[byerley]

McCandless had a map (though given that Krakauer himself perpetrated the myth, you can't really be faulted for thinking otherwise). Wikipedia, as well as the movie and a variety of primary sources make it clear that one was found among his possession. It's also possible, if not likely, that the onset of lathyrism left him no window for realizing his plight and walking out - the damage was irreversible at the time of ingestion (I'm admittedly sketchy on how fast the onset actually is - presumably it varies a lot).

Personally, I find the details completely beside the point. McCandless sacrificed everything to test his philosophical conjecture and I have nothing but respect for that. I honestly would've thought there'd be more empathy for it here.