Bear Spray: First Aid if you get sprayed

Good article from Alaska Department of Fish and Game on first aid for bear spray, in case you accidently get sprayed. Also some tips on how to carry it, how to use it, and how to transport it.

Bear Spray - From the Other Side: First aid and other tips

In addition - if you get exposed, here is a good reference on decontamination from a company: https://www.sabrered.com/decontamination

This is the brand of stuff I use at work and have been exposed to. A good recommendation - if you are ever going to carry the stuff - is to get exposed in a controlled situation so you will know how it effects you and how it feels. It's nasty but you can function though it if you know what is going on and are ready for it. Better to know about it in the driveway when everything is under control and not while on the trail and all heck is breaking loose. Get a cop friend or somebody that uses the stuff to work with you is the best bet.

Paul -

Great post... Thanks for sharing

I made the extremely foolish decision, MANY years ago, to personally test CS gas, Mace, and 5% pepper spray. Mace was like really bad perfume -- I was a little teary-eyed but good. The CS gas was a bit unpleasant. The pepper spray was deliberately a much lower level of exposure, and it put me down. I was totally unable to function for about twenty minutes, until decontamination was more-or-less complete.

I have two friends who have had negligent discharges with their bear spray.

Makes me wonder if their is a need for a better canister/shape/safety or carrying systems/holsters. There have not been NG's with the guns they own.

Also the descriptions of what it is like to be sprayed makes me rethink whether it is a good idea to spray a bear while it is attacking a person. Making the victim more incapacitated might make it harder for them to escape or defend themselves? Too blind to aim their own spray or gun?

The spray needs to be easily available when needed. I have containers that cover the spray button with a saftey flap covering it. Push the thumb under the flap, aim with the index and press down with the thumb. Works fine. That´s good enough for me.


I can´t speak for them, but I train and practice way more with my guns than I do with my pepper spray. I got safety instructions for using a gun too.
OTOH I know a couple of people who carry pepper spray for self defense. The actual number of practice sessions for these people is zero. Some were not even aware of role of wind in the use of an aerosol.
That makes a difference.


One solution is using liquid or gel instead of an aerosol. That depends much less on wind.
People can stay fairly functional when sprayed. Here is an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1QvzUWaQBI
Once again it seems to be a matter of trainig and practice.

Maybe we need "smart" bear spray.

For the bear that's smarter than the av-er-age bear?