How Do You Carry Bear Spray When Backpacking?

By Robert Palmer

When backpacking, knowing how to carry bear spray is essential. Bear spray can be a lifesaver if you find yourself in a situation where you need to protect yourself from an aggressive bear. While it’s not designed to be used as a weapon, bear spray can be used to deter aggressive bears and other animals that may threaten your safety.

What Is Bear Spray?

Bear spray is an aerosol-based repellent used to stop bears from attacking humans. It contains capsaicin, which is the same active ingredient found in hot pepper sauce and other hot sauces. The active ingredient in bear spray causes burning and irritation of the eyes and nose, leading bears to flee or retreat from the area without causing them any permanent injury or harm.

Where Do You Carry Bear Spray?

When backpacking, it’s important to carry bear spray on your person at all times in an easily accessible location such as a pocket or hip holster so that it can be quickly deployed in an emergency situation. If you’re travelling with others, you should consider having one person in your group carry the bear spray at all times so that it’s always available if needed.

How Do You Use Bear Spray?

If you come across a bear while on a backpacking trip, remain calm and slowly move away from the animal while speaking calmly and firmly. If the animal continues to approach or appears aggressive, then you should deploy the bear spray by pointing it towards the animal and spraying for 1-2 seconds before continuing to move away from the animal until it has left the area completely.

Conclusion: How Do You Carry Bear Spray When Backpacking?

When backpacking, it’s important to know how to properly carry and use bear spray for your own safety. Bear spray should always be kept on your person in an easily accessible location such as a pocket or hip holster so that it can be quickly deployed if needed. If you come across a bear while on your trip, remain calm and slowly move away while speaking calmly before deploying the bear spray towards the animal if necessary.