Backcountry Bear Basics

Book excerpt: * Practical strategies for avoiding dangerous bear encounters * Debunks commonly held myths about people and bears * Provides tested strategies to help you avoid conflict with black bears and grizzliesBear expert Dave Smith gives you the basics - like how to choose a good campsite and properly store your food so that you don't have to worry whether that pepper spray you brought will work on the bear that wanders into camp. He debunks commonly held myths about people and bears. Forinstance, menstruating women don't have to stay out of bear country, he says. And no, don't roll up in a ball when faced with a charging bear. So much of conventional wisdom about bears is often just plain bad advice; Smith tells you what you should do instead and why. He also reviews specific outdoor activities - from fishing to mountain biking to hiking with young children to trail running - assessing the likelihood of bear encounters and suggesting tactics for coping in different settings and situations. This second edition incorporates new research (Do bear bells work? Does tent color or shape make a difference in attracting bears?) and adds more charts and sidebars to make material accessible at a glance. Smith provides key information on bear behavior and biology to help you understand, rather than fear, this most misunderstood animal. This book is in the Mountaineers Outdoor Basics series.