Complicated Lessons from Alexander Supertramp

A photo of Chris McCandless found on an undeveloped roll of film discovered next to his body.

I just finished Jon Krakauer’s riveting bestseller Into the Wild, the true story of Chris McCandless, the now legendary nomad who met a tragic demise while adventuring alone in the Alaskan Wilderness.

Man, Krakauer is one heck of a journalist. He truly turns this missing-person mystery into a moving biography about a young man that he never met. Through a series of interviews, discovered journal entries, and stories from other travelers, Krakauer truly captures the spirit of a soul that the world could not contain. For those of you who don’t know the story, I’ll never manage to do it justice here on my website. So you’ll have to read the book yourself here.

For the purposes of this post, I’ll keep my summary brief. Chris McCandless was a kind though outspoken and idealistic young man from Washington, DC. He and his sister suffered from a few family complications, but McCandless nevertheless grew up with a loving family in a well-to-do home. Despite all this, Chris was never satisfied with the robotic, consumerist, money-obsessed culture that America had become. He wanted to wander wild, liberated, and free. He had no interest in finding a career and inserting himself as a cog in the capitalist machine. Rather than fill the pockets of the greedy corporate iron fists, Chris yearned to travel the world on his own terms. No man’s slave.

McCandless excelled academically and athletically all through high school, and went on to study history and anthropology at Emory University. Right after graduating in 1991, McCandless could contain his wanderlust no more. He donated $25,000 in savings to charity, burned all the money in his wallet, abandoned his car and took off into the west. He vanished, without a trace, embarking on the journey of a lifetime.

Desperate to avoid the burdens of material possessions and personal relationships, McCandless took up the new name of “Alexander Supertramp” and began his new life as a hitchhiking, river rafting, mountain climbing, train-hopping wanderer across the United States. His last big adventure came when he hitchhiked to Alaska, near Mt. McKinley, to trudge off into the woods to live out his own Jack London story. While he survived alone for several months, he never returned. His body was recovered by a party of moose hunters in September of 1992.

McCandless made a number of questionable decisions in the months leading up to his death. And don’t get me wrong…I definitely don’t think it’s good to romanticize every aspect of the man’s life. People in online forums are pretty hard on him for some of his admittedly stupid mistakes. Chief among them includes going into the wilderness woefully underprepared and underequipped. He also refused to abide by certain regulations set by the DNR. In the end, McCandless was a victim of his own naiveté, and he drastically overestimated his abilities as a survivalist.

Yet I cannot help but admire him for how he was uncompromising with regard to his ideals. Personally, I don’t exactly hold the same grudges against modern society that McCandless did. (I’m writing this blog post right now on an Apple Macbook. I’m typing away in a café with a black coffee and a bacon egg and cheese sandwich by my side. Capitalism certainly has its perks.)

But I admit that the modern American society in which I live has no shortage of faults, so I understand Chris’s desire to escape the machine, so to speak. I find it very difficult not to be charmed by McCandless’ rebellious and adventurous spirit. I believe there is a small piece of each of us that desires to do exactly what “Supertramp” did: I often daydream of throwing my hands up and just going for it. I’ll indulge that urge to unplug from all these electronic devices I’m tethered to, take off, and let myself roam free. Maybe not forever. But at least for a while.

I picked up two points of inspiration from reading about Chris McCandless’ journey. First, I’ll not make the same mistake as him in at least one respect: I know I could never willingly detach myself from the beautiful relationships that I have with my friends and family. Those are what matter most. Human relationships are lifeblood; they are precious gifts not to be taken for granted.

Secondly, I’ve also learned to appreciate the incredible beauty of the world. It is easy to grow complacent in the soft, comfortable society that we have built for ourselves. This book was a reminder of how embracing hardship is not always a bad thing. Ignoring the call to adventure might end up being a decision that a person can regret for the rest of their life. So I also vow to see as much as I can of the world while I’m still dwelling in it. Main difference: I’ll make sure to share those experiences with those who I love.

Till next time.

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