Pepper spray? I heard that isn't very effective. In fact, some people tell that the bears like it...."Yo Karo Taco Bear."
You heard wrong. When used correctly, it is very effective. If you spray your tent and your campsite with it, like you would with mosquito spray, it is not effective as a deterrent, in fact it is a mild attractant to bears when used that way. Some folks found this out the hard way.