Bear spray, paddleboards for rent in Apgar

You want to go for a hike in Glacier National Park but don’t have bear pepper spray. No worries. Now hikers can rent bear spray for $5 a day rather plunk down $40 for a can they’ll likely never use again.

Bear spray rentals is just one of the most popular services Glacier Outfitters offers in the Park. They also rent fishing rods, tents, packs, sleeping bags, hiking poles, stoves, bicycles and kayaks.

The rental service is offered in the newest store in Apgar Village, where the retail scene hasn’t changed in decades. Business partners Shelby Handlin and Dave Hampton got the business started late last summer on a small patch of leased private land near the backcountry permit center.

Last year they primarily rented paddleboards. This summer they’ve expanded their line greatly — they even rent a tandem bicycle with a kid carrier on back so an entire family, child and all, can go for a spin.

“It’s a popular item,” Hampton said.

But far and away the most popular rental item is bear spray, Handlin noted. Visitors just put down a deposit and when they return the spray unused, they get their money back.

For more information, visit online at www.goglacieroutfitters.com.