Does Bear Spray Work? Maybe it depends.... Interesting article

[Uncle Joe]

The point of the article is that the two studies that led to the widely held conclusion that bear spray is more effective were never meant to prove that and, in fact, don't. They were separate studies done to determine separate things.

[perdidochas]

Real “Mace” as developed 50+ years ago does not have Oleoresin Capsicum which is the active, most important ingredient in all bear spray. Today, “Mace” is a company that makes all sorts of defense sprays, some with Oleoresin Capsicum, some without. So the idea that “Mace” is stronger than bear spray is ridiculous. The Mace Co. makes “bear spray” with Oleoresin Capsicum, but it also makes sprays without... The Mace brand of bear spray is no different than any other top tier bear spray.

Not talking about brands, but about strength of the OC. Bear Spray is limited in OC concentration to a lower level than pepper spray intended for humans. Bear spray is limited to 1-2% OC, while human pepper spray can be up to 3%.

[perdidochas]

So,should I ditch my can of Counter Assault Bear Spray for some other brand, and if so,which one?
My gutt is telling me to stay with what I've got but if there is something out there stronger with the same or better droplet size,I would like to know.
Next question is,if more powerful "cloud type" spray is available,why has it not already replaced conventional bear spray?

Because it's not approved for use with bears. The EPA says bear spray can only be from 1-2% OC.

[Time Zone]

Not talking about brands, but about strength of the OC. Bear Spray is limited in OC concentration to a lower level than pepper spray intended for humans. Bear spray is limited to 1-2% OC, while human pepper spray can be up to 3%.

That's interesting. I thought bear spray would be stronger; indeed, the bear spray I have is 50% stronger than my pepper spray (2.00% major capsacinoids vs. 1.33%).

[Time Zone]

Could someone make a hiking pole that can shoot bear spray?

I'm pretty sure Desmond Llewelyn could do it, but you're going to have a hard time reaching him.

[mverville]

Check out the Interagency grizzly bear committee, igbconline.org.
Bear spray works. It’s the most effective deterrent. Ask anybody who lives in Montana.
If you carry a gun, you only need 1 bullet and it ain’t for the bear.

[Time Zone]

FWIW -

I had a can of bear spray that was near its expiry. A couple days ago, at the start of a dayhike, I decided to discharge it in the woods before throwing it away, and observing how far it sprayed. The can I bought was to spray at least 30 feet. This minimum distance was expected to be met until the expiration date; afterwards, the distance declines.

I paced off 30 feet, checked that any wind was at my back (about 3 mph tops), and it sprayed about 15 feet before diffusing to such an extent that it was not possible to consider the drift as a directed spray any longer.

While it was fairly cool out (42F), the can had just come from a climate-controlled car. I doubt it cooled significantly by the time I walked to the wooded area.

Needless to say, I'm questioning whether it is worth replacing this can or not. Not on the grounds of whether the 2.0% major capsaicinoids deter bears, but whether the spray distance can be relied upon - might this spray have been good for 30' year one, 25' year 2, 20' year 3, and 15' in this past year? Plus, consider drift. Obviously you can't control whether a bear that needs to be deterred is downwind or not. The fogging nature of the spray is nice from an aiming perspective, but it seems like a hindrance to getting good distance from the spray.

About half the time I hike in established (black) bear country. I know that the vast majority of black bear encounters are likely to be benign. But I'm willing to carry several extra ounces for insurance against those uncommon exceptions.