When you are in the heat of a life and death situation it is not the time to be without simple inexpensive, legal to carry items that can keep you alive.
A part of my daily dressing regime is making certain I carry items that can save my life or help guide me out of a store when there is a power failure.
Let’s face it not everyone is trained in empty-hand defense techniques that they can use if attacked but that doesn’t mean they need to walk through their daily lives defenseless.
Three easy carry items can mean the difference between personal injury and escaping to safety.
About a year ago I was introduced to a useful implement called a tactical pen. A solid, aluminum bodied shaft with a steel tip and a sharp serrated end cap that extends 1-1/2” on either end when held in my closed hand. Using it to strike soft tissue or bone areas can and will cause tremendous pain and physical injury to an attacker. It also makes an excellent writing implement too.
I bought anUZI Tactical Pen for about $20.
Another item I never go anywhere without is a Browning Tactical Flashlight.
No its not one of those big, three cell jobs you can use to break someone’s head and arms but a small 4-inch long x 1-inch thick 90 lumen flashlight wi8th a sturdy clip to hook onto your pocket. They are found online for under $40 and take one AA battery. Go shopping in a Wal-mart or Target Superstore and have the lights go out and you’ll find yourself in pitch black conditions with people panicking like it’s the end of the world. This little tactical light will get you out safely and may help you guide others to safety too.
Nearly every person in the civilized world carries a cell phone and regardless of the type whether a cheap throw-away or the latest in technological marvels it can be a life saver in times of trouble.
I always carry an extra battery in my computer bag so running out of power won’t become an issue. As far as a cell phone being used to save your bacon by making an emergency call to 911 you can hold it in your clenched fist and strike to an opponent’s face, neck or any soft tissue area to cause tremendous pain, allowing you a split second to try to get away.
I have a friend who spent a great deal of money on an extra thick leather belt to carry his concealed weapon and this is a wise idea too if you carry concealed.
A weapon of practical choice is either a fixed blade or folding blade knife.
A fixed blade is a handy tool that can and will be used for a dozen different tasks around the house besides being drawn to protect you but in the case it is used for that is easy to access and can be used with deadly effect.
A folding blade needs to be a solid locking tactical, open assist type that can be pulled with ease and open fast. But it is not as quick as using a fixed blade in a threat situation.
Local and state laws may prohibit carrying either types of blades in your area so know the laws.
Carrying a Concealed Weapon
If you are fortunate enough to own a small handgun and have a legal permit to carry then you are ahead of the game in the sense you have a legal means to thwart an attack against your person with lethal-means at your disposal.
But consider the fact that an attacker or attackers do their business by stealth or surprise 80% of the time giving you no opportunity to draw you weapon effectively and keeping a marginal firing distance between the two of you let alone getting off a shot to save your life. The attack then immediately escalates into a grappling, free-for-all with the winner calculated by the last man standing – will it be you?
I am certainly not advocating that concealed carry isn’t a wise choice; it invariably can be the choice between life and death if the situation presents itself allowing you to draw your weapon in time.
I do however advocate the use of a tactical pen worn on your collar inside your shirt that can be grabbed in an instant and used to strike to devastating effect an attacker and the same with a tactical flashlight.
Be prepared whether you wear a suit for work or dress casually and comfortably these simple basic protection items can save your life.
