Video: Surviving Alone In Alaska

What is it like to survive in Alaska‘s wilderness? What is it like to do it alone? VICE followed Heimo Korth to ask these precise questions. In the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge living requires a permit. In the case of Korth, the permit is only good until the death of his last child. It’s rough land and it’s a rough life, but he has managed to perfect the art of learning it and living it. Korth has been living essentially off of his own wits for over 30 years in this area in Alaska. He moved to Alaska when he was 19 from Wisconsin in an attempt to get as far away from civilization as possible. Watch as VICE follows Korth and his family and figures out what life for them is like.

Video: Sneaking Into North Korea

Most journalists tread carefully around the topic of North Korea. If a tourist in North Korea is found to be a journalist, that person can get into a lot of trouble. Whether or not the punishment for this crime is severe, the risk is too steep for most. But VICE sent a journalist to North Korea who made it out alive and well. This video documents the process of breaking into North Korea, so to speak. Watch, learn and enjoy. And by all means, if any of you have any personal stories you’d like to share about traveling to North Korea, tell us your story in the comment section below.

Video: Suicide Forest In Japan

“The Aokigahara Forest, at the base of Mount Fuji, is the most popular suicide destination in Japan. Over 100 bodies are found here each year.” This is how VICE’s video, “Suicide Forest in Japan” begins. Watch this video and follow VICE as they visit the forest and learn about its popularity among the suicidal. Green all year round and originally formed over lava, the forest seems surreal, indeed. There’s a sign grounded at the park’s entrance to act as a message to the suicidal. It reads: “Your life is a precious gift from your parents. Please think about your parents, siblings and children. Don’t keep it to yourself. Talk about your troubles.” Albeit eerie, this park is beautiful.

Video: Living In The Sewers Of Colombia

Living in the sewers isn’t just for teenage mutant ninja turtles. In Colombia, there’s a culture of sewer-dwellers. There’s even a counterculture to this counterculture: people who are known as the “death squads” who routinely pour gasoline into the sewers and fire rounds in an effort to scare the sewer-dwellers off, or at least torment them. On top of this threat, these people also face the daily threat of flash floods, rats, feces and the unpredictable behavior of drug addicts who also wander into the sewers. Follow VICE through this video as they navigate the sewer life in Colombia.

Video: Slab City And Living Without Laws

I recently discovered the VICE video series on YouTube. I like this series, which features off-the-beaten-path travel and other strange, yet fascinating topics. I watched a few videos from the VICE channel consecutively the other night before realizing how much time had passed. This video features Slab City. Residents call it the “last free place in America”. The land does actually belong to someone – well, an organization for teachers – but these folks have moved in and called the land home. Filled with hippies, veterans, drug addicts and more, Slab City isn’t your everyday California destination.