North Pond Hermit talks of his 28 years alone in the woos

[beekeeperman]

In the woods, whoops
Some of you may have seen this story break last year.
Guy lived in a tent in the Maine woods and stole from local camps for everything he needed for 28 ? years before they finally caught him in the act.
He basically escaped civilization as we know it....work, taxes, rent or mortgage cars, insurance etc...
Anyhow he finally started talking a little about some of it.
Long read but interesting how he managed to survive through it all.
Maine winters in a tent have got to be tough.

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201409/the-last-true-hermit

 

[Zuljin]

I don't care for a thief, but this guy seems endearing.

 

[Homercidal]

"Remember, take ONLY what NEED to SURVIVE!" - Lone Star

 

[coolharry]

Very interesting read. But what makes them think he's not just gonna run off into the wilderness again? I mean if he can go almost 30 years without being found, I'm sure he can do it again. Maybe he should try someplace a bit warmer though.

 

[fuzzy2133]

Very interesting read. But what makes them think he's not just gonna run off into the wilderness again? I mean if he can go almost 30 years without being found, I'm sure he can do it again. Maybe he should try someplace a bit warmer though.

No kidding send him to a tropical island and see what he can do.

 

[user 144271]

This is where I live. I live in Belgrade and the other side of the pond is Rome.
My brother lives in Rome not very far from where this happened. It was a local "legend" for a long time. Folks around here used to leave supplies out for him like batteries coffee blankets etc.
Not sure how many people are familiar with Maine but Maine is COLD
There are very few places colder than Maine including Alaska Caribou Maine is the 5th coldest city in the USA including Alaska.

My opinion is this. Anyone who can survive Maine winters without any heat deserves a badge not a summons. Did he steal? Yes. But come on the guy never really bothered anyone and never took anything for money or profit.
He is just an eccentric recluse that wanted to be left alone.

 

[beekeeperman]

It is a story to be thought about, the individual who chose to forgo society as we know it. Hard to do without pilfering from others. Glad i don't live any closer than 8 miles as the crow flies to the" north pond camp bandit" than i do. Would be some pissed if my homebrewed beer turned up missing.

 

[user 144271]

You got to admit it would be funny if he stole some and the empties showed up a few days later

 

[coolharry]

I'd be so pissed if I had planned a brew day and woke up that morning without a propane tank. I just had a mental picture of this guy wheeling a keezer out of someone's house to prepare for the winter. Hahaha

 

[TallDan]

There something about what this guy did that just strikes a chord, i think. Forget it all, go disappear in the woods and don't come back. You've got to be pretty dedicated to the plan to stick it out over the winter though, that's crazy.

 

[b-boy]

I'm guessing he's got some mental issues. It's not a normal thing to do. I think getting him some help is a better option than arresting him.

BTW - No fires? Bear Grills is a wuss next to this guy.

 

[coolharry]

I'm guessing he's got some mental issues. It's not a normal thing to do. I think getting him some help is a better option than arresting him.

BTW - No fires? Bear Grills is a wuss next to this guy.

He was diagnosed with aspergers syndrome in prison. Autism would explain the aversion to human contact. But yeah surviving in 20 below is hard enough with a house to live in, I have no idea how you could do it in a tent without a fire. Incredible.

 

[beekeeperman]

He was diagnosed with aspergers syndrome in prison. Autism would explain the aversion to human contact. But yeah surviving in 20 below is hard enough with a house to live in, I have no idea how you could do it in a tent without a fire. Incredible.

Last winter here was unusually brutal compared to most of the winters of the last decade or two.
Seems like i read somewhere he was somewhat relieved to
have been finally caught. Although he claimed he hadn't been sick while he had been out of contact with other people, he had developed diabetes i think and his outdated spectacles were practically useless.
And amazingly he only spoke to one person the whole time out there. Said "hi"
to a person hiking through his woods.
He may have broken the all time record for being alone, although i don't know what that record really is.

Here is the article that first appeared in April 2013 after his capture with lots of pictures.

http://www.pressherald.com/2013/04/09/north-pond-hermit-suspect-in-more-than-1000-burglaries-captured/

 

[Ridire]

So bizarre.

 

[Goofynewfie]

Didn't anyone report him missing? His family didn't wonder?

 

[Pappers_]

Didn't anyone report him missing? His family didn't wonder?

The article I read said the family didn't report it. Sounds like it was an unfortunate family to be born into. A neighbor of his mothers said that he (the neighbor) had only spoken to her twice in 14 years. Very private, which I'm taking to mean weird.

I'm all for someone going off the grid. But if my home was being broken into repeatedly for 28 years, I would be furious at him.

 

[Ridire]

The article I read said the family didn't report it. Sounds like it was an unfortunate family to be born into. A neighbor of his mothers said that he (the neighbor) had only spoken to her twice in 14 years. Very private, which I'm taking to mean weird.



I'm all for someone going off the grid. But if my home was being broken into repeatedly for 28 years, I would be furious at him.

Agreed. Guy should be prosecuted. "He only stole what he needed to survive?" Funny, if I chose not to work, I suppose it would be acceptable for me to steal thousands of dollars worth of stuff, too. He chose to go of the grid (which is fine) but he didn't want to do what it takes to live off the grid. He stole from "the grid".

 

[user 144271]

He was diagnosed with aspergers syndrome in prison. Autism would explain the aversion to human contact. But yeah surviving in 20 below is hard enough with a house to live in, I have no idea how you could do it in a tent without a fire. Incredible.

I guarantee he slept through -40 more than once

 

[Schemy]

This was a very interesting article. I found myself wanting to know a reason, and in the end I guess there may not be one that is truly defined. He didn't feel like he was part of our world, and took measures to create his own. I wouldn't say I condone his theft, but also it doesn't really bother me. The guy probably will never truly fit in with society. I wonder if he will make another attempt to leave again. OP thanks for sharing the article. This is the happy version of Into the Wild.