When an unimaginable situation suddenly becomes real, it’s easy to understand proper protection. Seeing is believing, especially when it comes to carrying pepper spray — and actually putting it to critical use in the field.
And when Curtis Matwishyn saw a black bear in Saskatchewan’s Waskesiu–Prince Albert National Park, he certainly became a believer. Matwishyn, a wildland firefighter and nature photographer, first spotted the young bear 100 yards off a trail and began snapping some photos.
When the bear followed him down the trail and then off it (in his attempts to evade), Matwishyn put down his camera and began filming his efforts to shout and wave off the curious bear. After a few minutes of pursuit, he finally used a single, short burst of bear spray that sent the bear running.
“Thankfully it worked as designed,” Matwishyn said in an Instagram post detailing the 2022 encounter, noting that in the future, he’d discharge the spray sooner. And despite prior run-ins with wildlife and knowledge of the area, he added that “anyone can stay calm and handle a situation like this if they are educated and have a plan on what to do in bear encounters.”
Though the run-in was docile without a direct charge, the reaction to the video exploded online. At well over 12 million views and counting, it resonated as a visceral reminder of why a simple, often-overlooked piece of safety equipment can make such an outsized difference during surprise occurrences with life-or-death stakes.
That innate sense of providing simple, reliable solutions that can save lives is what drove Larry Nance to create SABRE in 1975. He’d gained familiarity with CS tear gas during his time in the Army, and he understood the protection it could provide civilians against dangerous threats.
With a firm belief in an unmet need, the support of his wife Jane, and a $228 check, Nance launched a business from the car he used to make sales trips to sporting goods stores throughout the U.S. Fast-forward 51 years, and the Nance family still proudly owns and operates the Missouri-based business.
The family has grown SABRE into a juggernaut in personal safety as the #1 pepper spray brand trusted by both consumers and police in more than 91 countries worldwide, including the New York City P.D. and the U.S. Marshals Service.
“There’s a lot of passionate people here who believe in our goal,” said SABRE CEO David Nance. “Our goal is to make the world, your world, a safer place, by giving you the power and education to take control of your life and the freedom to enjoy it.”
The secret of SABRE’s made-in-the-USA formula? Consistency. Credit the dependable (and guaranteed) maximum strength protection to its industry-exclusive, in-house testing lab for High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), which reduces pepper spray failures due to heat variances. Translation: Each batch is consistently tested, resulting in trusted strength in every pepper spray canister.
But it’s not sprays alone that can help make you safer while you follow your ambition outdoors and explore nature more confidently. Beyond the market’s most consistently potent pepper spray, SABRE produces a full suite of personal safety accessories.
See our top picks for the adventure and travel gear that can help protect you on any run or hike — and boost your safe-and-certain feelings out on the road. (Use code GEARJUNKIE15 to save 15% off your first purchase.)
Travel Protection
Double up on door protection at stays where someone else has a key. This portable, travel-ready design works with inward-opening doors and most doorknob types. Simply insert and secure this compact steel lock that’s engineered to withstand up to 730 pounds of force (up to seven times stronger than a standard door lock).
Slide this compact (TSA-approved) wedge under an inward-swinging door to help secure a bedroom, dorm, hotel room, or apartment (or to fortify a home with no alarm system). When outward pressure is applied, the padded wedge stops the door and sounds a 120dB alarm that’s audible up to 1,500 feet (equivalent to four football fields).
Road Trips
Pair SABRE’s proven stopping power and fast-access performance (up to 10 seconds of total spray time with max range up to 14 feet) with built-in smart connectivity. Pair the spray to the free SABRE Personal Safety App, triggering real-time GPS alerts to trusted contacts when the spray is deployed (the alert button detaches for locations where pepper spray is restricted).
This compact tool integrates a seatbelt cutter with a spring-loaded window breaker designed to shatter auto glass with one-handed, no-swing operation in an emergency escape. A dual-mode LED light delivers a 100-lumen beam along with a strobe to help signal roadside attention.
Outdoor Activities
Proven effective against all types of bears and mountain lions, this environmentally friendly spray (EPA-registered spray approved for both animals) delivers serious stopping power with an industry-leading range of up to 40 feet (total spray time of up to 7 seconds). It includes a glow-in-the-dark safety wedge plus a quick-draw belt holster for secure carry and silent access.
Help prevent encounters by making your presence known to nearby bears and wildlife with a powerful 130dB horn that’s audible up to a half-mile away (for 60 separate 0.25-second sound bursts). Though push-button activation is effortless, an innovative On/Off control locks the compact design while packed in transit.
This article is sponsored by SABRE.
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