Survival

For decades, hikers have debated the benefits of filters. Here's where we land.

Where there’s a blade, there’s a way. Use these techniques to carve, chop, scrape, and signal your way out of trouble.

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

The solo hiker used the deterrent and escaped with relatively minor injuries.

Summer is hot. The desert is hotter. Hiking unprepared could cost you your life.

We set the record straight.

In June of 2020, Jeremy Humphrey used his intimate knowledge of his local mountain range to rescue a missing hiker.

Grizzly and black bears have killed five people in North America over the last five months. Is this cause for concern?

You think climbing Rainier is tough? Try it carrying wounds from a war, then see who you pity.

Running in the heat is tough—but sometimes, it's flat-out dangerous. Here's what the science says about keeping yourself safe while you train.

In a wilderness emergency, the tiniest details can be a matter of life and death. After a pair of accidents leave one one young adventurer injured and another deceased, Hayden Seder ponders the difference a stroke of luck can make.

Courtney Henderson, 19, and Gavin Caruso, 23, fell 50 feet during a storm in June of 2020. Only one survived.

Despite warnings, rules, and common sense, tourists in Yellowstone keep approaching bears and bison.

What went wrong, and what we can all learn from the tragedy at the Yellow River Stone Forest 100K.

After Jacob Velarde fell 50 feet while on a solo hike, he could hardly move, let alone hike out.

These silent stalkers are the stuff of solo hikers' nightmares—but you need not worry.

When a flash flood raged through Havasupai in 2008, it would change the canyon forever—and their lives.

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

In June of 2020, Courtney Henderson and Gavin Caruso fell more than 50 feet down a mountainside. They were trapped, bleeding, and a storm was raging overhead. But help was on the way.

Bear spray is a weapon, created to fend off one of the planet’s biggest predators. So you’d be surprised how many people think that they're supposed to spray it on themselves.

Matt Dyer thought he would be lucky to see a polar bear on his trip to Canada's Torngat Mountains National Park. As it turned out, he did see one—from closer than he ever expected.

Bag, can, or locker? Here's what you'll need to use to keep your food safe from bears.

Strange noises outside your tent keeping you up at night? Learn to cope with your fear of bears.

Bear attacks on humans are exceedingly rare—but they do happen.

Can you eat a bear? Well, there's "can," and there's "should."

Sometimes, there's a lesson in tragedy. There certainly is here.

Ultrarunner Jeremy Humphrey could move effortlessly through the mountains. But when a hiker went missing in his home range, he decided to put his skills to a higher use.

In the wake of a devastating accident, a thru-hiker reflects on perseverance, community, and not letting go of his PCT dreams.

Check out Louisa Albanese's author page.

Bear Safety Gear for Every Scenario

Sudden diet changes can leave backpackers in an uncomfortable situation.

Check out Louisa Albanese and Zoe Gates's author page.

That shiny sheet of plastic you have wadded up at the bottom of your daypack can help you stay alive. Will it help you stay comfortable? That’s a different story.

They’re slithery, occasionally venomous, and many hikers’ worst nightmare. Learning to coexist with these reptiles just takes a little knowledge.

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.

Taylor Gibler, 26, barreled towards frozen peril after stumbling on Mt. Baker in June of 2020.

Think before you throw.

Pam Bales’ solo hike in October 2010 turned into a daring rescue of a fellow hiker. But she was left with more questions than answers.

Minko Nikolov, 32, suffered a near-fatal lightning strike while scouting a bouldering objective in Rocky Mountain National Park in August 2019.

From bear encounters to first aid, these safety tips will help you manage the unexpected in the backcountry.

When Shaina Maytum was 21, a slip in the desert left her broken, alone, and unable to move.

Are bears dangerous? Not if you plan ahead. Learn to stay safe in bear country with these tips from researcher Tom Smith.

The thru-hiking community knew that "Sovereign" was bad news. Why wasn't anyone able to stop him?

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

It’s the job of some captive bruins in Montana to destroy coolers and garbage cans—all in the name of keeping people safe in bear country.

Of all the risks of hiking a long trail, running into a dangerous person is one of the least likely. But as our next story shows, you never know exactly what–or who–is coming down the trail.

An unexpected rescue leads to many unanswered questions in the latest episode of Out Alive.

Four professional avalanche forecasters share their tips and gear picks for staying safe on a backcountry ski tour.

Falling rock leaves a hiker injured and trapped miles from help in the latest episode of Out Alive.

Four climbers struggle to survive as they face life-threatening conditions in the alpine.

Mountaineers Yevgeniy Krasnitskiy (39), Vasily Aushev (35), Constantin Toporov (37), and Rus Khasbulatov (33) survived a days-long storm on Mt. Rainier in June 2019.

After a fall while climbing a remote Alaskan peak, Malcolm Daly found himself gravely injured and miles from help.

A misstep in Zion traps a hiker in the mud in the season 2 premiere of Out Alive.

The solitude of a winter night beckons. But will our writer’s attempts to stay warm be a roaring success or a sputtering failure?

Ryan Osmun, 35, took a wrong step while hiking in Zion National Park in February and spent 10 hours stuck in the mud.

Bear spray in the backcountry is a must. We tested two powerful brands.

In October 2018, Rob Lundgren, 66, woke from a dream to find himself in a nightmare—lost in Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

Are we wired to get out of dangerous situations alive? We talked to the experts.

For J.P. Rose, 34, and Christina Fialho, 35, an idyllic dayhike in the Caribbean in 2017 turned into a nightmare.

When a boulder snaps his leg on a California mountain, Gregg Hein finds himself in a fight for his life.

What if you were bitten by a venomous snake far from help? For Scott Vuncannon, an encounter with a rattler in the North Carolina backcountry was the beginning of a struggle for survival.

Your chances of being attacked by a bear are around one in two million. Todd Orr was mauled by one twice in a single day. Listen to his story in the latest episode of our podcast.

A fatal accident is the beginning of a six-day-long wilderness ordeal in the second episode of BACKPACKER's Out Alive podcast.

For George Brown, 68, a morning trail run in August 2018 became more than 40 hours stranded in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness with a broken leg.

The wilderness is full of dangers. This podcast tells the stories of the people who survived them.

See if you have the knowledge to ID the lower 48's bruins.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

Taking a dog on a bear-frequented trail heightens your risks. Stay out of trouble with these 5 tips for hikers with canine companions.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.

In August 2018, Spencer Christiansen, 31, and his wife Jess, 24, spent nearly two days lost in Wyoming’s Darby Ice Caves.

Bad weather, unexpected overnights, ankle sprains and worse: Anything can happen in the backcountry. Build the perfect survival kit for any hike by following these simple principles.

Dylan “Flip” Zitawi, 25, and Colton “Rook” Lulfs, 21, spent 60 hours in a snow pit near Indian Pass, Washington, when a blizzard struck in 2017.

From bear tracks to brewing winter storms, keep an eye out for these signs of hazardous things coming.

Test your winter survival strategies for a chance to win a free class from AIM Adventure U.