NOLS Bear Essentials: Hiking and Camping in Bear Country (NOLS Library)

If you need to brush up on bears and don't have time to read a 200 page book, this is the book to get. I have other books about bears but they are much more long-winded, and they tend to focus more on bears in one region, because that is where the authors are from.This book has a much broader geographic perspective, and it seems much more authoritative. Its even funny at points. The NOLS people are very, very smart and have a ton of experience with bears and the outdoors (and how people behave, too).This is actually small enough that you could carry it in your pack while you were on the trail, and that might be a good idea.There are extensive diagrams about different food hanging techniques. The bears in different areas are smart enough to figure out a given food hanging technique, so you have to keep changing how you hang food.This book is based on so much experience that the author actually tells you which food hanging techniques work where, but will add, once in a while, something like "but there's a bear in the eastern Sierras that has figured out how to take this down."This is a very slim little volume, but it is packed with excellent information. I was reading it on a trip and ended up lending it out to my mother (there are bears in the woods she likes to walk) and then to someone in my Wilderness First Responder class. Everybody who saw it was interested in it.I hike with a dog that would probably attack a bear if he saw one (he charged a HUGE bull once). I regularly see bear prints... but no bear encounters yet. We follow the instructions in this book very carefully, especially for camp lay-out, smell-management and bear sign.

Great little book on the basics of hiking/camping/recreating in bear country. My sister and I are planning a longer backpacking trip in the Adirondacks (black bear territory) next summer and the information in this book is very helpful for our planning and will be very helpful for when we get there. This is a book that I would recommend to other outdoorspeople who are thinking about going into bear territory or even just people that are interested in or afraid of bears.

I purchased this book to learn more about black bear hazards after moving to a rural area in the north Georgia mountains. A black bear killed a 14-year old girl and her mother in Tennessee several years ago not far from my home, and bears cross my yard in late autumn evenings searching for food. The information on black bear attacks, defensive tactics, bear spray and food odor prevention were very useful. Balanced, objective information based on statistics forms the basis for a discussion about the pros and cons of bear spray and firearms. The book is concise but thorough, and well worth the price.

This is a great book for anyone who spends time in bear country. I am an experienced outdoorsman and knew most of the "bear aware" advice prior to reading this book, but it is great to have this as a resource for people who might not know exactly how to behave in bear country. If you are planning a trip into bear country, I would recommend having everyone in your group read this book or at least the "spark notes" version of it. Good job as always, NOLS.

I was expecting MUCH more from this book than what it turned out to be because it is a NOLS book.(foolish me, I thought that meant something)I don't know where the reviewers got their page counts but there are only 79 actual pages of information in this booklet that measures 4 inches by 6 inches. You might get 112 if you count the forward and the author bio but I don't consider that when I count pages because it isn't the info I bought the book for.At most I consider this a pocket guide that I might carry for entertainment while hiking but not something I would consider as a stand alone source.The information in this booklet is ALL readily available on-line for free if you do a little research or even from a public library... Again not enough info for the cost, but it may be somewhere to start if it was one third the cover price.... My Opinion Only---- If you just have to have this book, Look for it in the bargain bin somewhere but you will be MUCH better off looking for something else with more coverage of the subjects only brushed on in this booklet.

Good stuff. Drills down on key point around leave no trace and the Eco system of the back country. I was really looking for what to do when backpacking with a dog and you encounter a bear but this book doesn't cover that.

One of the best books on the subject. The scope of this book is in its title. Unlike other small booklets, the information is accurate and practical, thanks to the abundance of collective experiences from NOLS educators. After reading many books about bear, I can say if you're going to Alaska or yellowstone next week, this is the one short book to read.

Quick read and doesn't hurt to have this info if you're headed into bear country.

I am unlikely to venture into bear country but I wondered how other animals might behave similarly to bears. For instance I would not be too happy being woken up sharply after sleeping for a few months. Also the warning about using electric fences is OK except the bear might be mad after getting a shock so don't just ring your own patch. Ten times more injuries are sustained climbing trees to contrive ways to keep food away from bears as the bear attacks themselves. I can see the bears chuckling over our antics. It helps to better appreciate things you see on TV about bears. You are even advised to remove clothing you have fished with and keep that away from the camp the bears senses are so acute. And they associate sweet smells such as toothpaste with human activity and hence food. The whole of the animal kingdom suffers from lack of food, its no surprise they seek a human source and they can remember when and where to go each year to meet campers who technically are not camping in bear areas. Basically if they can smell food up to 50 miles away You have a problem. Its a very small short pocket book, but for me I have never read so much imformation in such a small package. It makes you think a lot because you have to outwit bears all the time. There are no strict rules you will find.