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So can wanderlu$$$t. That is a big reason why people came over to the US.
Um, beg to differ. There were other rather important reasons...to escape political or religious persecution, unfair taxation, to have a better chance to make a living.
Um, beg to differ. There were other rather important reasons...to escape political or religious persecution, unfair taxation, to have a better chance to make a living.
Yeah, mine came to the U.S. because Lutheranism was not strict enough for them, LOL. And for farmland (Sweden was all used up).
Wilderness trips take a lot of prep. We spent over a year and thousands of bucks at REI before heading out to do the Pacific Crest Trail. At least 1,000 miles of it...we had LOTS of maps (pre-internet) and compasses.
I was fascinated by "Into the Wild" and also "Into Thin Air". But neither made me want to go there!
It was sad to me how close he was to civilization, yet he died alone.
True to,some extent if he would of packed more food or been able to hunt for more I believe he would of survived myself. In his haste he ate something that killed him . Having more food he could of waited until the river went down too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ClaraC
Why is most of this thread about a young man who set off to live in the wilderness, and made a really good run of it for a long time until he became ill - and even botanists now agree the plant he was eating DID appear to be the edible variety - and not a woman who was basically grief porning and jumped into an uncrossable river and drowned?
Yes, there seems to be a lot of confusion about how he died. Apparently he had prepared himself well and knew all the wild foods and had plenty of food but there was a key piece of information that didn’t make it into the botany books and that’s the fact that one of the foods he ate caused his body to block nutrients from getting into his system and no matter how much he ate after that he kept losing weight and he starved to death in the midst of plenty. I think it was a variety of wild potato if memory serves. By the time he realized something was wrong he tried to walk out and get help but the river was up and he was too weak to make it to the bridge.
I don’t understand all the judgments here...I wasn’t exactly inspired by him as much as I consider him a kindred soul. When you do something risky you’re taking a risk. Seems pretty self evident to me and you either have that mindset or you don’t. If you don’t, you will never understand. I’m 60 yo and live in a van, by choice, and yeah lots of folks think I’m crazy. OTOH, three of my friends were inspired enough by trip to set out on their own journeys.
That said, it does seem rather unfair that folks in Alaska have to foot the tax bill for search and rescue. Do they not have a special tax for those on adventures? Or maybe those people who get rescued should have to foot the bill? How does that work? I know that other adventure destinations in the world also have problems, like New Zealand. OTOH, that’s a big part of the local economy and perhaps part of the cost of doing business? I don’t know enough about that.
Yes, there seems to be a lot of confusion about how he died. Apparently he had prepared himself well and knew all the wild foods and had plenty of food but there was a key piece of information that didn’t make it into the botany books and that’s the fact that one of the foods he ate caused his body to block nutrients from getting into his system and no matter how much he ate after that he kept losing weight and he starved to death in the midst of plenty. I think it was a variety of wild potato if memory serves. By the time he realized something was wrong he tried to walk out and get help but the river was up and he was too weak to make it to the bridge.
I don’t understand all the judgments here...I wasn’t exactly inspired by him as much as I consider him a kindred soul. When you do something risky you’re taking a risk. Seems pretty self evident to me and you either have that mindset or you don’t. If you don’t, you will never understand. I’m 60 yo and live in a van, by choice, and yeah lots of folks think I’m crazy. OTOH, three of my friends were inspired enough by trip to set out on their own journeys.
That said, it does seem rather unfair that folks in Alaska have to foot the tax bill for search and rescue. Do they not have a special tax for those on adventures? Or maybe those people who get rescued should have to foot the bill? How does that work? I know that other adventure destinations in the world also have problems, like New Zealand. OTOH, that’s a big part of the local economy and perhaps part of the cost of doing business? I don’t know enough about that.
This is a terrific post. We've had to deal with a few people who want to beat people over the head because they choose to live in the conformity box they've been given and want everyone else to live in it too. It was seriously refreshing to read this. Thank you.
This is a terrific post. We've had to deal with a few people who want to beat people over the head because they choose to live in the conformity box they've been given and want everyone else to live in it too. It was seriously refreshing to read this. Thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ByeByeLW
^+1!
Aww thanks guys. When I get back to my van I plan to spend more time in the national forests and would love to go to British Columbia and Alaska. If I die out there, well life’s been a trip and I’ll make sure my family reimburses the state, lol.
I told my daughters once that when they begin to whisper behind closed doors I’m going to Alaska to get eaten by a grizzly bear. They laughed nervously. Lol.
This is a terrific post. We've had to deal with a few people who want to beat people over the head because they choose to live in the conformity box they've been given and want everyone else to live in it too. It was seriously refreshing to read this. Thank you.
I love wilderness. I love the natural beauty, the challenge of testing myself, the feeling of smallness against the backdrop of Creation. I also recognize the brutality of the wild, which makes me appreciate my life in a civilized society of laws and social norms which (for the most part, no political replies please) steward natural resources, protect personal property rights, and provide a safety net for the unfortunate. I do not see anything inspirational about the conscious rejection of that to live (and die) by the laws of the wild. If that makes me conformist, then so be it.
You are posing a false dichotomy. There are not two choices, they are many other possibilities.
You left out the part in my quote that said "retire early and travel in style". What's this stuff about being too unhealthy to do anything other than cruise?
Re: the bolded in your post above: And I know tons of people who live nice middle class lives and retire in their late 50's and early 60's. Anecdotal evidence is just that. I retired at 51, my husband at 55. Sure we cruise, but we also go to the Caribbean and snorkel, scuba, tube on rivers through cave systems, zip line, etc. We often go to theme parks (season pass!) and ride roller coasters, we stay in beautiful hotels and casinos, or rent out apartments through VRBO. We take deep sea fishing charters, or swim with dolphins, rays and even sharks. We hike, camp, and we ride our dirt bikes. We play in pickleball tournaments, and have taken back country tours on ATV's, and swim in hot springs, etc. You have some weird idea that people stop working and are all sick and broken. I live in a community with literally thousands of older adults (50-85) and most are out there riding jet skis, golfing, playing pickleball and tennis, dancing and doing yoga, etc on a daily basis. I'm not saying this to brag about my retirement, but to say there are more than 2 choices, and you did ask what I meant by "really travel in style", so I was defining that for you.
And YES, I find it far more tragic that a young person threw away all that life has to offer through his own blissful ignorance. Right now in the US, 70% of people live to age 65, and 69% retire by age 66, so all this about dying before you are able to retire is just an exaggeration to support your false choice.
I retired at 50. I don't even consider that early retirement. To me 30 or 40 would be early retirement. Any real adventures should be done in your 20s or 30s, while you can still do things like take a four day hike to a bus in the Alaska backcountry. That is a bit different then taking a cruise or going to Disneyland.
Personally I admire people like that. It's better to die doing something you love then waste your life doing something you hate. I have found that there are two types of people
You admire people who don't respect themselves enough to prepare?
Yes, there seems to be a lot of confusion about how he died. Apparently he had prepared himself well and knew all the wild foods and had plenty of food but there was a key piece of information that didn’t make it into the botany books and that’s the fact that one of the foods he ate caused his body to block nutrients from getting into his system and no matter how much he ate after that he kept losing weight and he starved to death in the midst of plenty. I think it was a variety of wild potato if memory serves. By the time he realized something was wrong he tried to walk out and get help but the river was up and he was too weak to make it to the bridge.
I don’t understand all the judgments here...I wasn’t exactly inspired by him as much as I consider him a kindred soul. When you do something risky you’re taking a risk. Seems pretty self evident to me and you either have that mindset or you don’t. If you don’t, you will never understand. I’m 60 yo and live in a van, by choice, and yeah lots of folks think I’m crazy. OTOH, three of my friends were inspired enough by trip to set out on their own journeys.
That said, it does seem rather unfair that folks in Alaska have to foot the tax bill for search and rescue. Do they not have a special tax for those on adventures? Or maybe those people who get rescued should have to foot the bill? How does that work? I know that other adventure destinations in the world also have problems, like New Zealand. OTOH, that’s a big part of the local economy and perhaps part of the cost of doing business? I don’t know enough about that.
Funny post. He had 10 lbs of rice and a .22 rifle, that's it for his food. He planned to hike all the way to the Bering Sea, but only made it about 1/50th of the way. Gotta love his spirit, but he was just a bit out there with the realistic goals.
Some people want to commit suicide on a deeper level than consciousness. I think this is referred to as suicidal tendencies maybe? I think he just wanted to die - he hated the world into which he was born. I think lots of people can relate.
Last edited by duke944; 07-29-2019 at 09:21 PM..
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