keep it up.

@shadowprovesunshine

2 ай бұрын

Wow totally full circle. Tyfs

When i was a travel agent in the 80s, i booked a one way ticket to alaska for a teenager with a crossbow who was going to live off the land. I always wondered what happened to him

@seandelaney1700

2 ай бұрын

I guess he lived his dream thanks to you.

@dblackout1107

Ай бұрын

Hopefully survived and maybe came back with a good story

@pcnetworx1

16 күн бұрын

He ded

The worst part is that the trappers and mountain men of old did similar things to mccandless such as going alone and foraging for their food. The difference is that these where hard men who knew what it took to live in complete isolation in the wilderness for months at a time and even then a not insignificant percentage of them just died. It takes a lot of skill and luck to do what they did and the average hiker or outdoor enthusiast just doesn't have what it takes anymore.

A lot of people dont know that his ceremonial burning of his last 7$ was just kinda for show, or how he left his last 7$ with the guy in yhe truck. But he had about 170$ cash in his back pack. He was not planning to die.

I think McCandless' story should be told but as a warning story about living your life but being prepared for whatever that means. If your that passionate about anything in life then you should learn about it all the good/bad stuff. With proper education and supplies his pilgrimage into the wild would be inspiring.

I never thought he was a hero, I just thought it was sad. He seemed to touch many of the people who he encountered along the way quite deeply, which compounds the sadness of his passing.

I seen a documentary on one of my mom's Blu-ray's of the 1970's movie "Deliverance" and it said after the movie numerous people perished trying to reproduce the journey taken in that movie in the same north Georgia wilderness!

@jlt131

Ай бұрын

i worked in forestry and spent a lot of time in the backwoods alone - my boss at the time found out I'd never seen that movie and recommended it. I told him I was doing office work for at least the next week after that... lol

@BossPrepping

Ай бұрын

The toothless guy that was in the famous scene and says you have a pretty mouth was also the old guy on the show hillbilly blood that he died a few years ago Herbert Coward was his name.

One of the worst things that McCandless did was disappear and have absolutely zero contact with his sister, who he was supposedly close to, during that period of time. To me, that is inexcusable. I understand the supposed "explanation" of why McCandless was pissed at his father, but to disappear for 2 years with no contact, not even bothering to check in to let them know that he was okay, then ending up dead in the Alaskan wilderness?! McCandless was most definitely NOT a hero! Closer to a zero, IMO.

I heard they removed the bus for these reasons(expensive rescues & deaths) each person is responsible for their choices no one else.

@user-yp4nl9jl4y

2 ай бұрын

I don't remember the year, but YES the bus was removed.

@mrwhirly0358

2 ай бұрын

@@user-yp4nl9jl4y 2020!

@johnanon6938

2 ай бұрын

You just can't teach stupid. McCandless was totally unprepared and the majority of people who followed in his footsteps are equally unprepared. Those people who follow are 100% responsible for their own stupidity, seen that kind of stuff happening in 1980s in Canada's far north too.

@KyleHatesHiking

2 ай бұрын

I talked about this in the video.

@Kafkaworld739

2 ай бұрын

Yeah it reportedly was removed in June of 2020

I can't think of a worse hiking destination than the death-site of Chris McCandless. I don't understand people...

@blowinshtup6553

2 ай бұрын

the bus isn’t even there anymore. it was removed.

@sherryrutledge8792

2 ай бұрын

@tay-lore…..We all watched this! He said in the video they removed this bus. But not b4 these lives were taken!

@AmanoShiyaku

2 ай бұрын

Same as people attracted by places where massacres occurred. Morbid curiosity. Death attracts people.

@zachhessler8722

2 ай бұрын

It's not his death they are paying homage to but his choice to step across the threshold and into the unknown.

@bluecollarlit

Ай бұрын

It's kind of like those people who went down in the ocean in the submersible to see the Titanic.

I appreciate the philosophical questions you bring up. People take a notion and follow it, and commit to it, sometimes unto death. My own ancestors were told of a miraculous book to read and then they were convinced to walk on foot across the United States, and many died of the cold and hunger. They did what they believed in and would not change their minds. People who did change their minds and return home were shamed and stigmatized.

"I want to go get high and rough it in the mountains of Oregon" Meanwhile, I know that even stone cold sober, not to mess around with the mountains of _Georgia_ I don't like people, I'm plenty resourceful, I am growing increasingly sick of the intrusion of technology in our lives, and I _still_ don't mess around with this. I can know how to build shelter, forage, etc all day long, but a timber rattler is still going to get my ass. The responsibility lies on the people who struck out into the wilderness. No one else. No one forced them to do that. My grandmother lived in the mountains of western North Carolina, and I grew up within walking distance of Chattahoochee River flood plains. It's real easy to learn what not to mess with.

"Hey! I heard about the Into the Wild story and that guy who died a there. Oh! Yes! Let's go there! And we'll climb Everest next. It'll be fun!" People are crazy. Love your channel :-)

@Zzyzzyx

2 ай бұрын

Exactly! The deaths are 100% the responsibility of those who died.

@user-co8uy5rb2s

2 ай бұрын

Let's go see the Titanic in a plastic sub.

@Zzyzzyx

2 ай бұрын

@@user-co8uy5rb2s IKR!!?? Precisely.

@Pipsqwak

2 ай бұрын

People are crazy- and frickin' stupid, too.

@muchtested

2 ай бұрын

@@user-co8uy5rb2s Don't forget to squeeze into a cave after that.

McCandless went out to those woods seemingly without much intention of coming back, but like many he changed his mind after it was too late. Krakauer and the producers of the film framed his slow suicide as aspirational. Before Alaska he was living out in Slab City, which is another place people should not be following his footsteps.

@BeatlesCentricUniverse

2 ай бұрын

Nonsense. His backpack contained $300 cash and all his actual ID. Which was discovered long after the backpack was found. McCandless knew he was taking a risk but never intended to die out there. And I completely disagree that Krakauer and the filmmakers framed his "slow suicide as aspirational."

I flew to Alaska a year ago to see the bus , they were working on restoring it for a museum.. very happy they moved it.

Part of the untold story is the abuse and family disfunction Chris and his siblings went through when growing up. His actions were driven by undealt with trauma, much of this info is from his sister's book "The Wild Truth"

One thing to learn is that you cross rivers, creeks, and streams in the morning. The water is lower. Not as much melt water rushing past. Always look for other areas to cross the river.

@MotJ949

2 ай бұрын

And if it’s deeper than your outsoles, you’re at risk! Meltwater is so fickle, you don’t have to cross it *now*.

@judywright4241

2 ай бұрын

It made a point in the book, if he had continued up the river, there still was a passable route--SHOWN ON MAPS, that he had claimed ‘was cheating’, so he didn’t even try.

@user-yp4nl9jl4y

2 ай бұрын

I was living in Alaska at the time. We were all thought he just wanted to die. Because he didn't have to be so stuck. @@judywright4241

@mommy2libras

2 ай бұрын

This wasn't so much a time of day issue as it was a time of year issue- when traveling through Alaska it is important to know the timetables of any waterways you plan to encounter, what times of year they are affected by different things. He'd gone in in April but when he tried to leave in August, that river had gotten hit by glacier runoff. Others will be more swollen in spring and early summer due to breakup and ice/snow melt.

@helialaska

2 ай бұрын

@@judywright4241 He could have just as easily walked south into the park and rode a bus out and not crossed any of the glacier melt rivers and would have been about the same distance as it was for him when he walked in during the spring when the glaciers weren't melting. I used to fly people out to 142 when I worked for Era Helicopters in 2012. Was an optional tour we did.

I read the book. Chris McCandless’ story is one that infuriates me because it was completely senseless. He was totally unprepared, and had no skills. He didn’t believe in being a slave to the working system, but had no problem taking from others who had to work. There’s so much wrong with his idealistic views

@chriscon8463

2 ай бұрын

I’m actually reading the book right now; I’m about 1/2 way through it! I think your assessment of McCandless is spot on.

@megnakamura7652

2 ай бұрын

You should read The Wild Truth by his sister.

@chriscon8463

2 ай бұрын

@@megnakamura7652 Thanks! I’ll look for it.

@tillitsdone

2 ай бұрын

I took from the book that he had kind of an enlarged ego. It was subtle, but a kind of hubris, which ended up dooming him.

@Jazzykatt23

2 ай бұрын

@@megnakamura7652 thanks for the recommendation. I didn’t know she wrote a book.

I read that there was a proper cable crossing with a basket a mile or so down river for crossing during floods, but as McCandless didn’t have a map, on which the wire “bridge” was marked, he thought he was stuck on his side, and suffering from giardia, he slowly starved to death.

It doesn't really matter who is responsible, there's enough blame to go around. What does matter is that somebody finally removed that bus. Now the people who want to see it can do so from the safety of a museum.

Young man with childhood trauma that went out there to live and die. Not a hero but a sympathetic character. Lots of young people didn't know and don't know how to deal with it. Get professional help and qualified support. Nature can help with healing but it's not a cure.

@sherrydurham2220

2 ай бұрын

I think you're right some of these folks including the 1st guy seem to have been going there to die.

@_nick_d

2 ай бұрын

@@sherrydurham2220I think Chris got disillusioned by reading about it in books & got a taste of Alaska & he changed his mind about everything too late

@sherrydurham2220

2 ай бұрын

@@_nick_d so sad

@tired7140

2 ай бұрын

That's why I'm glad that I had lots of friends growing up so we could tell each other how stupid some ideas were. Lots of good friends, nothing better.

@tired7140

2 ай бұрын

@@_nick_d I've been to Alaska several times and it's NOT the place to go trotting out in the wilderness on an adventure. When your in the wilderness Alaska your on the menu. Plus the weather changes are very drastic and show up in minutes. It's easy not to be prepared there.

His story reminded me that leaving your problems, an unhappy home, legal issues, etc. You can travel as far away from civilization as you want but, you're still with yourself. In comparison to my own life and wanting to do the same but for different reasons.

@j.stephens257

2 ай бұрын

Yep, no matter where you go, there you are.

As a survivalist, I wanna recreate this just to prove that surviving there is possible for at least 4 weeks. With obviously an SOS device, and basic survival tools since the bus is gone. Considering I’ll be using a rifle just like his, and I know basic hunter tracking skills along with what I can eat from plants, it’ll be an easy 4 weeks, but who knows.

@stephanieariofficial

5 күн бұрын

P lease dont

I find it interesting that people want to re-create McCandless' story, but no one is trying to follow in Timothy Treadwell's footsteps. The people telling his story do have somewhat of a responsibility to avoid romanticising McCandless' story. I'm glad the Alaskan government removed the bus. Unfortunately, there will always be people who think they can do it, where others have failed.

I did a lot of crazy shit like that in my youth. In my early teens I spent a couple of summers living off the land out in the swamps around SE Texas to stay away from my crazy ass mother and grandmother then returned when school started. I had learned how to survive on my own from my grandad who was estranged from them by the most part and I lived with him whenever I could after my dad was out of the picture. He was an old cowboy, former US Marshal and gunslinger who spent most of his life living on the trail off a horse. After my mom died of cancer I lived with him in Indiana for a couple years and when he died I ended up with my crazy grandmother again as a late teen. That's when I got into crime, went to work for a local mob guy mostly as a gofer and drug mule. He got whacked and a local war broke out so I disappeared into the Marine Corps at 18. The Marines straightened me out as far as my aspirations of being a career criminal was concerned but I felt I was just being used by them and did my 4 and got out. I spent a year living off of my motorcycle working temp jobs and under the table jobs up the west coast, stealth camping most of the time and staying in fleabag motels to save money. I was also hiding caches that I would need along the Pacific Crest Trail that I was planning to hike the next year. I did the hike way low budget doing some sketchy legality shit along the way to survive since I didn't have any support other than a buddy who helped me out for a bit until I hit the Sierras then I was on my own. I made the hike way behind schedule and almost died on several occasions including having to deal with snow and ice on the last couple hundred miles. I hitch hiked and road the rails back to Southern California, got my bike out of storage and road it to Indiana in the fucking winter and almost died again. I spent the rest of the winter with my crazy grandmother just working a handful of temp jobs here and there then worked for a few months on a construction project in South Bend that next summer stealth camping in the area off of my bike then as a forklift driver for a printing company in Berne. I got fed up with the shitty jobs there and road back to California on my motorcycle in the fucking winter again almost dying. Got a good job there and and a career going on and stayed there for 30 years. Now I live off grid in the AZ desert, everyone I have loved is dead including my kids. Just me and a couple of my deceased wife's cats. I will probably die out here alone and the cats will eat me. At least that dude died doing what he loved to do. I feel I wasted my life trying to live a normal family life which just resulted in heartbreak and failure. The happiest times in my life was when I was living on the road or trail despite the survival hassles nature threw at me that I had to deal with. Dealing with people the last 40 years that has majorly sucked and not proved to be rewarding.

@godizself1

2 ай бұрын

You wrote 8 chapters there. Use ChatGPT and have your own novel. I'll read it.

@dayzeronew4487

2 ай бұрын

very cool story!..you should write a book Man!...& yes living a life of conformity really sucks, but it does pay the bills! lol

@moirahill6397

2 ай бұрын

Regardless, you have a great story to tell. I'd read your book if you wrote one! I'm sorry for your losses though man. Take care.

@seandelaney1700

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your life's journey. It was clearly going to be a hard road for you from the get go. I am impressed that you made of it what you did from such a young age. Mine was a life of privilege to outsiders but not exactly easy or pain free. I'm impressed you cowboyed your way through it, it seemed so romantic until you got to the end and I was surprised you felt you wasted your life living normal. You are not a failure. You survived that which many would not. You outlasted them all. Unfortunately your family life did not prepare you for the difficulties of relationships. Life can't be easy in the desert and yet you persist, you were designed from a young age to persevere through difficulty. We are all challenged to the degree we our worthy and you clearly are worthy of great challenges. Please take comfort and solace in all your experiences and difficulties and challenges overcome, you deserve it.

@user-ns3mw3us6h

2 ай бұрын

Seek Jesus Christ for TRUTH and purpose for your Life. He’s the only answer to find Eternal Life. ✝️❤️

Blaming him is not right as he didn’t make the movie… I went to Alaska when I was 15 after my mom died and lived for 17 yrs in a old shack and made a outhouse and my life was very hard but only difference is I didn’t die. By the time I watched the movie , I felt like I was watching myself but only in reverse as I had traveled to all the places Christopher had in the movie not knowing and settled down on the Colorado river where I have been since . I thought I had made a bad mistakes going to Alaska after surviving each winter with no utilities the whole time I was there and Christopher really made a bad decision but in no way did he cause others to die

@joshbrewer7750

2 ай бұрын

Sure, Buddy

@lesleycouch6557

2 ай бұрын

No one's really blaming him, just downplaying the heroism of a sad and unnecessary death.

@patrickhenry8425

2 ай бұрын

No need to be rude, buddy@@joshbrewer7750

@alisonauton4064

2 ай бұрын

Movie? How about read a book?

@patrickhenry8425

2 ай бұрын

What a shitty group of people this channel has@@alisonauton4064

Into the Wild inspired me but not to go into the actual Alaskan wilderness. It inspired me to leave behind the dead end job I had for years and pursue an actual career. I started my own business in this career too. This experience took me to so many places and I met so many people good and bad. I grew up and went from being a meek and sheltered rich kid to someone who is maybe a little more attuned to the rest of the world. My journey didn't end well too because like Chris I didn't know how to thrive in this kind of way. My business imploded, I was in debt, all my savings were wiped out, I owed taxes, could not afford basic necessities. But I was alive and not stuck in Alaska, I recovered and here I am. So I'm writing this to say maybe you can be inspired by Into the Wild without hitchhiking to Alaska. Or maybe you do.

Dustin Self situation is wild. He abandoned his car with all his food in it, but kept his debit card on him...

in Boy Scouts we did a survival campout where we lived off the land for a day. We gathered cattail tubers, sassafrass tea, watercress, and gigged frogs (I was a champion frog catcher). Cool, but we spent all day working on just gathering food, and didn't eat until after dark. And it took teamwork, a couple dozen people locating various sources of food, not to mention the source book of what to look for to eat. One thing our scout leaders told us is back in simpler times, acquiring food took six to ten hours a day. Not that easy.

@AubreyShelton-rr7yy

2 ай бұрын

Sorry for the frogs

@jaybleu6169

2 ай бұрын

And in those simpler times, they had infrastructure to support that lifestyle. Hunter-gatherers didn't just wander into the forest to find what just happened to be there. They actively managed the land to produce the amount and types of food they needed. What a modern person experiences going into the woods looking for stuff to eat is not what a member of an established hunter-gatherer group would have experienced.

@anonone8954

2 ай бұрын

Literally hand to mouth survival.

@realestatess

2 ай бұрын

The very reason the Boy Scouts don't exist anymore is from cringey scout leaders being pervs.

@Autonamatonamaton

2 ай бұрын

Not to mention that historically, we had far more wild animals, plants and fishes than we do now, thanks to overfishing / environmental degradation it's become far harder to try to gather wild sustenance compared to hunter gatherer times​@@jaybleu6169

I can understand why McCandless did what he did, but being so unaware and naive is just dangerous.

@damonroberts7372

2 ай бұрын

"Unaware and naive" is true enough, but more to the point he was mentally ill. A lot of his behavior, well before he even got to Alaska, speaks of someone descending into psychosis.

@katemaloney4296

2 ай бұрын

He was deliberately naive. If he had listened to one person who offered advice, maybe . . .who knows.

@EMurph42

2 ай бұрын

Arrogant I think is a good adjective.

@Maxine1630

2 ай бұрын

He was too!

@ejtattersall156

2 ай бұрын

A spoiled rich kid.

If I was going to point to anyone, it would be the film makers who made starving to death _so inspiring._ What did they think would happen?

Yes. The answer to your question is Yes. McCandliss' story AND the people to follow are to blame. His story romanticized the idea. Inexperienced people followed his mistake.

Romance? Charm? There was nothing romantic or charming about the obvious slow train reck to death that McCandless took.

@caulkins69

2 ай бұрын

Exactly. It astounds me that so many people seem to view Chris McBrainless (aka Alexander Superchump) as a courageous hero.

@lenitaa7938

2 ай бұрын

@@caulkins69He was gutsy and courageous! He would have likely survived if not for the river! For all we know, he may have learned from his mistakes in judgement!

@knottynumbers44

2 ай бұрын

@@lenitaa7938 If he was so gutsy and courageous, at age 24 mind you - how come he never told his sister where he was or reached out to say he was okay? When you are 24 years old you can do as you wish. He took no ownership of his actions or considered the consequences for himself or the people who cared about him. He may have been intelligent, but he was emotionally immature, suffered from magical thinking and died because of it. There's no courage there.

@clayton56tube

2 ай бұрын

he exchanged worry about society for worry about what to eat

@ijustwannaleaveacommentony6511

Ай бұрын

the movie was good tho

I read at the end of the book, the author conjectured that by throwing away the map, he was an explorer in terra incognito. Had he still had the map he’d had known that a bridge that would save him was within a days hike away.

@dbill27

2 ай бұрын

A days hike my ass. Maybe a week if you’re lucky.

@wiffley

2 ай бұрын

And, he didn't seem to explore his terra incognita very much at all... there was a cabin not that far away that had a lot of food stored in it. And, why didn't he keep a watch on the river? It's not like he didn't have enough free time.

@dbill27

2 ай бұрын

@@wiffley the river was ten miles away from his camp, not easy to just “keep a watch on it”. Dear god the amount of people who confidently comment on things they know nothing about never ceases to amaze me. He didn’t “explore” his area much the same reason he wasn’t going to just casually walk 20 miles to the national park road, you can’t just easily walk around in the alaskan tundra in the summer.

@wiffley

2 ай бұрын

@dbill27 Actually, I know what tundra is, and you seem to be pretending to know what it is. A 10-mile hike on flat terrain is not a big deal to a fit outdoors-person....an easy daily trip back and forth.

@dbill27

2 ай бұрын

@@wiffley yeah let’s just do a twenty mile round trip hike back to check on the river once a week while you’re losing body weight, that is absolutely genius and I can’t believe he didn’t do that.

I was fascinated with Chris’s story back when Krakauer first wrote the book in 1996, but it never occurred to me to want to follow his tracks. I mean, he DIED. Even when I went to Alaska 30 yrs later, I didn’t want to follow his trail. I’m not understanding the impulse to follow death.

They have since removed the bus for the very reason that people started using it as a destination to give homage to this unfortunate man's story. So for anybody out there who wants to visit the mccandless's last campsite, the bus and the campsite are longer there.

I don't find Christopher McCandless' story powerful, inspring or entertaining. I don't find it romantic or charming either. He was clueless. He went into the wild of Alaska unprepared and ignorant and, unforturnatly, paid the price. I expect many of the people who go to the bus shrine are similarlly unprepared and ignorant of what they are getting into. It's sad and unfortunately they pay for it with their lives. It's one thing when you go into the wild knowledgable and prepared and $hit just happens, but going in ignorant and unprepared puts at least some of the burden of culpability on the person doing it, IMO. They have a Disney delusion of nature and the wilderness. McCandless also had a long history of carelessness and recklessness before the bus. I think those who have romanticized the story of McCandless and continue to do so also bear some responsibility.

@Willrocs

2 ай бұрын

@@OccidentalonPurposeoh you are a excuse maker.

@juliajohnson6022

2 ай бұрын

He was ignorant when it came to wondering off into the wilderness, so totally unprepared for what was ahead of him.😢

@Willrocs

2 ай бұрын

yes when you have zero idea how to survive in Alaska . have zero hunting or even trapping skills Nature gives no funks about your trauma. i feel bad for what he endured from his family but he did everything to make sure he didn’t survive. Yes he deserves what he got playing around with nature but he didn’t deserve to be treated badly by his family.

@bobbeezel2593

2 ай бұрын

I agree with you and every time I say that about him I get bashed online by bleeding heart saps

@ZootyZoFo

2 ай бұрын

The guy went into the Alaskan bush without a pair of boots or a map & compass and only a little .22 riffle for his planned subsistence living, that’s beyond foolish and you don’t have to be an outdoorsman to know that was woefully inadequate.

I don't think Jon Krakauer romanticized McCandless's story; I read "Into The Wild" very much as a cautionary tale.

@AmanoShiyaku

2 ай бұрын

People romanticized the movie at least. Maybe not the book (I didn't read it) but I've seen the movie and I can understand that "hypnosis" it can create on some people. Also, when you read a book, you also onboard your own feelings and back story so yes, reading is a personal experience and no book has to be blamed. Except if the book stances that it's funny to jump into ice cold water in the middle of Alaska ;)

@NapaValleyVegan

2 ай бұрын

It does seem that Sean Penn romanticized Chris’ experience. My husband loved the movie so I finally watched it. I really enjoyed it too but I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. I saw someone damaged and searching for meaning who seemed okay with taking risks. He seemed to thrive on high risk, high reward regardless of the dangers he experienced!

@KimmyWood

2 ай бұрын

I thought it was sad

@Lostfalls

2 ай бұрын

I agree Jon did a good job presenting the facts, Chris’s side and his family’s point of view. When you read the book it’s like watching a train coming through a tunnel and hit you in very slow motion. I don’t think he romanticized at all. It was tragic and sad. The MOVIE DID romanticize it. Made Chris look like a misunderstood modern hippy philosopher didn’t show the more unsavory activities he engaged in.

@13thmistral

2 ай бұрын

@@AmanoShiyaku The movie pretty much makes sure the story is cautionary at the end though. The people who miss that one really lack common sense.

My brother passed in 1993 at the age of 20 in a search and rescue mission in Washington. People need a lot of wisdom to contend with nature. But I think we yearn for an existence where we can hone our instincts and really command our soul, in nature. Sadly, we also have self destructive instincts that we often don't recognize for what they are. Survivalists have my respect.

As a Canadian...i did his trip...and more, 2 yrs.before him. Not the same paths or any of that, but safely, with $ and connections. It is knowledge and survival skills, with support that allows the journey. 9 months i trekked . Alone. Depends on you. ! Not society. P.s. John Krakauer is a great man, and i thank him for the book!

I sat next to his childhood next door neighbor on a long flight back home after the holidays with family. She said his parents are absolutely to blame for that young man’s demise. She said the yelling coming from the house by both parents could be heard inside her house next door. She said they also presented well kept but it was no secret that the family was deeply troubled. She said she often tried to help in non threatening ways but the children would do their part to keep up appearances until Chris finally snapped. Was really hard to hear this. I grew up in a similar home and it’s scars are easily seen.

@phucdong-er6ct

Ай бұрын

i hear it 3 houses down from me. A woman verbally abusing her son. I am sorry. People are so messed up.

@ravenbaa7989

Ай бұрын

I grew up with lots of yelling but I didn’t run like chris

@holliemae5812

Ай бұрын

Of course you did. Every story on KZread has someone who knew someone or something. I don’t believe it sorry

@ehrenbowling

Ай бұрын

@@holliemae5812 whew! Glad I am not your son 😮‍💨

@ehrenbowling

Ай бұрын

@@phucdong-er6ct it’s especially hard when a boy is stuck in a society where he’s not supposed to show weakness or ask for help because it’s bad optics for the familial facade. I preferred my dad hit me than my mom yell at me, the things she would say to a child to have to digest is worthy of punishment.

We moved to Alaska when I was 12. We were very poor and had to live in a shack the first winter there. The window above my bed was broke and caused ice to form on the INSIDE of my room and my blankets would get froze to the wall! We also had to use an outhouse and that is an experience that you will never forget. It's no joke living in Alaska. I loved it though. Miss you guts!!!

@markr.1984

2 ай бұрын

You miss guts?

@swishasnkush1573

2 ай бұрын

​@markr.1984 yeah, he pooped his guts out in the outhouse duh 😉

@cliffordbowman6777

Ай бұрын

You couldn’t find anything to cover that window, piece of wood, pine what’s-nothing? Wasn’t there sounds like you were expecting window to cover itself.

@jlt131

Ай бұрын

i'm near the BC/WA border and get ice that forms inside my windows in the winter too. lol and it's no shack! just old windows. thankfully it's only for a couple weeks a year.

Thank you for this!!! I appreciate your respect towards the influence this story has had on so many. ....I was not aware that the bloody bus was removed. My son is an Eagle Scout and my niece has been hiking all along the south east. Every time they go into the woods, the wild, as family, we will always worry for them and their safety. The key note here, as you so eloquently put it out of respect for the ones who met an untimely demise and not using common sense, I agree,,,,,,, A chilling reminder.....Caution to all... It's a tale to show you what not to do.

Certainly the deaths of all the young people are tragic, but I'll never understand how the story of one young man dying a tragic death serves as inspiration to anyone. Heartbreaking.

I find the original story to be incredibly sad, definitely not inspiring. I don't understand the urge in people to go pay homage or whatever from it at all; it's obviously incredibly dangerous when the whole point is that he died. I'm glad they decided to move the bus to a museum.

Chris McCandless had a home life that was not all peaches and cream. In some way he was was running from those demons. Chris never advocated or encouraged anyone to follow in his footsteps, they were his alone. The somewhat glamorization of both the book and the movie was in many ways a fantasy. Those that chose to totally believe in that fantasy and follow in the footsteps of Chris McCandless did so on their own and their fates rest in their own hands. Glad Alaska removed Bus 142 in 2020.

It is impossible to understand what motivated an apparently intelligent and capable young man, to venture out into the wilds of Alaska with no survival skills, and inadequate supplies of food and equipment. It's one thing to imagine a life of adventure in the wilderness, surviving on anything that can be hunted and gathered, and quite another to naively pit oneself against the great outdoors, with nothing but philosophical idealism. RIP Christopher Macandlessas. Unrealistic ideals of utopianism have their price. And you paid for it with your life.

The outdoors “industry” does hold some blame. There is a ton of focus on gear, particularly ultra light this and that. People rely on products for things like fire, clean water, and shelter. They are accustomed to digital orienteering devices and can’t work a compass and topo map that could allow them to just walk out. They carry all the food they think they will need and can name maybe 5 or 6 of the hundreds of edible roots, stalks, seeds, trees, and leaves around them. They have rarely if ever harvested or attempted to live off those 5 or 6 prior to needing to for survival. When any of their toys are unavailable or malfunctioning they don’t have the skills to fall back on. They are accustomed to the solutions being a search and order away instead of a tinker or a bushcraft.

Why is this man an idol to so many? He entered the wilderness unprepared on numerous occasions and was lucky he did not die earlier. He apparently ate questionable food sources a few times and almost poisoned himself. He didn't know the countryside at all, the severe weather patterns that can change quickly. A real "hero" would be prepared before undertaking such a venture.

@eucliduschaumeau8813

2 ай бұрын

I’ve been in the Alaskan bush. It’s a brutal, unforgiving place to be. If you survive the worst dangers, the mosquitoes will be last horror. They swarm in big grey clouds all over you and could exsanguinate a person.

@robpolaris5002

2 ай бұрын

I think many people, especially those who have had little to no experiences in the wilderness crave it. There is something ingrained in humans that want to commune with nature. Those of us who grew up in these beautiful places learned how to survive them. But if you grew up in a concrete hell and have no experiences think watching KZread will prepare them, but you need real world experience. Things like Boy Scouts were decimated by feminists suing them into a hollow shell of what they were. We are losing our knowledge of how to survive without other people doing almost everything for us.

The Alaskan government's removal of bus 142 was a good move. People are curious and they would have continued to try to visit the site. Even without the draw from the McCandless story, people will still try to live out in the wild for the sake of adventure. Some will survive, some will die. People will do what people do.

@trailname_ziplock

2 ай бұрын

So why not do some trail maintenance and establish a bridge over the river so people could safely do the "pilgrimage"

@wrosebrock

2 ай бұрын

David Paulides will be sure to attribute it to aliens, bigfoot, or both

@NickyBlue99

2 ай бұрын

​@@wrosebrock Alien Bigfoot.

@lolobeans

2 ай бұрын

Sad that this was necessary but the right decision certainly. Since people can't always be trusted to make good decisions regarding their own safety...

@wrosebrock

2 ай бұрын

@@NickyBlue99 😂😂

If only he brought a map of the area with him and he would have discovered that there was gauging station just 1.5 mile away with a steel cable and basket setup that could have safely carried him across the river. This was the equivalent of college student starving to death in his room, because he did not know that there was a kitchen and stores of food down the corridor from him.

@ultrarnr4454

Ай бұрын

LOL!

No one can blame anyone but themselves. The fact that someone was able to even get a bus out there, makes it seem easier to reach it. Its decieving on every level.

As a day hiker, I know there are preparations for even a 6 mile hike in the woods on well marked and maintained trails I need to do for my own safety. I blame the hikers for not being properly prepared and being unwilling to know admit they need to turn back. Also, glamorizers of Chris McCandless should get some blame as he was also woefully unprepared for what he faced.