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 bit.ly/1yGcVZd
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.
@@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!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 !
@@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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Smithsonian Channel The TRUTH about people that would die to leave the corupt state of Georgia! C.O.B.B. Crooked Officers Blasting Boys! C.O.B.B. Count On Being Blasted!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ?
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.
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
"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.
@@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.
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.
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 !
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.
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.
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.
I'm sorry, but i'd like to make a point right here. I believe the people from this comment section should stop criticizing him because: - First of all, he is dead now, so does he really need any advice from you guys, does he really need to be insulted? - Second of all, he probably didn't succeed, but at least he tried. And I think that those who probably spend their whole lives dreaming of doing something, but never do because they think it's unachievable, just don't have their word to say here. - Finally, if you've seen the movie, at the end he says he's lived a happy life. So shouldn't people just leave him alone instead of acting like they're his teacher. Ps: Stop giving your point of view as if it were the right one, because remember, the most intelligent people are those who accept others' point of view. Thanks for reading & have a nice day.
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!
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
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.
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?
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.
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
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
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.
To live in this wilderness you have to be at one with your surroundings and be a hunter trapper gatherer.My father taught me to be all of that.My first memory of this was at 4 yrs old when he took me hunting with a rifle.The rest came over the yrs,when my father died,my uncle taught me the rest of what it takes to survive the harsh reality of living with sticks and stones.These were the best days of my life.
Yes, though he got high spirits while venturing into toughest wild, he seems lacking survival skills and knowledge about local plants. However salute to the brave young man who died with no despairing words.
There was a small footbridge for hunters a few miles up river that he could have used to cross, but unfortunately he didn't know about it and didn't explore in that direction. Also, from the river he was within eyesight of a highway and could sometimes see trucks moving on it. If he had built three evenly spaced fires (a known distress signal) he probably would have been seen and rescued. Even after being trapped, he still had options that could have saved him.
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.
that river looks no different than the ones i stand in when fly fishing...he could have easily followed the river till he found a flatter, shallower, calmer section to wade thru.
That’s because the river was obviously low when this was shot. When Chris decided to head back out of the bush and hiked back to the river, it was up immensely from last time he crossed it in early April. The river chest deep and about 100 feet across. Chris was slightly short, about 5’7’’ or so I believe, and his fear of water stopped him. He was right to not cross. The water was too high, too strong, and too cold. He didn’t have a map to know that he could cross safely or get help just down from the river, so he made the most logical decision that he could at the time, return back to the bus and wait it out.
I’ve read the book and the impression I got was one of an arrogant kid who wanted to test the boundaries of independence with the romantic notion of being a man of the world who needed no one else. The reality of him poisoning himself speaks to the arrogance of not knowing or believing you could do something so basic with such tragic results. It makes me think of the folks who die taking a selfie on the edge of a cliff who fall to their demise seconds after the camera catches their smile!
What a joke that he thought he could hike all the way to the bearing sea when he couldn't even survive close to civilization. He was a day hike away from a highway for God's sake.
Every time I hear this story I'm struck with just how inexperienced he must have been in the field to not understand the level of expertise/skills you'd have to possess to have even a decent shot of living off the land in wild Alaska with just what you can pack in on foot....even as a guy who pretty much grew up in the woods hunting and camping and exploring and then spent 6 years in The Corps, including my last two years in 1st Recon Battalion and went thru mountain survival training, I'd be very weary of humping in like he did...to quote Dirty Harry "a man has to know his limitations".
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"
I am sorry but we have to make a point here, no matter what you think, Christopher Mccandles can't be criticized. First of all I find it unacceptable to criticize someone who died, like really, he died, is it your problem? is it really useful for him to receive "advices" from people who probably spend their life dreaming of doing something they will never do because they keep on thinking it's never gonna work. Then, I just wanted to say I find it hilarious to see people on the two sides saying stuff that is clearly subjective but still think they are the most intelligent people in the world and their point of view is of course the right one. (Btw, just in case you wanted to answer saying that I'm sure I'm right even though it's only my point of view I'd like to mention the fact what I said is perfectly objective and argumented) Last point, if you've seen the movie at the end he writes that he has lived a happy life: what can you answer to that? The only goal of a human (I believe) is to feel happy when the light dies, and he did. So I think you don't really have anything to say about that. Sorry for this long and a bit aggressive comment
For being a Smithsonian Channel video, you sure fucked up the ending. His ACTUAL last journal entry, noted as "Day 107", simply read "Beautiful Blue Berries." The days 108 through 113 contained no words and were marked with only slashes. There was nothing else written after "Day 113".
How free did he feel when he starved to the point of no energy and his body eating itself? Hero? Certainly not. And you can bet he was full of regret near the end.
Just not sure what his thought pattern was for the trip. It breaks my heart to learn of his story. I truly hope that he is in Heaven looking down on beautiful country. May GOD bless you Christopher, and the family.
I did something similar to this in my youth and was lucky... survival is sometimes measured in rather thin margins. One or two relatively minor mistakes can compound into something dangerous. I'm considering writing about it in my next book. McCandless was merely young, adventurous, and had a couple bad breaks. Life is short either way. God bless!
Yeah, its great he went and "lived his dream". But to see him as some kind of survivalist or bush craft expert is beyond absurd. When you boil it down to its core, he walked down a road, and stayed in a pre made shelter that had a fucking wood stove in it. He basically did the equivalent of what millions of people do every year during camping season. He was unprepared which led to his death. End of discussion. I'm not saying he was right or he was wrong or taking any stance on what he did, but you can't argue with the fact that he either died from ignorance or arrogance. It wasn't some tragic perfect storm of unforeseeable events. Just look at the amount of videos right here on TH-cam of random people hiking to this bus. How fucking hard could it be if there are a hundred people filming their "pilgrimage" to the bus?
@@pugilist102 He never said that. Bullshit done by the douchebag who wrote the book. Chris died with the map in his pockets, along with his I.D., SS card, money, and camera.
The irony is he deceased in an hunk of used up fossil fuel burning metal that should not be there to begin with. He wasn't a survivalist but his intentions were decent.
I never heard of the book or the movie until I read on the news about a newlywed woman who died trying to cross the river to get to the bus.I myself prefer the loneliness and seclusion,Iam around people at work all day long.I intend on owning some acreage and shelter in a low tax state where its a little warmer,maybe do some hunting but there will be a store somewhere nearby just in case.Unfortunate that this kid wasn't quite aware of his limitations.
Sad story but this "kid" had no real idea of what it actually takes to be a survivalist. But you gotta give this kid the respect for following his dreams and overcoming the fears of the world with nothing but what's on your back RIP friend
I watched the movie and it really hit me. It made me realize that you need to just take a leap in life sometimes and go for it. Tomorrow isnt guaranteed and many people take life for granted. If you want to truly live you have follow your gut and do what makes you happy. Although Chris only lived till 24, I'm sure he had more stories and memories then many people who lived full lives.
This is such a good (but sad) example of WHY you should tell people of your plans, when you are to be expected back, etc., so that if you do not return, a search party can be put into action to look for you. That bus would have been fairly easy to spot from the air if only people had known McCandless was in trouble. Sad negligence is responsible for many deaths, which are so preventable!
Why are some people so judgemental of how his life ended? Why does it matter to you all so much how long he survived in the wild? I think at least he was so brave to detach from all the materialistic stuff we are literally enslaved to living without living.
I live here in Alaska and out in the middle of the woods. Not roughing it but close enough. Bear and moose are a constant danger and I even had to eliminate 3 that tried breaking into my place about two years ago. I live close to a town that’s a good 15 miles away and good 2-3 hours walk (least at the rate I walk and when I’m without a vehicle). Winters get very harsh here and especially without basic essentials that’s taken for granted like running water. Honestly, I cannot see what this hipster found so romantic about the Alaskan wilds. It’s very dangerous here and I’ve come to a few close calls. Moose for one is especially dangerous and one almost did me in back in 2008, beat me up really bad and if it wasn’t for the deep snow I’d not be writing this. Aside from the wildlife, if you’re not savvy on what’s safe to eat and not eat via vegetation you’re SOL also. If he played it safe and had someone to check in on him every so often or kept close to a nearby town or something he’d probably survive…that or be run out by the rangers for vagrancy. I wonder if he had a bit of a death wish and/or wanted to experience true struggle to survive just to feel alive. Most likely he was just a typical college hipster who felt he knew better then anyone and prided himself in being too smart to die. Honestly, I’m surprised he lived as long as he did with little to no survival skills.
If you want to learn to live off the land, start small, don't trek deep into the backwoods with minimal skills. This guy went all in and payed for it with his life. A sad story but a life lesson for some. He had a true free spirit but some skill is needed to survive the backcountry.
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.
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 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.
@@Fire-Rabbit87because they lacked modern medication and quality food storage and preservation
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.
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?
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 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 ?
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'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.
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.
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.
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!
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!!!??
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 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.
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
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.
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…
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
The story of a young man who took a journey into the wild of Alaska, never to return: bit.ly/1yHCshI
He wasn't a survivalist,he was a moron.
+UndeadDave lmfao
+Autumnleaf2011 Lol. All of ya. 👍✌
:,(
Smithsonian Channel The TRUTH about people that would die to leave the corupt state of Georgia! C.O.B.B. Crooked Officers Blasting Boys! C.O.B.B. Count On Being Blasted!
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.
exactly
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 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.
Youthful hubris.
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...?
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.
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.
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 TH-cam 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.
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
"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.
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?
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
Respect to all the natives who survived Alaska for tens of thousands of years before, with their ancestral wisdom and superb hunting skills.
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.
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.
Gotta crawl before you walk. Very depressing sad story. Nothing inspiring here.
Theres a waste dump in your head.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As an avid fan of the show, “Alone”, I can conclude that this guy had no idea what he was doing.
I'm sorry, but i'd like to make a point right here.
I believe the people from this comment section should stop criticizing him because:
- First of all, he is dead now, so does he really need any advice from you guys, does he really need to be insulted?
- Second of all, he probably didn't succeed, but at least he tried. And I think that those who probably spend their whole lives dreaming of doing something, but never do because they think it's unachievable, just don't have their word to say here.
- Finally, if you've seen the movie, at the end he says he's lived a happy life. So shouldn't people just leave him alone instead of acting like they're his teacher.
Ps: Stop giving your point of view as if it were the right one, because remember, the most intelligent people are those who accept others' point of view.
Thanks for reading & have a nice day.
Melchior de Lafond You’re awesome, man
Thank you for stating this point! Exactly my same thoughts
uh,survivalist knowledge isn't an opinion.
I had a girlfriend who lived in a commune one year. She couldn't stand it. 😮
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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.
To live in this wilderness you have to be at one with your surroundings and be a hunter trapper gatherer.My father taught me to be all of that.My first memory of this was at 4 yrs old when he took me hunting with a rifle.The rest came over the yrs,when my father died,my uncle taught me the rest of what it takes to survive the harsh reality of living with sticks and stones.These were the best days of my life.
Yes, though he got high spirits while venturing into toughest wild, he seems lacking survival skills and knowledge about local plants. However salute to the brave young man who died with no despairing words.
Nice comment.
There was a small footbridge for hunters a few miles up river that he could have used to cross, but unfortunately he didn't know about it and didn't explore in that direction. Also, from the river he was within eyesight of a highway and could sometimes see trucks moving on it. If he had built three evenly spaced fires (a known distress signal) he probably would have been seen and rescued. Even after being trapped, he still had options that could have saved him.
In this morning's news (7/27/19) some lady died trying to reach this bus. There have been others also.
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
that river looks no different than the ones i stand in when fly fishing...he could have easily followed the river till he found a flatter, shallower, calmer section to wade thru.
MoMo Baklava He was afraid of water and swimming, or he would have.
Burning Footballs bullshit. He was a filthy hippie bum. Fear of soap does not equate fear of water.
Afraid of water and swimming? He kayaked down the Colorado River...
That’s because the river was obviously low when this was shot. When Chris decided to head back out of the bush and hiked back to the river, it was up immensely from last time he crossed it in early April. The river chest deep and about 100 feet across. Chris was slightly short, about 5’7’’ or so I believe, and his fear of water stopped him. He was right to not cross. The water was too high, too strong, and too cold. He didn’t have a map to know that he could cross safely or get help just down from the river, so he made the most logical decision that he could at the time, return back to the bus and wait it out.
@@TheWeeman92700 lol a map....
I’ve read the book and the impression I got was one of an arrogant kid who wanted to test the boundaries of independence with the romantic notion of being a man of the world who needed no one else. The reality of him poisoning himself speaks to the arrogance of not knowing or believing you could do something so basic with such tragic results. It makes me think of the folks who die taking a selfie on the edge of a cliff who fall to their demise seconds after the camera catches their smile!
He wasn’t arrogant. Seriously, read the book again and read the epigrams and his notes. He was a good boy
What a joke that he thought he could hike all the way to the bearing sea when he couldn't even survive close to civilization. He was a day hike away from a highway for God's sake.
*Baring* Sea!
Every time I hear this story I'm struck with just how inexperienced he must have been in the field to not understand the level of expertise/skills you'd have to possess to have even a decent shot of living off the land in wild Alaska with just what you can pack in on foot....even as a guy who pretty much grew up in the woods hunting and camping and exploring and then spent 6 years in The Corps, including my last two years in 1st Recon Battalion and went thru mountain survival training, I'd be very weary of humping in like he did...to quote Dirty Harry "a man has to know his limitations".
Starving is brutal too! Poor guy! He suffered a great deal before he passed. Sad story 😢
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"
That upbeat outro always gets me. It always happens when you least expect it.
If he had played Oregon Tail, he would have learned something about crossing a river.
Happiness is only real when shared.
I am sorry but we have to make a point here, no matter what you think, Christopher Mccandles can't be criticized. First of all I find it unacceptable to criticize someone who died, like really, he died, is it your problem? is it really useful for him to receive "advices" from people who probably spend their life dreaming of doing something they will never do because they keep on thinking it's never gonna work.
Then, I just wanted to say I find it hilarious to see people on the two sides saying stuff that is clearly subjective but still think they are the most intelligent people in the world and their point of view is of course the right one. (Btw, just in case you wanted to answer saying that I'm sure I'm right even though it's only my point of view I'd like to mention the fact what I said is perfectly objective and argumented)
Last point, if you've seen the movie at the end he writes that he has lived a happy life: what can you answer to that? The only goal of a human (I believe) is to feel happy when the light dies, and he did. So I think you don't really have anything to say about that.
Sorry for this long and a bit aggressive comment
I believe some comments are used to inform people to get the right maps and do some research before taking on such an endeavor.
For being a Smithsonian Channel video, you sure fucked up the ending. His ACTUAL last journal entry, noted as "Day 107", simply read "Beautiful Blue Berries." The days 108 through 113 contained no words and were marked with only slashes. There was nothing else written after "Day 113".
Weird how he had the energy to keep flipping pages daily. And even to focus on what page comes next, if he was that weak.
What a cheerful uplifting little ditty.
Thanks for that.
How free did he feel when he starved to the point of no energy and his body eating itself? Hero? Certainly not. And you can bet he was full of regret near the end.
Just not sure what his thought pattern was for the trip. It breaks my heart to learn of his story. I truly hope that he is in Heaven looking down on beautiful country. May GOD bless you Christopher, and the family.
he was 20. remember when you're 20 young and dont think ahead much.
tatitunteja he was 24
I slept in this bus circa 1998 alone. Quite a profound experience
I did something similar to this in my youth and was lucky... survival is sometimes measured in rather thin margins. One or two relatively minor mistakes can compound into something dangerous. I'm considering writing about it in my next book. McCandless was merely young, adventurous, and had a couple bad breaks. Life is short either way. God bless!
I think the better question is: HOW THE FUCK DID THEY GET THAT RANDOM ASS BUS OUT THERE?!?!? Now there's a story I want to hear!
It's called driving up the road your building, maybe if you payed attention you would know that.
I can’t believe he died almost 30 years ago it was just a year before my time.
Yeah, its great he went and "lived his dream". But to see him as some kind of survivalist or bush craft expert is beyond absurd. When you boil it down to its core, he walked down a road, and stayed in a pre made shelter that had a fucking wood stove in it. He basically did the equivalent of what millions of people do every year during camping season. He was unprepared which led to his death. End of discussion. I'm not saying he was right or he was wrong or taking any stance on what he did, but you can't argue with the fact that he either died from ignorance or arrogance. It wasn't some tragic perfect storm of unforeseeable events. Just look at the amount of videos right here on TH-cam of random people hiking to this bus. How fucking hard could it be if there are a hundred people filming their "pilgrimage" to the bus?
His only contribution to the world was this quote of his, " What do you do when the entire world is mapped? You throw away the map."
@@pugilist102
He never said that. Bullshit done by the douchebag who wrote the book. Chris died with the map in his pockets, along with his I.D., SS card, money, and camera.
He had courage. But he wasnt strong enough.
RIP MY FRIEND!!!!
Peter New Zealand He always Hated you!!!!!
Wow, nice group of friends here.
opalight orro haha, exactly
opalight orro Yeah fuck you too lol
The irony is he deceased in an hunk of used up fossil fuel burning metal that should not be there to begin with. He wasn't a survivalist but his intentions were decent.
I never heard of the book or the movie until I read on the news about a newlywed woman who died trying to cross the river to get to the bus.I myself prefer the loneliness and seclusion,Iam around people at work all day long.I intend on owning some acreage and shelter in a low tax state where its a little warmer,maybe do some hunting but there will be a store somewhere nearby just in case.Unfortunate that this kid wasn't quite aware of his limitations.
Discovering oneself in the Alaskan wilderness only leads to strangers discovering your body.
Sad story but this "kid" had no real idea of what it actually takes to be a survivalist. But you gotta give this kid the respect for following his dreams and overcoming the fears of the world with nothing but what's on your back
RIP friend
An Eagle Scout would have never gone out like that🗽🇺🇸
How about a tenderfoot like me, i' ve learned how to survive off food( i work at mcdonalds)
There was a cable car that crosses the river only a half mile from his intended crossing. Bummer....
That's a big bummer
* dude dies
*me :super sad
*smithsonian channel logo thing :
“it’s brighter here “
Lol, I thought the same about the closing slogan
yeah that ending is "off" a bit.
I watched the movie and it really hit me. It made me realize that you need to just take a leap in life sometimes and go for it. Tomorrow isnt guaranteed and many people take life for granted. If you want to truly live you have follow your gut and do what makes you happy. Although Chris only lived till 24, I'm sure he had more stories and memories then many people who lived full lives.
*Goes to the woods to never return, forgets his map.
This is such a good (but sad) example of WHY you should tell people of your plans, when you are to be expected back, etc., so that if you do not return, a search party can be put into action to look for you. That bus would have been fairly easy to spot from the air if only people had known McCandless was in trouble. Sad negligence is responsible for many deaths, which are so preventable!
"ive had a happy life, and let god bless us all"
*happy jingle*
"Its brighter here"
What...?
So the opposite of Richard Proenneke, goes to show you what knowledge can do. Would He had survived with wifi and a smartphone you think?
This bus is at the university of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks Alaska. You can now safely visit it.
I love this his story❤so sad he didnt made it😪
Why are some people so judgemental of how his life ended? Why does it matter to you all so much how long he survived in the wild? I think at least he was so brave to detach from all the materialistic stuff we are literally enslaved to living without living.
I live here in Alaska and out in the middle of the woods. Not roughing it but close enough.
Bear and moose are a constant danger and I even had to eliminate 3 that tried breaking into my place about two years ago.
I live close to a town that’s a good 15 miles away and good 2-3 hours walk (least at the rate I walk and when I’m without a vehicle). Winters get very harsh here and especially without basic essentials that’s taken for granted like running water.
Honestly, I cannot see what this hipster found so romantic about the Alaskan wilds. It’s very dangerous here and I’ve come to a few close calls. Moose for one is especially dangerous and one almost did me in back in 2008, beat me up really bad and if it wasn’t for the deep snow I’d not be writing this.
Aside from the wildlife, if you’re not savvy on what’s safe to eat and not eat via vegetation you’re SOL also.
If he played it safe and had someone to check in on him every so often or kept close to a nearby town or something he’d probably survive…that or be run out by the rangers for vagrancy.
I wonder if he had a bit of a death wish and/or wanted to experience true struggle to survive just to feel alive. Most likely he was just a typical college hipster who felt he knew better then anyone and prided himself in being too smart to die.
Honestly, I’m surprised he lived as long as he did with little to no survival skills.
hey I made a video on Chris McCandless, leave feedback if you like it! 😁
I hate how he's romanticized. This dude was delusional, overly romantic and just plain stupid.
absolutely + arrogant towards those locals who advised him not to do it.
Boy scout rule number one: Always be prepared
*The first soundtrack anyone? It was so distractingly amazing that I had to watch the video twice to focus on what the narrator was saying!* 😅
If you want to learn to live off the land, start small, don't trek deep into the backwoods with minimal skills. This guy went all in and payed for it with his life. A sad story but a life lesson for some. He had a true free spirit but some skill is needed to survive the backcountry.
Always leave my eyes tearing Everytime I read, listen or watch anything about MCcandless