I believe Chris McCandless was foolhardy in his decision to go into the wild in Alaska, and that he was in fact running away from something. Although some may argue that he was just being a young adult and believing that he was invincible, there is a fine line between invincibility and pure unpreparedness. By going into the wild with nothing but a little food and supplies, he took a poetic stance on what every child has attempted to do at least once; running away from home.
Chris should have known once he crossed that river that it would expand in the summer months, that should have been common sense. Also, when he determined an area in which to set up camp, he should also have known the location very well. McCandless should have explored