Sir Aardvark said:
Why wouldn't you carry pepper spray?
I do not carry pepper spray because I am severely asthmatic. Any time pepper spray is used, the user is
very likely to receive some level of cross contamination with the stuff. This is simply to be expected and planned for.
In my case, I am unwilling to risk a potentially severe reaction to the stuff, so I would not carry it. It would very possibly do me more harm -- or at least temporarily incapacitate me more -- than it would the attacker.
Anyone who carries pepper spray really-and-truly
ought to take a class in using the stuff. You should know
exactly what the stuff will do when you use it -- how to choose a spray, how to carry it, when to replace it. You ought to know what using the stuff looks like, what kind of reactions you can resonably expect from the bad guy, how to maximize the stuff's effectiveness, and what to do if the stuff does not work as expected.
More important (critical!):
anyone who carries pepper spray should safely experience getting sprayed under controlled conditions so that you will know exactly what to expect and how to fight through it.
If you are not willing to risk getting sprayed in a safe training environment in order to find out how the stuff affects you and how to fight through any potential contamination, you absolutely should not carry the stuff.
pax