pepper spray?

[[email protected]]

What's the short story of permissibility of carrying pepper spray on your person or in your vehicle in USA, especially when crossing state lines? Ever had any issues? I mean, I am not going to go through my gear for every butter knife and piece of rope when I go vagabonding.

Short story: In a suburb of Kuala Lumpur I saw capsicum spray being sold at a chain drug store. It was cheap and thought it might prove useful one day as a deterrent to assault and bought the purse-size cannister. Curiously, one day I forgot to remove it from my luggage on my flight leaving the country and was shocked to discover it in my carry-on bag upon arriving at my guest house at my destination. So much for airport security at the discount carrier terminal at KUL airport in Malaysia.

 

[ratfink56]

I can't answer your question but-

For your vehicle I would recommend a can of the wasp and hornet spray that shoots 20 feet. Not considered a weapon but I imagine a face shot of that stuff would slow a person down.

 

[johnny b]

DO NOT USE WASP SPRAY

This has been discussed before:

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=14394&highlight=wasp+spray

@rf56....perhaps you should heed your signature line

Using wasp spray doesn't work. You will be sued. It is against the law (Federal) to use on anything except wasps (intended use).

Get some pepper spray...check state laws for each jurisdiction you travel through...laws vary.

 

[Van-Tramp]

PLEASE DO NOT CARRY WASP SPRAY!!! It is supremely poor advice, and advice only given out of blatant ignorance to the laws and reality itself. It is NOT effective on humans, it is a FELONY to use on another human, or even carry for intended use on another human (read the label). It carries a MINIMUM 10 year sentence in federal prison. Just unbelievable that anyone would give such advice.

Pepper spray is heavily regulated for each state, county, city, etc. The laws can change every few miles you drive. Even though it is legal in all 50 states (to some degree) in many local areas it is illegal to posses at all. Cabela's has a nice breakdown of state laws - https://www.cabelas.com/assets/product_files/pdf/pepperspray_lawsregulation.pdf - but you will have to look up the County and City laws for each place you are going.

Any reason you would not carry the most effective tool for the job of self defense?

 

[lenny flank]

I recommend a W-88 warhead with a 200kt yield.

It's the only way to be sure.

 

[ratfink56]

Well I'll be. Thanks Johnny b.

 

[Van Mama Wannabe]

PLEASE DO NOT CARRY WASP SPRAY!!! It is supremely poor advice, and advice only given out of blatant ignorance to the laws and reality itself. It is NOT effective on humans, it is a FELONY to use on another human, or even carry for intended use on another human (read the label). It carries a MINIMUM 10 year sentence in federal prison. Just unbelievable that anyone would give such advice.

I agree that it is poor advice to use wasp spray for something other than its intended use. However, the 10-year mandatory minimum applies only to a situation where the spray-er intends to kill the spray-ee, right? Maybe you could point me to the U.S. Code which shows that a lower level of intent triggers the 10-year minimum. I couldn't find it.

 

[Wandering Walden]

The solution may be to carry bear spray. Bear spray is legal in all 50 states.


Note- although I believe in some states it is illegal to carry bear spray to be used specifically as protection against humans. I guess an example of this would be… If you were walking in New York City with a can of bear spray on your belt, that could be considered illegal. ?

 

[Weight]

Is not it the case that you used wasp spray on a human with no other extenuating circumstance than they were close to your person, reason to fear the law?
My self, being an old bastard, I have length of 1' brass pipe with a Shepherd's hook at the top and a rubber pad at the other, makes it a cane. My hand to hand from Uncle Sam makes it better than you may think. Then there is the slam shot-gun, but that is illegal.

 

[Weight]

Some states classify bear or pepper spray as "weapons".

 

[johnny b]

Bear spray is a bear 'deterrent' and is regulated by the EPA to 2% capsicum.
Pepper spray for humans is meant to incapacitate the 'human animal' and uses a higher pepper percentage, along with some other 'nasties' for good cling, etc.

If you want self defense from people get pepper spray for people. (IMHO--the strongest one you can find)
If you're in bear country, get some bear spray.

Whatever you have for self defense, it's always a good idea to google the legal stuff for the states you visit.

 

[Dingfelder]

Is not it the case that you used wasp spray on a human with no other extenuating circumstance than they were close to your person, reason to fear the law?
My self, being an old bastard, I have length of 1' brass pipe with a Shepherd's hook at the top and a rubber pad at the other, makes it a cane. My hand to hand from Uncle Sam makes it better than you may think. Then there is the slam shot-gun, but that is illegal.

I remember reading a long time ago that there are regulations on even that.  Like anything, though, laws usually vary from state to state or even city to city.  Specifically, I remember reading that the crooks on canes can be classified as deadly weapons, and I think that ones that unusually heavy shafts were too, but it was too long ago ...

I read it because I practiced a martial art that used canes, and the cane was my favorite weapon, being relatively unobtrusive but powerful used correctly.  Even a bit of a visual deterrent to wiseguys who were considering their options vis a vis your wallet.

Perhaps that's why most store-bought canes are flimsy, light, or both.  My brother broke mine across my other brother's back and it didn't slow him down.

 

[johnny b]

Ah yes grasshopper....Cane-Fu.

http://www.canemasters.com/

For an effective, lower cost option, here is a reinforced nylon (very tuff stuff) cane for 40 bucks:

https://www.trueswords.com/United-Defense-Premium-Adjustable-Walking-Cane-32902

Googling 'cane-fu' will bring up many self defense classes for the elderly, etc.

"When you can take the pebble from my hand..."

 

[highdesertranger]

boy o boy this subject comes up every so often.

yes,

it is against Federal Law to use wasp spray on anything but wasps. read the can

it is against Federal Law to use Bear spray on anything but bears. read the can

pepper spray is highly regulated from one place to the next. best to do your research

highdesertranger

 

[Zil]

I can't find any thing that says a old man can't have a cane.

 

[Kia girl]

Wow the one and only state I see you need a fid card for pepper spray is the state I am from, Massachusetts. Go figure.
I would never suggest wasp spray as others have said unless used against wasp.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[perj28]

Just fyi, some buildings also have their own rules on pepper spray. I had a small one on my keychain that got taken by campus police when I went in to the hospital to give birth. Dunno if that rule was because it was a hospital or university

 

[Canine]

I've had wasp spray drip into in my eyes while spraying a Yellow Jacket nest under a roof awning. It didn't suck. It wasn't fun, but I could still see and function easily. Having dirt or a finger in my eyes has been way worse. Have had a small wisp of bear spray. That sucked. Just a tiny whiff was enough to seriously get my attention; I wouldn't want to find out how a face full of that stuff would be like. Pepper spray is hell for about an hour or so then sucks pretty darn bad the rest of the day. Mace is also terrible, but I'm not sure that is freely available anymore. Haven't seen it in decades.

Is spraying bear spray at humans illegal? It depends. Context is important. A crowbar is meant for deconstruction and other such uses; beating people with it is clearly illegal. However, if someone is trying to kill me, I would beat a person with a crowbar to stop that person and that would be totally legal. Same with bear spray. If someone is trying to kill me, I would spray them with bear spray to stop that person and that would be totally legal.

Now if I were in a fight and didn't have a crowbar or bear spray and all I had was a can of wasp spray, I would use it. It's barely anything, but at least it's something. I would scream. I would throw pocket sand in their eyes (Trivia: Can anyone identify what show I got "pocket sand" from?). I would use any kind of environmental weapon at hand to protect myself from someone threatening lethal force. Anything that would give me any kind of advantage I would use. Knowingly relying primarily on tools such as wasp spray is utter foolishness. I don't always win all my fights, but I do a lot to protect myself.

 

[ChezCheese:-)]

What is the difference between bear spray and pepper spray -- or are they the same thing?

 

[Canine]

Bear and pepper spray are different, but very similar. I've heard they are capsicum spray, but what they really are is a little bit of Hell bottled in an aerosolized container.

Deet kinda sucks, too, although I've yet to take a full face load of that stuff. Hmmm. I'm going to look that up. That one may be effective. There is a wide ranging percentage of Deet; maybe it takes a 40% to be reasonably effective? Just hypothesizing here.