Into The Wild

I thought this would be a cool thread to discuss.
We all would love to do it, ........ but could we really ??
Could we just drop everything we do & walk away into the wild & start over again ? leave it all behind.
Pretty tuff question i think.
Any & all thoughts of what you would or couldn't do. Just think, no bills ever again, no traffic ever again.
Just the wild & a place you can call your own. I personaly could find it hard but easy after you got out there.
Some people may go nuts from the solitude, cause they need human contact, some dont. Which one are you ? Cool

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

As of right now, it's a "no". But there were times in my life when I was ready to just "go" so to speak. If I had only been into the outdoors those couple past times, who knows where I would have ended up. Solitude isn't really a problem for me. I'm used to it, and can handle it just fine. In fact, I'd rather be alone most of the day. But for the part that matters... Survival. I really don't think I could do it, not at this point in time. I'm just not as well versed as some of you other guys out there. I might be able to improvise on some things, but in the end, I think I'd starve to death.

Great post, btw. Should be interesting to read everyones responses.

I've read this book so many times, that I really get a sense for who Chris was and why he did what he did. I think he was unique, and I don't think I could do what he did... definitely takes a certain personality and mind-set.

I do think that in the book Krakauer accurately portrayed the reality and nearly insurmountable difficulties of just chucking it all and heading into the bush. From Chris's notes this was definitely no picnic and he had to work extremely hard just to get enough nourishment to exist, let alone flourish. And ultimately he apparently goofed on eating seeds that became poisonous in the season, and suffered a long, slow and painful death as a result.

So, no, I don't think I could do what he did. Maybe a few weeks, but not months.

Of course, Les and his wife did it for a year, living "off the grid", but then again Les had many years of wilderness experience behind him, and was a seasoned outdoorsman when he did it, unlike Chris.

I'm glad a movie was made... but I'm more than a little disappointed to hear that thousands and thousands of people are flocking to Alaska now, sort of as a pilgrimage after the movie... I guess many are trying to "seek themselves". I'm fairly sure that this is the last thing that Chris would have wanted... a bunch of folk, many who probably have never even been in the woods, and wouldn't know a tree from a telephone pole, disturbing the wilderness.

Good thread.

_________________
"Asinus sæculæ maximus."

As it sounds romantic, I don't think I could do it. No way I could walk away from my family, especially my daughter. Not that I could live off the land myself either, mind you. Well, I'm sure I could get by for a few weeks, but in the long haul I'd end up pushing up daisies I think. :lol

_________________

What did one polar bear say to another polar bear?

No, I don't think I could do it. Embarassed

_________________
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. - Psalms 53:1

Of course I could do it.........just kiding Wink

No way could I just walk off and start a new life again in the wild, after a few weeks I'd probably die of hunger or something like that

_________________
It's not climbing the mountain to get to the top; it's climbing the mountain to enjoy the climb.

>FLF9<

Ok you said you couldn't, but could you give at least a explanation of why ?.
Lets try to keep the answers to at least a small paragraph, anyone can say, No i can't.
Not to sound harsh but it's kind of a cop-out answer.
Some explanation is needed Smile

Cheers Guys.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Last edited by Drummer Dave on Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:24 pm; edited 3 times in total

No I couldn't do it I don't have the knowledge or the skills to do it being alone wont bother me too much. maybe a couple of days thats all.

I honestly think that I could do it, but the first while would be quite harsh, especially since my skills are nowhere where they need to be to make it easier. I actually for awhile, debated whether or not to do it, just leave everything and live in the woods, but I decided to stay in this world and participate, try to bring more people over to our way of thinking, help do my part in keeping our natural world. Since that time, I have learned a lot more that would make life easier, but I still need practice time to get proficient before I would give it a go.

_________________
We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

	Drummer Dave wrote:
	>FLF9< Ok you said you couldn't, but could you give at least a explanation of why ?. Lets try to keep the answers to at least a small paragraph, anyone can say, No i can't. Not to sound harsh but it's kind of a cop-out answer. Some explanation is needed Cheers Guys.

OK.

I don't think I could last for long-term existence. If I got lost in the woods today, I could find my way out in a few days. I just don't have the skills for living a long time in the wild. Smile

_________________
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. - Psalms 53:1

Not to get off topic, but for me to really leave everything behind, I'd want to have the same skill and determination as, Dick Proenneke. DD says >>> { He was no doubt a natural } Now stay on topic ! Razz

Cheers

	Drummer Dave wrote:
	>FLF9< Ok you said you couldn't, but could you give at least a explanation of why ?. Lets try to keep the answers to at least a small paragraph, anyone can say, No i can't. Not to sound harsh but it's kind of a cop-out answer. Some explanation is needed Cheers Guys.

It's a fair... and a good... question. Deserves a thoughtful answer. I'll try.

I don't think I could do it because, as I feebly tried to answer before, I just don't think I have the mind-set to make it work over the long-term. I want to, I would love to, but then I would sacrifice so much of my life that I've built and am happy with, to chuck it all and go primitive into the bush.

I think there's a big difference mentally, at least for me, into learning to be able to survive in a situation that was thrust onto me involuntarily (confident I could survive, at least for awhile)... compared to voluntarily chucking everything for a few months or forever, and living "off the grid" (not sure how long I'd last or be happy doing it). Strangely, maybe sadly, I could handle the solitude standing on my head easily with no problem... that'd be the least of my concerns.

At the risk of sounding (whatever)... I think each person has to follow her/his own path, and journey.

Chris followed his Polaris. I admire him for that... I yearn for that kind of self-focus.
Each of us has their own North Star.
Doesn't always point in the same direction for each of us. Wink

_________________
"Asinus sæculæ maximus."

Excellant Dorby ... Excellant Cool

Cheers Dude Smile

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

	Dobry wrote:
	Each of us has their own North Star. Doesn't always point in the same direction for each of us.

Either that, or none of us actually know what the north star looks like Laughing

I agree with you completely Dobry, that we each have our own path that must be followed and all. Well said

_________________
We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

Couldn't have said it better myself. Cool

_________________
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. - Psalms 53:1

There was a moment in 1990 where I found myself standing at the side of whichever highway goes from Calgary to Banff fully packed and deciding to take those steps into the Wild my heart was practically pounding out of my chest... I would have left behind my parents, my sister and my girlfriend of two years at the time. I'm sure they would have been worried but figured it out after a bit as I'd always told them I would, one day. Instead, I made my way to Vancouver and spent 2 months in the Gulf Iislands. When I got home my girlfriend told me she thought I would disappear into the mountains for sure!... Talk about a lump in my throat after that! Anyway, my girlfriend became my wife and we have two beautiful kids now. (2&5yrs) I still think about going into the wild... but I'll have to wait until my boy is out of diapers.... lol.

Rick

_________________
"Arrogance, I'm above that sort of thing."

^^

Lol, well said Rick. Cheers.

_________________
A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Cool story, Rick. You're lucky to have had someone stick with you through all that.

	Bob Loblaw wrote:
	Cool story, Rick. You're lucky to have had someone stick with you through all that.

It was actually a planned trip for 3 months... just me and my backpack... I was done highschool and hadn't decided what I was going to do with my life... At one point, in the mountains near Banff, I didn't see another person for two weeks. I finally went back in after my flour supply was done. (I didn't know how to make a decent flour back then, I tried acorns but didn't boil them down first.... yuk!) As far as leaving for ever..... I'm sure that I would have had an okay go at it for a good part of the year but I wasn't sure how to store food properly and probably would have bailed during the Winter.

_________________
"Arrogance, I'm above that sort of thing."

Ah ic.. I mis-interpreted your earlier post. I thought you were trying to find a way outta here through the wilderness. Still a very cool story.. I would have had trouble sleeping alone for one night, let alone 2months. I'm kind of dreading my upcoming Nov. trip I've been planning. I'm incredibly afraid of the dark, especially outdoors.