Owning pepper spray is one thing and using it properly is another. You can own a spray, but if you don’t know how to use it properly, you can end up causing more harm than good, or in the worst case, get pepper spray on yourself. So, to avoid letting that happen, you must use it cautiously. In this article, you will learn the dos and don’ts of using a pepper spray and some popular safety tips.
Dos of Pepper Spray
Use Pepper Spray Only to Protect Yourself
In all 50 states, carrying and using pepper spray for self-defense is permitted (with some state restrictions on size, formulas, and shipping). In general, when you have a legitimate concern for your life or safety, using non-lethal pepper spray in self-defense is justified. But once you use it, you have to inform the authorities.
Keep Pepper Spray Nearby
A great, inexpensive, and simple safety equipment to assist you in safeguarding your safety in various circumstances is pepper spray. When you need it, the spray must be accessible and within arm’s reach. When choosing the simplest spray designs to carry in the circumstance, keep in mind the setting where you wish to feel safer. Numerous sprays are frequently necessary to ensure that the product is available when and where it is needed.
Practice with Pepper Spray in a Safe Environment
The first time you should use your pepper spray is NOT when you encounter a difficult or scary circumstance. A size-appropriate inert, water-based practice spray is something we advise (and many of our best sellers come with). The inert spray will replicate a real pepper spray product’s sensation, range, and volume with an equivalent volume.
Get Familiar with State Law
Most of the time, if you are 18 years old or older and have not been convicted of a felony, pepper spray is allowed in all 50 states for use in self-defense. A few states, nevertheless, have regulations governing the acceptable formulations, quantities, and shipping of pepper spray items.
Don’ts of pepper spray
Don’t use it after its expiry date
There is a manufacturer expiration on every reliable pepper spray item, which is typically 3–4 years from the date of purchase. The active components’ expiration date is indicated by this date. For the greatest product performance, we advise replacement every two years. Since pepper spray is manufactured in aerosol-based canisters, the pressure and spraying range may degrade with time. This is particularly true for canisters kept in less-than-ideal conditions.
Be wary of the wind
Pepper spray has the potential to “back spray” in some windy conditions. When using pepper spray, be aware of the direction the wind is blowing. The impact of pepper spray is always greater when it hits you directly instead of behind you. Those who have experienced pepper spray often say they would rather take the shock from a taser or stun gun than experience the burns of pepper spray.
Keep the storage temperature in check
When kept in excessively hot or cold conditions, pepper spray canisters may break down, leak, or lose quality. For instance, due to the extraordinarily high and low temperatures, a car’s interior might attain, we don’t advise leaving your pepper spray in the glove box or car.
Maintain adequate distance
If the attacker is rushing towards you, spray them while they are away from you. A pepper spray has a spraying distance of up to 10 feet. So you can easily use it from a good distance. If somehow, they have held you, make as much distance as possible, spray in short pulses, and target sensitive areas for maximum effect.
These are the dos and don’ts of using pepper spray. So, if you can manage the spray properly… go for it! But you can switch to other close-range defense objects like a stun gun if you can’t. They are available with most of the defense equipment sellers in the US.
