Steve Howe

Sometimes, when you follow a path back through history, you learn about human folly, nature's indifference, and how far some people go to survive.

You've seen chaga, a rough-looking, bumpy fungus that grows on tree trunks, before. But we bet you didn't know you were looking at one of the wilderness's best firestarters.

Try a stunning new hike in the Colorado Rockies' top spot for big backpacking adventures.

Empty of people, that is. Because the 3,000 miles of wilderness that stretch from Newfoundland's fjordlike coastal cliffs to British Columbia's rainforest and skyscraping peaks are brimming with every type of mountain, water, and wildlife adventure a card-carrying backpacker could want—crowds not included. Our Rocky Mountain Field Editor spent two months exploring places we've never covered to assemble our most extensive guide to Canadian backcountry yet.

Learn to decide when to walk out and when to stay put with a variety of backcountry medical ailments.

Think there's nothing wild left in the Lower 48? Don't tell the grizzlies on this traverse of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

Watch your step on Utah' Highline Trail. The nonstop views and rampant wildlife are distractingly spectacular. Plus: Gaze away on 9 more elevated hikes.

Use this cheap, simple solution for securing your tent on snow or sand in no time.

Learn how to properly tie one of the simplest and most versatile knots known to man.

A half hitch is an overhand knot tied around departing cord. It's the simplest way to secure a bowline waist loop for critical uses like climbing.

Our comprehensive guide to the best backpacking you can find in South Dakota.

For 30 years, some wide-eyed dreamers have been chiseling a 745-mile route through the Canadian Rockies. The result is a labor of love set to become one of North America's most magnificent long trails.