Alone in the wilderness, facing a grizzly that was determined to kill him, Colin Dowler had only one option: fight for his life. The 44-year-old had been on a solo hike to scout routes up a coastal mountain in British Columbia when the animal attacked. Without bear spray, and miles from the nearest help, he thought he was as good as dead. It wasn’t until the grizzly was tearing into his abdomen that he remembered his pocketknife. In this remarkable tale from our archives, we hear about one man’s desperate bid to survive, and learn what experts say is the right way to defend yourself from a bear.

This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith, a proudly independent running brand that makes high-performance products for amateur runners striving to be their best. Check out its entire collection at Tracksmith.com. New customers get $15 off their first order of $75 or more for a limited time by entering the code OUTSIDE at checkout.