Famous adventurer and nonconformist who left civilization to live off the land and trek alone through the Alaskan wilderness.
He displayed intense idealism and remarkable physical endurance during his youth. As captain of his high school's cross country team, he pushed past his own physical limits with an almost religious fervor and urged his teammates to do the same.
He called himself "Alexander Supertramp" and believed that he could survive any situation. Sadly, he died of starvation 113 days into his journey into the wilderness.
His father was a NASA engineer and his mother worked for the Hughes Aircraft Company.
Sean Penn wrote and directed Into the Wild, a film about McCandless' fascinating life and tragic death.