Going solo means rising to the challenge and building up your personal responsibility. Don’t fall for common mistakes, like overestimating your true fitness, underestimating nature’s unpredictability, not having the proper gear, underpacking or overpacking, or not bringing or following signs and maps.

When you’re alone, it’s just you, so you have to prepare yourself properly for whatever you’re walking into. But hiking alone doesn’t have to feel dangerous. Follow these tips to prioritize safety and protect yourself while enjoying your amazing adventures in the wild.

1. Be Over-Prepared
Choose a trail that is easy to find and popular. Plan ahead and research how long it will take, whether it’s a day hike or a thru-hike. Before heading out, thoroughly research your chosen trail or location and get to know the details of the trail. Start your hike or run early enough in the day to ensure you have plenty of daylight to complete your journey. Don’t push the limits of daylight, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the trail.

Familiarize yourself with the terrain, trail conditions, weather forecasts, and potential hazards. Always let someone know your itinerary and expected return time. Check the weather forecast before starting your hike or run, and remember that sudden weather changes can be dangerous, so be prepared with appropriate clothing and shelter.

Learn about the wildlife in the area you’re visiting too. Understand how to react if you encounter animals like bears or cougars. Carry bear spray if you’re in bear country, which can help protect you from suspect characters as well.

Learn basic navigation skills, such as using a compass and reading a map. GPS devices can be helpful but should not be relied upon exclusively. Download offline maps on your smartphone and bring a power bank. 

1. Solo Female Hike Preparation Checklist:

• Weather
• Wildlife
• Time
• Trail
• Training
• People
• Protection
• Navigation (map, GPS downloaded offline)
• Nutrition

2. Choose a Popular Trail

It might sound obvious, but if it’s your first time out hiking alone, don’t attempt to avoid crowds, go for a popular trail. You may be alone, but let’s not go for isolated, at least at the start. Ease into hiking by yourself before you go for the more obscure trail. Well-traveled and well-maintained trails are great because they are not only easier to find but are also safer, and they’re likely very beautiful as well. 

Keep to the marked trail. Always be on a lookout for the right direction if there are confusing forks in the road. If someone comes by you can ask for directions, but always trust your instincts, and bring a map. Use a paper or electronic map for navigation and check your progress at frequent intervals to avoid navigational mistakes. Going off trail can lead to getting lost. Don’t be afraid to turn around.

3. Have the Right Gear

Always bring appropriate gear and equipment, including a map and compass (and know how to use them), a first aid kit, a headlamp or flashlight, extra clothing, and food.

Some solo female hikers choose to carry personal safety tools for creepers or animals, such as a whistle, pepper spray, and/or a personal alarm. Three shrill blasts on your whistle is the universal call for help. 

Essential Survival Gear for Solo Female Hikers

• Navigation: a paper map, GPS, and compass
• Sun protection
• Warm clothing, emergency blanket
• Headlamp or flashlight, charged or with batteries
• First aid kit
• Fire-making kit: lighter or waterproof matches (bonus: fire starter)
• Knife 
• Food
• Water
• Emergency shelter

Bear this solo hiking list in mind, but also make sure not to pack too much.

4. Let People Know

It might be appealing to just run off without a note, but informing a trusted friend or family member about your plans can give solo female hikers peace of mind. Let them know your start time and estimated end time and trail name. Consider using a hiking safety app that allows others to track your progress. You can share your location if you have service. 

If you’re nervous to share your location with friends and family, you can always speak with the park rangers and let them know your hiking plans. Hit two birds with one stone and ask the ranger if there will be cell service along your route. Knowing whether you have the ability to use your phone should you need to make an emergency call is an important preparation to make. 

You can always invest in a satellite communication device or a personal locator beacon for remote areas where cell phone reception is unreliable. Leave your itinerary with someone you trust. You can also put regular posts on social media if you have service or put up a post summarizing your plans. 

5. Know Your Body

Avoid one of the most common mistakes new solo female hikers make by knowing your body’s limits. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to push yourself, but prepare with proper water and food to sustain you for your whole journey, whether you’re hiking or running. Dehydration and exhaustion can lead to complications nobody wants.

Honor your mental and physical limitations, and take care of yourself. It’s not weak to be cautious. There’s no need to push yourself too hard on a challenging hike all by your lonesome. Take your time, be thoughtful, and pay attention to your body as you go. 

6. Pay Attention

Simply staying focused on what you’re doing can go a long way. Keep your senses sharp while on the trail and watch for signs and indicators of where you are. Don’t wear headphones in case dangerous animals or people are nearby. Be ready for anything by staying aware of your surroundings.

7. Trust Yourself

You may feel intimidated to hike alone, but it’s important to trust your internal compass and intuition. If someone seems strange, they are probably strange. Trust your instincts and listen to your gut. Don’t say yes to something you don’t want to do or take a path you are unsure about. Consider turning back or changing your plans if something doesn’t feel right.

If learning some practical self-defense gives you even more confidence, consider taking self-defense classes so you’re ready in case of an emergency while you’re alone on the trail.

It can be daunting to try solo hiking no matter who you are, but it all comes down to being ready for anything and preparing for what you can prepare for in advance. With proper preparation and constant vigilance, solo female hikers and trail runners can have perfectly safe adventures in the wild.

The post 7 Essential Safety Tips for Solo Female Hikers appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

While it’s important to consider many “facts” on social media more of an opinion, there are usually at least some informed ideas that you can use to start researching a subject. 

Here are some of the questions and popular responses on the r/Survival sub-Reddit:

Best Tips For Those New to Learning Survival Tactics?

This is a great place for beginners to start on the basics needed to increase your survival skills. Here are some responses.

R/Nilrin:

“Be sure to tell someone you’ll be out in the woods and for how long. Also, cordage making, shelter building, fire making, making pine needle tea, pottery, etc. It’s almost all good for beginners. Most outdoors skills are one of those things that take a few minutes to learn but a lifetime to master.”

R/YardFudge:

“Build a fire. 

Build a fire at night. 

Build a fire after a rain. 

Start a fire without a lighter or matches. 

Build a fire that will last overnight. 

Build a covert fire. 

That’s about 4 full days of training right there.”

R/Capt_Myke:

“Survival Skills are often best learned with a smart friend and at home. 

1. Land nav is king: Take a friend and GPS, go hiking learn to navigate without a GPS. That alone is a great skill to learn without all of the other skills. You need a compass, learn your pace count and map reading skills. Once you have that, create small challenges to test your skills near safety. And with a cell phone. 
2. While you are out there, grab fire-making stuff, moss, sticks, small logs, etc. and learn to make a fire in your backyard or campground.”

What Are the Best Offline Apps to Have On Your Phone?

While over-reliance on your phone can cause trouble, there are still plenty of ways to use modern technology to help you navigate and even call for help. However, what do you do when you’re out of service? Here are a few recommended apps that will work wherever you are.

R/WaffleIronChef:

“Maybe not exactly what you’re looking for, but there are tons of free books in the Kindle store about all different aspects of survival/off-grid living and bushcraft. The nice thing is that you don’t need a Kindle. You can download the books into the app, and they should work just fine without any kind of service.”

R/Top-Feed6544:

“First aid app, survival manual.

The big one for me is a drawing app map to which I can import and draw over QGIS maps I’ve made and exported to my phone to plot routes and examine the terrains over where I’m going.”

R/SimoTheFinlandized:

A phone can be a versatile tool when you install and use the right apps. Make sure you check that the apps work offline since you probably won’t have an internet connection. 

• MAPS & NAVIGATION: Have a mapping and navigation solution that can work offline like OsmAnd. Download the data for your area and any other areas that you may need. Try it out offline (enable airplane mode). It may take a little longer to acquire a GPS signal, but you want to make sure it works now, in advance of the need for it to work later. 
• OFFLINE DICTIONARY AND TRANSLATION: Install an offline working dictionary and the languages you are most likely to face. 
• RECORDER: In survival situations, you will get yourself in a stable situation more easily by keeping the willpower to fight on. To keep going, many people in a survival situation write diaries to combat loneliness and keep track of their life and their unexpected events. 
• TRAILSENSE: The compass can be used to determine the direction to north, and when combined with the GPS, it can be used to navigate to predefined locations. The predefined locations, known as beacons, can be created while at a location and at any point, you can use the compass to navigate back to where the beacon was placed. 
• MUSIC: Have a Music app that is not a streaming solution and some uplifting music. 
• SOURCE: Ligi’s Survival Manual

What Are the Best Survival Items to Add to a Lifejacket?

If you’re a big-time kayaker or it’s your first time camping your way down a river, there are certain items you’ll want to keep handy. This is especially true with a personal floatation device, or PFD, that hopefully you’re wearing. 

These are the additional items that may be worth connecting to your lifejacket: 

R/carlbernsen:

“In a real situation, your best friend would be a PLB or satellite messenger like a Garmin. They can be rented fairly cheaply for specific trips. It’s especially important if you’re alone and in danger of being injured out of radio range.

R/uhnotaraccoon:

“Former guide here. Ditch the tablets and pick up a Life Straw. In an uh-oh scenario, you won’t want to worry about finding a container and waiting for the tab to do its thing.”

R/Sad-Truck-2579

“In my opinion, shelter is more important than fire. You need a tarp or Emergency blankets. Paracord is great if you practice taking it apart and using it. If you are really concerned about survival, get a GPS transponder they come with a strobe light. Being found fast is better than trying to survive for even one day.”

You can find some of the recommended items in the Outdoors.com store. Including:

• Satellite messengers and GPS
• Water filtration systems
• Emergency Blankets
• Tarps

The post The Best Survival Tips From Reddit appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

But snakes in North America play an important role in the environments they live in, including acting as prey for larger mammals and birds, predators for smaller creatures and pests, and, in general, being an important part of a biodiverse ecosystem. Which is why it’s a goal of William Hayes, professor of biology at Loma Linda University in California, to dispel the many fallacies surrounding one of his favorite wild animals. He wants to remove the stigmas attached to these under-appreciated animals, starting with busting these commonly believed myths about snakes. 

MYTH 1: Snakes are poisonous.

While less of a myth and more of a misclassification, snakes—for the most part—aren’t usually poisonous, they’re venomous. Labeling something as poisonous indicates that when you eat it, inhale it, or your skin comes into contact with a toxin, it makes you sick or kills you. Venomous, on the other hand, means if it injects venom into you via a bite or sting, it can make you sick or kill you. There are a handful of snakes that are toxungenous, like the spitting cobra, that can spray toxins onto your skin, but for the most part, Hayes explains that when talking about being bitten by potentially dangerous or deadly snakes, the term used to describe them is venomous.

MYTH 2: Baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous than adult rattlesnakes.

Perhaps one of the most common myths about snakes is that when it comes to venomous varieties, namely rattlesnakes, babies are more dangerous because their venom is more toxic and they can’t control how much they inject with each bite.

However, the science proves this to be untrue. While Hayes says that drop-for-drop, baby rattlesnake venom can be more toxic in some species, contrary to popular belief, neonates (baby snakes) are able to control how much venom they release. Plus, because they are smaller, they have far less of it. That means that adult rattlesnake bites are more deadly, and the larger the rattlesnake, the more deadly its bite can be.

MYTH 3: Snakes are aggressive.

Like most creatures in the animal kingdom, the term aggressive is a bit misleading. It implies that snakes are on the hunt for humans, eager to strike given any opportunity. In reality, snakes, like other wild animals, are better described as defensive.

“Wild snakes want nothing to do with humans. They fear us. When they see us, their heart rate accelerates and they often remain immobile to avoid attracting our attention,” Hayes states. “If they fear they have been detected, their first instinct is to book it out of the area. If that’s not an option, they may exhibit defensive behavior like raising their head, hissing, vibrating or rattling their tail, and/or false striking. Snakes only bite as a last resort. So as long as you keep your distance, there’s no need to worry about a snake purposely hunting you down—they’re not interested.”

MYTH 4: If you get bitten by a snake, you should suck out the venom or create a tourniquet.

Over the years, a variety of methods have wormed their way into the collective consciousness as ways to treat a venomous snakebite. From cutting across the wound and sucking out the venom, securing a tourniquet above the bite, applying ice, to giving the area a mild electric shock, you’ve probably heard of at least one.

Unfortunately, none of them work, says Hayes. He adds: “The only effective treatment to date is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible following the bite to be given a miracle drug known as antivenom, which neutralizes the myriad toxins present in any given snake’s venom.”

MYTH 5: Venomous snakes can be identified by the shape of their head.

Many of us are taught that venomous snakes can be identified by their triangular heads. And while snakes in the viper family, which include rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths, do indeed have very angular heads, elapids, which include the colorful coral snake, usually do not. What’s more, Hayes explains, many harmless species have triangular heads.

The best way to determine whether a snake is venomous, he goes on to say, is to learn about the snakes in your area, including their color patterns and size. Only then can you be certain whether the snake in your path is venomous or not.

Check Your Facts (and Your Bias)

There are plenty of other snake-centric myths that get passed along from hiker to hiker in the great outdoors. The best thing to do when you hear a claim about these important reptiles is to check your facts. 

If you hear a “big fish” story about a 10-foot rattlesnake, research will prove that there’s no such thing. Same goes for the rumor that rattlesnakes are adapting to no longer possess rattles, thereby more adeptly evading humans. (There’s no evidence of this in the wild.) And if you’ve heard that there is hybridization between venomous and non-venomous snakes, Hayes says this doesn’t happen.

Instead of believing everything you hear, read research papers, learn facts and identification tips from reputable sources, and don’t let your bias against snakes keep you from appreciating their place in nature and from spending time outdoors. Just make sure to keep your distance, just like you should with any wild animal.

The post S-s-sensational Tales: 5 Snake Myths Busted by an Expert appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

National forest search-and-rescue officials said the attack occurred Friday afternoon. A group of hunters say they were tracking deer when a bear mauled a member of their group. After calling 911, officials chose to airlift the victim to the hospital. There is no word on the victim’s condition.

Custer Gallatin National Forest officials issued an emergency closure in the area. The hunters fired a shot during the attack, which may have injured the bear.

The Buck Ridge Yellow Mule area closure remains in effect while officials search for the bear.

The national forest is outside of Yellowstone National Park. A separate bear attack in July in Custer Gallatin resulted in the death of one woman who was hiking alone on a trail. Officials put a similar closure in place but could not locate the bear.

Preparing for Grizzly Country

Wildlife officials remind everyone to be vigilant in bear country.

Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) released these reminders for anyone in brown bear territory.

• Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
• Travel in groups whenever possible and make noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.
• Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.
• Follow food-storage orders from the applicable land management agency.
• If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.
• Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food, and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
• Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food-conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.

The post Second Grizzly Attack in Montana Closes Part of Custer Gallatin National Forest appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

The celebrities who have appeared on the show ranged from sports, music, and movie stars to presidents and prime ministers – with big names like Channing Tatum, Jennifer Lawrence, Zac Efron, Julia Roberts, Ben Stiller, and Roger Federer, plus President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Modi of India.

Bear says that each member of the crew can be particularly excited by different guests, sometimes depending on the star’s age. Bear himself may have approached each episode with the same mission in mind, but, he admits, some stars’ celebrity factor affected the experience in various ways.

Stars with Big Followings

“Sometimes I have taken younger stars away without being aware of quite how huge a following they might have,” Bear said in his book Never Give Up, giving the examples of boy-band superstar Nick Jonas and Oscar-winning actor Brie Larson who he was not familiar with in advance (Brie shot the jungle episode with Bear before the Captain Marvel movies aired).

Bear says that while he may not always appreciate the popularity of the star he is with, he thinks that can sometimes be a good thing as he doesn’t approach them with too much “fan baggage.” 

“Everyone is just a regular person on Running Wild. I like that,” he says.

See which star on the latest season of Running Wild Bear said this about (“She just has this massive global following and at the end of the journey, I could see why.”) here.

The Currency of Humankind

Bear also says that in a way, it does not really matter if he has heard of someone before he meets them, as what he is interested in is true character.

“The true test of a human being is how they hold themselves and treat others, particularly if they possess fame and success,” says Bear in Never Give Up. “The great currency of humankind is: are you humble, are you kind, and have you come through a battle to be here? Those are the things I am impressed by in people.”

Bear says that in some cases, such as with Julia Roberts, for example, not only does he know who the star is but it might be a star who he has grown up watching their work.

Julia joined Bear and the crew in season 3 for an adventure in Kenya. “It was fun to see the crew, all much the same age, get so excited beforehand. Myself included,” he says. “It was funny how much more nervous I always was in those instances. It’s hard not to get dazzled by our heroes sometimes.”

Find out which guest on the latest season Bear called “a cooler version” of himself here. 

Going Wild with Roger Federer

Bear said that another star he had wanted to get from the very start of Running Wild was the legendary tennis player Roger Federer, who had turned the show down but eventually agreed to do an adventure close to his home in the Swiss mountains.

Bear says that with stars like Julia Roberts and Roger Federer, it was strange to meet them at first, since they are such global icons, but he says that now he knows them and can consider them friends, they are even more impressive to him. 

“That’s surely the real mark of a true superstar,” he says. “To be able to say that once you get past the dazzle, and get to know the real person, behind it all, behind the fame and

achievements and stardom, they are just like you and me.”

Find out who, on the latest season, became lasting friends with Bear after the show here.

The Wild Is the Unsung Star

Bear also reminds us that the true, unsung star in all of this is the wild. 

“The wild tests us, and asks what we are made of. It demands courage and commitment if we are to survive, and rewards kindness and resilience in the big moments,” he says in Never Give Up. 

Bear says it is during the times when things go wrong that you find out what people are really made of – how people react in the pressure moments. “As they say: no pressure, no diamonds,” he says.

Find out which celeb on the latest season of Running Wild won the hearts of the host and crew by being a diamond under pressure here.

Backup Plans

When Bear and the team take “rookies” on adventures, they need plenty of backup plans, including preparation for if the weather goes wrong. But Bear says that the challenge and bad weather can strip away the pretenses, leaving just a raw, genuine person.

“The wild always bonds people so powerfully,” says Bear in Never Give Up. “It is hard to be anything but yourself when you are up against horrendous conditions on a mountain – and the true side of a person is always so much more attractive than the more polished versions we all at times like to portray.”

“And if the wild does anything for us, it unites us. Regardless of nationality, color or religion, all of us stand in awe at the power and magnitude of Mother Nature. And that always brings

people together. The great leveler,” he says.
Who, in the latest season, taught Bear that the wild is the greatest equalizer of all? Find out how Bear got on with celebs of all abilities here.

The post How Bear Grylls Teaches Survival Skills to Celebrities, From Big Celebs to Break-out Stars appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Federal officials say natural disasters cost the U.S. $165.1 billion in 2022. The most expensive disasters were Hurricane Ian, which had a $112.9 billion price tag, and the drought in the west, which resulted in $22.1 billion in damage. Other pricey disasters include tornados, hail storms, winter weather, and wildfires.

FEMA works to help prepare and respond to disasters, which include anything from a wildfire to a hurricane. The agency says these are the five basic steps you can take to get prepared:

1. Figure out how to receive emergency alerts and warnings. It’s essential to have a device that can receive alerts, whether that be a phone or a weather radio.
2. Have a shelter plan and make sure your family knows what to do in the event of a disaster. For instance, where in your home would you go if there was a tornado?
3. You and your family should know the evacuation route if you must leave your home.
4. Create a family communication plan for staying in contact with your loved ones.
5. Above all, make sure your emergency-preparedness kit is updated. These kits should include things like medications and important documents.

Other things to remember include what to do with pets and having a food supply even for those with dietary restrictions. The list could go on, but starting a preparedness plan can make a critical difference in keeping everyone safe.

This year’s National Preparedness Month is looking to target underrepresented communities. FEMA is launching an ad campaign specifically for Black Americans to help bring more awareness about the impact of natural disasters.

Are you prepared for a disaster?

Check out Bear Grylls’ survival kit.

The post Are You Disaster Ready? September 1st Kicks off National Preparedness Month appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

But there are times when he grossed us out too, and we are thinking specifically of some memorable situations that came up during Man vs. Wild, which ran for seven seasons from 2006 to 2011.

There were many stomach-churning moments that, admittedly, taught us some vital survival tips, so we’ve put together our—er—favorites.

Read on . . . if you have the stomach for it. 

The Time He Gave Himself an Enema

Getting dehydrated is not something you want to happen when you are in the hot sun on a remote Pacific island. Most times, we could drink water to rectify this, but in Man vs. Wild, Bear showed us what happens if you need to take extreme measures, such as giving yourself an enema while adrift on a raft.

The reason this works is that the rectum can absorb fluid—and Bear says that a family once had to do this to survive when adrift on a raft in the 70s when their yacht sank.

To demonstrate the technique, Bear lubricated a piece of hose and then inserted it into his rectum and poured water in. We recommend you try other ways to find water at sea before going this route, but it’s good to know about for a last resort.

When He Made a Wetsuit From a Rotting Carcass

While filming an episode of Man vs. Wild in Scotland, Bear decided to make an improvised wetsuit from a rotting seal carcass. Bear had to face a long, cold swim in the Atlantic and needed an extra layer of insulation.

He cut into the blubber from a dead seal, separated it from the carcass, and washed the blood-filled seal hide before putting it on and swimming.

While it sounds gross, animal skins have always been used as clothing, and Bear says that the Vikings used seals’ skin to keep warm ages ago.

When He Drank His Urine

On a search for water in the Sahara Desert and to avoid dehydration, Bear felt that it would be wasteful to lose fluids into the sand, so he decided to recycle his own pee as fluids to drink to help him survive.

He peed on his t-shirt and then squeezed the liquid pee into his mouth “to take the edge off the thirst.”

He also wiped the urine-soaked T-shirt on his face to help clean his skin before wearing the t-shirt to help cool him even further.

Afterwards, he said he was now “cooler, smellier but better off.”

When He Squeezed Water from Elephant Feces

Another gross way Bear found fluids on a survival mission was in some fresh elephant dung.

He was able to squeeze water out of the feces and drink it. He said this was a life-or-death survival tip he was once shown by a ranger.

“It is pretty disgusting but it could save your life,” said Bear, who added that this is a last resort, as there could be harmful bacteria in the water. “If you have nothing else to drink it could buy you extra time.”

When He Ate the Fish Eyes

Another time, when he was trying to survive on an island in the Pacific, Bear found a triggerfish and decided that the eyes would be a good way to rehydrate.

“If you haven’t got a lot of drinking water, the eyeball has masses of fluid in it,” said Bear.

“It looks really horrible but it’s nutritious and has lots of fluids,” he said before he chewed down on the fish eyes, which he described as “a salty chewy marble.” Yum.

The post From Fish Eyes to Feces, Here Are 5 Times Bear Grylls Grossed Us out in ‘Man vs. Wild’ appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

Experts believe that the alligator was originally a pet that was released when it became too big to care for. The alligator is estimated to be 3-4 feet long, according to ABC News. 

The alligator has been causing trouble in the park since Friday, August 25, when it was first seen attacking a duck, according to a park visitor. Individuals who saw the duck attack described the events as “traumatic.” 

On Saturday, police made an attempt to neutralize the alligator by firing shots into the water. Officials say they are unsure whether the attempt was successful or not. 

According to Lt. Thomas Falk, local police are working with New Jersey’s Department of Fish and Wildlife “to develop a further plan of action.”. The alligator has not been found as of Wednesday morning. Victor Crowell Park has been closed and taped off to ensure the safety of local visitors.  

Officials have asked residents of Middlesex Borough to avoid the park and not to try to capture the reptile. If anyone does see the alligator, they should contact the Middlesex Borough Police Department at 732-356-1900.

The post See You Later Alligator . . . Large Reptile on the Loose in New Jersey appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

As you hike, bike, climb, fish, camp, and frolic, beware of these dangerous plants—they’re harmful for humans to touch and/or ingest, and each of them grows somewhere in North America. Learn how to identify them so you don’t accidentally get hurt.

Castor Bean Plant

Castor oil may be safe to ingest if you need a laxative, but parts of the castor bean plant are extremely dangerous. If you brush up against this plant, that may be enough to irritate your skin. It’s those seeds, though, that you want to stay far away from. Castor seeds contain ricin, a natural toxin that’s 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide and 12,000 times more poisonous than rattlesnake venom, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Castor bean seed pods look different depending on the variety, and they range in color from bright red to pink or peach, with leaves that range from green to purple.

Giant Hogweed

This plant isn’t supposed to grow in North America, but it does, so beware. Mostly found in the northeast U.S., giant hogweed produces toxic sap that can cause severe skin irritation and blindness. It’s a member of the same family of plants as carrots, but if sap from a broken leaf or stem touches your skin, giant hogweed will ruin your week, causing lesions and blisters that could even leave the affected area sensitive to UV light for years to come.

Manchineel Tree

If you’re ever at the beach in southern Florida and fancy a little green apple thingy growing on a tree, don’t. The manchineel tree has been called the most dangerous tree in the world, and its “beach apples” are straight-up deadly. Most parts of this tree are poisonous—the milky sap will make your skin very angry and that sweet-smelling fruit could end your life. Even standing under this tree during a rainstorm could be dangerous, since the raindrops falling through the foliage above you might collect toxins that will burn your skin on contact. 

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac

Touching any of these common poisonous plants will leave you wishing you hadn’t. Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all produce urushiol oil, a nasty substance that pretty much everyone is allergic to. All three of these offenders cause an itchy skin rash that includes redness, swelling, and blisters. Poison ivy and poison oak look similar and have three leaflets (remember that saying “leaves of three, let them be”?). Poison sumac doesn’t follow those rules and has clusters of up to 13 leaflets arranged in pairs.

Water Hemlock

Water hemlock plants are a group of toxic plants related to parsley that grow in wet places in North America (and elsewhere). For water hemlock to be dangerous, you must consume it. Unfortunately, people do sometimes consume it by accident, because these plants look similar to wild edibles like carrots and celery. If you consume water hemlock, it could kill you in just 15 minutes. Compared to wild carrots, water hemlock’s white flowers are not as tightly clustered and the stems have purple splotches.

In general, whether you’re foraging for wild edibles or simply spending time out in nature, be aware of your surroundings, do your research before you handle or eat plants, and never underestimate Mother Nature. 

The post Don’t Mess with These Dangerous Plants that Grow in North America appeared first on Outdoors with Bear Grylls.

School closures began earlier today from southwest Florida to Sarasota as Tropical Storm Idalia approaches the Gulf Coast, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The storm path, which started off the coast of Cuba, will develop into a hurricane tonight around 8 PM local time, making landfall on the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday by 8 AM. The storm will continue to travel northeast as the tropical storm will hit the beaches of Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia.

Hurricane Idalia is not the only hurricane coming to Florida this week. CBS News reports that Hurricane Franklin could cause “life-threatening surf and rip currents” along the eastern coast of the United States. 

As Floridians begin to prep for the hurricane weather, news has broken regarding a “widespread fuel contamination” that could lead to cars stalling or becoming disabled on the side of the road during the storm. This could lead to problems if citizens are told to evacuate from their residences, says NPR. The fuel contamination is said to have been caused by human error.

In Governor DeSantis’s executive order, he encouraged Florida residents “to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked.” 

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