A Maine man survived 27 years alone in the woods: No money, no technology, no iPhones, no internet, no power, and no company. It was like Survivor on steroids.
Christopher Knight was 20 years old when he decided to give up his lifestyle and head deep into the Maine woods. According to his story, he suddenly and without notice quit his job as an alarm system installer in Boston, MA, and headed south to Florida without telling anyone including his family.
For several weeks he meandered south finding himself in Florida. With no destination or itinerary, Christopher eventually decided to head north again though Georgia and the Carolinas. Eventually, he found himself deep in Maine once again.
He took turn after turn after turn onto smaller and more isolated roads until his car almost ran out of gas. From there Christopher left his car deep in the woods, placed the keys on the dashboard, and ventured into the wilderness with no money or food and only a small bag of clothes and a tent.
From this point, Christopher never looked back or regretted his decision. He wandered throughout Maine until he eventually discovered an isolated, hidden spot near a small pond that he knew would be the perfect place for him to make a permanent home.
“The North Pond Hermit”
However, like many campers, Christopher was hungry. Maine’s rugged interior does not have as much plentiful game and food as areas further South. He was forced to steal from nearby lake cottages.
Source: Portland Press Herald/Getty Images
As it so happened, Christopher turned out to be an expert thief. For 27 years, he never got caught and rarely, if ever, left traces of his arrival. He would typically pilfer canned items (sometimes meat as well) and a full natural gas container if available. Each burglary would feed for about 2 weeks and then he’d have to repeat the process.
Eventually, Christopher got caught in his 27th year of isolation stealing from a Lakeside Summer Camp. Knight was charged with theft and burglary and taken to the local jail for holding.
Source: Portland Press Herald/Press Herald via Getty Images
For me at least what makes this story so incredible is that Christopher, known by locals as The North Pond Hermit, lived by himself without any human interaction for 27 years. It’s hard to imagine life without an iPhone, the internet, modern technology and appliances, and without speaking to anyone for weeks at a time (let alone 27 years).
You can read Christopher Knight’s full unabridged story in The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel.
