The American who quit money to live in a cave

[Serpo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CtafqbZBESM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CtafqbZBESM

Published on Apr 18, 2012 by theworldvideos1 (http://www.youtube.com/user/theworldvideos1)
Daniel Suelo lives in caves in the canyonlands of Utah. He survives by harvesting wild foods and eating roadkill.

He has no job, no bank account and does not accept government welfare. In fact, Suelo has no money at all.

Suelo may have shunned all the trappings of modern American life, but he is not an isolationist.

Since abandoning money in 2000, the former cook from Moab, Utah has remained an active member of his community and avid blogger.

Mark Sundeen, author of The Man Who Quit Money, admits many people would regard Suelo's alternative lifestyle as bizarre. But the 2008 financial crash has led many to question the value of money. He explains some of the lessons found in Suelo's philosophy.

Produced for the BBC by David Eckenrode

[gunDriller]

i must have weak teeth. i can never understand how a guy like that can live without dental floss, toothbrushes, etc.

[BrewTech]

i must have weak teeth. i can never understand how a guy like that can live without dental floss, toothbrushes, etc.

Who said he is? He seemed to have quite a lot for someone with no money. I bet you'd find a toothbrush in his stash. I bet you'd find he has a few cool things.

[collector]

A few problems I have with this;
1. What does he do if he gets sick?
2. A lot of his food appears to be discards - if TSHTF there will be far less of that around
3. He doesn't appear to have a network of people to back him him up - relying on being fed by friends and strangers is okay in good times only
4. Malnutrition - I would think a diet of berries and an occasional squirrel is not going to be adequate to keep your immune system up (barring an absence of discarded food)
5. Is he going to get royalties from the book or donate the money to the friends that have been helping to feed him over the past 12 years?

[gunDriller]

if they make a movie about him, it might be pretty boring.

BUT - he sounds like a good person to have on a discussion panel about TSHTF survival.

[Libertytree]

He's just ahead of the curve, he's 1000% ahead of 99% that just can't even imagine such. That's one dude you won't find in a FEMA camp. I'd also venture to guess that he just don't give a fuck, about little and nothin'. Hat tip to the man IMO.

[Silver Rocket Bitches!]

This is what it looks like when the average person tries to go galt.

[synbi]

A few problems I have with this;
1. What does he do if he gets sick?
2. A lot of his food appears to be discards - if TSHTF there will be far less of that around
3. He doesn't appear to have a network of people to back him him up - relying on being fed by friends and strangers is okay in good times only
4. Malnutrition - I would think a diet of berries and an occasional squirrel is not going to be adequate to keep your immune system up (barring an absence of discarded food)
5. Is he going to get royalties from the book or donate the money to the friends that have been helping to feed him over the past 12 years?

The text in the description implies answers to some of those questions:

1) and 3): The description mentions him being an active member of his community. Who's to say he doesn't have such a network? Maybe he's friends with the town's doctor, exchanging services via barter as well?
4) There are people who've lived eating nothing but hamburgers and sodas for over 30 years and seeing it through. This man sounds like he's developed a strong immune system... and what sounds like he has some helluva formidable willpower to back it up. Would seem that he knows how and where to fish also.

[gunDriller]

reminds me of Ran Prieur.

Ran worked in NYC during the late 90's & early 00's ... got so disgusted that he retreated to a 10 acre plot of land in Eastern Wash. state. he got it for a song, $15K.

in the town of Newport, distinguished by a record high 47 known meth labs shut down - in a town of 2000.

anyway, Ran somehow puts up with the meth madness and went to sort of a "Paypal" income model. people who like his writing about Survival "hit his tips jar". he is quite disciplined about living on what comes in.

the small buildings that he's made are using zero-cost & indigenous materials.

http://ranprieur.com/index.html