# Wilderness Living in Alaska **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilderness-living-in-alaska/427815 "2007-11-26T17:43:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilderness-living-in-alaska/427815/21 "2007-11-28T02:10:23Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] Alaskans have by far the most private airplanes per capita and pilots in the U.S. and probably in the world. One of my favorite books is [Flying the Alaska Wild: The Adventures and Misadventures of an Alaska Bush Pilot](http://www.amazon.com/Flying-Alaska-Wild-Adventures-Misadventures/dp/0896585891) and I keep it in my car. [/QUOTE] You might like to read _Glacier Pilot_, by Beth Day. It’s the biography of Bob Reeve, one of the most daring and innovative pilots of all time, who coincidentally was a friend of my father. Together with Noel Wien, Don Sheldon, Bill Egan and many others, they opened this country to exploration. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilderness-living-in-alaska/427815/22 "2007-11-28T02:12:05Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] You might like to read _Glacier Pilot_, by Beth Day. It’s the biography of Bob Reeve, one of the most daring and innovative pilots of all time, who coincidentally was a friend of my father. Together with Noel Wien, Don Sheldon, Bill Egan and many others, they opened this country to exploration. [/QUOTE] I would love to do that and I think I will. ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilderness-living-in-alaska/427815/23 "2007-11-28T02:31:37Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] RE: the guy who lived alone in the cabin: I saw the film, it was pretty amazing that the guy was happy to live alone. I remeber how he had tokeep clearing off the snow, from his path to the lake (eventually the snow was 12’ deep). Hi water supply was the lake-and getting water on a cold day must have been a big chore. The isolation would get to me-I can’t imagine lasting through a long alaskan winter, all alone. [/QUOTE] Without having seen the movie, I have to wonder why he didn’t just melt snow? ---
**Author:** ![Chasing\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@Chasing\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chasing_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilderness-living-in-alaska/427815/24 "2007-11-28T02:36:40Z")
[QUOTE=WoodenTaco] Without having seen the movie, I have to wonder why he didn’t just melt snow? [/QUOTE] Maybe all he had around him was yellow snow. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilderness-living-in-alaska/427815/25 "2007-11-28T03:17:27Z")
[QUOTE=WoodenTaco] I have to wonder why he didn’t just melt snow? [/QUOTE] If my experience is any guide, because it’s a serious nuisance. You pack a pot full of snow, burn a fair amount of fuel, and get a small amount of water for your trouble. Repeat for a small additional amount. Liquid water is much better - you can carry lots of it in a container, and you don’t have to invest all the fuel required to cause the phase change. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wilderness-living-in-alaska/427815.md?page=1)