Potent bear spray?

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tomhenry

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Assuming different brands have different levels of reliability, any tried and true brands you know of? "Mama Fisher's Homemade Environmentally Safe Bear Repellant" might not be the best choice when Yogi sees me building a fire.

What brand is better? Also, what's the shelf life for a can of spray? Thanks.

Note: this is an hypothetical discussion, so..
 
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Although I frequently hike in areas of TX & NM inhabited by black bears, I have never considered carrying bear spray. I have seen bears a couple of times, and they were not interested in me at all. I am armed while hiking, but have never felt a need to draw.

Now, if I go hiking in grizzly country I may feel differently although I have done so in the past completely unarmed (other than a pocket knife.)

Wish I could find that old meme that says something like:

Hikers in bear country are encouraged to wear bells and carry pepper spray

How to recognize bear poop
Black bear poop is full of leaves and berries
Grizzly bear poop smells like pepper spray and is full of bells
 
I invested in UDAP spray and practice cannisters because IMO at that time their hard plastic holster had the fastest draw on the market.
Keeping the spray in a day pack or buried in a pocket is not much different than leaving it at home. A clumsy textile holster with, for instance, Velcro tabs that need to be manipulated and clumsy spray safeties that are hard or non-intuitive to manipulate are not much better.

My Spray has expired, and I will study the market again before we go camping in brown bear country next time.
 
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UDAP and Counter Assault are well-known and well-regarded. I have 6 or 8 cans sitting around that are 15-25 years old, never used. The chest holsters work well. REI used to have the stuff on sale once a year... I replaced mine after a couple of years even though it hadn't been used.
 
If I am alone in bear country and close enough to use bear spray I likely will have my hands full of .475 or 500 Linebaugh (or more likely 45-70 rifle) - if I am with someone I might let them try the spray first - I have no interest in killing a bear (not that I have anything against people who do have an interest).

Riposte
 
I'm currently camping in Alaska. Last night we stayed at a camp ground called Paxson Lake that was in the middle of absolutely no where..... off the Richardson Highway before Delta Junction. While walking the pooch, I observed lots of bear and moose poo. I had a can of UDAP on my belt but, I felt very Vulnerable. My gut was telling me to get back to the van. My trusty pooch unfortunately doesn't perform on command! The camp grounds were almost empty. We didn't stay.

Tom H.
 
Actually, more people are killed by moose than by bear. I have some friends who moved from urban California to rural Idaho. She's gets all misty eyed when there's a moose in her yard. The Bambi syndrome. I don't have the heart to tell her the above.
 
I carry my bear spray on a carabiner on the chest strap on my pack.

I don't know if it's because I only do day hikes and I never carry food or because I'm in Colorado and I only ever run into black bears but I've never run into a bear that didn't take off almost immediately.

22 people every year in the United States are killed by cattle.

Five people every year in all of North America, I'm not sure if that includes Mexico or not, really I'm not sure if there are bears in Mexico or not. But five people in the Lower 48, Canada and Alaska and maybe Mexico are killed by a bear every year.

You've got better odds of winning the lottery
 
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Smoke said:
I carry my bear spray on a carabiner on the chest strap on my pack.

I don't know if it's because I'm also only do day hikes and I never carry food or because I'm in Colorado and I only ever run into black bears but I've never run into a bear that didn't take off almost immediately.

22 people every year in the United States are killed by cattle.

Five people every year in all of North America, I'm not sure if that includes Mexico or not, really I'm not sure if there are bears in Mexico or not. But five people in the Lower 48, Canada and Alaska and maybe Mexico are killed by a bear every year.

You've got better odds of winning the lottery
Click to expand...

How many people have died winning the lottery?-- :D
 
NYlakesider said:
How many people have died winning the lottery?-- :D
Click to expand...
Oh God, don't get me going down that rabbit hole.

Apparently winning the lottery* has ruined far more people's lives then it's helped.


* I'm talking about hitting the jackpot not some $100 scratch off ticket.
 
Smoke said:
I carry my bear spray on a carabiner on the chest strap on my pack.

I don't know if it's because I only do day hikes and I never carry food or because I'm in Colorado and I only ever run into black bears but I've never run into a bear that didn't take off almost immediately.

22 people every year in the United States are killed by cattle.

Five people every year in all of North America, I'm not sure if that includes Mexico or not, really I'm not sure if there are bears in Mexico or not. But five people in the Lower 48, Canada and Alaska and maybe Mexico are killed by a bear every year.

You've got better odds of winning the lottery
Click to expand...

Lots of black bears in Mexico.
 
Smoke said:
I carry my bear spray on a carabiner on the chest strap on my pack.

I don't know if it's because I only do day hikes and I never carry food or because I'm in Colorado and I only ever run into black bears but I've never run into a bear that didn't take off almost immediately.

22 people every year in the United States are killed by cattle.

Five people every year in all of North America, I'm not sure if that includes Mexico or not, really I'm not sure if there are bears in Mexico or not. But five people in the Lower 48, Canada and Alaska and maybe Mexico are killed by a bear every year.

You've got better odds of winning the lottery
Click to expand...
But you carry bear spray . . .
 
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