Adventures with Pepper Spray

Great Stuff, legal in most areas (don’t try to take it on an airplane). If possible, take a formal class. I thought there was nothing to it, just point in the general direction and spray. Close, but not quite. There are different types of spray (stream, cone, foam) and you deploy them in slightly different ways. Also, each canister has a different mechanism to activate the spray. I didn’t know that, either. You need to understand how yours works, and keep it available. You don’t really have the option of asking an attacker to wait patiently while you dig in your purse for you pepper spray. Another important aspect, keep it in YOUR hand! When I took the class, I drew the canister from my pocket, brought it forward to spray my “attacker” and…it kept on going, landed right at his feet, where he promptly picked it up and pointed it at me. Well, aside from being embarrassing in the classroom, in life it could have made the difference between escaping and becoming a victim. If you are in the Northern Virginia/DC area, IDS (www.innovativedefensivesolutions.com) holds pepper spray classes on a regular basis. If you are elsewhere, look up SabreRed www.sabrered.com/servlet/the-template/Pepper-Spray-Training-Class/Page) on the web, they not only manufacture pepper spray and other defensive devices, they certify instructors and can refer you to a class in your area.