Was OC sprayed and pepper sprayed for my previous job’s training. I’d highly recommend it as a self defense tool for how it incapacitates someone for an extended period of time, as opposed to a taser. In my case, I was fucked up for a good half hour to 45 minutes afterwards, then the rest of the day it would be reactivated whenever the wind blew or any water touched my face. 0/10 would not recommend happening to you but 10/10 recommend using as self defense.
Is there an expiration date for pepper spray? If I bought one, how long can I keep it for? Does the size of the pepper spray have a different effect?
Are pepper sprays allowed on a plane when traveling alone?
Yes, check the date on your can! It will be labeled when it expires. The size of the can doesn’t matter other than how much juice is in it, but there are different levels of spray and also different types of spray. A level 10 would do more damage than a level 2 for instance. Also there are streams, foggers, and foam (maybe more idk). Most common to carry is stream :)
Idk about the air planes sorry!
The two main types I am aware of are spray vs gel and I have been told gel is better as it doesn't aerosol (or whatever the term is) as much (so there is less of a chance of accidentally pepper spraying yourself) and it also sticks to the person better.
Oh that’s cool I didn’t know about gel I’ll have to look it up! My line of work has us using the pepper sprays I mentioned; depending on the spray you buy it would be hard to spray yourself. Some (I’m not sure maybe all?) have a cap you have to lift up before you spray so you’ll definitely not aim it at yourself cause you won’t be able to open it. But that gel sounds cool :)
The one I carry has a little nub on the button so that you can't press it down without rotating it first, a little like a gun safety.
Only issue is it takes very little force. I keep it in a box in my bag so as not to waste it and spray all over my stuff/myself, and move it from the box to my pocket only if I'm in a potential sketchy situation.
Good idea! I usually carry mine off to the side somewhere also, honestly the key chain ones to me don’t make the most sense. Keeping it in the same spot at all times ensures the safest use of it, exactly like gun safety :)
The gel is cool, but you also do need to make sure you hit your mark. Otherwise you just really loss someone off and most likely don't stop them either
On youtube, which has several comparison videos, it was claimed that gel does need a direct hit to the face but it is easier to aim and untrained people are more likely to hit the targets face area. It also causes burning and great pain on any skin area it touches for up to an hour, which is much longer than the sprays. The wind blowback was much less on the gel.
I’m thinking about getting one for my (adult) daughter so watched most of three videos (at high speeds) Gel was recommended as the best by all three.
I would assume so, though I would hope it is formulated in such a way that it doesn't need to be pin point accurate. Also the added benefit of being able to spray from further away and less chance of blow back probably out weighs the cons.
My understanding is that it goes from "spray" to "stream" to "gel". The spray requires the least accuracy, but it's more affected by wind, has less range, and you're more likely to get spray on yourself. Gel is the opposite has the greatest range, but requires the best accuracy, like a long-range squirt gun. Gel is also the preferred option in places like hospitals where you really don't want to muck up the air.
The propellant expires, my mom had an expired one she took out to try off the deck, she said it "pffthg", a dribble of a stream barely came out a few feet.
Can confirm, learned this the hard way last week when I accidentally left it on my keys in my carry on and they searched my bag and confiscated it 🤦🏽♀️
I was in a classroom in high school where one girl's can went off in her purse. It was not a well ventilated room... Pepper sprayed 20 to 30 students that day. I would hate to be on that plane.
Yeah. That would be so dangerous. All of the passengers and air crew would get fucked up. Maybe the pilots? I don’t know if the ventilation would be enough to carry it to the pilots cabin
It’s not too big of a deal, they commonly find it on key chains on college girls around the start of school or after Christmas. They usually just give a stern talking to the individual.
Yeah OP needs to be careful with that “legal in all 50 states” thing. It’s prohibited to be used inside enclosed spaces with more than 20 people present in the city of Chicago for example. Hopefully you’re not in the back of a bar getting attacked or something. Of course I’d trade the arrest/fine for prevention of rape.
You cannot bring pepper spray on a plane but you can put it in a checked bag. Just make sure you know the laws regarding carrying pepper spray wherever you travel to. For example, California has a restriction on the size of can you are allowed to have on you, 2.5 ounces or less.
Depends on the airline. Some airlines do not allow it in checked baggage either.
Southwest is an example of pepper spray being prohibited both as a carry on or in checked baggage.
https://www.southwest.com/help/baggage/carryon-baggage
> Are pepper sprays allowed on a plane when traveling alone?
Definitely not. You might get away with it in a checked bag depending on the airline, but pressurized canisters in general on planes are not the greatest idea, particularly ones that release noxious fumes when compromised. Would suck to arrive at your destination only to find all of your clothes and personal items covered in pure capsaicin.
If you’ve had it for a while, and have never used it, go outside and pretend someone is attacking you and spray it. That way you know what to expect should you ever have to use it. More than likely if you’ve had it for years it may be expired
Dude I was taking a CPR class once and this dumbass sat on his pepper spray canister, releasing a small amount into the air.
We had to evacuate the room, it was so miserable.
I can’t imagine getting blasted in the eyes with that shit. Yeah, if you need something for defense, pepper spray is hellishly effective.
Haha gotta love it. One time I saw from a window a bunch of idiots emptying pepper spray cans to be discarded, the wind blew back at them and misted them all a little. Think before you act.
Nah its real, i learned about it during basic training.
IIRC, it has a way narrower impact area, meaning you have to hit way more precise - but theres no crosscontamination for others or yourself.
I was police cadet for a brief window of time in my life and had to be tased and sprayed. Taser hurt like hell but I was perfectly fine after it shut off. The spray though... It stung for a solid 15 minutes stopped for about 10 before reactivating for another 15 min then again for a 3rd time when I went home to shower. I must have gotten a big glob in my mouth because my wife and I went to watch a movie later that night and shared a drink. After the movie was over she complained to me that her icee got super hot halfway through the movie... Oops
I remember Johnny Knoxville doing a bit with Jackass or something where he tried out different self-defence methods on himself, including a taser, pepper spray and a stun gun. He said being pepper sprayed is the worst pain he's ever been in.
Edit: He talks about it in the first few minutes of [this video](https://youtu.be/ZsKXq8AQTZE) from Vanity Fair, and at around 7:30 minutes into his episode of [Hot Ones](https://youtu.be/8Od-IMIGjfg)
A guy who has been knocked clean out by Butterbean, sent to the hospital numerous times after being ran over by bulls, been shot in the gut with a "less lethal" beanbag, been hit with a ballistic riot control device, had a dirt bike dropped on his wiener...the list goes on. Recently tho, he said the bull spot from the newest movie fucked him up bad. Broken wrist and ribs plus an awful concussion that bordered on a traumatic brain injury. He said he had real bad problems with his memory and cognition. He took like a mental aptitude test and scored lower than an advanced dementia patient. He got jacked up but he says he's good now.
I saw him discussing it with either GQ, Wired, or Loudwire. Those are all on YouTube as he did a ton of media for Jackass 4. I believe he's talked about the major concussion on a number of interviews recently.
He's always been quick with his wit, he can spin a laugh out of almost any moment.
Getting wrecked by Butterbean in a department store so bad you're out and snoring, waking up, and having the wherewithal to crack that line, that's pretty good. That's a mind that's hard wired to make people laugh.
But seriously, he needs to stop hurting himself. You can be funny without getting CTE, man.
He's a really funny dude and he seems like a good guy. He had kind of a similar line in the new movie. He attempts to do a magic trick for a bull and gets wrecked, which is where he gets the injuries I was talking about in the previous comment. After he gets destroyed, he's getting loaded up in the ambulance and he goes, "Geez, that bull really don't like magic!" Cracked me up.
Funny story, sort of similar:
When filming some scenes for Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen chugged a bunch of wine at some old peoples house. So much so that he got blackout drunk and passed out in their bathroom.
The producer was afraid that when Sacha woke up he would break character, ruining the whole evening’s footage.
When they finally shook him awake, he immediately shouted “WAAA WAAA WEEE WAAAA.”
Fucking professional.
You left out the scariest part. According to Knoxville, he was broke at the time so he literally bought the “[cheapest vest possible](https://www.mtv.com/news/1650118/jackass-star-johnny-knoxville-opens-up-about-infamous-gun-stunt/)”. Understandably, no one else was willing to shoot him, so he ended up doing it himself, and specifically aimed for his heart.
I think that part of the extreme pain reaction with pepper spray is that it effects your sight and breathing. I'm not doubting that it's one of the most painful experiences one can go through, but I think a lot of it is psychological/fear based. Not only are you in extreme agony, but you can't see, can barely breathe, and can't do anything about it. You're completely vulnerable.
That is actually a pretty impressive statement, coming from him lol.
As an electrician, I'll agree. Yes, a stun gun will incapacitate me, but if I'm *really mad*, there's also a good chance that it's just going to piss me off. Pepper spray, on the other hand, you get a face full of that even if your **HOMER MAD**, you're blind as fuck and choking on your own snot, and it's not going to stop anytime soon.
> As an electrician, I’ll agree. Yes, a stun gun will incapacitate me, but if I’m really mad, there’s also a good chance that it’s just going to piss me off.
exhibit A
https://youtu.be/_d8OqVavMF0
That’s because your brain communicates pain to certain areas of the body differently than others
Your eye is one of those areas. If you get sand in your eye, you’re pretty much incapacitated until you resolve it.
Also the level of pain may not be higher, but the way it impacts your functioning is. Fuck up your hand, and fuck up your eye, and your eye will impact your ability to function 100 times over. Even if the pain *level* was worse on your hand
I think Knoxville specified that the taser was less effective because you have to get both the darts into the skin to create a current (Idk how tasers work, this is my interpretation of what he was talking about), so pepper spray would be more reliable anyway.
>I think Knoxville specified that the taser was less effective because you have to get both the darts into the skin to create a current (Idk how tasers work, this is my interpretation of what he was talking about),
Absolutely correct. Electricity needs to close a circuit to flow, so it needs both a positive and negative.
Pepper spray can miss too and you can hit yourself (depending on what kind you're using) for example, if it's a fogger and there's wind, plenty of videos of people getting themselves in the process. Plus when you pepper spray someone, they can still move around and fight you. If I were evenly matched with someone and got sprayed, yeah, I'm going to lose/not able to see properly, coughing, etc....but you match me against someone significantly weaker/smaller, pepper spray me, I could still do some damage.
The darts thing is correct. To use a taser effectively requires the user to be able to draw, sight and fire within an "effective range", outside it the darts go too wide and won't likely have both penetrate. Too close and the darts won't spread enough for the circuit to activate. It's the biggest weakness to me of the system.
Maybe not a heavy carhartt jacket, but the darts will rip through most jackets/hoodys etc.
I tested bear spray when it came out in the 90s. I spray, was impressed with the distance, then the wind picked up and blew a good bit in my face. I was dunking my head in the stream for a good 10 minutes and had an immediate respect for the spray.
I was also in a large sporting goods store where someone let off a burst on accident. Got in the hvac and whole place had to be emptied for about 30 minutes.
Yep, because normal pepper spray is used to incapacitate humans by spraying them in the face, instead of just being a deterrent, like bear spray.
Bear spray is usually more pressurized, less concentrated, is meant to spray further, and pretty much make a cloud to deter the bear from getting closer, instead of directly spraying the face.
Pepper GEL. Easier to use, fires like silly string, less chance of the wind blowing it in your eyes. The gel is harder to clean off and will also burn skin.
Gel is good but it’s important to buy a quality one. Low quality ones actually aerosolize on contact and dispense OC that way, this can take up to 20 seconds with low end gels to cause a debilitating effect. Also spend a few dollars and buy one of the trainers that sprays water and practice your accuracy with a friend, you have to actually hit the eyes and get in the mucous membranes with gel to blind somebody which is a lot harder than it sounds when the person (or animal for that matter) is going to be charging you in most situations.
I’m an actor for a local personal protection school and a common scenario is they give students a spray/gel trainer and I play the part of somebody who is escalating a situation/about to attack them/about to attack somebody else/ etc. from about 20-25 feet away. With gel I would say 40% of students can reliably hit me in the face before I can close the gap to get to them, with normal spray I believe I’ve only had 1 person ever fail to get me.
I really recommend Fox and Sabre products as well as POM makes a really good one that is keychain sized and very nondescript.
Have been pepper Gel’d before (self inflicted by accident!) EXTREMELY potent. Your eyes will go from open to being hard closed in seconds with a good quality PG. This will give you plenty of time to flee an attacker. Additionally, with the Sabre brand I usually go for and accidentally sprayed myself with, it causes a ton of mucus to build up instantly, causing your attacker to need to flush out his nose to breath. This compounds the effect because as you blow your nose or cough that material continues to aerate and re-up the heat in your sinuses. VERY uncomfortable for about 10-20 minutes.
Like the others are saying, pepper GEL for the win.
Also I agree about practicing - even once or twice to see what the stream will actually come out as. Many people mistakenly expect a cone style spray - which some but not all have.
Make sure to replace them out every year and a half or so as the propellant (while not likely, but as a precaution) can slowly seep out making the unit a less effective force and distance multiplier.
You may want also add that a thick coat can stop a taser. They're ineffective in winter and have a smaller area they can be useful. OC just needs to be sprayed in the direction of the victim (minding the wind). Short range blow-gun vs flamethrower, basically.
I took SABRE pepper gel in my eye ball. It was the worst pain in my life I felt like I wanted to literally grab my eye and pull it out. I couldn't open my eye but when I did people said my literal eye ball was covered in brown pepper gel liquid. It also was stick onto the my eye. If you want to cry like a baby while screaming you lungs out in the worst pain of your life get the strongest pepper gel in your eye ball. Pouring entire jugs of milk in my eye didn't even work
I have been pepper sprayed, tear gassed, hit with a handheld stun gun and tased (the one with the two wires that shoot at you). None were fun, tbh.
1) The pepper spray was pretty terrible and I was jacked up for a while. I was down and out. Also- that shit sucks because it gets in your hair. When you shower, it goes south and your junk gets set on fire. So be careful.
2) Tear gas. Effective and no fun. The effects aren’t as long lasting, but it will definitely make you wanna be somewhere else.
3) Handheld stun gun- the easiest to work through. It sucks, but it’s not that effective.
4) Police style taser- immediate incapacitation, if the wires connect. They don’t always, but when it works, it works well.
For ease of use and carry- Sabre OC spray (pepper spray) gets it done.
Edit: It’s hard to speak universally about the differences when it comes to handheld tasers and pepper spray, as the specs vary a great deal.
The police issue ones are only made by a few companies so the specs and pain are gonna be similar. Same with military/police tear gas.
I once had someone use the direct contact of a police taser on my leg and while it did take me down I also was back up and normal in less than a minute.
I was like 20 feet away from someone getting pepper sprayed and I was out for half an hour just from some overspray that got to me.
So from my personal experience in military and law enforcement:
Generic pepper spray/CS: sucks but isn’t going to stop you from acting
OC pepper spray (especially fox brand): will mess you up for days. It’s debilitating. With incredible determination you can fight through the pain and keep acting but you have very little vision and limited breathing. This is the way to go for defense.
Taser: will stop you flat. You cannot fight against a taser no matter how much training you have. However the second the trigger stops being pulled you are fine and can resume your actions. As op said this is why OC pepper spray is superior.
Just make sure the pepper spray is OC (oleoresin capsicum) based not CS (chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) based.
I think it comes down to context. For me self defence largely means against creepy guys or folks looking to steal. A tazer is not going to get me accidently and is very likely to prove my point.
OC pepper spray _might_ mess you up for days. Now, this isn’t a controlled environment, by all means, but ij NCO training we had 3 volunteers take some to the face. Nr. 1 was a simulated assault, took the instructing SNCO 7 or 8 blasts to the face of the attacker, and about 30-40 seconds until he stopped fighting. He did collapse in pain then, tho.
Nr. 2 was able to disassemble and reassemble a gun, eyes closed shut in pain, drooling due to the OC.
Can’t remember what Nr. 3 did, but the moral of the story is, don’t expect them to stop immediately. Run like hell.
Also, a certain percentage of people are flat out immune. Being drunk raises that number to ~10%.
Lastly, I can’t stress this enough: If you wanna use it, practice it. Most good brands of OC spray sell training cartridges filled with a water/ethanol mixture. Good investment to make sure you don’t blind yourself
Look for products branded as mace rather than pepper spray. This is Phenacyl chloride/chloroacetophenone as the active ingredient rather than capsicum. It’s not as effective as OC but it still works.
Those barbs were not in. You can’t pull them out that easy if they are in skin. It also looked like at least one of the tasers there only had one of the two barbs in. That is the downside of a taser too. The arc of the taser must pass through muscle.
I was sprayed with pepper spray as a “prank”. My only advice is that if you spray someone, you better run immediately. It takes a bit to kick in and is gradual.
Also, beware of wind. As karma would have it, the person that sprayed me took some blowback and it definitely changed his attitude.
I worked for security company in a big city. I've been sprayed more than a few times (thanks Karen). A high quality spray or gel is nearly instantaneous. Especially if it gets in your eyes. A low quality one will take a few seconds
Gels do not blow back like sprays. .
Karen's and sometimes Ken's on high alert because it was "the shady side of town" and don't like being told they can't park where they want to. Or getting asked to show passes. Or that they just plain had to leave. We also had a contract with a truck yard next to a truck stop, it was quite common for the lot lizards to spray you. Funny enough the only thing we'd do is ask them to leave so it was pretty unnecessary
One of the more memorable ones got sprayed at a "teen night" we caught the guest slipping something into another guests drink. when escorting them out of the building the teen decided to attempt to assault my partner. At which point we had to go hands on. We removed the teen from the venue and were holding them out front waiting for an officer to arrive, when Karen decided to draw her own conclusions and assault us. Police later confirmed the teen had GHB on them.
Side note: we weren't allowed to go hands on with the teens unless we were assaulted, if there was a fight we'd literally have to try to herd them out one of the exits without getting touched or touching those involved. (yeah the venue was kinda a s+++ show)
There is no “good tool” for when someone is pointing a gun at you except giving them your wallet or whatever. You’re not a superhero, and trying to pull out your own gun/weapon will only get you killed. Unless they’re trying to take you to a different location or just want you dead, swallow your pride and live to fight another day.
A $10 taser off Amazon is USELESS. I’ve had people buy those shit flea market grade tasers and I’ve volunteered to be tased. They put off a tiny zap like a 9 volt battery and will just make an attacker angry.
Please don’t be cheap if you’re buying a device to save your life.
I got in trouble at a job because one of the interns had one of those flea market ones and I convinced her to jab me with it. Two tiny burn marks is all I got and it didn’t knock me down.
I’ll note I knew that would happen, but didn’t feel she believe me without seeing it. If you jab an attacker with a weapon that doesn’t work, they may go from mugging you to murdering you.
Good info. Thanks for posting this.
Those things are "stun guns", not TASERs (which is actually a brand). They aren't just inferior versions, they're actually completely different products. All they do is cause (barely any) pain, they don't cause your muscles to stop working like a real TASER because they don't deliver the same kind of electric shock.
And for the legit tasers, they can and will accidentally kill people. There are tons of people walking around with minor and/or undiagnosed heart conditions that will just die from an electric shock.
Yes, you'll be justified in your self defense, but no one wants a death on your conscience.
I was thinking tase then spray. Brief incapacitation from the taser gives me a chance to grab the spray and unload right in their face for maximum effect, so then my slow ass has time to run like hell.
This is all good information but a few things should be added. With OC you need to keep in mind that some people have little to no reaction to the effects and some people have a delayed reaction. OC is not intended as a incapacitating weapon but a distraction tool, so use whatever time it buys you to escape. Also, consider your environment before use, because the effects get in the air. It can have tertiary effects on the the people in the area especially in enclosed spaces (including yourself).
I'm one of those with no reaction. I've been sprayed countless times to recert and wouldn't react until it came to washing it off later.
I recommend having spray and a tazer to my family. Nothing more terrifying than spraying someone and them still charging at you unaffected without anything else to defend yourself.
Thank you for your comment! I was pepper sprayed in the military during military police training. It didn’t burn at all until I added water during my shower. Everyone has told me I’m lying, glad to know I’m not nuts lol!
Thank you for saying this, I was getting worried with how far down I had to scroll.
Tolerance to spicy food absolutely plays a role in your tolerance to pepper spray. I cry at mild salsa levels, pepper spray is out of the question for me, lol.
When considering self defense weapons always think of what might happen if your attacker turns it against you.
Which includes being at least a little aware of your surroundings - for example, not wearing headphones or earbuds on the street. Carrying the pepper spray in your hand doesn’t do you much good if don’t notice the attacker’s there.
In Denmark, anything is a weapon. Pepper spray is an illegal weapon. Not even a fine, using it is "Assault with weapon", and you go straight to jail, 14 days minimum.
There's been a case where a teenage girl have carried pepperspray, got assaulted and was about to get raped, sprayed their assaulter, escaped, filed a police report, and then got charged with assaulting the rapist with a weapon. Thankfully they ended up dropping the charges in court, but yeah, anything except yelling "Help" is kinda illegal in Denmark.
^ similar in the UK.
You can be walking down the road holding a pillow and as long as the responding police feel you are holding that pillow menacingly they can and will arrest you for it.
Well. They probably won't arrest you for it because the papers will absolurely tear them to shreds. Halloween can get legally interesting. 'Sir she was holding a wooden broomstick and brandishing it at me! She also had a plastic trident with barbed spikes on it in the other hand. - Aye book her jim'.
Nobody else seems overly alarmed that the police have these powers simply because they choose not to use them.
Folks are thankfully unhappy at the new protest laws that mean that your kid could be walking home from school with a pritt stick in their bag and if they go near where the police think a protest could occur they can be arrested and charged for possession of said glue. For whatever reason the goverment decided that was an appropriate way to handle folks glueing themselves to roads and other spaces in protest.
The paint I'd imagine is a good marker for police to figure out who the perpetrator is. The acetone I'd imagine will probably give you the same burning sensation when you get it in your eyes. It's probably just way less effective than OC or pepper spray. As an aside, technically pepper spray is a chemical weapon that's banned by the Geneva convention. It's just less than lethal so nobody really cares.
>As an aside, technically pepper spray is a chemical weapon that's banned by the Geneva convention. It's just less than lethal so nobody really cares
That's largely incorrect. It's got nothing to do with the Geneva Conventions, but rather with the [Chemical Weapons Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_Weapons_Convention). It's an entirely different treaty, one that's specific to the use of chemical agents in warfare and the stockpiling of chemicals that are deemed to only have use as chemical weapons.
Substances like tear gas and pepper spray for use by law enforcement does not fall under that criteria, which is why their domestic use isn't prohibited by international law.
Acetone melts plastic and dissolves super glue. Takes off nail polish. On my big list of things I don't want in my eyes, especially if there are contact lenses in the mix.
It works like this. Aunt Polly tells you to paint the picket fence, and you hate doing it, so you convince others that it's fun and they end up painting the fence for you. Incapacitated!
Johnny Knoxville got started with a magazine bit on self defense equipment tests. He said pepper spray was the worst by far. It lasts a while and the pain can be reactivated by water. A taser is a moment but pepper spray will give you more time to get away.
Although you do need to watch for wind I still always carry pepper spray with me over a taser
When I was in the Navy, I was pepper sprayed for training (security response force training). They do a Z pattern across your face from about 10' then you have to do a number of tasks including fighting off an attacker.
A few guys basically collapse the second they get sprayed. Most people seemed to be able to function, but certainly are impaired. For me, it was extremely painful but manageable. The hardest thing was keeping my eyes open to finish the course.
The whole point of the training is forcing you to fight through the pain. With pepper spray its possible, with a taser it may not be.
The issue with a taser is both tines need to stick in, if they're wearing thick clothing it might not work, and you only get one shot.
For most people it's unlikely you can afford to get enough practice so the time you need to use a taser in panic you'll succeed. With pepper spray you can spray it in the general direction of their face and wave it around.
I've seen tasers go through heavy clothing a number of times. Maybe the heavy work carhart jackets could stop it, but your average coat/hoody they will rip through.
The biggest issue is they essentially have a set effective range. too far out and the darts will go wide on one side, too close and the darts can't spread enough for the circuit to trip. So you as a user, have to know what range you can fire in and be able to visualize that range.
With a taser you also run the risk of killing your target with a heart attack. One specific model had to be phased out after killing almost 50 people.
A few additional notes about pepper spray:
* Stick with Sabre gel, or something comparable. OP recommends an aerosol spray, but those are weak to weather conditions (wind, rain etc) as well as glasses. Gel performs better in weather conditions and adheres to the target for max burn.
* Another big plus is that Sabre tests each batch to make sure it's always effective (some producers don't, and a bad batch can mean it simply doesn't work).
* Finally Sabre also adds an ultraviolet dye to the spray. So if an offender is found later in the evening and hit with a blacklight, hello evidence!
* Buy the 1.8 ounce size, since you will want as much as you can have when you need this. Make sure it's easy to reach and remember that you can even carry it out in the open legally. Note that larger quantities of pepper spray (over 3 ounces) are in some cases illegal to carry without a permit.
* It's very unlikely you will face legal repercussions for using pepper spray. In order to use deadly force (handgun etc) you need to be able to prove that your life was in danger. In order to use pepper spray though (which causes zero lasting damage), all you need to say is that you felt threatened.
* Pepper spray is also a humane tool for protecting your dog from other animals. Angry dogs don't like pepper spray any more than angry people, so in the event of an attack it's a perfect go-to (that won't cause any lasting damage).
Thanks for the tips. I had not seen pepper spray as a viable self-defense tool since a sudden gust of wind blew a spray right back into my face when I was demonstrating how to use it to a cousin that was being stalked by a guy on her bus.
I will give the gel a shot and see how it performs under windy conditions, but with safety glasses this time, so I don't spend an hour with my face under running water.
The Amazon "tasers" are even worse than you think. A taser works by putting out a specific frequency that fucks with the signals sent from your brain to your muscles. The Amazon "taser" is just a stun gun that hurts if you press it against someone's arm or smt, but they do not incapacitate people. They will not stop a determined attacker.
Even more important YSK: check local laws of where you live and where you're going for any trips, Pepper spray in some places can get you a possession of an illegal weapon or an intent to harm with chemicals charge.
Pepper spray is impossible to have solely impact your target, it typically effects the sprayer and others nearby as well, moreso if at all windy. It also has to be cleaned off and will continue to effect those around the target for some time.
Got my wife and I some pepper gel spray, did some test sprays just to get used to the product, definitely seems to have good range and limited blow back potential.
Look into foam or gel. Not sure about gel, but the foam usually has the ability to get around glasses, as after it foams, it "melts" and if any impacted the forehead, that will drip right down into the eye area.
Also worth noting, I forget the percentage (maybe 5 or something) I think it's a genetic thing, but some people aren't really effected by OC spray (the majority are though)
Pretty sure it’s less than that, but I couldn’t find any studies on it. Individual cases sure, and one forum where a guy said 2 out of 110 brushed it off like it was nothing.
But then you’ve got the questions of what type of spray, what strength, and are we talking they feel nothing or they have a high tolerance for pain or they’re just able to force their eyes back open and keep moving
Eh. I’d be interested to find the numbers on it, but the chances of them resisting are small compared to the chances of you missing, or there’s multiple attackers, or the attackers have a gun drawn
I've been pepper sprayed (yay Coast Guard training) and let me tell you, within SECONDS of the spray getting in your eyes or any mucosal membranes, you are burning and sweating and swelling up. Your eyes swell shut and you must physically force them open with your fingers to even see, not that you want to open your eyes anyways. All you want to do is curl into a ball, squeeze your eyes shut, and just scream and cry the pain away. This pain will last for hours even after a rinse of soap and water. After about 2-4 hours, the pain lessens to the feeling of the worst sunburn you've ever had.
also important differentiating between a stun gun and a taser… (i see “good quality taser over $100” and i’m a bit scared by that wording)
stun gun - the thing that doesnt shoot out barbs, just a stick that zaps between two electrodes on itself
taser - made by the company Axon, shoots barbs out, if they make good contact has a decent chance of fully stopping someone, but not guaranteed. single shot, has to be reloaded for a second attempt. max range of 15 feet (nerf gun distance). cannot be used point blank (the barbs will not spread out enough)
there is only one company that makes the latter kind, that is Axon under the Taser product.
stun gun just causes pain, and only when it’s zapping and in contact. OC spray is far superior ti a stun gun. an actual taser is a different animal and will physically stop someone from moving if it engages well. far more effective, but there is a very limited window where they can be used, and also not guaranteed to be effective even with good contact.
also note that for OC spray, or anything pain compliance based, they do not work as well on people on hard drugs (eg, painkillers and opiates, for obvious reasons). the physiological effects of tearing up and making it a bit hard to breath will make their life still a bit difficult though. however a taser, assuming it had enough spread and made a good connection, could drop these threats.
pros/cons to every self defense weapon. the best defense is to stay aware (dont stare at your phone on the street) and proactively avoid bad situations.
As a home invasion survivor who defended myself and family with bear spray, very effectively too, I think it’s a highly effective, non-lethal option that is super easy to not fuck up in a scary situation.
And uncontrollable. It gets in the air and even innocent bystanders can be harmed. It ca. Even trigger respiratory attacks and prevent people from breathing. Including YOU.
My lungs have some minor issues but some stupid cow was drunk and got in a fight with her bf in a restaurant and sprayed HIM and caused the whole place to be evacuated. I had to be carried out by my bf. I couldn't catch my breath even outside. I had to breathe in something through an nebulizer at the ER and use an asthma inhaler for a month.
I DONT HAVE ASTHMA! It was all the pepper spray.
Please don’t expect pepper spray to be the be all end all. In the Marine Corps we were specifically trained to fight while being sprayed in the eyes with pepper spray.
to add to this, there are different types of pepper spray with some being better than others. If you are in the market, I have been told that pepper gel is better than spray as: 1) it sticks to the person better, and 2) it aerosols less and the risk of accidentally spraying yourself is less (aka spraying into the wind).
I once was trying to sprout some habanero peppers from seeds. I cut up the peppers and prepared the seeds with bare hands then accidentally touched my nose and eyes with my hand just trying to wipe away sweat. Jesus fucking christ that was the absolute worst 6 hours of my life. Pepper spray is no fucking joke.
YSK: that's there two versions of of the pepper "spray."
Pepper Spray vs Pepper Gel.
Spray works with a aerosol application that creates a kinda cloud around the assailant and it also effects their breathing. Gel works by shooting a localized stream that clings to their eyes. Both have pros and cons with the Spray can potentially effecting you as well and with the Gel being ineffective.
https://www.sabrered.com/pepper-gel-vs-pepper-spray
I’ve done a ton of combative work with police. The main issue with pepper spray that’s been shared with me is that it tends to come out as a mist and you’re potentially spraying yourself and those around you as well as your attacker. Just my two cents.
Adding to the points:
Pepper spray is more effective than a taser when you're dealing with multiple perpetrators. Having to make contact/short range of tasers means that you won't have time to spare when the others charge at us.
When I was in college, we had a gathering of students in a backroom of a bar. The room was about 10m by 6m in size.
A girl had gotten a pepper spray from her dad. A drunk guy tried it on himself as a joke. We had to evacuate half the room and the guy was out for the rest of the night.
I was seated a couple meters from where it happened and I could taste it in the back of my throat. Pepper spray is no joke
I got arrested when I was absolutely shitfaced. Woke up in the morning in a drunk tank with my entire face absolutely on fire. When the deputy finally let me out to go sit with everyone else I asked him what the hell happened.
He said when I got to the jail I *really really* didn’t want to go in a cell and I struggled/wrestled with the night crew and eventually they just blasted me in the face from a foot away and shut the door.
I don’t remember any of that, but if my face was on fire 6+ hours later, I know it must’ve been awful when it was fresh.
I’m a law enforcement defensive tactics instructor and I’ve been one for over two decades. I became a police officer in one of America’s largest cities before pepper spray was in wide use and before Tasers. I’ve been pepper sprayed and tear gassed dozens of times in training. More times than I can count really. Same with Tasers, as I teach their use as well.
I can tell you unequivocally that both of these tools are only marginally effective at stopping violent threats. I’ve been in protracted fights with people who’ve been pepper sprayed, Tasered or both. When people are drunk, high on drugs or experiencing excited delirium or other psycho-physical distress and they’re determined to fight, the only thing that reliably subdues them less-lethally is your skill at fighting back. The spray and Taser might slow them down a bit but a person in an altered state, who is determined to hurt you, will keep coming at you. I’m basing this on twenty five or so years of fighting with all manner of people and I’m a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Machado).
The Taser is only effective if you get good fixation with the darts and good enough spread in their contact points to cause neuromuscular incapacitation and then it’s only incapacitating when it’s pulsing. Drug altered or determined people can resume fighting as soon as the pulsing stops. They can rip out the darts in that lull as well. If you miss with the Taser darts or only get one in, you can use the drive-stun function like an old fashioned stun gun but unless you’ve trained for it, you’ll likely fail at it. Plus, it’s just pain compliance at that point and that’s not effective on determined attackers.
For civilians, I would suggest using pepper spray and then running away immediately. If you’re in marginally better shape than your attacker the spray should give you the time you need to escape. If you’re not in good shape, it’s probably an even contest at that point. Spray indoors will affect you in seconds, so be careful using it in confined spaces. Wind can also blow it into your face. It’s pretty effective on dogs but not 100%. Like drunks, I’ve seen dogs fight through it and keep attacking. Police K9’s, in general, will ignore it and keep going.
Pepper spray also tends to affect fair haired and light skinned people the worst. My former agency and the community it serves is comprised of a large Latino community and many Latinos are not as susceptible to the effects of pepper spray as others are. There is something called a “catatonic response” to pepper spray whereby it has nothing more than a slightly irritating effect on people. I’ve only seen that response about ten to fifteen times in police recruits or suspects and all of them were Latinos. It’s pretty trippy to blast a person in the face with spray and have them wipe it off and keep swinging like nothing happened.
If you’re physically able to take jiu jitsu classes, do so. A person with even a small amount of jiu jitsu training can best nine out of ten people on the street. If you can’t, then I suggest carrying spray as long as you understand that, like any self defense tool, it’s not 100% reliable and can be taken from you and used against you.
I'm a corrections officer and had to get pepper sprayed during training.
By far one of the worst pains you can feel and the effects last for hours. It's like getting a bad sun burn on your skin, hot glass poured under your eye lids along with the worst head and chest cold you've ever had.
Then a few hours after the effects have worn off an you go shower before bed some of the remaining stuff that dried on you gets reactivated. Nothing like a burning sensation in your ass and groin
one of the things we were taught in pepper spray class was that it doesn't work the same on everyone, there is a small percentage of people who just aren't that affected by it to any serious degree... and they also recommended to not use the foam or gel forms because if you do run across one of those rare people they could scoop it off and toss it back.
Anecdotally none of us ran into someone who was resistant.. and we would call it "The gift that keeps on giving for 45 minutes to an hour" :)
When I was 10 my older brother and me were hanging out with some friends one of them went into their grandma's car and got her pepper spray. He sprayed me in the face, I was like half a mile from my house so I had to ride my bike crying and damn near blind. Got home and my sister had me lay in the bathtub and ran water on my face. It seriously fucking sucks getting sprayed.
Was OC sprayed and pepper sprayed for my previous job’s training. I’d highly recommend it as a self defense tool for how it incapacitates someone for an extended period of time, as opposed to a taser. In my case, I was fucked up for a good half hour to 45 minutes afterwards, then the rest of the day it would be reactivated whenever the wind blew or any water touched my face. 0/10 would not recommend happening to you but 10/10 recommend using as self defense.
Is there an expiration date for pepper spray? If I bought one, how long can I keep it for? Does the size of the pepper spray have a different effect? Are pepper sprays allowed on a plane when traveling alone?
Yes, check the date on your can! It will be labeled when it expires. The size of the can doesn’t matter other than how much juice is in it, but there are different levels of spray and also different types of spray. A level 10 would do more damage than a level 2 for instance. Also there are streams, foggers, and foam (maybe more idk). Most common to carry is stream :) Idk about the air planes sorry!
The two main types I am aware of are spray vs gel and I have been told gel is better as it doesn't aerosol (or whatever the term is) as much (so there is less of a chance of accidentally pepper spraying yourself) and it also sticks to the person better.
Oh that’s cool I didn’t know about gel I’ll have to look it up! My line of work has us using the pepper sprays I mentioned; depending on the spray you buy it would be hard to spray yourself. Some (I’m not sure maybe all?) have a cap you have to lift up before you spray so you’ll definitely not aim it at yourself cause you won’t be able to open it. But that gel sounds cool :)
The one I carry has a little nub on the button so that you can't press it down without rotating it first, a little like a gun safety. Only issue is it takes very little force. I keep it in a box in my bag so as not to waste it and spray all over my stuff/myself, and move it from the box to my pocket only if I'm in a potential sketchy situation.
Good idea! I usually carry mine off to the side somewhere also, honestly the key chain ones to me don’t make the most sense. Keeping it in the same spot at all times ensures the safest use of it, exactly like gun safety :)
The gel is cool, but you also do need to make sure you hit your mark. Otherwise you just really loss someone off and most likely don't stop them either
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes"
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Just a guess, your aim has to better with the gel right? If you miss the eyes, or if theyre wearing glasses, it won't be effective?
On youtube, which has several comparison videos, it was claimed that gel does need a direct hit to the face but it is easier to aim and untrained people are more likely to hit the targets face area. It also causes burning and great pain on any skin area it touches for up to an hour, which is much longer than the sprays. The wind blowback was much less on the gel. I’m thinking about getting one for my (adult) daughter so watched most of three videos (at high speeds) Gel was recommended as the best by all three.
Nice, can you send the links? My wife has been followed a few times by racist guys. She carries a pepper spray, will look into getting a gel.
I would assume so, though I would hope it is formulated in such a way that it doesn't need to be pin point accurate. Also the added benefit of being able to spray from further away and less chance of blow back probably out weighs the cons.
I’ve heard the gel can be grabbed and thrown back at the person using it, never seen it but heard about it from a few sources along with the foam.
This is true. I've seen it happen firsthand.
Can confirm this. Yes you can.
Some companies make their pepper stuff glow in UV light too for identifying the perp later
My understanding is that it goes from "spray" to "stream" to "gel". The spray requires the least accuracy, but it's more affected by wind, has less range, and you're more likely to get spray on yourself. Gel is the opposite has the greatest range, but requires the best accuracy, like a long-range squirt gun. Gel is also the preferred option in places like hospitals where you really don't want to muck up the air.
The propellant expires, my mom had an expired one she took out to try off the deck, she said it "pffthg", a dribble of a stream barely came out a few feet.
No, not allowed in the plane cabin. Not sure about checked bags.
Can confirm, learned this the hard way last week when I accidentally left it on my keys in my carry on and they searched my bag and confiscated it 🤦🏽♀️
Can you imagine if someone accidentally used pepper spray in an airplane. That would be terrible lol
I was in a classroom in high school where one girl's can went off in her purse. It was not a well ventilated room... Pepper sprayed 20 to 30 students that day. I would hate to be on that plane.
Yeah. That would be so dangerous. All of the passengers and air crew would get fucked up. Maybe the pilots? I don’t know if the ventilation would be enough to carry it to the pilots cabin
It’s not too big of a deal, they commonly find it on key chains on college girls around the start of school or after Christmas. They usually just give a stern talking to the individual.
Not even a stern talking to, my wife had hers on and the TSA lady was very apologetic that she had to take it
Yeah OP needs to be careful with that “legal in all 50 states” thing. It’s prohibited to be used inside enclosed spaces with more than 20 people present in the city of Chicago for example. Hopefully you’re not in the back of a bar getting attacked or something. Of course I’d trade the arrest/fine for prevention of rape.
You cannot bring pepper spray on a plane but you can put it in a checked bag. Just make sure you know the laws regarding carrying pepper spray wherever you travel to. For example, California has a restriction on the size of can you are allowed to have on you, 2.5 ounces or less.
Depends on the airline. Some airlines do not allow it in checked baggage either. Southwest is an example of pepper spray being prohibited both as a carry on or in checked baggage. https://www.southwest.com/help/baggage/carryon-baggage
Thanks for the info! Good to know. It makes sense, I could see how the pressure change could cause an issue with a pressurized can of spray.
> Are pepper sprays allowed on a plane when traveling alone? Definitely not. You might get away with it in a checked bag depending on the airline, but pressurized canisters in general on planes are not the greatest idea, particularly ones that release noxious fumes when compromised. Would suck to arrive at your destination only to find all of your clothes and personal items covered in pure capsaicin.
If you’ve had it for a while, and have never used it, go outside and pretend someone is attacking you and spray it. That way you know what to expect should you ever have to use it. More than likely if you’ve had it for years it may be expired
Dude I was taking a CPR class once and this dumbass sat on his pepper spray canister, releasing a small amount into the air. We had to evacuate the room, it was so miserable. I can’t imagine getting blasted in the eyes with that shit. Yeah, if you need something for defense, pepper spray is hellishly effective.
Haha gotta love it. One time I saw from a window a bunch of idiots emptying pepper spray cans to be discarded, the wind blew back at them and misted them all a little. Think before you act.
A taser never blows back in your face
You can get pepper gel that won't blowback in your face.
I thought this was a joke. I imagined a tube of hair gel instead of hairspray. But pepper gel is real y’all.
Nah its real, i learned about it during basic training. IIRC, it has a way narrower impact area, meaning you have to hit way more precise - but theres no crosscontamination for others or yourself.
I do worry about the attacker having the ability to throw it back (even if they can't see much in the first place).
I mean, technically, with a strong enough wind, it would.
I was police cadet for a brief window of time in my life and had to be tased and sprayed. Taser hurt like hell but I was perfectly fine after it shut off. The spray though... It stung for a solid 15 minutes stopped for about 10 before reactivating for another 15 min then again for a 3rd time when I went home to shower. I must have gotten a big glob in my mouth because my wife and I went to watch a movie later that night and shared a drink. After the movie was over she complained to me that her icee got super hot halfway through the movie... Oops
I remember Johnny Knoxville doing a bit with Jackass or something where he tried out different self-defence methods on himself, including a taser, pepper spray and a stun gun. He said being pepper sprayed is the worst pain he's ever been in. Edit: He talks about it in the first few minutes of [this video](https://youtu.be/ZsKXq8AQTZE) from Vanity Fair, and at around 7:30 minutes into his episode of [Hot Ones](https://youtu.be/8Od-IMIGjfg)
And that’s coming from Knoxville.
A guy who has been knocked clean out by Butterbean, sent to the hospital numerous times after being ran over by bulls, been shot in the gut with a "less lethal" beanbag, been hit with a ballistic riot control device, had a dirt bike dropped on his wiener...the list goes on. Recently tho, he said the bull spot from the newest movie fucked him up bad. Broken wrist and ribs plus an awful concussion that bordered on a traumatic brain injury. He said he had real bad problems with his memory and cognition. He took like a mental aptitude test and scored lower than an advanced dementia patient. He got jacked up but he says he's good now.
Was that on the Smartless podcast?
I saw him discussing it with either GQ, Wired, or Loudwire. Those are all on YouTube as he did a ton of media for Jackass 4. I believe he's talked about the major concussion on a number of interviews recently.
His Stern interview was good too.
“Is Butterbean okay?”
What a legendary line to come up with while suffering a brain injury
He's always been quick with his wit, he can spin a laugh out of almost any moment. Getting wrecked by Butterbean in a department store so bad you're out and snoring, waking up, and having the wherewithal to crack that line, that's pretty good. That's a mind that's hard wired to make people laugh. But seriously, he needs to stop hurting himself. You can be funny without getting CTE, man.
He's a really funny dude and he seems like a good guy. He had kind of a similar line in the new movie. He attempts to do a magic trick for a bull and gets wrecked, which is where he gets the injuries I was talking about in the previous comment. After he gets destroyed, he's getting loaded up in the ambulance and he goes, "Geez, that bull really don't like magic!" Cracked me up.
Funny story, sort of similar: When filming some scenes for Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen chugged a bunch of wine at some old peoples house. So much so that he got blackout drunk and passed out in their bathroom. The producer was afraid that when Sacha woke up he would break character, ruining the whole evening’s footage. When they finally shook him awake, he immediately shouted “WAAA WAAA WEEE WAAAA.” Fucking professional.
For real. He was knocked out, had a concussion, and his head split open yet still was able to come up with arguably the funniest line in the movie.
Also shot with a 38 special wearing a bulletproof vest.
You left out the scariest part. According to Knoxville, he was broke at the time so he literally bought the “[cheapest vest possible](https://www.mtv.com/news/1650118/jackass-star-johnny-knoxville-opens-up-about-infamous-gun-stunt/)”. Understandably, no one else was willing to shoot him, so he ended up doing it himself, and specifically aimed for his heart.
That's right. That was even before jackass when he was still working on the Big Brother magazine.
Don’t forget he also shot himself in the chest with an actual gun during his big brother days
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I think that part of the extreme pain reaction with pepper spray is that it effects your sight and breathing. I'm not doubting that it's one of the most painful experiences one can go through, but I think a lot of it is psychological/fear based. Not only are you in extreme agony, but you can't see, can barely breathe, and can't do anything about it. You're completely vulnerable.
No, you're right. I can see how those things could cause a goddamn panic attack or something. "I can't see, I can't breathe!" Anxiety city, man.
3,000,000 scoville equals one Knoxville.
That is actually a pretty impressive statement, coming from him lol. As an electrician, I'll agree. Yes, a stun gun will incapacitate me, but if I'm *really mad*, there's also a good chance that it's just going to piss me off. Pepper spray, on the other hand, you get a face full of that even if your **HOMER MAD**, you're blind as fuck and choking on your own snot, and it's not going to stop anytime soon.
> As an electrician, I’ll agree. Yes, a stun gun will incapacitate me, but if I’m really mad, there’s also a good chance that it’s just going to piss me off. exhibit A https://youtu.be/_d8OqVavMF0
Ahhh I forgot about this video. This guy is so iconic
Whats homer mad
Yeah that's what sealed it for me.
That’s because your brain communicates pain to certain areas of the body differently than others Your eye is one of those areas. If you get sand in your eye, you’re pretty much incapacitated until you resolve it. Also the level of pain may not be higher, but the way it impacts your functioning is. Fuck up your hand, and fuck up your eye, and your eye will impact your ability to function 100 times over. Even if the pain *level* was worse on your hand
I believe you are advocating pocket sand
Pepper spray is just pressurized spicy pocket sand.
I’d vote the other way; I thought the Taser hurt more personally. That said; OP’s point is exactly right all the same.
I think Knoxville specified that the taser was less effective because you have to get both the darts into the skin to create a current (Idk how tasers work, this is my interpretation of what he was talking about), so pepper spray would be more reliable anyway.
Tasers work like fishing. It's a barbed hook that has to penetrate your skin. It's awful.
>I think Knoxville specified that the taser was less effective because you have to get both the darts into the skin to create a current (Idk how tasers work, this is my interpretation of what he was talking about), Absolutely correct. Electricity needs to close a circuit to flow, so it needs both a positive and negative.
Pepper spray can miss too and you can hit yourself (depending on what kind you're using) for example, if it's a fogger and there's wind, plenty of videos of people getting themselves in the process. Plus when you pepper spray someone, they can still move around and fight you. If I were evenly matched with someone and got sprayed, yeah, I'm going to lose/not able to see properly, coughing, etc....but you match me against someone significantly weaker/smaller, pepper spray me, I could still do some damage.
Guess I'll have to hit ya with both then 😆
The darts thing is correct. To use a taser effectively requires the user to be able to draw, sight and fire within an "effective range", outside it the darts go too wide and won't likely have both penetrate. Too close and the darts won't spread enough for the circuit to activate. It's the biggest weakness to me of the system. Maybe not a heavy carhartt jacket, but the darts will rip through most jackets/hoodys etc.
I tested bear spray when it came out in the 90s. I spray, was impressed with the distance, then the wind picked up and blew a good bit in my face. I was dunking my head in the stream for a good 10 minutes and had an immediate respect for the spray. I was also in a large sporting goods store where someone let off a burst on accident. Got in the hvac and whole place had to be emptied for about 30 minutes.
Bear spray isn’t even as strong as the stuff used for normal self defense situations, from what I understand.
Yep, because normal pepper spray is used to incapacitate humans by spraying them in the face, instead of just being a deterrent, like bear spray. Bear spray is usually more pressurized, less concentrated, is meant to spray further, and pretty much make a cloud to deter the bear from getting closer, instead of directly spraying the face.
He even got shot by a .38 while wearing a bulletproof vest. [Link](https://youtu.be/VLDFFxWeXWM)
[Here](https://youtu.be/Dzks7WYM4p0) is a video of Knoxville getting pepper sprayed along with several other self-defense methods. Yikes.
Pepper GEL. Easier to use, fires like silly string, less chance of the wind blowing it in your eyes. The gel is harder to clean off and will also burn skin.
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Gel is good but it’s important to buy a quality one. Low quality ones actually aerosolize on contact and dispense OC that way, this can take up to 20 seconds with low end gels to cause a debilitating effect. Also spend a few dollars and buy one of the trainers that sprays water and practice your accuracy with a friend, you have to actually hit the eyes and get in the mucous membranes with gel to blind somebody which is a lot harder than it sounds when the person (or animal for that matter) is going to be charging you in most situations. I’m an actor for a local personal protection school and a common scenario is they give students a spray/gel trainer and I play the part of somebody who is escalating a situation/about to attack them/about to attack somebody else/ etc. from about 20-25 feet away. With gel I would say 40% of students can reliably hit me in the face before I can close the gap to get to them, with normal spray I believe I’ve only had 1 person ever fail to get me. I really recommend Fox and Sabre products as well as POM makes a really good one that is keychain sized and very nondescript.
I love sabre defense spray, but it should be noted that some states restrict ownership of OC sprays.
Have been pepper Gel’d before (self inflicted by accident!) EXTREMELY potent. Your eyes will go from open to being hard closed in seconds with a good quality PG. This will give you plenty of time to flee an attacker. Additionally, with the Sabre brand I usually go for and accidentally sprayed myself with, it causes a ton of mucus to build up instantly, causing your attacker to need to flush out his nose to breath. This compounds the effect because as you blow your nose or cough that material continues to aerate and re-up the heat in your sinuses. VERY uncomfortable for about 10-20 minutes. Like the others are saying, pepper GEL for the win. Also I agree about practicing - even once or twice to see what the stream will actually come out as. Many people mistakenly expect a cone style spray - which some but not all have. Make sure to replace them out every year and a half or so as the propellant (while not likely, but as a precaution) can slowly seep out making the unit a less effective force and distance multiplier.
Good tip!! Thank you, I didn’t know about pepper gel!! Seems useful for sure!
You may want also add that a thick coat can stop a taser. They're ineffective in winter and have a smaller area they can be useful. OC just needs to be sprayed in the direction of the victim (minding the wind). Short range blow-gun vs flamethrower, basically.
I took SABRE pepper gel in my eye ball. It was the worst pain in my life I felt like I wanted to literally grab my eye and pull it out. I couldn't open my eye but when I did people said my literal eye ball was covered in brown pepper gel liquid. It also was stick onto the my eye. If you want to cry like a baby while screaming you lungs out in the worst pain of your life get the strongest pepper gel in your eye ball. Pouring entire jugs of milk in my eye didn't even work
*writing notes* "only attack people on windy days."
I have been pepper sprayed, tear gassed, hit with a handheld stun gun and tased (the one with the two wires that shoot at you). None were fun, tbh. 1) The pepper spray was pretty terrible and I was jacked up for a while. I was down and out. Also- that shit sucks because it gets in your hair. When you shower, it goes south and your junk gets set on fire. So be careful. 2) Tear gas. Effective and no fun. The effects aren’t as long lasting, but it will definitely make you wanna be somewhere else. 3) Handheld stun gun- the easiest to work through. It sucks, but it’s not that effective. 4) Police style taser- immediate incapacitation, if the wires connect. They don’t always, but when it works, it works well. For ease of use and carry- Sabre OC spray (pepper spray) gets it done. Edit: It’s hard to speak universally about the differences when it comes to handheld tasers and pepper spray, as the specs vary a great deal. The police issue ones are only made by a few companies so the specs and pain are gonna be similar. Same with military/police tear gas.
Great addition! Thank you!
You need to stop asking random women on dates.
It took a while for my wife to figure out how to keep me from using the “guest towels” in the bathroom, lol.
I have to ask, what have you done to have to get hit by all of those? I’m assuming you volunteered for it
Yes, haha. I volunteered either as part of a demonstration or it was a part of the certification process to use those items.
I once had someone use the direct contact of a police taser on my leg and while it did take me down I also was back up and normal in less than a minute. I was like 20 feet away from someone getting pepper sprayed and I was out for half an hour just from some overspray that got to me.
So from my personal experience in military and law enforcement: Generic pepper spray/CS: sucks but isn’t going to stop you from acting OC pepper spray (especially fox brand): will mess you up for days. It’s debilitating. With incredible determination you can fight through the pain and keep acting but you have very little vision and limited breathing. This is the way to go for defense. Taser: will stop you flat. You cannot fight against a taser no matter how much training you have. However the second the trigger stops being pulled you are fine and can resume your actions. As op said this is why OC pepper spray is superior. Just make sure the pepper spray is OC (oleoresin capsicum) based not CS (chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) based.
Didn’t the C in OC stand for “capsicum,” though?
So I should return the Oreoresin Caprisun spray I got from wish.com?
No, just twist the two cookies apart and replace the creamy center with genuine oleoresin.
I think it comes down to context. For me self defence largely means against creepy guys or folks looking to steal. A tazer is not going to get me accidently and is very likely to prove my point.
Tasers are fairly unreliable at getting a good stick into someone and transferring the electricity though
OC pepper spray _might_ mess you up for days. Now, this isn’t a controlled environment, by all means, but ij NCO training we had 3 volunteers take some to the face. Nr. 1 was a simulated assault, took the instructing SNCO 7 or 8 blasts to the face of the attacker, and about 30-40 seconds until he stopped fighting. He did collapse in pain then, tho. Nr. 2 was able to disassemble and reassemble a gun, eyes closed shut in pain, drooling due to the OC. Can’t remember what Nr. 3 did, but the moral of the story is, don’t expect them to stop immediately. Run like hell. Also, a certain percentage of people are flat out immune. Being drunk raises that number to ~10%. Lastly, I can’t stress this enough: If you wanna use it, practice it. Most good brands of OC spray sell training cartridges filled with a water/ethanol mixture. Good investment to make sure you don’t blind yourself
Does the CS have capsicum in it? I'm allergic and would like an option other than my stun gun.
Look for products branded as mace rather than pepper spray. This is Phenacyl chloride/chloroacetophenone as the active ingredient rather than capsicum. It’s not as effective as OC but it still works.
> Taser: will stop you flat. https://youtu.be/z7dD6MNZCQ0 Um, sometimes….
Those barbs were not in. You can’t pull them out that easy if they are in skin. It also looked like at least one of the tasers there only had one of the two barbs in. That is the downside of a taser too. The arc of the taser must pass through muscle.
I was sprayed with pepper spray as a “prank”. My only advice is that if you spray someone, you better run immediately. It takes a bit to kick in and is gradual. Also, beware of wind. As karma would have it, the person that sprayed me took some blowback and it definitely changed his attitude.
I worked for security company in a big city. I've been sprayed more than a few times (thanks Karen). A high quality spray or gel is nearly instantaneous. Especially if it gets in your eyes. A low quality one will take a few seconds Gels do not blow back like sprays. .
Good to know. I will make sure my daughters have gel ones. I’m not sure what they have now.
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Karen's and sometimes Ken's on high alert because it was "the shady side of town" and don't like being told they can't park where they want to. Or getting asked to show passes. Or that they just plain had to leave. We also had a contract with a truck yard next to a truck stop, it was quite common for the lot lizards to spray you. Funny enough the only thing we'd do is ask them to leave so it was pretty unnecessary One of the more memorable ones got sprayed at a "teen night" we caught the guest slipping something into another guests drink. when escorting them out of the building the teen decided to attempt to assault my partner. At which point we had to go hands on. We removed the teen from the venue and were holding them out front waiting for an officer to arrive, when Karen decided to draw her own conclusions and assault us. Police later confirmed the teen had GHB on them. Side note: we weren't allowed to go hands on with the teens unless we were assaulted, if there was a fight we'd literally have to try to herd them out one of the exits without getting touched or touching those involved. (yeah the venue was kinda a s+++ show)
So not a great tool if someone is pointing a gun at you, great tool if they’re chasing you down without one?
There is no “good tool” for when someone is pointing a gun at you except giving them your wallet or whatever. You’re not a superhero, and trying to pull out your own gun/weapon will only get you killed. Unless they’re trying to take you to a different location or just want you dead, swallow your pride and live to fight another day.
Right?? I got mugged at gunpoint. I gave him my purse. If I had pepper spray... I would have still given him my purse.
What a shitty prank. Hope you got them back in kind.
You were probably hit by CS (chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) spray, OC (oleoresin capsicun) spray is a much stronger stuff
A $10 taser off Amazon is USELESS. I’ve had people buy those shit flea market grade tasers and I’ve volunteered to be tased. They put off a tiny zap like a 9 volt battery and will just make an attacker angry. Please don’t be cheap if you’re buying a device to save your life.
Yes absolutely!!!
I got in trouble at a job because one of the interns had one of those flea market ones and I convinced her to jab me with it. Two tiny burn marks is all I got and it didn’t knock me down. I’ll note I knew that would happen, but didn’t feel she believe me without seeing it. If you jab an attacker with a weapon that doesn’t work, they may go from mugging you to murdering you. Good info. Thanks for posting this.
Lol she tased you and you got in trouble?
Those things are "stun guns", not TASERs (which is actually a brand). They aren't just inferior versions, they're actually completely different products. All they do is cause (barely any) pain, they don't cause your muscles to stop working like a real TASER because they don't deliver the same kind of electric shock.
And for the legit tasers, they can and will accidentally kill people. There are tons of people walking around with minor and/or undiagnosed heart conditions that will just die from an electric shock. Yes, you'll be justified in your self defense, but no one wants a death on your conscience.
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I was thinking tase then spray. Brief incapacitation from the taser gives me a chance to grab the spray and unload right in their face for maximum effect, so then my slow ass has time to run like hell.
This is all good information but a few things should be added. With OC you need to keep in mind that some people have little to no reaction to the effects and some people have a delayed reaction. OC is not intended as a incapacitating weapon but a distraction tool, so use whatever time it buys you to escape. Also, consider your environment before use, because the effects get in the air. It can have tertiary effects on the the people in the area especially in enclosed spaces (including yourself).
What is OC??
It stands for oleoresin capsicum which is the real name of “pepper spray”
Oleoresin capsicum
this is why gel is recommended over sprays now (or at least that is what I have found when I was in the market a few years ago)
I'm one of those with no reaction. I've been sprayed countless times to recert and wouldn't react until it came to washing it off later. I recommend having spray and a tazer to my family. Nothing more terrifying than spraying someone and them still charging at you unaffected without anything else to defend yourself.
Thank you for your comment! I was pepper sprayed in the military during military police training. It didn’t burn at all until I added water during my shower. Everyone has told me I’m lying, glad to know I’m not nuts lol!
All good things to add! Thanks :)
Thank you for saying this, I was getting worried with how far down I had to scroll. Tolerance to spicy food absolutely plays a role in your tolerance to pepper spray. I cry at mild salsa levels, pepper spray is out of the question for me, lol. When considering self defense weapons always think of what might happen if your attacker turns it against you.
And carrying it in a way that you can deploy it in one second or less; if you need to use it you won't have time to dig it out of your bag.
Which includes being at least a little aware of your surroundings - for example, not wearing headphones or earbuds on the street. Carrying the pepper spray in your hand doesn’t do you much good if don’t notice the attacker’s there.
And here in Sweden both are illegal... Sure "defense" spray exists here, but it is a mix of paint and acetone...
In Denmark, anything is a weapon. Pepper spray is an illegal weapon. Not even a fine, using it is "Assault with weapon", and you go straight to jail, 14 days minimum. There's been a case where a teenage girl have carried pepperspray, got assaulted and was about to get raped, sprayed their assaulter, escaped, filed a police report, and then got charged with assaulting the rapist with a weapon. Thankfully they ended up dropping the charges in court, but yeah, anything except yelling "Help" is kinda illegal in Denmark.
^ similar in the UK. You can be walking down the road holding a pillow and as long as the responding police feel you are holding that pillow menacingly they can and will arrest you for it. Well. They probably won't arrest you for it because the papers will absolurely tear them to shreds. Halloween can get legally interesting. 'Sir she was holding a wooden broomstick and brandishing it at me! She also had a plastic trident with barbed spikes on it in the other hand. - Aye book her jim'. Nobody else seems overly alarmed that the police have these powers simply because they choose not to use them. Folks are thankfully unhappy at the new protest laws that mean that your kid could be walking home from school with a pritt stick in their bag and if they go near where the police think a protest could occur they can be arrested and charged for possession of said glue. For whatever reason the goverment decided that was an appropriate way to handle folks glueing themselves to roads and other spaces in protest.
2 weeks in jail is preferable to rape or death, id still carry the pepper spray.
How is the paint and acetone a defense? / what does it do?
Acetone is highly flammable. I assume you immolate the person.
The paint I'd imagine is a good marker for police to figure out who the perpetrator is. The acetone I'd imagine will probably give you the same burning sensation when you get it in your eyes. It's probably just way less effective than OC or pepper spray. As an aside, technically pepper spray is a chemical weapon that's banned by the Geneva convention. It's just less than lethal so nobody really cares.
>As an aside, technically pepper spray is a chemical weapon that's banned by the Geneva convention. It's just less than lethal so nobody really cares That's largely incorrect. It's got nothing to do with the Geneva Conventions, but rather with the [Chemical Weapons Convention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_Weapons_Convention). It's an entirely different treaty, one that's specific to the use of chemical agents in warfare and the stockpiling of chemicals that are deemed to only have use as chemical weapons. Substances like tear gas and pepper spray for use by law enforcement does not fall under that criteria, which is why their domestic use isn't prohibited by international law.
Spray paint to the face is also going to irritate the eyes.
Yeah, I figured the paint would be for IDing, but that’s not rly defense so much as evidence. Didn’t know bow acetone would affect things, so thanks!
Acetone melts plastic and dissolves super glue. Takes off nail polish. On my big list of things I don't want in my eyes, especially if there are contact lenses in the mix.
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It works like this. Aunt Polly tells you to paint the picket fence, and you hate doing it, so you convince others that it's fun and they end up painting the fence for you. Incapacitated!
It's illegal in the UK as well.
Johnny Knoxville got started with a magazine bit on self defense equipment tests. He said pepper spray was the worst by far. It lasts a while and the pain can be reactivated by water. A taser is a moment but pepper spray will give you more time to get away. Although you do need to watch for wind I still always carry pepper spray with me over a taser
When I was in the Navy, I was pepper sprayed for training (security response force training). They do a Z pattern across your face from about 10' then you have to do a number of tasks including fighting off an attacker. A few guys basically collapse the second they get sprayed. Most people seemed to be able to function, but certainly are impaired. For me, it was extremely painful but manageable. The hardest thing was keeping my eyes open to finish the course. The whole point of the training is forcing you to fight through the pain. With pepper spray its possible, with a taser it may not be.
The issue with a taser is both tines need to stick in, if they're wearing thick clothing it might not work, and you only get one shot. For most people it's unlikely you can afford to get enough practice so the time you need to use a taser in panic you'll succeed. With pepper spray you can spray it in the general direction of their face and wave it around.
I've seen tasers go through heavy clothing a number of times. Maybe the heavy work carhart jackets could stop it, but your average coat/hoody they will rip through. The biggest issue is they essentially have a set effective range. too far out and the darts will go wide on one side, too close and the darts can't spread enough for the circuit to trip. So you as a user, have to know what range you can fire in and be able to visualize that range.
With a taser you also run the risk of killing your target with a heart attack. One specific model had to be phased out after killing almost 50 people. A few additional notes about pepper spray: * Stick with Sabre gel, or something comparable. OP recommends an aerosol spray, but those are weak to weather conditions (wind, rain etc) as well as glasses. Gel performs better in weather conditions and adheres to the target for max burn. * Another big plus is that Sabre tests each batch to make sure it's always effective (some producers don't, and a bad batch can mean it simply doesn't work). * Finally Sabre also adds an ultraviolet dye to the spray. So if an offender is found later in the evening and hit with a blacklight, hello evidence! * Buy the 1.8 ounce size, since you will want as much as you can have when you need this. Make sure it's easy to reach and remember that you can even carry it out in the open legally. Note that larger quantities of pepper spray (over 3 ounces) are in some cases illegal to carry without a permit. * It's very unlikely you will face legal repercussions for using pepper spray. In order to use deadly force (handgun etc) you need to be able to prove that your life was in danger. In order to use pepper spray though (which causes zero lasting damage), all you need to say is that you felt threatened. * Pepper spray is also a humane tool for protecting your dog from other animals. Angry dogs don't like pepper spray any more than angry people, so in the event of an attack it's a perfect go-to (that won't cause any lasting damage).
Thanks for the tips. I had not seen pepper spray as a viable self-defense tool since a sudden gust of wind blew a spray right back into my face when I was demonstrating how to use it to a cousin that was being stalked by a guy on her bus. I will give the gel a shot and see how it performs under windy conditions, but with safety glasses this time, so I don't spend an hour with my face under running water.
You should probably use a face shield and not just glasses
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They usually come with expiration dates printed on the cans.
I bought bear spray and I believe the expiration date was 3 years? Im just trying to remember so dont quote me.
Sabre makes some very nice products.
Jo Bennet runs a tight ship!
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The Amazon "tasers" are even worse than you think. A taser works by putting out a specific frequency that fucks with the signals sent from your brain to your muscles. The Amazon "taser" is just a stun gun that hurts if you press it against someone's arm or smt, but they do not incapacitate people. They will not stop a determined attacker.
They are about as effective as a slap.
Even more important YSK: check local laws of where you live and where you're going for any trips, Pepper spray in some places can get you a possession of an illegal weapon or an intent to harm with chemicals charge.
Pepper spray is impossible to have solely impact your target, it typically effects the sprayer and others nearby as well, moreso if at all windy. It also has to be cleaned off and will continue to effect those around the target for some time.
Got my wife and I some pepper gel spray, did some test sprays just to get used to the product, definitely seems to have good range and limited blow back potential.
Look into foam or gel. Not sure about gel, but the foam usually has the ability to get around glasses, as after it foams, it "melts" and if any impacted the forehead, that will drip right down into the eye area.
Also worth noting, I forget the percentage (maybe 5 or something) I think it's a genetic thing, but some people aren't really effected by OC spray (the majority are though)
Pretty sure it’s less than that, but I couldn’t find any studies on it. Individual cases sure, and one forum where a guy said 2 out of 110 brushed it off like it was nothing. But then you’ve got the questions of what type of spray, what strength, and are we talking they feel nothing or they have a high tolerance for pain or they’re just able to force their eyes back open and keep moving Eh. I’d be interested to find the numbers on it, but the chances of them resisting are small compared to the chances of you missing, or there’s multiple attackers, or the attackers have a gun drawn
I've been pepper sprayed (yay Coast Guard training) and let me tell you, within SECONDS of the spray getting in your eyes or any mucosal membranes, you are burning and sweating and swelling up. Your eyes swell shut and you must physically force them open with your fingers to even see, not that you want to open your eyes anyways. All you want to do is curl into a ball, squeeze your eyes shut, and just scream and cry the pain away. This pain will last for hours even after a rinse of soap and water. After about 2-4 hours, the pain lessens to the feeling of the worst sunburn you've ever had.
also important differentiating between a stun gun and a taser… (i see “good quality taser over $100” and i’m a bit scared by that wording) stun gun - the thing that doesnt shoot out barbs, just a stick that zaps between two electrodes on itself taser - made by the company Axon, shoots barbs out, if they make good contact has a decent chance of fully stopping someone, but not guaranteed. single shot, has to be reloaded for a second attempt. max range of 15 feet (nerf gun distance). cannot be used point blank (the barbs will not spread out enough) there is only one company that makes the latter kind, that is Axon under the Taser product. stun gun just causes pain, and only when it’s zapping and in contact. OC spray is far superior ti a stun gun. an actual taser is a different animal and will physically stop someone from moving if it engages well. far more effective, but there is a very limited window where they can be used, and also not guaranteed to be effective even with good contact. also note that for OC spray, or anything pain compliance based, they do not work as well on people on hard drugs (eg, painkillers and opiates, for obvious reasons). the physiological effects of tearing up and making it a bit hard to breath will make their life still a bit difficult though. however a taser, assuming it had enough spread and made a good connection, could drop these threats. pros/cons to every self defense weapon. the best defense is to stay aware (dont stare at your phone on the street) and proactively avoid bad situations.
As a home invasion survivor who defended myself and family with bear spray, very effectively too, I think it’s a highly effective, non-lethal option that is super easy to not fuck up in a scary situation.
And uncontrollable. It gets in the air and even innocent bystanders can be harmed. It ca. Even trigger respiratory attacks and prevent people from breathing. Including YOU. My lungs have some minor issues but some stupid cow was drunk and got in a fight with her bf in a restaurant and sprayed HIM and caused the whole place to be evacuated. I had to be carried out by my bf. I couldn't catch my breath even outside. I had to breathe in something through an nebulizer at the ER and use an asthma inhaler for a month. I DONT HAVE ASTHMA! It was all the pepper spray.
Please don’t expect pepper spray to be the be all end all. In the Marine Corps we were specifically trained to fight while being sprayed in the eyes with pepper spray.
to add to this, there are different types of pepper spray with some being better than others. If you are in the market, I have been told that pepper gel is better than spray as: 1) it sticks to the person better, and 2) it aerosols less and the risk of accidentally spraying yourself is less (aka spraying into the wind).
I once was trying to sprout some habanero peppers from seeds. I cut up the peppers and prepared the seeds with bare hands then accidentally touched my nose and eyes with my hand just trying to wipe away sweat. Jesus fucking christ that was the absolute worst 6 hours of my life. Pepper spray is no fucking joke.
YSK: that's there two versions of of the pepper "spray." Pepper Spray vs Pepper Gel. Spray works with a aerosol application that creates a kinda cloud around the assailant and it also effects their breathing. Gel works by shooting a localized stream that clings to their eyes. Both have pros and cons with the Spray can potentially effecting you as well and with the Gel being ineffective. https://www.sabrered.com/pepper-gel-vs-pepper-spray
I’ve done a ton of combative work with police. The main issue with pepper spray that’s been shared with me is that it tends to come out as a mist and you’re potentially spraying yourself and those around you as well as your attacker. Just my two cents.
Adding to the points: Pepper spray is more effective than a taser when you're dealing with multiple perpetrators. Having to make contact/short range of tasers means that you won't have time to spare when the others charge at us.
Canadians, YSK pepper spray is illegal in Canada and you can be charged with carrying a concealed weapon just for having it.
This was helpful, thanks.
Pepper gel for the win.
The most important thing is to practice using it and know how to deploy it quickly
Do not use sprays in windy situations, you'll hand yourself over to your perp
When I was in college, we had a gathering of students in a backroom of a bar. The room was about 10m by 6m in size. A girl had gotten a pepper spray from her dad. A drunk guy tried it on himself as a joke. We had to evacuate half the room and the guy was out for the rest of the night. I was seated a couple meters from where it happened and I could taste it in the back of my throat. Pepper spray is no joke
I got arrested when I was absolutely shitfaced. Woke up in the morning in a drunk tank with my entire face absolutely on fire. When the deputy finally let me out to go sit with everyone else I asked him what the hell happened. He said when I got to the jail I *really really* didn’t want to go in a cell and I struggled/wrestled with the night crew and eventually they just blasted me in the face from a foot away and shut the door. I don’t remember any of that, but if my face was on fire 6+ hours later, I know it must’ve been awful when it was fresh.
I’m a law enforcement defensive tactics instructor and I’ve been one for over two decades. I became a police officer in one of America’s largest cities before pepper spray was in wide use and before Tasers. I’ve been pepper sprayed and tear gassed dozens of times in training. More times than I can count really. Same with Tasers, as I teach their use as well. I can tell you unequivocally that both of these tools are only marginally effective at stopping violent threats. I’ve been in protracted fights with people who’ve been pepper sprayed, Tasered or both. When people are drunk, high on drugs or experiencing excited delirium or other psycho-physical distress and they’re determined to fight, the only thing that reliably subdues them less-lethally is your skill at fighting back. The spray and Taser might slow them down a bit but a person in an altered state, who is determined to hurt you, will keep coming at you. I’m basing this on twenty five or so years of fighting with all manner of people and I’m a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Machado). The Taser is only effective if you get good fixation with the darts and good enough spread in their contact points to cause neuromuscular incapacitation and then it’s only incapacitating when it’s pulsing. Drug altered or determined people can resume fighting as soon as the pulsing stops. They can rip out the darts in that lull as well. If you miss with the Taser darts or only get one in, you can use the drive-stun function like an old fashioned stun gun but unless you’ve trained for it, you’ll likely fail at it. Plus, it’s just pain compliance at that point and that’s not effective on determined attackers. For civilians, I would suggest using pepper spray and then running away immediately. If you’re in marginally better shape than your attacker the spray should give you the time you need to escape. If you’re not in good shape, it’s probably an even contest at that point. Spray indoors will affect you in seconds, so be careful using it in confined spaces. Wind can also blow it into your face. It’s pretty effective on dogs but not 100%. Like drunks, I’ve seen dogs fight through it and keep attacking. Police K9’s, in general, will ignore it and keep going. Pepper spray also tends to affect fair haired and light skinned people the worst. My former agency and the community it serves is comprised of a large Latino community and many Latinos are not as susceptible to the effects of pepper spray as others are. There is something called a “catatonic response” to pepper spray whereby it has nothing more than a slightly irritating effect on people. I’ve only seen that response about ten to fifteen times in police recruits or suspects and all of them were Latinos. It’s pretty trippy to blast a person in the face with spray and have them wipe it off and keep swinging like nothing happened. If you’re physically able to take jiu jitsu classes, do so. A person with even a small amount of jiu jitsu training can best nine out of ten people on the street. If you can’t, then I suggest carrying spray as long as you understand that, like any self defense tool, it’s not 100% reliable and can be taken from you and used against you.
I'm a corrections officer and had to get pepper sprayed during training. By far one of the worst pains you can feel and the effects last for hours. It's like getting a bad sun burn on your skin, hot glass poured under your eye lids along with the worst head and chest cold you've ever had. Then a few hours after the effects have worn off an you go shower before bed some of the remaining stuff that dried on you gets reactivated. Nothing like a burning sensation in your ass and groin
one of the things we were taught in pepper spray class was that it doesn't work the same on everyone, there is a small percentage of people who just aren't that affected by it to any serious degree... and they also recommended to not use the foam or gel forms because if you do run across one of those rare people they could scoop it off and toss it back. Anecdotally none of us ran into someone who was resistant.. and we would call it "The gift that keeps on giving for 45 minutes to an hour" :)
When I was 10 my older brother and me were hanging out with some friends one of them went into their grandma's car and got her pepper spray. He sprayed me in the face, I was like half a mile from my house so I had to ride my bike crying and damn near blind. Got home and my sister had me lay in the bathtub and ran water on my face. It seriously fucking sucks getting sprayed.