imported post
Pepper spray can stop a threat, but it can also stop you. I've sprayed myself with the stuff I used to carry, which was both Sabre Red, and Hault. Both messed me up to the point where I would have lost a fight with all but the crappiest assailants. Watch youtube and see how hard it is to fight when the police and MP's get hosed in training, or better yet, spray yourself.
I truly have come to believe that pepper spray is more of a risk than you should have. A strong wind can blow the stuff back in your eyes, and even if you take out one assailant, there might be more, and you might be left struggling to see, and unable to fight. With police, when they have a bunch of guys with guns backing the pepper spray user up it's fine. When you must fight on your own, it's not.
I myself would suggest a gun, and for less lethal force, a 21" baton, and a class in impact weapons if you aren't already familiar. If you don't take my advice and do end up getting the pepper spray, please spray yourself heavily at least a few times. When it hits you the first time, you get a stupifying panicky feel that is the exact opposite of the way you want to feel in a fight. Only by repeated exposure will you have any ability to fight through the searing pain.