1Life 1BearSpray

Back in 1999 a group known as the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) which is not part of the EPA released their recommendations for bear spray duration. The IGBC does not guarantee the effectiveness of any product but did suggest a duration time of 6 seconds. Among those seconds they took into account firing a brief shot of spray when the bear is about 50 feet away. Since no bear spray is actually able to reach 50 feet it is assumed that this is merely for flash value and meant to scare the bear.

So which bear spray has a higher flash value? Is it the only two pepper sprays (Counter Assault and Guard Alaska) which have duration times over 6 seconds (9.2 and 9 seconds) or is it a bear spray like Frontiersman with its 5 second duration. To answer this it comes back to the amount of volume that is happening per one second blast. A matter of physics will tell you if you have a stream of gas empting from one canister at 9 seconds and another canister of a similar size empting at 5 seconds, the 5 second canister is delivering a serious amount more pepper than the slower canister. This high power expulsion produces big noise and big flash.

The high volume produced by the Frontiersman dual propellant system actually contains up to 84% more spray per one second blast than other brands. What if the bear at 50 feet is unmoved by the flash or what if the animal is a lot closer to begin with? This heightens the risk. It seams like it would make more sense to have a bear spray that would throw up a larger barrier at a quicker rate than a spray that takes more time to disperse the same volume. Companies with the 9 second pepper spray products tend to use the IGBC 6 second duration recommendation as a misleading tool. They would have you believe more is better because more time equals more chances to spray. More chances might be true. However consider what a hostile bear is capable of and the speed at which an event can transpire. An 800 pound bear is capable of charging 30 feet per second. That could be enough time for only one shot.

Wind speed and direction can have an impact on a spray. If you are shooting the bear spray with the wind the range can be enhanced. However if you are spraying into the wind the range can be reduced. The obvious advantage to using a spray with higher volume and more power is minimum loss of range in up wind situations. Of course you could always try to maneuver yourself into a down wind position before spraying but this is not always possible.

x Harm To The Animal - Can all of this volume permanently injure the aggressive bear? Testing has shown the effects to be only temporary. Bear sprays are meant to be sprayed in the face of the bear or close proximity of it. The pepper or capsaicin in the spray goes straight to the eyes, nose and is taken in by lungs of the animal. The mucous membranes in theses areas swell, burn and become inflamed.The result is overwhelming, yet temporary loss of sight and partial blockage of breathing passageways. The effects of the spray usually only last about 30 to 45 minuets. It is recommended that once the animal has retreated or is busy cleaning itself that you leave the area as quickly as possible without running.

Note: The bear spray only works in deterring a bear attack when the spray is actually airborne. It needs to come in contact with eyes and be inhaled into the lungs. Pepper spray products do not work in deterring a bear when sprayed on tents, planes, clothing or by spraying a perimeter of an area. In some cases use of a bear spray in this way has shown to attract a bear. Bears have been known to paw at and even roll around in sprayed areas. Does this mean you should be weary of using bear sprays? Absolutely not. When used as directed, bear sprays provide you with one of the best means of defense against an aggressive bear.

y Night Safety - Some bear sprays have a glow-in-the-dark safety wedge that prevents accidental discharge. However not all of them have this glow-in-the-dark option. Frontiersman bear spray has this option plus an unique safety tie attachment that prevents misplacement of this important piece. A night bear attack is considered to be rare but in a case were you are surprised while sleeping it could help you locate your bear spray canister.

z Testing - All of the EPA regulated bear sprays conduct tests of their product. Biologists, Scientist, Ecologist, campers, hikers, workers and just about anybody can be said to have used any one of these brands of bear spray. They all work in deterring a bear attack according to the EPA. Determining which ones will work better for you comes down to what advantages their design has for you. Keep in mind the strength, range, duration and weight. These things could make the difference.

Frontiersman Bear Spray was field tested and repeatedly proven effective at deterring charging bears by both the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Elmendorf, Alaska http://www.elmendorf.af.mil and the respected Brown Bear Resources in Missoula, Montana. http://www.brownbear.org/BrownBear.htm

Frontiersman's EPA approved regulation number is: No. 72265-1

Black Bear Vs. Brown Bear                                       The Misleading Perception Of The Two And How Their Behavior Should Be Interpreted Differently

The first misconception that you will hear nine times out of ten is that brown bears; the grizzly bear, the Kodiak bear and the Mexican Bear are all subspecies of the brown bear, are far more dangerous than the black bear. It is true that the brown bears size and claws are a lot larger than the black bears. The brown bear is even known to display more defensive behavior but statistics show the black bear should not be taken lightly.

Incidents of black bear attacks are rarer than brown bear attacks but the actual documented bear attack fatalities over the past century shows a different story. The number of deaths from a black bear attack that were recorded in North America from 1910 to April 13 2006 are 56. The number of fatal brown bear attacks over the same period are 53. Prior to recent decades bear attack deaths were not well recorded. However the evidence does suggest there were more fatalities caused by black bears than brown bears.

Why is this important to know? The American black bear lives in 39 of the 50 US states and all of Canada providences except one. It is said that its population is around 600,000. The brown bear lives in the north western parts of US and into Canada. Its population is said to be a mere 54,320. You have more of chance on encountering a black bear vs. a brown bear. Therefore it important to note the differences that these bears display in their behaviors since this could affect the way you deal with them.

The grizzly bear for example is more likely to make a bluff charge or bat you around. They make a lot of noise by stomping the ground, growling and smacking their teeth together. This is usually a defensive behavior when their cubs are threatened or you get too close to their food. If you have ever heard of playing dead to get a bear to leave you alone it would be with a brown bear not a black bear.

You never want to play dead if a black bear is attacking you. The black bear will start eating you were you lay or drag you off to a more secure area. Your first line of defense would be your Frontiersman bear spray. If you were unable to get a shot off your best bet would be to fight back with any means possible. Kick, punch, use objects to strike the bear with, anything accept playing dead.

When a black bear does attack it is not usually to protect their cubs or to defend something. In fact they will often run off and leave their cubs behind. In the instances were they do attack the black bear is being a predator. You are the prey. They usually will not give you a warning like a grizzly bear would. They are pretty calm leading up to their attack and are not easily scared off by noise such as yelling at that point.

It is important to stand your ground. Your bear spray will give you the confidence to stay and show the bear you are not prey. Both black bears and brown bears have been known to run at speeds over 35 miles per hour (55km per hour) even at weights of 800 lbs plus. One of the fastest runners in the world Michael Johnson top speed is only 23.16 miles per hour (37.27 km per hour.) Even he would not be able to out run a bear.

It has been said that if you have time to climb a tree over 15 feet there is a small chance of success at avoiding an adult grizzly male since they generally do not climb trees past that height. However black bears are excellent climbers and could easily chase you up the tree. Climbing a tree really should never be considered an option when confronting either the black bear or the brown bear. Consider the unfortunate fatal case involving a 35 year old jogger in Canmore, Alberta on June 5, 2005. She attempted to escape a brown bear attack by climbing a tree but the bear pulled her from it. Again carrying a bear spray with you and standing your ground is your best option.

How do you tell a black bear from a brown bear? Black Bears have medium to large rounded ears set close to the back of their head and weigh around 125 to 600 lbs.(55 to 270 kilograms.) On all fours their height is around 3 feet (90 centimeters) at their shoulder level and measure about 6 feet (183 centimeters) long. The black bears hump in their shoulder area is a lot smaller and has less musculature than a brown bear. Also their claws are smaller. Black bears are not always black. They can be many different shades of brown as well.

Brown bears like the grizzly bear are a lot larger. The males can weigh anywhere from 290 to 1550 lbs. (130-700 kilograms.) On all fours the highest part of their shoulders measures around 3.5 to 5 feet (100 to 152 centimeters) from the ground. The grizzly bear can measure anywhere from 7 to 10 feet (200 to 305 centimeters) long. As stated before their claws are longer than the black bear and they have a massive hump in the shoulder area. The nose of a brown bear is often broader as well. Their colors range from dark brown to light blond. As they get older silver tips usually develop on the ends of their long fur.n