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 That Could Save Your Life "Pin It")
If the grid goes down, the ability to defend oneself will be invaluable. In fact, the importance of self defense will be right up there with food and water. Of course, a firearm is the most effective way to defend yourself from an attacker, but that might not always be possible. For example, if you find yourself in a place where firearms aren’t allowed.
The purpose of this article is to teach you about the many other types of weapons you can use to defend yourself. You can carry most of these anywhere without drawing any unwanted attention, yet they’re effective enough to take down almost anyone. Here, then, are 9 weapons that could save your life:
1. Knife – We’ll start with the most obvious weapon: the knife. Knives are everywhere, and almost everyone has at least a couple of them, whether they’re Swiss Army knives or big fixed bladed K-bars. Granted, while a K-bar or similar type knife is likely to draw attention to you, a simple folding tactical knife can be kept nicely concealed in your pocket and can be equally as effective. A knife can be even more deadly than a gun in close quarters. For self defense, opt for a durable folding knife that can be opened quickly and has a serrated blade with an ergonomic grip.
2. Pepper Spray – Since this stuff is strong enough to be used as a defense against bears, you can bet it will be effective against any human. The inflammatory effect of pepper spray causes eyes to swell and close, making it impossible for the attacker to see anything. It’s also very cost efficient at only $10 to $15 per canister. That’s a small price to pay for a device that causes extreme irritation to the assailant’s eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
Nonetheless, pepper spray does have some serious cons. When you spray a blast onto the face of an attacker, it’s possible that some of it could get on you as well. This is bad for people with respiratory problems. Furthermore, the chemicals in pepper spray typically can’t stand extreme hot or cold temperatures, weakening its effectiveness. It also doesn’t work as well in the wind or rain, and could backfire if there’s a strong gust of wind in your face. While you should have pepper spray in your self defense arsenal, you’d be wise to carry an additional defensive item as well.
3. Stun Gun – Many stun guns don’t look like traditional guns so they shouldn’t draw too much attention. Still, you’d be wise to keep your stun gun adequately concealed. A stun gun is not only a non-lethal self defense weapon, it’s a great alternative to pepper spray since it will even work in the wind or rain. The mere jolting sound that stun guns produce may be enough to scare away attackers. But even if it isn’t, the thousands of volts of electricity certainly will.
4. Cane – A cane is one of the most efficient defensive items on this list. It gives you plenty of reach, hits hard, and it’s far less intimidating (at first) than a baseball bat. Select a cane that won’t break easily and has a heavy handle; hardwood canes with rubber-type handles are usually your best bet. Just remember that if you plan on using a cane for self-defense, you better look like you have a limp since you’ll look very suspicious if you don’t.
5. Umbrella – An umbrella is a great alternative to the cane and can be just as deadly, but only if you use an umbrella that isn’t fragile. Many umbrellas can break easily if used in a fight, so stick to umbrellas that were build for self-defense purposes like the one in the link. It’s lightweight and made out of fiberglass that hits as hard as a steel pipe. Of course, you can only use an umbrella when it’s raining or wet outside since you’d look pretty suspicious carrying one around on a sunny day.
6. Belt – A belt is another ubiquitous item that can be converted into a powerful self defense weapon. For this, you’ll want a wide leather belt with a heavy metal buckle. A belt will give you plenty of reach and the buckle can inflict a lot of damage if you swing hard enough. A belt could also be used to strangle an assailant or tie them up after you’ve apprehended them, tripling its practicality.
7. Tactical Pen – A tactical pen is an item that’s equally at home in your EDC as it is in your survival kit. Any pen can be used as a weapon (look no further than the Bourne films), but a tactical pen is even better. There should be at least an inch of the pen sticking out from your fist in order for it to be effective as you punch holes in your assailant.
8. Scarf – Wait a minute, a scarf? Yes, that’s right. While the scarf is one of the most unlikely self defense weapons, it can also be one of the most fatal if you know what you’re doing. You can use a scarf as a makeshift garrote or a strangling weapon. If you’re still skeptical, keep in mind that the French Foreign Legion carry scarves as part of their equipment and have been known to use them as garrotes on tactical missions. The only downside to a scar is that they’re meant for cold weather, so you might look silly wearing one in warm weather.
9. Car Keys – Last but certainly not least, you can also use your car keys as a self defense weapon. Assuming your keys are non-folding (and most are), then you can use them as a push dagger. While they’re not as sharp as an actual dagger, they can still inflict some serious damage if you use them hard enough, especially if you’re pumped up with adrenaline. Better yet, you can get a keychain self defense tool like the one in the link. these are sharp enough to really hurt someone, even through their clothes.
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Survival is not for the faint hearted.
Be prepared to use whatever weapons you have at your disposal to protect yourself against an attacker.
Fight dirty because your attacker is definitely going to.
Broken beer bottles make excellent improvised weapons.
So do bricks, pipes and chains.
Following the law is not going to save save you from an attack.
Some good ideas, and yes anything could potentially become a lethal weapon. The scarf as a garotte is a good idea. My edc, besides my pocket knife is a large cotton bandana. I wrap $5 in quarters in one corner and keep if slightly hanging from my pocket with the quarters in my pocket. The quarters can be used as a cudgel to smack an attacker as well as keeping it from falling out of your pocket. It is a multiple purpose tool as it can be used as an emergency bandage or tourniquete or just to mop the sweat from your brow.
Have and carry a Jo staff if you can’t have a gun.
Well I also welcome this discussion because law and order has broken down as we have left the old moorings that we had in society and we have to have something other than alarm systems in our yards and homes. The home invaders do not pay any attention to them whatever at 2 or 3am! We all have a right to defend ourselves and government agencies, police and neighbours will probably not be able to get to you in time to save you. So I say, all the best to those who have practical advice as to how we can appropriately defend our loved ones and ourselves in the event of a violent attack.
Okay, some of us live in place like most countries of europe where having a gun is not a option. Walking with a knife in your purse is reason for arrest. How do you make you house save . How to barricade? How to have something that really doesn’t look like a weapon but still can be off help?
For barricading your home, there’s kits for entry doors that make it virtually impossible to kick it in, of course unless it’s a hollow core. Motion lights sometimes are enough to scare someone away at night, just make sure they’re really bright. A flashlight with a strobe feature can briefly disorient an attacker or home invader, especially if it’s the green laser base. Idk if pepper spray is legal or not where you live, but one with a strong enough compound will stop an attacker for a great deal of time. I recommend learning even basic hand to hand self defense, especially if you’re a female. There’s plenty of options or ideas, but if you never train or plan, all of them are useless anyways. If you need any more ideas or have questions, feel free to ask away.
The author had me until he said “if you find yourself in a place where firearms aren’t allowed.” Really?
After a grid-down situation, when life becomes cheap and people will kill you for a can of food, you’re going to be concerned about gun-free zones?
And to all you geniuses who plan on carrying only a knife, baseball bat or some kind of spray, good luck with that. Two-legged apex predators are going to be armed with short, medium and long-range firearms. They’re going to pick you off before you know what hit you. I plan to be equally armed to protect my family, community, and myself.
I sometimes wonder if people who are so against guns have had their gun rights revoked for a criminal charge or deemed unstable. It would seem the first thought a person in that situation would have is “If I can’t have a gun, I don’t want anyone to have a gun.” And, I would add, that is fairly logical thinking, since you are now at an immediate and severe disadvantage.
Also,a knife can be used with the right training to not be lethal and help a soft target hold off an attacker as she is retreating and screaming for help. But be prepared to use a lethal cavity thrust[s] [stab] as the attacker rushes and grabs on to her as a final defense. I myself would prefer a knife over any of these other options as you can still fight with the knife even held on the ground under your attacker.
Check your local laws, having #1, 2 or 3 on your person or even owning one can be illegal in some states.
I found it odd that I could conceal carry a gun in MA, but stun guns and pepper spray were illegal.
Also, the “personal protection” pepper spray that you buy is not the same as the “bear-stop” pepper spray. Different concentrations/potency. Bear pepper spray will likely stop a human assailant, but human pepper spray likely will not stop a bear (just giving yourself some seasoning for the bear).
Almost all of these weapons require you to be danger-close to what is attacking you, so you better also learn some sort of self defense/martial arts where you are the weapon.
Also, don’t believe the TV shows/movies when it comes to stun guns, there are a fair # of people that have little to no reaction to getting stunned (especially if they are on drugs), they don’t necessarily fall down every time and almost never go unconscious.
The “stun effect” only happens while both electrodes are touching the person and you are pulling the trigger sending electricity into them. As soon as you break that connection or stop pulling the trigger, the effect immediately ends and you have a pissed off person that has immediate control of their body again.
whenever i hear people talking about guns as protection.
my stomach churns and my neck tingles.
its a retarded and messed up opinion to have.
only the lowest of IQ’s and seriously inexperienced at LIFE, would beleive such a dumb thing.
I find it amusing that you’re questioning the IQ of people who use guns as protection, yet the best argument you can come up with is: “it’s a retarded and messed up opinion.” Try again.
John, tell that to the many retarded, messed up, and inexperienced people who have protected their homes and families from would-be intruders/criminals. There may come a time when you are put in a situation where you wish you were a “seriously EXPERIENCED” gun owner. There is nothing wrong with having and using a gun for protection if you are a responsible gun owner. Announcing to an intruder that you have a gun, and will use it, is much more effective than telling him you have a knife. Also, someone who uses punctuation and capitalization incorrectly probably shouldn’t make comments on people with the “lowest IQ’s”.
Mr Darwin, I suspect you are well meaning, but live on wishes and feelings, not logic or reality. Guns are the best possible protection in SOME circumstances. There are at least a dozen cases a month where a person having a gun, the skill to use it and the wisdom to know when to use it, saves themself from an attack, but you never hear of these cases, because the media is deliberately suppressing any good report about guns.
Let us say someone is attacking you, Mr. Darwin. Since you think guns are not an option, what will you do to protect yourself and your loved ones? Call the police, of course, but the police can seldom get there in time to prevent you being killed or injured. Fight back? What if there are a bunch of them, or they are armed, or bigger and stronger, or more skilled than you? That likely won’t end well for you. Use a non-lethal weapon? That may or may not work, depending on how skilled you are and whether they have the training or enough drugs to continue their attack. Do whatever they say and plead for your life? Even if they leave you and your loved ones alive and undamaged, it would seem like there would be serious psychological trauma, and I would not be willing to accept these results.
I am fully behind anyone who is willing to accept the responsibility of having a gun, being allowed to have it, and use it for protection in appropriate circumstances. And if that causes you distress, perhaps you are the one who needs help. Perhaps you are the one with the low IQ and the lack of realistic life experiences. Apparently you and yours have been lucky so far, and I pray that luck continues.
I would say he and his passive idea’s will always make him a ‘soft target ‘ easy to overcome and assault as well as anyone depending on him.
Strange, you should so state. I found a rifle very effective in Vietnam and during Desert Storm. Come up to Montana, where Men and Women are adults who do not drink the Cool-Aid now being served by the Far Left Democrats.
John Darwin wins the “Darwin Award” this week for the dumbest comment on the internet regarding survival. What a total retard. I myself have saved my life by having and shooting a firearm to stop a home invasion in which I surely would have been killed as my attacker was MUCH larger than I and totally messed up on drugs. Darwin can have his peacenik lunacy. I want to live.
It can be googled. There are canes that do double duty as they are also stun guns.
THANK YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE!!! I have been preaching in comments on blogs and to every person who has a public forum that people need to learn some defensive and evasive tactics AS WELL as how to use and carry alternative weapons of defense which includes non-traditional weapons. The latter are items whose primary use is not for defense such as pencils and pens which can be used strategically to stab an attacker.
The Colgne rape victims were defenseless because they certainly were not expecting such an attack nor were they prepared for it. Now that they know and we know what the vulnerability is , all must exercise the necessary cautions. If assailants think potential victims will fight back and have the means to do so, the crimes will decrease greatly.
Hand fan samurai was using them!!
Try wasp spray as a substitute for pepper spray.
A can of wasp spray is so big. Have you ever seen a small can of spray?
Wasp spray is not to be used on humans. It can be fatal to a human, and YOU will end up in jail. Pepper spray will not work on some people, and definitely will not work on an assailant wearing glasses.
I ask myself, what do the police carry? Their lives are on the line everyday, and their primary defense weapon is a gun. They also do carry other less lethal weapons for various reasons, such as animal attacks, etc. but the average citizen, having no radio, and no back up, needs to be able to reliably stop an attacker before they can kill or maim said citizen. None of the items listed will do that. By all means, have several items handy with which to defend yourself, but, in the end, the best fight is the one you avoid in the first place.
Gee, anything could be used as an weapon. Better start banning them forks and spoons!
Not bad, but Wasp Spray is recommended more then pepper spray since it has a longer range