I recently saw a program about Richard Proenneke. In 1968 he set out into the Alaskan wilderness with a few cameras and built a cabin for himself next to Lake Clark. There he established a home as well as a way of life. After staying there for a year, if I recall correctly, he took a 9 month vacation before returning to the spot and spending another 30 years of his life there. In 1968 he was already 51 years old. Many people dream of escaping into the wilderness. I remember after I read the book Hatchet by Gary Paulson, I went into a phase where I knew I was going to set out in the Canadian wilderness and live there in solitude. However, after watching this program, which showed the footage from his stay in Alaska with his own narration, I have seen that it is possible to survive in the wild, and this time I have been considering the idea seriously. I was wondering if anyone else was seriously considering such an adventure, and for any of you experienced wilderness people knew if someone such as I-a naive, weak girl with asthma and paranoia for bugs- could ever survive in such a place? I was also wondering how one could make a home in such a place. Richard Proenneke built a log cabin, but it seems to be a huge undertaking, and requires much more strength than someone like me would have. In love, Diana
I saw that program too, that guy was amazing. He could make anything! I liked his door hinges and lock, very clever. The whole thing was amazing though; and I fantisize about doing that someday, but I dont know, I'd pick somewhere a bit warmer I think...lol. It does seem like quite an undertaking, especially for a city boy like me; I don't know a thing about woodsmanship or building log cabins.
I agree, those hinges were awesome! Haha, it did seem like an extremely cold place--and apparently, at 81 years old that is why he finally left; he didn't think his body could handle the -50 degree winters anymore. Also, I agree that he must have been an expert in woodwork in order to coonstruct such things. It seemed he could make anything out of wood, (meanwhile, in art class I struggle to make a non-skewed frame from wooden dowels). I have been wondering about the log cabin anyway, is that the only way man can survive in nature? Other animals do find shelters, and some even collect materials to make their home, but I don't know of any other animal that has to undertake the great task of a log cabin. Does anyone know of alternatives to creating an entire log cabin (= / especially since it requires the chopping of so many trees)? In love, Diana
Mankind evolved in and for the tropics. If we want to live in cooler climates, we need to make warm dwellings. But no, a log cabin isn't the only way. The Native Americans had a wide variety of very warm dwellings that could be constructed in just a few hours, like teepees and wigwams. Simple, but based on reports from early explorers, just as warm as any European house. I know in the arctic, they often built pit houses due to a lack of building material as well as the freezing cold temperatures. Depending on where you're going to live, it might be a good idea to study the Native American houses, since they are time tested, they knew how to keep warm in the cold, and keep cool in the heat. By the way, beavers also make large constructed homes, especially if you include the dam they make to create the pond in which they build their lodge.
Impossible dream? That's completely up to you! Those documentaries cannot make you truely understand what it takes to survive solely on your own. If you sit down and make a list of everything you would need on a daily basis, it's mind boggling. Top of the list is nourishing food. To get that food, you need to mind the garden every day and hunt food on a regular basis if you are a meat eater. If you aren't a meat eater you will be after while when you realize that veggies alone won't allow the energy needed to perfom all the duties necessary. Just read some of the more realistic books about the old frontier and how they lived. Once people realized their entire family cannot possibly do everything on their own, that's when trading and money came about because it allowed easier living.
Trading has been around for as long as people have. Money has only been around a few thousand years. People lived just fine in nature for 95% of human history, you had a whole community (clan or band) to help. It's not so hard, depending on your wants. Needs can be easily met. Even alone it wouldn't be impossible, though it would be more work. Still, that kind of work is the kind I'd do with great pleasure; think about it, rather than working in some shithole city, you work for tangible results in the beauty of nature. But I agree, you can't just watch a show and know how to live in the woods. Reading up, weekend trips, etc will all be needed, plus wilderness skill training around the house (fire making, basic woodworking, etc). One could live off just vegetables, but not in the far north like the guy on the show. You must eat meat if you live in the wild in Alaska; the growing season is too short, and meat is reletively easy to get up there and quite nourishing for the long cold winter.
Hm. You know this thread makes me think about what needs to be done for people to really survive w/o using modern resources. Simply put folks, you are gonna have to take a survival or primitive living course. Several good ones exist around the country and adapt to the varing seasons. Before I'd hit the road with nothing more than a backpack and a swiss army knife, I'd take classes on edible wilds, primitive camping, building tools, tracking, primitive fishing, gathering wilds, mushroom identification, walking w/o leaving tracks, surviving emergencies, signaling, map reading/or tracking by the stars, etc etc. Now some folks would say they don't need this cause they've been traveling for a while and experience has taught them this and that. Cool beans, good. But what if you're tent got stolen, you were out of money, next town was 50 miles away between semi-forest/desert area and water was lacking-think you could make it? Did you know yucca not only is good to eat, you can wash with it? Know hot to process and cook cattails? Did ya know they were edible? Do you know that the fluffy brown head makes an excellant insulator? Know how they taste? Can you tell wild garlic from its poisonius conterpart? Ever cooked food in the earth? For the meat eaters, ever had REALLY wild gamey rabbit? Know how to make the taste more palitiable? Do ya know how to catch one? And so on and so on. Primitive skill classes I think are totally cool to add to one's knowledge in case you suddenly find yourself w/o a home or just on the road w/o wheels or your wheels have broken down. Most of these classes cost money-serious money but some are quite cheap and worth the time of any hippy travelers, IMO. www.earthskills.org (calif) www.hollowtop.com (montana) www.primitiveways.com/index.html (n. california) http://www.self-reliance.net/( calif/L.A. area-great for urban hippies) http://www.abotech.com/classes/EarthKnack.htm(colorado) http://www.perigee.net/~benjamin/links.htm (tons of links!) Get out your flint and start carving that stone ax
I saw it also, wood isn't bad, you just need to get a feel for it's behaviour, I really want to learn metal craft before I do anything "fun"
I've had that same dream for years, have never had the guts to go through with it...but if you take the time to learn what you need to, develop those skills, there is no reason why you wouldn't some day be able to do something similar...I also saw the program and it has reignited the dormant fire to want to do as Proenneke did...who knows, maybe some day
Unfortunately I do not have the money to take such classes....and I doubt that Hatchet and the Brian books would make me qualified (although those are really goood books). In love, Diana
