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Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
175 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1997
About the author
Dave Smith
3 books2 followersDave Smith spent more than a decade in Alaska, and another six years working as a winterkeeper in Yellowstone Park. He also worked in Glacier, Denali and Glacier Bay National Parks.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 27, 2022
The advice was straightforward and actionable, which is the only reason this gets four stars. My main takeaways were: stand your ground if a bear charges at you, only play dead after they make contact, fight back if a bear attacks while you’re in your tent, bear cans are better than bear bags, and bear spray is more effective than a gun.
I did not love the author’s opinions about noise in the backcountry. He made it clear that people should try and hike in groups, because groups make more noise and are less likely to surprise bears. He also made it abundantly clear that he hates noise, and the way it was written came off as judgemental and kind of mean. Here were two examples:
“I don’t just holler my fool head off.”
“I’d hike in a Scottish kilt and cowboy boots before I’d wear bear bells or walk with a group of people who talked nonstop for 8 hours straight. What would you talk about? The Internet? The World Series? Cosmetics? If you’re walking through Jasper national park’s backcountry talking and thinking about politics, perhaps you should reconsider your whole approach to the wilderness.”
The one other thing I didn’t love was that I was hoping to read this book to become less afraid of bears. He even wrote at the beginning that people writing about bear attacks all the time demonizes them. He then proceeded to tell multiple stories throughout the book of bears killing people in their sleeping bags, while trail running, etc. I felt like the stories demonized bears and didn’t really support his points.
I did not love the author’s opinions about noise in the backcountry. He made it clear that people should try and hike in groups, because groups make more noise and are less likely to surprise bears. He also made it abundantly clear that he hates noise, and the way it was written came off as judgemental and kind of mean. Here were two examples:
“I don’t just holler my fool head off.”
“I’d hike in a Scottish kilt and cowboy boots before I’d wear bear bells or walk with a group of people who talked nonstop for 8 hours straight. What would you talk about? The Internet? The World Series? Cosmetics? If you’re walking through Jasper national park’s backcountry talking and thinking about politics, perhaps you should reconsider your whole approach to the wilderness.”
The one other thing I didn’t love was that I was hoping to read this book to become less afraid of bears. He even wrote at the beginning that people writing about bear attacks all the time demonizes them. He then proceeded to tell multiple stories throughout the book of bears killing people in their sleeping bags, while trail running, etc. I felt like the stories demonized bears and didn’t really support his points.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2015
While staying at a friend's cabin in Lake Tahoe a few years back, I noticed this little book on her shelf and flicked through it in between excursions to Truckee and Tahoe City. At first, believing I'd never be that one person to encounter a bear for real, it was just a really interesting read, and the advice it offers has stuck in my head all of these years, even though there was no doubt in my mind I'd never need it (normally I reside in Scotland and only come to California every few years).
Then during my first visit to Yosemite earlier this week, my parents and I met a young black bear - I don't think we were in any true danger (he was quite a way's off and very disinterested) but it definitely gave me great comfort to know that I was not walking into this encounter with no knowledge of what to expect. Reading the reviews of others who have had proper encounters with bears, I can quite happily say that this book is incredibly helpful to those intent on hiking or camping in bear country - however I read the 1997 print. It is unknown to me if the newer prints have anything added or changed but the newer print is probably best choice and likely easier to get.
Then during my first visit to Yosemite earlier this week, my parents and I met a young black bear - I don't think we were in any true danger (he was quite a way's off and very disinterested) but it definitely gave me great comfort to know that I was not walking into this encounter with no knowledge of what to expect. Reading the reviews of others who have had proper encounters with bears, I can quite happily say that this book is incredibly helpful to those intent on hiking or camping in bear country - however I read the 1997 print. It is unknown to me if the newer prints have anything added or changed but the newer print is probably best choice and likely easier to get.
March 14, 2008
K.... so I already knew that I shouldn't pet the racoons, bobcats or bats... cause they have rabies and worms. But, I didn't know that as part of you're pre-camping ritual, you should get you're hair highlighted the day before and then always wear a hat while in the sun. I think this book was a little to East Coast for me.
July 14, 2008
This guide was working (working too hard) to be witty and charming, but it really left me cold. Nothing new to be learned by reading it, and the "beauty tips and tricks" aspects made me feel like I was reading Cosmo.
June 10, 2015
Down to earth information that makes me feel simultaneously more and less confident about backpacking in bear country.
July 22, 2025
This book was recommended to me by a bear guide/guard working in Alaska. It was no nonsense and balanced, addressing both the facts and fictions of bear encounters. If you’re looking for a solid introductory guid to hiking/fishing/backpacking in bruin country, this is your book.
August 9, 2018
If you like camping / hiking in bear country, this book is a must. It broke many of my own misconceptions.
June 14, 2014
Reader beware
Reader beware
You had better read this book carefully, and give yourself plenty of time before you go on your merry way in bear country. Mr. Smith says two important things at the beginning of his book:
1) he's not liable for any damages you incur because he can't guarantee that any of what follows is accurate or useful;
2) do not go into bear country if you are not prepared to accept everything that happens, including damages to you or your loved ones, including death
It's hard to argue with either statement but that is precisely why you need to read everything you can about bears and bear/human interaction carefully and well in advance of your trip. What are you willing to lose by making your trip?
You are assuming that Mr. Smith's book will inform you of your risks, guide you through typical interactions with bears, guide you through some of the extreme interactions with bears, and not mislead you with tabloid sensationalism. Many other reviewers give high marks to this book because they share the same disdain for any and all other books that don't conform to Smith's attitude.
Warning: Mr. Smith is as guilty, if not more so since he makes a point of ridiculing others, of giving you advice that has the following problems:
1) Using examples from authors he disapproves of and yet ends up giving you the same advice
2) Blaming other people for not providing proof in the form of research papers and the like, while Smith often provides no "proof" himself, provides misleading statistics, and provides you with multiple and inherently contradictory advice. For example, Smith provides a table on bear attacks and makes conclusions about all bears based on it -- the topic is the frequency of bear attacks, Smith claims that the tabloid sensationalism of other authors books is wrong and harmful, but you MUST read that data carefully because it only provides the number of attacks that occur AT NIGHT, and both you and the bears are more likely to be active during the day.
3) presenting a person as a negative resource in one section and then relying on the same author as a positive resource in other places -- you MUST read every footnote and remember the names of researchers in this book (or any other book on such an important topic). Yes, Smith does rely on surprising sources that you think he's already dismissed as false, misinformed, and sensationalist.
I don't have the time to warn you of all the shades of truthfulness or accuracy -- even lapses in common sense -- in Mr. Smith's book. All I can say is that YOU must read this book very carefully.
You should not ignore any suggestions from others based upon aesthetic concerns about their prose style (e. g., tabloid sensationalism -- which is a charge fraught with subjectivity and outright ignorance). Book titles and even some authors intentions may be "sensationalism" and therefore distasteful to you and Mr Smith but it does not mean that these books are false, inaccurate, and dangerous to you and to bears. Bears DO attack people, they do kill people, they do act in a predatory manner towards people. These simple facts do not warrant programs that kill or harm bears. But denying these facts or downplaying them puts you and your family in jeopardy.
Smith doesn't warn you enough to carefully study and understand the implications of the specific park you are visiting. Smith's book should be a long study and not a quick/easy read (or primer) on bear/human interaction. The park's rules also should not be read only once or quickly. Smith's book is not an adequate replacement for park rules. For example, Smith might advise you to burn as much of your trash as possible, and even warns that you have to collect the ashes and carry those out of the park. But some parks (I used Denali as the author mentions it frequently) do not allow open fires so you can't burn your trash -- and Denali has a rule as of this writing, June in 2014, that says you MUST carry out all USED TOILET PAPER along with your other trash.
You might decide you are willing to break park rules, pay the fines if necessary if you are caught, just to bypass the toilet paper rule. You would be starting down a path that leads to harm and possibly even death to both bears and humans. How it is that just burying your used toilet paper may have such repercussions is not obvious. You will have to study the issues that are raised by rules, guidebooks, so called sensationalism or tabloid style books, and other sources.
Smith's book begins your education. It's not adequate to stop there.
You might even decide to change your vacation plans once you do more research on your trip and the burdens you never knew existed...even after reading Mr Smith's book.
Reader beware
You had better read this book carefully, and give yourself plenty of time before you go on your merry way in bear country. Mr. Smith says two important things at the beginning of his book:
1) he's not liable for any damages you incur because he can't guarantee that any of what follows is accurate or useful;
2) do not go into bear country if you are not prepared to accept everything that happens, including damages to you or your loved ones, including death
It's hard to argue with either statement but that is precisely why you need to read everything you can about bears and bear/human interaction carefully and well in advance of your trip. What are you willing to lose by making your trip?
You are assuming that Mr. Smith's book will inform you of your risks, guide you through typical interactions with bears, guide you through some of the extreme interactions with bears, and not mislead you with tabloid sensationalism. Many other reviewers give high marks to this book because they share the same disdain for any and all other books that don't conform to Smith's attitude.
Warning: Mr. Smith is as guilty, if not more so since he makes a point of ridiculing others, of giving you advice that has the following problems:
1) Using examples from authors he disapproves of and yet ends up giving you the same advice
2) Blaming other people for not providing proof in the form of research papers and the like, while Smith often provides no "proof" himself, provides misleading statistics, and provides you with multiple and inherently contradictory advice. For example, Smith provides a table on bear attacks and makes conclusions about all bears based on it -- the topic is the frequency of bear attacks, Smith claims that the tabloid sensationalism of other authors books is wrong and harmful, but you MUST read that data carefully because it only provides the number of attacks that occur AT NIGHT, and both you and the bears are more likely to be active during the day.
3) presenting a person as a negative resource in one section and then relying on the same author as a positive resource in other places -- you MUST read every footnote and remember the names of researchers in this book (or any other book on such an important topic). Yes, Smith does rely on surprising sources that you think he's already dismissed as false, misinformed, and sensationalist.
I don't have the time to warn you of all the shades of truthfulness or accuracy -- even lapses in common sense -- in Mr. Smith's book. All I can say is that YOU must read this book very carefully.
You should not ignore any suggestions from others based upon aesthetic concerns about their prose style (e. g., tabloid sensationalism -- which is a charge fraught with subjectivity and outright ignorance). Book titles and even some authors intentions may be "sensationalism" and therefore distasteful to you and Mr Smith but it does not mean that these books are false, inaccurate, and dangerous to you and to bears. Bears DO attack people, they do kill people, they do act in a predatory manner towards people. These simple facts do not warrant programs that kill or harm bears. But denying these facts or downplaying them puts you and your family in jeopardy.
Smith doesn't warn you enough to carefully study and understand the implications of the specific park you are visiting. Smith's book should be a long study and not a quick/easy read (or primer) on bear/human interaction. The park's rules also should not be read only once or quickly. Smith's book is not an adequate replacement for park rules. For example, Smith might advise you to burn as much of your trash as possible, and even warns that you have to collect the ashes and carry those out of the park. But some parks (I used Denali as the author mentions it frequently) do not allow open fires so you can't burn your trash -- and Denali has a rule as of this writing, June in 2014, that says you MUST carry out all USED TOILET PAPER along with your other trash.
You might decide you are willing to break park rules, pay the fines if necessary if you are caught, just to bypass the toilet paper rule. You would be starting down a path that leads to harm and possibly even death to both bears and humans. How it is that just burying your used toilet paper may have such repercussions is not obvious. You will have to study the issues that are raised by rules, guidebooks, so called sensationalism or tabloid style books, and other sources.
Smith's book begins your education. It's not adequate to stop there.
You might even decide to change your vacation plans once you do more research on your trip and the burdens you never knew existed...even after reading Mr Smith's book.
July 20, 2011
I'm going to admit to being bear obsessed at the moment. Preparing for nine days of backpacking in Montana, prime Grizzly country, will do that to a woman. I devoured this book in a day. Hopefully, it will keep me safe from a bear doing the same to me.
Bottom line, stay out of a bear's space. Would love to do that. Don't assume he or she wants to gobble you up. Stand your ground. Could probably manage that one since I'll likely be too shocked to run or attempt to climb a tree (both no-nos). Don't play dead too soon or get up too soon. While I won't bring anything too stinky to eat, I don't think I could manage to eat all of my food cold but I will try to watch where we set up camp and consider getting binoculars so that I don't catch the bear unaware. A Montana friend highly recommended bear spray (which we'll have) but I have a difficult time seeing me being mindful enough to properly aim it (and who knew that after the initial shock, bears may be attracted to the pepper spray smell so clean it off). Rocks in my tent, however, sound like a fantastic idea.
Honestly, at the end of the day, I just hope it's been a good season for bear food in Montana and that I can stay out of their space.
Bottom line, stay out of a bear's space. Would love to do that. Don't assume he or she wants to gobble you up. Stand your ground. Could probably manage that one since I'll likely be too shocked to run or attempt to climb a tree (both no-nos). Don't play dead too soon or get up too soon. While I won't bring anything too stinky to eat, I don't think I could manage to eat all of my food cold but I will try to watch where we set up camp and consider getting binoculars so that I don't catch the bear unaware. A Montana friend highly recommended bear spray (which we'll have) but I have a difficult time seeing me being mindful enough to properly aim it (and who knew that after the initial shock, bears may be attracted to the pepper spray smell so clean it off). Rocks in my tent, however, sound like a fantastic idea.
Honestly, at the end of the day, I just hope it's been a good season for bear food in Montana and that I can stay out of their space.
May 9, 2012
The sun reflects off the Skagit River this morning and warming temperatures made me realize hiking weather is almost here as the snow pack continues to rise. With that in mind I decided to review a book I’ve been holding for warmer weather, “Backcountry Bear Basics.”
A book I asked to review after reading about this Bellevue, WA council members bear attack in his driveway: http://tinyurl.com/7bkrc9g
The book is written by noted bear expert Dave Smith and recommended by Steve French, Director of Research for the Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation. Steve says Dave’s book is “…the number one book I’d recommend to anyone going into bear country.”
In this accurate, practical and fun to read second edition, Dave incorporates new research and provides key information on bear’s behavior and biology that helps hikers understand and prepare for bears…Full Review: http://tinyurl.com/7xjvrms
A book I asked to review after reading about this Bellevue, WA council members bear attack in his driveway: http://tinyurl.com/7bkrc9g
The book is written by noted bear expert Dave Smith and recommended by Steve French, Director of Research for the Yellowstone Grizzly Foundation. Steve says Dave’s book is “…the number one book I’d recommend to anyone going into bear country.”
In this accurate, practical and fun to read second edition, Dave incorporates new research and provides key information on bear’s behavior and biology that helps hikers understand and prepare for bears…Full Review: http://tinyurl.com/7xjvrms
April 15, 2012
shallow.... kind of ridiculous. The tips were either basic common-sense, or over the top. I mean, who makes nicoise (sp?) salad while on a camping trip?? People need to be told how to make smores??? And a girl should REALLY expect her hunky crush to do all the heavy carrying?? I mean, please, if you really want your big-city apartment goodies, then STAY in the big-city. Don't go camping & expect that you can have all your goodies from home. It just doesn't work that way. Had to force myself to finish this book. Maybe true "Betties" will actually find something worthwhile from this book, I found it a waste of my time.
May 18, 2013
Fairly comprehensive address regarding how we can best "share" the land of the Black and Grizzly bears (the two general classes of bears in the US, aside from polar bears). In general, if attacked, stand your ground; if contacted, lay low and play dead; if continually maulled, fight back. Prevent encounters by making reasonably noise. Most black bears will not attack (even with cubs). Bears are curious and ingenious in getting food, especially with a little time or experience. Worth reading if you spend any time in the remote outdoors.
March 19, 2008
There's some useful advice in here--especially if you're ubergirly and have never spent any time outside. I didn't expect much from this book, but I had hoped it would be funnier. The list of resources in the back is nice, and there are some witty turns of phrase, but this is something I wish I hadn't purchased new.
October 21, 2011
Very eh. Kevin gave me this book a while ago and it was a cute gift, but since I live with Kevin pretty much everything useful in the book has been covered in normal dinner conversation. Unless you are super prissy like the author, I think you'd be better off with a normal survival manual. This book will prepare you for roughing it...with someone who knows what they're doing.
April 9, 2009
very cute and informative - I had no idea that most of women's beauty products can be put on a cotton ball and used as fire starter. I thought Dad and the girl scouts had taught me well but this goes way beyond car camping and canoes.
August 11, 2009
James gave me this little ditty, and it's pretty cute. Just a fluffy thing to have out and look at. One to pass on to someone else. Some information that's good, but all in all entertaining fluff. Nice use of words and certainly that Betty voice.
March 25, 2012
So I guess being a Betty is, like, a thing? And I ain't it ( get a blowout before your trip so your hair looks good? Nail polish serves serveral purposes on a trail? Be sure to bring your vibrator?)
One and a half.
One and a half.
June 17, 2016
I chose this book for a book club meeting recently. We are reading by genres and were on non-fiction, so I wanted to read something fun. This book made me laugh because I could totally see myself in some of the situations. A little ridiculous sometimes, but for the most part an entertaining read.
December 14, 2007
Okay. It's silly and stupid, but also helpful if you are about to go backcountry camping and don't know what a cathole is.
June 27, 2008
Well, I thought it would be fun to read, but I already know most of the good information in it. More for girls who don't go outdoors often...
July 3, 2013
A fun, cheeky light read!
April 20, 2012
This is well-written and provides useful knowledge about bears that will be helpful for hiking in bear country.
April 13, 2014
Very informative. A little fluffy at times. But that was the theme. Badass camping for glam women.
August 14, 2014
I gave this book 4 stars at first but have now revised that rating to 5 stars since seeing a bear in the wilderness and knowing just what to do.
August 9, 2014
Fun outdoors book. I read it while on my way to my first camping trip since I was a kid. I don't know how generallyhelpful it is, but it was entertaining and relaxing. The perfect field guide for me!
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October 17, 2022Read in Lorelei Gilmore's voice channeling her mother
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews