We offer multiple locations for pick up and drop off throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Visit any of our full service locations during business hours to rent bear spray. Note that bear spray is the only item that can be picked up and dropped off at any locations, for all other gear you must pick up and drop off at our shop in Jackson WY.
Convenient after-hours drop boxes at our full service locations and Vending Machine Locations (except for Teton Village) enables you to return the bear spray at any time 24/7 on your own schedule! We also offer drop-off only locations around the Yellowstone area. Bear spray can only dropped off at these locations during their business hours. Please obtain receipt for your records.
Map below is interactive! Click on on maps for more info
Full Service Location
Pick Up and 24-hour Drop Box Available
Drop Off ONLY Location
Only during business hours.
Vending Machine Location
24hr pickup and returns via drop box
Full Service Location
Pick Up and 24-hour Drop Box Available
Drop Off ONLY Location
Only during business hours. Obtain receipt for records.
Vending Machine Location
24/7 Pick up and drop box return.
What
Bear spray is a powerful, non‑lethal deterrent (1–2% capsaicinoids) that creates a cloud the bear must pass through—buying you time to leave safely.
Carry it anytime you hike, camp, or fish in grizzly country (WY, MT, ID, AK, Western Canada). Keep it on‑body and within reach.
Why Rent vs Buy
Save money: capped at $28 if unused; if sprayed, rental converts to $50 total.
Travel‑friendly: airlines won’t allow bought cans—rent near your trip, return when done.
Fresh & reliable: no expired cans; we inspect and weigh returns.
Holster included and hands‑on education at pickup.
Convenience: multiple pickups + 24/7 drop boxes in‑region.
HOW
If a bear approaches, pull the safety clip, hold the canister with both hands, and aim slightly downward at its chest so the spray rises into a cloud it has to run through. Spray in short bursts starting around 30 to 60 feet out, and stand your ground instead of running. Never spray it on yourself, your gear, or your tent; it’s a deterrent, not a repellent
More tips for staying safe in bear country
Be alert! When traveling in bear country, you shouldn’t be wearing headphones or looking down at your phone the entire time. You need to be aware of your surroundings.
Make noise. You don’t need to be shouting or screaming, but calmly having a conversation with the other members of your party is a great way to alert any bears in an area to human presence. (A good shout of “Hey, bear!” every now & again doesn’t hurt either, especially if you’re certain there are bears in the area.)
Travel with a partner or in a group. It has been shown that bears are less likely to attack groups of people.
Properly store all scented items if you are camping in bear country. This includes not only food, but also things like scented deodorants, lotions, toothpaste, and utensils. Make sure to keep your camp clean & tidy. Never leave coolers out. Believe it or not, a bear’s sense of smell is 2100x better than a human’s, so even the smallest trace of something could peak a bear’s curiosity.
Teton Backcountry Rentals primarily rents UDAP & Counter Assault brand bear sprays. Both brands use Oleoresin Capsicum as their active ingredient & are EPA-rated to be between 1.0% & 2.0% capsaicin & related capsaicinoids.
Bear spray has been shown to be 92% effective in deterring bear attacks. In fact, 98% of people carrying bear spray who got into close encounters with bears were uninjured. (Consequently, firearms are only 55% effective in deterring bear attacks.) (Smith et al., 2006)
Bears, especially grizzly bears, may attack to neutralize a threat. Most negative bear encounters happen because people got between a bear & her food source or cubs, or because people surprised the bear. 40% of negative bear encounters occur because the people involved didn’t make enough noise to properly alert the bear to their presence.
It’s genuinely suggested that you not run from a bear. This makes you look like prey, and possibly tasty. Instead, you should stand your ground, but don’t make eye contact, & put your arms out wide to make yourself look bigger to the bear. If the bear encounter continues to escalate, it could be appropriate to deploy your bear spray.
Teton Backcountry Rentals acquired Bear Aware LLC in late 2021. With the acquisition of Bear Aware we are able to offer bear spray rental pick up and drop off inside of Yellowstone National Park. Our bear spray rental network is greatly expanded providing customers with additional options for one-way rentals.
Teton Backcountry Rentals uses the Bear Aware brand and marketing for the bear spray rentals arm of the business.
All bear spray rentals come with a holster for convenient carrying. We carry multiple styles of holsters (hard-sided plastic and soft-sided elastic style) to ensure compatibility with belts, pants without belts, backpack sternum/chest straps, etc.
We recommend having one canister per adult in the group. This way everyone is protected in the event that there is separation within the cohort. In general, it is recommended to travel in larger groups when hiking in bear country.
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