Reader Challenge

Are you an ALONE contender?

50 questions on fire, water, shelter, food, cold-weather physiology, and ALONE history. Score 50/50 and you've earned the title. Your score posts anonymously to the community leaderboard when you submit.

Answered 0 of 50No cheating — no timer

Question 1 / 50
Which fire-by-friction method uses a bow, spindle, and hearth board?
Question 2 / 50
You have one match, wet wood, and an hour of daylight. First move?
Question 3 / 50
Which natural tinder reliably takes a spark even when the outside is wet?
Question 4 / 50
The safest protocol for making questionable surface water drinkable is:
Question 5 / 50
A backcountry hollow-fiber filter (0.1–0.2 micron) reliably removes:
Question 6 / 50
In a cold, wet forest with 40 minutes of daylight left, your first shelter priority is:
Question 7 / 50
A 'quinzhee' is:
Question 8 / 50
Which knot is best for tying a ridgeline you'll need to release under tension?
Question 9 / 50
You need a fixed loop at the end of a rope that won't slip or bind. Best knot:
Question 10 / 50
Roughly how many calories per day does a moderately active adult burn doing cold-weather bushcraft?
Question 11 / 50
Hypothermia begins to seriously impair judgment at a core temperature of about:
Question 12 / 50
Which of these loses body heat the fastest?
Question 13 / 50
Which wild food is a safe, calorie-dense staple in a northern wetland?
Question 14 / 50
What is the primary purpose of a gill net?
Question 15 / 50
For processing wood at a long-term camp, which single tool is most versatile?
Question 16 / 50
The universal distress signal, recognized worldwide, is:
Question 17 / 50
If you're lost, the correct first action is:
Question 18 / 50
In North American black-bear country, the correct response to a surprise close encounter is generally:
Question 19 / 50
With a baseplate compass, 'declination' is:
Question 20 / 50
For a deep bleed on an arm or leg that won't stop with pressure, the correct step is:
Question 21 / 50
Char cloth catches a spark best when it is:
Question 22 / 50
A ferro rod throws molten metal at roughly:
Question 23 / 50
In a driving rain, the most reliable way to keep a fire going is to:
Question 24 / 50
Chemical treatment with iodine or chlorine dioxide is least effective against:
Question 25 / 50
The earliest reliable sign of dehydration in the field is:
Question 26 / 50
A solar still in the desert is best thought of as:
Question 27 / 50
For a long-term ALONE-style shelter, the single most valuable feature is:
Question 28 / 50
A 'super shelter' (Mors Kochanski) relies on:
Question 29 / 50
Best orientation for a lean-to opening in cold country is generally:
Question 30 / 50
For lashing a tripod together, the classic knot is:
Question 31 / 50
To join two ropes of different diameters, use a:
Question 32 / 50
Natural cordage from inner bark is most commonly processed from:
Question 33 / 50
For long-term calorie storage without refrigeration, the most reliable technique is:
Question 34 / 50
'Rabbit starvation' happens when your diet is:
Question 35 / 50
The safest wild starch in most northern wetlands is:
Question 36 / 50
For grouse and rabbit in a long-term camp, the most efficient tool is:
Question 37 / 50
The main reason a Scandinavian-grind knife is popular in bushcraft is:
Question 38 / 50
To sharpen a convex-ground axe in camp, use:
Question 39 / 50
A signal mirror is aimed by:
Question 40 / 50
The best ground-to-air distress symbol for 'need medical assistance' is:
Question 41 / 50
In grizzly country, the correct response to a sudden defensive charge from a mother with cubs is generally:
Question 42 / 50
Cougars typically strike from:
Question 43 / 50
A bearing of 270° points:
Question 44 / 50
In the northern hemisphere, Polaris is found by extending the pointer stars of:
Question 45 / 50
'Handrailing' in navigation means:
Question 46 / 50
For frostbite of the fingers in the field, you should:
Question 47 / 50
For a suspected spinal injury after a fall, the correct field action is:
Question 48 / 50
The most common cause of a tap-out on ALONE across all seasons is:
Question 49 / 50
A common ALONE 'ten items' selection is a saw, ferro rod, pot, sleeping bag, tarp, knife, axe, gill net, fishing line/hooks, and:
Question 50 / 50
The ALONE record for longest solo stay (as of Season 12) is held by Roland Welker at:

Answer all 50 questions to see your verdict.

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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:

Char cloth catches a spark best when it is:

A ferro rod throws molten metal at roughly:

In a driving rain, the most reliable way to keep a fire going is to:

Chemical treatment with iodine or chlorine dioxide is least effective against:

The earliest reliable sign of dehydration in the field is:

A solar still in the desert is best thought of as:

For a long-term ALONE-style shelter, the single most valuable feature is:

A 'super shelter' (Mors Kochanski) relies on:

Best orientation for a lean-to opening in cold country is generally:

For lashing a tripod together, the classic knot is:

To join two ropes of different diameters, use a:

Natural cordage from inner bark is most commonly processed from:

For long-term calorie storage without refrigeration, the most reliable technique is:

'Rabbit starvation' happens when your diet is:

The safest wild starch in most northern wetlands is:

For grouse and rabbit in a long-term camp, the most efficient tool is:

The main reason a Scandinavian-grind knife is popular in bushcraft is:

To sharpen a convex-ground axe in camp, use:

A signal mirror is aimed by:

The best ground-to-air distress symbol for 'need medical assistance' is:

In grizzly country, the correct response to a sudden defensive charge from a mother with cubs is generally:

Cougars typically strike from:

A bearing of 270° points:

In the northern hemisphere, Polaris is found by extending the pointer stars of:

'Handrailing' in navigation means:

For frostbite of the fingers in the field, you should:

For a suspected spinal injury after a fall, the correct field action is:

The most common cause of a tap-out on ALONE across all seasons is:

A common ALONE 'ten items' selection is a saw, ferro rod, pot, sleeping bag, tarp, knife, axe, gill net, fishing line/hooks, and:

The ALONE record for longest solo stay (as of Season 12) is held by Roland Welker at:

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