MACE / Pepper Spray....

[sailor2000]

Best (most effective, reliable, etc, etc) brand / model????

[Lumberjack98]

The Fox Labs stuff is pretty good. That's what I carry.

http://www.foxlabs.com/foxlabs.shtml

[jbirds1210]

The Fox Labs stuff is pretty good. That's what I carry.

http://www.foxlabs.com/foxlabs.shtml

+1 Comp-tac sells it on their website in a couple of different sizes. As you likely know, their customer service is hard to beat!

Jason

[OverEasy]

I get my pepper spray from J & L Self Defence Products (http://www.JLUSA.com) . They used to have the best price on FOX products.
They now have a new brand, DPS X-Stream Range. The 1/2 oz. key chain unit has a 15' range. The 2 oz. flip top DPS Duty Spray has a 16' range.
FOX or the DPS either one, you can't go wrong.

Get some of the 'INERT Training units' to practice with, so you will know how far it flies and how long it lasts!
And you might want to get a pack or two of the 'Sudecon' decontaminat wipes just in case you ever have an accident with the real stuff.
Regards, OE

[Keith B]

The Kimber LifeAct Guardian Angel is a pretty neat device if you can deal with the size. It is great for windy areas like north Texas (no blow-back)

[Odin]

I don't know how one would rate the effectiveness of OC unless it was done by a long term study of police departments, and even then each subject sprayed is different. I can't imagine a test subject allowing himslef to be sprayed multiple times so they could gauge the different effects of each spray on the same test subject.

That said, I can tell you from first hand experience that (a) the "First Defense" brand OC was "effective" on me in the sense that it hurt like heck, but (b) a determined person can ignore the pain and accomplish just about anything they choose to after taking a full spray to the face.

I think that someone who is going to carry OC would be well advised take a full hit to the face/eyes themselves before carrying it so they can judge for themselves if they think it is an effective means of controlling a violent person. While it burned like nothing I've ever felt before, I was able to accomplish all of the tasks we were required to do without much difficulty after taking the spray. I was certainly not "out of the fight". The rest of my afternoon wasn't so great, the recovery time took me a while before my eyes felt normal again. If someone is determined to do you physical harm and you are relying on OC to control that person I'd have a "Plan B" just in case the OC only makes them madder.

I have also seen OC used several times where it appeared to have no real effect on the subject, although those people were/may have been intoxicated, on some sort of drugs, or mentally disturbed. Bottom line, I'm not a big fan of OC. I've never used or been exposed to a Taser, but from what I've seen and heard it is much more effectice than OC.

[Kalrog]

That said, I can tell you from first hand experience that (a) the "First Defense" brand OC was "effective" on me in the sense that it hurt like heck, but (b) a determined person can ignore the pain and accomplish just about anything they choose to after taking a full spray to the face.

Also keep in mind that OC is less effective on darker / olive skinned people than on the pasty WASP type. It is also less effective on those with frequent exposure to hot peppers. Anyone else chop habeneros and then rub your eyes? no? Just me I guess.

[Odin]

That said, I can tell you from first hand experience that (a) the "First Defense" brand OC was "effective" on me in the sense that it hurt like heck, but (b) a determined person can ignore the pain and accomplish just about anything they choose to after taking a full spray to the face.

Also keep in mind that OC is less effective on darker / olive skinned people than on the pasty WASP type. It is also less effective on those with frequent exposure to hot peppers. Anyone else chop habeneros and then rub your eyes? no? Just me I guess.

I don't know if that's true or myth, I've heard it said before though. I'm not "pasty" but I'm pretty white, not olive skinned at all (although my summer tan would allow me to blend in south of the border). And I eat hot peppers almost daily (but don't rub them in my eyes). Still, it hurt plenty.

[Abraham]

There are combination sprays made with OC and CS tear gas such as Freeze +P.

For those who're OC pepper spray resistant the tear gas helps shut them down.

[NcongruNt]

That said, I can tell you from first hand experience that (a) the "First Defense" brand OC was "effective" on me in the sense that it hurt like heck, but (b) a determined person can ignore the pain and accomplish just about anything they choose to after taking a full spray to the face.

Also keep in mind that OC is less effective on darker / olive skinned people than on the pasty WASP type. It is also less effective on those with frequent exposure to hot peppers. Anyone else chop habeneros and then rub your eyes? no? Just me I guess.

I've built up a taste for capsaicin over the years, and can handle more than anyone I know. While I'm not ready to OC myself just yet, I wonder if it really does make a difference. I've accidentally rubbed my eyes plenty of times after working with peppers, so I share your experience.

For any geeky types in/near Austin wishing to acquire a good tolerance for the spice, I can recommend visiting the Nuclear Tacos folks. This is where I started my my descent into the spicy downward spiral. They make their tacos with 5 kinds of habaneros, including the most potent Red Savina. Push yourself through a few evenings of this stuff, and you'll be surprised at what no longer tastes spicy. Just remember that the other end of your mouth builds capsaicin tolerance much more slowly.

http://www.nucleartacos.com

If you're in or near San Antonio, there's a great Thai restaurant called Thai Chili. They have a normal scale of spiciness of 1-10 when you order. If you get 100 or better and finish your meal, they'll take your picture and put it up on the wall. My top order so far was at 250. I'm up on the wall 5 times, I believe.

http://www.thaichili.net/

[Kalrog]

What is this? A restaurant review site now?

Speaking of those tacos... where are they? I actually grow my own habeneros and would love to taste what someone else does with them. And the links on that page are my kind of links... Austin Linux Group, distributed.net But there is no "location" link or anything like that.

Is it "the Cowhouse v2"? I know that area VERY well! Both Amasia and Oro Valley Tr.

[sailor2000]

Interesting where these threads wander off to.... I was not thinking of a Spray as my last line of defense, just something to discourage someone from forcing me to use my last line of defense...

[fm2]

I see OC as the 'no harm/no foul' type option. It makes a hell of a ranged pre-emptive strike, often allowing you to extricate yourself from a problem before it becomes a "hands-on" affair.

You might try these folks:
http://www.cqbsupply.com/aerosol.html
According to an OC instructor I trust, they make an outstanding product.