Knowing what not to do with bear spray is an extremely important part of learning how to use it.  There are several things that you want to make sure not to do before going out into the wild with bear mace:

• Do not spray yourself.  This is not “bear repellent” in the same way that “bug repellent” is used.  If you spray yourself with this stuff, you will go down in severe pain.
• Do not keep the bear mace in a bag.  A bear can cover a long distance very quickly, and if you have the bear spray in your back pack, there is absolutely no chance of you getting it out to defend yourself in time.
• Don’t order only one can.  Order two so you can practice with one.  Each can is a little different and you will want to know exactly how your can of bear spray works, how easy it is to draw from a holster, and all the other little details that are very important – especially with a charging grizzly on the way.
• Don’t wait for the bear to get close before spraying.  You want to learn to spray a cloud of bear mace that the bear runs into – this is the most effective way to deter bears.

Follow these four tips to avoid the most common pitfalls, and you’ll be on your way to being able to defend yourself against a charging bear.

You need water; an amount that will be about to last you all through the hiking trip. Put the water in a flask so that it does not heat up. If you are going to hike in a place with water, figure out how to purify it for your drinking. You may choose to boil the water once you have set up camp so that you have enough to drink all through the hiking period. You will need food on your hike period. Your food should provide you with energy to keep up with the hike. You need hiking equipment to carry the food in. It should be balanced and have lots of carbohydrate since you will need the energy. All these should fit in a backpack which will have to be big enough since you will need to carry some sleeping bags and tents for your camp. Carry light clothes if you will be hiking in places that have high temperatures. If camping in Alaska, you many want to get some clothes to keep you warm. You may need an ice axe in Alaska. In both cold and hot areas, you need good quality shoes.