Dear All

[Long Travler]

Hello everyone,

Obviously I am new to these forums, but I am very familiar with Chris McCandless' story. He is one of my biggest inspirations and idols. I, too am a traveler and go on my own adventures. I have been going on a few trips recently to get me prepared for an epic journey such as Chris'. I live in North Western Pennsylvania and I plan to go to Alaska just as Chris did. Although, unlike him, I will be more prepared and have more proper equipment, but at the same time I will travel light. I am only 18 years old and I plan to make a difference.

Anyways, I hope to get to know everyone on here and all of that.

[passionateaboutlife]

I read your post and can only say: WoW. 18 years old and you're going on a life time adventure. I admire you. Please though, stay in touch with your loved ones. The world doesn't need to lose another fine person. While on your travels, maybe it'd be a good idea to let us here know how you are. God Bless.

[Long Travler]

I will always stay in touch with my loved ones (family and close friends) but, like Chris, I am just sick of society and everything that's going on in the world. I don't need all these new fancy gadgets and all the new age stuff. I miss when I was little and experienced life for what it was. Before I wanted to do this, my whole life I dreamed to be a famous movie star and film maker. I have a passion for that. I write scripts a lot, I make movies and all of that. But, when I was inspired by Chris, I realized that I don't need to be famous to feel good. I just need to be out there and living.

And you said, "The world doesn't need to lose another fine person." Well,I'm not that great of a person, I do believe that every one person is great and unique. I don't really look at myself and a good person, I have my fair share of mistakes and regrets. Although, I don't see myself as a bad person either. You see, I plan on coming back and everything, but I am aware of the dangers and risks. If I die, then...I die and there isn't anything I can do. I honestly don't care if I did die on this journey, I was to witness something truly majestic. I know that comment sounded to some which would say, "emo," but I assure you I am not like that at all. I seriously of a deep passion for life and the wild.

And when I do go, I am keeping a personal journal/log on me at all times to record all my travels and experiences in. When I do get a hold on a computer, I will be more than happy to post updates here.

I am not trying to be a Chris McCandless, I am going to be myself and go on my own journey...in hopes to come back and share and hopefully inspire people just as he did.

[whispering winds]

Make a difference to your own heart.. be ultra prepared and understand that even if you have made mistakes in society.. go because you seek the solitude, need to be close to nature in a grander way than just a walk in the forest. Do not make the mistake of glorifying this long trek. Come back and share what you have seen and what you have experienced. Know that you have already made a difference in this world simply with your birth.. the world is a better place..

[Long Travler]

Thank you, for your inspirational words!

[genecross]

I read with much interest your quest for an epic journey. I am 63 and have seen much in this world. First as a person in the US Navy during Vietnam. I was on a destroyer USS Massey (DD778) for almost four years and saw Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, The Virgin Islands, Cuba, cruised in the Mediterranean Sea and saw Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Palma Majorica, Valetta, Malta, Sfax, Tunisia, Turkey and now it has been so long ago I don't remember where all else the ship visited. The I was in the US Army for 16 plus years and saw several places in the US plus 3 tours in Korea. Those were safe ventures and I was never in any real danger. A treck to the Alaskan wilderness in much more dangerous. If this is what you really want to do I won't try to stop you. Just be really prepared. You definitely will need a good compass, up to date map of the area and I would suggest a high powered rifle not only for killing game that you will need for food but also for protection. You also will need one or two very good and sharp knives and a good knife sharpener.

I have only known of three people that lived in the wild in Alaska. Those were Christopher McCandless, Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend. Christopher died of starvation in 1992 and Timothy and his girlfriend were killed by grizzlies in 2003. The only reason we heard of them is because of their deaths in the Alaska wilderness. Had they came back alive very little would have ever been heard of them. The only way a person will ever be noticed that lives in Alaska and lives to tell about it is to come back and write a book about it. I am sure there have been many that have tried it and made it safely back but you don't hear about them. You only hear about the ones that didn't make it back. Living alone in the wilderness is a lonely life. I have known lonliness but nothing like that lonliness would be. It gets terribly cold in Alaska and being cold is a terrible feeling. I was lonely and cold in Korea. Freezing is something else you would have to avoid.

You said something earlier about when you were young and the way things were then. Can you imagine what it was like when I was a boy? I could ride my bike anywhere and never had to worry about someone trying to kidnap or kill me. Never had to worry about someone stealing my bike. I would ride it to the movie theater on Saturdays and spend the day. I knew when I walked out of the theater my bike would be there waiting for me. When I managed to buy my first car, a 1953 Studebaker Commander, I didn't have to worry about it getting stolen. Most of the time the keys stayed in the ignition. So yes, I wish for that much simpler time. But, I don't think you are going to find it in Alaska.

[Long Travler]

That's very interesting!

But, I am very prepared and have almost everything to survive it. I have been through two adventures already and those were tough enough. I do not plan to go straight to Alaska. I plan to go west first and see some things. I want to meet some new people and have new experience before I go to Alaska. Or some would say, "go to my death."

I'm also going to carry a satellite phone on me, but I plan not to use it. Not only if I really have to.

[Mr Verdant Green]

genecross:

Yes it sounds like you’ve had an interesting life. You should write a book about it, or possibly a retrospective blog.

You’re right about Christopher McCandless, Timothy Treadwell, and Amie Huguenard being more famous because of their untimely ends. As far as other people who’ve lived in the Alaska wildness, one individual mentioned in other forum threads is Richard (Dick) Proenneke who lived in the high Alaska mountains alone in a cabin from 1968-1999. He did not completely subsist off the land and had some supplies brought to him by a bush pilot. His journals were published in the books One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey and More Readings From One Man's Wilderness. There’s also a film, Alone in the Wilderness.

Long Travler:

I was wondering whether you were going to bring any communication or locator technology just in case. I wasn’t sure because you wrote, “I don't need all these new fancy gadgets and all the new age stuff”. I’m glad you’re bringing a satellite phone, if only for emergencies. I read in an unrelated article about a hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail that hikers or travelers can now get this satellite beacon that will e-mail to someone else their exact location at the push of a button.

Here is the link to the article in case anyone is interested:

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/25/local/me-billygoat25

[Long Travler]

Hello, thanks for that article. I will read that when I get the chance.

But, I said that because I want to prove to others that you can live without all of that. But, yes I will have one on my if there's, like a serious emergency.

But, as I stated before, I don't want to go straight to Alaska. I am planning on going west first. Are there any recommendations on places I could visit and for sight-seeing? Feel free, anyone, to give me ideas on where I should stop by.

[Long Travler]

*UPDATE*

Hey, all. I have decided that it would be fun to make some kind of log, per say, on here. Just to update you guys on all my little adventures I go on before the big one.

I wanted to inform all of you that this Thursday until Sunday I am going to be hiking and camping in a local park called Asbury Woods, in Erie, PA. It is a huge forest, for a local town, and there are many trails, cliffs, caves, etc. I am going to be spending the weekend in there and I will then come back here to tell all of you what it was like.

Happy Traveling!

Sam