i call this fellow a "hobo" because he traveled around by canoe sleeping rough and had a bit of money and did a lot of things before taking to waters.in 2010 he went all the way down the Mississippi starting in Bemidji MN where of all things i went to college in the 70's!
the other big trip he tried was from upstate NY and down the east coast water ways.
note i said tried....
the point is that i thought this is a good read about someone living off the grid and not doing it in the wilderness.
there is a lot about him and his family and the work and people that tracked down his fate.as canoe tripping is my hobby i thought i would share the link
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/14/the-wayfarerhttp://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/14/the-wayfarer

The link didn't work for me, but it could be me.

Reading it now, and it's interesting. Here's a tidied-up link: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/14/the-wayfarer