Bear spray is typically at least 5% OC and I've seen 10%. It's the same thing that's used on humans other than size of the bottle and sometimes OC concentration.
Really? I think its more a matter of the type/quality of the OC used. In one website below, they compared several sprays.
http://1life1bearspray.com/ One thing to note is whether the spray comes out as a stream or as a thick fog and the distance it can project and the total volume it can spray out. A 30 ft cloud of spray in the bear's path is probably the most effective. But consider this, spray the cloud well before the bear is within 30 ft so that it has to run into it to get to you. A the bear or other animal can make up 30 ft in only a second or two. Putting an obstacle like a tree or a boulder can also give you that extra fraction of a second to defend yourself. And being up wind of the spray is definitely preferable to being downwind!
Anybody here with any practical experience with bear bangers? If one has the time to load up a cartridge and back away from a scene, one could fire off a banger to disuade a curious or menacing animal. Then in the other hand get out the bear spray.
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