Identified! FL - Big Cypress Natl Preserve, Male Hiker, Denim & “Mostly Harmless” July 2018 - Vance Rodriguez#4

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He didn't have to go to town. I think he hit the rest area and stocked up at the vending machines.
OK, so you're saying a hiker can get in and out of rest stops without being seen including buying stuff because it's in machines. Well, that I did not understand! The only question is whether these rest stops were all marked on his hand drawn trail. I still have an outstanding question of whether he knew civilization was only 5 mi away. I guess we know he must have gone there though if he stayed 3+ months at Nobles Camp!
 
Those hammocks are amazing. They have a little tarp that goes over the top so you stay dry at night. Outside with just a sleeping bag is almost unheard of, the first little drizzle and you're not sleeping and your bag is wet. Even in cold weather without rain, you need a cover over you otherwise you get wet from condensation. He had a tent before he bought the Foray, @gfinale worked this out from the timeline a few posts back.
A hiker logged in his online journal that he discussed MH's tent with him and this was well before the end of the AT where he bought the yellow one.
 
We don’t know that “Denim” is our MH do we? I may have missed something confirming they are the same person.
Denim was his trail name on the AT as hikers have identified him as such. Apparently, they only usually have about 1 called Denim a year on the AT. That Denim who GI Joe talks about was where our Denim would be at that time.
 
We don’t know that “Denim” is our MH do we? I may have missed something confirming they are the same person.

There is a FaceBook picture of him holding maps in Georgia (Springer Hill maybe?) that is timestamped for some time in 2017. The person who posted the pic mentions his trail name is Denim and that he worked in the tech industry for ten years.

There is also the account of Obsidian hiking with him early, using the name Denim.

Since you mentioned it.....I am having a hard time immediately thinking of pictures that are timestamped and identify him as going by the name "Mostly Harmless".

This is a quick reply, so sorry if not too informative.
 
OK, so you're saying a hiker can get in and out of rest stops without being seen including buying stuff because it's in machines. Well, that I did not understand! The only question is whether these rest stops were all marked on his hand drawn trail. I still have an outstanding question of whether he knew civilization was only 5 mi away. I guess we know he must have gone there though if he stayed 3+ months at Nobles Camp!
I'll be there Saturday, starting at the rest area. I will walk through it and see if I see cameras.
 
Hi autopsy report shows distended bladder, doing some googling and this brings up acute urinary retention which in turn can cause the constipation. There are many causes of this urinary retention but I thought one of interest was injury or laceration of penis, which was also noted on his autopsy. No theories just putting some thoughts out there.
 
Hi autopsy report shows distended bladder, doing some googling and this brings up acute urinary retention which in turn can cause the constipation. There are many causes of this urinary retention but I thought one of interest was injury or laceration of penis, which was also noted on his autopsy. No theories just putting some thoughts out there.

Another one of my (many many) outlandish theories involves kidney stones.

I was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain, and when I got to the hospital, the doctor immediately scanned my kidneys with the ultrasound (I think its called).

The stones were so big that they had to be laser blasted and removed, I was put under for the procedure.

Now, thinking about all this, I had thought about MH too (long, long before this discussion).

My urine was black, straight black about a week before it happened. I may have also had Rybdo in conjunction with kidney stones, but it was most definitely kidney stones that where confirmed.

Now, with the size of the stones, it makes me have gruesome and morbid thoughts about what may have happened to MH if he was forced to pass them. I don't know the exact science, but if my stones had made their way past the bladder, I could have been sharing a similar experience to what is described in MH's death.

This just hit me too. About a month before my stones, my (left) foot was hurting so extremely bad that I could not walk. There was no explanation for this, as it was just a very unwanted surprise when I woke up that morning. There was no bruising, swelling, etc.

I mention the foot because of MH's foot, the one that may looked waterlogged. A possible explanation between my foot pain and the kidney stones is having the condition "gout". I never received a full explanation (army doctors) or official diagnoses, but its all interesting things to mention.
 
I'll be there Saturday, starting at the rest area. I will walk through it and see if I see cameras.
I'd be interested in if you can take a look and see what foods are available at the rest area that someone could buy and survive on. It sounds like it's just typical freeway vending machines. If they also sold energy bars that matched the ones in the notebook entries in some way that might explain some things too.

Updated comment: Looking at comments on Googlemaps it looks like the rest area was upgraded or rebuilt between 1 and 2 years ago (And yes, there were actually 900+ reviews of a rest area!). There is a picture of the vending machines from 2 years ago and they look pretty modest.
 
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Another one of my (many many) outlandish theories involves kidney stones.

I was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain, and when I got to the hospital, the doctor immediately scanned my kidneys with the ultrasound (I think its called).

The stones were so big that they had to be laser blasted and removed, I was put under for the procedure.

Now, thinking about all this, I had thought about MH too (long, long before this discussion).

My urine was black, straight black about a week before it happened. I may have also had Rybdo in conjunction with kidney stones, but it was most definitely kidney stones that where confirmed.

Now, with the size of the stones, it makes me have gruesome and morbid thoughts about what may have happened to MH if he was forced to pass them. I don't know the exact science, but if my stones had made their way past the bladder, I could have been sharing a similar experience to what is described in MH's death.

This just hit me too. About a month before my stones, my (left) foot was hurting so extremely bad that I could not walk. There was no explanation for this, as it was just a very unwanted surprise when I woke up that morning. There was no bruising, swelling, etc.

I mention the foot because of MH's foot, the one that may looked waterlogged. A possible explanation between my foot pain and the kidney stones is having the condition "gout". I never received a full explanation (army doctors) or official diagnoses, but its all interesting things to mention.
Autopsy stated that his kidneys were free of stones, cysts, etc. He didn't have kidney stones.
 
I'd be interested in if you can take a look and see what foods are available at the rest area that someone could buy and survive on. It sounds like it's just typical freeway vending machines. If they also sold energy bars that matched the ones in the notebook entries in some way that might explain some things too.

Updated comment: Looking at comments on Googlemaps it looks like the rest area was upgraded or rebuilt between 1 and 2 years ago (And yes, there were actually 900+ reviews of a rest area!). There is a picture of the vending machines from 2 years ago and they look pretty modest.
It's a newer rest area for sure. Definitely pre 2018 though. I checked out Google, the pics are as I recall. One pic from 2017 shows vending machines, basic junk food, also as I recall.
 
Another one of my (many many) outlandish theories involves kidney stones.

I was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain, and when I got to the hospital, the doctor immediately scanned my kidneys with the ultrasound (I think its called).

The stones were so big that they had to be laser blasted and removed, I was put under for the procedure.

Now, thinking about all this, I had thought about MH too (long, long before this discussion).

My urine was black, straight black about a week before it happened. I may have also had Rybdo in conjunction with kidney stones, but it was most definitely kidney stones that where confirmed.

Now, with the size of the stones, it makes me have gruesome and morbid thoughts about what may have happened to MH if he was forced to pass them. I don't know the exact science, but if my stones had made their way past the bladder, I could have been sharing a similar experience to what is described in MH's death.

This just hit me too. About a month before my stones, my (left) foot was hurting so extremely bad that I could not walk. There was no explanation for this, as it was just a very unwanted surprise when I woke up that morning. There was no bruising, swelling, etc.

I mention the foot because of MH's foot, the one that may looked waterlogged. A possible explanation between my foot pain and the kidney stones is having the condition "gout". I never received a full explanation (army doctors) or official diagnoses, but its all interesting things to mention.
Interesting and I start thinking, after so many thoughts about his condition, that there really are legitimate reasons why he died as he did. I just really feel like I have a handle on this guy and he's all he says. He keeps proving it in every way. I'm just really leaning to unfortunate circumstances that caused his death. Could they have been avoided, sure, but that could be said about so many deaths. I tend to think he thought he'd get through it somehow. He seems like someone who wanted to handle everything himself and not want to burden others in any way. When he couldn't be cheery, he hid in his cocoon.
 
I'd be interested in if you can take a look and see what foods are available at the rest area that someone could buy and survive on. It sounds like it's just typical freeway vending machines. If they also sold energy bars that matched the ones in the notebook entries in some way that might explain some things too.

Updated comment: Looking at comments on Googlemaps it looks like the rest area was upgraded or rebuilt between 1 and 2 years ago (And yes, there were actually 900+ reviews of a rest area!). There is a picture of the vending machines from 2 years ago and they look pretty modest.
Good points. Do you have that pic from 2 years ago?!
 
Could he have gruesomely passed them?
Maybe, but only smaller ones pass, 5 mm or less I think. Larger ones get caught in the ureter or just stay stuck in the kidney. I believe that they typically only effect one ureter at a time though. I believe they also leave temporary damage to a kidney as they move through, which is why the urine turns red with blood. When a stone moves through a kidney, it gives the patient serious pain and bloody urine. I'd have to do some research to be sure about anything more.

The scratches on his penis are not explained by kidney stones, nor is the full bladder. I'm sticking with self mutilation as he went through starvation.
 
Good points. Do you have that pic from 2 years ago?!
It's posted in the Googlemaps reviews of "Collier County Rest Area" by AK. There's also lots of pictures of vultures, restrooms, and even a pay phone there in the reviews. To be honest though, if I live my whole life without ever leaving a restroom review on the internet, I won't have any regrets. It must have been a really boring drive for these folks.
 
Maybe, but only smaller ones pass, 5 mm or less I think. Larger ones get caught in the ureter or just stay stuck in the kidney. I believe that they typically only effect one ureter at a time though. I believe they also leave temporary damage to a kidney as they move through, which is why the urine turns red with blood. When a stone moves through a kidney, it gives the patient serious pain and bloody urine. I'd have to do some research to be sure about anything more.

The scratches on his penis are not explained by kidney stones, nor is the full bladder. I'm sticking with self mutilation as he went through starvation.

Believe me, I know how badly it hurts when they are stuck, which is what happened with me. I could barely walk when mine hit me.

As for the scratches, I shudder to think any further into it. If the stones had passed through his bladder and into his penis, what if the stone had been stuck? That is where I think the mutilation may possibly have come from, as he may have been desperately trying to get it to come out.

As for the full bladder, I could barely get a drop to come out on the day I was hospitalized. One of the stones was still near my kidney and the other was in my bladder.
 
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