[at-l] Pepper Spray - Annual Info for Newbies

[shane at theplacewithnoname.com (Shane)]

I'll answer William's questions then give the 'Pepper Spray' lecture for
those of you who haven't had it yet.  No charge for this class...

> Does anyone know if "Bear Sprays" in general or one
> specific brand would work on people?

Bear spray works on people, and people spray works on bears.  There isn't
any special formulation.  Try it on yourself if you don't believe me.  :)

> Or would it be like that guy in the Steven Segal
> movie who got sprayed with pepper spray and then sprayed
> it in his mouth.

Ah...It's a movie son...

You never get used to it - it still hurts the same.  You do learn to
tolerate it a little, but most people don't get sprayed often enough for
this to happen.  Mindset has something to do with it as well, and very goal
oriented people can still function.

> Also, would it work on dogs and other possible wild
> animals?

ANY warm blooded critter.  Mammals.  The spray does not work on reptiles or
any cold blooded critter.  It also has no effect on voracious plants.  ;)

> And what about animals with rabies?

If used properly, yes - and there is the key phrase - 'if used properly'.
Unfortunately, most people don't know what 'properly' means, or how OC spray
does what it does.  I do not agree that spray is more or less effective than
guns.  I will agree that one is far more permanent than the other.  I'm not
sure that everyone will agree that this is on topic, but in the interests of
education, I hope that it helps someone.

FAIR WARNING:  IF YOU HAVE ANY - AND I MEAN ANY -
RESPIRATORY, CARDIAC, MENTAL, OR ANY OTHER PHYSICAL AILMENT, PROBLEM,
CONDITION, OR EVEN IF YOU ARE JUST A HYSTERICAL HYPOCHONDRIAC, DO NOT - NOT
EVER - DISCHARGE ANY REAL OC UNIT UNLESS YOU ARE IN A LIFE OR DEATH
SITUATION.  BUY THE TRAINING UNITS!

One of the many hats I wear is that of a law enforcement
trainer.  I am a certified OC instructor, and a member in
good standing of the American Society of Law Enforcement
Trainers.  Part of the certification process is to be
sprayed.  I have been sprayed a lot, with many different
products, and what I'm offering you is first hand, real life experience.

The man chiefly responsible for introducing OC spray to law
enforcement is Richard Isaacs.  He has an excellent book
called The Seven Steps to Personal Safety.  If you desire
further reading, I highly recommend it, and it is available
in book form or from the internet here:
http://www.lubrinco.com/7steps.pdf.  It is a long download.
I am cited in the current edition.

Now, for the good stuff.  This is basic and quick, so
forgive me.  There are many types of spray in different
formulas and concentrations.  Percentages, heat threshold,
Schoville Heat Units (SHU's), etc.  None of it means
anything, and it is all marketing hype.  The most effective
spray against people, IN MY OPINION, is a 2% (yes, just 2%)
mixture made by Fox.  This is my opinion after being sprayed with lots of
different brands and concentrations.  I do NOT do this for fun.

There are also different delivery methods.  The big three
are stream, mist, and foam.  Stream and foam are both
contact dependent.  They get on the skin and in the eyes and cause
discomfort.  The mist is also a contact delivery, but has the added benefit
of being inhaled and aspirated by the subject being sprayed.  This has the
advantageous effect of causing uncontrollable coughing and gagging.  There
isn't a critter on the face of the planet that can attack you while gagging
its lungs out.

Streams and foam have very little effect on critters with
fur.  The contact area on such a creature is minimal.  You
should always use the misting type against critters with
fur.

SO, buy the best and biggest can of bear spray you can.
Your little anti-mugger can of Mace(TM) can work against a
bear, but you are better off with something better.  Think
of this like bullet caliber.  If you HAVE TO shoot a bear,
do you want to shoot him with something the size of a pencil eraser, or do
you want to hit him with a coffee can full of concrete?  Yeah, me too.

Carry it where you can reach it quickly.  It's useless to
you if buried inside your pack.  Make sure you know how it
works.  Better yet, buy two and spray one to see how it
works - or buy the training unit, which is usually filled with saline.  How
many seconds of spray are there in the can? Then take the one you are going
to use and spray one short burst from it.  Wouldn't it really suck if you
pulled the pin on the thing, stuck it right in that bear's face, pulled the
trigger, and nothing happened?  Make sure it works. Replace it every year.

Don't stick it in your pants pocket.  There has been at
least one reported case of the top breaking off in someone
pocket and saturating their crotch with OC.  Unless you have access to a
cold shower or a cold mountain stream, you do not want this to happen to
you.  Keep the safety on.

There are many times and places to use OC spray.  What follows is my
opinion, and some may disagree.  My basic rule is, "When in doubt, spray."
Pepper spray isn't permanent, and considering that, it's better to regret
something you have done than to regret something you haven't done.  If a
bear is chewing on your food bag, spray. If a bear is chewing on your skull,
spray.  If a bear is within range, and he looks like he wants to chew on
your skull or your food bag, spray.  If a bear just wants to be friendly
with you and exchange a few pats on the back, spray.  If a bear is close
enough for you to spray him, then you probably should.  Try to be up wind.

There are people who will disagree with me about that.
There have actually been three cases of people attacked by
bears AFTER the bear had been sprayed.  I contend that the
bear was probably not properly sprayed.  So, why spray a
bear that is close enough to be sprayed just for the hell of it?  Because
that bear is too comfortable with humans and needs to learn to fear humans
before he becomes a 'nuisance' bear and quickly becomes a dead bear.  Spray
the bear to save its life.  Sounds silly, but think about it.

Now, HOW should you spray a bear?  Don't worry too much
about spraying the eyes.  A blind bear can still maul you.
Hopefully you have a misting type spray.  Shoot a stream of
mist straight into his face for at least three seconds, and
until he starts coughing or gagging.  After that, additional spray is both
pointless and cruel.  Stop after six seconds regardless.  If the spray has
had no effect there are two likely problems.  1. You are too far away.  2.
You are too far away.  Make sure that your spray is contacting the bear. You
usually need to be within 15 feet, and sometimes closer depending on your
spray and how the wind blows, which can seem awfully close to a critter that
size.

If a bear is chewing on your food bag, spray your food bag
after you spray the bear.  This will make the food bag
unappetizing, and the pepper spray can be washed off and
your food will be fine.  The capsicum breaks down in an hour or so anyway.

Other large critters should be handled in the same way.  If
you are about to be attacked by a large predator, such as a
cat, that is going to bite into your throat to kill you, try this:  Spray
your own throat and neck if you have time
before spraying the critter.  Why?  So that your throat
doesn't taste so good...

After all of this is said, big critter attacks on hikers are so rare as to
be nearly non-existent.  Those of us who are paranoid enough to do so will
carry spray.  Eventually, it might save one of our lives...

Here are three sites of interest:

http://www.guardalaska.com/bearspray.htm

http://www.foxlabs.com/Product.html

http://www.udap.com/

Guard Alaska has a lot of valuable information on their
site, as does Fox Labs.  Guard Alaska actually has a video of the product in
action against a bear.

Now, after reading all of this you might say, "I figure I'm
much more likely to die or get seriously injured on my trips to and from the
trailheads than I am while hiking
along the trail.  All this worry is just nonsense."

But...  You do wear your seatbelt when on the way to the trail, right?  Not
because you EXPECT to be in an accident, but because of the consequences if
you are.

On the AT, there is little 'danger' from bears or people.  In some other
areas that hikers frequent, the risk is much higher.  When hiking in 'low
risk' areas, I now carry a
small can of spray.  When hiking in 'high risk' areas, I carry a large can,
and when I can, a firearm.

In the end, every hiker has to make his or her own choice, but that choice
should be carefully made.  I'll say here what I say in my rape prevention
classes:  Violent crime (and for that matter bear attacks, etc.) happen very
very rarely to very few people.  Statistically, it almost never
happens.  We hear a lot about such things from the media, but in our common
lives we are very unlikely to encounter problems.  When I recommend that you
always carry pepper spray, or some other means of defense - even if that
means is skilled training - it isn't because you are in likely danger or
that you should clutch it tightly at all times waiting for the boogey man to
jump out and grab you - because in reality he probably never will.  The
unfortunate fact, however, is that while the boogey man isn't likely to jump
out and grab you, he IS going to jump out and grab SOMEBODY.  At some point
in time a bear IS going to try to gnaw on SOME hiker's skull.  With that in
mind, if EVERYBODY has a ready method of responding to that event, then
boogey men and man-eating bears will have less success.

Very few houses burn down every year, but it's still a good idea to have a
fire extinguisher in your home.

Now, you might say that you practice reasonable bear bagging methods for the
areas you hike in, and that the human encounters you've had along the trail
have almost all been very positive with a couple of neutral experiences.
That makes sense, really, considering that boogey men, man-eating bears, and
the occasional mad moose are really very rare.

To use the driving analogy again, I've been driving for over 20 years, and
I've never needed my seatbelt.  It
seems silly, really, to keep using it in that context because all it does is
waste my time.  Statistically I'm not likely to need my seatbelt, and I
always practice safe driving methods for the roads that I drive on.  All my
driving experiences have been positive, with a couple of close calls - but
never anything requiring the seat belt.  Despite all this, I still buckle
up - not because there is a great danger of being in an accident, but
because SOMEBODY is going to be in an accident, and if EVERYBODY is wearing
a seat belt, then lives will be saved.

People who get killed, either by bears or by cars, have never been killed by
bears or cars before.  To say that you've never had a problem and therefore
do not worry isn't - at least to me - a logical idea.  Somebody may say,
"I've been keeping my food in my tent for years, and I've never had a
problem."  The idea is that one day they MIGHT, and so bear bagging should
be practiced - not because there is a great potential for problems, but
because if everyone does it there will be fewer problems.

There are lots of things like this in life.  Seatbelts, fire extinguishers,
smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, air bags, parachutes, CPR skills,
and knowing how to make an excellent omelet.

Having said all of that, if you choose to carry it, please get the proper
training and practice.  Fortunately, if you
do something stupid with pepper spray, you may be very uncomfortable, but at
least it isn't permanent - but you should still know what you are doing.

The last thing I'll address is the 'burden of fear' argument.  That is, "If
I need to be that afraid, I would probably rather not be out there."

I have heard this 'burden of fear' mentioned over and over in various
contexts, but I have never witnessed it in action.  Just because I am
wearing my seat belt, it isn't a constant reminder to me that I have
something to fear on the road.  Every time I open my kitchen cabinet and see
my fire extinguisher, I am not reminded that my house might burn down.  It
actually makes me feel better.

Thank you for your time, I hope this helps someone
eventually.

For a further but similar discussion on guns, please see:

http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking/sections/gear/guns.htm

Shane