The Canoe

McCandless purchases a used aluminum canoe when, on a whim, he decides to paddle down the Colorado River all the way to the Gulf of California. McCandless refuses to be deterred by the fact that the river does not actually reach the gulf.

The Oars

Frightened by a storm at sea which threatens to take his life, McCandless becomes extremely angry and beats his canoe with an oar. When the oar breaks, he is tempted to continue beating the canoe with the last remaining oar, but McCandless forces himself to calm down for he realizes that if he breaks the second oar he will surely die. After this experience, McCandless abandons the canoe and surviving oar.

The Tooled Leather Belt

Taught leatherwork by Ron Franz in Salton City, McCandless creates an artistic belt inscribed with pictorial representations of McCandless's travels. The name ALEX is inscribed on...