I can’t see a thread on this – interesting story that is splitting opinion on The Guardian site as well as its Facebook page. I was finding it fascinating reading about how he was surviving until later in the article when it became apparent that he was basically just stealing.

Anyone have views one way or the other?

Interesting article, thanks for posting.

Just read that this morning and found it to be genuinely interesting. I think I would have felt more intrigued by it if he’d been doing a Ray Mears for all that time; also found it fascinating that locals started leaving out shopping lists for him, to allow them to buy him what he needed.

The comments are divided, although about 95% seem to be about him being a thief 😉 I enjoyed reading it, I am fascinated by people who turn their back on the world like that.

Can you imagine how annoying and creepy he must have been to all the people who owned property there though! For 27 years!!!

My favourite detail (admittedly from the comments section, so usual caveats etc): amongst his stolen items was a TV (running off a car battery) and two Nintendo Game Boys. Not quite the modern day eremite then!! 🙂

I’ve bought the book – I’ll let you know!

when it became apparent that he was basically just stealing.

He should have limited himself to picnic baskets…

I find cases like this are interesting because while it may appear that he turned his back on society, he still needed the products of society to survive i.e. he didn’t revert to a full “hunter-gatherer” lifestyle because he didn’t possess the knowledge or skills to hunt, fish and fashion tools.

For me, the big question for his case is to what extent can we fully reject modern society and all its trappings…..

trapping’s what he should have been doing if he wanted to live off the land!

IGMC

Half of me has a grudging respect, half of me just thinks he’s an antisocial arsehole.

Interesting article, but he sounds like the anti-Womble

“Making good use of the things that we steal
Things that the everyday folks leave at home”

he didn’t revert to a full “hunter-gatherer” lifestyle because he didn’t possess the knowledge or skills to hunt, fish and fashion tools.

Even if you had the knowledge, I’m not sure a fulltime hunter-gatherer would be possible in the modern world. I’d think you’d need quite a big empty area to do all your hunting and gathering in.

Read it last night and while it was interesting he was stealing even when people left items for him. I was also puzzled how he’d disappeared in the 80s but had knowledge of memory cards in alarms.

Even if you had the knowledge, I’m not sure a fulltime hunter-gatherer would be possible in the modern world. I’d think you’d need quite a big empty area to do all your hunting and gathering in.

Alaska for starters.

Great story, thanks for posting

Yonks ago, used to be a bloke known as Smokey Joe who lived for years in the woods around Telegraph Hill near Exeter (Haldon). Bit of a local legend.

Alaska for starters.

I’m not sure you could live a H&G lifestyle in Alaska TBH, you might to better in Sub tropical or Equatorial

I was also puzzled how he’d disappeared in the 80s but had knowledge of memory cards in alarms.

He spent a lot of time in peoples houses! 🙂

I’m not sure you could live a H&G lifestyle in Alaska TBH, you might to better in Sub tropical or Equatorial

Space wise I’m aware it’s a bit nippy.

Was a bit confused, thought this was old news – April 2013.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/11/american-hermit-caught-27-years

Just read the end of the article in th OP. The new news is that someone’s gone dun and wroten a readin’ book about him.

My favourite detail (admittedly from the comments section, so usual caveats etc): amongst his stolen items was a TV (running off a car battery) and two Nintendo Game Boys.

What possible use would he have for two Game Boys?

Fascinating tale though. I find it quite incredible that someone could just “disappear” into the woods for twenty-odd years whilst being within walking distance of something vaguely approaching civilisation. And he clearly wasn’t the ghost he thought he was if folk started offering shopping lists.

Reminded me of the 2016 American Gothic series on Amazon Video.

Romanticisation of a tea leaf because he lives in a tent ISTM.

Maybe if by “modern world” you mean the UK (though even here I reckon it might be possible in parts of Scotland). Apart from the aforementioned Alaska, there are huge empty spaces even in the US.

I want to know if he would go out with a member of the opposite sex for coffee or beer?

Unimpressed, I know someone who has lived alone in woods for longer than that with scant human contact and no need to steal.

What possible use would he have for two Game Boys?

What a ridiculous comment! He had F1 Race and a link cable. 😉

Bloke lives in a tent in Borrowdale during winter and goes up to the Highlands in summer. Has done for over a decade. I’ve given him a lift a couple of times to do his ‘big shop’ in Tesco in Workington. Still forages loads of stuff – he’ll be enjoying his Vit C rich Hawthorn tea soon I’d say.

Reminded me of the 2016 American Gothic series on Amazon Video.

I used to love that show, I have it on DVD. Irritatingly, the episodes are all out of order, confused the crap out of me because they’d kill off a character and then the next episode they’d be walking around like nothing happened. Had to download the correct order of t’Internet.

Waderider – Member
Unimpressed, I know someone who has lived alone in woods for longer than that with scant human contact and no need to steal.

If he’s lived alone for longer than that how do you know?……..

Unimpressed, I know someone who has lived alone in woods for longer than that with scant human contact and no need to steal.

Write an article, send it to the Guardian 😉

I paddled across that moose head lake when I was a boy and walked around those woods for weeks on end. Remote is not the word.

Looking at the map, I was disappointed to find that moosehead lake is not the shape of a moose head, but at least it redeems itself by having a beaver cove.

…..gets job as Corbyn policy advisor

Bloke lives in a tent in Borrowdale during winter and goes up to the Highlands in summer. Has done for over a decade. I’ve given him a lift a couple of times to do his ‘big shop’ in Tesco in Workington. Still forages loads of stuff – he’ll be enjoying his Vit C rich Hawthorn tea soon I’d say.

So he camps.

If you google his name there’s a good deal of info (sic) via the local newspaper.

http://www.pressherald.com/maines-north-pond-hermit/

Oh and reading about the author of the book, it sounds like he might be at times economical with the truth.

….an alcohol problem, I’m impressed there was so much booze about that he could be fussy.

“So he camps”

Correct Drac, clever you.

He committed approximatly 1000 burglaries, only got 7 months prison time and now has a book out 👿 👿

Man lives in tent, near to civilisation.
Steals food & other stuff.
A lot.

Does not have my particular sympathies.