Bear spray rentals available at Cody airport

CODY (WNE) — Travelers have long been able to rent vehicles at the Cody airport, and now, they’re able to rent bear spray, too.

After some debate last spring, Yellowstone Regional Airport leaders accepted a Montana businessman’s proposal to install an automated kiosk that allows customers to rent and return cans of spray.

The board approved the deal on a 4-2 vote in May and TrailQuipt got its system up and running in August.

The company charges $16 to borrow a can for two days or $28 for two weeks. Compared to buying a canister for $40 to $50, “that’s quite a cost savings for people — especially those that are flying in and can’t take it on a plane,” TrailQuipt founder Ryan Harbach told the YRA board in April.

While the machine is generally automated, a local worker periodically inspects the returned cans by hand and restocks them as necessary.

At a Sept. 9 meeting, Buck said TrailQuipt was working to hire a local person for the part-time role. YRA’s agreement with the company is for one year, “and we’ll see how that goes,” he told the board.

This story was published on October 8, 2024.