The CRUX: True Survival Stories

About The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Are you drawn to thrilling survival stories where characters overcome impossible odds? The Crux: True Survival Stories is your podcast. Join us for gripping tales of resilience and invaluable insights into wilderness survival and the mindset needed to overcome adversity. Hosted by two practicing physician assistants, Kaycee McIntosh and Julie Henningsen, both passionate about wilderness and medicine. Our podcast is fueled by real-life stories and the pivotal moments that determine life or death outcomes. Tune in for captivating narratives that entertain and educate. Airing every Monday! Our bonus "Disaster Strikes" series episodes air every other Thursday. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-crux-true-survival-stories--7265181/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

Publisher

The Crux True Survival Stories

Category

history · society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

19 Feb 2021

Latest episode

21 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

151 of 331 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   21 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   15 Minutes in a Cougar's Jaws | E 264

   Keri Bergere and fellow survivors recount their harrowing 55-minute cougar attack, revealing the intense fight for survival and the power of friendship.

2. 

   14 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Abandoned for 15 Years: The Shipwreck Survivors of Tromelin Island | E 264

   Archaeologist Max Guérout and historian Thomas Romon discuss the remarkable 15-year survival of shipwrecked Malagasy people on Tromelin Island, revealed through archaeological findings.

3. 

   10 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   3 Hours in the Heat: The Ultramarathoner Who Vanished in Plain Sight | Disaster Strikes E263

   Julie and Kaycee analyze Philip Kreycik's vanishing during an ultramarathon, revealing how heat illness rapidly overwhelmed his experience and led to a swift, tragic outcome.

Inside a recent episode

15 Minutes in a Cougar's Jaws | E 264

Published 21 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] That sounds small enough that you might imagine several adults could overpower it fairly easily, which is not what happened. Washington Fish and Wildlife says an adult male cougar commonly weighs around 140 pounds, and some males can reach 160 pounds or more. A large adult male can measure from seven to eight feet from the nose to the tip of the tail and stand around 30 inches tall at the shoulder. Cougars are built for ambush, acceleration, and taking down prey. Their hind legs are exceptionally powerful. And Fish and Wildlife notes that they can easily drag prey larger than themselves. So this 75-pound cat was not a full-grown male but it was still an extremely strong predator. […]

Who has been a guest on The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Martin Takac
• Megan Hine
• Scott Thompson
• Gabriel Vaughn

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

16,751,226

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

588 ratings

Spotify

4.0 / 5

520 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 73 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

72

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

94

Pitching The CRUX: True Survival Stories

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting pitches.

Questions about The CRUX: True Survival Stories