How to Navigate in the Backcountry at Night
Backpacker » Survival
by zgates
6d ago
I’ve been guilty of staying out longer than was prudent and finding myself racing to get back to a parking lot or base camp as the sun sets. On the other hand, sometimes it’s a deliberate choice to hike at night: For example, snow that was deep and wet during the day has frozen enough to walk on top of, and the moon and starlight illuminates the snowy landscape almost like day. In hot desert environments, it’s miserable to hike in the heat of the day, so I’ll plan on twilight or night hikes if I need to travel. Hunters planning to get in position early can often be seen heading to the hills w ..read more
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Here’s What Really Kills People in the National Parks
Backpacker » Survival
by Adam Roy
1M ago
Each year, more than 300 million people visit one of the 428 sites managed by the National Park Service. Some plan to spend a weekend backpacking in the woods, others to scale a technical peak, and many more just to take in the sights from an overlook or scenic drive. But for a small handful of unfortunate visitors, the trip ends in tragedy. Approximately 243 people die annually on NPS lands. Considering the crowds the parks receive, that’s not many: With nearly 312 million visits in 2022, it works out to a death rate of less than one in a million. Still, those few fatalities have a way of ca ..read more
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Close Call of the Week: Cornice Collapses Over 900-Foot Drop
Backpacker » Survival
by Emma Veidt
1M ago
          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Naroyama | Road to Everest (@naro_yama) One training climb along the Étale ridge of the French Prealps became “a mountaineer’s nightmare” when a cornice collapsed mere inches from Naël Fontaine and Roman Geyer. Beautiful but dangerous, cornices are piles of hardened snow shaped by wind and often hang off the edge of mountains. They form when wind drifts snow onto the downwind side of features such as ridgelines or precip ..read more
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What Survival Skills Should I Teach My 5 Year Old?
Backpacker » Survival
by Emma Veidt
1M ago
When young explorers hit the trail with their joyful curiosity, parents are prepared for the occasional skinned knee or “carry me!” demand, but perhaps not the worst-case scenario. Even if the hike is short or familiar or seemingly straightforward, things could go awry in an instant despite our best efforts. There’s good news, though: Even very young children can learn to stay safe by following a few simple rules. “Talking children through a plan in a simulated discussion will help them stay calm if they are ever separated [from the group while hiking],” says Chris Boyer, executive director a ..read more
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How a Military Survival Instructor Packs for Emergencies
Backpacker » Survival
by zgates
2M ago
In her monthly column, The Survivalist, Jessie Krebs writes about staying alive in dangerous backcountry scenarios. Krebs is a former Air Force S.E.R.E (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape) instructor and owner of O.W.L.S. Skills. A fair number of folks buy a survival kit, maybe rifle through it a bit, then zip it up and throw it in the wheel well of the car or carry it in their backpack, figuring they’ll break it out if needed. But in a real emergency, this can be a problem. Often, kits are sold as a “one-size-fits-all,” or marketed for a specific activity like trai ..read more
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Ask a Thru-Hiker: How Do I Get Water in the Desert?
Backpacker » Survival
by Adam Roy
2M ago
Do you dream about hitting the trail for a long—really long—hike? In Ask a Thru-Hiker, record-setting long-distance hiker Liz “Snorkel” Thomas answers your burning questions about how to do it. Dear Snorkel, Desert routes such as the Arizona Trail (AZT) and parts of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Continental Divide Trail (CDT) often have long stretches between natural water sources, which make it impractical to carry enough to drink or cook. I know that many hikers use water caches. What do I need to know about caching water, and can I just leave my empty bottles?  Water-Wise Dea ..read more
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Knowing How to Rescue Your Dog From Animal Traps Could Save His Life—Here’s How
Backpacker » Survival
by Adam Roy
2M ago
On January 3, Annee Price set out for a hike from the Clark Ranch trailhead near Park City, Utah, with her dog, a border collie named Freyja, when something in the bushes caught the canine’s eye.  As the Park Record of Park City reported, the dog wandered off the path to investigate it, then suddenly disappeared into the bushes. Freyja had stepped into an unmarked leghold trap which had clamped closed onto her back paw. Price was stuck nearly a mile from her car, trying to figure out how to remove the device’s metal jaws from her injured pet. After struggling with the trap for about 20 m ..read more
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The 6 Biggest Bear Stories Backpacker Published in 2023
Backpacker » Survival
by Adam Roy
3M ago
We’ll never get tired of talking about bears. Why would we? The super-size predators are among the most breathtaking—and nerve-wracking—megafauna in North America. For better or for worse, everyone who backpacks long enough and widely enough eventually has a story about an encounter with one. This year, we wrote about a burglar bear who tore apart homes across Lake Tahoe in search of snacks before the law caught up with her, the decline of a popular bear safety method, and the legacy of what’s probably the most famous fatal bear attack in the history of the world. Read on for our six most-rea ..read more
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Caught Out With No Tent? A Survivalist Shares Her Best Shelter Tips
Backpacker » Survival
by zgates
3M ago
In her monthly column, The Survivalist, Jessie Krebs writes about staying alive in dangerous backcountry scenarios. Krebs is a former Air Force S.E.R.E (survival, evasion, resistance, and escape) instructor and owner of O.W.L.S. Skills. Usually the first thing I do when I arrive at a new campsite is put up a shelter. After clothing, shelter is our best line of defense from the elements. There are several reasons you should build a shelter before starting a fire. First off, imagine starting a fire in nasty weather, with rain pouring down, snow falling thickly, and wind so s ..read more
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A Rescue Gone Wrong
Backpacker » Survival
by lalbanese
3M ago
Out Alive is a podcast about real people who survived the unsurvivable. Check out more seasons and episodes here.   In 1982, Mountain Rescue Service volunteer Joe Lentini’s life took a profound turn during a daring rescue mission gone wrong. Decades later, the impact of that fateful day continues to echo, not just in Joe’s life, but in the lives of everyone involved. If you want to learn more about one of the climbers lost on Mt. Washinton, Dr. Hugh Herr, and how this event became the impetus for his pioneering career in biomechanics, click here. Transcript Coming soon. The post A ..read more
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