Bear spray: Three proper carrying methods

Our Brooks Range trips start next week, so both clients and guides are in the final stages of their preparations. One question that hit my inbox this morning was:

What is your recommended method of carrying bear spray?

When to decide how to carry bear spray

Do NOT wait until you’re at the trailhead to decide how you’ll carry your bear spray. By this point, your options may be limited or sub-optimal.

Instead, plan it out beforehand, at the same time that you’re selecting gear. Read through this article, think about your own circumstance, and determine what options are even available to you based on the design of your backpack. If you need an aftermarket pocket, holster, or tether, know how and when you’ll get it.

Objectives

Methods to properly carry bear spray should (in order of priority):

1. Reduce or eliminate the risk of the spray being dropped and lost;
2. Keep the spray easily accessible;
3. Not interfere with basic mechanics, like walking, buckling your hipbelt, and moving your head.

Considerations

I don’t think there is a single best way to carry bear spray, as it depends on factors like:

• The design, size, and features of your backpack (e.g. daypack versus multi-day pack, traditional shoulder pack versus waist pack);
• The chances of you needing it, which is a factor of where you are (i.e. bear density, visibility) and whether you are solo or in a group.

So select a method that works for you.

Recommended methods of carrying bear spray

I recommend carrying your bear spray using one of these methods:

1. On a shoulder strap,
2. On a hipbelt, or
3. In a side pocket.

Method 1: Shoulder strap

On a shoulder strap, bear spray is easy to keep track of and easy to access, with some variability in performance related to the pocket design (e.g. heigh and volume, and closure system). On the shoulder strap, bear spray is more “in the way” here than other options, but it’s not intolerable.

To carry bear spray on a shoulder strap, your backpack will need either:

1. Good: Fixed elasticized loops with cinch locks, which will work but which are fiddly;
2. Better: Aftermarket pocket, which tend to fit sloppily;
3. Best: Permanently attached pocket.

If your backpack does not have elasticized loops or a permanently attached shoulder strap pocket, or if it lacks the connection points for an aftermarket pocket, consider the Bear Tac holster. It’s purpose-built for this job; it stays put; and it has a solid hold with a clean draw.

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Method 2: Hipbelt

Some brands of bear spray include a holster that can be threaded through the hipbelt. Elasticized holsters are best; the plastic holsters that UDAP started to include in 2024-ish are unreliable — they are prone to cracking due to material fatigue, impact, and cold temperatures.

Like with the shoulder strap, in this location the spray is easy to keep track of and easy to access.

If you select this position, it’s best to lock it in place, like in the niche between the hipbelt pocket and pack body (as can be done on HMG packs). If it sits adjacent to the hipbelt buckle, it may interfere with your stride and it may slide off the hipbelt when you’re putting on or taking off your backpack.

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Method 3: Side pocket

The side pocket can be a poor choice for carrying bear spray:

1. Many backpackers lack the dexterity to easily access these pockets, and
2. Many side pockets are poorly designed and inherently difficult to access.

Moreover, it’s difficult to keep track of the bear spray when it’s in a side pocket — if it were “stolen” by brush or if it slipped out while scrambling or crawling, you might not notice that it’s gone until it’s too late. So, if you use this method, I highly recommend installing a tether using accessory cord. Attach this tether to the spray using a bowline or figure-8, and to your shoulder strap using a girth hitch.

The chief benefit of storing bear spray in a side pocket is that it’s completely out of the way. If you’re not in prime grizzly habitat, if you have expansive views, or if you’re in a large group, it’s reasonable to let your guard down some.

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Cold weather considerations

Reader Bill offered some tips about carrying spray in colder temperatures:

Tom Smith and colleagues published results of experiments in “An Investigation of Factors Influencing Bear Spray Performance” (free from ResearchGate). They document canister pressure-head vs. temperature. Bear spray functions at low temperatures but with diminishing effectiveness as temperature cools.

I live and recreate in occupied grizzly range and when temperatures are below 50 deg F, I transport the canister next to my skin, either in a pants pocket or from a holster attached to a short paracord lanyard inside the front of shirt or jacket, sized so that the canister is easily reachable (above pack sternum strap). Carrying in pants pocket makes it really handy to grab when I want to carry in my hand as when vision is limited such as in timber or brush, crest of hill, or bend in trail.

And I always carry a spare canister in a holster attached to the front of my pack, adhering to the oft heard principal (at least in the GYE) of “one for the bear and one to get back to the car”.

Have questions about carrying bear spray? Or do prefer another method? Leave a comment.