Going Forth, Notwithstanding Essentials 

"By design McCandless came into the country with insufficient provisions, and he lacked certain pieces of equipment deemed essential by many Alaskans: a large-caliber rifle, map and compass, an ax. This has been regarded as evidence not just of stupidity but of the even greater sin of arrogance" (Krakauer 180).

Travel Advice

In life, it is good to always travel prepared for the worst, and be able to adapt to situations when they become unfavorable. Had McCandless stocked up with better supplies, especially food and navigational aids, he likely would have made it out of his predicament in Alaska alive to be able to rejoin his sister. He could have been able to leave the bus and head to the highway across the Teklanika River if he had brought a map, which would have shown him where a potential crossing was. However, since he did not prepare well enough, he could not find the path that would have likely saved his life. However, being just supplied with the hardware is not enough to solve a problem; the software is just as important, if not more so. Being able to improvise a solution is a valuable skill to have as not all problems can be solved easily with the tools at hand. The poison of arrogance is a slow acting one, but can blind someone to their demise, as it likely did to McCandless, as he did not think that he needed those essential goods until the last few moments of his life.