| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
The Truth About Bears: The Skills
Learn how to stay safe in bear country from myth-busting biologist Tom Smith. By Ted Alvarez
The Truth About Bears: The Mystery
Grizzlies vanished from North Cascades National Park five decades ago. Or did they? Our scout joins the search for Washington's elusive mountain ghosts. By Ted Alvarez
Special Report: The Truth About Bears
You love them. You fear them. And you misunderstand them. See more bears and learn about the surprising new thinking around hiker safety in this complete guide. By Ted Alvarez
DIY Snow Goggles
Survival Editor Kristy Holland demonstrates how to craft a pair of emergency goggles to prevent snowblindness.
Survival Lab: Build an Emergency Bivy
Drop Dead Ted builds an emergency shelter using a blanket, some duff, and his bare hands.
Track the Sun to Find North
If you suspect you're off-track use the sun to help orient you and determine which direction is true north.
How To: Build an Emergency Fire
You've done it now. Gone on a simple walk and gotten lost, or broken your ankle. It's cold. You didn't bring gear. Don't just curl up and wait. Get a fire going.
WITH OUR HOW-TO ADVICE
Natural Hazards
Out Alive: Trapped in an Ice Tunnel
A solo hiker tries to claw her way out of a frozen cave after a winter pathway collapses.
Survival: Fall Zones
Watch your step. Trips and tumbles are the number one cause of backcountry deaths.First Aid
Troubleshoot This: Snowblind
Caught out on a bright day without your glasses? Things could turn ugly if you lose your vision. Learn to prevent and treat a sunburned eye.
Bears
The Truth About Bears: The Skills
Learn how to stay safe in bear country from myth-busting biologist Tom Smith. By Ted Alvarez
The Truth About Bears: The Mystery
Grizzlies vanished from North Cascades National Park five decades ago. Or did they? Our scout joins the search for Washington's elusive mountain ghosts. By Ted AlvarezAnimal Attacks
Survival: Animal Attacks
Don’t be prey. Learn where you’re likely to encounter North America’s deadliest predators.
Finding Food and Water
Survival Lab: Eat Out
Need to find food in a crisis? Just foraging for fun? Learn to raid nature's pantry, which is full of easily harvested, highly nutritious meals.
Out Alive: Trapped by Rising Water
Five hikers fight a raging river before attempting a dangerous bushwhack to safety.Survival Stories
Out Alive: Trapped in an Ice Tunnel
A solo hiker tries to claw her way out of a frozen cave after a winter pathway collapses.
Out Alive: Chased by Widowmakers
A violent storm ravages a stressed forest, threatening to crush two dayhikers.Starting Fire
Troubleshoot This: Can't Ignite Damp Wood
Maximize your spark's potential with a tinder bundle that will burn anywhere.
How-To Slideshow: Learn to Build an Emergency Fire
Lost and alone without your gear? Don't just sit there. Get a fire going.Survival Gear
Troubleshoot This: Snowblind
Caught out on a bright day without your glasses? Things could turn ugly if you lose your vision. Learn to prevent and treat a sunburned eye.
Saved by...A Shirt or Bandanna
Everyone brings a shirt or bandanna into the backcountry. Here, 9 ways to increase its usefulness.Survival Skills
Out Alive: Trapped in an Ice Tunnel
A solo hiker tries to claw her way out of a frozen cave after a winter pathway collapses.
The Survival Issue: You
To err is human, bt to err in the wilderness can get you in a load of trouble. Here's how to manage missteps and improvise fixes.Emergency Shelters
Survival Lab: Gimme Shelter
Losing daylight and don't have a tent? Don't panic: We tested three shelter-making techniques that will help you survive the night. Plus: Three bomber bivies.
Rip & Live: Lost
More than 1,000 hikers go missing every year in our national parks alone. Most are found within hours, but basic skills can help you get home without making a serious—or even fatal—mistake. Follow this advice for staying on course.Avalanches
Select a Safe Route: Avalanche Terrain Travel
Recognize these avalanche-risk signs and learn how to choose routes that avoid them.
Prep Your Gear: Outfit for Avalanche Safety
Equip yourself with safety gear and practice proper techniques.
Out Alive: Trapped in an Ice Tunnel
A solo hiker tries to claw her way out of a frozen cave after a winter pathway collapses.
Survival: Fall Zones
Watch your step. Trips and tumbles are the number one cause of backcountry deaths.
Survival: Lightning Myths: Busted
Knowing fact from fiction can help you avoid—and survive$mdash;a 54,000℉ strike.
Survive Coastal Dangers
Waves, currents, and tides threaten thousands of miles of American trails (any within a quarter of a mile of a waterway), and hikers can get caught in the barrage. Headland-sculpting, beach-pounding waves can swallow an unwary trekker without so much as a burp. Learn how to recognize, negotiate, and avoid nearshore hazards
True Tales: Struck by Lightning
Bad decisions and running scared got this reader struck by lightning--but he survived.
True Tales: Flipped, Soaked, and Freezing
Two readers shiver for their lives through a cold, Alaskan summer night.
Survival: Cross a River
Don't get swept away, use this technique.
Survival: Predict a Flash Flood
Stay alert in canyon country.
Survival: Lightning Attire
What not to wear in a lightning storm.
Rip & Live: Survive Desert Extremes
Triple-digit temps by noon. Freezing at night. Scarce water. The desert is as dangerous for unprepared hikers. Give yourself an edge and learn to survive this hostile territory while backpacking.
Troubleshoot This: Snowblind
Caught out on a bright day without your glasses? Things could turn ugly if you lose your vision. Learn to prevent and treat a sunburned eye.
Escape Plan: Warm a Hypothermia Victim
Treat severe hypothermia with this life saving technique.
Survival: Prevent Blisters and Frostbite
Prevent these two painful toe problems.
Survival: Improvise a Splint and Treat Burns
Two skills to take with you to the backcountry
Survival: Carbon-Dioxide Poisoning
Ventilate your tent to avoid this danger.
Survival: First Aid Emergencies
Hard-won-lessons and tips about medical emergencies from the front lines of survival.
5 Steps to Saving Lives
How the pros treat an injured hiker
Rip & Live: Spiders
Itsy bitsy? Sure, but spiders loom large in hiker phobias. They shouldn't: Only a few subspecies of the black widow and brown recluse can inflict enough damage to cut short a hike. Here's what you need to know about North America's most venomous spiders, from how to avoid them to treating their bites.
Prof. Hike: Leave Blisters in the Dust
Blisters are the most common on-trail injury, but blisters are also easy to prevent.
The Truth About Bears: The Skills
Learn how to stay safe in bear country from myth-busting biologist Tom Smith. By Ted Alvarez
The Truth About Bears: The Mystery
Grizzlies vanished from North Cascades National Park five decades ago. Or did they? Our scout joins the search for Washington's elusive mountain ghosts. By Ted Alvarez
Special Report: The Truth About Bears
You love them. You fear them. And you misunderstand them. See more bears and learn about the surprising new thinking around hiker safety in this complete guide. By Ted Alvarez
Survival: Recognize Grizzly Behavior
Hard-won-lessons and tips about grizzly bears from the front lines of survival.
Rip and Live: Learn to Survive a Bear Attack
With 1 million bears roaming North America, chances are pretty good that you'll cross paths with one of them at some point. To make every encounter safe, from grizzly bears to black bears, bone up on bruin identification and etiquette.
Ask A Bear: Electric Fence As Deterrent?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Ask A Bear: Skunk Spray As Deterrent?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Ask A Bear: Old Vomit in a Tent?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Ask A Bear: Why Did You Steal My Empty Pack?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Ask A Bear: Will Music Attract A Bear?
Got a burning ursine question? Ask our resident bruin expert in our new weekly feature, 'Ask A Bear.'
Survival: Animal Attacks
Don’t be prey. Learn where you’re likely to encounter North America’s deadliest predators.
Out Alive: Bitten by a Rattlesnake
A dayhiker fights for her life—as her body shuts down.
Escape Plan: Use Bear Spray Safely
How to use bear spray.
Rip & Live: Spiders
Itsy bitsy? Sure, but spiders loom large in hiker phobias. They shouldn't: Only a few subspecies of the black widow and brown recluse can inflict enough damage to cut short a hike. Here's what you need to know about North America's most venomous spiders, from how to avoid them to treating their bites.
Rip and Live: Learn to Survive a Bear Attack
With 1 million bears roaming North America, chances are pretty good that you'll cross paths with one of them at some point. To make every encounter safe, from grizzly bears to black bears, bone up on bruin identification and etiquette.
Survive This: Bitten by a (Rabid?) Animal
Chomped by a critter? Here's what to do.
Survive This: Swarming Wasps
Forget all the rules about freezing or making yourself big. When faced with these angry beasts run for cover.Danger Zones/Escape Plans: Wildlife
Learn which wildlife you should most worry about, and how to react if you come under attack.True Tales: Charged by a 500-Pound Grizzly
A charging grizzly comes too close for this reader's comfort.
Survival Lab: Eat Out
Need to find food in a crisis? Just foraging for fun? Learn to raid nature's pantry, which is full of easily harvested, highly nutritious meals.
Out Alive: Trapped by Rising Water
Five hikers fight a raging river before attempting a dangerous bushwhack to safety.
Rip & Live: Lost
More than 1,000 hikers go missing every year in our national parks alone. Most are found within hours, but basic skills can help you get home without making a serious—or even fatal—mistake. Follow this advice for staying on course.
Survival: In The Wild with...Only a Knife
Long before satellite beacons, humans thrived in the wild with the best technology available: a knife. And with that one tool and some basic knowledge, they fulfilled all life-sustaining needs.
Survival: Lost with...Only a Bottle of Whiskey
Put that hooch to good use with these tips for starting a fire, treating water, and even signaling for help.
Which Water Treatment is for You?
Fast, hassle-free, ultralight,–we explore five different water treatment scenarios and the right system to use.
How to Do Everything - Camping
Find water anywhere, make a fire in five minutes, learn secrets for battling mosquitoes, and more.Survival: Find Water in the Desert
Dangerously thirsty in the desert?Survival: Must Cross a Raging River With No Personal Flotation Device
Drowning is the #2 cause of outdoor deaths (falls are #1), so avoid wading waist-deep or too-fast rivers (a tossed, fist-size rock shouldn't move downstream before sinking), but if no choice exists:Survival Skills: Finding Water
How to find emergency water in the backcountry.
Out Alive: Trapped in an Ice Tunnel
A solo hiker tries to claw her way out of a frozen cave after a winter pathway collapses.
Out Alive: Chased by Widowmakers
A violent storm ravages a stressed forest, threatening to crush two dayhikers.
Case Study: Surge Survivor
Name: Neil Perterson, 63Predicament: Swept into a surge channel; stuck in a cave
Survival: True Reader Escapes
Seven lucky-to-be-alive subscribers share their real-life backcountry disasters. Here’s how they survived, and what you can learn from their mistakes.
True Tales: Struck by Lightning
Bad decisions and running scared got this reader struck by lightning--but he survived.
True Tales: Flipped, Soaked, and Freezing
Two readers shiver for their lives through a cold, Alaskan summer night.
True Tales: Caught in a Flash Flood
Rising water sends this reader running--and hiding--in Utah.
Survival: Save Yourself in Whitewater
Hard-won-lessons and tips about whitewater kayaking from the front lines of survival.
Survival: Learn Patience in Alaska
Don't let low points get you down.
Survival: Make Good Judgement Calls
Hard-won-lessons and tips about good decision making from the front lines of survival.
Troubleshoot This: Can't Ignite Damp Wood
Maximize your spark's potential with a tinder bundle that will burn anywhere.
How-To Slideshow: Learn to Build an Emergency Fire
Lost and alone without your gear? Don't just sit there. Get a fire going.
Survival: In The Wild with...Only a Knife
Long before satellite beacons, humans thrived in the wild with the best technology available: a knife. And with that one tool and some basic knowledge, they fulfilled all life-sustaining needs.
Survival: Lost with...Only a Bottle of Whiskey
Put that hooch to good use with these tips for starting a fire, treating water, and even signaling for help.
How to Start a Fire With Fungus
Chaga, or "tinder fungus" and other natural firestarters abound in the backcountry–you just have to know where to look for them.
Troubleshoot This: Snowblind
Caught out on a bright day without your glasses? Things could turn ugly if you lose your vision. Learn to prevent and treat a sunburned eye.
Saved by...A Shirt or Bandanna
Everyone brings a shirt or bandanna into the backcountry. Here, 9 ways to increase its usefulness.
Saved by...An Emergency Blanket
10 ways to use a survival blanket
Saved by...A Sock
7 more reasons to pack an extra pair
Saved by...Cell Phone
Dead battery? No reception? No problem. Find plenty of survival gear inside your phone.
Saved by...Dental Floss
A string, several strands, and even the box can all come in handy.
Saved by...Skin Care
How to start a fire and treat minor wounds with basic toiletries
Saved by...Trash
Turn your trash into life-saving treasure
The Survival Issue: Saved by a Sock
"Improvise, adapt, and overcome." Bear Grylls and his crew lived by this mantra while filming episodes of Man vs. Wild. Here's how hikers can adopt it.
Master Class: Lighten Your Pack
Drop 5, 10, or 15 pounds (or more!) by packing smart, planning ahead, and fine-tuning essentials.
Out Alive: Trapped in an Ice Tunnel
A solo hiker tries to claw her way out of a frozen cave after a winter pathway collapses.
The Survival Issue: You
To err is human, bt to err in the wilderness can get you in a load of trouble. Here's how to manage missteps and improvise fixes.
Survival Bootcamp
At the military's top-secret survival school, Air Force crews learn how to escape their worst-case scenario — shot down behind enemy lines. With the highest level of access ever granted to a journalist, our scout learns how to escape when Mother Nature is only one of your worries.
Die Another Day
You won't get far in the backcountry without pushing through challenging conditions and terrain. But perseverance can be your worst enemy, and turning around the only way to succeed. Mark Jenkins explores the fine line between daring and doom.
Survival Lab: Emergency Water
Without a drink, a hiker can die in as little as a day. We tested three techniques for conjuring H20 out of thin air. Plus: 5 easy ways to stay hydrated in hot climates.
Reel Deal: Charting Big-Wall Movie Scenes
Hollywood climbing: Survivable or surreal?
Bear Attack: Q&A with Bear Grylls
The star of "Man vs. Wild" talks gear, luxury items, and survival advice.
Escape Plan: Warm a Hypothermia Victim
Treat severe hypothermia with this life saving technique.
Escape Plan: Use Bear Spray Safely
How to use bear spray.
Survival: True Reader Escapes
Seven lucky-to-be-alive subscribers share their real-life backcountry disasters. Here’s how they survived, and what you can learn from their mistakes.
Survival Lab: Gimme Shelter
Losing daylight and don't have a tent? Don't panic: We tested three shelter-making techniques that will help you survive the night. Plus: Three bomber bivies.
Rip & Live: Lost
More than 1,000 hikers go missing every year in our national parks alone. Most are found within hours, but basic skills can help you get home without making a serious—or even fatal—mistake. Follow this advice for staying on course.
Survival: In The Wild with...Only a Knife
Long before satellite beacons, humans thrived in the wild with the best technology available: a knife. And with that one tool and some basic knowledge, they fulfilled all life-sustaining needs.
Survival: Lost with Only a Trash Bag
Ounce for ounce, few items can improve your survival chances more than a humble trash bag.
Select a Safe Route: Avalanche Terrain Travel
Recognize these avalanche-risk signs and learn how to choose routes that avoid them.
Prep Your Gear: Outfit for Avalanche Safety
Equip yourself with safety gear and practice proper techniques.
Gear School: Avalanche Beacons
Travel safely through snowscapes with this lifesaving locator.
How to Cross a Spring Snowfield
Cross the steeps safely and avoid avalanches with these guide-approved tips.How to Avoid Avalanches
Hike safely in avalanche terrainSurvive This: Caught in an Avalanche
When you're trekking into a backcountry bowl, avalanches are almost always a threat. Learn how to protect yourself when the worst happens.Avalanches: The Big Slide
Watching snow fall is a backcountry joy--unless it's barreling 80 mph down a mountain and you're in its path.
Tools & Experts
iPad App: Survival School
Caught in an avalanche. Attacked by a bear. Dehydrated and hypothermic. The wilderness can be a dangerous place but with BACKPACKER's new iPad app, you'll be prepared for anything.
Make a Survival Bracelet
In an emergency, you can use paracord for lashings, tourniquets, shoelaces, an even fishing line. This bracelet lets you carry a useful amount at all times.
Survive With Only a Knife
Long before satellite beacons, humans thrived in the wild with the best technology available: a knife.
The Ten Essentials
Know them, love them. Here's your guide to putting a kit together.
Ask a Bear
Just try and stump our resident bruin expert. He¹ll answer your burning ursine questions in this weekly feature.
Video: Start a Fire with Your Phone
Editor in Chief Jon Dorn shows you how to get a fire going with nothing but your cellphone, a piece of steel wool, and some tinder.
Video: Survive a Bear Attack
Learn how to deal with a black bear or grizzly encounter with Shannon Davis and Ted the Bear.
Survival Skills: Start a Fire with One Match
Follow these steps and you're guaranteed the perfect campfire in no time.
Medicine Man
Our wilderness medicine guru talks first-aid, health, and emergency management.
MASTER YOUR SURVIVAL SKILLS WITH THESE HOW-TO TIPS
Foraging 101
How to Find Food in the Wild
DIY Snow Goggles
Survival Editor Kristy Holland demonstrates how to craft a pair of emergency goggles to prevent snowblindness.Survival Lab: Build an Emergency Bivy
Drop Dead Ted builds an emergency shelter using a blanket, some duff, and his bare hands.
TIP 9: Check the Weather
Most weather reports don't apply to backcountry or mountainous terrain. Gather specific information by calling ranger stations, checking guide books, and researching monthly climate trends.
Fall/Winter Gear Guide
261 reviews and camping tips
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Carry the Best Maps
With BACKPACKER PRO Maps, get life-list destinations and local trips on adventure-ready waterproof myTopo paper.
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Sign up for a free Rocky Mountain National Park trip planning kit from our sister site MyRockyMountainPark.com.
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