I met Thomas in Anchorage before he went up to the cabin near Ambler. He was a friend of a friend and I spent a few hours hanging out with him in the woods and practicing making fires with a bow drill. He was in Alaska in part to decide whether he and his new wife would want to move there. He was a kind, gentle, and soft spoken person and very knowledgeable about the outdoors. He was well prepared with gear. I was very sad to learn a few weeks later that he had disappeared. My personal belief as a lifelong Alaskan is that he left the cabin for a day outing of some kind and suffered an accidental injury or fell into a body of water. The number one way to die in the outdoors in Alaska is water. Bear attack seems less likely to me but certainly also possible. There is no way he ran away to start a new life - I can confirm he he was newly married (I met his widow later), and there would be no way for a tall white guy with a long red ponytail and a German accent to travel through a remote Alaskan village without people noticing. The locals spent a lot of time looking for him. In another sad turn of events, the woman who owned the cabin he stayed at died in a drunk driving hit and run accident about two years later. Thanks for telling his story. You did a good job and didn't speculate wildly.
This guy was very experienced..with the outdoors ...there is a third possibility.....missing 411 disappearances...books written by David Paulides ...there are other things out there that make ppl disappear ....other than bears ,drowning and accidents ,etc.
@@maryleung1425 Yeah sure, it's Bigfoot. 🙄 About the only other thing that would cause a person to go missing are other people committing murder. Which when that happens, it's usually a sexual predator or a cult. And both of those are extremely unlikely given where Seibold was. There is a fair bit of animosity against white people on the part of the Natives there, but I really doubt it was that.
Preacher was down by the river when he saw a bear charging towards him. Preacher looked to the sky and said "God, Please turn this bear into a Christian". There was a clap of thunder, the bear stopped, put his paws together and said "Bless you Lord for this food I am about to eat".
Yesterday I went for a walk in the woods and followed a game trail a little ways. I stepped on what I thought was solid ground but turned out to be a hole covered with leaves. If it had been deeper, or I'd been going faster, I'd easily have broken my leg. Without a way to call for help, without people who know where you are and when you should be back, in that environment...even just on a day hike, that's all it takes.
That's why people use walking sticks. Anywhere you can't see the ground probe ahead of where you walk. If you're in a swamp or shallow water or walking on ice where holes in the ground surprise you be ready to make the stick horizontal to stop you falling through them so a chinup outta the hole. Some places those holes lead to networks you can be swept into. Just disappear forever or what's left gets pushed back out into the river sometime later. Not something I worry about realistically but interesting.
Though you can get pretty damn far with a broken leg if you have basic first aid knowledge and some sticks/paracord. Or three legged doggin it. Painkillers are smart to have, bandages, rope, wound spray, matches or a lighter. I pretty much always have my backpack with me with that stuff and I'm way more a city kid than an outdoors person, trying to change that and prep for backpacking though.
@justincase3230 I highly encourage you to try it. :) Splint up your leg or just keep a knee bent and use a couple of sticks for crutches. See how far you can get and how long it takes you. How much can you carry? Think about water. Can you carry enough to get to the next water source? Think about how much energy you're using hopping along. How many days could you do that kind of work without food? Try testing every single step you take with the walking stick. Try catching yourself on it, maybe using some parallel bars or something. You can do these things in your neighborhood or local park if you can't get out to the woods. Have fun out there and be safe :)
@@sarasmr4278 @sarasmr4278 I walked home across the city from the hospital with a broken shoulder carrying a backpack, a skateboard and a bottle of rum as soon as I got to a liquor store. I've dislocated my thumb, my jaw and my other shoulder. I've absolutely mangled my foot in the middle of nowhere on a back road then limped it home after I got a flat tire halfway back. Adrenaline does a lot for pain management. If you're a couple days from help and don't have a beacon, a phone, a flare and plenty of lightweight food you're an idiot 🤷 You also said you were up a game trail a little ways on a bit of a stroll. I could see falling into a hole and being stuck, or rolling down an embankment but if all you've got is a broken leg and it's not some messed up bone poking out shit I'd rather go be where I need to be than sit around hoping someone helps me. Most pain can be ignored if you don't freak out or think about it too much.
Here is a fact that most people don't see. Just because you survived in one part of the world doesn't mean you are able to do the same in a different part of the world.
A day will come for all of us, where we won't survive. If you spend most of your time exploring the outdoors, chances are good, that you'll be out exploring when that day comes.
I’m born and raised in the Appalachians. I am pretty good at surviving. That being said I don’t think most people (myself included) understand just how dangerous Alaska can be. I can watch all the documentaries in the world and read but I think it is so much worse that’s what I think. Alaska, as beautiful as it looks, scares the crap out of me. When you find yourself in the worst it can offer, it must be truly terrifying
It means you only have so many hours left to live and it will be painful. As a WI senior citizen and avid hiker nationwide, that scares the crap out of me too.
@@peteshallcross787 my son and I are headed out into the hills of Murphy North Carolina tomorrow. Laying in a hotel bed writing this. It’s gonna be a little above freezing but we’re well prepared for a long day. Not overnight. Not a senior citizen yet but not far. 53.
A young 53 and sounds like a great time with your son! I have 2 sons, 29 and 22 who love the outdoors. Also have an older bro in NC . In 2021, my wife and I hiked the Pisgah NF and also Mt Laconte. Got any favs there? Happy hiking, stay warm and Happy New Year!@@no1fibersplicer525
What does it mean when someone's hands fly around when they talk? I find it highly disturbing, annoying, and distracting! I loose my concentration easily enough with monotone verbage.
@@Wings_of_foam don't go into the comments if certain ones piss you off then? I just wanted to point out how his videos' quality is progressing even compared to just a couple months ago lmao
I think if we're being honest, the more time we've spent in the wilderness, the more the probability rises that we've done something stupid such that the only reason we're alive is luck. Experience is great but more experience can also just mean more opportunity to make a mistake. I've definitely done it and that's how I learned to be properly if not gratuitously over-geared for whatever conditions I'm out in - it's just luck that I never had to have planes out looking for me. RIP to the people who've inevitably made mistakes and happened to not get lucky.
It seems to me that most people who get into trouble in the wilderness are described by their family, friends, and reporters as experienced hikers/campers. It seems that people get overly confident in their own abilities and minimize their risk. This old Girl Scout believes in always telling people where you're going and when to expect you back, and to always take a buddy.
Definitely, I only really roll my eyes and make the jerk-off motion at people like McCandless, or people who walk past a CARRY ENOUGH WATER FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YOU NEED X AMOUNT IN THE DESERT signage with one half-full bottle at noon. With kids. Situations where you really can expect people to know better.
If you have lived and played in the wilds most of your life, you know you are damn lucky to be alive. A lot of real handy men, better men than me, that I knew well,and would have bet my life on, are dead and I am alive, for a little time yet, till my luck runs out.
One thing I learned in the military is that the "law of averages" will eventually get you. Do something dangerous (or even routine) enough times and eventually something you never considered or prepared for will go wrong.
Yes that is absolutely true. When people get very used to doing something, especially something dangerous it seems, they get really confident and good at it. That confidence can cause complacency, and then something will go wrong, it will cause accidents to happen.
I agree, I’ve walked out my front door and stepped off the front stoop for years, last spring I went out the door & off the stoop not realizing my husband left the hose out, rolled my ankle and broke my foot.
Yep, and the law of averages is even affected by acts of others and acts of God. My chalk was dropped in 27 knot winds, and that was the decision of the CG at Fort Bragg. It nearly killed me and many other paratroopers. You might be fine and competent, but you cannot control everything or everyone.
Another unfortunate, though trivial incident, is the removal of the bus Mcandless lived and died in, it stood watch for 60 years in the wilderness before being removed ,flown out to a museum in Fairbanks I believe. Too many people were either dying or having to be rescued to get to it, so the state moved it.
Yeah I heard about that. I don't think it's unfortunate, as you said, too many people got themselves in trouble there. I think a girl died there? At least it wasn't destroyed.
@@abelis644 I agree with the not being destroyed thing 100%, it had so much history even before and after Mcandless, but the book and movie attracted too many unqualified adventurers.
I was born and raised in Alaska and it was always so fascinating to me that you could take a plane or a boat to some remote area and then hike for 10 miles and suddenly BOOM right in the middle of the forest is a rusting hunk of metal which upon further inspection turns out to be a vehicle from the early 1900s. Completely rusted out with bird crap and moss all over it. I was always like HOW?!
This is kind of a ridiculous statement. If you really look into the 411 claims you will find that he leaves important parts out of the story that would otherwise make it appear to be a normal disappearance. Mother nature will kill you if she wants to?? Lol ok.
The mccandles guy was not good at being outside almost all my friends here in the south that seen that movie just laughs cause it is the most moronic shit ever this dude literally gave a blueprint on how to ruin your life your families lives and then die like an idiot in a bus somebody else built but he was supposed to be living off the land hahahahahaha this guy couldn't even cheat and survive. My god people are so insane to buy this as an inspirational story haha.
I don't understand why experienced people don't understand this. I don't mean him, rest in peace, I mean people who are shocked that something probably out of his control happened to him in thousands and thousands of hours of doing dangerous stuff
When we were young my mom had a boyfriend who made a living by hunting & trapping. He really taught us a lot about surviving in the bush, but, he told us that anything can happen & all the prep & knowledge in the world may not save you. I've always remembered that & have had the greatest respect for mother nature, since then.
By not taking his guns, I would assume that he planned on doing a short scouting or exploring hike. The circle in the snow may have been a navigational marker he left part way through his exploration. I think if he had been attacked by a bear, there would have been some sign of the struggle or his remains. I think it is more likely he encountered a tragedy on the river nearby and was swept far from the place where searchers were looking.
Kodiaks will actually eat the clothing of the victim and bones and all and leave nothing but scat. You only find signs of predation of something else got to him like he was injured and then predation happened. However, even in Northern MN we take our gun and flashlight to use the outhouse so I call BS on not taking your firearm with you anywhere and everywhere. I didn't go take a bathroom break as a child around black bears, let alone grizzly bears without a firearm and a light. You don't go hiking or basically do anything because the wild life are the ones in charge and have habituated themselves to your cabin that is in their area and not the other way around.
Yes you are alive and well today and tomorrow, because you don't waver or drop you guard in common-sense reality that if you , do shit can happen to you at anytime and anywhere, as mother nature always , always rules , congrats for giving good advice,
"Due to how remote the area is and that it's been over 10 years now, I highly doubt we will find a trace of Seibold". That's what they all said about Otzi 5,300 years ago!
Not taking his guns?? Very Weird. I live next to the National Forest in Northern CA and have my .38 with me when I am out in the woods. Black bears and Cougars are here. Rattlesnakes in the summer. I am an older woman and have lived in the woods for over 40 years.
Just scares them off. Never had a bear attack us directly. Some got into the chicken coop area but one or two shots in the air, and they are out of there. We had bears after a big forest fire in 2014 that was a few miles from us. They lost their habitat and raided peoples chicken coops and barns. Mountain lions are more reclusive but they are around. Saw big tracks of one last winter in the snow. Load noises can help to keep them at bay. We hope to never have a direct attack or a need to shoot at them. Rattlesnakes are around in the summer but when in our gardens we shoot them. They hide under leaves of plants and in the brush. They scare me the most! We are quite a ways from hospitals for emergencies due to snake bites.
Your life sounds fascinating. Ever consider doing a YT video ? Your lifestyle would certainly garner the interest of others. Food prep, shelter, transportation, do you have a dog? I’d be so grateful to hear more. But, certainly would respect your privacy.
even a broken arm can test the limits. Survivor man did an episode on surviving with one arm, his conclusion was its practically impossible if trying to survive for decent length of time and unable to be move to safety. (due to being lost, stuck, etc)
Exactly. So many questions: Did he have snow shoes? How was he fixed for food & spare supplies like extra wool socks? Was he carrying a Garmin GPS with SOS or a sat phone? What was the rating on his sleeping bag? Did he have extra layers like mountaineers wear in extreme cold? It just seems unlikely that he was truly prepared for an extended stay in those conditions, because it would be very difficult to carry everything he needed w/o a team working together.
Dude could have fallen and landed on pointy limb injuring himself, he could have broken an ankle, died walking through the forest from heart attack, cut himself severely, fallen in river, hypothermia, tree fall, among others, all of which would led to death being that remote and off trail. His body could be under a log, under a boulder, in a lake, river, stream, bears stomach, wolves' stomach. The forests are large, wild, remote places. We tend to think we can find an answer and find a body but in reality, we'll never know the answers to events like these. I hunt in some fairly off the beaten places, in thick dark timber, no trail around and I think to myself that if I went down it's likely I'd never be found, interesting mind set at times.
One of the most dangerous places for humans, it's our own home. Little Joe leaves toy in the way, we slip on it, hit head on corner of table and ADIOS! So many have slipped in the shower and,,,. But when we venture into super dangerous places, WE JUST CAN'T BE ASKING FOR IT. Like you I venture into spooky places, mangroves in my case after taste Mud crabs. I live now in Jaguar countries! watching programs such as this have activated my take precautions button. Bear spray, firecrackers, and an attached to my wrist knife for hand- to- hand combat. To legally obtain a firearm in Central America it's a long process. WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK IT?? easier to purchase legal arms in America.
I had been to the bus from "Into the Wild" a decade ago. I don't think this story compares, really. But this guy apparently walked off into the wilderness, in terrible weather, ALONE. Not a good plan, ever. He also left his rifle behind. Even if he had a bow, did he have a large caliber pistol for use if attacked by bear or wolves, etc? I would say, never go into the wilderness alone. Never go without adequate defensive weapons for any situation that might unfold. Do not let your ego override your abilities. No one is EVER completely trained for every contingency, thus the requirement for a partner or two who can help when nature or incidence demands...
Man over 2k people go missing here every year. He was either eaten by a bear or eaten by the earth. Permafrost thaws and you don’t know you’re walking on a lake until you fall through the spongy moss. Quicksand here is very real also.
I was wondering what makes the environment so dangerous in Autumn that the local trappers stay away, had no idea about the quicksand and thawed permafrost, makes you shudder.
So many people disappear in the bush up here. Especially newcomers who head off on some wilderness adventure. The are many ways to disappear out there. Some more mysterious than others.
I think wanting to face the ultimate challenge and then having a misadventure/injury makes sense. "You don't know where the edge is until you go over it." Not taking at least one gun is an odd decision even if his desire was to pack as light as possible.
It was arrogance and stupidity. Both men didn't prepare much, didn't do much research (Michigan training means nothing in Alaska, they are very different places and Alaska is far bigger than Norway). They did something reckless and paid the price for hubris. His poor family, I can't even imagine what it's like not knowing what happened to him, that's soul crushing. I pray they can at least find his body to give them closure. Never go anywhere like that alone, and always always do years of research on the area specifically you want to go to
My mother in law was a nurse in the Kootenays, BC. She knew a mother who's son was a geologist, he went off to work in Alaska but dissappeared and never returned. Such a sad story, but. Alaska.
Yes he thought it was a walk in the local park and and took the same provisions "clothing , maps and didn't tell anyone when ,where and return info just like he was going for a walk in the park
@@viceb7 personally I think those 2 exclude each other. But I think you can still enjoy the beauty of nature without romanticising (= "to deal with or describe in an idealized or unrealistic fashion; make something seem better or more appealing than it really is")
It is the same as everywhere on the earth. Many spirits seeking your destruction. They are also masters of deception. The unseen world is real and present.
One of my school mates died on an easy day hike at 30 years old just because he stepped off the trail to pee, slipped and hit his head. The problem was, he was hiking alone that day, laying there unconcious after the fall and not really visible from the trail. His wife was waiting for him at home, because she was 9 months pregnant. It was supposed to be his last hike before the baby was due, on a nice summer day and an easy popular route. When he didn't return in time she immediately called rescue services but it was too late when they found him. Anything can happen when you're alone outdoors, unfortunately.
Just gotta be careful and prepared. There is such a thing as "too safe". Life is dangerous and unless it's embraced, you'll be a vagina like 99% of the population.
My family is from Wasilla, AK we have a golden rule we follow when going out, "Go Alone, Don't Come Home." It's one of the very most important philosophies I've learned in life.
@@GrizzlyFuckinBill I read the wisdom quote and immediately thought "I need to check up on this family, just in case they are sending each other out one by one to die!"
When you hit a million subscribers, it will be well deserved. Stellar content as always Kyle. Love watching your channel grow. I find myself excited when I get a notification that you've posted a new video cause I know it's going to be good. Keep up the good work!
Our nomadic ancestors traveled, hunted, and lived in small GROUPS. Groups who trained every moment since earliest childhood to survive in those conditions, and who amassed and passed down both vitally important knowledge and man-mad artifacts, from fishing hoods, to portable shelters, to weather spotting, to hunting techniques. One person against the Alaskan wilderness is not returning to our roots as human beings. It's taking a terrible risk that the smallest mistake will end your life. With no one else to help you, or seek help for you, a broken ankle or even a badly twisted knee would be a death sentence. Rest in Peace.
Yo Jean a well thought out essay 👏 on the reality of living in the wilderness that not many hikers, hunters etc are fully experienced to cope with as they pocess it won't happen to me attitude
From a woman's viewpoint, of course, where safety and security is the highest priority. Perhaps he was trying to get away from a helicopter mom. 🦸♀This wasn't a group thing and although Tomas had prepared himself for survival in the wild, safety wasn't his highest priority, nor did he subject anyone other than himself to the risks of that environment. Leaving behind his rifle was likely his biggest mistake.
This is a vital point to make - thank you. The wilderness is no place for an urbanised, over-enthusiastic and under-skilled person to enter all by themselves. Even a survival trained person like Thomas made that mistake.
If you get lost in Alaska in winter, all the survival skills in the world won't help unless you find your way back to food and shelter. Most likely, he got lost.
This guy is a victim blamer. I bet he blames the black community for the 57% of violent crimes they commit a year per the FBI or the 20,000 plus rapes they commit against White women a year. Some people are unreal.
@@annwe6 But then a crew may have found some remnants of him. Unless both of his hands were broken no man goes out without a pocket knife and we can carve or cut arrows or signs into anything from a log to a living tree to a stump. We move things as humans. We tear our own clothing to leave a trail. If he was cutting firewood there would be an axe out there with logs half split. Humans leave a lot of mess wherever we go and especially if we are trying to be found. If he ever trained in MN or WI no man nor woman goes out w/o a pocket knife. . . .I have one in my pajamas to check the livestock closest to the house. I wouldn't go out without being armed in Northern MN when I had to use an outhouse so doing anything outside w/o taking a firearm is simply ludacris and I have done this since I was a child. He was a survivalist?!
@@blackdandelion5549 According to your argument, which I don't disagree with, he would have surely carried a compass with him too. Or possibly have been able to use other types of land navigation skills.
@@annwe6 I don't know that everyone takes a compass with them to go piss, but most of us have been taught basics on land nav. and if we were ever going far enough from home to even have an issue of being lost then yes, a compass, and then most of us have a ferro rod as a lanyard on our knife, but there is some very simple gear you can stick in your pocket. Many are still able to read stars. You aren't usually going to leave and go so far w/o enough gear to make sure you can make it back, even if stuff goes bad and you drag yourself or crawl back bc you usually have a sat phone and emergency batteries for if you need a helo or support because you broke your leg or your ankle is no longer facing forward. You learn and know major landmarks from hills to rivers and major forested areas or open areas. You just don't go basically anywhere, not even a day trip or a few hour trek w/o a firearm of some kind, even in better months because of the level of predation and the issue is not only that bad things happen because my kid broke her arm playing in a tree and fell, but the issue is how far you are from help and how long help takes to get to you or how far you must travel for help. This is not a situation where you can handle a small injury and it becomes infected turning into a major issue. You can't risk those things when help is not available. That's part of the danger of this - you always want another person and the availability of help for what we may consider something that you could normally drive to an ER for . . . .there is no ER to drive to, you have a blood trail with a bunch of animals prepping for hibernation and there is only YOU. Always have a buddy for these activities and this would have been part of his survivalist training as well.
Interesting, I am from Germany, and never heard of this story. From my perspective, many young people in Germany, or Europe in general, are dreaming of the US and its „wild“ states like Alaska: freedom and nature everywhere. Surely Thomas was well prepared, but he also may have idealized living in the wild and met his fate there.
A big thing I see many European tourists make is not understanding just how big the US is. Many states are bigger then your countries. All of Norway easily fits into Alaska length wide and with wise can fit about two. Always be away of just how large a place is and how far between each city can truly be
That’s why I always laugh when Europeans dismiss Americans because so many haven’t left America. I have easily travelled throughout Europe, crossing multiple countries. The same distance crossed in my home state would see me still in the same state. In other words, in the amount of time it would take me to go from the central point to the southern portion in my home state would see me through 3 or 4 European countries.
@@JuliaMop-hn6lq the easiest way is to imagine each state is a country. Driving nonstop from one end to the other takes 3 days. If you stop to eat, sleep, and see anything it takes about 5.
In Europe, the distances are not in miles but in your mind. Not far is another country, language, culture, and in a way, yes, it is far. As they say, in America 100 years is a long time ago, and in Europe, 100 miles is far away.
I live in Northern Norway. Tourists pour in around easter and they are often inexperienced hikers. The biggest problem here is that the weather changes 30 times a day and hiking guides here are pretty serious when it comes to the weather forecaste and dangers of avalanches wich often makes the tourists impatient, so they start hiking by themselves. I'm not worried about experienced hikers because they come prepared. It's sad to see people come here on vacation for a good time and only end up in tragedy 😞
You'd think people would listen to the guy that grew up there and makes money doing it 🤦. I say let them hike alone, may their arrogance guide them well lol.
I know that sounds harsh but eh, the only reason people like that don't constantly take themselves out is we made a bunch of safety nets and laws to protect them that hold back people who actually do things properly. And half the time it still doesn't protect them because the dumbasses don't bother googling what those rules are 🤦
My ex-boyfriend was Norwegian, lived in a small town along Sognefjord. He hated it and had no taste for the outdoors and I’m about a city person through and through: it wasn’t even remotely as dangerous as your neck of the woods but I’d still not venture outside of the village proper. To the point I was very wary of crossing a field because it was private property and while it seems the owner freely allowed people to cross, I did not like to take the chance. So yeah, people like me often get slated for not being “in touch with nature” but we’re less a hazard than clueless “nature lovers” who decide to up and wander into dangerous territory.
When you said Easter, my butthole puckered up. Spring is so dangerous in the arctic and the mountains! Everything melting by day and freezing by night... But then again, I was born in Alaska and survived to adulthood, I *listen* when people tell me it's too dangerous to go out!
Thank you for sharing his story. He is a fellow countryman, and I have just read the blog entries regarding the search. So much pain for families and friends. 😞
I'm a huge fan of the "Scary bear attacks" UA-cam channel, and they have profiled far too many stories where the victim did everything "right" with bear spray etc. and still ended up dead or seriously injured.
It’s unlikely he was attacked by a bear. He just got lost or injured and didn’t make it. Idk if they have crevaces in that area but if so, he also could have fell in one of those and they can be very deep and never found.
I'm starting to feel like if you go alone into the Alaskan wilderness, your disappearance isn't really mysterious. Everyone knows roughly what happened in a very broad sense.
Dude, its Alaskan Bush in winter . . . The first thing to understand is it doesn't have to go horribly wrong to kill you! Camping in Norway is like Camping in a Walmart parking lot compared to where he was at, just not even simulator. Alaska almost killed me in my own driveway because I made a TINY mistake, then completely under estimated the danger I was in till it was almost too late! It was -21f out and I needed to go get my wife from town soon. I grabbed the truck keys and went out in the driveway to start the truck so it would warm up. I opened the door, started the motor and headed back inside. Now I was literally 15 feet from my cozy living room so I was in shorts, T-shirt and flip flops. Upon getting back to the front door already getting pretty cold from the cold wind and the drifting snow its kicking up. The house door was locked! No matter, the keys are right there in the truck. Well the stupid automatic locking feature had locked le out of the truck now too. Well, I'll just go around back to the window I know how to Jimmie open. By the time I got through the snow drifts my hands aren't working enough to open the window. Now I start to realize this is an actual emergency, just a few minutes outside and I'm already shutting down from the exposure. I need to break a window now, before loose that ability too! I used a chair to brake in but in maybe 5 more minutes I wouldn't have been able to hold the chair at all. I cold have died in my own damn Alaskan driveway from the simple habitat of locking my door when I go out! Don't underestimate cold, a tiny problem is compounded greatly by negative temperatures!
Glad you kept your wits right away. Not long and the rational decision making process goes away too. Very good example of just how quickly and easily things can turn in the cold. Which the weather can turn very quickly too . That mass of wicked cold air isn't very far away. I live in Wisconsin and if you haven't payed attention to the weather forecast and relie on your eyes 😮. You can be in a big surprise in a very short time less than one day. Although you can feel it happening and prepair for it. It often comes with the wet stuff first followed by a cold hard freeze for afew days. Once everything is covered in snow, navigation and trekking is all the more difficult and everything starts to look the same. Especially what's under foot. Speaking of Wisconsin (at our hunting cabin in Marinette County ) : the wild life has changed here, yeah as in preditors. The area where we hunt now has wolf packs again...my brother had one come up to him in his blind, just snuck up from behind to see what was inside...no hunting them = no fear of human. There have been multiple spottings of a cougar in the yards as close as two miles away in an area that is not remote like our cabin is two miles into the woods were it was spotted. The cougar is probably not here more than once in a blue moon...big territory for it. But the half dozen wolves they seem to be here all the time.Way fewer hunters now, but way fewer deer back in there too. Considering the 40 was just cut six years ago .... well it is obvious... I had not hunted there for decades since my deer 🦌 freinds took me into thier heard decades ago .. yeah riding a bicycle with a small group of deer surrounding you in the night is quite an experience even for a half mile😮. So I was out in the woods to go sit at my old stand Saturday afternoon( no rifle ) and ran into another hunter dragging a nice buck out of the swap just below were my stand is. He had shot it in the swamp and was looking a bit exhausted by the time I saw him come out with it as it was not easy from where it fell across the creek and cedar swamp. So I helped him drag it the rest of the way to a road( sorta) he could drive too . As he's going to get his truck...he casually asked if I could stay with the buck. Because he didn't want to leave it unattended because of the wolves he had been seeing earlier on the fall...enough times that he could identify each one. Yeah when he left for the truck I went and found a very nice staff to stand with while he came back. The pack was in that very part of the cedar swamp the very night about five hours later😮. It's shocking how quickly they can devour a full grown buck and how little is left behind. If it takes a couple of hours to find your buck and they got there first 😢. By morning it's a few left over bones(ribs) and part of a skull and maybe antlers. My brother saw one come through ( not large...young) late mourning in the cedar swamp ( it's kind of only where we have been seeing them for a couple years now) . He was limping but my brother couldn't get off a shot either. Latter that night about 11pm I heard the kill in that swamp and the next morning he found what was left. We don't have the big bears 🐻. But a 225 pound black bear ( not uncommon and certainly there are larger ones) is formidable and bold. They will come into town too. For that matter the wolf will too. Saw one come up off the frozen river and sneak through all of our backyards . Heard everyone's dogs barking all the way to the other frozen river where he went to. This is on lake Michigan just south of Green Bay and not sparsly populated . Mostly small cities , towns, farms and some fair sized patches of woods. That was a very cold winter Lake Michigan pretty much froze over the first time in a hundred years. It was eery going down to the beach and it being dead silent in the night not hearing the breakers hitting the ice that forms on the shore. All ships were docked too. Have a good day.
In the 80's long before in to the wild came out I thought of quitting my job and going into the woods to live and instantly thought of all that could go wrong and choose not to and through I've done a lot of camping , not alone and can identify some of plants and know what to eat I'm still scared to go on a through hike or even a weakened camp on my own even though I've watched other through hikers make it and know nothing about survival knowing that people with way more exercise than me turn up missing makes me think I making the right choice
He could have fallen through the ice crossing a river, and got swept under the ice , or climbed out and gotten hypothermia. Avalanche, injury from falling. Eating the wrong thing. There's a million things that could have happened. Like Chris McCandless , he also was an adventurer, and explorer. Young men ( and women) have gone adventuring since the beginning of time. In other times they would have been admired for their bravery and risk taking, even if they died trying.
Exploring the wilderness is a wonderful adventure, but there's a fine line between adventure and recklessness. It's important to be mindful of the fact that when you venture into remote areas, you're not only responsible for your own safety but also for the potential burden on the community if a rescue operation becomes necessary.
Reminds me of another experienced hunter/survivalist that disappeared years ago. Both had guns and both left them. That to me is odd since it would be like leaving your water or your clothes behind. You need protection in the wild and they both knew that....just odd.....
Great series of death or endangered hikers. Keep them up! Also, can you do a video for all the hikers that died looking for Supertramp' bus? That would be awesome. Greetings from Chile.
Christopher McCandless' story will ever be far more complicated than face value. The speculation is he could have eaten the seeds of a plant very similar to the sweet-vetch seed plant that was toxic, but John Krakow, who was just as fascinated with Chris as a lot of us have been, tested those seeds and determined he was picking the correct seeds. John poured over all information on chris, and was convinced there was more to the story. Next, he turned to a very old practice done by Nazis, with the same plant Chris was using copiously (this information was discovered by someone else). In small quantities, it is perfectly fine to eat. But, like Christopher, when fed large amounts of mostly only this seed, wretched effects began to take hold. They nicknamed it "Silent Fire". One of Chris' last entries was "extremely weak, fault of pot. Seeds". When prisoners were fed copious amounts of this so called pea fodder, they began to grow very weak, and eventually barely be able to crawl. It burnt through them and left them skeletal and extremely weak. I wish i could link the study and information, even the new york times did a piece on these findings. But youtube will delete the comment of and put on a 24 hour comment ban anyone who links any outside sources of any kind. But if you find this interesting, there is tons of information out there on how he likely died. Chris was no stranger to hiking and survival situations. Indeed, it was his one true passion in life. He was unlikely to have just starved to death, without another unknown factor. I'm not glorifying what chris did. But as a fellow idealist, i understand his deep desire to break away from society, his dissatisfaction with life in general, and his desire to test himself, untethered, against the elements of nature. His biggest flaw, though purposeful, was not bringing a map or more useful tools and gear. He knew something that most of us have forgetten. Nature can and will provide all one needs, if you're willing to forgo simple wants. It feels tainted, somehow, to "explore" with a map someone else has made, gear that you didn't somehow provide by the sweat of your brow, and food you didn't make. I understand his reasoning. He was also so very young, and had he made it out of alaska that fateful trip, i believe he would have gone on to be one of the best survivalists out there. Unfortunately, his youth and idealism got the better of him. Look into his story if you don't know anything about him. He truly was a stunningly beautiful soul. There's always something new to discover by pouring over everything available on the subject of Christopher, and i think he would love the thought that others could learn from his experiences.
Unskilled, unprepared and unwise best describe Chris. Look at the pictures, from day one he was starving to death. Nature seldom provides all you need, you can starve to death with a belly full of food because there is not enough fat to keep you alive. My condolences to Chris's family and friends, but the truth is pretty plain. Chris was not a great or even mediocre survivalist, he was starving to death from day one, and the greatest thing we can learn from him, is not to do what he did.
Hay there UTube comments. The thing I find difficult to digest in this video is… Every time dude says survival training he shows a clip of a person picking a giant ass late summer early fall mushroom that would never grow in the Alaskan Winter Forests. Ice chips and frozen bear poop is the ONLY thing your going to wild craft up a dinner out there so…Give Up the idea of “finding food” especially since he left his guns behind. Dude decided that he needed to walk off out of camp for an extended time without the things he needed to survive so he killed himself is the only answer. Depression Sucks and no amount of fresh air is going to fix that. BeWell, TakeCare, and StaySafe Everyone. ✌️💚🖖
When I was a toddler in the 50s, my old man was in the military and did sea and air rescue at Point Barrow (now Nuvuk), and we stayed in Barrow (now Utqiagvik), Alaska. Even as small as I was, I have memories of the danger of the place. Only memory pictures of the place itself, but a real, palpable gut sense of the danger of the place.
I’ve hiked many places in Alaska for over 40 years including in the Gates and have on,y had a few instances where the bear was a few seconds from catching a 12 gauge round. Hiking in the early spring and late fall are the most dangerous times for bear. Also cow moose with young are a lot more aggressive than any bear. We have a remote place where both brown and black bear come through the yard all the time.
Two things. If you cut yourself with your own axe you're in the bottom 1% of survivalist, qualified for the "Treadwell Award." And second, you could be in the top 1% of survivalists and you're still on the menu. Did they examine all the bear scat in the park???
He disn't injure his leg on that trip. The 3rd guy Daniel did with an axe. We could not carry Daniel out. So we brought back a rescue crew. Daniel is fine. Reported in an Ely, MN newspaper. About 12 years ago. Thomas and I went back out into the Boundary Waters for 10 days in late October.
Good for you on your ability to recount events. Love your channel name, I must admit I was super curious to hear from someone who hates hiking amongst all the die-hard lovers of the sport..you got me..Bravo on close to 300k !! On track to that million..(ps..I'm the one who lives in Granby Québec where you played in a tournament when you were young..)
Many people don't realize that the most dangerous animal in the fall is a male moose in the rut. They become absolutely insane and will charge anything & anybody.
Thomas did not injure his leg in the Boundary Waters. There were 3 of us there, Daniel did and Thomas and I could not carry Daniel, so we brought a rescue crew. It was accurately reported in the Ely newspaper back then.
Another fascinating story I’d never heard before!❤ This might be evidence that regardless of skill level or experience, things can go terribly wrong. Accidental injury, wildlife encounters, who knows. It seems that the region he was in was not what he was familiar with. He may have miscalculated how the weather would impact him, or he could have had some kind of accident. I hope his remains are recovered and answers are found. I understand that the not knowing is very painful for family and friends.
Get your feet wet, and your dead, get your cloths sweaty and you die, fail at lighting a fire... People fail to realize how deadly even a minor mistake can be in those weather conditions.
@@nathanadrian7797 Then there's the gentleman who lived alone in a cabin he built in the Alaskan wilderness for some 30 yrs. (He filmed much of his daily life for the PBS documentary about his life in Alaska). What a remarkable man.
@@isabellind1292 Dick Proenneke!!!! Now there is a man who had skill, knowledge and an incredible work ethic! If you like his story, you might want to buy the book-"The Caruso of Lonesome Lake". It is a true story about a Canadian that builds a farm in the wilderness.
@@nathanadrian7797 As a Canadian (and BCer) I should have known about the man you're speaking of, Ralph Edwards. It's not only a remarkable story (now that I've looked it up) but Mr. Edwards also rec'd the Order of Canada for his conservation efforts in bringing the Trumpeter Swan's numbers back from the brink of extinction.💓🦢💓How beautiful! Thank you for the recommendation. What a great title for this other remarkable man!☺
In this kind of terrain, it would be very easy to run into problems, especially at that time of year. A bit of snow covered river to fall into, slogging through muskeg, a trip and fall into water resulting in hypothermia, animal predation particularly if a person is hurt, are certainly all possibilities.
He likely was crossing a snow covered Creek. Broke through the snow/ ice and fell 6-8’ into deep frigid water. Hypothermia set in within minutes and Thomas was buried under the Snow-so was not spotted by searchers. Just one of several possible situations He would have faced.
I love how we are consistently told how rare and/or unlikely it is that predation could be the cause of a human disappearing while out wandering solo in an environment that contains several species of apex predators.
Exactly! If someone is missing they are unaccounted for, AKA there is literally no accounting for a cause of death. There is no way to know how many people go missing because so many are unreported. And no way to know how many missing people have been preyed on by a non-human species (or buried by landslides, etc.).
See a lot of crazy things happen with grizzlies in the fall. My gut is telling me that's what took him out. You can't out run them and your chances of scaring them off (even with a firearm) are highly unlikely if the bear is hungry enough. RIP Thomas.
As a solo hiker, you understand the risks involved in going alone. You can be prepared and even have things for emergency situations. But the bottom line is accidents happen. Any time I go off adventuring alone, I always let someone know where I'm going to be. But that's not going to really help much if I fall and crack open my skull or get attacked by a bear. You can't live your whole life sitting on the sidelines because something might happen to you one day or you can get out there and live. This guy lived his life exactly the way he wanted to. I don't think he could have or would have done anything differently. And if I disappear on one of my solo journeys, I hope everyone knows I wouldn't have done anything differently either.
He lived his life exactly the way he wanted to, but did he end it the way he wanted to? I don't think so. I'm reasonably certain that if he new this trip was going to kill him, he would not have made the trip.
Mccandless was a lonely mentally ill young man who was suicidal and didn't know how to survive in the wild. Hos distraught parents perpetuate a story that isn't even remotely true to the tragic reality.
Thanks Kyle! I had never heard of this story. Experience is essential and almost paramount in these situations. Judgement is paramount. As an avid outdoor recreationist living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado I regularly encounter tourists and other newcomers who have a goal of going somewhere they probably shouldn’t. My blunt advice is that you can always come back to this spot, but you can’t come back from the dead.
Of all the places to start testing my skills, Alaska would not be at the top of the list! Even a little reading shows it can be a dangerous place. Get a little closer to nature in the lower 48. Save Alaska for later!
If I was going to Alaska I would never make the mistake of not taking a gun! Not just for protection but if I was suffering and facing inevitable death, a gun could stop that suffering. A bit macabre but a real possibility I would want to be prepared for. You can guarantee whatever item you forget or decide not to bring is the ONLY item your going to wish like hell you had! Because the Universe has only one constant and that's the inevitability of Murphy's Law biting you on the *ss!😁
I want to hike in the Colorado mountains but I know after hiking in elevation of 4400’-6500’ that it’s a factor I need to add in to the equation. Either be acclimating in town before heading out.
I spent a lot of time out in the wilds, back in the day, and I can say with much certainty that nature is equal parts beauty and utter emotionless brutality. It just does not give one fat hairy rats rear about your experience, physical condition or ego. We are all just one careless human mistake away from discovering what’s on the other side.
I'm confused as to why he left his firepower behind. Especially in that wild, remote place. It just doesn't make sense for someone to make that decision, knowing the likelihood of a wild predator encounter. RIP brother.😢
@@wheelz314 what was so upsetting to me about Christopher McCandless is the fact if he hed hiked approximately a half mile in the other direction, up river instead of down, he would have found a bridge and could have crossed there. I feel like he waited too long to try to get out. Very sad.
I don’t know, most of the National parks I’ve been to are remote. Like Saguaro, Death Valley, Painted Valley, and Joshua Tree. And I’ve never seen a cafeteria. Maybe I go to the wrong parts? Even the Grand Canyon can be pretty austere in most parts aside from the main viewing area. The only National Parks I went to that were busy were the Smokey Mountains and Washington DC.
Even experts faulter. The first mistake anyone makes is doing it alone. If you want to really go off the grid, you must do it with a group of like minded people.
No such thing as an expert, in any field. We are not God and know not the far reaches of any field of expertise, often leading to our ignorant or arrogant demise.
Experienced, or expert means nothing when it comes to the wild of Mother Nature, or wild animals… they’re both unpredictable no matter how much you think you know. Is it helpful… of course. The minute you think you know it all is when your ego starts to clouds your judgement. Always respect Mother Nature, and wild animals… because they can pull your card in a heartbeat.
@@CATNAPREAL1188 not sure, but for an experienced hiker not to take his guns is really odd. He can't be found and she's the only one that is saying when she left so they take her word for it. I'm not saying she has anything to do with it but it's very odd!! I could be way off but he's never been found. Or he could have planted his diary and left with her to start a new life. Or he fell in love with her and she snuck him away
Let’s see. He was fully prepared for survival in the harsh, arctic environment and the unforgiving subfreezing temperatures; so it’s less likely that he succumbed to exposure. But, and that’s a BIG BUT; but he walked off into the Alaskan wilderness without so much as even a sidearm with him. I’ll give you 3 guesses as to what happened to him. If this was a question on the SAT, I think if you got it wrong, no matter how well you did on the rest of the test, it should mean an instant zeroing out of your entire number. In no uncertain terms, I would *NEVER* trek into that wild, untamed backcountry without some kind of firearm on my person. Hell, I’d even probably want to be carrying while on the edges of some of the smaller towns and villages as well. It’s utterly foolish to journey out into the habitat of numerous apex predators, without having the ability, if necessary, to protect yourself by resorting to deadly force.
when i lived in Vermont a few years ago.....temps dropped to minus 35 degrees...piled more wood to the stove....put a plugged in light bulb next to the car engine...the heat let the car be started right up......those temps are nothing to fool around with....be prepared, house and car..........Thanks Kyle.....be safe yourself up there............☃☃
Wife waiting for him? Out with another woman and her child? Y did i get a bad gut feeling right when u said she chose to leave and he stay there??? Fishy
I really would like to spend some time in such an Alaskan village, but I would probably never leave the house without a full squad of bodyguards and guides.... not after all those videos!
Depends on the part of Alaska and the time of year. Some places are more remote. Some are more dangerous. I couldn't imagine going out in New York City and would rather trust my dog and my horse over a bunch of city folk in a high crime neighborhood.
Probably went through the ice, they found none of his gear which he would’ve been carrying. If it was a bear attack they would have found his pack or some remnant of clothing.
Depends, I've seen bear attacks where they've eaten the clothes too if they are hungry enough. Through hr easily could have fallen into a crag left by thawing frost, or a river. One mess up in that portion of Alaska can kill you fast, it's why the locals avoid it
He didn't get lost. Every survavilist is born with an innate compass that tells them where they've been, and how to get back. He succumbed to something. Be it a fall or a bear or some other ailment. But getting lost? Probably not.
Seibold had a wife in Wisconsin and went to stay in a remote cabin in Alaska with a woman and a young child. Did anybody check the home in Wisconsin to see if there were any new concrete slabs poured?
I like this young man's channel and the fellow hikers who comment. There's no way this guy went UP river 30 miles in a kayak, not in Alaska. However, he may have hiked to the cabin..
This is what happens when a young man refuses to settle down, get married, father children and support them--which is the most challenging survivalist act on earth!
Never heard this story. Sounds like he could have died in many different ways. Bears,falling through thin ice,freezing to death....etc. I consider myself well versed in the outdoors but thats in the southern US where temps might dip into the low teens at worst. There are very few predators big enough to kill you so all and all the biggest challenge would be acquiring food which wouldnt be a huge problem. No Way in hell would I consider setting off into the Alaskan wilderness.
I met Thomas in Anchorage before he went up to the cabin near Ambler. He was a friend of a friend and I spent a few hours hanging out with him in the woods and practicing making fires with a bow drill. He was in Alaska in part to decide whether he and his new wife would want to move there. He was a kind, gentle, and soft spoken person and very knowledgeable about the outdoors. He was well prepared with gear. I was very sad to learn a few weeks later that he had disappeared. My personal belief as a lifelong Alaskan is that he left the cabin for a day outing of some kind and suffered an accidental injury or fell into a body of water. The number one way to die in the outdoors in Alaska is water. Bear attack seems less likely to me but certainly also possible. There is no way he ran away to start a new life - I can confirm he he was newly married (I met his widow later), and there would be no way for a tall white guy with a long red ponytail and a German accent to travel through a remote Alaskan village without people noticing. The locals spent a lot of time looking for him. In another sad turn of events, the woman who owned the cabin he stayed at died in a drunk driving hit and run accident about two years later. Thanks for telling his story. You did a good job and didn't speculate wildly.
Yep, I grew up in rural Alaska and my first thought was "bear or drowned". The rivers and lakes there are no joke.
Thank You, for telling this part of his story. All the Best!
This guy was very experienced..with the outdoors ...there is a third possibility.....missing 411 disappearances...books written by David Paulides ...there are other things out there that make ppl disappear ....other than bears ,drowning and accidents ,etc.
@@maryleung1425 Yeah sure, it's Bigfoot. 🙄
About the only other thing that would cause a person to go missing are other people committing murder. Which when that happens, it's usually a sexual predator or a cult. And both of those are extremely unlikely given where Seibold was. There is a fair bit of animosity against white people on the part of the Natives there, but I really doubt it was that.
I lived in Kotzebue for three years. I miss it every single day 💔
Preacher was down by the river when he saw a bear charging towards him. Preacher looked to the sky and said "God, Please turn this bear into a Christian". There was a clap of thunder, the bear stopped, put his paws together and said "Bless you Lord for this food I am about to eat".
😅😅😅😅😅
Love it!
Already saved in my Notes to share at the most inappropriate moments! 😆🙏
And this is why I read the comments 🤣
Some teens made fun of a preacher and bears killed them. 2 Kings chapter 2.
Yesterday I went for a walk in the woods and followed a game trail a little ways. I stepped on what I thought was solid ground but turned out to be a hole covered with leaves. If it had been deeper, or I'd been going faster, I'd easily have broken my leg. Without a way to call for help, without people who know where you are and when you should be back, in that environment...even just on a day hike, that's all it takes.
Excellent point.
That's why people use walking sticks. Anywhere you can't see the ground probe ahead of where you walk.
If you're in a swamp or shallow water or walking on ice where holes in the ground surprise you be ready to make the stick horizontal to stop you falling through them so a chinup outta the hole. Some places those holes lead to networks you can be swept into. Just disappear forever or what's left gets pushed back out into the river sometime later. Not something I worry about realistically but interesting.
Though you can get pretty damn far with a broken leg if you have basic first aid knowledge and some sticks/paracord. Or three legged doggin it. Painkillers are smart to have, bandages, rope, wound spray, matches or a lighter. I pretty much always have my backpack with me with that stuff and I'm way more a city kid than an outdoors person, trying to change that and prep for backpacking though.
@justincase3230 I highly encourage you to try it. :) Splint up your leg or just keep a knee bent and use a couple of sticks for crutches. See how far you can get and how long it takes you. How much can you carry? Think about water. Can you carry enough to get to the next water source? Think about how much energy you're using hopping along. How many days could you do that kind of work without food?
Try testing every single step you take with the walking stick. Try catching yourself on it, maybe using some parallel bars or something. You can do these things in your neighborhood or local park if you can't get out to the woods.
Have fun out there and be safe :)
@@sarasmr4278 @sarasmr4278 I walked home across the city from the hospital with a broken shoulder carrying a backpack, a skateboard and a bottle of rum as soon as I got to a liquor store. I've dislocated my thumb, my jaw and my other shoulder. I've absolutely mangled my foot in the middle of nowhere on a back road then limped it home after I got a flat tire halfway back.
Adrenaline does a lot for pain management. If you're a couple days from help and don't have a beacon, a phone, a flare and plenty of lightweight food you're an idiot 🤷
You also said you were up a game trail a little ways on a bit of a stroll. I could see falling into a hole and being stuck, or rolling down an embankment but if all you've got is a broken leg and it's not some messed up bone poking out shit I'd rather go be where I need to be than sit around hoping someone helps me. Most pain can be ignored if you don't freak out or think about it too much.
Here is a fact that most people don't see. Just because you survived in one part of the world doesn't mean you are able to do the same in a different part of the world.
Hah! Tell that to Bear Grylls! 😉
it's his wife and film crew that make sure he doesn't get lost starved stabbed or eaten while having a great time bush bashing with his mates
Yes... the jungle, for example, will literally eat you to death.
I had the same thought.
A day will come for all of us, where we won't survive. If you spend most of your time exploring the outdoors, chances are good, that you'll be out exploring when that day comes.
I’m born and raised in the Appalachians. I am pretty good at surviving. That being said I don’t think most people (myself included) understand just how dangerous Alaska can be. I can watch all the documentaries in the world and read but I think it is so much worse that’s what I think. Alaska, as beautiful as it looks, scares the crap out of me. When you find yourself in the worst it can offer, it must be truly terrifying
It means you only have so many hours left to live and it will be painful. As a WI senior citizen and avid hiker nationwide, that scares the crap out of me too.
@@peteshallcross787 my son and I are headed out into the hills of Murphy North Carolina tomorrow. Laying in a hotel bed writing this. It’s gonna be a little above freezing but we’re well prepared for a long day. Not overnight. Not a senior citizen yet but not far. 53.
A young 53 and sounds like a great time with your son! I have 2 sons, 29 and 22 who love the outdoors. Also have an older bro in NC . In 2021, my wife and I hiked the Pisgah NF and also Mt Laconte. Got any favs there? Happy hiking, stay warm and Happy New Year!@@no1fibersplicer525
@@no1fibersplicer525
Safe travels!
👋🇨🇦🌠
@@no1fibersplicer525did you get home safe?
can we take a second to appreciate the effort and high quality of Kyle's videos????
Yeah fr he’s gotten really good
Dude stop using the same comments like everyone else.
can we take a second to appreciate the effort and high quality needs to die.
Yep! That's why I subscribed quite some time ago.
What does it mean when someone's hands fly around when they talk? I find it highly disturbing, annoying, and distracting! I loose my concentration easily enough with monotone verbage.
@@Wings_of_foam don't go into the comments if certain ones piss you off then? I just wanted to point out how his videos' quality is progressing even compared to just a couple months ago lmao
I think if we're being honest, the more time we've spent in the wilderness, the more the probability rises that we've done something stupid such that the only reason we're alive is luck. Experience is great but more experience can also just mean more opportunity to make a mistake. I've definitely done it and that's how I learned to be properly if not gratuitously over-geared for whatever conditions I'm out in - it's just luck that I never had to have planes out looking for me. RIP to the people who've inevitably made mistakes and happened to not get lucky.
It seems to me that most people who get into trouble in the wilderness are described by their family, friends, and reporters as experienced hikers/campers. It seems that people get overly confident in their own abilities and minimize their risk. This old Girl Scout believes in always telling people where you're going and when to expect you back, and to always take a buddy.
Definitely, I only really roll my eyes and make the jerk-off motion at people like McCandless, or people who walk past a CARRY ENOUGH WATER FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YOU NEED X AMOUNT IN THE DESERT signage with one half-full bottle at noon. With kids. Situations where you really can expect people to know better.
If you have lived and played in the wilds most of your life, you know you are damn lucky to be alive. A lot of real handy men, better men than me, that I knew well,and would have bet my life on, are dead and I am alive, for a little time yet, till my luck runs out.
One thing I learned in the military is that the "law of averages" will eventually get you. Do something dangerous (or even routine) enough times and eventually something you never considered or prepared for will go wrong.
Yes exactly, the same thing is taught in job safety training.
Yes that is absolutely true. When people get very used to doing something, especially something dangerous it seems, they get really confident and good at it. That confidence can cause complacency, and then something will go wrong, it will cause accidents to happen.
I agree, I’ve walked out my front door and stepped off the front stoop for years, last spring I went out the door & off the stoop not realizing my husband left the hose out, rolled my ankle and broke my foot.
Yep, and the law of averages is even affected by acts of others and acts of God. My chalk was dropped in 27 knot winds, and that was the decision of the CG at Fort Bragg. It nearly killed me and many other paratroopers. You might be fine and competent, but you cannot control everything or everyone.
No firearms……you know what can happen, eventually….
Another unfortunate, though trivial incident, is the removal of the bus Mcandless lived and died in, it stood watch for 60 years in the wilderness before being removed ,flown out to a museum in Fairbanks I believe. Too many people were either dying or having to be rescued to get to it, so the state moved it.
I remember hearing about that
Yeah I heard about that.
I don't think it's unfortunate, as you said, too many people got themselves in trouble there.
I think a girl died there?
At least it wasn't destroyed.
@@abelis644 I agree with the not being destroyed thing 100%, it had so much history even before and after Mcandless, but the book and movie attracted too many unqualified adventurers.
I was born and raised in Alaska and it was always so fascinating to me that you could take a plane or a boat to some remote area and then hike for 10 miles and suddenly BOOM right in the middle of the forest is a rusting hunk of metal which upon further inspection turns out to be a vehicle from the early 1900s. Completely rusted out with bird crap and moss all over it. I was always like HOW?!
@@Edaloy27 Turns out he was "UNQUALIFIED" HIMSELF!! sorry about that bit of humor,
It doesn't matter how great you are at being outside, Mother nature will have you if she wants to.
This is kind of a ridiculous statement. If you really look into the 411 claims you will find that he leaves important parts out of the story that would otherwise make it appear to be a normal disappearance.
Mother nature will kill you if she wants to?? Lol ok.
The mccandles guy was not good at being outside almost all my friends here in the south that seen that movie just laughs cause it is the most moronic shit ever this dude literally gave a blueprint on how to ruin your life your families lives and then die like an idiot in a bus somebody else built but he was supposed to be living off the land hahahahahaha this guy couldn't even cheat and survive. My god people are so insane to buy this as an inspirational story haha.
Gobble Gobble
I don't understand why experienced people don't understand this. I don't mean him, rest in peace, I mean people who are shocked that something probably out of his control happened to him in thousands and thousands of hours of doing dangerous stuff
Without support or backup
When we were young my mom had a boyfriend who made a living by hunting & trapping. He really taught us a lot about surviving in the bush, but, he told us that anything can happen & all the prep & knowledge in the world may not save you. I've always remembered that & have had the greatest respect for mother nature, since then.
By not taking his guns, I would assume that he planned on doing a short scouting or exploring hike. The circle in the snow may have been a navigational marker he left part way through his exploration. I think if he had been attacked by a bear, there would have been some sign of the struggle or his remains. I think it is more likely he encountered a tragedy on the river nearby and was swept far from the place where searchers were looking.
The only thang he left for sure ,is the endless and varied speculation and nothing else
Kodiaks will actually eat the clothing of the victim and bones and all and leave nothing but scat. You only find signs of predation of something else got to him like he was injured and then predation happened. However, even in Northern MN we take our gun and flashlight to use the outhouse so I call BS on not taking your firearm with you anywhere and everywhere. I didn't go take a bathroom break as a child around black bears, let alone grizzly bears without a firearm and a light. You don't go hiking or basically do anything because the wild life are the ones in charge and have habituated themselves to your cabin that is in their area and not the other way around.
Yes you are alive and well today and tomorrow, because you don't waver or drop you guard in common-sense reality that if you , do shit can happen to you at anytime and anywhere, as mother nature always , always rules , congrats for giving good advice,
Dumb no gun
"Due to how remote the area is and that it's been over 10 years now, I highly doubt we will find a trace of Seibold". That's what they all said about Otzi 5,300 years ago!
Just because a very few cases/people end up being figured out/found many years later doesn’t make his statement any less true.
@@davidbiagi2932 I see the humor of my comment has completely evaded you.
😅 good one!
5,290 years to go! 😂
I fully expect them to put out a genetic profile of poor Ozi’s killer so his descendants can be held to account. 😂.
Not taking his guns?? Very Weird. I live next to the National Forest in Northern CA and have my .38 with me when I am out in the woods. Black bears and Cougars are here. Rattlesnakes in the summer. I am an older woman and have lived in the woods for over 40 years.
You Lucky Lucky Lady. Take Care and Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to YOU !
A .38, what is that going to do for you if a bear attacks other than piss it off?
Just scares them off. Never had a bear attack us directly. Some got into the chicken coop area but one or two shots in the air, and they are out of there. We had bears after a big forest fire in 2014 that was a few miles from us. They lost their habitat and raided peoples chicken coops and barns. Mountain lions are more reclusive but they are around. Saw big tracks of one last winter in the snow. Load noises can help to keep them at bay. We hope to never have a direct attack or a need to shoot at them. Rattlesnakes are around in the summer but when in our gardens we shoot them. They hide under leaves of plants and in the brush. They scare me the most! We are quite a ways from hospitals for emergencies due to snake bites.
@@candiskiriajes1385 gotcha I wondered if that works, thanks for the info.
Your life sounds fascinating.
Ever consider doing a YT video ?
Your lifestyle would certainly garner the interest of others.
Food prep, shelter, transportation, do you have a dog?
I’d be so grateful to hear more.
But, certainly would respect your privacy.
No matter how experienced a person is, a broken leg or a bear attack can be fatal in a place like that.
I’d argue that a bear attack is nearly always fatal anywhere
even a broken arm can test the limits. Survivor man did an episode on surviving with one arm, his conclusion was its practically impossible if trying to survive for decent length of time and unable to be move to safety. (due to being lost, stuck, etc)
@@Sniperboy5551no people survive all the time. It depends on the bear and what you bring with you
Exactly. So many questions: Did he have snow shoes? How was he fixed for food & spare supplies like extra wool socks? Was he carrying a Garmin GPS with SOS or a sat phone? What was the rating on his sleeping bag? Did he have extra layers like mountaineers wear in extreme cold? It just seems unlikely that he was truly prepared for an extended stay in those conditions, because it would be very difficult to carry everything he needed w/o a team working together.
Wild animal got him!
Dude could have fallen and landed on pointy limb injuring himself, he could have broken an ankle, died walking through the forest from heart attack, cut himself severely, fallen in river, hypothermia, tree fall, among others, all of which would led to death being that remote and off trail. His body could be under a log, under a boulder, in a lake, river, stream, bears stomach, wolves' stomach. The forests are large, wild, remote places. We tend to think we can find an answer and find a body but in reality, we'll never know the answers to events like these. I hunt in some fairly off the beaten places, in thick dark timber, no trail around and I think to myself that if I went down it's likely I'd never be found, interesting mind set at times.
One of the most dangerous places for humans, it's our own home. Little Joe leaves toy in the way, we slip on it, hit head on corner of table and ADIOS!
So many have slipped in the shower and,,,.
But when we venture into super dangerous places, WE JUST CAN'T BE ASKING FOR IT.
Like you I venture into spooky places, mangroves in my case after taste Mud crabs. I live now in Jaguar countries! watching programs such as this have activated my take precautions button.
Bear spray, firecrackers, and an attached to my wrist knife for hand- to- hand combat. To legally obtain a firearm in Central America it's a long process.
WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK IT?? easier to purchase legal arms in America.
Alaskan rivers are like Lake Superior: they don't give up their dead.
I had been to the bus from "Into the Wild" a decade ago. I don't think this story compares, really. But this guy apparently walked off into the wilderness, in terrible weather, ALONE. Not a good plan, ever. He also left his rifle behind. Even if he had a bow, did he have a large caliber pistol for use if attacked by bear or wolves, etc? I would say, never go into the wilderness alone. Never go without adequate defensive weapons for any situation that might unfold. Do not let your ego override your abilities. No one is EVER completely trained for every contingency, thus the requirement for a partner or two who can help when nature or incidence demands...
Man over 2k people go missing here every year. He was either eaten by a bear or eaten by the earth. Permafrost thaws and you don’t know you’re walking on a lake until you fall through the spongy moss. Quicksand here is very real also.
Or eaten by the old lady and the boy 30 miles away from civilization
@@alecbaker13that is worse than the bear joke and yet very possible
I was wondering what makes the environment so dangerous in Autumn that the local trappers stay away, had no idea about the quicksand and thawed permafrost, makes you shudder.
I think he fell in love with a she bear and is still up there with her.
@@danielfegley2735 not a joke…
So many people disappear in the bush up here. Especially newcomers who head off on some wilderness adventure. The are many ways to disappear out there. Some more mysterious than others.
Yar in the end it's all mysterious to me no matter which mystery I look at🤔
(Cue X-Files theme song)
I think wanting to face the ultimate challenge and then having a misadventure/injury makes sense. "You don't know where the edge is until you go over it." Not taking at least one gun is an odd decision even if his desire was to pack as light as possible.
Exactly- it struck me as really strange decision for sure.
It's because guns are scary and illegal.
@@_-pf_gd-_..illegal in national parks....
It was arrogance and stupidity. Both men didn't prepare much, didn't do much research (Michigan training means nothing in Alaska, they are very different places and Alaska is far bigger than Norway). They did something reckless and paid the price for hubris. His poor family, I can't even imagine what it's like not knowing what happened to him, that's soul crushing. I pray they can at least find his body to give them closure. Never go anywhere like that alone, and always always do years of research on the area specifically you want to go to
@@tnit7554That would actually depend upon the reciprocity laws of the state that the national park is in.
My mother in law was a nurse in the Kootenays, BC. She knew a mother who's son was a geologist, he went off to work in Alaska but dissappeared and never returned. Such a sad story, but. Alaska.
Yes he thought it was a walk in the local park and and took the same provisions "clothing , maps and didn't tell anyone when ,where and return info just like he was going for a walk in the park
I lived in the east Kootenays growing up. I don't feel like you need to go to Alaska for wilderness.
When people have a romantic idea of the wilderness then they have the wrong idea of the wilderness.
I think you can have the romantic side but with a necessity of respect of nature first.
@@viceb7 personally I think those 2 exclude each other. But I think you can still enjoy the beauty of nature without romanticising (= "to deal with or describe in an idealized or unrealistic fashion; make something seem better or more appealing than it really is")
It is the same as everywhere on the earth. Many spirits seeking your destruction. They are also masters of deception. The unseen world is real and present.
One of my school mates died on an easy day hike at 30 years old just because he stepped off the trail to pee, slipped and hit his head. The problem was, he was hiking alone that day, laying there unconcious after the fall and not really visible from the trail. His wife was waiting for him at home, because she was 9 months pregnant. It was supposed to be his last hike before the baby was due, on a nice summer day and an easy popular route. When he didn't return in time she immediately called rescue services but it was too late when they found him. Anything can happen when you're alone outdoors, unfortunately.
Oh that is so sad....I hope his wife found a reason to live with his baby. So sorry this happened.
@@mah3223alia That's what I hope too. I don't know his wife but often think of her and their child 🙏🏻
Just gotta be careful and prepared. There is such a thing as "too safe". Life is dangerous and unless it's embraced, you'll be a vagina like 99% of the population.
My family is from Wasilla, AK we have a golden rule we follow when going out, "Go Alone, Don't Come Home." It's one of the very most important philosophies I've learned in life.
How many of you are there left?
uhhhhh all of us
@@GrizzlyFuckinBill oh, that's really good! Happy New Year ❤️
@@GrizzlyFuckinBill I read the wisdom quote and immediately thought "I need to check up on this family, just in case they are sending each other out one by one to die!"
lol
When you hit a million subscribers, it will be well deserved. Stellar content as always Kyle. Love watching your channel grow. I find myself excited when I get a notification that you've posted a new video cause I know it's going to be good. Keep up the good work!
Our nomadic ancestors traveled, hunted, and lived in small GROUPS. Groups who trained every moment since earliest childhood to survive in those conditions, and who amassed and passed down both vitally important knowledge and man-mad artifacts, from fishing hoods, to portable shelters, to weather spotting, to hunting techniques. One person against the Alaskan wilderness is not returning to our roots as human beings. It's taking a terrible risk that the smallest mistake will end your life. With no one else to help you, or seek help for you, a broken ankle or even a badly twisted knee would be a death sentence. Rest in Peace.
Yo Jean a well thought out essay 👏 on the reality of living in the wilderness that not many hikers, hunters etc are fully experienced to cope with as they pocess it won't happen to me attitude
From a woman's viewpoint, of course, where safety and security is the highest priority. Perhaps he was trying to get away from a helicopter mom. 🦸♀This wasn't a group thing and although Tomas had prepared himself for survival in the wild, safety wasn't his highest priority, nor did he subject anyone other than himself to the risks of that environment. Leaving behind his rifle was likely his biggest mistake.
I believe that this is the best comment of the many that I have read.
This is a vital point to make - thank you. The wilderness is no place for an urbanised, over-enthusiastic and under-skilled person to enter all by themselves. Even a survival trained person like Thomas made that mistake.
If you get lost in Alaska in winter, all the survival skills in the world won't help unless you find your way back to food and shelter. Most likely, he got lost.
This guy is a victim blamer. I bet he blames the black community for the 57% of violent crimes they commit a year per the FBI or the 20,000 plus rapes they commit against White women a year. Some people are unreal.
Surely he would have be proficient in map and compass skills? Maybe more like he got hurt and was unable to make his way back to shelter.
@@annwe6 But then a crew may have found some remnants of him. Unless both of his hands were broken no man goes out without a pocket knife and we can carve or cut arrows or signs into anything from a log to a living tree to a stump. We move things as humans. We tear our own clothing to leave a trail. If he was cutting firewood there would be an axe out there with logs half split. Humans leave a lot of mess wherever we go and especially if we are trying to be found. If he ever trained in MN or WI no man nor woman goes out w/o a pocket knife. . . .I have one in my pajamas to check the livestock closest to the house. I wouldn't go out without being armed in Northern MN when I had to use an outhouse so doing anything outside w/o taking a firearm is simply ludacris and I have done this since I was a child. He was a survivalist?!
@@blackdandelion5549 According to your argument, which I don't disagree with, he would have surely carried a compass with him too. Or possibly have been able to use other types of land navigation skills.
@@annwe6 I don't know that everyone takes a compass with them to go piss, but most of us have been taught basics on land nav. and if we were ever going far enough from home to even have an issue of being lost then yes, a compass, and then most of us have a ferro rod as a lanyard on our knife, but there is some very simple gear you can stick in your pocket. Many are still able to read stars. You aren't usually going to leave and go so far w/o enough gear to make sure you can make it back, even if stuff goes bad and you drag yourself or crawl back bc you usually have a sat phone and emergency batteries for if you need a helo or support because you broke your leg or your ankle is no longer facing forward. You learn and know major landmarks from hills to rivers and major forested areas or open areas. You just don't go basically anywhere, not even a day trip or a few hour trek w/o a firearm of some kind, even in better months because of the level of predation and the issue is not only that bad things happen because my kid broke her arm playing in a tree and fell, but the issue is how far you are from help and how long help takes to get to you or how far you must travel for help. This is not a situation where you can handle a small injury and it becomes infected turning into a major issue. You can't risk those things when help is not available.
That's part of the danger of this - you always want another person and the availability of help for what we may consider something that you could normally drive to an ER for . . . .there is no ER to drive to, you have a blood trail with a bunch of animals prepping for hibernation and there is only YOU. Always have a buddy for these activities and this would have been part of his survivalist training as well.
Interesting, I am from Germany, and never heard of this story.
From my perspective, many young people in Germany, or Europe in general, are dreaming of the US and its „wild“ states like Alaska: freedom and nature everywhere. Surely Thomas was well prepared, but he also may have idealized living in the wild and met his fate there.
A big thing I see many European tourists make is not understanding just how big the US is. Many states are bigger then your countries. All of Norway easily fits into Alaska length wide and with wise can fit about two. Always be away of just how large a place is and how far between each city can truly be
That’s why I always laugh when Europeans dismiss Americans because so many haven’t left America. I have easily travelled throughout Europe, crossing multiple countries. The same distance crossed in my home state would see me still in the same state. In other words, in the amount of time it would take me to go from the central point to the southern portion in my home state would see me through 3 or 4 European countries.
It is just so difficult to Imagine the Dimensions of the US 😅
@@JuliaMop-hn6lq the easiest way is to imagine each state is a country. Driving nonstop from one end to the other takes 3 days. If you stop to eat, sleep, and see anything it takes about 5.
In Europe, the distances are not in miles but in your mind. Not far is another country, language, culture, and in a way, yes, it is far.
As they say, in America 100 years is a long time ago, and in Europe, 100 miles is far away.
The not taking at least one gun gets me. Did he ever even leave the surrounding cabin area? Bears would know there are humans (food) there.
I live in Northern Norway. Tourists pour in around easter and they are often inexperienced hikers. The biggest problem here is that the weather changes 30 times a day and hiking guides here are pretty serious when it comes to the weather forecaste and dangers of avalanches wich often makes the tourists impatient, so they start hiking by themselves. I'm not worried about experienced hikers because they come prepared. It's sad to see people come here on vacation for a good time and only end up in tragedy 😞
You'd think people would listen to the guy that grew up there and makes money doing it 🤦. I say let them hike alone, may their arrogance guide them well lol.
I know that sounds harsh but eh, the only reason people like that don't constantly take themselves out is we made a bunch of safety nets and laws to protect them that hold back people who actually do things properly. And half the time it still doesn't protect them because the dumbasses don't bother googling what those rules are 🤦
@@justincase3230locals knowledge is generally best any country
My ex-boyfriend was Norwegian, lived in a small town along Sognefjord. He hated it and had no taste for the outdoors and I’m about a city person through and through: it wasn’t even remotely as dangerous as your neck of the woods but I’d still not venture outside of the village proper.
To the point I was very wary of crossing a field because it was private property and while it seems the owner freely allowed people to cross, I did not like to take the chance.
So yeah, people like me often get slated for not being “in touch with nature” but we’re less a hazard than clueless “nature lovers” who decide to up and wander into dangerous territory.
When you said Easter, my butthole puckered up. Spring is so dangerous in the arctic and the mountains! Everything melting by day and freezing by night...
But then again, I was born in Alaska and survived to adulthood, I *listen* when people tell me it's too dangerous to go out!
Thank you for sharing his story. He is a fellow countryman, and I have just read the blog entries regarding the search. So much pain for families and friends. 😞
It's not bear country - it's the bears' country
I'm a huge fan of the "Scary bear attacks" UA-cam channel, and they have profiled far too many stories where the victim did everything "right" with bear spray etc. and still ended up dead or seriously injured.
It’s unlikely he was attacked by a bear. He just got lost or injured and didn’t make it. Idk if they have crevaces in that area but if so, he also could have fell in one of those and they can be very deep and never found.
Off to watch bear attack videos now.🙏🏽
@@GoddessTheOldeGodd ok goodies sit back enjoy watchin and grin and 🐻 bear it yo
Atticus is the man.
My favorite youtube program aside from SHARKS HAPPEN with Hal
I'm starting to feel like if you go alone into the Alaskan wilderness, your disappearance isn't really mysterious. Everyone knows roughly what happened in a very broad sense.
Dude, its Alaskan Bush in winter . . . The first thing to understand is it doesn't have to go horribly wrong to kill you! Camping in Norway is like Camping in a Walmart parking lot compared to where he was at, just not even simulator.
Alaska almost killed me in my own driveway because I made a TINY mistake, then completely under estimated the danger I was in till it was almost too late!
It was -21f out and I needed to go get my wife from town soon. I grabbed the truck keys and went out in the driveway to start the truck so it would warm up. I opened the door, started the motor and headed back inside. Now I was literally 15 feet from my cozy living room so I was in shorts, T-shirt and flip flops. Upon getting back to the front door already getting pretty cold from the cold wind and the drifting snow its kicking up.
The house door was locked! No matter, the keys are right there in the truck. Well the stupid automatic locking feature had locked le out of the truck now too. Well, I'll just go around back to the window I know how to Jimmie open. By the time I got through the snow drifts my hands aren't working enough to open the window.
Now I start to realize this is an actual emergency, just a few minutes outside and I'm already shutting down from the exposure. I need to break a window now, before loose that ability too! I used a chair to brake in but in maybe 5 more minutes I wouldn't have been able to hold the chair at all.
I cold have died in my own damn Alaskan driveway from the simple habitat of locking my door when I go out! Don't underestimate cold, a tiny problem is compounded greatly by negative temperatures!
Glad you kept your wits right away. Not long and the rational decision making process goes away too. Very good example of just how quickly and easily things can turn in the cold. Which the weather can turn very quickly too . That mass of wicked cold air isn't very far away. I live in Wisconsin and if you haven't payed attention to the weather forecast and relie on your eyes 😮. You can be in a big surprise in a very short time less than one day. Although you can feel it happening and prepair for it. It often comes with the wet stuff first followed by a cold hard freeze for afew days. Once everything is covered in snow, navigation and trekking is all the more difficult and everything starts to look the same. Especially what's under foot.
Speaking of Wisconsin (at our hunting cabin in Marinette County ) : the wild life has changed here, yeah as in preditors. The area where we hunt now has wolf packs again...my brother had one come up to him in his blind, just snuck up from behind to see what was inside...no hunting them = no fear of human. There have been multiple spottings of a cougar in the yards as close as two miles away in an area that is not remote like our cabin is two miles into the woods were it was spotted. The cougar is probably not here more than once in a blue moon...big territory for it. But the half dozen wolves they seem to be here all the time.Way fewer hunters now, but way fewer deer back in there too. Considering the 40 was just cut six years ago .... well it is obvious...
I had not hunted there for decades since my deer 🦌 freinds took me into thier heard decades ago .. yeah riding a bicycle with a small group of deer surrounding you in the night is quite an experience even for a half mile😮. So I was out in the woods to go sit at my old stand Saturday afternoon( no rifle ) and ran into another hunter dragging a nice buck out of the swap just below were my stand is. He had shot it in the swamp and was looking a bit exhausted by the time I saw him come out with it as it was not easy from where it fell across the creek and cedar swamp. So I helped him drag it the rest of the way to a road( sorta) he could drive too . As he's going to get his truck...he casually asked if I could stay with the buck. Because he didn't want to leave it unattended because of the wolves he had been seeing earlier on the fall...enough times that he could identify each one. Yeah when he left for the truck I went and found a very nice staff to stand with while he came back. The pack was in that very part of the cedar swamp the very night about five hours later😮. It's shocking how quickly they can devour a full grown buck and how little is left behind. If it takes a couple of hours to find your buck and they got there first 😢. By morning it's a few left over bones(ribs) and part of a skull and maybe antlers. My brother saw one come through ( not large...young) late mourning in the cedar swamp ( it's kind of only where we have been seeing them for a couple years now) . He was limping but my brother couldn't get off a shot either. Latter that night about 11pm I heard the kill in that swamp and the next morning he found what was left.
We don't have the big bears 🐻. But a 225 pound black bear ( not uncommon and certainly there are larger ones) is formidable and bold. They will come into town too. For that matter the wolf will too. Saw one come up off the frozen river and sneak through all of our backyards . Heard everyone's dogs barking all the way to the other frozen river where he went to. This is on lake Michigan just south of Green Bay and not sparsly populated . Mostly small cities , towns, farms and some fair sized patches of woods. That was a very cold winter Lake Michigan pretty much froze over the first time in a hundred years. It was eery going down to the beach and it being dead silent in the night not hearing the breakers hitting the ice that forms on the shore. All ships were docked too. Have a good day.
In the 80's long before in to the wild came out I thought of quitting my job and going into the woods to live and instantly thought of all that could go wrong and choose not to and through I've done a lot of camping , not alone and can identify some of plants and know what to eat I'm still scared to go on a through hike or even a weakened camp on my own even though I've watched other through hikers make it and know nothing about survival knowing that people with way more exercise than me turn up missing makes me think I making the right choice
He could have fallen through the ice crossing a river, and got swept under the ice , or climbed out and gotten hypothermia. Avalanche, injury from falling. Eating the wrong thing. There's a million things that could have happened. Like Chris McCandless , he also was an adventurer, and explorer. Young men ( and women) have gone adventuring since the beginning of time. In other times they would have been admired for their bravery and risk taking, even if they died trying.
Exploring the wilderness is a wonderful adventure, but there's a fine line between adventure and recklessness. It's important to be mindful of the fact that when you venture into remote areas, you're not only responsible for your own safety but also for the potential burden on the community if a rescue operation becomes necessary.
And you have a responsibility to family as well.
It can be hard enough for search and rescue to find people in the remote parts of colorado, alaska has less resources for larger areas.
Reminds me of another experienced hunter/survivalist that disappeared years ago. Both had guns and both left them. That to me is odd since it would be like leaving your water or your clothes behind. You need protection in the wild and they both knew that....just odd.....
I’ve never been on a proper hike in my life, but this channel is still entertaining. He’s carved out a great niche for himself here on UA-cam.
grateful for you!
Yo Sniper remember don't go out in da woods today cause da momma bear mite git get a niche of ya for de video oh yar
Great series of death or endangered hikers. Keep them up! Also, can you do a video for all the hikers that died looking for Supertramp' bus? That would be awesome.
Greetings from Chile.
Christopher McCandless' story will ever be far more complicated than face value. The speculation is he could have eaten the seeds of a plant very similar to the sweet-vetch seed plant that was toxic, but John Krakow, who was just as fascinated with Chris as a lot of us have been, tested those seeds and determined he was picking the correct seeds. John poured over all information on chris, and was convinced there was more to the story.
Next, he turned to a very old practice done by Nazis, with the same plant Chris was using copiously (this information was discovered by someone else). In small quantities, it is perfectly fine to eat. But, like Christopher, when fed large amounts of mostly only this seed, wretched effects began to take hold. They nicknamed it "Silent Fire". One of Chris' last entries was "extremely weak, fault of pot. Seeds". When prisoners were fed copious amounts of this so called pea fodder, they began to grow very weak, and eventually barely be able to crawl. It burnt through them and left them skeletal and extremely weak. I wish i could link the study and information, even the new york times did a piece on these findings. But youtube will delete the comment of and put on a 24 hour comment ban anyone who links any outside sources of any kind. But if you find this interesting, there is tons of information out there on how he likely died. Chris was no stranger to hiking and survival situations. Indeed, it was his one true passion in life. He was unlikely to have just starved to death, without another unknown factor.
I'm not glorifying what chris did. But as a fellow idealist, i understand his deep desire to break away from society, his dissatisfaction with life in general, and his desire to test himself, untethered, against the elements of nature. His biggest flaw, though purposeful, was not bringing a map or more useful tools and gear. He knew something that most of us have forgetten. Nature can and will provide all one needs, if you're willing to forgo simple wants. It feels tainted, somehow, to "explore" with a map someone else has made, gear that you didn't somehow provide by the sweat of your brow, and food you didn't make. I understand his reasoning. He was also so very young, and had he made it out of alaska that fateful trip, i believe he would have gone on to be one of the best survivalists out there. Unfortunately, his youth and idealism got the better of him.
Look into his story if you don't know anything about him. He truly was a stunningly beautiful soul. There's always something new to discover by pouring over everything available on the subject of Christopher, and i think he would love the thought that others could learn from his experiences.
He weighed 67 pounds, he STARVED to death! No big mystery...😵
Relax
Unskilled, unprepared and unwise best describe Chris. Look at the pictures, from day one he was starving to death. Nature seldom provides all you need, you can starve to death with a belly full of food because there is not enough fat to keep you alive. My condolences to Chris's family and friends, but the truth is pretty plain. Chris was not a great or even mediocre survivalist, he was starving to death from day one, and the greatest thing we can learn from him, is not to do what he did.
It feels tainted to explore with a map someone else made is the stupidest sentence I have ever read. What nonsense. Humans need each other to survive.
@@mikechristopher4896 sad but true
Hay there UTube comments.
The thing I find difficult to digest in this video is…
Every time dude says survival training he shows a clip of a person picking a giant ass late summer early fall mushroom that would never grow in the Alaskan Winter Forests. Ice chips and frozen bear poop is the ONLY thing your going to wild craft up a dinner out there so…Give Up the idea of “finding food” especially since he left his guns behind. Dude decided that he needed to walk off out of camp for an extended time without the things he needed to survive so he killed himself is the only answer. Depression Sucks and no amount of fresh air is going to fix that.
BeWell, TakeCare, and StaySafe Everyone. ✌️💚🖖
When I was a toddler in the 50s, my old man was in the military and did sea and air rescue at Point Barrow (now Nuvuk), and we stayed in Barrow (now Utqiagvik), Alaska. Even as small as I was, I have memories of the danger of the place. Only memory pictures of the place itself, but a real, palpable gut sense of the danger of the place.
Totally different stories. It's like comparing a guy that drowned on the titanic to a drunk that drowned in his bathtub.
Nice to see Kyles channel blowng up! One of the best story tellers on youtube!
Wow, thanks!
Agree . And also "Base Camp Chris" is good.
I’ve hiked many places in Alaska for over 40 years including in the Gates and have on,y had a few instances where the bear was a few seconds from catching a 12 gauge round. Hiking in the early spring and late fall are the most dangerous times for bear. Also cow moose with young are a lot more aggressive than any bear. We have a remote place where both brown and black bear come through the yard all the time.
fun trivia fact - 40° C is also -40° F. It's the only place that the temperatures are the same.
False, -40 degrees Celsius is -40 ° Fahrenheit. Not 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
@@epicarts2105 Ooops. Typo. Thanks for catching that!
Mccandless was only about a mile from one of those …. Cable gondolas that would have got him across the river …..
Breaks my heart
Yep 😢
I read the book. He was impotent.
I read it too …sad story indeed .
That would depress a young man.
Sad to say, but Maccandless was clueless, and that angered a lot of people up here. Nonetheless, sad.
Two things. If you cut yourself with your own axe you're in the bottom 1% of survivalist, qualified for the "Treadwell Award." And second, you could be in the top 1% of survivalists and you're still on the menu. Did they examine all the bear scat in the park???
or wolf scat
He disn't injure his leg on that trip. The 3rd guy Daniel did with an axe. We could not carry Daniel out. So we brought back a rescue crew. Daniel is fine. Reported in an Ely, MN newspaper. About 12 years ago. Thomas and I went back out into the Boundary Waters for 10 days in late October.
Good for you on your ability to recount events. Love your channel name, I must admit I was super curious to hear from someone who hates hiking amongst all the die-hard lovers of the sport..you got me..Bravo on close to 300k !! On track to that million..(ps..I'm the one who lives in Granby Québec where you played in a tournament when you were young..)
Many people don't realize that the most dangerous animal in the fall is a male moose in the rut. They become absolutely insane and will charge anything & anybody.
The most dangerous animal anywhere in any season is a human with a gun.
This story is amazing. its so sad he was never found.
Thomas did not injure his leg in the Boundary Waters. There were 3 of us there, Daniel did and Thomas and I could not carry Daniel, so we brought a rescue crew. It was accurately reported in the Ely newspaper back then.
Good to know, thanks! Kind of painted him as reckless, when it sounds like he was very capable in an injury situation.
This comment should be pinned!
Another fascinating story I’d never heard before!❤ This might be evidence that regardless of skill level or experience, things can go terribly wrong. Accidental injury, wildlife encounters, who knows. It seems that the region he was in was not what he was familiar with. He may have miscalculated how the weather would impact him, or he could have had some kind of accident. I hope his remains are recovered and answers are found. I understand that the not knowing is very painful for family and friends.
Get your feet wet, and your dead, get your cloths sweaty and you die, fail at lighting a fire... People fail to realize how deadly even a minor mistake can be in those weather conditions.
@@nathanadrian7797 Then there's the gentleman who lived alone in a cabin he built in the Alaskan wilderness for some 30 yrs. (He filmed much of his daily life for the PBS documentary about his life in Alaska). What a remarkable man.
@@isabellind1292 Dick Proenneke!!!! Now there is a man who had skill, knowledge and an incredible work ethic! If you like his story, you might want to buy the book-"The Caruso of Lonesome Lake". It is a true story about a Canadian that builds a farm in the wilderness.
@@nathanadrian7797 As a Canadian (and BCer) I should have known about the man you're speaking of, Ralph Edwards.
It's not only a remarkable story (now that I've looked it up) but Mr. Edwards also rec'd the Order of Canada for his conservation efforts in bringing the Trumpeter Swan's numbers back from the brink of extinction.💓🦢💓How beautiful!
Thank you for the recommendation. What a great title for this other remarkable man!☺
@@isabellind1292Greetings from the Kootenays.
Very interesting story. Thanks, Kyle. I recommend that people not do dangerous things alone.
For real unless you have a death wish and an agonizing one at that
In this kind of terrain, it would be very easy to run into problems, especially at that time of year. A bit of snow covered river to fall into, slogging through muskeg, a trip and fall into water resulting in hypothermia, animal predation particularly if a person is hurt, are certainly all possibilities.
Even getting sweaty and failing at lighting a fire.
And all likely possibilities
He likely was crossing a snow covered Creek. Broke through the snow/ ice and fell 6-8’ into deep frigid water. Hypothermia set in within minutes and Thomas was buried under the Snow-so was not spotted by searchers. Just one of several possible situations He would have faced.
4 minute ad is crazy. i will make sure i never buy or use drink LMNT. People want to watch the video, not 4 minutes of rambling about drink powder.
Just ff to end of ad 😅
Yes sir🎉
Ad makes him money, he doesn't do this for free. Maybe you should pay him some money so he doesn't need to ramble on about drink
Awwww premium UA-cam is ad free.....Karen.
He needs to make money. YT doesn't pay crap.
He is a hero and inspeation. I met him in southern Oregon in 2011 .he is a great loss .
Maybe the annoyed folks should watch something else. Thank you.
People are very easily triggered these days...
Why are there so many dumb, annoying comments in this section? 😳Undeserved, as I think ...
It is incredible how aggressively people are commenting here. 😳
I think they're bots
@@chatita9527God damm they are as aggressive 😳 as the bears are in the park I say
Dying is all part of the risks we take when doing something like this. It doesn’t happen all of the time, but it does happen.
I love how we are consistently told how rare and/or unlikely it is that predation could be the cause of a human disappearing while out wandering solo in an environment that contains several species of apex predators.
Exactly! If someone is missing they are unaccounted for, AKA there is literally no accounting for a cause of death. There is no way to know how many people go missing because so many are unreported. And no way to know how many missing people have been preyed on by a non-human species (or buried by landslides, etc.).
He’s such a natural story teller doesn’t pad video with unnecessary baloney always a good listen
See a lot of crazy things happen with grizzlies in the fall. My gut is telling me that's what took him out. You can't out run them and your chances of scaring them off (even with a firearm) are highly unlikely if the bear is hungry enough.
RIP Thomas.
As a solo hiker, you understand the risks involved in going alone. You can be prepared and even have things for emergency situations. But the bottom line is accidents happen. Any time I go off adventuring alone, I always let someone know where I'm going to be. But that's not going to really help much if I fall and crack open my skull or get attacked by a bear. You can't live your whole life sitting on the sidelines because something might happen to you one day or you can get out there and live. This guy lived his life exactly the way he wanted to. I don't think he could have or would have done anything differently. And if I disappear on one of my solo journeys, I hope everyone knows I wouldn't have done anything differently either.
Yes! Well said.
He lived his life exactly the way he wanted to, but did he end it the way he wanted to? I don't think so. I'm reasonably certain that if he new this trip was going to kill him, he would not have made the trip.
I still cannot understand why he would have left his firearms behind. That makes no sense whatsoever, even if it was just a day hike.
He didn’t bring a gun, he wasn’t going to travel far from the cabin.
Thank you for covering this heartbreaking story of the disappearance of Tomas Siebold.😔 Poor guy.🙏
Most think they know everything, on paper, but cannot execute.
Mccandless was a lonely mentally ill young man who was suicidal and didn't know how to survive in the wild. Hos distraught parents perpetuate a story that isn't even remotely true to the tragic reality.
Yes
After reading the book, my feeling is that he was undiagnosed autistic, rather than mentally ill.
Thanks Kyle! I had never heard of this story. Experience is essential and almost paramount in these situations. Judgement is paramount. As an avid outdoor recreationist living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado I regularly encounter tourists and other newcomers who have a goal of going somewhere they probably shouldn’t. My blunt advice is that you can always come back to this spot, but you can’t come back from the dead.
Of all the places to start testing my skills, Alaska would not be at the top of the list!
Even a little reading shows it can be a dangerous place. Get a little closer to nature in the lower 48. Save Alaska for later!
If I was going to Alaska I would never make the mistake of not taking a gun! Not just for protection but if I was suffering and facing inevitable death, a gun could stop that suffering. A bit macabre but a real possibility I would want to be prepared for.
You can guarantee whatever item you forget or decide not to bring is the ONLY item your going to wish like hell you had! Because the Universe has only one constant and that's the inevitability of Murphy's Law biting you on the *ss!😁
I want to hike in the Colorado mountains but I know after hiking in elevation of 4400’-6500’ that it’s a factor I need to add in to the equation.
Either be acclimating in town before heading out.
4:10 for the blathering to stop and the story to begin
I watch the videos at 1.5x playback speed. Much more enjoyable.
I spent a lot of time out in the wilds, back in the day, and I can say with much certainty that nature is equal parts beauty and utter emotionless brutality. It just does not give one fat hairy rats rear about your experience, physical condition or ego. We are all just one careless human mistake away from discovering what’s on the other side.
There's actually something comforting about that...
hear hear
I'm confused as to why he left his firepower behind. Especially in that wild, remote place. It just doesn't make sense for someone to make that decision, knowing the likelihood of a wild predator encounter. RIP brother.😢
Unfortunately he lacked common-sense at the most basic level and created the circumstances for his demise without a second thought of his actions
@@JohnT-wj5ru Sigh. I have to agree with you. It frustrates me how cavalier people can be when they should absolutely know better.
@@JohnT-wj5ru Same with Christopher McCandless, unfortunately. Both of these stories moved me greatly. Rest in peace to both these young men.
@@wheelz314 what was so upsetting to me about Christopher McCandless is the fact if he hed hiked approximately a half mile in the other direction, up river instead of down, he would have found a bridge and could have crossed there. I feel like he waited too long to try to get out. Very sad.
Probably was overly confident in Europe with his abilities, forgetting North American grizzlies see everything as potential lunch.
I don’t know, most of the National parks I’ve been to are remote. Like Saguaro, Death Valley, Painted Valley, and Joshua Tree. And I’ve never seen a cafeteria. Maybe I go to the wrong parts? Even the Grand Canyon can be pretty austere in most parts aside from the main viewing area. The only National Parks I went to that were busy were the Smokey Mountains and Washington DC.
So beautiful, anything is possible, maybe he just didn’t care, whatever happens happens he thought, I believe he’s home now in heaven!🥰🙏🌲
just fyi, the first river you mention is Alaska the Tanana...is pronounced Tan-uh-nah. Great video thanks
I wouldn't even step out for a leak unless I was packing heavy up there especially that time of year and that remote.
Even experts faulter. The first mistake anyone makes is doing it alone. If you want to really go off the grid, you must do it with a group of like minded people.
No such thing as an expert, in any field. We are not God and know not the far reaches of any field of expertise, often leading to our ignorant or arrogant demise.
Experienced, or expert means nothing when it comes to the wild of Mother Nature, or wild animals… they’re both unpredictable no matter how much you think you know. Is it helpful… of course. The minute you think you know it all is when your ego starts to clouds your judgement. Always respect Mother Nature, and wild animals… because they can pull your card in a heartbeat.
Makes you wonder if the lady that he was staying with had something to do with it
Oddly I noticed that and I wondered the same thing but what would have been her motive ?
@@CATNAPREAL1188 not sure, but for an experienced hiker not to take his guns is really odd. He can't be found and she's the only one that is saying when she left so they take her word for it. I'm not saying she has anything to do with it but it's very odd!! I could be way off but he's never been found. Or he could have planted his diary and left with her to start a new life. Or he fell in love with her and she snuck him away
Let’s see. He was fully prepared for survival in the harsh, arctic environment and the unforgiving subfreezing temperatures; so it’s less likely that he succumbed to exposure. But, and that’s a BIG BUT; but he walked off into the Alaskan wilderness without so much as even a sidearm with him. I’ll give you 3 guesses as to what happened to him. If this was a question on the SAT, I think if you got it wrong, no matter how well you did on the rest of the test, it should mean an instant zeroing out of your entire number.
In no uncertain terms, I would *NEVER* trek into that wild, untamed backcountry without some kind of firearm on my person. Hell, I’d even probably want to be carrying while on the edges of some of the smaller towns and villages as well. It’s utterly foolish to journey out into the habitat of numerous apex predators, without having the ability, if necessary, to protect yourself by resorting to deadly force.
So many things can go wrong on a hike. Even the most experienced person can be taken by surprise sometimes.
when i lived in Vermont a few years ago.....temps dropped to minus 35 degrees...piled more wood to the stove....put a plugged in light bulb next to the car engine...the heat let the car be started right up......those temps are nothing to fool around with....be prepared, house and car..........Thanks Kyle.....be safe yourself up there............☃☃
Wife waiting for him? Out with another woman and her child? Y did i get a bad gut feeling right when u said she chose to leave and he stay there??? Fishy
Have you ever talked about the Grizzly man! He was I man from Washington who lived with Grizzlies in Alaska. I'll let you learn the end of the tale.
I really would like to spend some time in such an Alaskan village, but I would probably never leave the house without a full squad of bodyguards and guides.... not after all those videos!
@juliajs.so true.😂
Depends on the part of Alaska and the time of year. Some places are more remote. Some are more dangerous. I couldn't imagine going out in New York City and would rather trust my dog and my horse over a bunch of city folk in a high crime neighborhood.
"Man's got to know his limitations" (Dirty Harry)
That's also a quote of Val Kilmer's character in Real Genius when a girl asks if he can hammer a 16-inch nail into a railroad tie with his...
The response by the criminal was I gota got to know if the gun was loaded
magnum force after car blows up@@JohnT-wj5ru
Kyle should do a segment on Everett Reuss if he hasn’t yet
never heard of him, I'll have to check it out!
Probably went through the ice, they found none of his gear which he would’ve been carrying. If it was a bear attack they would have found his pack or some remnant of clothing.
Depends, I've seen bear attacks where they've eaten the clothes too if they are hungry enough. Through hr easily could have fallen into a crag left by thawing frost, or a river. One mess up in that portion of Alaska can kill you fast, it's why the locals avoid it
Well done. "A man's got to know his limitations".
I’d call him an ex expert…
Question, when doing an air search do they ever use infrared sensors? Seems like a no brain-er to me.
He didn't get lost. Every survavilist is born with an innate compass that tells them where they've been, and how to get back. He succumbed to something. Be it a fall or a bear or some other ailment. But getting lost? Probably not.
Seibold had a wife in Wisconsin and went to stay in a remote cabin in Alaska with a woman and a young child. Did anybody check the home in Wisconsin to see if there were any new concrete slabs poured?
I thought it odd as well when told.
I like this young man's channel and the fellow hikers who comment. There's no way this guy went UP river 30 miles in a kayak, not in Alaska. However, he may have hiked to the cabin..
This is what happens when a young man refuses to settle down, get married, father children and support them--which is the most challenging survivalist act on earth!
Well Barbs he simply wasn't up for this life long challenge, he like easy hikes 😮on the weekend
Well said😊
The "puer aeternus" does not usually survive middle age.
Never heard this story.
Sounds like he could have died in many different ways. Bears,falling through thin ice,freezing to death....etc.
I consider myself well versed in the outdoors but thats in the southern US where temps might dip into the low teens at worst.
There are very few predators big enough to kill you so all and all the biggest challenge would be acquiring food which wouldnt be a huge problem.
No Way in hell would I consider setting off into the Alaskan wilderness.