For those who cannot carry or want to carry an additional less-than-lethal option, what pepper spray or pepper gel do you recommend and why?
1 Like
I don’t know too much about different sprays/gels to have a solid opinion. One thing I don’t like are the sprays that look like lipstick. You can’t index it to know which way it’s going to spray when you do finangle it out of pocket/purse/etc. Plus, some look like lipstick tubes. Not a good idea to try and protect yourself and mistakenly grab your ruby red lipstick.
3 Likes
I carry this. Gives a decent stream and has a UV dye for identification purposes. It has a flip top cap and elastic carrying strap which makes it ideal for when I go running.
5 Likes
Sabre Red gel. You get extra distance and it’s less likely to blow back on you. (Less likely does not mean that it won’t.)
1 Like
I carry pepper spray because it gives my hand something to reach for other than the pistol. I think if that’s your only option you’re more prone to going to it. I’ve been sprayed on multiple occasions due to my job. I would say this. Just use the highest capsaicin content you can find and that pepper spray has never done any good to anyone, ever, in a purse, backpack or pocket.
2 Likes
@Dawn,
I do normally have it in my left front pants pocket with my hand on it any time I’m on the move or in my hand just out in the open. It’s so small nobody would notice. I guess I was just trying to state that it ain’t doing anybody any good if it ain’t in your hand.
3 Likes
I like Sabre, bought some for my wife. Back in the day my “choice” was Devastator. Be aware though and keep in the back of your mind, OC spray doesn’t always work and some people will react differently to it. Personally, it felt like soap in my eyes and had no effect on my breathing or mucus membranes.
2 Likes
A friend of mine is a sheriff in so cal. As part of their academy training they all had to get pepper sprayed… goal being to know what to expect if they got a face full during crowd control. She says there were 3 or 4 guys in her class whos eyes ran but who definitely weren’t disabled by it… one of them was hardly bothered.
3 Likes
I just went out a couple days ago and bought some pepper spray. The gentleman helping me recommended I use the Guard Dog Security Pepper Spray Gel. The Gel makes it less likely to blow into your eyes on a windy day. It has a belt clip, so I can where it on my belt as well. I like to know I have a second option that is less lethal.
3 Likes
Pepper spray is a great less than lethal took. I saw the discussion of spray versus gel. Gel is bad because the suspect can wipe his face and throw it in you. However if they are wearing glasses the gel pepper spray is effectiv. If you get pepper spray. Go with a 10% or more. I personally have been trained on FOX 20% this stuff is painful. Pepper spray is good but in the heat of the moment you have to calculate wind direction. If not you will get a face full if O.C. spray. I would recommend maybe getting a stun gun or tazer instead. I’ve been trained on the tazer also very effective close range and from a distance. But if you get one and you carry concealed buy the yellow tazer it doesn’t look like a gun. Anyways that’s my 2 cents for what it’s worth.
3 Likes
Welcome to the Community, @Peter ! That’s an interesting point about the gel… Maybe I can get someone to do a demo of both of them for comparison. (I AM NOT volunteering for that one!)
4 Likes
A demo would be good for folks to see the difference. Also pepper spray or o.c. spray can have blow back mist on the person using it. Just the mist sucks.
2 Likes
Yes steer clear of gel. I would recommend at least 15% there is one called “punch” and my favorite “FOX” which is 20%. Always remember when discharging o.c. spray to do a z pattern. It goes like this across the eyes down the nose and across the mouth so it gets in there lungs to.
4 Likes
I’m still not volunteering, but I think @KevinM is doing a pepper spray video in the not too distant future. 
4 Likes
Everything I’ve read about pepper gel is that it’s kind of sticky and it just hurts worse when they try to wipe it off.
2 Likes
Pepper gel is supposed to be sticker and harder to wipe off:
And from our friend Rob Pincus: Self Defense Tips: Product Review - Sabre Red Pepper Gel - YouTube
“With Sabre Red Pepper Gel, the chemical agent is suspended in a thicker solution that will stick to the bad guy’s face. There is no misting effect and therefore no contamination of the air.”
4 Likes
So, what you are saying is that once exposed to the intense burning, watering eyes and inability to see clearly, the attacker will be able to wipe away the gel and fling it with enough power and accuracy to disable the person spraying the gel? And the attacker, having flung said gel into the eyes of the person using the spray in self-defense, will be able to mount an effective attack? Well, I guess this is something I will have to try. As a reminder, anyone using pepper spray should be exposed to a dose of the stuff to better understand the effects. I suggest Peter try this plan. I will even send out a can of pepper gel so Peter can shoot a video of himself completing this action. And, the gel I send will be the wimpy, 10 percent OC, which apparently hardly hurts at all. 
3 Likes
Great link and video. I admittedly don’t know much about pepper spray, and I looked up sabre red on Amazon, and it is very wallet friendly.
2 Likes