Best Bear Spray

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Best Bear Spray

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This is a gear review about the best bear spray on the market in 2024.

If you’re hiking, backpacking, or traveling in bear country, you can never be too sure when you might have an encounter with a bear.

For most people who spend time in the backcountry, it is not if, but when you will run into a bear. Whether it is a Grizzly Bear or a Black Bear it is a good idea to be prepared and have a bear repellent spray in case you need to defend yourself. Carrying Bear Spray to repel bears and storing food in a Bear Canister or using a Bear Bag are some of the best ways to stay safe in Bear Country.

I’ve been checking out some of the best cans of spray to repel bears in 2024 and put together a shortlist of the best.

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Best Bear Spray for Hiking 2024

The Best Bear Spray for Hiking in 2024 are:

Best Bear Spray for Backpacking

Counter Assault Bear Spray

Counter Assault Bear Spray Review

Pros:
> It can spray up to 40 feet.
> 8-second continuous spray.
> Works on all species of bear.
> Strongest formula allowed.
> Comes with a hip holster.
Cons:
> It has an expiration date

Counter Assualt Bear Spray is not only the most popular bear repellent spray but my favorite bear spray for backpacking. I have been personally carrying this top-rated bear spray on every backpacking trip into bear country.

First off, it’s one of the farthest-reaching bear sprays on the market. It can reach a bear as far as 40 feet away, so you don’t have to wait until you’re up close and personal before you can grab it and spray away.

And it’s the hottest formula allowed by law, with a maximum strength of 2% capsaicin and similar ingredients. And it will deploy a high volume.

An 8-second long blast of pepper spray that will temporarily stop the bear from seeing or smelling anything. And it will work against all species of bears. It’s an excellent deterrent.

It comes with its very own durable holster, so you can attach the canister to your help for quick and easy access, God forbid it’s needed.

And for even greater safety, it features a glow-in-the-dark safety wedge and tie string, so you will be able to find it easily in the darkness of your camping tent.

You can either buy a big 10.2 ounce canister, or a slightly smaller 8.1 ounce one, or you can save money by buying a 2-pack, and keep 2 of you protected.

It’s made in the USA, specifically Montana, and it uses 91% fewer greenhouse gases than any other spray on the market, so it’s a great option for the environmentally conscious among you.

Overall, these are the best bear spray for grizzlies and great for thru-hiking, backpacking, hiking, and for anyone wanting to be in bear country. I’ve carried this bear spray with me in remote places in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, and in remote locations in Canada. Highly recommended.

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Best Bear Spray for Canada

Frontiersman Bear Spray

Pros:
> Good range up to 9 meters
> 5.6 seconds of spray
> Includes holster
Cons:
> 3-year shelf life

The Frontiersman Bear Spray is specific to Canada. It has 1% capsaicin which is certainly enough to deter both Grizzly Bear and Black Bear attacks.

The Frontiersman Spray comes in 225-gram and 325-gram sizes. There is an option to buy the spray with a carry pouch included.

When purchasing Bear Spray in Canada just be aware that you may need to show your ID at the time of purchase.

Overall, this is the best bear spray for Canada. If you live in Canada or are traveling there to hike some of the trails then this is the bear spray for you.

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Bear Sprays for Backpacking & Hiking

UDAP Bear Repellent Spray

UDAP Bear Spray Review

Pros:
> Bestseller with excellent ratings
> Fast-acting spray
> 30 feet range
> You can get a holster or mount for it
Cons:
> Practice may be needed to remove it from the sleeve quickly

The UDAP bear spray is a fast-acting bear deterrent spray at a reasonable price. It also features an enhanced range and a broad spray pattern, as well as an inhalable particle size. This increases the chance of the bear being met and stopped by the spray if you spray it in a hurry.

The range is not as strong as the Counter Assault Bear Spray, but it should manage to reach around 30 feet when there was no wind.

You can buy it as a pack of one or as a pack of two. You can buy it with its own pocket and/or with a hip holster to keep it right at hand as you hike. Or, if you have accommodation in the woods, you can buy one with a wall mount.

Overall, this is a good budget bear spray for backpacking and hiking.

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Mace Guard Alaska Bear Spray

Guard Alaska Bear Spray Review

Pros:
> Made in the USA.
> Canister empties in 9 seconds.
> Effective protection from bears.
Cons:
> 20 Feet range could be better.
> Not to be stored at temperatures below freezing
> Only lasts 3 years from the date of manufacture.
> Inconsistent information from the company about range, strength, and more

The Mace Guard Alaska Bear Spray is a long-established brand and a good bear repellent spray.

With a range of 20 feet, it is not as far as other sprays that made our shortlist, but it does mean that you can deploy it before getting up close and personal with the bear.

The active ingredient in the spray is Oleoresin Capsicum which is derived from hot peppers.

And this will cause the membranes of the bear’s eyes, nose, and lungs to engorge, giving a temporary loss of sight, a painful burning sensation, and restriction of their breathing. This will give you time to get to a safer spot.

As with all the sprays in this review, it is recommended that you empty the entire canister if you need to, and this will take about 9 seconds.

It’s made in the USA.

It doesn’t come with a holster, but you can pick one up at a budget price. Just be aware that there is a lot of inconsistent advertising by this company on the website about range, strength, and more. They should be able to do better than they are.

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Bear Repellent spray for Thru Hiking
Bear Repellent Spray for Thru-Hiking on the CDT

Buying Guide

As promised, here’s your buying guide. Here are some things to consider when shopping for spray to repel bears.


Range

The bigger the range of the spray, the sooner you can deploy it before the bear gets even more dangerously close. And the more time you buy just get the heck out of there. In most circumstances, the best anti-bear spray will have a range of 10-30 feet is a good range to deploy the bear spray.

Bear Repellent Spray for Bikepacking
Bear Spray at the ready when Bikepacking in Alaska

Easy to Use & Access

If possible, I would recommend going for a pepper spray to prevent a bear attack that either comes with a holster or has a holster that you can buy separately. It is easier to use the bear spray when it is accessible.

It’s not much good to have a pepper spray to prevent bear attacks if you don’t have quick and easy access to it when you’re hiking in the woods. Also, ensure that you practice removing the spray from the holster or wherever you store it. Get the muscle memory working so that when the time comes you can remove and use the spray as quickly as possible.

If possible, try to ensure you do not unload the bear spray into the wind as it will move downwind and you will get affected by the bear spray.


Value for Money

A regular size canister of bear repellent spray can vary in price but all are under $100. I don’t include prices in the reviews because they are subject to change, so be sure to click on “Check price” as you go along, so you can judge value for money.


Conclusion

Here are the best bear repellent sprays 2024:

Another one of the Best Hiking Gear Reviews from BikeHikeSafari.


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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you carry Bear Spray on a Hike?

Bear Spray should be carried somewhere that is easily and quickly accessible. Many have a holder that allows it to be attached to your backpack or somewhere on your body. You should also practice trying to access it very quickly to get the muscle memory to do it quickly if needed.

What is the Best Bear Spray?

The best bear spray is Counter Assault Bear Spray, closely followed by Frontiersman Bear Spray. Both these bear sprays will work on Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, and Polar Bears.

Should you sleep with bear spray in your tent?

When hiking, backpacking, and camping in bear country you should sleep with your bear spray in your tent. That way it will close to you if or when you need to use it.


Best bear spray
Best Bear Spray for Hiking and Backpacking

BikeHikeSafari Gear Review Process

The author, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small independent adventurer and outdoor gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.

BikeHikeSafari is not part of a large blog network and is proudly independent. All reviews on this site are independent and honest gear reviews of outdoor products by the author.

The author, Brad McCartney is a very experienced triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Read more). He was a manager of an outdoor retail store and is very experienced in what is important when using and testing gear for reviews like this.

BikeHikeSafari will never receive any money for reviews and they do not accept sponsored reviews on this website. All the comments about the gear reviews are from the author based on his years of experience. Hope this independent review was helpful for you.

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About the Author:
Brad is an Australian who has completed the hiking Triple Crown after he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Appalachian Trail. He has hiked on every continent (except Antarctica) and has cycled from Alaska to Ecuador. He is an expert on outdoor gear currently living in Chile.

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