Alone in the Wilderness. Movie.

The trailers I've seen are pretty neat.

Alone in the Wilderness is one of those docs that I have to watch at least once a year, and it never ceases to disappoint. My girlfriend wants me to build her a cabin like that. Unfortunately, I had to break it to her that I'm utterly incompetent as a bushcraft carpenter in comparison to Mr. Proeneke and a cabin built by me would likely collapse on us our first night.

If you get the chance I also highly recommend Werner Herzog's documentary Happy People: A Year in the Taiga. The craftsmanship and bush skills of those Russian trappers is inspiring.

Gift shops and high density tourism? Gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Travis – you're either a follower of beat poets from the very early 20th century or a genuine real Canadian …

I've watched this doc a few times, and one of my favorite moments is the segment where he lays out all his hand tools and says something like, "easier to just carry in the heads, and knock out a few handles here, saves weight." I knew he wasn't going to end up with some little lean-to cabin when I saw that.

Also, there's a Part 2 DVD. Not as great as the first, but still good.
http://www.dickproenneke.com/alone_in_the_wilderness_2.html

My wife has zero interest in high density tourism and gift shops, yet she still thinks my ideas of "fun" are insane. Makes me think she might be on to something…

His carpentry skills were matched by his capacity for physical work.

A news reporter and cameraman from a local TV station were in Alaska covering some story and heard about Proenneke … figured it would be worth a side trip.

It was in his last year out there and was seriously considering moving back into town. Q: How would you know that it is time? A: When I can't do some of of the things I used to do. Q: Like what? A: Like fell a spruce tree, cut it in sections and split it … in one day. He was 81 years old at the time.

I find his journals to be just as interesting as the films.

He "DA MAAAAN"!!!!

We watch the film every few years, and always shake our heads and say, "They don't make 'em like they used to…". People who blithely use the term "awesome" for everything should look at Proeneke and realize what awesome really is…

A book and movie I need to put on my "to do" list, certainly.

Travis wrote … My girlfriend wants me to build her a cabin like that. Unfortunately, I had to break it to her that I'm utterly incompetent as a bushcraft carpenter in comparison to Mr. Proeneke …

For anyone thinking of the MYOG-cabin edition, there is the "Yestermorrow" course in DIY home building and similar courses (went to the US Army carpenter school myself eons ago – tuition free but there was a catch…). They used to have a book but out of print (maybe for legal?). Some items require the trades (plumbing, electrical work ) though a good design school will formally school you on the plans – like water (plumbing) doesn't mix with electrical (…something that slips by even some new homes btw – according to my electrician relatives that is).

Not sure about a summer cabin though (Alone in the Wilderness style), … I like being out in the summer and in during the winter.

is this streaming or downloadable anywhere? I don't really have a dvd player anymore :(

Jen, I don't think it's available in streaming (it's pretty old, and rather obscure!)…but you could probably view a dvd through your computer (most still have some kind of cd/dvd drives).

I was checking it out a few days ago and found a few long clip on YouTube, but there wasn't a whole transfer on there. Sometimes people will put things that are old on there, but I think the guy who made the video is still kicking and has a website. Go figure, but Amazon does has the ebook.

When I watched the long clips on YouTube it made me want to have a good axe to make things with. Then then I remembered who I am. They'd be calling me "gimpy" or "one-hand" by the end of the year.

"If you get the chance I also highly recommend Werner Herzog's documentary Happy People: A Year in the Taiga."

Great documentary and well worth watching.

Here's a teaser for Alone in The Wilderness to give you an idea of what it's all about and if it's worth buying. I think I watched it on PBS.

Yeah Ian, that's the video that's going to lead me to loose a limb.

I know that I’ve watched Alone in the Wilderness online a few times, but doing a quick search I can’t find the link. Perhaps it has been taken down.

While on the topic of documentaries, an obscure one that was put out by the National Film Board of Canada is called, Cree Hunters of Mistassini. It’s along the lines of Happy People, and follows a couple cree families and their subsistence lifestyle over the course of a season. Here’s the link, though it’s a .ca site, so I don’t know if it will be viewable in the States. It’s an interesting documentary as well.

Cree Hunters

"Not sure about a summer cabin though (Alone in the Wilderness style), … I like being out in the summer and in during the winter."

I have a friend who is a carpenter and has built several log cabins as well as done historical restoration projects. He's assured me that as soon as we have the money for a plot of land he's willing to help me get a cabin knocked up. I'll do my best to hold him to that. Our ultimate goal is to have a small, simple cabin built and live in it for a few years while we build a home that's a bit larger and more livable. The little cabin can then act as a guesthouse when we have visitors. Maybe I should start a kickstarted page to fund my dream. Haha.

And as long as you have a good wood stove you can stay nice and warm even in the winter. Though pooping in an outhouse at -30 wouldn't be the funnest thing in the world.

I loved "Werner Herzog's documentary Happy People: A Year in the Taiga"
It's available on netflix streaming and other places for pay. A useful website is:
http://www.canistream.it/ type in a movie and it will tell you who streams it.

Travis, thanks for the link to "Cree Hunters of Mistassini"; it works for me and looks really interesting. I went to that area a long time ago. We drove as far north as the road goes, ending in Lac Albanel. One of the more interesting experiences was staying in a Montagnais hostel near Lac St. Jean. They had local First Nation peoples who would lead a winter trek living in the traditional manner; it always seemed like a great thing to try.

National Film Board of Canada has a huge number of interesting films, some free, some for pay (the ones I looked at $2.95 ca).

A search on Inuit gives many documentaries.

One that I'll definitely be watching is 'Martha of the North', about the forced relocation of Inuit families from northern Quebec 2000km north to Ellesmere Island and Resolute Bay in the high Arctic.

Travis, many thanks for the link!

No problem Walter. And I'd highly recommend checking out Bill Mason and a few of his docs if you are playing around on the National Film Board site. He was a paddler and filmmaker. Song of the Paddle is one of his more famous films. Him and his family also raised wolves for a period and I think a couple of the documentaries on there are about wolves. Great guy and passionate about the outdoors like only a guy rocking cut-off jeans and standing up in his canoe to scout rapids could be.

Cheers…

+1 regarding Bill Mason

Waterwalker is as fine an autobiography of values you'll ever see.

+2 Bill Mason

"So I built a nifty litte cabin with no effort at all"

"+2 Bill Mason"

+4 One of my all time favorite films.