Escape Plan: Use Bear Spray Safely

I was charged three (3) times in four (4)years all three (3) times Pepper spray worked all though I had to clean my shorts out small price to pay however i did have my 357 ready i am very happy i didnt have to use it they were very exciting times needless to say i no longer hike in BEAR country

Trekker doesn't seem like an idiot to me. He clearly states that his .454 is ready in the case that the spray doesn't work. Oh, and Ikan Mas, it only weighs about 3.5 pounds. You carry it with a shoulder harness to distribute the weight... which always giving you very fast trigger access. I think I'll try that before I curl up on the ground and have chunks taken out of my head...

People can be attacked suddenly, or in a tent. you don't always have time for a "deterrent".

I was thinkng about doing the bear spray thing when going on a long trip into bear and mountain lion country, but what about when you wake up to a grizzly scratching or violently rocking your tent? I think unloading a canfull of pepper spray fog while in your tent would be worse thana bear attack.
I went the .357 mag route and it's staying right next to me at ALL times.
I still might get some bear spray for walking around during the day though, because I really don't want to kill something if I don't have to. I figer if I see one during te day I'll just keep walking normally, an if it comes at me I'll spray ot, and if it keeps coming or it's got 5 shot's of .357 to deal with.
I just hope the only bears I see this year are trough my binoculars :)

Each person should always carry two large cans of bear spray, and a 44 mag.

So how does that work trekker? Can you carry a 45 pound pack with that small cannon on your hip? (seriously, how does that work?) Or is it in your pack, which would mean you have to take off your pack, dig through it and then aim and fire. I suspect your skills aren't that good and that you really haven't spent that much time in the wilderness.

trekker is an idiot! I play in the wilderness of Colorado all year, and bear spay is proven 90% effective, where shooting is 45%! What a moron!

I carry a "44 S&W" to keep away most of the two legged variety of animals anywho! :>O

The MAFP medical conference I attended in Whitefish, Montana in January, 2012, discussed GRIZZLY attacks only, namely from Glacier National Park which has the highest reported grizzly attacks in the USA. From Lawrence J. Iwersen, M.D.'s lecture come the following facts:

-Attack rate 1 per 1.3 million visitors
-Most attacks occur July through September
-Injuries are less severe than the bear's potential; the bear generally leaves after removing the perceived threat
-Most bear mauling wounds require surgical cleaning (debridement)due to a multitude of bacteria in the bear's mouth/claws; wounds go deep due to punctures
-NO REPORTED ATTACKS IN GROUPS OF 5 OR MORE HIKERS
-Bear spray works
-Making noise while hiking helps keep bears away

It was stated that if attacked you should curl up on the ground and cover your neck. The bear will claw/bite in an effort to see if you're a threat; once satisfied that you're not, the bear will usually leave. (At this point I would probably call for help..AND change my underwear!)

Happy Trekking!

Given that bear spray has a maximum range of 25-35 feet, why spray for a second or two at a stationary bear 50 feet away? You'd just be wasting spray. And most brands of bear spray only last 5-8 seconds.

that's what I'm talking about. Right on trekker.

If a charging griz gets through your spray; you won't have to play dead-you will be-unless-you pull your Taurus Raging Bull .454 Casul loaded with 300 grain solid nose and blow the sob into the next time zone. I know, I know. Go ahead, give your life to the bear.