PODCAST: Bitten By a Rattlesnake
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.
Survival
Master essential wilderness survival skills with tips and advice from the experts at Backpacker Magazine. Our experts teach you how to build fires, forage for food, find shelter, survive animal attacks, and get the most out of every piece of gear you bring into the wilderness.
PODCAST: Mauled By a Grizzly
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.
PODCAST: Stranded on a Ledge
A fatal accident is the beginning of a six-day-long wilderness ordeal in the second episode of BACKPACKER's Out Alive podcast.
Lost, Injured, and Cold
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.
LISTEN: Out Alive, Backpacker’s Survival Podcast
The wilderness is full of dangers. This podcast tells the stories of the people who survived them.
Quiz: Can You Tell Black Bears and Grizzlies Apart?
See if you have the knowledge to ID the lower 48's bruins.
Ask a Bear: Do Bears Really Love Honey?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.
How to Keep Your Dog (and Yourself) Safe in Bear Country
Taking a dog on a bear-frequented trail heightens your risks. Stay out of trouble with these 5 tips for hikers with canine companions.
Ask a Bear: Where Does the Word "Bear" Come From?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.
Ask a Bear: How Many Different Kinds of Bears Are There?
Our resident bruin expert answers all your questions in our 'Ask A Bear' column.
Lost In an Ice Cave
In August 2018, Spencer Christiansen, 31, and his wife Jess, 24, spent nearly two days lost in Wyoming’s Darby Ice Caves.
How to Build a Backpacking Survival Kit
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.
Out Alive: Caught in a Whiteout
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.
6 Backcountry Dangers to Watch For on the Trail
From bear tracks to brewing winter storms, keep an eye out for these signs of hazardous things coming.
Could You Survive a Wilderness Blizzard? Play Our New Game and Find Out.
Test your winter survival strategies for a chance to win a free class from AIM Adventure U.
Could You Survive?
Do you have what it takes to live through a wilderness emergency? Get the skills—and get home alive—with expert advice, skills, and real-life survival case studies from our experts.
Frostbitten and Stranded
When Eric LeMarque was rescued off California’s Mammoth Mountain in 2004, he had no way of knowing the hardship was just beginning.
Mauled by a Mountain Lion
How do you move on after a cougar tries to kill you? Following an attack in 2004, Anne Hjelle got back on the trail.
First, the Accident. Then, the Invisible Trauma.
After a fall on Mt. Rainier in 2012, Stacy Wren Liedle found herself dealing with a different kind of injury.
Could You Survive in the Mountains? Play Our Game and Find Out.
Survival is no game—unless you make a video game out of it.