Where to buy bear spray, spokane, WA, to Sandpoint, ID

[Selkie]

I'm flying in (good grief, 7 hours from now) to Spokane, then driving north to Sandpoint, overnight 2x in hills near CA border, then on to British Columbia. REI in Spokane has the highest markup I've seen, then charges another $13 for the holster.
Sandpoint has some army-navy stores; I didn't get around to calling in time. If anyone can suggest or knows a likely place, my thanks in advance. I'd also be interested in where to get a trail map for far north Idaho. Trails.com is helpful. 7 hours...
Marjorie

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[Selkie]

Thanks! I'll be camping right near the border, so I'll visit the army-navy store.

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[Selkie]

Did you get some bear spray? If so, where at? Did they say anything to you about it at the border? Did you have to fire it off? How big was the "victim"? Are you okay?

I am more than OK! What a terrific 2 weeks! The highlight was the Burgess Shale hike (14 miles RT, 2500 ft elevation gain, glorious scenery, and a fossil petting zoo as the destination). I stayed at Whiskey Jack Hostel just before that hike.

Oh, yes - bear spray. I decided not to hike in the Selkirk or Purcell Mntns right on the Idaho-Canada border and hung around Sandpoint for a couple of nights, hiking during the day. That was superb, as I stumbled on the open-water swimming group at a carb-loading pre-Lake Pend Oreille swim (one I'd like to do) and got to meet and talk with them. Also swam in the lake a couple of times and stayed at Garfield CG for $10.
Oh, yes - bear spray. I asked at the border, and the Canadian border control agent told me it was OK to buy in U.S. and take across border into Canada. Pepper spray for use on humans is not OK. I bought the stuff in Cranmore, B.C., and took it on only one group hike and one solo hike around dusk. Bear-human interactions are perhaps less common in the area I did most hiking, around Field (Iceline, Lake O'Hara smidgeon). And I did not fire it.
Outdoor Experience was a useful place to look, and they gave me a free hiking map of northern Idaho. The Information Center in Sandpoint is really superb, especially for a town of only 4,000 population.
I did not ask at the border coming back whether I could bring bear spray from Canada into U.S.
Thanks for the tremendous help in the 12th and 13th hours!
Marjorie

P.S. I donated the bear spray to the park rangers in Field, B.C., before returning to U.S.

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[Selkie]

Very nice! Glad you had a great time. That part of Canada offers some gorgeous scenery! You'll probably be back sometime in the future I presume, eh?

Yes! What a superb place! A little shy on hot showers, eh, but excellent in the icefields category and wildlife watching, not to mention enough trails to keep one busy for a long time. I missed out on the teahouse hikes so shall have to do those. Radium Hot Springs was a nice treat on the way out.

[flatlander]

...I am more than OK! What a terrific 2 weeks! The highlight was the Burgess Shale hike (14 miles RT, 2500 ft elevation gain, glorious scenery, and a fossil petting zoo as the destination). I stayed at Whiskey Jack Hostel just before that hike...

Bear-human interactions are perhaps less common in the area I did most hiking, around Field (Iceline, Lake O'Hara smidgeon).

There were several trails closed due for "resource mgmt" (i.e., bears) last time I was at Lake O'Hara. Curious of your thoughts of Lake O'Hara and Iceline vis-a-vis Glacier; they are two of my all-time favorites. And how was the Whiskey Jack? -- I am trying to get in for a Sept trip.

[daveparker]

Bear spray is allowed back and forth across the border, if it is American bear spray, it has to be EPA registered, the number will be on the label, I am glad the border guards for Canada have finally come up to speed, and normally you can bring bear spray into the US from Canada, as long as it is labeled as Bear Deterrent, the legal EPA registered bear spray manufactures also produce Canadian Bear Spray, I will be shipping several cases of Canadian bear spray on Tuesday.

Dave

[Selkie]

...I am more than OK! What a terrific 2 weeks! The highlight was the Burgess Shale hike (14 miles RT, 2500 ft elevation gain, glorious scenery, and a fossil petting zoo as the destination). I stayed at Whiskey Jack Hostel just before that hike...

Bear-human interactions are perhaps less common in the area I did most hiking, around Field (Iceline, Lake O'Hara smidgeon).

There were several trails closed due for "resource mgmt" (i.e., bears) last time I was at Lake O'Hara. Curious of your thoughts of Lake O'Hara and Iceline vis-a-vis Glacier; they are two of my all-time favorites. And how was the Whiskey Jack? -- I am trying to get in for a Sept trip.

Sent you a PM.