{"id":14813,"date":"2022-11-26T10:13:52","date_gmt":"2022-11-26T09:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wobblyride.com\/?p=14813"},"modified":"2024-05-29T15:19:06","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T13:19:06","slug":"travel-with-pepper-spray-is-pepper-spray-a-good-self-defence-tool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wobblyride.com\/pl\/2022\/11\/26\/travel-with-pepper-spray-is-pepper-spray-a-good-self-defence-tool\/","title":{"rendered":"Should you travel with pepper spray? Is pepper spray a good self-defence tool for solo travellers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

After years of travelling solo, I can say that the world is not as scary as the news likes to present it. But risks and dangers still exist. Is it a good idea to travel with pepper spray? In what situations is pepper spray good for self-defence, and how to use it to not put yourself in even greater danger?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is pepper spray, and how does it work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pepper spray is an aerosol that contains an inflammatory agent called capsaicin, which is the component that makes the chilli peppers so spicy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you ever rub your eyes after chopping a chilli pepper and couldn\u2019t get rid of the burning itchiness? That\u2019s exactly how the pepper spray works – as if you sprayed a few hundred jalapenos into someone\u2019s face. It gives you extra time to run away or call for help in case of an attack by a person or an animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"pepper<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Can you use pepper spray for bears?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I cycled and camped in places with a large brown bear population (the Pindus Mountains <\/a>in Greece, the Rhodope Mountains in Bu\u0142garia<\/a>, Muranska Planina in S\u0142owacja <\/a>i Romanian Carpathians)<\/a>. While a bear attack is unlikely if you don\u2019t leave food and smelly stuff in your tent and if you don\u2019t surprise a bear, it\u2019s better to have some bear spray just in case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the bear spray the same as pepper spray?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the bear spray contains the same active ingredient as a self-defence pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum, a regular pepper spray won\u2019t work that well for bears. That\u2019s because the concentration of the OC is much higher in the bear spray. To be effective for bears, the spray has to be stronger and have a bigger range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can read more about the differences between pepper spray and bear spray tutaj<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"bear
Bear footprint in Romania. If you travel in areas with a large bear population, carrying bear spray is a good idea.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Using pepper spray for stray dogs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many cyclists travelling through the Balkans get the stray dog scare. There are many other ways to scare aggressive stray dogs off, and many people claim pepper spray is an effective way to protect yourself from a dog attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dogs have very sensitive noses and eyes. Pepper spray will be painful for them. If you\u2019d rather use a more humane method, consider carrying a citronella spray. Its strong smell effectively deters dogs and other animals without making them suffer from eye irritation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using pepper spray for people<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pepper spray is one of the most popular self-defence means. It is, in fact, very effective if you get attacked by a person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a non-lethal weapon and doesn\u2019t cause any long-term harm or injuries, but it temporarily disables the attacker, giving you extra time to run away or call for help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But many people (including myself a few years back when I hitch-hiked through Norway with a can of pepper spray on the bottom of my backpack) get a false sense of safety just by having the pepper spray somewhere<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pepper spray is not a magical spell that automatically protects you from the bad guys. You have to learn how to use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to use pepper spray properly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I am not a self-defence expert, but I found a really great video explaining the proper way to use pepper spray: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VAV1aBvhBUU&ab_channel=KravMagaYashir\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What to do if you spray pepper spray on yourself?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shit happens, and it can happen that you will get the pepper spray on yourself. And if you do, it will be itchy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had quite an unpleasant incident with bear spray. The can I carried in my handlebar bag on my bike dropped, and it untightened, releasing the spray. I tried to move it to stop the leakage. It wasn\u2019t smart. My eyes started to tear, and my throat got stingy. When the substance got to my lungs, it was difficult to breathe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I moved away quickly before the spray caused any damage, but it wasn\u2019t an amusing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you spray pepper spray on yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n