Four Tips to Prepare Anyone for Any Hike

Hiking is a fun past time that brings out the most adventurous at heart who wish to experience complete nature submersion, as well as physical challenges that promote a healthy lifestyle. While it may be tempting to just take off into nature, there are some important tips that can help you enjoy your time hiking even more. With some attention to some key details, you can be sure to have a fun and safe hike.

Four Tips to Prepare Anyone for Any Hike

Plan Ahead

Hiking is something that like the boy scouts, you need to be prepared for. Research what each trail consists of before venturing down it, so that you know what you are up against, and are able to bring the proper equipment, according to the Grand Canyon National Park Service. Plenty of water is essential for any hike. It is also important to bring energy boosting snacks. An extra supply is also a good idea, in case of an emergency. One should also be aware of the weather, and make sure to dress appropriately and wear sunscreen. When venturing out on a hike, use the buddy system and to try not to hike alone. Hats, UDAP Bear Spray Backpack, non-cotton clothing, bandanas, ID, healthcare cared, and credit card, and a first aid kit with a fire starting mechanism are useful tools to have when embarking on a long hike. You may want to check out an initial responders kit to get everything required for your hike so you can be rest assured you have the supplies needed in case anything were to happen.

Four Tips to Prepare Anyone for Any Hike

Leave No Trace

When you are enjoying nature, and the unspoiled natural environment you are in, it is important to leave the environment in the condition in which you found it, according to Alexander Davies of Discovery News. With the exception of picking up human waste and litter left behind by former hikers, it is best to leave the natural habitat as it is. If rock piles are discovered, you should leave them be. You should not carve out new trails, or destroy living matter. You should not do anything that would cause the natural living organisms of the wild to experience any difficulties; causing them to become sick, or even die. This is to ensure that the cherished natural spaces remain in such a state for future generations to come. You must be respectful of nature, and do all that is possible to reduce their impact and footprint upon it. It is as beautiful as it is still because of its lack of human inhabitation.

Have the Proper Gear

In addition to the above-mentioned food, water, and clothing, you should be sure to carry a compass, pocketknife, and map. If the hike takes place where the weather gets cold, it is best to bring warm clothing. When camping overnight, it is key to have really great gear such as a UDAP Bear Spray, tent, camping pad, sleeping back, backpack, etc. These can aid in your survival, no matter how rough the conditions.

Many people go hiking for a specific purpose, whether it be photography, birdwatching, stargazing, or anything else wilderness-related. For such specific cases, it is necessary to keep in mind that the weather is going to play a big part in whether your adventure is successful or not. That is why many people carry gear such as weather stations or rain gauges with them to give them a warning of any incoming weather event. It is also important to carry protective gear with you if you already know how the weather is going to be and what kind of threats you should expect due to it (mosquitoes in humidity, bugs during the rain, predatory animals in dry summers, and so on).

Be Cognizant of Wild Animals

You may encounter a wild animal, or several during a hike, make sure that you are carrying your UDAP Bear Spray. Be sure to research the wild animals of the area that you are going to be hiking in, as well as studying these animals, and the ways in which you should interact when faced with such a confrontation. Be respectful of the animals and know which plants are edible, as well as which insects, spiders, and snakes are poisonous.

Four Tips to Prepare Anyone for Any Hike

Having the best hiking equipment can aid in preparations for what is ahead. Protection from harmful forces is greater when the equipment used is of the highest quality.

Summer Has Finally Arrived

Summer has finally arrived! Woohoo! Let the camping and hiking begin. If you are heading to bear country, don’t forget to bring along your UDAP Bear Spray!  Being prepared in bear country can be the difference between life and death. And now, you can stay safer than ever before!

UDAP now carries the Back Attack Pack™, which allows you to protect yourself from unexpected charges from behind, AND even when you’re pinned on the ground. Yes, you still have a line of defense!

Produced by a grizzly bear attack survivor, this product is a must-have. To be used in addition with UDAP bear sprays as a backup only.

Summer Has Finally Arrived

So go out and enjoy the summer, enjoy bear country, and be SAFE!

Bear Spray vs. Bullets

Even though the Chicago Bears didn’t get in the Super Bowl XLVIII, the game between, bear spray vs bullets, has already been played and won. The winner is bear spray hands down! The firearm team played a good game and they believe that a person needs a hand gun or rifle to stop an angry bear. But the pro bear spray team has been adamant that bear spray works.

Bear Spray vs Bullets

And the bear spray team won this super bowl, but we don’t want you to take our word for it, in a recent study done by Tom S. Smith, Stephen Herrero, Terry D. Debruyn and James M. Wilder bear spray lead its team to victory.

The Results of Bear Spray vs a Firearm

Bear incidents involving 175 persons resulted in 3 injuries, all minor (less than 2% injury rate). Firearms incidents involving 478 persons resulted in 17 fatalities (15%), 25 severe injuries (22%), 42 suffered moderate injury (37%), 29 suffered slight injuries (26%), for a total 113 injuries (24% injury rate). With firearm use, it can be hard to use protective gear like a level 4 body armor or even gloves out in the wild – this may be the mandate for tactical training, but under wilderness circumstances, many situations are out of our control. Hence firearm users experienced 12 times the injury rate of those using bear spray!

Of the 71 cases where persons sprayed bears to defend themselves, 14% (10 to 71) of users reported the spray having had negative side effects upon themselves, ranging from minor irritation (11%, 8 of 71) to near incapacitation (3%, 2 of 71).

Firearm failures were identified in 100 firearm cases, where users reported mechanical or physical issues with the use of a firearm, including lack of time (32%), unable to use firearm due to situation, such as having your partner in your line of fire (21%), mechanical issues (11%), safety/holster issues (95), insufficient caliber/no bullets left (9%), distance to bear (8%), missed bear (6%), or tripped and fell (4%).

No bears were injured in conflicts involving bear spray, however, 23 bears were wounded and 176 killed in incidents involving firearms.


Why bear spray is the winner…

Bear Deterrent Pepper Spray
works better in a bear attack situation because of its ease of use. Aiming is not a big factor like it is with a firearm and you are not relying on a bullet to stop the bear by hitting it in a vital spot. Even when this is the case, sometimes the bear can advance and attack if it does not expire right away. This can actually work against the gun user as now you have a wounded bear and this may intensify the attack. With bear spray you’re not stopping the bear with pain necessarily. You might think this as it really is painful to be sprayed. However, what you’re really doing is taking away the bears senses. The bear’s sight is impaired, but more importantly its breathing and sense of smell are blasted away by the spray. Anyone that has ever been hit with a fog pattern pepper spray can tell you how difficult it is to breathe when sprayed. It actually can be like a shot to the head, since the bear navigates primarily with its nose. For a bear, this is certainly the case. The bear will have no idea what is happening and this changes the behavior the bear was displaying prior to being sprayed.

When you use bear pepper spray you’ve truly have the home field advantage! GO UDAP BEAR PEPPER SPRAY!

Polar Bear, The Official Mascot of Winter Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi

Polar Bear Mascot 2014

The polar bear is one of the official mascots for the Winter Olympics that starts February 7th and runs through the 23rd. The polar bear is one of three mascots-a snow leopard and the doe hare are the other two. They are the first mascots ever that won their spot in history by popular vote. They will be seen throughout Sochi!

Sochi is located in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Sochi is a popular tourist destination because of its breathtaking location by the Black Sea. The city is also located directly by the border of Georgia and Abkhazia, the first of which has experienced constant violence such the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990’s. Sochi is a prime travel destination because of its warm summer temperatures and mild winter temperatures, making it a fun destination no matter the season. Russia is one of the nations where polar bears can still be found.

Polar bears live in the Arctic in areas where they can hunt seals at openings in the sea ice called leads. There are five nations with polar bears: U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Greenland, and Norway. Polar bears do not live in Antarctica. Penguins do.

We’d like to say, “Good luck!” To all of the participants in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games!

Hunting in Bear Country

Seeing a bear while hunting can be thrilling which can be good or bad depending on if you’re hunting for bears or if you’ve stumbled upon a bear and weren’t expecting it. Bears are valuable hunting trophies but many people are afraid of bears. They’ve heard stories of bear attacks and worry that a bear might attack them. If hunters learn to follow a few simple safeguards, the chance that a bear will cause problems is
very small.

UDAP Bear Spray and never hunt alone! Learn to recognize bear signs. Avoid areas with fresh tracks, torn logs, flipped rocks, scats or clawed trees. Be extra careful on windy days; with the wind blowing it becomes more difficult for bears to hear and smell a person. Be careful in areas where it’s hard to hear or see well, such as deep brush, along stream sides and at bends in a trail. Avoid late evening trips and returning to camp in the dark. It’s also a good idea to leave dogs at home or on a leash. A dog chasing a bear or barking at it can cause real problems when hunting in bear country.

Hunting in Bear Country

Carrying bear UDAP Bear Spray in a holster or a vest can be more accessible and is really your best defense if you encounter a bear while hunting.

Tips for Using Your UDAP Bear Spray

Using Your UDAP Bear Spray

So you purchased your UDAP Bear Spray and not you want to know how to use it. fter purchasing your bear spray, please read all directions and warnings on label. There is a package insert that provides detail information, but here are a few useful tips as well:

•    Test fire – downwind – outside – pointed safely away from people and pets

•    Contents may travel and/or linger longer than expected. Using a quick half-second burst will increase safety and confidence with this product.

•    To prevent loss of safety clip, we tie the safety clip to the handle. (Please leave attached)

•    The holster keeps UDAP Pepper Power® safe and reliable.

•    DO NOT carry UDAP Pepper Power® in your pocket, fanny pack, or backpack. For quick silent access in a close encounter attack it is best to carry Pepper Power®, in one of our unique holsters.

•    Keep loose clothing out of the way.

In any kind of attack situation you have to react under pressure. Attacks can be fast, often leaving you no time to think, only time to react. We strongly recommend you take time to familiarize yourself with this product’s operation.

Outdoor Safety

It’s summer time and most of us are enjoying the great outdoors! Camping, fishing, hiking, biking and many other outdoor activities. But I want to encourage you, while you are having fun outside, don’t forget to remember outdoor safety!

Outdoor Safety

There are lots of bugs, so don’t forget the bug spray. Don’t forget your UDAP Bear Spray-it works on more than just bears! If you run into a moose who charges, a mountain lion that wants to attack, a charging buffalo or any animal who is going to attack-you can use UDAP Bear Spray to protect yourself and your family!
Enjoy the great outdoors this summer with your family! And don’t forget to bathe/shower and check yourself and family members for ticks when you get home.

Bear Attacks

In the past decade, there have been 27 fatal incidences of bear attacks in North America, resulting in 29 deaths. 15 were in Canada, three were in Alaska, two were in Tennessee, and single fatal bear attacks happened in New York, New Mexico, California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Utah and Montana. 17 of those fatal bear attacks were inflicted by black bears, and 10 by grizzlies.

Bear attacks happen as fast as lightning!!! Most situations where you will need to use bear pepper spray will be in a close surprise encounter. When people are injured by bears in most cases it is due to the fact that the person and the bear were unaware of each others close proximity. In a surprise encounter as this, a person usually has less than 2 seconds to react. UDAP Pepper Power’s® belief is to get as much bear pepper spray as possible between you and the bear in that 2 seconds.

Bear Deterrent Spray Volume

 UDAP Pepper Power has a different philosophy than the competition when it comes to how our bear spray is made. Our bear spray has the highest amount of spray volume possible to stop an attacking bear. Mark Matheny the president and grizzly bear attack survivor knows firsthand how fast a bear can charge and how quickly a bear can reach you.  In fact, most cases when a bear attacks it is because its personal space has been invaded. Usually within 30 yards, the average time for the bear to reach you in an attack situation is about 2 seconds.  We feel you want to get as much bear pepper spray out in front of you as quickly as possible hitting the bear hard in those 2 seconds.  This is why we designed our holsters in a way that the bear spray can be shot without drawing the canister. You can actually shoot from the holster. This is great if you are on the river fly fishing, you can shoot the bear spray directly from your holster!

 UDAP Pepper Power has a different philosophy than the competition when it comes to how our bear spray is made. Our bear spray has the highest amount of spray volume possible to stop an attacking bear. Mark Matheny the president and grizzly bear attack survivor knows firsthand how fast a bea

Think of a bear attack as a fire starting. All bear sprays use a fire extinguisher style trigger mechanism. In fact that is what the bear spray firing mechanism is designed for. When a fire starts or a bear attacks, wouldn’t you rather put the fire our right away before it has a chance to reach further? UDAP’s belief to put the bear’s fire out instantly stopping the bear’s aggressive behavior in the quickest time possible not allowing the aggressive behavior to progress.

Why higher spray volume helps

Wind: A more forceful spray can reach further in windy conditions. This is an observation in a study done by Tom S. Smith, Stephen Herrero, Terry D. Debruyn and James M. Wilder.  This is what they found. “High exit velocities of spray from cans likely compensate for cross-wind effects and may account for the low incidence of wind-related effects reported in Alaska.”

Rain: Like a strong wind, hard rain requires a forceful spray to compensate for the elements. the higher volume helps the concentration of pepper remain in the air longer. UDAP bear spray can reach further in the rain.

Sight and Sound: It was reported in the study mentioned above that in 14% of bear spray instances the sight and sound associated with spray release were reported as key factors in changing bear behavior. A more forceful spray has a much louder sound and a larger visible cloud as observed in the video below.

Hiking in The Great Outdoors

Are you a hiker or do you just like to take long strolls in God’s Country? Well if you answered yes to that question, please don’t forget your bear spray. Hottest Bear spray works on more than just bear! Read below to her what one of our customers had to say about her encounter with a moose!

“UDAP works on moose! 
On a trail run with our dogs in Red Lodge, MT this morning we came across a moose and new calf. Our dogs are trained to not bark at or harass wildlife- and we even went off trail to give her a wide berth, but even that wasn’t enough to keep her from charging. She took 2 blasts from our canisters- and it was like she hit a glass wall. She charged 3 more times from different angles and each time took spray to the face. She moved on, and so did we.”

Thank you for such a great product! We don’t go into the backcountry without it. – Charlene Giffin- Roberts, MT

Hiking in the Great Outdoors

We encourage you to get outdoors and enjoy nature the way it was intended to be appreciated! Bring your camera, take lots of pictures and don’t forget your bear spray for all of those wild animals that you may encounter along the way!