What does McCandless bring with him into the wild?

McCandless travels light into the wilderness. He takes a backpack which contains rice, books, a rifle, and some other basic supplies. Jim Gallien, the man who drives McCandless to the trailhead, estimates McCandless’s bag could not weigh more than thirty pounds. Gallien worries that McCandless does not have enough supplies to survive in the wild, so Gallien gives him two sandwiches and bag of chips he packed for his own lunch as well as an extra pair of rubber boots.

Why does McCandless call himself Alexander Supertramp?

McCandless does not want his family to track him down during his travels, so he uses an alias, Alexander Supertramp. Even more than that, he changes his name as a way to reject his past and embrace his independence. Many of the people Krakauer interviews who knew McCandless refer to him as “Alex” and occasionally “Alex McCandless.” The surname “Supertramp” seems to be something he uses mostly to tag his graffiti. The name implies he is not only a successful traveler, but a superior “tramp” to others he meets along his way. He signs “Alexander Supertramp” multiple times in the bus after writing his manifestos and accomplishments.

How does Ronald Franz react to McCandless’s death?

Ronald Franz is deeply moved by the news of McCandless’s death. Franz writes to Krakauer when Krakauer’s first article about McCandless is published in Outside, expressing disbelief that McCandless could have been unprepared. As much as Franz wanted to be a paternal figure to McCandless during their brief time together, McCandless proves to be the one with greater influence in their relationship. Franz leaves his home at age 80 and lives out of a vehicle for several years after a letter from McCandless urges him to leave his routine behind. When Krakauer shows Franz pictures of McCandless’s last campsite, Franz becomes emotional and leaves the conversation to calm down. Franz then becomes an atheist because he cannot see how God could let McCandless die.

How does McCandless affect Jan Burres?

Jan Burres and her boyfriend Bob are estranged from their son when they meet Chris McCandless. Burres tells Krakauer her son is close to the same age as McCandless and she caring for McCandless feels like caring for her own son. She has no way of knowing her son’s whereabouts or if he is okay, but she can do her best for McCandless when he’s with them. McCandless also writs letters to the Jan and Bob when he’s not with them, which is more contact than they have from their son. Despite Jan’s maternal sense of protection for McCandless, he does not allow Jan to offer him advice or guidance as he dislikes the idea of parental influence.

How does Krakauer defend McCandless?

Krakauer asserts that McCandless’s death was a result of ignorance rather than arrogance. Krakauer’s theory, which he goes on to provide decades of his own research for, is that McCandless consumed a chemical which would have starved him even if he had continued subsisting on game and foraged food. Krakauer claims McCandless did not have a death wish nor would he have been incapable of surviving if he had not ingested the chemical in wild potato seeds. Krakauer uses his own adventuring experiences to relate to McCandless and believes McCandless’s main goal was to form a greater understanding of himself and his relation to the world.

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