Survive This: Stuck on a Scree Slope
When you're slipping and sliding, don't let your partners help you. Learn how to climb yourself to safety.
All Content
Point of Boil
How long should you boil water before drinking it?
Higher Than Everest
If you were to wear an altimeter watch on an airplane, what would the elevation reading be?
Drinking with Cattle
I will be backpacking in southern Arizona's deserts and drinking from cattle tanks. How should I treat or filter the water inside these tanks?
Mace vs. Bears
Is a can of personal defense pepper spray an effective bear deterrent?
Survive This: Volcanic Eruption
Don't worry about lava. Worry about rocks and mud and ash.
Survive This: Sudden Illness on the Trail
Beware of dehydration when a sudden illness strikes.
Man! I Feel Like A Hiker
Shania Twain opens a hiking track on her New Zealand property
The Wolves Of Iraq
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Hawaii Volcanoes NP Gets Bad Gas
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Curing Leg Cramps
After a day of hiking, I get severe leg cramps in my calves. Can you explain why these are happening and what I can do to prevent them?
Pests and Pets
Do chiggers bite dogs, and if so, how do you combat that on the trail?
Spring Break AT
What is your mileage recommendation for novice hikers spending their spring break on the AT?
Ultralight Hammocks
They look nice, but do hammocks really work?
Avoiding Anaphylaxis
What do I need to bring and do in case one of my children has an anaphylactic reaction to something like a bee sting on the trail?
Breaking: Nepal Everest Routes Open…Maybe?
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Survival in a Sardine Can
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Big Trouble With Littler Glaciers
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Editors' Choice: Hiking the Sand Dunes
Join the Backpacker editors on their gear testing trip to Great Sand Dunes National Park. 2613919216001
Would Jesus Use a Carbon Calculator?
Southern Baptists wrangle over climate change--and what to do next.
Filmmaker Gets Probation For Filming Yosemite Indian Dances
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Grand Canyon Flood Helps Ecology, Hurts Energy
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
O'Neill LED Jacket Points You In The Right Direction
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Calcium Loss Explains Fatigue
Is the end of muscle fatigue upon us?
Survival Fundamentals: It's the Little Things
Never leave home without covering the three basic necessities for safe hiking
Nepal Closes Everest's Southern Routes
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Climber Dean Potter pioneers BASElining over Utah canyons
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Alabama connects to Appalachian Trail
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Heat Exhaustion with No Effort
A Quick Change in Climate Does a Mountain Guy In
Air Force rescues hikers…in Iraq
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
China closes Everest routes, climbers everywhere weep
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
The White (Noise) Album
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Opening the Floodgates?
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Bode Miller Bags Second Overall World Cup Ski Title
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
A Dozen Ways to Die
How do hikers meet their maker in the backcountry? The answers may surprise you.
Surviving a Grizzly Attack in Glacier National Park
On August 25, 2005, Johan Otter and his 18-year-old daughter, Jenna, hiked right into the worst nightmare of any Glacier National Park backpacker: a 300-pound mother grizzly protecting two cubs. Here, in his own words, the 45-year-old physical therapist from Escondido, CA, shares the incredible story of their life-and-death struggle.
Lost: True Tales of Wilderness Treks Gone Desperately Wrong
From snowblindness to wrong turns, everyday wilderness adventures can turn ugly if you're not prepared for everything.
Learning About Survival Where Aron Ralston Outwitted Death
Follow correspondent Kevin Fedarko into the remote Utah slot canyon where Ralston famously separated himself from his right forearm.
How to Stay Safe in the Wilderness
Retracing the route to people's accidents can help us prevent our own. These 10 trips lead you to the exact locations of disasters from Denali to the Grand Canyon.
Video Hilarity: 'Parking Garage: Beyond The Limit'
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Zion shuttle resumes service March 21
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Wolves in Massachusetts, Wolverines in California
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Kings Canyon hikers find WWII pilot 65 years later
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
How to Lighten Your (Planetary) Load
We found 17 pioneering products that will cut your carbon cost without sacrificing performance.
No More Peaks in the Distance
Rising treeline threatens the Northeast's best views.
Cascades Meltdown
The Lower 48's most glaciated region is losing its ice at an astonishing rate.
Digging for Clues: How to Prevent Exctinction
A big-picture biologist unearths threats to songbirds, salamanders, and a peak-loving furball.
Species We Can Kiss Goodbye
These dozen creatures are threatened by global warming.
Rising Tides Threaten Classic Trails
Headed for the coasts? Keep those Tevas handy. Swelling oceans are threatening to submerge classic trails.
Super Poison Ivy is Coming
More potent poison ivy is on the way, plus fast-growing weeds that will change the face of Eastern forests.
Carbon Dioxide and the Desert Midwest
Scientists say Nebraska's wild prairies could become the Western Hemisphere's largest sandbox in as few as 30 years.
The Brown Death: Pine Beetles vs. Forests
Pine beetles are felling more trees than wildfires and the timber industry combined.
The Future of Forests
As the earth warms, here's how higher temps will affect our forests.
Take It Outside
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
It's Avalanche Season…Again.
How do skiers, snowboarders, climbers and snowshoers get in avalanches? And more importantly, what are your chances if you do?
Wildfires Burning Through Park Fees
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
What Will Alaska's Future Look Like?
Alaska is the last frontier, but energy development and climate change promise to change the face of our wildest state in your lifetime. Here's how.
How to See More Golden Eagles
Find these hard-to-spot beauties on your next journey
Leftover Gas
What is the best way to get rid of leftover white gas, before I get on the plane to fly home?
Winter Camping
What is your advice regarding proper winter bag sizing?
Bear & Vinegar
Will vinegar repel bears or harm the environment?
Emergency Medical Coverage
Where can I get emergency medical coverage for international travel?
Freezing Point
Is there anything that can be added to water (that is safe) that will lower its freezing temperature?
Camp Shoes
Do you have any suggestions on camp shoes?
Compass Bubbles
What causes–and how do you prevent–air bubbles from showing up in liquid filled compasses?
Travel Fit: Part II
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Is Heli-Hiking Bad for the Wilderness?
A for and against look at heli-hiking
Primal Quest 2008
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.
Trail Food: 3 Edible Nuts
You're lost, hungry, and starting to shiver: Time to play squirrel.
Stretches for Hikers
Recover from high-mileage days with these before-and-after stretches.
Backpacker's Carbon-Neutral Project
Last fall, we showed you the many ways that climate change is altering the wild places we love. Now, a look at what BACKPACKER is doing to reduce the magazine's impact.
Fossilized Food
Over the years I've hoarded a lot of dehydrated food. Does this stuff ever go bad?
Down Fill
What does the 650-fill or 700-fill label on a down jacket mean?
Bears & Tents
Does what color your tent is effect whether bears are attracted to it or not?
Kids' Stuff
Check out Kristin Hostetter's author page.
Rain Shells
From $500 to under $150, Backpacker has found the best rain shells for blowing snow or driving rain.
Puffy Jackets
Made with down or synthetic fibers and paper-thin shells, these puffy jackets weigh less, loft higher, and pack much smaller than fleece.
Trail Tops
These eight trail tops wick sweat, look great, and fit great. Wear them for a run or a week-long trek.
Travel Fitness: Staying in Shape on the Move
Check out Katie Herrel's author page.