This new product does not contain any ozone depleting substances and is environmentally safe. In a recent news item, the Sierra Club wants everyone who enters a national forest in grizzly territory to be required to carry bear spray. According to spokeswoman Heidi Godwin, “The proper use of bear pepper spray will reduce human injuries caused by bears, reduce the number of grizzly bears killed in self defense, and help promote the recovery and survival of the grizzly bear."

Guard Alaska Bear Pepper Spray, a potent variation on personal and police force non-lethal pepper spray, is larger (a whopping 9 ounces of stinging hot pepper spray) and can spray up to 20 feet. It contains roughly 9 one-second shots of protection and is designed to be sprayed only at the bear’s head. Do not spray on bushes or trees around campsites because it may actually attract bears.

When used properly, studies conducted by University of Calgary grizzly expert Stephen Herrero, found that Guard Alaska Bear Pepper Spray is “94% effective in deterring aggressive bears” and has a shelf life of up to 5 years.

A pilot who had been flying internationally for 30 years had no trouble flying from the United States to Lebanon, where his airline was based. When he returned to the United States, where his family had moved and where he had established residence, he was not allowed to enter the country. He was put on the return flight to Lebanon where he languished for two years waiting for the wheels of government to grind along before finally allowing him to return to his wife and daughter.

When you start the search to find out what is legal and where you can carry and/or use stun guns, TASER guns, or pepper spray, here are the three main places to begin:

• The local law enforcement agencies (unincorporated areas, which are usually overseen by the county; various municipalities or towns and cities);

• The Sheriff’s Office; and

• Office of the State Attorney General.

In the United States stun guns are NOT considered firearms and may be legally used only if they are used for self defense.

• Stun Guns and TASER guns are legal in 42 states BUT they are illegal in the following states: Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin

It’s interesting that the very states which want to take away the right to bear arms
are the same states which want to disallow TASERs and stun guns.

• Stun guns and TASER Devices are prohibited in several metropolitan areas around the country. A short list of those includes: Annapolis, MD, Baltimore, MD, District of Columbia, and Philadelphia. Check your own city as well as your destinations – all of them.

• When planning to travel by air, start by contacting all of the airlines, ships, or trains on which you will be traveling. While many airlines provide their cockpit crew and attendants with stun guns and training, they take a very dim view of passengers who attempt to board with TASERs, stun guns, or pepper spray in their carry-on luggage.

• Begin international travel plans by contacting all of the airlines, ships or trains on which you will be traveling. Find out specifically what is allowed in checked baggage.

• Contact the embassies of every single country through which you will pass. This includes travel connections where you disembark and then board another plane without ever leaving the airport. Most countries are quite particular about who sets foot on their soil and what those persons are carrying.

• Never assume you know the regulations. Do your homework.

Don’t find out the hard way that your assumptions were incorrect. It often costs money, sometimes costs heartache, and always costs time.

• Develop the habit of being aware of your surroundings – all of them. Alertness to possible danger provides you with advance warning signals that give you time to avoid questionable situations.

• Take a defensive driving class or get a law enforcement officer to talk to you and a group of friends about defensive tactics.

• Get to know your car – really. What can it do? What won’t it do? Practice panic stops and starts in a deserted parking lot. You need to know how the vehicle will respond when you ask it to do something.

• When driving, use defensive driving techniques. Drive courteously, no tailgating, allow merging, do not cut anybody off, use your directional indicators, merge courteously, and be aware of escape paths such as shoulders and dividers. Not only are such techniques safer in terms of reducing the likelihood of accidents, they are also courteous and reduce the possibility of road rage retaliation.

• DO NOT use rude gestures toward other drivers or their passengers. Doing so invites trouble which you may or may not be able to avoid.

• Lock your doors. When you are buckling up your safety belt, make it a habit to lock the driver’s door if it does not lock automatically. Check all of them. Also, when parking, be sure all doors are locked, including any other rear or side entries to avoid unwanted passengers.

• Stay out of dangerous areas as much as possible. If you must enter such areas, put yourself on high alert and watch everything, especially areas that could conceal potential attackers. Be especially alert at stop signs and stop lights.

• Remember that you are driving a 2 ton weapon. If you keep your wits about you, you will probably be able to drive your way out of danger. Keep calm and breathe slowly to steady yourself. Look for escape routes. Be willing to do whatever is necessary to save yourself and your passengers, even if you lose a bumper or scratch the paint. Cars are replaceable. People aren’t.

Staying alert can help you avoid danger. Keeping calm can help you get out of danger.

Meanwhile, the speedboat drew close enough for Bad Guy #1 (BG #1) to get a good grip on the sailboat. Husband told BG #1 to let go. As he moved to kick BG#1’s hand off, Bad Guy #2 (BG #2) jumped aboard the bow of the sailboat while brandishing a large, semi-automatic firearm and yelling that the boat owner should lie on the deck, face down. Hubby did as he was directed, where BG #1 covered him with a handgun.

BG #2 headed aft, hollering for the wife to come up on deck and “join the party.” When she did not come up immediately, BG #2 headed down the steps to get her.

The wife, hidden behind the stairs, simply waited until BG #2 took a couple of steps down, then applied her stun gun to the bare calf of his leg. He shrieked, fell forward, and landed on the cabin floor where she stunned him a second time.

Meanwhile, up on deck, Hubby took advantage of the shift in BG #1’s attention and tripped him. BG #1 landed on the deck, hard enough to lose his grip on his gun, which Hubby recovered for his own use.

Below decks, the wife kicked BG #2’s gun away, but kept a firm grip on her Taser while Hubby radioed for help from the Coast Guard.

When interviewed later, the wife said that while she was deathly afraid of firearms and would never even consider using one, she figured she could handle a stun gun.

Turns out, she was right.

Imagine, if you will, that you’ve just set sail on a relaxing, hard-earned vacation aboard your luxury yacht. While relaxing in the afternoon sun, the soothing sound of gentle waves lapping at the side of your vessel is abruptly ended by the shouting and shooting of pirates overtaking your yacht.

It may sound like a scene straight out of the latest box office screening, but this scenario is far from fictitious. In some countries, poorly compensated government employees have done the unthinkable by joining local pirates who are easily earning millions of dollars through ransom payments. The enormous ransoms that ship owners pay pirates are only encouraging more and more people, desperate for money in today’s poor economy, to resort to piracy as the ultimate get rich quick scheme.

Somali authorities, in particular, are alarmed by the surge in piracy along Somalia's 3,000 kilometer-long coast, which is close to key shipping lanes connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. More than twenty vessels have been attacked this year so far, most of off the coast of Puntland, making that stretch of coastline one of the most dangerous in the world.

Imagine the bumbling pirate’s surprise when he jumps aboard your vessel and is suddenly stunned by the jolt from the onboard Taser or stun gun that you wield. Despite the alarming rise in piracy on the seas, seafaring tourists need not give up the dream of enjoying a luxurious floating vacation. By educating yourselves in boating safety, the local culture, and self-defense weapons, boaters can once again freely enjoy the waters without the fear of being brutally attacked by pirates.

Wildlife experts and park rangers suggest that as outdoor enthusiasts walk, hike or camp in bear territory, or areas in which you’re unsure about bear activity, you exercise these survival tips:

• While walking through the woods, especially when you cannot see more than 50-100 feet in front of you, make a lot of noise – calling out periodically, singing, or even wearing bells. Sound will usually frighten bears away as they rarely seek out confrontation.

• If you see a bear, make sure he sees you. Try to make yourself appear like a much bigger animal by holding your arms high above your head while continuing to talk and slowly back away. Do not run or the bear may chase you.

• Stay away from bears when possible. A female with cubs is naturally very protective and may attack even though you think there is a safe distance between you.

• Arm yourself with a pepper spray canister that is a minimum of 7.9 ounces (or 225 grams), that can spray a minimum distance of 20 feet, and that has a minimum duration of at least six seconds. Read the directions carefully before your outing and keep the canister accessible at all times.

Dr. Thomas S. Smith, an Associate Professor of Wildlife Science at Brigham Young University, and his colleagues found that, while traditionally thought to be the best line of defense in a bear attack, a rifle simply doesn’t work as well as a canister of pepper spray. In their report in the Journal of Wildlife Management, Dr. Smith and his colleagues found that in encounters during the past three decades where humans have used the spray against black, brown, and polar bears, pepper spray stopped the bears’ “undesirable behavior” more than 90 percent of the time. Consequently, in not one of the incidents did any person suffer serious injury.

Because of fears that pepper spray wouldn’t sufficiently deter an attacking bear and could possibly not work in adverse weather conditions, hikers and wildlife officials alike have been skeptical of its use in the past. However, today’s larger pepper spray canisters, which have been designed to be carried in holsters and emit spray in a fashion similar to that of a fire extinguisher, are capable of blasting spray at more than 70 miles per hour and have been shown to reach bears even in the windiest conditions. Dr. Smith concurred that it’s a lot easier to aim a spray than to kill a bear with a rifle shot, citing that in a previous study of human-bear encounters rifles were only effective two-thirds of the time.

If your summer plans include a trip into the wilderness for either a day hike, picnic, or an extended camping trip, add a canister of pepper spray to your supplies for the ultimate measure of security.

This grisly story and others like it are sad testament to the severity of both the disease epidemics afflicting wild animals in the United States and the inherent danger of simply finding yourself suddenly in the habitat of a protective or otherwise angry wild animal.

Rather than giving up your love of hiking and all things natural and sequestering yourself in the safety of your home, hikers are being encouraged to learn about and employ non-lethal means of self-defense as you continue to pursue your passion for the outdoors.

While you’re gathering your hiking gear for your next trail adventure, why not consider carrying a whistle and some of form of self-defense – whether it be mace, a flashlight stun gun, pepper spray or other non-lethal self-defense product? Any of the products mentioned will provide you not only peace of mind, but also the tools necessary to combat a rabid wildcat or irate bear that might surprisingly launch an attack on you and allow you enough to time to escape safely.

Common sense tips for jogger safety include:

• Jogging or running with a companion
• Jogging or running only in a familiar area
• Don’t go into heavily wooded, poorly lit or secluded areas, especially when jogging or running alone
• Don't wear radio or MP3 player earphones
• Avoid jogging or running after dark
• Do not jog or run near bushes which can conceal attackers
• Wearing brightly colored attire to improve visibility
• Varying routes and times occasionally
• Carrying a whistle with you as you jog or run.
• Bringing your motor vehicle and/or home key with you.

However, each person’s situation, schedule, and location may dictate that she jog alone, at dusk, or with other risks present unfortunately. Today, more and more savvy joggers are considering Blast Knuckles to protect them while they enjoy a peaceful jog. Blast Knuckles are lightweight devices that slip onto the jogger’s hands, allowing them to deliver a 950,000-volt punch to any person or animal that presents an attack. Unlike some devices, use of Blast Knuckles alleviates the need for a pocket, purse, or holster that makes them very handy for joggers.

A: There are several small stun devices you can use, but the most befitting for a runner would probably be the Blast Knuckles. Packing a powerful 950,000 volts, the knuckles can easily fit in your hand, especially since when running most people run with a closed fist. Shorter in length than a dollar bill, it’s also easy to keep it relatively discreet so as not to make a passerby weary or frightened of you. A safety switch prevents accidental discharge, and a built-in flashlight provides that little bit of extra light to take away some of the darkness of running at night! Since it’s lightweight and easy to carry in your hand, there is no need for wearing clothes with a pocket or sticking it in your waistband, adding discomfort when, let’s face it, running is already hard enough! Also, you’ll have it ready at a moment’s notice should the unfortunate situation arise where you need to use it. Retailing for around $80, it’s an affordable alternative to bigger and bulkier stun devices.

Make sure to check your state laws for possible restrictions on use.