does anyone know if bear spray REALLY expires or is this a marketing ploy to make you buy more??

My understanding is that the actual bear spray won't actually expire. The problem is the propellants and pressurization.
They will both degrade over time.
Nothing worse than pulling out the canister when you really need it only to have the "spray" dribble out of the canister.
For something that is there as a potential life saver, better off not to take a chance IMHO.

It's totally possible for the capsicum(the peppery firey thing that burns us a new hole after we eat peppers) could break down over time and be less effective.

Time for a test

about 3 years ago I tested some "old" spray I had. According tho the label, it had been expired for 5 years. It came out in a real nice blast ( had a bit of a breeze too) and my dog was not too impressed. wouldn't go near that part of the back 40 for a couple days.

But I agree with Cfulker, I usually get new ones and give the old ones to my hiking partners who don't have any. I figure better the bear gets them than me :-)

I've seen a couple brands that had an expiry date on the bottom. But most don't say anything.

At a Bear Encounter training course I took last year (great fun...lots of props, lots of practice with bearspray and knives!), the instructor told us that the spray starts to lose some potency after a year. Since they're in the business of "safety around wildlife", I presume they looked into it with the bear spray manufacturers.

My employer's safety program requires us to replace our canisters with new stock annually. And we are encouraged to take the "expired" bottles out and practice with them.

One other thing--don't store bear spray in a cold place, like an unheated shed or an RV, for the winter. If it freezes, it completely loses its potency. Or so they say...

...unless the spray comes straight up out of a malfunctioning valve and into your face!! That almost happened to my wife when we were out practicing with a bunch of old cans. Fortunately she was holding it at arms length like you're supposed to and it just missed her.

Safety and reliability--that's why you should replace them regularly.

Me again. [8)]

I just talked with our OHSC committee about bear spray issues, and got the following info:

Most sprays have a shelf life of 3-4 years. Some have an expiry date stamped on the canister (Counter Assault supposedly does, but my can doesn't...hmmm!), but it "could last longer than the expiry date". It is not recommended you take that chance, and also with the increased chance of a malfunctioning valve over time, leading to a leak or a misfire.

If your can doesn't have an expiry date, do you know how old it is?!
_________

The bear safety instructor told our staff that of the bear pepper spray brands available in Canada (there are 13 approved by Health and Welfare Canada), only 3 are recommended: 'Counter Assault', 'Guard Alaska' and 'UDAP Bear Deterrent' (aka 'UDAP Pepper Powder'). Other brands are ineffective in meeting 2 standards - providing a recommended minimum spray distance of 25 feet and a duration of at least 6 seconds.

'Bear Guard', 'Frontiersman Bear Attack Deterrent' and 'Tactical O.C. Bear Deterrent' are not recommended. The latter (that's what my employer issued to staff) meets only one of the standards (hmmm...).

Some brands trade off distance for duration. Backpacker Magazine found that the spray that shot the furthest (40 feet) also lasted the least (4 seconds). If a crosswind blows that cloud away, you're out of protection real fast!

An excellent website for info on bear spray is http://www.absc.usgs.gov/research/br...epperspray.htm

Thanks so much all...this is very interesting. I am going to check the brands that we have (and the dates).

I like the idea of using the expired ones for practice. I have always wondered if I really needed the spray would I be able to use it??

someone should come up with a non-irritant bear spray that uses the same mechanism just for practicing with.

I don't know about potency declining on the shelf but pressurization is definitely an issue. Any pressurized product's reliability will decline over time. If your spray does not have a "best before date" and you've had it a few years, it would be a good idea to retire it.

Just to add, don't think that bear spray is 100% dependable, be prepared for the worst. Example: If you go to spray and the nozzle breaks off or you drop it and it breaks. Then what? Carry a small survival knife in case the can turns out to be a dud regardless of the expiry date.

PS: It is "expiry" not "expirey"

Cleopatra, it is out there somewhere, I just don't know how available. We used cans of "practice spray" in our training session. They had no capsicum, the spray was white instead of red, and actually smelled a bit like vinegar.

Absolutely, go fire off your old can (in a safe place of course) for practice rather than just throw it away. So you know what it's like, how far and wide it sprays etc. Practice your quick-draw, too!

http://www.margosupplies.com/canadian1/bear_dets.htm

$28.00 for 'inert' version used for training purposes.

PPS: Make that a LARGE survival knife!

Geez that's pricy...in Vernon I can get the real stuff (Counter Assault 230 gm) for $26.95, and bulk orders of 10 or more are $21.95 each.

BTW, that Margo Supplies website also shows a travel case. You should always use one if carrying spray in your vehicle cab!! But there is a cheaper alternative to that *pricy* product, see this thread: https://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topi...TOPIC_ID=27719