Millions of people go hiking in the National Parks, forests, and wilderness areas of the US and Canada every year. Most come back with happy memories, but others return home with stories of survival. Bad weather is the second most common reason hikers get into trouble. Can you guess the first? [Smoky Mountains]
Wandering off the trail and getting lost is the #1 reason a hike becomes a survival story. American Outdoor Guide editor Steve Barlow shows you how to get your bearings, even for those times when there is no trail.
How To Avoid Sickness And Hypothermia During Cold Weather
In the early stages of a critical situation during the fall and winter, it’s not shooting a deer or snaring a rabbit that’s going to keep you alive; it’s your ability to stay dry and warm that will determine your fate. Plus, what to do if hypothermia is coming on.
The report in the lead link tells the story of a lost cross-country skier who survived because he remembered what he’d learned in Boy Scouts. He dug a snow cave and and lined it with pine branches for insulation.
Another hiker in our today’s lead link spent 5 days stranded on a parched lava field. He found hydration from an unlikely source—moss. Kevin Estela shows you other backcountry hydration hacks.
How about the hiker who broke his leg in the backcountry? “I ended up eating everything that would let me catch it: two crickets, five or six moths, eight or ten large ants, and three or four water bugs.” If you’re lost in a coastal area, seaweed can be your key to survival. Christopher Nyerges shows you how.