Ultimate Camping And Fishing

[wily]

a more modern tale with a different outcome is depicted in the book by Jon Krakauer -- into the wild.

it also was made into a movie.

[msamatt]

a more modern tale with a different outcome is depicted in the book by Jon Krakauer -- into the wild.

it also was made into a movie.

Wily:

Although I'm generally familiar with the story I've never read that book, in no small part because the kid's total lack of preparedness disgusted me. I need to actually read the book. I've never thought of comparing the two books but it would be an interesting study in contrasts: Dick Proenneke was an older man with all sorts of life experience who was in very fit physical and emotional shape. He had all of the tools, literall and figuratively, to succeed. And he did. Chris McCandless, I think is his name, didn't have any of that. He set off like Henry David Thoreau. He didn't, however have all sorts of friends to lean on like Thoreau did and he decided to head into a much less forgiving environment. I've never read anything by Krakauer but I'll check out this book. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Gavin]

I thought the kid in "Into the Wild" wasnt very well prepared and he made some really poor decisions. Folks with schizoprenia wander off all the time...makes me wonder if he had a touch of it?

[eric1978]

Proenneke was a survivalist. McCandless was a wandering tramp, a modern-day Beatnik type much like Kerouac. He just made the mistake of taking on one of the most unforgiving environments out there, and he definitely died because of his lack of knowledge and experience. I think much of his ill-preparedness was conscious and had to do with his philosophy of detachment, individualism and non-materialism, but he was certainly somewhat naive and foolish to try what he did. I respect him all the same, but I wouldn't have gone at it the same way, to be sure. He should have stayed in northern California. He'd probably still be alive, living in a thatched hut and strolling through the mountains like John Muir.

[wily]

eric -- i agree with a lot of your post.

Chris was disillusioned with society. When he found out some of the details surrounding his father's first marriage, he felt disappointed and betrayed. He seemed to believe he did not need money, relationships or comfortable housing in order to be happy. He seemed to feel that going into the wild would somehow free him from its trappings.

But it's easy to say that a person is disillusioned just because they perceive the world around them differently than you and I.

The author, seemed to see Chris as an adventurer. He dismisses the common viewpoint that Chris did not understand his surroundings or the risks associated with living in the Alaskan wilderness.

others, see Chris as a person with a mental illness who was unable to deal with reality.

I think the outcome determines our perception - we view proenneke as a success. he was better prepared. he has training and mechanical aptitude. we view chris as you said -- naive and foolish to try what he did

[eric1978]

I think the outcome determines our perception - we view proenneke as a success. he was better prepared. he has training and mechanical aptitude. we view chris as you said -- naive and foolish to try what he did

Excellent point, and I hadn't even thought of it that way. I guess if Proenneke had died out there, he would have been seen as foolish, too.

I haven't actually read Into the Wild, and have just seen the movie (several times), so I really don't know his story inside and out. I admire people that break free from all the materialistic aspects of our society, because I never could. Too bad he screwed up that moose, because those hunters would have rescued him had he made it another couple weeks, which he would have with all that meat.

[wily]

the movie has a good sound track but back to proenneke.

i watched a couple of those other videos...and i feel this is a marketing spin.

proenneke took all his supplies with him...he had access to a friends cabin while he built his. he had access to a float plane. a canoe. the tools he brought with him...well maybe not the handle. he was being paid by the park service for his photography.

i really don't think he was as isolated as they would lead us to believe.

[msamatt]

the movie has a good sound track but back to proenneke.

i watched a couple of those other videos...and i feel this is a marketing spin.

proenneke took all his supplies with him...he had access to a friends cabin while he built his. he had access to a float plane. a canoe. the tools he brought with him...well maybe not the handle. he was being paid by the park service for his photography.

i really don't think he was as isolated as they would lead us to believe.

Wily:

You're right, he did have all of that stuff but he still accomplished everything he did by hand without power tools and a small army of helpers (that is if you believe his version of the story. I don't have any reason not to). I don't think he ever makes the claim that he ws a loner totally alone in the wilderness. If you're looking for a great survival story of man vs. wild, then this isn't it. Try Mawson's Will instead.

[wily]

ok - i stand corrected

i assumed that he was being billed as a person that just dropped out of society...but maybe that wasn't the case.

i haven't read the book, or seen more than maybe 5 minutes of the videos on the web

no worries