Take some time to explore a few good books on the outdoors.

Byline: INSIDE THE OUTDOORS By Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard

Judging by the last few weeks, Western Oregon residents are in for a wet fall and winter. Rain, of course, won't deter die-hard outdoor enthusiasts from the pursuit of their favorite adventures.

But less-dedicated outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen may prefer to catch up on their reading while waiting for a drier day.

Those stay-at-homes may be interested in one or more of the new books that have crossed my desk recently, any one of which would make good fireside companions on a rainy afternoon.

Or, why not do your reading while waiting out the rain showers in a tent - guided, of course, by "The Best Tent Camping: Oregon," (Menasha Ridge Press, ISBN 0-89732-570-2, $14.95). Written by Jeanne Louise Pyle, this 178-page softcover book is billed as "a guide for car campers who hate RVs, concrete laps and loud portable stereos."

In addition to ratings for "beauty, privacy, spaciousness, quiet, security and cleanliness," Pyle provides detailed locator and layout maps for each of the 50 campgrounds included. That's especially helpful for campgrounds that allow reservations of a specific site.

Wherever you decide to read, one of the better new choices for entertainment is "The Greatest Hunting Stories Ever Told," an anthology of 29 "unforgettable tales" by some of the best outdoor adventure writers ever.

Compiled by Lamar Underwood, former editor of Sports Afield and Outdoor Life magazines, "Greatest Hunting Stories" includes short stories by Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas McGuane.

As Underwood says in the introduction, "the pages ahead will take you hunting for all sorts of game and in places that range from mountain peak to lowland swamps. The best writers I have ever read will be your guides, and I promise you that their prose will become part of your hunting memories and ignite recollections of your own experiences that make up the hunting scrapbook of your mind."

"The Greatest Hunting Stories Ever Told," (ISBN 1-59228-482-5) is published by The Lyons Press. The 269-page softcover book is priced at $14.95.

While Underwood's book contains classic hunting stories, the latest publication by Ducks Unlimited celebrates a new breed of hunters.

Entitled "Generation DUX" - a takeoff on "Generation X" - the book focuses on the fanaticism of 20- and 30-something waterfowlers who hunt with almost total abandon.

In the Gen Dux world, one can never have too much gear or too many decoys, no road is impassible, no pothole or marsh too remote, and one can never have too much fun.

`Duck hunters have always been a breed apart, but these guys take the duck hunting obsession to new heights,' said Bill Buckley, who wrote and photographed the book. Two other DU photographers, David J. Sams and Lee Thomas Kjos, also contributed illustrations.

`Generation DUX' (hardcover, 9x7, 112 pages, 176 color photographs) retails for $17.95. It is available by calling [phone], or visiting www.ducks.org/bookstore/.

Another form of outdoor recreation that some people might regard as "extreme" is featured in "Ways to the Sky," a historical guide to North American Mountaineering (American Alpine Club Press, ISBN 0-930410-83-1, $24.95). Author Andy Selters charts the evolution of alpine climbing in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, highlighting key personalities and exploratory climbers like John Muir. He focuses primarily on "free ascents" (climbs without the use of anchors).

For those who prefer to use their reading time planning future adventures, several new guidebooks are worthy of mention. For example, a bonanza of new, specialized hiking guidebooks hit the market this year. They include:

"Best Hikes with Dogs: Oregon," (The Mountaineers Books, ISBN 0-89886-944-7, $16.95) by Ellen Morris Bishop. She provides detailed information about 75 "dog-friendly, dog-fun, and dog-safe" trails, as well as advice about what to take and how to prepare your pooch.

"Hiking Oregon's Geology, 2nd Edition" (The Mountaineers Books, ISBN 0-89886-847-5, $16.95), is also by Ellen Bishop, a geologist who obviously did double duty on her research hikes around the state.

This expanded edition contains 90 trails - almost twice the number of hikes that were published in the first edition. The focus of this book is not only to provide interesting and scenic hikes, but to help the reader understand Oregon's geologic history.

"Field Guide to the Cascades & Olympics, 2nd Edition," (The Mountaineers Books, ISBN 0-89886-808-4, $19.95) provides an ideal backpack companion for people who want to know about the plants and animals they encounter on hikes.

There's also "Best Day Hikes - Oregon's North Coast" and "Best Easy Day Hikes - Bend and Central Oregon," both written by Lizann Dunegan and published by Falcon Guides. Each of these shirt pocket-sized guides sells for $7.95 and contains 24 to 30 short hikes in the geographic region specified.

Paddlers, meanwhile, no doubt will want to pick up a copy of the Fourth Edition of "Soggy Sneakers," (The Mountaineers Books, IBSN 0-89886-815-7, $18.95). The whitewater bible produced by the Willamette Kayak and Canoe Club now includes 236 runs.

And, hey, what could be better for whitewater buffs than lots of rain?

Mike Stahlberg can be reached at [e-mail].