This has been one of the most informative and interesting threads that I have read in a long time.
My experience with OC/Pepper Spray/Mace (i didnt know what to call it before today, now I dont know which one i encountered) was similar to a few of yours...misguided, unsupervised exploration as a youth with some of my lifelong cohorts. Namely, we test fired at a pillow and within 5 minutes all of us had received some type of exposure. ouch.
OC-T, what is your opinion on wearables/incognito units??
I saw that you posted the bracelet (with concerns about the formula) but over the years i have seen rings, lipstick, walking weights, fake cell phones and other assorted wearable devices or disguised units. None of them seem to be name brand or list their formulas so I would assume they are not worth the money, as well as the smaller units (the ring mostly) not having sufficient capacity.
Are you aware if an Epi pen or another medicine could quickly counteract the effects of OC (reduce inflammation)? I would think it would be useful (similar to allergic reactions or Narcan for heoine OD). Otherwise, what are professionals required/able to use for decon in the field?
whats the coolest or craziest prototype/unit that you've done T&E on or heard about through industry connections?
do you know if the military uses OC? i would imagine MPs would have it, but curious if you have heard of other applications.
Thanks for your time, experience, and patience.
-Matt S.
Thank you very much, Matt. I really appreciate the kind words.
Frankly, a lot of the wearable units are severely flawed from a self-defense point of view. This actually touches on some of what I meant about "righting the defense spray ship." Take the Viper unit that you referred to. On one hand, I love the fact that a mom created it originally for her daughter, but on the other hand, it is such a horrible concept in terms of real-world use. Aside from the formula issues, anything the strictly requires two hands to fire is a loser in this category. Had they consulted the right people, they would have known this. Like most industries, it's become all about making money. The difference from a lot of the other industries though, is that this one may potentially save someone from an assault- or worse. When just selling as many of the cutest, blingy-est, little keychain, do-dad spray is all some companies cares about, then it discredits the entire industry. Worst of all though, these bad products can actually cost someone their life-- when the pretty little talisman doesn't work as intended.
Here is a short list of some of the worst ever in this category. In no particular order.
-Any of the lipstick units (formula can be ok, but you'll never get to it in time)
-Any thing that attaches to a phone (Sabre had some real duds with those, and if they can't pull it off, no one can)
-The Pepper Ring (I really wanted to love this when it came out in the late 90's)
-Vampire Spray (an instant Hall of Fame garbage product)
The most unique has to be a bracelet that the looked just like an ordinary bracelet a woman would wear, but it had powdered pepper in it. You could not tell at all this was a SD product. The problem is/was they made the bracelet out of glass
which caused its own set of problems, of course.
The Epi Pen aspect is a fascinating one. Great question, BTW. I have looked into this in the past. I've consulted with a bunch of first responders who deal with decon all of the time. A bunch of stuff has been tried over the years to no avail. In my opinion, I suppose it is possible in theory that some drugs could reduce some of the inflammation, but that would only really pertain to the lungs. Even if the drugs did instantly reduce the swelling, once the pH of the eyes is off balance, its lights out.
EMT is always called for the decon in the field. Water, shampoo/dish soap and lots of fresh air are all that they use. The first responders are primarily there to help prevent lung/heart issues from the inflammation.
herrwalther already touched upon the military aspect (thanks, herrwalther) One of the biggest users of OC spray right now is the US Border Patrol. They love the foams. Buy it by the pallet.
Thanks again, Matt. Please let me know if you need anything else.