Easy for him. He was a solitary bachelor with almost a whole, unspoiled continent to exist in.
------------------ "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler. - —Albert Einstein "
Einstein relied on the women of his family to make his survival possible. Left to himself, he couldn't even find his socks. ---------------------
As for myself, I agree that many people let their lives get much too complicated. Like a co-worker of my husband. They had three kids, two jobs, four cars, ten acres, dogs, cats - and when the six-year old whined and whined for an iguana, they bought it!
On the other hand, it is not possible to live like Thoreau any more. If you want clean water, healthy food, security from criminals, and your own teeth, then you need a home and certain basic equipment.