OC spray as an option?

G

GP44

Member
I bought a 1.8 oz. of OC spray about a week ago and stuck it in my pocket in case I came upon a threat like a vicious dog.
I turned the pocket clip so that it would face away if grabbed it in a hurry.
The idea was to be able to use it with one hand.
I was waiting in a medical building parking lot waiting for my wife and decide to see how quickly I could deploy the spray.
I aimed it out the drivers window and jammed my thumb under the flip top and pushed down.
It was too hard to push with one hand or two so I sat the bottom of the canister against the window ledge and pushed really hard and it spray out about ten feet.
I realized that it would take more work to be able to grab it one handed and use it in an emergency.
I took it out in the back yard tonight and using two hands sprayed it.
After about 5-8 one second bursts I noticed that enough pressure was gone from the canister that I could spray it with one hand.
It was still spraying a stream ten feet out when I quit because I want to save some for an emergency.
I ordered two more so that I will be able to practice and find out exactly how many bursts to waste before it will be easy enough to use in an emergency one handed and still have enough left to be effective.
 

GP44 said:
I bought a 1.8 oz. of OC spray about a week ago and stuck it in my pocket in case I came upon a threat like a vicious dog.
I turned the pocket clip so that it would face away if grabbed it in a hurry.
The idea was to be able to use it with one hand.
I was waiting in a medical building parking lot waiting for my wife and decide to see how quickly I could deploy the spray.
I aimed it out the drivers window and jammed my thumb under the flip top and pushed down.
It was too hard to push with one hand or two so I sat the bottom of the canister against the window ledge and pushed really hard and it spray out about ten feet.
I realized that it would take more work to be able to grab it one handed and use it in an emergency.
I took it out in the back yard tonight and using two hands sprayed it.
After about 5-8 one second bursts I noticed that enough pressure was gone from the canister that I could spray it with one hand.
It was still spraying a stream ten feet out when I quit because I want to save some for an emergency.
I ordered two more so that I will be able to practice and find out exactly how many bursts to waste before it will be easy enough to use in an emergency one handed and still have enough left to be effective.
Click to expand...
Good to know. Thanks
 

I carry bear spay in the woods. It works with one hand, including taking off the safety clip. When I first started carrying it, I gave it a test. One thing I've always worried about was spraying into the wind. I was in woods and it was a dead calm. I gave it a quick blast and orange marker fluid and repellent shot out about 10 ft. Then I put it back together. Now even in a dead calm air currents do exist, but may not be noticeable. The spray dissipated quickly, and then a molecule or two came back and reached my nose.

OMG!

I thought I was going to die. That stuff is effective. I can't imagine a full blast to the face. Oddly, so I've heard, bear spray is not as strong as the stuff made to ward off human attackers. You would think it would be the other way around.
 
JustDave said:
I carry bear spay in the woods. It works with one hand, including taking off the safety clip. When I first started carrying it, I gave it a test. One thing I've always worried about was spraying into the wind. I was in woods and it was a dead calm. I gave it a quick blast and orange marker fluid and repellent shot out about 10 ft. Then I put it back together. Now even in a dead calm air currents do exist, but may not be noticeable. The spray dissipated quickly, and then a molecule or two came back and reached my nose.

OMG!

I thought I was going to die. That stuff is effective. I can't imagine a full blast to the face. Oddly, so I've heard, bear spray is not as strong as the stuff made to ward off human attackers. You would think it would be the other way around.
Click to expand...
I had some bear spray on a trip to Alaska 2017.
I had somewhat of the same experience. It sat around here for a few years and I got the wild idea to try it out.
The way our house is built the kitchen sticks out the back but then we have the steps going down off of the porch beside it.
I didn’t think about how those air currents shifted around on that area.
I just shot a quick burst of it at the ground beside me and just some of it blew up at me.
That stuff takes your breath away.
I think the bear spray turns into more of a spray and the pepper spray I have stays in more of a stream.
 
JustDave said:
I carry bear spay in the woods. It works with one hand, including taking off the safety clip. When I first started carrying it, I gave it a test. One thing I've always worried about was spraying into the wind. I was in woods and it was a dead calm. I gave it a quick blast and orange marker fluid and repellent shot out about 10 ft. Then I put it back together. Now even in a dead calm air currents do exist, but may not be noticeable. The spray dissipated quickly, and then a molecule or two came back and reached my nose.

OMG!

I thought I was going to die. That stuff is effective. I can't imagine a full blast to the face. Oddly, so I've heard, bear spray is not as strong as the stuff made to ward off human attackers. You would think it would be the other way around.
Click to expand...
Better carry face-masks with you @JustDave
 
My husband carried OC/pepper spray as a deputy & as a range officer for the department, taught the OC classes.

The spray we issued to our department wasn't ever hard to deploy the first time used from a new can. You may want to check into another manufacture. You shouldn't have to two hands to deploy any can at any time. It should be no harder to use than a can of deodorant.

There are several types of OC in canisters: foam/gel, spray & foggers. The foam/gel is something you would use inside a building. Using the spray/foggers would spread inside a building or even a partially enclosed area causing everyone in the vacinity to get a dose, including you.

In using the spray/fogs, you need to aware which way the air is blowing. Even if you go with the flow, you could still get some of the spray on yourself when you use it.

OC spray will not work on everyone ... specifically mentally ill individuals or someone severely intoxicated on drugs/alcohol. Some people will not be affected by it or have been sprayed so many times before that they have learned to fight through it. Just be aware you may only make these people more angry & come for you.

If anyone is going to use it, you need to think about a few things:

- It may not work the way you think it would or should.
- Can you fight your way through it after getting it in your eyes & can you continue to function?
- Can you deal physically with someone who isn't affected by the spray & you just must made even angrier?
- What is your back up plan if it doesn't work?

You don't use pepper spray (which is considered "Less Than Lethal") against someone who has a deadly weapon such as a knife, gun, club, etc.
 
Many years ago, when I used to do our early morning walks, I always carried a small spray can of mosquito spray. I must admit I never had cause to use it on a perpetrator but did spray a dog that started to growl and attempted to snap at my rear. He immediately ran off coughing and spluttering., that was good enough for me. I rang the police and said could I be charged with cruelty to an animal and she said to protect myself at all costs.
 
jujube said:
I was reading a article once about the wild things Park Rangers have been asked by visitors. One of the better ones was, "OK, I bought some of that bear spray. Do I spray it all over me or just on my clothes?"
Click to expand...
The first time I heard about this kind of nonsense being reported, it was about people using bear spray like mosquito repellent. Now it's interesting enough just reporting on people's ignorance, which is always a source of amusement, but the newspaper article got stupider than the people it was reporting about. A supposed journalist then talked to a supposed expert, who speculated that using spray like that might possibly attract bears that would end up feeding on the humans who had spiced up their legs and arms with pepper.

OK that's interesting too in that it depends on absurd speculation without any evidence, but then the article totally missed the point and took it's proper place at the apex of the stupidity pyramid by printing an article with the headline, "Bear Spray Attracts Bears." Maybe it was press release from Smith and Wesson. I wish I knew the name of that news source, but the article came from a clipping that a coworker left in the lunchroom. This is the way fake news influences half of the public and could actually endanger people.
 
JustDave said:
the article totally missed the point and took it's proper place at the apex of the stupidity pyramid by printing an article with the headline, "Bear Spray Attracts Bears."
Click to expand...
Shaking my head and laughing.

I used to travel a lot, camping in my van. The can of bear spray is still in the door pocket. The label says it contains mace.

Once, in an outhouse in a campground, I accidentally dropped the can and it went pfft! Just a teeny spray as it touched the ground. I was out of there in about two seconds! Just that tiny amount was impressive.
 
JustDave said:
I carry bear spay in the woods. It works with one hand, including taking off the safety clip. When I first started carrying it, I gave it a test. One thing I've always worried about was spraying into the wind. I was in woods and it was a dead calm. I gave it a quick blast and orange marker fluid and repellent shot out about 10 ft. Then I put it back together. Now even in a dead calm air currents do exist, but may not be noticeable. The spray dissipated quickly, and then a molecule or two came back and reached my nose.

OMG!

I thought I was going to die. That stuff is effective. I can't imagine a full blast to the face. Oddly, so I've heard, bear spray is not as strong as the stuff made to ward off human attackers. You would think it would be the other way around.
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that is a subjective judgement. We likely don't experience the bear spray the same way as a bear does.
Humans may need actual serious pain to be deterred while the bear may only need something that tells it their target would taste bad or make them sick. Causing it serious pain might only make it more aggressive.
 
Lilac said:
My husband carried OC/pepper spray as a deputy & as a range officer for the department, taught the OC classes.

The spray we issued to our department wasn't ever hard to deploy the first time used from a new can. You may want to check into another manufacture. You shouldn't have to two hands to deploy any can at any time. It should be no harder to use than a can of deodorant.

There are several types of OC in canisters: foam/gel, spray & foggers. The foam/gel is something you would use inside a building. Using the spray/foggers would spread inside a building or even a partially enclosed area causing everyone in the vacinity to get a dose, including you.

In using the spray/fogs, you need to aware which way the air is blowing. Even if you go with the flow, you could still get some of the spray on yourself when you use it.

OC spray will not work on everyone ... specifically mentally ill individuals or someone severely intoxicated on drugs/alcohol. Some people will not be affected by it or have been sprayed so many times before that they have learned to fight through it. Just be aware you may only make these people more angry & come for you.

If anyone is going to use it, you need to think about a few things:

- It may not work the way you think it would or should.
- Can you fight your way through it after getting it in your eyes & can you continue to function?
- Can you deal physically with someone who isn't affected by the spray & you just must made even angrier?
- What is your back up plan if it doesn't work?

You don't use pepper spray (which is considered "Less Than Lethal") against someone who has a deadly weapon such as a knife, gun, club, etc.
Click to expand...
Yes! Everybody tells me that I must have got a bad canister of it.
It isn’t that expensive so I ordered a couple more of the same type.
If they start out hard to spray I will switch brands.
Glad I tried that first one out before I desperately needed it.
 
Lilac said:
My husband carried OC/pepper spray as a deputy & as a range officer for the department, taught the OC classes.

The spray we issued to our department wasn't ever hard to deploy the first time used from a new can. You may want to check into another manufacture. You shouldn't have to two hands to deploy any can at any time. It should be no harder to use than a can of deodorant.

There are several types of OC in canisters: foam/gel, spray & foggers. The foam/gel is something you would use inside a building. Using the spray/foggers would spread inside a building or even a partially enclosed area causing everyone in the vacinity to get a dose, including you.

In using the spray/fogs, you need to aware which way the air is blowing. Even if you go with the flow, you could still get some of the spray on yourself when you use it.

OC spray will not work on everyone ... specifically mentally ill individuals or someone severely intoxicated on drugs/alcohol. Some people will not be affected by it or have been sprayed so many times before that they have learned to fight through it. Just be aware you may only make these people more angry & come for you.

If anyone is going to use it, you need to think about a few things:

- It may not work the way you think it would or should.
- Can you fight your way through it after getting it in your eyes & can you continue to function?
- Can you deal physically with someone who isn't affected by the spray & you just must made even angrier?
- What is your back up plan if it doesn't work?

You don't use pepper spray (which is considered "Less Than Lethal") against someone who has a deadly weapon such as a knife, gun, club, etc.
Click to expand...
Yeah! The pepper spray is only a back up or non lethal option for if the threat isn’t a violent armed person.
But not the only option that I carry.
When I first started carrying my pocket pistol I had dreams where I was suddenly attacked and my weapon arm was pinned so that I couldn’t access the gun.
Besides figuring how to manuever around so that there is less chance that someone could attack like that I also started carrying a small mechanics screw driver in my right shirt pocket so that I can grab it to fight for that critical distance it takes to draw a gun.
Sometimes fear helps a person to understand and correct weak areas in their defense.
An example of how to maneuver around is how you move through a store or building so that your right side -gun side is protected by walls and other things. Use your shopping cart to maintain that much distance between you and others and turn out if a possible threat is behind you.
You don’t have to be obvious but you just walk out of the way like you are scanning an area for something to buy until the person behind you passes by.
Always stay alert to everything that is around you whether very near or not.
My wife thinks that I go too far by being observant but I noticed a guy who was acting strange before he went into a store and mentioned it to my wife and she said there was probably nothing to it but we later heard that the guy went into the store and threaten store personnel about their bathroom policies where they allow weird people in women’s bathrooms.
I don’t know if he had any weapons in his back pack or not but they called the police to deal with him.
Another time I picked out a guy wearing a heavy coat in a store in hot weather and I observed him from a distance behind impenetrable cover.
I consider all of those things to be part of self defense and they are such a habit that they just come naturally to me.
 
Last edited:
GP44 said:
Yeah! The pepper spray is only a back up or non lethal option for if the threat isn’t a violent armed person.
But not the only option that I carry.
When I first started carrying my pocket pistol I had dreams where I was suddenly attacked and my weapon arm was pinned so that I couldn’t access the gun.
Besides figuring how to manuever around so that there is less chance that someone could attack like that I also started carrying a small mechanics screw driver in my right shirt pocket so that I can grab it to fight for that critical distance it takes to draw a gun.
Sometimes fear helps a person to understand and correct weak areas in their defense.
An example of how to maneuver around is how you move through a store or building so that your right side -gun side is protected by walls and other things. Use your shopping cart to maintain that much distance between you and others and turn out if a possible threat is behind you.
You don’t have to be obvious but you just walk out of the way like you are scanning an area for something to buy until the person behind you passes by.
Always stay alert to everything that is around you whether very near or not.
My wife thinks that I go too far by being observant but I noticed a guy who was acting strange before he went into a store and mentioned it to my wife and she said there was probably nothing to it but we later heard that the guy went into the store and threaten store personnel about their bathroom policies where they allow weird people in women’s bathrooms.
I don’t know if he had any weapons in his back pack or not but they called the police to deal with him.
Another time I picked out a guy wearing a heavy coat in a store in hot weather and I observed him from a distance behind impenetrable cover.
I consider all of those things to be part of self defense and they are such a habit that they just come naturally to me.
Click to expand...

You understand about keeping your head on a swivel & being aware of your surroundings ... and that isn't a problem at all. The point is trying to avoid a problem before it happens & if does, having a plan on how to deal with it to the best you can with what is going on.

Too many people have no idea what's going on around them & then walk into problems that could have been avoidable if they had looked. Folks today don't listen to the little part of the brain that tells them something is wrong. If something doesn't look or feel right, like your hair stands up or gut tightens suddenly, it's time to leave. It may not make sense at the time or be clear as to why, but your brain is trying to tell you something.

I think people who don't look around may be surprised of what they would see if they did, good or bad.
 

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