What Happened to Christopher McCandless
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- Опубликовано: 21 июн 2014
- In 1992, Christopher McCandless set off to test if he could survive alone in the wilds of Alaska. It didn't go as planned.
From: AERIAL AMERICA: Alaska
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I always love the fact that he went all the way out into the middle of nowhere to get away from civilization and died on a bus.
Lol
Life loves to mock us.
Bit of a weird thing to 'love' but hey ho, each to their own...
Wasn't even the middle of nowhere
@@theafi824 If McCandless thinks he spent a long time on that bus, he never tried one from Chicago to L.A.!! And the raw Squirrel meat was a step up, for sure!!!
I'm almost certain I encountered McCandless in spring of 1992 in Banff, Alberta when I worked night security for the youth hostel there. I checked in a guy who signed in as A Supertramp and I remember laughing, thinking of the band name and saying something like, "cool name". He said he only wanted to use the shower and sleep until morning, then go. It wasn't until the movie came out when I remembered the name and thought to myself. 'I'm pretty sure that was him". There could be a signature there, if they stored all the sign-in slips from back then.
Are you actually telling the truth?! If so, then you are very cool! I mean, yeah, he is unfortunately dead, but it must've been so surprising (or even terrifying) for you to watch the movie and then suddenly remember that you once encountered that guy.
@@JenFromWebsite > I'm certain it was him. It wasn't until I was watching the film that it struck me. I worked/lived at the Banff Youth Hostel for over two years in the early 90's. Most of it doing the night shift as "night security" which basically meant I stayed up all night to keep watch and check people in. Usually every other night there would be one or two people checking in late. The name stuck out for me because immediately thought of the band Supertramp. He obviously wasn't using his real name when I checked him in and wasn't a Youth Hostel member, He seemed a bit odd, but so did everyone else from one degree to another. The Hostel crowd was always a mixed bag. I generally didn't refuse anyone at the door as long as they weren't drunk or looking to cause shit. I can't really remember much more about the interaction than that. He may have stayed another night or two but I do remember him saying he needed to shower and sleep and then move on. But yes. When watching the movie with my wife, I had to pause the film and have a 'holy shit' moment. Banff is kind of a Mecca for wanderers, especially one's heading North. Like I mentioned, I have no idea if they have kept all the receipts from back then, (Highly unlikely since I think they purged them every 7 years), But I did have him sign the check-in slip and that was the name he signed. In hindsight, a truly unremarkable moment but once the connection was made, I felt both excited and extremely sad at the same time. He was as forgettable as every other face, except for the name.
ThePunitiveDamages that’s very cool to hear! I mean, who would’ve thought? This is probably the best story I’ve heard in a long time now. Thank you for sharing this one-of-a-kind experience with me!!!
That's really incredible - you should get in contact with Jon Krakauer, he is the one who wrote the bestselling "Into the Wild" book on Chris McCandless. He's made updates on the story recently, and it might be of value for your information to get out there. There's a large gap in McCandless' story as he traveled to Alaska reported by Krakauer - this might fill that a bit.
@@Tomkkat15 I'll try to get in touch with him. Thanks for the tip.
Who’s here after the bus got air-lifted from the original site?
MagicalBread me
I too got lifted from the original site.
And now find myself writing this comment lol.🤫
yo!
I too
Meeeeee!
I grew up in Alaska. Nearly everyone up here uses this guy as an example of what not to do. It sucks that they had to air left the bus out. Hunters who knew what they were doing used it for shelter.
We were actually required to read the book in class during Highschool.
Don't be like Chris
Literally this was just a hunting issue. Also he probably could have fished
That’s hard asf✊🏿
What makes you think he didn't try?
the thing that will haunt me the most is the loneliness when he died in the middle of the forest in an abandoned bus alone
sch jo all he had to do was light a big fire and he would have been rescued.
Well he should’ve known that
Thats what he wanted
sch jo He wasn't alone,HE HADTHE LORD WITH HIM AND ACKNOWLEDGED GOD IN HIS LAST DAYS,Thats powerful
Mh, yeah, god god god.. I mean, why credit anybody with their own fucking accompishments when you can just thank some sky daddy that makes african children starve for no reason and gives people infinite pain for infinite time because he made them not believe in some shitty book that makes no fucking sense and also literally tells you to beat your wife and stone gays to death?
His biggest mistake, and one that showed he had little survival skills or experience as an outdoorsman, was when he returned to the bus, thinking he had no options. Nothing could have been further from the truth, and this thinking sealed his fate.
Krakauer wrote he got rid of his map, he did not. He simply didn't reference it. It was a standard map, not a topo, but had he followed it with logical thinking, and looked at the terrain around him, he quickly would have realized two options. First, he could have gone south following the Teklanika, heading towards the park for 1-2 days, eventually running into the park road, or a bridge crossing the Teklanika. Had he gone downstream (north) exploring for a place to cross, in just a half mile he could have come across a gauging station with a pulley crossing, and easily crossed the river, and gone on with his life. There's also the chance he could have found a cold night and cool morning in late July or early August, when the river was at it's lowest point in the day, and found a place to carefully cross.
But he had another option, a three hour hike south along the Sushana River near the bus, towards the park, he likely would have likely run into a NPS Ranger cabin at the park boundary stocked with food, wool blankets, bedding and more. He likely didn't know this was there, and had he somehow missed the cabin, the river trek would have led to even rougher terrain, but that terrain also would have naturally pushed him east, again towards the Teklanika, and south again to the park road. These would have been tough treks, but logical assumption should have told him he'd eventually run into the national park, and a road, or trail, or something, if he just pushed on.
Finally, he supposedly explored the area. But within an hour of the bus, there were three, empty hunting cabins. All had boot beaten footpaths near them, and he easily could have broken in, in an emergency.
Just like people trapped in a burning building, he wrongfully assumed the only way out, was the way he entered, and never opened his mind to even the remote chance of another possibility.
I agree that no one should be discouraged from pursuing their dreams. But don't think this man was more skilled than he actually was, and just unlucky. His lack of experience, and caution to the wind, caviller attitude cost him his life.
Spot on
Phil Anderson I never knew how close that pulley system was. IMHO it's inexcusable not to walk half a day in each direction the river flows (half a day so you have half a day back to camp) looking for a way to cross. The fact that he missed something less than 15 minutes away on that river is mind boggling. I just can't imagine being camped out in one place for 2 months and not knowing every detail of the terrain 5 miles in each direction. What else is there to do besides explore?? I've alwayd thought he was poisoned but now that I know all the mistakes he made, maybe he just starved to death. Sometimes people become apathetic and if he started to feel sorry for himself and got to weak, then had a bad stretch of finding food... Might have just layed down and accepted his fate. Either way, even with all the mistakes, you still have to admire the willingness to try. So many people won't even have the courage to try in life, they will take the easy way out until they die.
Thank you for posting this comment. He died a fool. Plain and simple.
It’s always easier to say what you should’ve done looking on the outside of the situation. I’d say he did pretty good surviving for 2 months... sure he was unprepared but no matter what you’ll always be unprepared... sometimes the littlest things have the greatest effect on the overall outcome of the situation
Tom Limberis True. If he broke his leg or something you're pretty screwed but for some reason it seemed he never went back to the river to check it's flow. You'd think he'd be hauling water from the river or somewhere close to the river. I wonder if the rising waters really came from left field. Honestly he kind of reminds me of Henry David Theroux in the fact that Theroux was much more a dreamer and idealist than a common sense woodsman. Chris should be known more as a philosopher than survivalist. His legacy shines more in that light.
Horribly unprepared led to his demise. A 10 pound bag of rice? He should have had months of food brought for the first year and spend a year or longer learning how to dry meat and survive in the wilderness
read" Into the Wild."
he was a bored after college and he wanted to get away and see if he could live off the land and his dumb luck. sadly he was mistaken.
True, but only 5 lbs more rice might have saved his live. Hunters showing up 2.5 weeks later might have saved him.
It's because he had daddy issues and wanted to escape his life. He didn't think ahead and that was his demise.
I think people really underestimate how brutal nature truly is. Very few people are knowledgeable about how to truly survive in pure nature.
Our ancestors were so skilled to have survived. It’s amazing.
True. I don't have traditional survival training, but about 40 years experience in the great outdoors, one form or another, a chunk of it solo, often off trail, any season. Mother nature will humble you, very quickly. I don't care how tough or skilled you are. There's a really old saying I believe in: Nature bats last.
@@tiganathat's true... but they also had much shorter life spans, so there's that.
@@VipesVonHarlotbecause they lacked modern medication and quality food storage and preservation
Sounded like a suicide mission. No sane man would go that deep in the Alaska Wilderness alone to survive off the land without basic survival skills.
wish I could try that
I have a suicide mission everyday
@@anudeep5757 he was a amazing man some day I'll step forward and do the same
@@anudeep5757 yeah but it was a dumb choice lol
Motorcycle boi 😳
I tried something similar, damn near starved to death in the woods behind my house.
Rae Vandenberg true I tried to light myself on fire but it was too hot for me to handle
@Rae Vandenberg loll
Thats quite far 😀
😂🤙
Did You have water hose ? - long enough ?
I'm sorry but at some point, I would have risked the river. Not finna just sit there and die of starvation
Malaki Quest right?!? However long he was there for, either explore your surroundings or make a damn raft
Malaki Quest that certain death. If he waited he might find food
@DesertRat45 good idea. Follow the river down stream. Keep going. Might even find something to float across on.
@@viperslate Yeah maybe a 7mm wet suit and some scuba gear.
I suppose he was already weak and not thinking clearly. That's the only excuse I can think of. Still, so many survival stories have people at the end of their ropes making a mighty effort to survive. He just sort of gave up when things got tough. He was more a poet or philosopher than a survivalist for sure.
I'm also a survivalist but I live in a city where I can buy food at the grocery store so that I can survive. So far it seems to be working.
Eazy.
Not a very funny joke. Alternatively, you don't know what 'survival' means. It means to stay alive where conditions are dangerous or difficult. Living in a city is neither difficult nor dangerous.
Patrick McAsey that’s the joke
@@bluetuholic5802 where I live your safer in the woods trust.
Everyone is!
remember kids. always tell someone where you're going and when you're coming back.
yea, i always bought a sat phone when i was a kid going out in the woods. and a pack of gum and a flare gun. you can never grasp the weight of a situation if you are not experienced or prepared, yet alone someone who probably read a couple of interesting books and just set off. even the most experienced, well equipped explorers sometimes get overwhelmed. so many factors.. but you see, he died in peace, so in a way, he did save his life.
Exactly. I remind my oldest who is 21 to do this. It isn’t because I want to control her it’s because we love her.
Watch the movie “Into The Wild” And you’ll understand that he purposely didn’t tell anyone.
He went into the woods to die. He could have done a number of things to insure his survival but didn't care.
Rok Podlogar that kind of goes against everything mccandless stood for.
His last entry : “I’d punch a squirrel dead in the nuts for some French fries.”
hahaha
Probably give a squirrel top for 🍟
🤣🤣🤣
He must have went nuts
@@melaniebrantner3871 He already was. Trying to survive in a very hostile environment with no training and no supplies at all... It's not insanity, it's sheer imbecility. Just like the ones who tried to follow in his moronic footsteps and suffered horrible consequences.
I became an adventurist just like him, did 6 months in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere in the PNW. I was very unexperienced and not well supplied. I barely survived.
What would you do differently?
Starting to think people named Chris shouldn't try this.
Did you train or have basic survival skills?
@@skelettonr9831 No
@@Terpenefiend would you have theese basic skills,would you have survived?
(Not barely but atleast good)
He's a survivalist in the same way I'm an NBA center.
Nice ! You know Your LIMITS ? People cant pushed to be something - that They are Not ! Have You seen DARUDE - SANDTROM on Youtbe ? They Robbed a Bank - and RUN THRU The Whole City !
What team do you play for?
He’s a adventurer
He was fool
Anthony Davis is that you!!!??
There is a moral from bus 142 that we shouldn't miss. Sometimes in life when you want to achieve something great you have to take a risk and leave your comfort zone. Bus 142 was a trap that eventually cost him his life. Had he only spent 1 night there then pushed on he would have probably made it. But he couldn't let go of that security blanket out of fear and it lead to his death.
In nature just like life uncertainty and indecisiveness can be deadly. If you're gonna do something you gotta leave safety and security behind
Really well put
I came across Amish people using an old bus like that as a fishing cabin. In Illinois on the Wabash River.
Spot on...spot on
wow!
As good a lesson would have been to study, train and prepare. Dreaming isn't learning. He was clueless.
As much as I love the story and the movie this was made into, This young guy had next to zero real life experience it would take to survive in Alaska. The entirety of his nomad lifestyle was less than a year, and his time spent in Alaska was a little over 3 months. He brought next to no provisions and expected to "live off the land" with no experience on how to even do that. He died because he was Ill equipped to survive in the climate and no knowledge of hunting or foraging. So I have no idea why many of you are arguing that he was this smart and skilled nomad, when he died after only a few months.
Agree
I've never seen him labelled a "smart and skilled nomad." Not once.
Is it not also true that there was a cabin closeish by with provisions that was on a map but he didn't look?
@@eleven864 yes. Further down the river there was a hunting cabin with supplies. I think it was about a days walk away.
@@zoejaggard73 it was empty and ransacked
I remember as a kid I went for an epic hike. Then I set up my tent, and proceeded to nearly starve to death.
Then my mom came out and yelled it was time for supper.
I'm still scarred by the experience.
GOLD JERRY....GOLD
I spent years as an Infantryman in the Army. Even after years of training, I wouldn't be suited for such an idea...
Apparently, if he had a map he would have known that there a river crossing less than a mile from him.
He shot a moose and wasted the meat because he didn't have enough knowledge and experience.
The guy who dropped him off in Alaska was worried about his lack of experience and equipment and tried to talk him out of it or even buy him suitable supplies and equipment but Chris refused his advice and help.
Then he starved to death a few months later...
Look, I can respect his motive. But his planning and execution was seriously flawed. He basically committed suicide and caused his family unnecessary hurt and heartache.
Thank you for this, he was completely unprepared, just because he wanted to live his dream doesn't make him a 'hero', his execution was completely flawed, which is why real survivalists are so hurt that he is branded as such. I personally want to live alternatively but I've already started planning when it's not even 10 years down the line, that's the difference between real survivalists and the ones who just do it because they want to be different.
His philosophy was sound. His technique; flawed. RIP, buddy.
Poly Nikes I can appreciate your response, because although you criticize him it doesn't seem judgmental.
Sad story either way but people are so quick to judge something off a 5 minute video.
RIP Chris! RIP my forever inspirational mate! RIP. clearly if he'd survived, you'dnt have said that, so lets say he did it on his way, his and only.
Nor Aldin ur right. If he had survived the Alaskan wilderness I would not critique his unpreparedness.
The first time I read the book I was 16 and thought he was totally awesome. I read the book again when I was in my early 20s and all I could think was that he was a pompous kid with a head full of ideas and ideals that made him look down on others. He was too puffed up on himself. Sad that his decisions ended this way. Kid thought he knew it all.
Agree!!!
Please let know when you read the book for 3rd time...
you should read karen mccandles's book
He learned nothing much from the experience but one thing for sure.....wait for it........ he won't do it again
Krakauer is good at writing about how things can go wrong in nature. His book about the Everest disaster is highly recommended.
I find it strange that he perished so near a river.
With basic skills, anyone would be able to eek out an existence from fish and Riverside wildlife. Sounds like was more of a romantic dreamer than a woodsman.
Pity.
He was poisoned by then so…
Chris was by no means a survivalist, he was unprepared and lacks the knowledge. But he tried, he learned everything he could. Great respect to him.
I remember reading about this back when it happened. His motive was good but just unprepared. Even the guy that dropped him off at the trail begged him not to do it , knowing he didn't have the supplies and the experience to make the trip. Sad ending.
The guy with the boots was the real guy, btw.
According to his sister, their parents were extremely abusive.
Having been abused myself, I have had fantasies about doing something similar - going off by myself, ending up in some miserable situation.
It seems he was on his own, trying to live on almost nothing, because he'd learned he couldn't trust people and that he wouldn't be helped.
It's about trying to cope with severe personal damage - trying to prove he didn't need people, either emotionally or for his physical survival.
Apparently he didn't bring any way to call for help, and that really says it all.
that's not in the movie but accounts for the online video I saw of his parents speaking and happy to see all the photos he took and his diary/notes. That they could see what he was doing in life now that he had died.
his sister just wrote a book called the The Wild Truth. read it.
Mac Spartan
I did read his sister's book. She's an interesting character in herself - she's an auto mechanic and ran a successful auto repair shop.
toppinzr My parents are also quite abusive. The only difference is, I'm still here, with them. Way too young to go anywhere on my own yet, but I have already planned something similar to what Chris did. It's funny, because your original comment says it all, it's my complete mentality in there. I have to find myself as a person and in the process prove that I can be independent. This is why I dislike when people say he is stupid or idiotic, people who haven't been through it simply don't and will never, ever understand.
Aves Zephyr People are very quick to judge him, even though the poor guy died. You can get emergency locator beacons now, which would have saved him. Travel is a great thing, but it probably doesn't need to be as extreme as what he did to help revitalise you. Either way, if you're headed out into the wild, try to be as prepared as possible and tell someone reliable your plans.
When you head into the wilderness with a bag of rice and no survival skills, your chances of coming back out are pretty slim. Not sure what he was trying to prove.
His stupidity.
His luck.
what you want to prove with this comment
Spent the daylight hours reading and writing in his
Diary instead of hunting
And drying that moose
Meat near a fire.
priorities man, priorities. readin/writin > survivin....accordin to him i guess.
@@Gizziiusa Dont you have "g" button?
@@samet7422 no, i dont have a "gee" button, but i do know where koh samet is. oh, its over run by Chinese tourists now btw. pricey too.
Gizziiusa watch out the spelling police is on the hunt. Some folks don't have much to do.
He tried it though
I think the reason McCandless gets such scorn heaped upon him is that he seemed to deliberately go out of his way to not prepare properly. The man he hitchhiked with told McCandless that he wasn't adequately prepared for his trip and even offered to help buy him some supplies, but McCandless wouldn't listen. I guess he wanted to do things his way no matter what. You can get away with that in a lot of areas of life, but wilderness survival isn't one of them.
For me its because he seemed to go out of his way to unalive himself. It was spring, there was vegetation, there were fish, there were way more roaming critters, there were 3 whole cabins in a 1 mile radius, there were other footpaths, and the kicker, he was 3 miles from civilization.
Ummm if he was a survivalist....... he would still be alive.
He was an "adventurist" and that type tends to get itself into predicaments that can often prove to be lethal.
TheSkinking and that is fact
and not a very good one
Even survivalists eventually die.
hey CARL you got to use the F word! Just like a real junior high kid!
We're sorry you're embarrassed CARL. You do wish to be taken seriously. Correct?
Seems like he could have just followed the river, they almost always run into civilization somewhere
Yes, but in this case, I'd make sure I'm following it SOUTH. The further north you go, the less likely you are to encounter people. If you go south, at some point you'll encounter a road b/c people need access to Denali National Park in vehicles. National Parks are for the public, not just hikers.
WebDev also, if he kept going downstream, he would encounter a hand operated cable car to safely cross the river.
He was a mile from civilization as it turned out.
He had hiked almost 15 miles from the bus to the shores of the Teklanika, very close (about 1.5 miles) to Healy AK. Because of the condition of the river, he couldn't make it any further and had to hike back 15 miles to the bus. In his condition, it would have taken him a couple of days to get back to the bus. Pretty scary. He was young, and had a wild free spirit, but if only he had honed his hunting and trapping skills, he would have easily stayed alive even all the way out there.
I live in Alaska, and in about 2000 my dad was out dog sledding with a friend and found this bus in the dead of winter, he said he was gonna camp there for the night but decided it felt to lonely and creepy and so they moved. He said it's still one of the creepiest experiences hes ever had. (And before anyone asks, no, his body isnt there and they didn't sleep in the bus or damage the site, they were just nearby)
Survivalist? He lived 4 months in the Alaskan Wilderness, starving to death in the process.
What are you saying my good sir?
@The Eternal Induction Ten pounds of rice goes a long way I guess. He did get some small game (I guess the moose didn't work out though).
He just Gratuated ! He was booksmart - but that isnt enough in Alaska !
4 months is a lot. Most would have died within two weeks with same resources. Then again most would not go with those resources.
He accidentally ate a poisonous plant that caused paralysis to his legs, that's why he couldn't hunt for food, he was too weak
This boy was NOT A SURVIVALIST. He had NO idea what he was doing, nor where he was going. He's dead and his story is tragic, but don't give him this exalted title. He was a boy with a wandering spirit who romanticized the wilderness yet had no working knowledge nor respect for it. That ultimately cost him his life. The end.
Maybe he did lack the knowledge to survive... But this what he wanted to do. He wanted to be free, and that's what he's known for.
mimato
No, he's known as yet another spoiled city boy who didn't make it in the wilderness. A *cheechako* without the common sense to find out what he needed to do to be able to live. His last weeks were filled with agony, weak, and unable to provide for himself, starving to death, because he didn't have any idea what he was doing.
I got news for you, none of us end up surviving.
dude not all survivalist survive. its just gives you a fighting chance
. this was before cheap cell fones @ every gas station. Cell reception then was SHIT.
Is survivalist an exalted title in the states? Seems pretty shit if you spend all your time in the outdoors and only managed to just survive and don't live a happy life. In the UK we look down on that title pretty much as show off Bear Grylls nonsense who know nothing about being a woodsman or any kind of bushcraft.
There actually was a makeshift bridge about a km upstream if he had a map he would have know about it and saved his life
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing". I'm glad that he didn't really regret what he did, his last words prove that. Rather short, but he lived his life the way he wanted. I guess he was fed up of all the consumerism.
Well he was desperate to be saved and died a painful lonely death. Guess he got what he wanted.
@@stanleyhape8427 Once you walk out of your house for an adventure you should be ready for death due to a thousand reasons . Only then you can take thrilling Risks. He had ill-planned though.
P. S. There is a certain romanticism in a lonely death. No fake tears, you see. Plus, quite a few people are actually glad that you are gone.
Walking out into the Wild in Alaska is the equivalent to a death wish.
@Explodingtraps He lacked real survival skills and experience.
@@joandreintong5255 he survived 4 months which is kind of incredible.
@@hadhamalnam yeah given how ill prepared and ignorant he was, making it that long out there is pretty respectable imo
Are you still considered a survivalist when you fail to survive?
No you're a survivaless
@@clambroth1923 Lol I had the same exact thought.
All of us "fail to survive" in the end.
"Former survivalist"
@The Eternal Induction He had 10 lbs of rice
Everyone is hating on him but he did survive the journey there. That's pretty impressive.
@@MrCroel Suicide missions isn't considered "going out of your comfort zone".
No hate. Just wish he had been a bit more realistic about the reality he had put himself in. What a loss, what a waste.
He was too pampered to realise that he really needed training and not just a "free spirit" to survive into the wild.
He didn't survive. He made it, what 114 days...?
He went into the wilderness woefully unprepared.
Not a survivalist
Do You know the difference - between a Customer and Paying Customer ?
I studied English as a second language at the university of Oregon (Eugene) and we read the novel “Into the Wild”. The story pushed me to learn English just to understand what happened. I translated upward of 200 words in the process, and l remain thankful to this story for learning English.
Apparently everyone in the comments is either an expert in survival or has an apparent say on how this man should have lived his life. This is exactly why he did what he did. I commend him for how he chose to live his life.
Rae Vandenberg He died trying to help himself
@@YOTSUBA_desu But in the ned he only trapped himself
Im no expert but i knew when i was in highschool that i couldnt survive in the wild, i knew i didnt know how. So to me this guy went on a suicide mission and this is how he wanted to do it.
He went to Alaska to live off the land without bothering to find out how to do it. Compare him to Dick Polnecke (?) of Alone in the Wilderness. He knew what he was doing and survived alone for 30 years.
@Uncle Freddy No Freddy, we don't.
Just watched his sister’s TED talk. I told my husband that Chris shouldn’t be looked at as a folk hero because he was foolish in his pursuit of self isolation, and that he died alone, sick, cold and hungry. My husband told me that’s the best way for a man to die. I don’t know if I agree with that sentiment or not but I suppose that he did die bravely when he knew he wasn’t going to make it.
Better than dying high on drugs trying to pass off a fake 20
I don’t think that’s the best way for a man to die. That’s how neglected children and homeless people die.
@@brendonbackus1297 is this a reference to George Floyd? Crazy how racism pops up for no reason.
@@billie6528 Wouldn't call it "racism", we don't know the intentions behind the comment. However, it is strange how something so seemingly unrelated can appear out of nowhere (assuming that it is indeed referencing George Floyd).
@@billie6528 George Floyd was a hero a god amongst men because he tried to fake a 20 whilst high on drugs oh and he held a pregnant women at gun point whilst his gang buddy’s robbed her house. Someone needs to write a book about poor old George Floyd’s life. And somehow I am racist for just speaking the facts.
The guy had a fishing pole-- the river was filled with grayling (a type of fish.) Why didn't he try to catch them?
Had he gone in the other direction (away from the direction to the river) he would have reached a major roadway in 10 miles.
He didn't have a clue how to survive in the bush. He had the will but not the way. All the hero worshipers on here should look elsewhere. There were
uther adventurers that were 10 times more worthee of praze then McCandless. He always got his beehind saved by uthers when he pulled his "supertramp" crap in the lower 48, but Alaska aint so forgivin.
I aint tryin to bash him, butt it was a terribull an lonelee way to die...
I noticed that Mr. "Rugged Individualism I don't need people" sponged off of them routinely.
Even Timothy Treadwell is deserving of praise compared to this nitwit-- he actually lived his dream save for his one fatal error at the end.
BoyScout1960 So damn true! Couldn't have said it better myself. I don't mean to diss the dead, but everything you said was true. Sad ending, but certainly NOT a heroic one....
... Well many think that he basically poisoned himself to death through something that he tried to eat/survive off of when he couldn't catch much. If your slowly becoming paralyzed and do not know why, while also starving at the same time.. not much you can do
its easy saying what to do behind the computer...when you are out there alone scared and weak its a bit different
If you can call someone who died at 24 a "survivalist" then make a youtube video about me called "King of France".
This week on RUclips History: Ryan the King of France.
@@shark180 Lol
If He hadnt written down anything - We would never have even heard of Him ! There are many People on Most Wanted List at every Post Office - That NOBODY KNOWS - Where They are at ?
Ryan, king of France. It has a nice ring to it.
An Alaskan native well versed in living out in the wilderness kills a caribou. In the process he gets violently ill.
He overcomes the illness but is so weak he cannot hike to safety or hunt. He dies.
Conclusion - he was not a survivor list.
If he really wanted to live he should have followed the river stream and that would lead him into civilization. I've seen a bunch of videos where people in order to survive have walked miles and travelled through extreme conditions. Maybe he just didn't wanna go back and dying was already on his mind.
The truck driver who dropped him off, gave him a pair of high waterproof boots. These boots enabled him to cross a then-shallow river, which trapped him in two months later when the water level rose, preventing him from crossing back.
Bad luck.
It takes years and years to acquire the skills necessary to live alone in a harsh and unforgiving wilderness. There are very few people who could do it for more than a month or two. The poor kid had no chance.
Respect to all the natives who survived Alaska for tens of thousands of years before, with their ancestral wisdom and superb hunting skills.
He died in bus 142, and Timothy Treadwell got torn apart by a bear called “Bear 141.” Surely some conspiracy theorist can explain this.
I believe rachael maddow is covering this on cnn
@@2scents434 She concluded it was MAGA hats that killed em both.
Not taking a fishing pole shows how ignorant he was. Basically weighs nothing and a river next to where you sleep.
Thats a fair point actually, would of been more of a asset than the gun with its finite ammunition.
He was only 20 miles from the highway! He should have found at least some spot to cross that river. Nowadays, you can probably get some cell service to Healy from that bus. But then again, if he really did poison himself, he would have been too weak to do anything. Plus, the Teklanika may not have even had much fish - if any. Depending on if it choked with glacial silt.
Les Stroud's friend keeps fishing stuff in his hat.
He eath, a poison plant - in one book he brought, was a litte warning. A warning, he oversee - at last, he saw it. But to late.
The plant look light, a potato.
What saddens me the most is that if Chris had brought a map of the trail with him, he would have known that there was a hand operated tram a mile away from him, and even if he chose to continue walking upstream, he may have found a calmer, a shallow section. Going back to the bus was the nail to his own coffin.
Preparation is more important than dedication....May he ( rip)
Chris Evans ...sure he is. Really.
In the end he became desiccated
Goes off to live and be one with nature....
Dies 3 months later.
He was a survivor - of The Nomad LIFE ! - but that didnt help him in Alaska ! This reminds Me of The Klondike Gold Rush ! Many People went to Alaska - That were NEVER HEARD - Ever after ! You should know Your LIMITS !
3 months is a long time to survive in the Alaskan wilderness. Most people would survive maybe a week or two
Irony of the whole situation is that if he followed the river the other way for less than a mile there is a steel cable that crosses the river. It would of been his way out but he stayed to close to the bus.
there's a metaphor in here
Is it ironic?
to call him a survivalist is an insult to survivalists.
+022171 to call you a human is an insult to humans. So shut your mouth.
Dani K
that's funny. what would chris say about your comment? that's seriously funny.
+Dani K omg you fucking stupid fuck. we are already born as human as fuck and being a survivalist is a fucking choice
+022171 yeah, totally not a survivalist yet he did what he did for 2 years
022171 THANK YOU. This boy was NOT A SURVIVALIST. He had NO idea what he was doing, nor where he was going. He's dead and his story is tragic ,but he doesn't deserve this exalted title. He was a boy with a wandering spirit who romanticized the wilderness yet had no working knowledge nor respect for it. That ultimately cost him his life. The end
Chris didn't prepare his "journey" at all, he just simply went to the wilderness lacking many things. How can he able to fulfill his "dreams" if he didn't even prepare for it.
What a cheerful uplifting little ditty.
Thanks for that.
A sad example of what happens when you aren't prepared. If he had spent 1 season with someone who knew what to do he'd be alive today.
I have met his parents and I know a fellow who lives not too far down the road from that spot. You cannot judge the family by the movie, you cannot judge Chris by his journey. He made many mistakes in a land where a simple miscalculation can be and often is, fatal. God bless him and his family.
Not sure, but it seems that death was on his mind. He wanted to live life to it's fullest and objected to every form of capitalism and greed, and I feel this was somehow in his mind a protest to that. Nevertheless, a sad end to a promising life.
@Ladarion johnson you can always check out some of the wonderful socialist utopian countries that exist....free of the horrible capitalism you so despise. Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea to name a few.
This reminds me of Timothy Treadwell who thought "living with" Grizzly bears was a good idea. Just a total lack of respect of nature. - Something tells me he panicked. And for any of you who've lost your bearings in the forest and had no idea which direction you were pointed in, you know what I mean by "panicked."
There are seasoned survivalists who new the area well wouldn't try what he did, and McCandless was no survivalist. Did anyone try and dissuade him?
Tredwell wasnt lack of respect of nature, but too much trust and Love of a fantasy connection to beasts.
Yes, several people in Alaska tried to dissuade him, actually.
Do not disrespect the kind warrior please
@@EvolutionIX219 - "Kind warrior?" - McCandless or Treadwell? Because both of them disrespected the power of nature so much so that it led to both their deaths.
Respecting nature 101...
Gotta crawl before you walk. Very depressing sad story. Nothing inspiring here.
Theres a waste dump in your head.
Huge dreams, no knowledge
styldsteel1 end story.
He experienced more in 24 years then you will in a lifetime
Leafs Fan
He also died of starvation while begging for help when town was only two days away on foot. *such* an experience.😂
CavemanJoe why u response so late bitch
Leafs Fan
It's not a response, *bitch*.😂
Just a comment on your stupid bullshit.
As an avid fan of the show, “Alone”, I can conclude that this guy had no idea what he was doing.
It’s easy to judge someone in hindsight. I won’t be arrogant towards him.
True
ToLovelyJesus It doesn’t take 20/20 foresight to reason that venturing into the wilds of Alaska with only an old .22 cal plinker and a bag of rice will not be ideal.
It’s easy to judge when one has common sense
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 Did you ever fix that god awful engine noise?
Love how they called a guy fresh out of high school with zero survival skills a survivalist. Had he knowledge about surviving in the wilderness he wouldn’t have died. He’d have been able to make his way back to civilization instead of waiting around in a bus with no food till he died
I want to go to the moon, call me an astronaut LOL
He had just graduated from college, I believe, but yes, he should have educated himself on survival and gone in prepared.
When you read these comments. you know what he ran away from.I respect him!
He thought that he'd make it through the winter and didn't count on getting sick, from that point on he had no choice. With no means of communicating to the outside world the whole trip turned into a tragedy. We all need someone at some point and isolating yourself completely like he did was taking a massive risk, as I'm sure he realised in the end with one of his final quotes being: "Happiness is only real when shared." Within this context personal freedom has a very high price to pay and my heart goes out to the guy, he was a hero of free spirit, poet, romantic and undeniably brave.
There is a movie about this called "Into the Wild", that was directed by Sean Penn in 2007. Some of it was actually filmed at this location in Alaska, and Emil Hirsch was the actor who played Christopher McCandless! Anyone who found this video interesting and has not seen this movie, I highly recommend watching it, great movie! The movie also stars Vince Vaughn, William Hurt and Kristen Stewart!
Just finished watching it. Good movie
"A young survivalist"
Hahahahahaha
31 years ago today, Christopher McCandless passed away. He is still inspiring people to this day.
I hope he's inspiring them to have a modicum of knowledge before going out in the wilderness.
That for sure he did @@NiceDonkey3417
At least he had the guts to try, sorry he didn’t succeed. Kinda sad, lots of ways to die in the forest..
this is basically the only objectively good comment i've run across scrolling this whole section.
The guts to risk his life while totally unprepared? That doesn’t take guts, that’s a suicide mission.
You know what they say... If at first you don't succeed, try try again.
That's like saying he had the guts to play Russian roulette by himself.
Chris's arrogance and ignorance is why he is dead.
Whether we are right or wrong to criticize, his actions have spawned a million more outdoor enthusiasts. I used to love this story and envy Chris McCandless. Not so much anymore but it still spurred me on to get outdoors instead of playing the xbox. For that, I am grateful!
thank you for this
When I was younger I wanted to be just like him. Now that I'm older I realize his last words regarding happiness as only being real if shared strikes home more than ever. I no longer need to go to Faraway places I've already been there. Now I just look for Value in relationships and a meaningful life of Public Service. Being around people and being a human being with emotions and connections is much more valuable than any place here or far away or out in the cosmos. I went to places that would be considered Paradise but was still lonely. Now being in my simple home is a beautiful feeling every day. Wanderlust is good for the year but over time you start to see that life is a human experience to have with others and to share with others.
This is beautiful.
He had the balls to live out the life he wanted to.
Most of u don't even have the balls leave ur house
rafhe marsh he was an idiot this isn't being brave
king_kanneh 57 you would know
right
+king_kanneh 57 you're one of those know it all's aren't ya? well let me tell you something kid, you wouldn't have the guts to do what he did..because he's certainly more brave than you would be you wouldn't even leave your comfort zone so before you judge people go try and do what he did
Cassie shut the FUCK up. If you think he was so great then YOU go do it, and have the same fate.
Cassie Long
It's not bravery to run away from every little thing you don't like in life and then starve to death because you were too busy looking at pretty flowers to learn how to save food for winter. He's not a hero, he's just another city boy who couldn't cut it.
His story shows both sides of life. On one hand we should try to go out of your comfort zone and have new experiences, connect yourself with nature and know that you are strong enough to survive in your own. On the other hand, we are humans who need human connection. As brave and free spirited Chris was, he made rash decisions and was isolating himself too much. But that was his journey.
“Happiness is only real when shared”. Sadly he realized this too late, but his life will always be an example to others of what to do and what not to do. As someone who is extremely independent I always refused to accept that quote. When I went on a solo road trip up north I remembered this film and finally understood what he meant. Sometimes we don’t realize we are running away from something, once we acknowledge that and are finally at peace with ourselves we want to spread love to others. What’s the point of life if it’s not to share with people you love?
That upbeat outro always gets me. It always happens when you least expect it.
Speaking as a born and raised Alaskan, Chris had no respect for the nature of this place. The moose he killed, was with a 22 rifle. The poor animal suffered greatly because he would have had to shoot it multiple times to do any damage. As much as I want to believe that he was indeed a wonderful guy, the actions he made say differently. He was stupid and had no respect for nature. RIP Chris McCandless.
You Alaskans sound like broken fucking records. Yes, yer the roughest toughest Americans out there and you respect nature the mostest!
You can take about 80% off there, Frontier Joe. The only Alaskan worth a damn was Bob Ross and he was a transplant lol.
Mande Peer Fuck yeah Bob Ross was Fucking gangster!
don't be silly, the only transplanted Alaskan worthwhile was Richard Proenneke from Alone in the Wilderness He was one with nature, respecting it and living with it in a symbiosis
Mande Peer being rough and tough and Alaskan have nothing to do with the fact that you should respect nature. Your people ruined the Earth so I wouldn’t expect you to understand anyways but I’m just saying
@@Gadmeer I watched that guys documentary he was an iron horse for sure.
that movie was so sad :(
Yeah it was. :'(
i cried when the old man cried idk why but i never really thought about old people crying
BAAVOZ I know 😢 I have it💖
BAAVOZ
A great comedy, non stop laughs from start to finish.
BAAVOZ You know it was a true story right?
THIS GUY HAD NO BUSINESS BEING OUT THERE
I can't imagine to live and die alone like that. I need family, friends around me.
Right it's so sad and lonely. I couldn't imagine noticing that I am going to die and that theirs nothing you can do about it
People miss the reason why he is respected, it's not because he is looked at as a survivalist it's because he just decided to do it. He didn't properly prepare which was because he didn't travel with someone else or even have much knowledge despite his efforts of trying to learn, which is a poor survivalist but he did what many want to do and quit their job and just live.
Davey Ward
But, he DIDN'T live, he was too busy looking at flowers to secure his own well-being, picking berries while the moose he shot rotted in the sun. He SHOULDN'T be respected. His story is one of warning and preparation, not enlightenment.
Anyone can 'go off the grid' and live in the wilds but you must make precautions and prepare instead of leaving with a plan but no experience/knowledge of a new lifestyle.
More easily said than done. I would suggest trying it in a little warmer climate first. Not just anyone can do it.
uh huh You probably missed the part where he died.
That makes him an idiot. Not an idol.
Crazy fact for u just a few miles up stream there is a basket and a pulley system to get u across if he had only walked a few miles he would have been fine
Dude he was weak
I am aware he could have still made it tho if he had only brought a map with him or if he just decided to try and walk up and find a better spot to cross at that’s at least better then going back to the bus to surly die
"What Happened to Christopher McCandless". In one word: Darwinism.
He was ill prepared for the wilderness. Little understanding in the way of maps, terrain, shelter, food, even armed with a rifle of too small caliber. He was driven by a dream. There is something romantic, even exciting, in his spirit of adventure, and he seemed a truly likable fellow. But his utopic vision of the the wilds didn't match the reality he would ultimately face.
Amazing young man. He was a true adventurer.
thank god for this video. this was the first thing i watched on christopher mccandless, not knowing who he was or what he'd done. however after this video peaked my interest, i've been enamored with chris' legacy ever since and am wholeheartedly grateful for being introduced to a book as incredible as "into the wild"
Odd fact. The hunter that found him was shot and killed in 2014 by police on a DUI stop gone wrong.
Wow, really ?!
Mad props to get out and test yourself. Wether he was a 'survivalist' or not. Better than sitting on your chair looking at social media or judging him about it.
ZeeMVee
Like you right?
Yes I’d rather starve in the wilderness than to sit on my comfy couch surrounded by civilization and food
I want to go to the moon, let me get my sneakers and head on out the door, or let me buy a soldier's uniform and pretend to be a soldier. Life doesn't work like that. Life will chew you up and spit you out if you don't prepare yourself, and if you do decide to take on life with a rifle but no experience in using it, then one must be prepared to face the consequences.
Your so funny lol
Have made this hike while I was in the Army and stationed in Alaska. Myself and 2 friends had set up camp on the Teklanika. We had not crossed. Just stopped to rest. Freak accident ended up happening and had to turn around and head back for medical attention. Us not knowing any better...we started a fire and a river bed rock became really hot and exploded. Hit me in the neck and I ended up having to get 7 stiches. Oops...I would post a picture if that was possible!
Christopher McCandless lost a lot of weight, he was a whopping 67 pounds when they found his body.
A skeleton.
All bones and no skin
this reminds me of the office episode when michael geta dropped off in the wild
@Daniel mushrooms
Even if you know what you're doing, things can go wrong fast out by yourself in the wilderness. It wasn't very wise for Chris to set himself in this situation but I do admire his determined spirit to discover truth.
This video is a romanticized version of what actually happened. This kid was the furthest thing from a survivalist. He just walked completely ignorant and unprepared into Alaska and died. The End.
Thank you Captain Obvious
Thanks captain cocklick
The story has now come out via Chris’ sister that their father was physically abusive to his wife and children and that his father’s behavior messed him up and essentially drove him out. So it wasn’t some romantic survivalist/adventurer/free spirit which lead him to Alaska (as portrayed in book and film) - he was really trying to withdraw from society to escape his own personal demons.
No that was very prominent in the film by Sean Penn. If you missed that in the film, it was the part where you didn't pay attention because it was boring.
If only he had heard Eddie Vedders soundtrack to his life while he was going through it as we had the chance to. I can imagine it bringing that big smile to his face
❤️