What if the Datsun had started?...

Here you can discuss anything related to Christopher McCandless.
SHS13Morgan
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 1:47 am

Re: What if the Datsun had started?...

Postby SHS13Morgan » Sun Feb 10, 2013 3:09 am

This is a very good question you asked, one I've been thinking about for awhile now. There are so many different scenarios that could of happen if the car started. In one way, if his car had started, he would have not burned the money so quickly (in the end, he most like would of at some point). If his car had started, he would most likely have never met all the people he had and create so many friendships. Mostly all the people he befriended on the road, he met while hitchhiking.

GoNorth wrote: What if he had been at certain places only a day later? He wouldn't have met Wayne, or Jan, or Ron - but some other people instead.


You're right about this. He most likely would have met other people or no one at all. Maybe he would have met someone who would helped him learn how to survive in the wild better, like preserving food, learning better hunting skills, or something on that sort of level. Maybe he would have ended up surviving in Alaska or decided not to go. Maybe if his journey was different and/or made different decisions, he could still be alive today.

One thing we will never know for sure though was whether or not he was ever planning on ditching the car and if he was, when? Was he planning on leaving it before Alaska, in Alaska, or never at all? This question leads to so many possibilities-ones which we will never get the answer for, only guesses.

SHS13Morgan
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 1:47 am

Re: What if the Datsun had started?...

Postby SHS13Morgan » Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:11 pm

This is a very good question you asked, one I've been thinking about for awhile now. There are so many different scenarios that could of happen if the car started. In one way, if his car had started, he would have not burned the money so quickly (in the end, he most like would of at some point). If his car had started, he would most likely have never met all the people he had and create so many friendships. Mostly all the people he befriended on the road, he met while hitchhiking.

GoNorth wrote: What if he had been at certain places only a day later? He wouldn't have met Wayne, or Jan, or Ron - but some other people instead.


You're right about this. He most likely would have met other people or no one at all. Maybe he would have met someone who would helped him learn how to survive in the wild better, like preserving food, learning better hunting skills, or something on that sort of level. Maybe he would have ended up surviving in Alaska or decided not to go. Maybe if his journey was different and/or made different decisions, he could still be alive today.

One thing we will never know for sure though was whether or not he was ever planning on ditching the car and if he was, when? Was he planning on leaving it before Alaska, in Alaska, or never at all? This question leads to so many possibilities-ones which we will never get the answer for, only guesses.

ChinnyChin99
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon May 06, 2013 3:35 pm

Re: What if the Datsun had started?...

Postby ChinnyChin99 » Fri May 10, 2013 9:36 pm

Had it started, he wouldn't have taken it with him anyway because he wanted to do things his own ways and start fresh with nothing at his disposal. Since money is definitely needed to help get gas and fix it, he wouldn't have done it since instead he wanted to live a different life and burned up all the money he had and proceeded to Alaska on foot as a hitchhiker and hope that others will give him a drive to the north. I find this somewhat of a stupid idea as he left a very valuable car in the middle of the desert where flash floods comes up occasionally. However from Chris' perspective, he decides it's best to go out by walking and not to receive anything from others.

GoNorth
Posts: 259
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 3:47 pm

Re: What if the Datsun had started?...

Postby GoNorth » Sun May 12, 2013 8:04 am

ChinnyChin99 wrote:Had it started, he wouldn't have taken it with him


Why did he desperately try to get it started again then?

kristinashsfl
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:22 am

Re: What if the Datsun had started?...

Postby kristinashsfl » Tue Dec 10, 2013 4:42 am

I feel like if the Datsun had started, his journey may have been completely different. There are thousands of possibilities that could have happened while still in possession of the vehicle. He definitely wouldn't have had as many stories in his journal of meeting the new people. Chris may have even been pulled over one night and his journey could have stopped. Maybe they would have recognized him. He also could have gotten in a lot of trouble with fines and such because of his out of date license and registry tags. He may have not starved and kept more of his money for a longer time period even. I guess we will never know but if it had started things definitely would have been a lot different.

Taint
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:03 pm

Re: What if the Datsun had started?...

Postby Taint » Thu Dec 19, 2013 3:31 pm

If the Datsun had started he probably would have continued his journey around doing more odd jobs to support the car. With the car he would have probably gone more places but could of ended up in Alaska in the fall thus killing him over the winter. The Datsun would have not been that hard to get started if he dried the distributer cap first.

Ashbaby424
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2013 2:21 pm

Re: What if the Datsun had started?...

Postby Ashbaby424 » Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:24 pm

If the Datsun had started I think Chris would have drove it instead of walking and then later sold it for money to buy gear and food.


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