DON'T GET BITTEN, by Buck Tilton, Mountaineers Books, 96 pages, $6.95.
DON'T GET EATEN, by Dave Smith, Mountaineers Books, 93 pages, $6.95.
Here are two new pocket-size books that will help hikers, backpackers, fishermen and tourists keep safe in the wild outdoors.
The paperback books are inexpensive, and they can be easily read in one sitting or taken into the outdoors and used as reference guides. They are capsulized, concise and filled with helpful information, as well as with "Imagine This . . ." — scenarios that better explain how to deal with potential risks.
The books continue a Mountaineers Book series that includes titles like "Don't Get Sick: The Hidden Dangers of Camping and Hiking" and "Don't Forget the Duct Tape: Tips and Tricks for Repairing Outdoor Gear."
"Don't Get Bitten" is written by Buck Tilton, director of curriculum for the Wilderness Medicine Institute in Colorado. Tilton knows Utah well, having written 1999's "Hiking Utah," a book of 300 different hikes.
Tilton discusses a range of things that bite, from reptiles to snakes to scorpions to ticks to mosquitos and more. There's no fluff to wade through, just relevant facts and tips. For example, Tilton makes it clear that dawn and dusk are the most likely times for rattlesnake bites, and that legs are the most common locations for such bites.
He also debunks some myths by noting that rattlers and pit vipers can only move at a maximum of 3 mph; they don't chase people (though they may become disoriented and "run away" toward a human); they can strike no more than half their body length; and they do not always rattle before they strike. A dead and even decapitated pit viper can also reflexively bite and inject poison for up to one hour after death.
The author's bite-prevention tips include not gathering firewood after dark, never trying to pick up or capture a snake, and wearing thick boots in snake territory.
Tilton's advice for what to do if bitten and you're alone: "Walk out slowly with frequent rest breaks; do not wait around to see if you are going to swell up and/or die."
"Don't Get Eaten," by Dave Smith, has particular relevance after a camper was dragged in his sleeping bag by a black bear in the Desolation Canyon area in early July.
"No amount of knowledge can take all the risk out of sharing the outdoors with wildlife," Smith, a naturalist and author of several other outdoor books, writes. "Hiking in grizzly country is dangerous."
Smith stresses that "predatory black bears" do not growl or give any warning before their attacks. He advises those who are attacked to always fight back, unless it is clear a sow with cubs is rushing toward you.
Black bears are great tree climbers — so don't climb trees. He also recommends you store food off the ground and away from sleeping sites when camping and to leave dogs at home.
Buffalo, wolves, coyote, cougar, moose and grizzly bears are also addressed in the book.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com