Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters (Mountaineers Outdoor Basics)

Practical strategies for avoiding dangerous situations—and how to cope if you do encounter a bear
Debunks commonly held myths about people and bears
Revised edition highlights new research and new issues

No more myths. No more rumors. No more horror stories. Backcountry Bear Basics, 2nd Edition provides tested strategies to help you avoid conflict with black bears and grizzlies.

Bear 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. For instance, 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 updated 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.