>My question is: how does one obtain bear spray in Canada? Every >time I go >there they ask me if I have any which I interpret it being >illegal there. Is >that true? What hoops does one go through to get any? No hoops. Just go to any outdoor store and buy it. I've never had difficulty in Western Canada buying it. That said, I've also never had to use it. I've had several bottles and all have either been retired due to expiry date, or were forfeited at at one checkpoint or another when returning from a trip. I haven't looked at the concentration of my various bottles, though I will now. My last one was certainly an American brand bought in Canada. The display had a video looping of a guy with a southern accent hiding behind a tree (and giggling) as a bear approached him, and then he pops out and sprays the bear, who makes a hasty retreat. Wasn't at all thrilled with the video on many levels, but I guess the marketing still worked. I bought that brand rather than another (for which even less info was available on). The only thing resembling "hoops" I've had was back in '94 or so with the first can I bought. At that time you had to sign a registry giving your name and address, when it was purchased. As for troubles at the border, rare is it that I don't find them nitpicking about something or other (either Canadian or American). It can get pretty hard to predict. They have wide enough latitude that they'll enforce whatever is the traveler irritant of the day, regardless of what the "regulations" are, even if you have them in hand. And chances are they'll be applied inconstantly anyway. I tend to just take the silliness in stride and budget on frequent replacing of bear spray cans, bear banger cartridges (which have worked well for me twice), and fuel canisters. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Nov 04 2003 - 16:38:56 PST
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