Reader Challenge

Are you an ALONE contender?

20 questions on fire, water, shelter, food, cold-weather physiology, and ALONE history. Score 20/20 and you've earned the title.

Answered 0 of 20No cheating — no timer

Question 1 / 20
Which fire-by-friction method uses a bow, spindle, and hearth board?
Question 2 / 20
You have one match, wet wood, and an hour of daylight. First move?
Question 3 / 20
Which natural tinder reliably takes a spark even when the outside is wet?
Question 4 / 20
The safest protocol for making questionable surface water drinkable is:
Question 5 / 20
A backcountry hollow-fiber filter (0.1–0.2 micron) reliably removes:
Question 6 / 20
In a cold, wet forest with 40 minutes of daylight left, your first shelter priority is:
Question 7 / 20
A 'quinzhee' is:
Question 8 / 20
Which knot is best for tying a ridgeline you'll need to release under tension?
Question 9 / 20
You need a fixed loop at the end of a rope that won't slip or bind. Best knot:
Question 10 / 20
Roughly how many calories per day does a moderately active adult burn doing cold-weather bushcraft?
Question 11 / 20
Hypothermia begins to seriously impair judgment at a core temperature of about:
Question 12 / 20
Which of these loses body heat the fastest?
Question 13 / 20
Which wild food is a safe, calorie-dense staple in a northern wetland?
Question 14 / 20
What is the primary purpose of a gill net?
Question 15 / 20
For processing wood at a long-term camp, which single tool is most versatile?
Question 16 / 20
The universal distress signal, recognized worldwide, is:
Question 17 / 20
If you're lost, the correct first action is:
Question 18 / 20
In North American black-bear country, the correct response to a surprise close encounter is generally:
Question 19 / 20
With a baseplate compass, 'declination' is:
Question 20 / 20
For a deep bleed on an arm or leg that won't stop with pressure, the correct step is:

Answer all 20 questions to see your verdict.

Which fire-by-friction method uses a bow, spindle, and hearth board?

You have one match, wet wood, and an hour of daylight. First move?

Which natural tinder reliably takes a spark even when the outside is wet?

The safest protocol for making questionable surface water drinkable is:

A backcountry hollow-fiber filter (0.1–0.2 micron) reliably removes:

In a cold, wet forest with 40 minutes of daylight left, your first shelter priority is:

A 'quinzhee' is:

Which knot is best for tying a ridgeline you'll need to release under tension?

You need a fixed loop at the end of a rope that won't slip or bind. Best knot:

Roughly how many calories per day does a moderately active adult burn doing cold-weather bushcraft?

Hypothermia begins to seriously impair judgment at a core temperature of about:

Which of these loses body heat the fastest?

Which wild food is a safe, calorie-dense staple in a northern wetland?

What is the primary purpose of a gill net?

For processing wood at a long-term camp, which single tool is most versatile?

The universal distress signal, recognized worldwide, is:

If you're lost, the correct first action is:

In North American black-bear country, the correct response to a surprise close encounter is generally:

With a baseplate compass, 'declination' is:

For a deep bleed on an arm or leg that won't stop with pressure, the correct step is: