Natural Hazards

These new map overlays will help you safely plan your hikes around fire season.

You might not know this about lightning—don't put yourself at risk.

Humans are notoriously bad at judging risk—and in the backcountry, that can screw up your priorities in a big way. Get them straight with this advice from our trail-tested team.

When your spring bounces from t-shirt weather to snow in the space of a day, getting ready for the trail is a challenge.

There’s more to rain than falling water. Here are the weirdest wet weather facts you didn’t know.

Staying comfortable while hiking is about way more than protecting yourself from rain. It’s incredible just how many hikers have to learn proper layering the hard way—this one included. Here’s everything you need to know to make sure you’re setting yourself up for maximum comfort when the weather turns wet.

You're at the trailhead and ready for rain, but how handy should you keep your shell? Watch the clouds to predict precipitation.

Stay dry, stay alive. Whether you’re wet from ankle to toe or head to toe, Den Mother knows what to do.

Will that river kill me if I try to cross it? Den Mother helps you assess fast-moving waters.

Your chances of being struck by lightning are higher than you think. Minimize them with these tips from thru-hiker Liz "Snorkel" Thomas.

Jason Lopez, 35, slid 1,000 vertical feet on California’s Timber Mountain on January 23, 2016. His brother-in-law Rob Wayman, 29, mounted a rescue.

Den Mother can help you keep your cool while the forest burns around you.

How long before frostbite sets in? How does cold weather change your survival priorities? You asked, the Den Mother answered.

You don’t have to look hard in winter to find ice. Put this common material to work in a survival situation with these six techniques.

One foggy night more than 130 years ago, 16 sailors lost their lives just off the Oregon Coast Trail.

Is there any good reason to carry a blowtorch into the backcountry? We put a few common items to the test.

In a matter of minutes, wildfire can undo centuries of plant growth—and that’s a good thing.

Assess a developing storm on the fly with these steps from mountain meteorologist C. David Whiteman.

Early season avalanche fatalities and incidents expose the need for education, and a targeted Web site fills the gap.

In October 2014, a severe blizzard struck Nepal's Annapurna Circuit during peak trekking season. Hundreds of hikers were stranded and dozens died in one of the world's worst hiking disasters. An eyewitness shares his tale.

Don't let the desert–or swamps, cliffs, jungles, glaciers, or other potentially dangerous landscapes–be your end.

Mnemonics make it easy to remember weather sayings and make weather predictions, but is there any truth behind the prediction rhymes?

Five hikers fight a raging river before attempting a dangerous bushwhack to safety.

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

Bad decisions and running scared got this reader struck by lightning--but he survived.

Rising water sends this reader running--and hiding--in Utah.

Stay alert in canyon country.

What not to wear in a lightning storm.

Lost and alone without your gear? Don't just sit there. Get a fire going.

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:

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Baked or broiled?

An autumn climb turns life-threatening when a hiker endures a night in a whiteout at 12,000 feet in the Rockies.

What you can do to thwart a panic attack in two common crisis situations

From crossing raging rivers to falling through thin ice, here are 11 worst-case scenarios and tips for coming out unscathed.

Why two commonly held lightning-safety beliefs could get you fried, plus expert advice.

Your odds of surviving, much less enjoying, a -30°F night in the woods rate right up there with a snowball's chance in you-know-where. That is, unless you make friends with a guy they call The Iceman.