Survival Skills

Night is falling, and you’re far from the trailhead without a tent. Time to build your own all-natural Airbnb.

Long-lasting Covid symptoms can affect your hiking performance at high elevations. Here's how to prepare.

Floods, falls, ornery wildlife: Find out if you have what it takes to survive a desert dayhike gone wrong.

Humans have been starting fires without matches longer than with them. Can our modern man measure up?

Stay safe and move efficiently on loose, steep terrain.

A survey of more than 700 John Muir Trail thru-hikers gave researchers insight into what makes a hiker more likely to get injured or ill while backpacking.

Running into danger to save others is a noble urge. But curb it: A hurt rescuer is worse than no rescuer at all.

And what to do when you see an injured hiker on the trail.

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.

We set the record straight.

Sudden diet changes can leave backpackers in an uncomfortable situation.

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.

Think before you throw.

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

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.

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.

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.

Survival is no game—unless you make a video game out of it.

The wilderness has its fair share of dangers. Find out how you'd fare in a crisis.

A hydrated hiker is a happy hiker. Feel good and crush miles with these tips for identifying and avoiding dehydration.

Embrace spring’s bounty on the country’s best fungi forages.

Forget about the wildlife; human beings can be the most dangerous—and the most unpredictable—creatures you’ll meet on the trail. Here’s how to handle them.

The wilderness can be deadly if you don't know what you're doing. Take our test to rate your survival—and learn a few skills that might save your hide.

Learn to battle your way out of a raging river—and find a safe spot to crawl to shore—with these tips.

Sure you can patch up minor injuries, but will your knowledge be enough if your partner’s life is at stake?

When survival trumps beauty sleep, sacrifice your closed-cell foam mat for a higher purpose.

There’s a perfect fire for every situation. Learn to pick the right one.

Save your eyes, your electronics, and your life—as if you needed more reasons to start every trip with a breakfast burrito.

When the mercury gets high, hikers need to get smart. Survive extreme heat with these tips.

Darkness catch you off trail and far from camp? Have no fear. Follow these tips from Army Mountain Warfare instructor Sergeant Steve Jennings to stay on track without the sun’s help.

You never leave home without one. Now put it to use to ensure you always make it back.

Everything looks good when you're starving. Learn to tell what's really on the menu.

In the right hands, this little square of cloth is so much more.

Think your rainwear is only useful in bad weather? Not so. Use this expert advice to convert your shell into anything from a water carrier to a sling.

Traditional or modern, snowshoes can do a lot more than help you float on powder.

Compass broken? GPS dead? These tips, from backpacker and astronomy Ph.D. candidate Melodie Kao, will ensure that you never get lost in the dark again.*

They're in your cabinets, in your drawers, and in your trunk. Master these six items to improve your chances of survival.

When a stunt on Mt. Sneffels went wrong, Cameron Zick found himself paralyzed in the wilderness.

Vision is important. But with a little ingenuity, your specs could save your life in other ways.

It’s not easy making fire like a caveman. Give yourself a chance with these tips.

Is hiking without a headlamp a midsummer night’s dream—or a nightmare?

Lost? Alone? Phone low on juice? There’s no app for that.

Found a glass bottle? Putting a message in there and casting it into the sea is a major Hail Mary. Try these six techniques instead.

Even a survival expert carries his cell phone (next to the blood clotting agent, that is).

Is self-nursing a viable survival strategy? Our survival expert weighs in on this and other reader questions.

Going commando? Not so fast. You never know how your skivvies can come to the rescue.

Alone and snakebitten? There are better strategies than panic.

Lost in the woods? You’re in luck. These six techniques will keep you so comfy, you may not want to be found.

So much “new” technology is modeled after things found in nature (bomber wings, solar cells, etc.). Harness natural solutions for survival, and you might do well enough to live like a bushman.

Watch our experts demonstrate good fire-making technique.

Could you survive without food in the wilderness? Our hungry hiker went searching for sustenance in one of the nation’s harshest environments to find out.

Teepee, Log Cabin, and Lean-to are three options for setting up a strong fire base.

From the dawn of history to dusk last night, fire is mankind’s oldest and most useful tool. Learn how to harness its strength to cook, survive, and connect to a primal force as old and powerful as time itself.

How to choose and build the optimal fire pit; how to light a fire in windy conditions.

Jack London’s "To Build a Fire" scared me into adolescence.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

From fun to deadly serious this list just might save your life (or at least make camping even more fun)

No matter where you are, there's natural material for the taking.

Nothing rekindles our primal connection to the open flame like a backcountry campfire.

Forgive me, Smokey, for I have sinned.

Follow these tips for a crackling, low-impact fire.

Check out Katie Herrel's author page.

Check out Dennis Lewon's author page.

Down to your last match? This fast-to-make kindling “bouquet” will light the first time, every time.

One of our favorites from the vault: a master entertainer spills his secrets for spinning unforgettable yarns.

Place your fuel wood in the right places to create a fire that behaves exactly how you want.

You’ll be very sorry—and very, very smelly.

Find the right logs, sticks, kindling, and fuel to make a campfire.

Campfires-gone-amok are the most common source of human-caused wildfires. Make sure yours is out cold.

You probably carry one of these already (right?). Now, make the most of it with these seven life-saving techniques.

Even the dullest of pocket debris can become a survival implement. Use a paper clip to catch dinner, treat wounds, and even start a fire.

Learn to dissect a cellphone to make a spear, snare, signaling device, compass, and more in this how-to guide. Photos by Creek Stewart, willowhavenoutdoor.com

Individually, dryer lint, cardboard egg crates, and candles seem pretty unglamorous -- not to mention useless as survival tools. But combine them and they transform into an unstoppable, rainproof firestarter. Snow, wind, mud: We’ve tested this nuclear opt

Nothing but a plastic bag? Use it to waterproof clothes, signal for rescue, and more.

A tossed soda or beer can is never a pretty sight in the wild -- but it could be your ticket to a much-needed meal if you find yourself stranded near a body of water. With some floss (or scavenged line), even a child can assemble a simple, usable fishing

Everyone has a pile of plastic shopping bags overflowing out of a kitchen drawer or pantry just taking up space. So, make a survival tool out of ‘em – specifically, a strong, durable waterproof rope, which you can braid without any tools. All you need is as many plastic bags as you can get your hands on and a pair of scissors.