If you live in a major city, you know that tourists are easy to spot. There’s something about their clothes, their behavior, the way they try to take in the sights and read the map on their phones all at once, that makes them stand out in a crowd. Unfortunately, there are people out there who try to take advantage of travelers; if someone isn’t careful, they may end up in a scary or dangerous situation.
When you travel, it can be hard to hide your tourist side (though Reader’s Digest has a few tips on the subject). However, you can maintain a feeling of security wherever you are – thanks to some handy personal safety devices. So, the next time you take a plane, train, or automobile, make sure you have one of these essential items:
Trigger Stun Guns
Spending time in a strange city can be enriching and exciting. Spending time in a strange city can also be scary, particularly if you’re out in the hours after midnight. Keep yourself safe as you enjoy the nightlife on your travels by carrying a little device that packs a mighty punch.
Trigger stun guns are a great way to fight off an attacker at close range. The trigger and rubber coating make it easy to use – perfect for a traveler who hasn’t spent much time with stun guns (and who hopefully won’t have to). You can even customize your stun gun with fun, bright colors, turning it into a personal safety device you’d never want to leave home without.
Pepper Spray
While stun guns are a great way to gain an advantage over a close attacker, some travelers never want to get that close. For them, I suggest personal protection pepper spray. The most common pepper spray canisters release a stream with a range around 20 feet, which can ensure that an assailant will stay far away.
However, I should mention that most pepper sprays require decent aim in order to work effectively. If you are planning to carry pepper spray on your travels, pick up some water cartridges and practice your spraying before you good. You may not need to use it, but if you do it’s best use it properly!
Tasers
When it comes to the personal safety devices we’ve talked about today, a taser could be considered the best of both worlds. It can be used at close range or up to 15 feet away, and it is a non-lethal way to disarm a person or animal who may be attacking you.
Believe it or not, tasers can accompany you on your travels (though, as Skyscanner has pointed out, it has to be in your checked luggage). Tasers are often considered the best alternative to firearms when it comes to personal protection, and when you’re traveling somewhere new this device may be a great source of comfort to you. Who knows – it may even save your life.
As the Huffington Post says, the goal of a traveler should always be to get home in one piece. Although you may never need these personal safety devices as you explore this planet of ours, it’s certainly better to have it just in case.
Interesting that all these items are all ‘attack’ oriented. I would have expected a bit about how our smartphones have capabilities for tracking us and giving a shout out to 911 etc if we find ourselves attacked and maybe other gadgets that could be more immediate. Also some sound advice on how not to look like a traveller
Bear in mind that none of these devices are legal outside of the US. If you’re interested in ‘attack’ methodologies outside of the US a Kubotan pen is your best defense
Yeah, I was interested that that was the tack Andrew took, too.
I had to look up “Kubotan pen” after you mentioned it — I need one of those. 😉