7 ms·
This immediately reminds me of a book I read a year ago about a man who walked off into the woods of Maine in 1986 and lived as a hermit for 27 years [1] [1] “
by davely 3y ago
This immediately reminds me of a book I read a year ago about a man who walked off into the woods of Maine in 1986 and lived as a hermit for 27 years [1]
[1] “Stranger in the Woods” by Michael Finkel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30687200 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30687200
- huytersd 3y agoThe craziest thing about this guy is he spent every Maine winter over those 27 years without lighting a single fire to keep him warm because he thought it would expose him. He would just stay awake all night and start walking around when he thought he was getting so cold it might be dangerous. That really to me is hell on earth. At least Petrov lived in California where it was mostly nice year-round.
- hutzlibu 3y agoBut he did use gas bottles to heat up things and this can make all the difference. Still, not pleasant. Oh - and you automatically stay awake, when it gets too cold. Only when you are really exhausted and sleep in the cold, you will never wake up (from various movies and books I was afraid of this trope when I was younger, but nope, as long as you have energy left, your body automatically wakes you up and starts moving to create heat). Not being able to sleep, because of cold, is one of the less awesome outdoor experiences. On the other hand, the more you enjoy the sun on the next day (if you are lucky and there is sun).
- DaftDank 3y agoI learned this the hard way when I was homeless at 17-18 years old in the middle of Wyoming winters. I had at least had my old Grand Cherokee to sleep in the trunk space, but not enough money for gas to run the heater. I'd pile all my clothes on top of me, but there were always patches where the cold got through and I'd spend so many nights just shaking from the cold. Spent the Christmas of 2004 this way. You are also correct that when it would be sunny (but still cold) the next day, it was an awesome experience. Almost like a ray of hope, as cliche as that sounds. It's crazy what having sunlight can do to improve your mood. That's one reason I loved living in SF later on, there were so many sunny days and I also wasn't homeless lol.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- solardev 3y agoMerry Christmas man, hope this one is better for you! I was also homeless with a car for a while, but in a much warmer climate. It's no fun!
- asimpletune 3y agoI met a self-described “mountain man” in Montana once, and I asked how he stayed warm in the winter. He told me the key was to build an insulated nest, below ground, packed with snow, and then you light a single candle and close up the nest. That this was enough to stay warm even in the Montana winter. It’s hard to know if what he was saying was true or not, but I think I believe it. He also saw my VW and immediately observed that it had been in an accident based on the way the doors hung. So, I feel like he knew some stuff.
- hodgesrm 3y agoThat’s how snow caves are constructed. Tunnel in and up in a snowbank so that the floor of the cave is higher than the ceiling of the entry tunnel. The air in the cave will equalize to 32F once you enter thanks to body heat. As far as I can tell this works well in any temperate climate because the snowpack tends to be warm(er) at the bottom and warmer air rises. At any rate it worked in all my snow caves, which was admittedly not a large sample but included places like Teton pass in Wyoming.
- huytersd 3y agoYou might survive 32F but you can’t possibly make it for very long if you have to be that cold night after night.
- hodgesrm 3y agoActually 32F without wind is no big deal if you have a decent sleeping bag. Plus it gets warmer as you do more stuff inside (e.g., cooking). Igloos have the same design and can get pretty warm. [0] The real problem in my experience is that it's quite humid. Since you are insulating with snow it evaporates and raises the humidity up to the dew point. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igloo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igloo
- huytersd 3y agoI guess it varies from individual to individual. I can be out in 110F weather all day comfortably if I have enough water and a large hat but have very low tolerance for the cold.
- NaOH 3y agoI haven't read Finkel's book on Christopher Knight, but other pieces on Knight were discussed here, with distinct tones to the discussions. Into the woods: how one man survived alone in the wilderness for 27 years - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13878801 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13878801 - March 2017 (124 comments) The Strange and Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8205993 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8205993 - August 2014 (86 comments)
- 7thaccount 3y agoThis the guy that basically lived in a tent and stole from those in the nearby community for decades right? I agree it must have been difficult in the middle of the night when it was cold, but it's not like he was farming, hunting, or foraging in the forest.
- mc32 3y agoThere is also Daniel Suelo who left everything behind and moved into the caves in and around Antelope Canyon: https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/homeless-by-choice-how-to-live-for-free-in-america/254118/ https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/homeles...