Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no doubt that bears can pose a threat, and if you’re trying to survive in the wilderness, the bear may have the opposite plan for you. The return of this top tier predator to certain areas of North America is a real success story, but it does mean that human-bear conflicts are on the rise.
Being wild animals, most of the time a bear will go out of his way to avoid people, but at certain times of the year, they can be a problem. Much of the online advice is written by people who’ve never actually encountered a grizzly at full charge, and are full of macho posturing, so it’s wise to pick your information carefully.
North America is home to three bear species – the carnivorous and extremely dangerous polar bear, the brown bear which includes grizzlies, and the black bear. The latter is the smallest of the three and tends to be less aggressive, and unless you’re traveling inside the Arctic Circle, you’re unlikely to meet a polar bear. So that leaves the brown. These can cause the biggest problem, especially if a female – a sow, is protecting her cubs, and it’s wise to consider every brown bear dangerous.
They’re fast, too, with an adult grizzly reaching speeds of 35 mph, hitting top speed instantly. If you try to outrun one, they will chase, and win.
How to Avoid Conflict
Bears hate being surprised (don’t we all), so for once, try to make noise as you move through the wilderness, and adopt a stance that says you mean business. Having a better sense of smell than dogs, and always seemingly on the hunt for food, bears will sniff out any food you are carrying, eating on the move, or have stashed around your BOS. Some bears have even learned to associate the sound of gunshot with fresh game, and will pop in for an easy meal. It pays, then, to keep your larder a distance from your camp and to bury any refuse good and deep.
The best course of action if you do face a brown bear is to back away slowly until you’ve broken visual contact. That, and have a full, working can of bear spray.
Bear Spray
It’s a comforting thought that 98% of people who came into contact with a bear, but had a can of bear spray, came away uninjured, and that it’s 92% effective with all three species of bear in North America.
Practice using the bear spray so that you’re ready. Know how far it shoots, how much pressure is needed, and always carry it in a holster on the front of your body. Like you’re going to have time to scrabble around in your backpack in an emergency!
We’ve found these four that are effective, easy to use and it comes with a holster.
1) Sabre Frontiersman Bear Spray
Overview
Sabre are a reliable, trusted make, and their pepper spray is used by the NYPD, the US Customs department and in 40 countries across the world. The belt holster allows immediate access, and the can itself is simple to trigger with a spray distance of 30 feet.
The Good
This stuff is strong, very strong. Over 50% stronger than the nastiest pepper sprays, the mist produced creates a heavy fog of spray that deters even the most determined bear. We like the fact that every batch is rigorously tested to eliminate failures – that’s a comforting thought.
The Bad
Be careful on windy days, as any blowback is unpleasant, to say the least.
$42.62 in stock
2) Udap Bear Spray with Griz Guard Holster
Overview
If you worry about your safety against wild animals like bears when you go camping, or even rabid dogs in your neighborhood you should get the Udap Bear Spray Safety Orange with Griz Guard Holster. It is one of the most powerful yet non-lethal ways to keep wild animals out of your way. It can disperse the chemical in just seconds within a broad range.
The Good
Because it is fast-acting you are sure to be safe from any wild animal attack. You simply spray it in the direction of the bear or any animal and you can flee to safety. It comes with a guard holster for safer spraying.
The Bad
It is a great brand and works very well with any animal. There are no cons to this bear spray.
3) Mace Brand Maximum Strength Bear Spray
Overview
The Mace Brand Maximum Strength Bear Spray is a potent bear defense spray. It has a power fogger feature that effectively disperses a potent formula to get rid of wild bears. It is so potent so you only need a few sprays for each encounter. It has a long-range of 35 ft so you can stay far away from the animal when you spray it.
The Good
It has a long range so you can run away fast from danger. It will effectively slow down the wild animal from attacking or chasing you. Also its potent formula means less spray is needed at every encounter.
The Bad
The spray can only last up to 6 seconds of spray although it can last you a long time since you will only need a few spray for each bear you encounter. You will also need to be very careful not to spray on yourself because it can cause irritation on the eyes, nose and skin.
4) Udap 12HP Bear Spray
Overview
The Udap 12HP Bear Spray is another long-range bear spray that effectively protects you from wild animal attacks. It is developed by a survivor of bear attacks so this is made with personal knowledge and experience with bears. It has a glow-in-the-dark safety clip so you can easily see in the dark to use it properly.
The Good
It is long range so you can effectively disperse the product without getting too close to the wild animal. Also, since it has a glow-in-the-dark feature, you can easily see the can in the dark so you can use it properly and effectively.
The Bad
It comes in a small size perfect for traveling and easy carrying around outdoors but it will only last about 2-3 sprays so pack around 2 cans if you are staying long outdoors.
5) Counter Assault Bear Spray
Overview
The Counter Assault Bear Spray is one of the farthest-reaching bear spray that effectively uses capsaicin to shoo away wild animals. It reaches up to 32 feet distance so you can spray immediately as soon as you see a bear approaching. It is made of a potent and quality formula that you can be sure to work in times of danger.
The Good
It has a long spray time of 8 seconds so you can get more of this quality formula. A can can last you more bear encounters compared to other bear sprays in the market.
The Bad
We cannot see anything bad about this spray. It is even eco-friendly passing EPA SNAP rule of the Clean Air Act.
