Bear spray is one of those self-defense precautions that is critical if you want to ensure your safety and give yourself serious peace of mind when you are exploring the rugged beauty of areas that are solidly known as “bear country.” Some of the most beautiful places in the country are the most isolated – and that just brings home why being prepared is an absolute necessity.
While bear attacks are actually quite rare, and death from bear attacks even more so, you always want to be properly prepared out in the wild. This is definitely one of those situations where it is better to have protection and not need it than to need it and not have it.
While avoiding hiking at dawn/dusk, traveling in groups, and making occasional noise to let bears know you’re around are all great preventive measures but you want to make sure you can defend yourself if an attack happens. That is where an outstanding and proven bear spray like Counter Assault comes into play (although you can check out this great website for more on other prevention techniques).
If the worst case scenario when an actual charge or even an attack takes place, having a can of solid bear spray and knowing how to use it can make the difference between life and death.
| Name | Selling Point | Buy Today! |
|---|---|---|
 10.2 oz. Counter Assault Bear Deterrent | A few extra ounces with a nice carrying holster. | Buy on Amazon! |
 8.1oz Counter Assault Bear Deterrent | Compact & effective 8 ounces of bear deterrent with holster. | Buy on Amazon! |
 Counter Assault CA-12HVP/sb Bear Spray | Two cans for twice the stopping power between one or two people. | Buy on Amazon! |
 Counter Assault Bear Deterrent with Holster, 8.1-Ounce | Packaged spray and holster, simple label effective deterrent. | Buy on Amazon! |
 Counter Assault Bear Deterrent | Simple can of spray no frills. | Buy on Amazon! |
Table of Contents
A Brief History of Counter Assault Bear Deterrent
There are certain names that really stick out in each industry, and Counter Assault is one of the true giants when it comes to producing top of the line pepper spray for bears. They were there in the beginning and definitely one of the early adopters of producing a pepper spray that will actually help to stave off bear attacks.
Counter was one of the first major companies on the market, and they have stayed as one of the few true big names in the industry.
They were the first to be EPA registered, doing so on May 12, 1998. They started with producing two different sizes of bear spray, an 8.1 oz version as well as a larger 10.2 oz version, a practice that still takes place today. Their bear spray has the maximum approved 2% capsaicin so it is strong and comes out in a shotgun pattern, the way that you would want it to. The spray distance is 30-32 feet and the full spray time in a can varies from 7.2 seconds to 9.2 seconds.
They have been a major name in the industry ever since, known for their high quality of production and for its effectiveness in deterring and outright stopping the overwhelming majority of bear attacks or charges it is involved in.
Train Yourself to Use Counter Bear Spray Properly
Proper use is critical to make sure you stay safe in the wild. As tempting as it can be to unload when you see a bear charging from a long distance away, that’s not the way to use it. Practice, get familiar with it, and check out any YouTube tutorial videos necessary to nail down exactly how to use these properly so if that frightening day ever comes, you will be prepared.
Using the quick bursts in a zig-zag motion when the wind is dead can help create a solid cloud the bear will instantly regret charging into, and if it is completely intent on charging through anyway up at close range, then unload at its eyes, face, and mouth. With how strong the bear spray is and how sensitive their sense of smell is, that will definitely turn them around and have them going the other direction, at which point you then have the time and space you need to withdrawal in another direction to a safer place.
In Conclusion
There’s a lot to love about bear spray in general, and there’s little denying that Counter Assault is certainly one of the truly big names when it comes to bear deterrent spray. They are often mentioned as one of the big 3 or 4, and truth be told they stand shoulder to shoulder with UDAP as unquestionably being the two biggest names currently in the business. There are some things you can go with a cheap version, and there are others where you want to be 100% certain you have a quality controlled product.
Bear deterrent spray definitely falls into this second category. You don’t want cheap, you want the type of pepper spray that is made as strong as possible according to EPA standards in order to make sure if the worst case happens that you are prepared and ready to fight your way through it and give yourself the best possible change of surviving relatively unharmed.