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Desert Island Tourism
- callalex 3y agoThe page seems to forcibly refresh itself every few seconds, making it unreadable. (latest iOS)
- xwdv 3y agoI think this would be more fun with a group of strangers on an island, to see how a group of castaways organizes its own society.
- edg5000 3y agoThere are various TV programs that did this. Expedition Robinson, originated in Sweden and licensed in the US as a show named Survivor (among 39 other licensees, according to Wikipedia). My parents used to watch a variant produced for Dutch television. From what I could pick up, the crew provided varying degrees of resouces and support. There was a "punishment" were one would be sent into isolation for a certain period. I suppose contestants were at least monitored for safety to some degree.
- yumraj 3y agoLord of the flies situation might also happen.
- ceejayoz 3y agoProbably not. It's a fictional fantasy. In real life, the opposite seems to happen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_castaways https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongan_castaways > The boys divided up the labour, teaming up in pairs to work garden, kitchen, and guard duty. The two eldest served as leaders: one spiritual, the other practical; Stephen (who would go on to become an engineer) managed to use two sticks to start a fire, which the boys kept burning continuously for more than a year while marooned. At night, they sang and played a makeshift guitar to keep their spirits up, composing five songs during their exile. The book reflects more about the author (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/aug/16/william-golding-attempted-rape https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/aug/16/william-goldin...) than a scientific concept.
- shiroiuma 3y agoIf you go alone, you should bring a soccer ball.
- bongripper 3y agoIt's unsustainable and bad for the environment.
- thewarpaint 3y agoHow?
- etrautmann 3y agoPopularizing travel to Indonesia is about as far as you can go from the US, and has similar carbon footprint to driving across north America five or six times solo.
- avgcorrection 3y agoThis is like complaining about the private jets of billionaires. It’s a niche thing which doesn’t have much impact in the grand scheme of things. But I guess it is a bit ironic for the ones who are trying to “connect with nature” by traveling from Boston to Java.
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- salamanderss 3y agoTake a sailboat. Its probably lower carbon impact than driving to your local park.
- p_j_w 3y agoIt's also prohibitively expensive and takes over a year to get the experience and skills necessary to safely do.
- daveslash 3y agoI've gone into the back country for days at a time, usually in places without cell service. I love the "just being bored". It's such a good mental reset. But last year I took a trip to a remote island. The ferry dropped us off and said "we'll be back in 3 days". The island had no services or cell phone signal. There were other people, but other than at night in the campground, we didn't see anybody. As the ferry sailed off after saying "we'll be back in 3 days"... there's a feeling of isolation that sets in that you don't get, even in the remote backcountry.
- tomjakubowski 3y agoIt's easy to feel in the backcountry that you're not relying on other people, only on yourself. I think the island ferry lays bare that illusion
- olalonde 3y agoReminds me this video I saw a while back about a guy who documented his life on a desert island for 300 days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leHb2hdCLqo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leHb2hdCLqo
- soperj 3y agoReminds me of the book "An island to oneself" about a guy who lived on Suwarrow solo for 16 years.
- underseacables 3y agoReminds me of a time I was hiking the Appalachian trail in winter. I stopped on the trail deep in the forest and took in for a moment just how incredibly alone I was. I went in winter for the lack of people but it was a slight unsettling that I could fall to the side and never be found.
- vintagedave 3y ago> Previously obscure islands are being privatized and developed at a rapid rate, often commanding millions of dollars. This is a shame. Will every beautiful thing eventually end up in the hands of the rich with a concrete and glass building slapped on it?
- techgnosis 3y ago[flagged]
- 11235813213455 3y agoWhy do people need to take a plane? there are many local quiet places accessible from a bike ride
- timeon 3y ago> “You actually realize just how much time you have in a day when you remove all distractions,” Saul-Garner told The Hustle. “There’s something about just being in nature and going back to basics that I love.” He needed to take plane across the globe just to remove all distractions. He could just bike tiny fraction of that distance and bivouac. Or they could drop him in random town without money.
- salamanderss 3y agoIf you are someone with some kind of 24/7 responsibility you can't truly know you'll be free of distractions any longer than it takes that someone to get to you. This goes for executives and those with young children or elderly dependent. The most realistic real out is to arrange alternative care and then book it far enough away you won't be hassled and the company or dependents are forced to rely on the stand in. Other side of globe buys maximum time and expense for them to extract you. If others don't rely on you enough to desperately search for you nearby then yeah your approach works.
- r9295 3y agoThe whole article and process reeks of elitism and disrespect to locals. Phrases like "paid off" and "intercept boats" are scary.
- datameta 3y agoYeah this is as much the business of creating an illusion as it is ferrying you to a good location. A few iterations and I could see it being not much different from a trip booked from a resort (minus the actual survival part).
- wing-_-nuts 3y agoI mean, if the locals feel disrespected they can simply say 'No' right? I'm sure they're more than happy to earn the money. I always find it funny how some folks try to shame and guilt others for literally anything.
- ceejayoz 3y agoHonestly, I hope the locals head home and tell all their friends to sail out there for their own payoffs.
- RajT88 3y agoIn the US, you can just go camping on islands if you want to get away. Where I live, there's islands which are not owned by anyone in the rivers. (Check your county's GIS map for which ones) You can just go camp on those, no problem. In the Great lakes, there's islands which offer ferries to go camping backcountry-style. I highly recommend visiting North Manitou Island, which is an abandoned farming/logging/vacation community where you can see the ruins of old houses and homesteads. There's also a south island which I haven't visited, which is a little less wild. Ferry runs from Leland, MI. Probably one of the best camping trips I've ever taken, beautiful. My advice: Download Google Earth Pro (now free!) and just scroll around until you find something. Then search for info about said island, and see if anyone owns it (if not, you can probably just find a way to get there and camp). As always: Leave the place cleaner than you found it!
- avgcorrection 3y ago> Where I live, there's islands which are not owned by anyone in the rivers. (Check your county's GIS map for which ones) You can just go camp on those, no problem. Oh, you have to care about who owns the land in order to camp in the wilderness? Bummer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam
- RajT88 3y agoNow listen. You can try camping on land which is owned by someone, and which is otherwise completely uninhabited. People do that all the time for various reasons without any issue. But that is technically trespassing, and could get you shot or arrested. So you know, if you're going to do that, make sure you assess that risk carefully.
- avgcorrection 3y agoSounds like yet another interesting survival challenge.
- swashboon 3y agoThat depends on the state, many states are default open to travel in open land and require posting / signage to block free access. Pretty much all trespassing laws require notice first (of which adequate signage counts as notice) and you are not trespassing until you have been told to leave and don't.
- flownoon 3y agoThis is definitely going to be a “markets in everything” link on Marginal Revolution
- dr_dshiv 3y agoCheck out Kiribati on google maps satellite. I think there is a flight there once a week. It is so so far away. But I’m fascinated. Fun fact: my family had a claim on Howland island due to the Guano Island act. But wow… not much you can do with an island like that! It is the most isolated place on earth and there are no resources. Not even shade!
- resolutebat 3y agoKiribati is severely overpopulated and drowning in its own trash. https://www.travelsvenue.com/2018/05/Kiribati-Tarawa.html https://www.travelsvenue.com/2018/05/Kiribati-Tarawa.html
- RetroTechie 3y agoSadly it's a logical progression: as we build, pave & pollute everywhere, places 'untouched' by humanity become ever harder to find. And thus people go out & seek such places. Result: even fewer of them. Reminds me of how a blockbuster movie showing beautiful locations can turn those into to tourist hotspots. Often destroying such places' beauty.
- arthurofbabylon 3y agoI see the appeal. I've been fortunate to spend long stretches in the wilderness – once spending 10 weeks walking through Utah deserts – another time walking deep into a permitted (ie: zero other people) region of the Himalaya. The boredom yet majesty – which at first appears to be a contraction – of being immersed in nature is deeply invigorating and fulfilling. I find it takes about 5-8 days before the contentment and clarity kicks in.
- salamanderss 3y agoYou get the same feeling as some of those alone in the high seas. Fear isn't being isolated, it is returning to people. Unfortunately even once you take on a family and the responsibility of children it's a memory you can't ever shake, and you live with the jarring reality that it's become a far away forbidden dream. Enjoy the sweet drug of isolation while you still can, and know you'll always be a recovering addict.