Raise a Glass for Hugh

Hopefully by now we've all had the chance to watch Leonardo DiCaprio's resurgent performance in the The Revenant; released back in 2015. For the remarkably minimal lines Leo had to work with, he takes on an award winning performance by becoming Hugh Glass, a rugged historic fur trader from the 1800's. I must say, I'm a little disappointed that I didn't read of the legendary tale before 20th Century Fox dropped the story on me. Advertently, in my teenage years I probably would have designed a Hugh Glass poster and put it on my wall like a framed little picture of Jesus.

Hugh Glass is the epitome of a man’s man and his legacy speaks volumes about what the human body is capable of. While I was sitting there vicariously living out this new-era gun-toting version of an old western, I couldn't help but attempt to relate the fur trader lifestyle to present-day backpacking. There is something synonymous about how the wilderness speaks to millions of outdoorsmen across the country. Ceaselessly living out the metropolis household lifestyle is far too opaque, and our indigenous souls know there is authentic adventure to be had. Sometimes you don't need to look far and sometimes it happens by the waist click of a backpack strap.

Hugh's uncompromising journey was exceptionally more bad ass than any outdoorsmen's exaggeration could ever amount too. This type of heroism speaks to us. We want to believe we could power through an unimaginable bear attack. We want to believe we would have the will power of a giant and travel miles on end with broken legs to save our own life. The Revenant was an important movie because it wakes up our genetic predecessors and reminds us of our nomadic past. Most of us can't ignite fires in a blizzard and sleep outside where ever we please, but we can try. Realistically, getting close to the source is all we're after. If you've exposed yourself to the backcountry you know what I mean. If you haven't yet, be prepared, because you might just wake up lineal DNA you didn't know you had.

Our ancestors did it less than a couple hundred years ago. So my unrelenting propitious complex will always be on the side of, you can do it too. Just because we live in a time when goods and services can be utilized on the drop of a dime doesn't mean we can't get outside and get a taste of the wild life. My advice to you; go graze the peaks & valleys of Montana, sleep under the tall trees that reside by the Upper Missouri River, and find your inner Glass. I won't dock you for using a sleeping bag instead of a grizzly pelt to comfort you through the night, but the important thing is you'll be outside living, seeing, and experiencing the astonishing world we live in.

If you don't think the Revenant was the backpacking movie pump up of the decade than you might as well get your popcorn ready, get your phone all charged up, and watch us real mountain men get in touch with our primitive side on the gram.

Nick Uthe is a life enthusiast, traveler, and digital entrepreneur in Salt Lake City. He is the Owner of outdoor apparel and media brand GrandTaiga, and a Contributor for Outside TV, and HUMANFITPROJECT.

For more beautiful photography, artistic insight and philosophical understanding connect with Nick on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Vero and VKontakte.

[Tags] #adventure #hiking #travel #montana #vanlife #grandtaigatimes #mountainmen