Man lives alone in Alaska

[blacktimberwolf]

"One man (and his wife) alone in the wilderness", "pretty much self-sufficient"... Rugged individualists in the same way that Emerson and Thoreau were... Notice how he's wearing plenty of factory made clothing, has radios and satellite phones, guns and ammo (not bows and arrows). This is not even 19th or 20th century frontier living; it's the 21st century global supply chain that he can connect to once or twice a year, and the rest of the time stay away from the claustrophobic frenzy of city living.

It's entertainment TV, not serious documentary, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by the pollution and confusion of ideas presented.

He has oil drums that he used to keep the bears out of his packets of Craisins and Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, because they are things that he needs to order and get delivered once per year by bush plane.

I imagine that he hangs the meat out in the air so that it dries and keeps properly... OK, I think he could perhaps after twenty years out there have built himself a sturdy drying hut, but maybe the National Parks service keeps a close eye on what he builds. Otherwise, why would his emergency shelter (in case the cabin burns down) be a tent, that could catch fire from a blown spark?

There is much more to the story that was presented here.

You cynic, you .......................you're just to supposed to watch it, marvel at it then post how great it is....

 

[Keith_Beef]

You cynic, you .......................you're just to supposed to watch it, marvel at it then post how great it is....

What I found most amusing was to compare this guy's attitude to the bears with that of the Scotsman in Canada in "Alone in the Wild"... Now he had it rough! All those Canadian laws hamstringing him... he had to watch a hundred or so kilos of meat on the hoof go by, because he wasn't able to shoot it, and all the while worrying that if he didn't find the salmon run in time he would have to live off his starvation rations and hope that the plane could rescue him in time.

 

[rik_uk3]

"One man (and his wife) alone in the wilderness", "pretty much self-sufficient"... Rugged individualists in the same way that Emerson and Thoreau were... Notice how he's wearing plenty of factory made clothing, has radios and satellite phones, guns and ammo (not bows and arrows). This is not even 19th or 20th century frontier living; it's the 21st century global supply chain that he can connect to once or twice a year, and the rest of the time stay away from the claustrophobic frenzy of city living.

It's entertainment TV, not serious documentary, so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by the pollution and confusion of ideas presented.

He has oil drums that he used to keep the bears out of his packets of Craisins and Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, because they are things that he needs to order and get delivered once per year by bush plane.

I imagine that he hangs the meat out in the air so that it dries and keeps properly... OK, I think he could perhaps after twenty years out there have built himself a sturdy drying hut, but maybe the National Parks service keeps a close eye on what he builds. Otherwise, why would his emergency shelter (in case the cabin burns down) be a tent, that could catch fire from a blown spark?

There is much more to the story that was presented here.

Would an Arctic Oven tent burst into flames from a stray spark bearing in mind they are designed to have woodburners in them? Errr, no, it would'nt. The sealed drums work well for an improvisation I thought. The 'mountain men' of old took pack horses loaded down with provisions and equipment; Dick Proenneke had provisions flown in and kept in touch with the outside world pretty much as best the technology could provide at the time, same as this fella using a sat phone etc. He uses the supply train no more than the vast majority of others living out in the bush have done down the decades.

As for building a sturdy drying hut, why? His method is working.

 

[santaman2000]

....As for building a sturdy drying hut, why? His method is working.

Not to mention that it would be opposite of the traditional eskimo way of drying in the open.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Would an Arctic Oven tent burst into flames from a stray spark bearing in mind they are designed to have woodburners in them? Errr, no, it would'nt. The sealed drums work well for an improvisation I thought. The 'mountain men' of old took pack horses loaded down with provisions and equipment; Dick Proenneke had provisions flown in and kept in touch with the outside world pretty much as best the technology could provide at the time, same as this fella using a sat phone etc. He uses the supply train no more than the vast majority of others living out in the bush have done down the decades.

As for building a sturdy drying hut, why? His method is working.

OK, I stand corrected on the tent. I've read on here other reports of using a wood stove inside a tent, even with a spark arrester, getting burn holes in the fabric. I suppose that if the fabric is treated with flame retardant, it would stand up to blown sparks.

I don't doubt that his oil drums work to keep his Craisins safe from the bears... I was trying to point out the difference in priorities: he has to wait for a long time between drops of Craisins and Pancake Mix, whereas he can drop a bear anytime he wants (especially since his camp is surrounded in bait).

And yes, his method of drying meat works very well, visibly so since he's been living that way for so long. I was trying to point to two things there, though. Firstly that his camp has an great big open-air bear bait rack... Now why is that? Either he wants to entice the bears so he can shoot them, or perhaps the fact that he's in a National Park restricts his legal ability to build a drying hut. He mentions several times in the beginning of the film that his cabin is the last that can be built; he can leave it to his immediate offspring, but it cannot be inherited after that.

 

[davidpingu]

I really enjoyed it. Not often you get stuff like this for free in HD quality.

Yes so he's not 100% about traditional living with his tacos and his collection of DVD's but then why should he be? Nobody can argue he's got it easy. People say bushcraft is about being comfortable so I guess that's part of it. He lives there so why can't he have a few creature comforts. You'll find in some of the remotest south American tribes there will be some dude sat there with a Nike T-shirt but you can't live in survival mode 24/7. Survival is trying to stay alive when you have no options, this is his way of life so I can't knock him really.

The only thing I found slightly confusing was the fact he wanted to get away from people but then said he missed people?

Still, having listened to the stories my wife had to tell me today about people's behaviour in Asda during the Christmas rush its enough to make me want to move away from civilisation too!

 

[santaman2000]

...The only thing I found slightly confusing was the fact he wanted to get away from people but then said he missed people?....

I think he's probably like most of us. It's not really people per se that he (or most of us) want to avoid; but rather the crowds and such. Kind of like Thoreau. He lived at Walden Pond alone but went into town to visit whenever he felt like it.

 

[Tengu]

Thats better, I think.

 

[little_leaf177]

Great Video, I eny the guy for both his knowlege, skills and passion of what he is doing. It takes balls to Live like that with the risk of death every day... a true MAN!
regards
Leaf177

 

[Keith_Beef]

I think he's probably like most of us. It's not really people per se that he (or most of us) want to avoid; but rather the crowds and such. Kind of like Thoreau. He lived at Walden Pond alone but went into town to visit whenever he felt like it.

That's exactly the idea I meant when I wrote this

Rugged individualists in the same way that Emerson and Thoreau were... it's the 21st century global supply chain that he can connect to once or twice a year, and the rest of the time stay away from the claustrophobic frenzy of city living.

I'm not knocking him and his wife for their choices, just having a slight go at the TV company for the way the story is presented.