Bear Spray -- Transporting


The following is taken from the Missoula Technology and Development Center a division of The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Simple Solution Stops Pepper Spray

Pepper Spray is Great at Stopping Bears

Pepper spray stops bears. That’s why Forest Service employees working in bear country carry it. Pepper spray also stops humans.

What happens when a can of bear spray goes off in a car... from r/videos

This happened on Sunday heading up out of Long Beach. We had been camping up in bear country near Yosemite and when we took all of the gear out of the car, the bear spray got left behind.

Well, fast forward a couple of days and we’re heading out of Long Beach when my girlfriend moves the passenger seat back, jamming the can of bear spray between the seat rail and the floor, puncturing it. I first felt it in my lungs, a burning in my throat that brought on intense coughing. Not long after that I realized that the left shoulder wasn’t wide enough and I needed to get over to the right. This is where the real pain began: keeping my eyes open long enough to get the jeep across the road and stopped. It BURNED! And I let out the “OW” in the video.

We got out of the car, spent a while dry heaving and pouring water in our eyes, and then started throwing anything that the bear spray touched into a plastic garbage bag that we could seal up. Let it dry for about 20 min while the car aired out and it was good enough to drive with the windows down. Barely.

Turns out bear spray has this spicy odor combined with the most sickly chemical sweet smell you can imagine. And wherever it touches your skin it will BURN. Dish soap to get the oils off and rag soaked in milk to stop the burning will be your best friend.

That night was spent with gloves and a respirator scrubbing the carpets with dish soap to get the oils out. It’s gotten down to a mild odor, I just need to get the interior professionally cleaned now. All in all, I would not recommend you set off bear spray in a car. Kind of makes for a bad day.

https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/3mvru7/what_happens_when_a_can_of_bear_spray_goes_off_in/

thought I’d stop by to tell the story.

Bear spray blows out windshield

Here’s the Problem

A 1-second burst of spray directly in someone’s face could cause temporary blindness; induce choking, coughing, and nausea; and restrict breathing. If the spray accidentally discharged in a vehicle, the driver would have difficulty stopping safely.

The Missoula Technology and Development Center was asked to develop a container that could be used to safely carry bear spray.

Mechanical engineer Dick Karsky not only needed to figure out a solution, he needed to figure out a realistic test to show that it actually worked.

The Solution

The recommended storage container is a simple Nalgene plastic bottle lined with open-cell furniture foam. The foam traps the active ingredient while allowing the propellant to escape.

This solution was inexpensive, simple enough for anyone to make, and relatively foolproof. This is the solution that Karsky recommended. Matheny now sells this container as an accessory.

Each year, Matheny hears about canisters of bear spray that have leaked or exploded after being left in a hot car. One canister left on a dashboard blew out the windshield.

Matheny has never heard of a problem from anyone who was using the container to store bear spray. Forest Service safety regulations now require that pepper spray be in one of the MTDC-approved containers whenever pepper spray is carried in a vehicle or in a light aircraft. The spray cannot be carried on commercial aircraft.

The recommended storage container is a simple Nalgene plastic bottle lined with open-cell furniture foam. The foam traps the active ingredient while allowing the propellant to escape.

"Pepper spray stops bears. That’s why Forest Service employees working in bear country carry it. Pepper spray also stops humans. That's why we don't put it on the dash of the truck."
—Brian Johnson, Sr. Conservation Officer IDFG
"I saw a can of bear spray imbed itself in the headliner of a truck. I just needs to get hot."
—Bret ????