I guess it's literally a sign of the times. In his day, Mr. Thoreau went to live in the woods because as he put it, he "wanted to live his life deliberately...", now people go to the woods, or rather they make plans to go to woods, to make videos and attempt to cure societal ills. I can't help but remember that most adventure sagas are written AFTER the event has taken place, that the stories that I've read about doing similar things, think Blue Highways, On the Road, A walk across America, Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance, etc. were about the process and events of traveling and discovering things about ones self, not about posting a blog and trying to drum up support beforehand.

I wish them luck.

JohnE