how long do you keep your bear spray?

migrant hunter

migrant hunter

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
179   0   0
Location
Southern Alberta
I seem to buy a new one every year, esp if it got left in the truck/camper for long periods of time in extreme temperatures.
I have quite a collection of old ones in my gun cabinet. We're going camping next week, so I will get my wife to spray a can(not near camp, as it actually can atract them!) as she's never used it. I'll probably pick up a new one for the trip.
What say ya'll, you betting your life on that can that's been bouncing along in the glove box since 1982?
 
I just follow the expiration date on the can, the spray is either on my person while in use, or I store it in my basement between fishing trips.
 
I hate to throw anything that expensive away. :) So, is the expiry date have any meaning, or just another one of quirks to please the lawyers ? Still working on MREs, 10 years out of date. :redface:

Grizz
 
I use my expired cans to train myself and young geologists. You need to know how a defense system works if you want to use it effectively when the stress of a life and death self defense situation occurs.

Just having a self defense tool doesn't mean that it will keep you safe eg. 2012 Svalbard polar bear fatality due to insufficient rifle training. You must train with it until you are 100% competent with it.

12 feet, the range of most bear sprays is very close and you need to train yourself to that reality.

You must also take wind direction into account when using bear spray. Training will bring the importance of that to you very quickly.
 
^^ X2 ^^

I kept mine up to the expiry date, then used it for training/practice.
Not to mention, a little exposure to the OC also lets you know what you're in for if the wind happens to be in your face.. ;)
(although I've had this occur several times at work as a reminder :rolleyes: lol)

However if a can sat in the truck during extreme cold and may be compromised, I would simply scrap it and get a new one.
For the 30-40ish bucks for a new one, it's not worth the chance.
 
I’ve just purchased a can from Amazon as we’re doing more hiking these days, is an expiry of Jan 2021 about right (2.5 years)?
 
I keep mine and ignore the expiry. What could go wrong? So the expired cans still work, what has been your experience with the expired cans Geologist??

geologist said:
I use my expired cans to train myself and young geologists. You need to know how a defense system works if you want to use it effectively when the stress of a life and death self defense situation occurs.

Just having a self defense tool doesn't mean that it will keep you safe eg. 2012 Svalbard polar bear fatality due to insufficient rifle training. You must train with it until you are 100% competent with it.

12 feet, the range of most bear sprays is very close and you need to train yourself to that reality.

You must also take wind direction into account when using bear spray. Training will bring the importance of that to you very quickly.
Click to expand...
 
If the pressure in the can hasn't leaked out I'd take the expiry date with a grain of salt. I doubt the active ingredient Capsaicin would break down unless subjected to some extreme heat for a long time.

But to be sure, spray yourself with some old bear spray and report the results to us !!
 
Ironheart said:
I'd still use it and carry it if it was expired.....just another cash grab to buy more....the more it ferments the more potent it gets
Click to expand...

The expiry isnt for the pepper, its for the propellant.

In a tool which one and only purpose for existence is to save you or your loved ones life, why take the chance that the propellant will go "poof" and do nothing?
 
blasted_saber said:
The expiry isnt for the pepper, its for the propellant.

In a tool which one and only purpose for existence is to save you or your loved ones life, why take the chance that the propellant will go "poof" and do nothing?
Click to expand...

I hear you on that......good point and for 50$ a tin.....for life or death well worth it to keep one that is not expired

Anyone deploy one that has expired for a few years?

Did it go poof? Or work as usual?
 
I have about 20 of these things. Wife works for an RV company, and her boss knows I’m an outdoors guy, so he’s been going her the ones that are unused by tourists for several years now.
I mostly give them away to friends and family these days, just too many to store.

As for the expiry date, I have sprayed several that are years expired.
Counter assault and the one with the gold label (forget the name) are the only one’s to still come out with authority, but are still reduced compared to a fresh can.

If you plan are carrying this for protection of life, I highly, highly suggest you buy two and use one of them as a trainer, far away from anyone or animal. They can mess you up as bad or worse than the animal you’re trying to protect yourself from.
 
I have no reason to trust a spray can. I have lots of experience which says to not trust a spray can.
Do they work in the cold?
Do they leak down if the valve is bumped once - like a powder fire extinguisher?
How would I know if half of the pressure is gone?
How many of the spray cans in your garage would you trust with your life?
How can I know if the nozzle is plugged up? This question has story. Went for a walk with my wife - who faithfully carries a bear spray daily for a four mile walk or eight mile bicycle ride - anyways, she hands the seasoning can to me to carry and after a while, I pull it out and look at it - still has the wax seal in the nozzle ... hey - they don't have a wax seal - this is ... clay - it must have fallen in a puddle sometime in the previous year or so - and so I spent a long time digging with my leatherman to clear it - wondering how many times she has been followed by critters. This is no joke - she sees more wolves and bears and three times, she has seen cougars. Once last week, she was within 90 yards of one - it came out on the road and stopped to watch her - not very tall but a tail about 30" she figured - as she turned her bike around and headed for home.

Anyways, this pepper spray versus lead spray is nonsense - they are each tools, but what spray can is as certain to work as a modern gun?

Put the spray can salesman in a cage with a hungry beast and give him a one year old spray can - and tell him that if his can doesn't work, it's okay - we will have another two year old spray can out here to cover him with.

And - I understand that pepper spray does not work so well on cats - apparently they have eye lids that are good at protection from spray. Grab your house cat and pull its eye lids open and you will see that there are three covers over the eyeball.

Pepper spray - phah
 
anchor3593 said:
I have no reason to trust a spray can. I have lots of experience which says to not trust a spray can.
Do they work in the cold?
Do they leak down if the valve is bumped once - like a powder fire extinguisher?
How would I know if half of the pressure is gone?
How many of the spray cans in your garage would you trust with your life?
How can I know if the nozzle is plugged up? This question has story. Went for a walk with my wife - who faithfully carries a bear spray daily for a four mile walk or eight mile bicycle ride - anyways, she hands the seasoning can to me to carry and after a while, I pull it out and look at it - still has the wax seal in the nozzle ... hey - they don't have a wax seal - this is ... clay - it must have fallen in a puddle sometime in the previous year or so - and so I spent a long time digging with my leatherman to clear it - wondering how many times she has been followed by critters. This is no joke - she sees more wolves and bears and three times, she has seen cougars. Once last week, she was within 90 yards of one - it came out on the road and stopped to watch her - not very tall but a tail about 30" she figured - as she turned her bike around and headed for home.

Anyways, this pepper spray versus lead spray is nonsense - they are each tools, but what spray can is as certain to work as a modern gun?

Put the spray can salesman in a cage with a hungry beast and give him a one year old spray can - and tell him that if his can doesn't work, it's okay - we will have another two year old spray can out here to cover him with.

And - I understand that pepper spray does not work so well on cats - apparently they have eye lids that are good at protection from spray. Grab your house cat and pull its eye lids open and you will see that there are three covers over the eyeball.

Pepper spray - phah
Click to expand...

I don't think it has to be a zero sum game ie. spray or gun.

When I ATC I carry a revolver and a can of pepper spray, it's just another tool in the box that gives me more options.

eQLIUkol.jpg
 
I had an approximately 5 year old can (never used, never "tested", still had this little plastic safety tab on the sprayer that breaks off when you rotate the sprayer into the "on" position) where the propellant had leaked out somehow. Could hear some stuff sloshing around inside, but no pressure.

Might have been bad luck, but like paint sprayers, I now look to use them in the first 2 years or pitch them. Since I have never used one against a bear, I have been pitching them, and grumbling about being constantly ripped off.

If you think the $40 wasted on pepper spray is bad, go buy a "new" epipen for $165 that only has 7 months left before expiry. Grrr.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom