Anyone else feel the same ?

By society's standards, yes, you are a nutter. As am I, and most of the regulars, I suspect, on this forum. By my standards, all the people who choose to live packed like sardines are nutters.

I guess it's a matter of perspective! ;)
 
My title and sub-title will tell you a little about whether I'm a nutter or notter.
My social life is my family, church and you wonderful cyber-friends here. Other than that, I'll take the outdoors and all it's beasties.
I haven't seen the movie, but rented it for the weekend.
 
Me too, me too....
As many mistakes as McCandless made I can't help but identify with his motives. The movie does tend to further romanticize his story, the book is better and more accurate, both must be taken with a grain of salt. Other people have done worse with more, and some have thrived with less.

I currently live on a nice little farm, but am about to move to the city for the first time in years :(, hopefully not for long.
My parents live off the grid, as do some of their friends and neighbors. And they have (relatively) high speed wireless internet! I am leaving to go visit them tomorow :), time to decompress.
 
haven't seen the movie but I'm with you, Pitdog
 
I can't say I agree fully with Mcandless but I do feel recharged when out in the forest. I have always enjoyed the city but never really wanted to live in it. I live in a rural area where I am in a subdivision, two acre lots in the forest, but down the road is deep forest. I think Mcandless was a dreamer and forgot about lifes realities. We need dreamers but someone needs to help them harness these dreams.
 
I enjoyed the movie. had he been better prepared for alaska he would have made it out, maybe... I thought the film was well shot and not your run of the mill commercial crap, loaded w/ special effects. I apperciate the storyline, and admire emile hirsch dedication to the role... Man, he got skinny. I also liked that it was shot w/ handheld alot. It gave it a raw kinda feel to it. I dont think it was a survival movie, it was meant to show a guy who wanted to be an individual in a land of conformists. I particular liked the part when he wanted to launch a kayak and they told him it was a 12 year wait. Kinda made me laugh. I respect him as a person with good intentions, just wanting to live his life the way he wanted. I cant judge the guy for that. Just wanted to know though, had he made it out, wrote a book bout his travels, would people still be so harsh on judging him. Seems that from the film and the new version of the book, he made an honest mistake and it cost him his life. Really couldve happened to alot of people, some plants resemble poisinous plants, and he didnt choose wisely. Had he chosen wisely, Ill bet he could've pulled it off. Who knows though. Its all speculation really and the only person that truely knows is no longer here to explain, so...I guess thats all that matters anyways.
 
He was simply mentally unbalanced. Not a visionary or dreamer. No different from a loony jumping into a polar bear enclosure because it looks friendly. Even that idiot Timothy Treadwell was more sane.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
He was simply mentally unbalanced. Not a visionary or dreamer. No different from a loony jumping into a polar bear enclosure because it looks friendly. Even that idiot Timothy Treadwell was more sane.
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:D
 
j williams said:
I enjoyed the movie. had he been better prepared for alaska he would have made it out, maybe... I thought the film was well shot and not your run of the mill commercial crap, loaded w/ special effects. I apperciate the storyline, and admire emile hirsch dedication to the role... Man, he got skinny. I also liked that it was shot w/ handheld alot. It gave it a raw kinda feel to it. I dont think it was a survival movie, it was meant to show a guy who wanted to be an individual in a land of conformists. I particular liked the part when he wanted to launch a kayak and they told him it was a 12 year wait. Kinda made me laugh. I respect him as a person with good intentions, just wanting to live his life the way he wanted. I cant judge the guy for that. Just wanted to know though, had he made it out, wrote a book bout his travels, would people still be so harsh on judging him. Seems that from the film and the new version of the book, he made an honest mistake and it cost him his life. Really couldve happened to alot of people, some plants resemble poisinous plants, and he didnt choose wisely. Had he chosen wisely, Ill bet he could've pulled it off. Who knows though. Its all speculation really and the only person that truely knows is no longer here to explain, so...I guess thats all that matters anyways.
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The part about poisoning from eating toxic seed was pure BS, made up by the author.

He did not accidentally poison himself. He starved to death in an abandoned bus.

Out of his element, Out of his mind.
 
Its like I said. All speculation, no-one knows for sure. The end result is still the same, regardless of what happend. He lost his life. Obviously something wrong with him, but I dont judge. We are all a little off, just some more than others.
 
Never slept better than when I am in the woods. Miss it every day.

I disagree with Rat & others 100% on McCandless. You have to open your mind a little to understand other peoples' motivation. Our(this forum) primary value is getting home safe- survival. Enjoy the outdoors and get home safe. His values were slightly different- he was willing & knew he was pushing saftey limits-- to enjoy the outdoors on HIS terms. He mentioned to several people before his Alaska trip that he might not live through it. He accepted that fact and went for what he desired- only cost one life.

No different that rock climbers that free climb. Climbing without ropes is the only way they feel alive. Damned site better than the idiot who cannot enjoy his Friday night without getting trashed and driving. He risks inoocent lives of others for his pursuit of happiness.

2Door
 
I'm always pissed off because my friend Bill lives over two miles off the paved road and a mile from the nearest house.

He has a dug well, solar power, and an outhouse. But the S-O-B has DSL internet!!!! Here I am not nearly so far out and I can't get it!!:mad::thumbdn:
 
lmalterna said:
No different that rock climbers that free climb. Climbing without ropes is the only way they feel alive. Damned site better than the idiot who cannot enjoy his Friday night without getting trashed and driving. He risks inoocent lives of others for his pursuit of happiness.

2Door
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EXACTLY, although McCandles scorned his family and his death hurt them and his friends he did not put anyone but himself in any danger.
Treadwell got his girlfriend killed and eaten.
 
j williams said:
Its like I said. All speculation, no-one knows for sure. The end result is still the same, regardless of what happend. He lost his life. Obviously something wrong with him, but I dont judge. We are all a little off, just some more than others.
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They do know for sure. They tested the seeds the author saw in the bus and used to fabricate part of his story. The dead guy's journal and actions show his mentality, and his 67lb corpse showed he starved to death.

Either he wanted to die, or was so deluded that he figured he could make it without any supplies or knowledge in the wilderness. Either way, he was clearly out of his mind.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
They do know for sure. They tested the seeds the author saw in the bus and used to fabricate part of his story. The dead guy's journal and actions show his mentality, and his 67lb corpse showed he starved to death.

Either he wanted to die, or was so deluded that he figured he could make it without any supplies or knowledge in the wilderness. Either way, he was clearly out of his mind.
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The seeds of the wild potato can contain a toxin that makes it hard for you to digest your food, so essentially it causes you to starve to death.

Regardless, I'm from around that neck of the woods, and yeah, the dude was an idiot and probably just starved to death because he sucked.
 
Society is moving away from nature and that scares the shit outof me. Luclkily nature makes people perk up every now and again.

I am most at home in nature and I am working hard right now so I buy a piece of it while it is still around.
 
Eight Trigrams said:
The seeds of the wild potato can contain a toxin that makes it hard for you to digest your food, so essentially it causes you to starve to death.

Regardless, I'm from around that neck of the woods, and yeah, the dude was an idiot and probably just starved to death because he sucked.
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Those are the seeds they tested. Came back negative for the toxin. The author has apparently since changed his theory to imagining a fictional mold growing on the seeds.

dude was an idiot
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From what I read, most Alaskans hold the same high opinion of him.
 
Well, I did not know they tested them, must have forgot that detail in the book. Obviously he starved to death, I thought the side effects from the seeds he ate, or didnt eat, was digestion blocking. Hes dead either way. Would you feel different had he made it out, even as un prepared as he was? Doesnt really matter though, he didnt make it. I am not gonna knock him for his ideals, just his lack of knowlage in the outdoors.
 
udtjim said:
Lets just say that I know exactly how you feel. I have been that way since birth. I detest cities. Once in a while we have to go to Minneapolis to the VA, there are more people in that seven county community than there is in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana combined. What the hell do they see there? I will stay out here in no mans land, My land.:)
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I live just west of Minneapolis and work in a mall. I find myself despising the sheeple who think that beef comes from the grocery store! I am looking to pay off debt and move to a more secluded area.
 
I credit the book "Into the Wild" for sparking my interest in survival skills. I decided to make a point of being prepared if I ever found myself in similar situations.

I have to agree McCandless might have been a tick or two off, but I have definitely had analogous sentiments regarding day to day life with the city/school/work/society and it's ills.
 
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