Reality tv shows about survival in the wild have boomed over the last few years. The world loves to see how people manage to live without modern day comforts such as a roof over their heads, electricity, and technology.
However, there is one show that showed a man who was not roughing it in order to win something, but did so willingly. The Legend of Mick Dodge, airing on National Geographic, shows Mick living in the wilderness because he just wants to. He's been living in the wild for several decades and doesn't plan on going back. It's incredible to see how he manages to keep himself safe and satisfied, but isn't a regular story either. What brought Mick to make the life-changing choice to live in the wilderness is not at all what you may think...
Mick: Pre-woods
Prior to choosing a rural life for himself that would eventually make him more well-known than he ever expected, Mick was the son of a Marine who travelled the world together throughout the 1950s when not growing up in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
Mick looked up to his father greatly, eventually joining the Marine Corps himself after high school. Mick spent six years in the Marine Corps in his early to mid-20s.
War, travel, and education
During his years in the Marine Corps, Mick served in the Vietnam War. He was a dedicated soldier. After the war, Mick decided to remain in the region and travel Southeast Asia to learn martial arts, and the spiritual teachings of Buddhism.
The time there was very impactful for Mick, who still lives by the teachings he learned all those many years ago and leads a life of simplicity and spirituality.
Regular job
When Mick eventually made his way back home to the United States, he steeled in Fort Lewis, Washington. While he was there, Mick learned how to be a mechanic, as he wanted to work with his hands and fix things.
These skills would later help Mick a lot in the art of survival, but it would be later on after being a mechanic for quite some time that he would advise others of a huge decision.
Scottish-Irish roots
Mick was getting closer and closer to his family's roots, which were Scottish-Irish. His ancestors were one of the earliest settlers out of Europe to come to the Pacific Northwest. Mick explained, “My family’s perfected the art of dodging civilizations for hundreds of years."
This was the beginning of his self-exploration into the survivalist lifestyle. He started thinking about how they did it all those years ago, and liked the simplicity of that lifestyle.
Physical strength
As if he knew what Mick was going to do, his father always put a great emphasis on physical fitness. He would tell Mick every morning at 5:00 AM to get himself out of bed and "get your feet on the deck!".
Mick would proceed to do just that and go on a three-mile run with his dad. He would carry on with the strength and fitness journey throughout his life, as it would mean the difference between life and death...
Walking
By the time the 80s came rolling around, Mick was walking five miles to and from work every single day.
Sometimes, he would camp out part of the way instead of making it all the way home so that he would just be closer to work and not need a vehicle to get to and from. He was slowly but surely already in a different mindset than others of his time.
Off the grid
It was in 1991 that Mick decided to make the drastic decision to go live "off the grid" - for good. He said, "I just grabbed my gear and walked on back here in the mountains."
Mick was not happy with the modern world and thought it lacked the true meaning for his life. His decision in 1991 would change his life forever.
The Hoh Rainforest
From the moment he made that decision, Mick walked into the Hoh Rainforest and did not turn back; he made it his new permanent home.
The Hoh Rainforest was a place where he had spent a lot of time as a child and knew the area quite well. He lives off of the land, using hollowed out trees and caves as places of shelter from the elements and the roof for the night.
Barefoot
In order to live the way he wanted to, Mick gave up almost every modern product and good - including shoes. He had said that shoes made his feet hurt and that he liked touching the ground with his feet to be more connected to it.
He went so far as to say that walking barefoot has cured him of foot ailments that have hurt him for many years.
Roots
He has found his feet to be endlessly interesting as he learned that feet have more than 200,000 nerve endings. He said, “My feet became my compass, my feet became my map."
He had the connection he feels to the ground and feet tattooed on him to show its symbolism. As you can see here, the roots tattooed on his feet are easily understood as his connection to nature.
Entertainment
Mick finds a lot to keep him busy and entertained out in the rainforest.
He may not have modern technology such as a computer or a television, but he loves hunting for his food as well as meditating, reading, and running which he has loved to do his entire life thanks to his dad's influence on him and emphasizing the importance of being fit.
Many nicknames
Over the many years he has been in the rainforest, Mick has earned himself quite a few nicknames. Some of the priceless ones include "The Barefoot Nomad", "Walking Mountain", "Barefoot Sensei", "The Forrest Gump of Middle Earth", and "The Hobbit", which was our personal favorite.
His nicknames make a lot of sense considering his look and lifestyle. However, Mick is spending his life this way for himself and not for the entertainment of others.
The Legend of Mick Dodge
While Mick was leading his simple life in the rainforest, bothering no one and wanting nothing from the world, the world certainly wanted something from him.
The media got wind of Mick and what he was doing with his life and wanted to show the world how it was done. National Geographic created a show around Mick that would document his unique way of life. The show was called The Legend of Mick Dodge.
Hunter and gatherer
Mick did not care about the attention on him and allowed the cameras to document his life unbothered. He was more focused on gathering his food for survival, collecting fish and mushrooms along with worms and rocks, which he would boil.
Mick said that rocks are a great source of nutrients. Whether he is right or not, Mick is able to keep himself fed.
Archery
Mick learned his archery skills from his grandfather. He uses those skills to hunt protein when he feels like he needs it in addition to the gathering he does.
Normally, Mick is a pacifist, or someone who does not use weapons, but when he said that when he gets into the "hunger mode" where he craves meat, he puts that aside and hunts.
More than just a gatherer
Mick is much more than just a hunter and gatherer, though, he is an inventor as well. When the summer months roll around, Mick gathers a variety of berries to make his very own fermented drink which he calls "jam juice".
The mix includes huckleberries, blackberries, and blueberries that are then mixed with Oxalis leaves and spring water. Sounds pretty delicious actually.
Winter woes
Winter is a whole different story for Mick. There are a lot of challenges that come with the cold and wet, especially with the fact that he likes being barefoot. One year, Mick nearly lost his toes due to frostbite.
He luckily found a way to keep his feet warm with buckskin boots. It was a good way to use every part of an animal hunted for food.
People pleaser
While Mick does not want to be a part of mainstream society in terms of the way of life, he certainly does not shy away from people and likes being social.
Mick likes instructing groups of people about the importance of fitness through EarthGym, his program. People love his personality and unique exercising methods. They especially like his catchphrase: "yoish!"
Friends and family
Mick has also not cut ties with his loved ones - his family and his friends. He lives off the grid, but he does venture into society when necessary. He once went to his best friend's daughter's wedding.
He spent almost a month hiking the camping to get to the wedding location which was in Northern California. He is dedicated despite being remote!
The thrill of it all
Mick loves his life and would not change any aspect of it. He survives year round on the meat he hunts, the fish he catches, the roadkill he finds, and anything he can gather with his bare hands.
He calls himself a "thrillvivalist". He finds it the thrill of his life to be in charge of his own survival, using nature to keep himself alive.
Every bit of nature
The thrill that he so aptly is after comes from using nature to provide him with everything he needs.
From the water to drink, pine cone on a stick to brush his teeth, fern leaves as toilet paper, and waterfalls to bathe in, Mick is using every single bit of nature to make his life the heaven on earth that he believes it to be.
Forest healer
Living the way Mick has for so long has strengthened his immune system quite a bit. However, there are times when he gets sick and when he does he usually uses natural remedies to help him out.
There are times, though, when things get worse than usual and in those instances he calls upon his friend Doc Gair who is a forest healer.
Natural friends
Doc Gair is not the only one who also lives in the woods like Mick. Mick has several other woods friends in his neck of the woods (pun intended!).
There is Huckleberry Leonard, Will of Stone, Ben Sanford, and Pat Neal. Each of these men has been living in the woods for their own reasons and has become a good member of their community.
Partner in life
Mick even has a dog! Mick goes about his life with his own furry best friend called Gabu. Gabu and Mick keep one another safe from various hazards and are there for each other so they are never alone.
He trusts Gabu to do her own thing and come back to him because she always does and is as loyal a companion as Mick could ask for.
Money
Seeing as Mick does not have any form of material holdings, the earnings he got for The Legend of Mick Dodge he did not keep for himself but rather donated it all to the Olympic Mountain Earth Wisdom Circle community, which he belongs to.
Money does not hold any real value for Mick, who puts true worth to things that can keep him alive and healthy.
Bartering
If Mick cannot find or make something that he needs on his own, he goes to thrift shops where he barters his way to something he wants or needs.
There was a time when Mick went into a thrift store and traded a pair of leather pants for a bow and arrow that would keep him fed for as far as he could see.
Life and death
Mick said that a bow and arrow could be the difference between life and death both for hunting for food as well as for protection.
However, he also said, “The most dangerous encounters that I have ever had in the gated wild, walls of the city and in the open fenced lands are with two-footed creatures." He nearly got run over by a distracted driver using their mobile phone.
Spa day
Mick's life is full of hard work to keep himself fed and alive. However, there are moments when he is able to sit back and relax.
Just check him out here in this makeshift spa, kicking back in the bathtub over an open flame like chicken in soup. He does this to recover from pains that he feels as a result of the hard work he does.
Modern moments
For two seasons, Mick has been on the National Geographic show documenting his life.
There are those who question just how authentic it all is, and Mick has even admitted that there are rare times he goes into town to allow himself a chocolate chip cookie or use the phone to promote the show - those modern moments are few and far between, though.