[BeetleB]

> He survived for 113 days in the wilderness, not too bad.

That's one way to frame it. The other way is simply to say that it took him 113 days to starve to death. Lest anyone have the wrong impressions from the book/movie, he didn't die because he ate poisonous berries that messed up his digestive system. He simply burned more calories than he consumed.

I'm not one of those who think negatively of him. He himself wrote something to the effect of not having regrets and being grateful he went on this journey when he knew he was probably going to starve to death. Who am I to criticize him for it? He lived the way he wanted to, and when it was clear it was leading to his death, he was at peace with that.

[tasuki]

> he didn't die because he ate poisonous berries that messed up his digestive system. He simply burned more calories than he consumed.

How do you know?

[BeetleB]

The "poisonous berries" theory came from one writer who did shoddy research. Those berries do not even exist in that region.

Actually, reading up on it now, it seems there have been more developments since I last read it a decade ago.

In any case, let's just say there are proponents of both theories. In my opinion, though, Occam's razor points to simple starvation.

[catalogia]

> Those berries do not even exist in that region

The "poison berries" refer to potato seeds, no? McCandless wrote about eating them in his journal, they weren't fabricated by some writer.

> Day 78: Missed wolf. Ate potato seeds and many berries coming.

> Day 94: Woodpecker. Fog. Extremely weak. Fault of potato seed. Much trouble just to stand up. Starving. Great jeopardy.

[catalogia]

He kept a journal. The berries were probably the final straw, but he was already starving.