From Foraged Food to Famine: The Tragic Diet of Christopher McCandless
When Christopher McCandless ventured into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992, he intended to live off the land, emulating the literary heroes who had inspired him. His journey, chronicled in Jon Krakauer's book Into the Wild, initially involved a diet of foraged and hunted foods. However, a series of critical mistakes and a fateful turn to a toxic plant led to his death from starvation. His limited experience meant that even seemingly minor missteps had catastrophic consequences in the unforgiving Alaskan backcountry.
He began his time near the bus with a meager supply of provisions, most notably a 10-pound bag of rice. Supplementing this, he hunted small game with his .22 rifle, including squirrels, ptarmigans, and porcupines. His journal entries and photographs recovered from the bus provided a limited but illuminating record of his daily sustenance and his slow physical decline. Early on, his hunting efforts yielded some success, but this was not enough to meet the high caloric demands of survival in the wilderness.
The Failed Moose Hunt
A pivotal moment in McCandless's struggle for food was his successful but disastrous attempt to hunt larger game. Around day 43 of his Alaskan stay, he managed to shoot a moose. Excited by his success, he took a photo of the carcass and began to butcher the animal. However, lacking the necessary knowledge to properly preserve the vast amount of meat, his attempt to smoke the meat failed. Within days, the carcass was infested with maggots and the meat had spoiled, forcing him to abandon the resource. His journal entry from this time captured his profound regret, marking it as "one of the greatest tragedies of his life". This incident not only deprived him of a crucial long-term food source but also dealt a significant psychological blow, illustrating his lack of practical skills compared to his strong theoretical idealism.
The Wild Potato Seed Controversy and the Role of Toxins
For many years, the direct cause of McCandless's starvation was debated. Author Jon Krakauer initially speculated that McCandless might have mistakenly eaten seeds from the poisonous wild sweet pea (Hedysarum mackenziei) instead of the wild potato (Hedysarum alpinum). Later, he proposed that a mold had grown on the stored wild potato seeds, producing a toxin.
However, later scientific testing revealed the true culprit was likely a neurotoxin within the seeds of the wild potato plant itself. Following research by a man named Ronald Hamilton, Krakauer had samples of the seeds tested for the presence of ODAP, a neurotoxin known to cause a paralytic disease called lathyrism, particularly in malnourished individuals. While the initial test for ODAP later proved inconclusive, subsequent, more sophisticated analysis confirmed the presence of L-canavanine, an antimetabolite toxic to mammals, in the seeds.
Timeline of Plant Toxin Theories
- Initial Theory (1993): McCandless mistook a toxic wild sweet pea for the edible wild potato.
- Mold Theory (2007): A toxic mold, possibly producing swainsonine, grew on the seeds he stored.
- ODAP Theory (2013): The seeds contained ODAP, a neurotoxin causing lathyrism, a paralysis-inducing disease.
- L-canavanine Theory (2015): The seeds contained L-canavanine, a confirmed toxin, which contributed to his death.
McCandless's Dietary Components and Their Risks
McCandless's diet can be broken down into different food groups, each with its own set of risks and nutritional shortcomings.
- Rice: His initial 10-pound bag of rice provided calories but lacked essential nutrients like fat, protein, and many vitamins necessary for long-term survival. As his body consumed its fat and muscle reserves, he began to suffer from a lack of complete nutrition.
- Game: He hunted small game like squirrels and porcupines, which provided protein. However, relying solely on small game was calorically insufficient for his high-energy lifestyle.
- Moose: The failed attempt to preserve the moose meant a massive loss of potential calories and protein, a turning point toward severe malnutrition.
- Roots and Berries: While a good source of vitamins, they are typically low in fat and calories, making them a poor primary food source in a survival situation.
- Wild Potato Seeds: Consuming large quantities of the Hedysarum alpinum seeds, especially while malnourished, introduced the L-canavanine neurotoxin that likely contributed to his paralysis and inability to forage further. His own journal entry on July 30, 1992, points to this directly: "EXTREMELY WEAK. FAULT OF POT[ATO] SEED. MUCH TROUBLE JUST TO STAND UP. STARVING. GREAT JEOPARDY.".
| Food Source | Benefit | Risk/Shortcoming |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | Quick, easy calories | Lacks full nutritional profile (protein, fat) |
| Small Game (Squirrel, Ptarmigan) | Protein source | Low yield, calorically insufficient for activity level |
| Wild Potato Roots | Carbohydrate source | Lower caloric density, potential for misidentification |
| Wild Potato Seeds | Nutrient-rich appearance | Contains L-canavanine, a paralyzing neurotoxin |
| Berries & Mushrooms | Vitamins, minerals | Can be toxic if misidentified, limited calories |
| Moose | High caloric/protein potential | Difficult to preserve; high risk of spoilage |
Conclusion: The Accumulation of Fatal Errors
While the coroner officially ruled McCandless's death as starvation, the exact circumstances were more complex. It wasn't simply a matter of a sudden lack of food. Instead, it was a cascading series of misjudgments, the most fatal of which was his reliance on the wild potato seeds during a state of severe malnutrition. The toxic amino acid, L-canavanine, would have crippled his ability to move and hunt, effectively sealing his fate by inducing a slow, paralyzing weakness. His tragic story remains a cautionary tale about the immense difficulty of living off the land, and the unforgiving nature of the wilderness. It underscores that an enthusiastic spirit without sufficient preparation and accurate knowledge is a recipe for disaster. For a deeper dive into the scientific analysis, read Jon Krakauer's article in The New Yorker on the matter.
