Can You Fly With Bear Spray? (No. Here’s What to Do Instead)

If you are flying to Yellowstone, Glacier, the Tetons or Alaska this fall, here is something most travelers do not find out until they are standing at the airport: you cannot bring bear spray on a plane. Not in your carry on and not in your checked bag. And fall is exactly when you want it most.

Here is what to do instead, so you land with protection ready to go.

Why You Can’t Fly With Bear Spray

Bear spray is a pressurized canister of concentrated pepper spray, and TSA lists it as prohibited in both carry-on and checked luggage. This catches a lot of travelers off guard, because TSA allows people to pack personal pepper sprays of 4 ounces or less in checked bags. (Check with your airline, though. Some do not allow it.)

Bear spray is a different, much stronger product. If TSA finds it in your bag, it gets confiscated, and you start your trip without it.

Why Fall Is When You Really Need Bear Spray

In fall, bears are in a feeding frenzy as they bulk up before winter. They are out more, they cover more ground looking for food and they are focused. That lines up with the season when hikers, leaf peepers and photographers are also out on the trails. More bears plus more people means more surprise encounters.

In places like Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton National Parks, rangers recommend carrying bear spray on every hike. It is lightweight, it does not require perfect aim and it is designed to stop an animal without causing lasting harm.

How to Get Bear Spray When You Fly

Option 1: Ship It Ahead (Our Favorite)

The easiest move is to order your bear spray before you leave and have it shipped to your hotel, vacation rental or to a friend at your destination. Call ahead to make sure your hotel will hold a package for you, and give yourself enough time for ground shipping.

SABRE ships its bear spray within the continental U.S., so it works well for trips to Yellowstone, Glacier, the Tetons, the Rockies and the Smokies. A few states have their own restrictions, so check at checkout. SABRE does not ship to Alaska or Hawaii, so for an Alaska trip, Option 2 is the best choice.

Option 2: Buy It When You Arrive

Outdoor stores, sporting goods stores and park gift shops in gateway towns usually sell bear spray, and some areas near the big parks rent it. The downside: you are paying tourist prices, shops can sell out in busy seasons, and you are spending vacation time running errands.

Option 3: Road Trip It

If you are driving, you can bring your own. Keep it somewhere eaily accessible and don’t leave it in a hot car for long periods, since heat is hard on pressurized canisters.

Which SABRE Bear Spray Should You Get?

SABRE has been making safety products for more than 50 years, and its FRONTIERSMAN MAX bear and mountain lion spray is made in an ISO-certified facility and tested in SABRE’s own lab. It is EPA registered to protect against 9 species, including bears, mountain lions, moose and bison.

• For most hikers: 9.2 oz with belt holster. The bigger can sprays up to 40 feet for 7 to 8 seconds, and the holster keeps it on your hip, not buried in your pack.
• For lighter packing: 7.9 oz with belt holster.
• Hiking with a partner: the 9.2 oz 2 pack with 2 holsters or the 7.9 oz 2 pack, so everyone carries their own.
• Already have a holster: the 9.2 oz canister or 7.9 oz canister on its own.

Bear Spray Tips Before You Hit the Trail

• Wear it, don’t pack it. A holster on your hip or pack strap means you can grab it in seconds.
• Practice the draw. Learn how the safety clip works before you need it.
• Check the expiration date on any can you already own.
• Make noise on the trail and hike in groups when you can, so you don’t surprise wildlife.
• Plan for the flight home. You can’t fly with it on the way back either, so ask your hotel or a visitor center about a donation or recycling bin, or leave it with a friend who hikes.

Headed Into Bear Country This Fall?

Plan your trip with these guides, then make sure bear spray is on your packing list.

• The Ultimate Fall Bucket List for Cody, Wyoming, the gateway to Yellowstone
• Best Things to Do in Kalispell, Montana, near Glacier National Park
• Exploring the Teton Mountain Range in Autumn
• Ultimate Solo Guide to Juneau
• The Ultimate Tennessee Family Fall Break Guide, including the Smokies
• 15 Epic One Day Hikes in the USA

SheBuysTravel Tip: TSA rules can change, so check tsa.gov before you travel. Shipping availability and state restrictions are set by SABRE and may vary.