Tag: self-defense

Essential for Each Emergency Kit

When your house suddenly goes black because of a power outage, or you find yourself marooned in a rain storm, or you’re simply late getting out of a meeting and have a large dimly-lighted parking lot to cross in order to get to your car . . . you want the best flashlight possible! The picture below shows some of the best survival flashlights in our collection.

Let’s look at the features you’ll want to consider.

Assume you will be looking at an LED (light-emitting diode) flashlight. LED flashlights last longer, weigh less, don’t get hot, and are smaller and sturdier than the incandescent lights we grew up with. Above all, they are brighter. So look for the LED description!

Brightness

Light output is measured in lumens. It can vary from as low as 19 lumens, for a simple all-purpose light to wear around your neck on a lanyard, to as high as 1,000 or even 3,000 lumens for  so-called “tactical” flashlights. (So bright they blind the opponent.) In our experience, the minimum you want for your survival kit is 200 lumens, and you may prefer 500 or more.

As you can imagine, the more power the more the flashlight costs – BUT IT’S NOT THE CASE OF A SIMPLE PROGRESSION. Be sure to comparison shop!

Beam

The reflector around the bulb determines whether all the light is focused in one narrow beam, or whether it spreads out more like a flood light. What you need the light for determines what shape beam you like.

Many LED flashlights allow you to adjust the beam by zooming in or out. Keep reading.

Battery

Batteries help determine the weight of the flashlight, its cost, and its overall convenience. Having to replace batteries frequently can be a nuisance as well as expensive, but you can easily keep extras at hand. Most flashlights still use AA, AAA, C or even D cell disposable batteries. (A big flashlight with D batteries can be a formidable personal defense weapon.)

Rechargeable batteries last longer and are more convenient as long as you have recharge capability (from your computer, an electrical outlet or a solar panel, or a hand crank). These batteries do cost more.

For your survival kit, the best power source is likely to be a rechargeable battery. For your shelter-in-place stash, which may have to carry you for quite a while, consider traditional batteries and/or crank or solar power.

Mode

The best flashlights are no longer simply on or off. As mentioned above, they may be zoomed in or out for less or more light. They may have a low beam and a high beam, both of which may be zoomed. They may have two or more modes: a solid white beam, a blinking white beam (strobe) for signaling, a blinking red beam, or even a blink pattern that sends out an SOS in Morse code.

More modes typically mean more switches and circuitry and thus more expense.

Extras

Other features you may look for include . . .

• A design with one flat side so the flashlight doesn’t roll when it’s set down on a flat surface
• Extra heavy duty or water resistant case depending on how you’ll use the flashlight
• Wrist-strap or specially designed grip

Our recommendations

We own many flashlights, and seem to keep trying new ones.

• We like to give small, inexpensive flashlights as gifts or as rewards (“Use this to start your emergency kit!”).
• I have a couple of compact, light-weight flashlights that fit in my briefcase and purse.
• In our cars we carry large, heavy-weight flashlights that could be used to break a window as well as find a disconnected fuse or wire in the engine compartment.
• Every room in our house has a simple 200 lumen or more light tucked in a handy, secure place. (Remember, we’re in earthquake country!)
• And finally, our recommendations for the BEST flashlights for your survival kit —

We always have flashlights, and because styles change (and companies go in and out of business!) our favorite changes, too. Here are two to consider for 2023.

Click on the images to get current prices at Amazon.

(As an Amazon Affiliate, I will receive a small commission if you click on one of our links and make a purchase. There is no extra charge to you.)

GearLight LED Flashlight for everyday use

• I like the size of this flashlight, and how it fits easily into my hand or pocket.
• I also feel very comfortable carrying the light in the dark, knowing that the design of the rim, with cutouts and sharp surfaces, turns it into somewhat of a weapon.
• This model also has flat surfaces to keep the light from rolling when it’s placed on a flat surface.

This light is plenty bright. And today, when I checked, it is on sale!

In any case, it claims to be “Military grade” – and water resistant. It has 5 lighting modes. Great for everyday use. Again, click on the image to get the latest price and packaging.

Take a look at some of the other small flashlights, too. As always, by shopping you may get a better deal.

Option for heavy-duty security flashlight

This classic flashlight from Everbright uses C batteries — so it is larger and heavier than the everyday model above. We like the 3 different lighting modes (high, low and strobe) and the fact that the beam can reach clear out to 1000 feet on high-beam mode! We have similar lights in our cars, for emergencies and as potential weapons. Check costs and get all details for this Everbright by clicking on the image.

Check out all these recommendations and compare carefully before you buy. But get the flashlights you need – several for the house (We have one in every room.), one for each car and one for each emergency kit.

Flashlights are essential emergency gear!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Pretty much, yes. On the global stage, the answer is definitely yes. (I expect you knew that whether or not you’ve really considered the question before.) Today, we want to add a second question: What are you doing to improve your chances as a woman in an emergency?

Let’s take a look at some of what adds to a woman’s increased vulnerability. What of any of this fits you?

Sexism is alive and well.

Sexism and misogyny are in the news a lot lately. A whole lot. So it shouldn’t surprise you to realize that either or both play a role in keeping women more vulnerable in emergencies. Here’s a simple example of sexism at work, from my own life.

How are girls and women supposed to behave?

I had two older brothers and tagged behind them a lot. At one stage, I was quicker at running than they were. So I could actually score when we played football with their friends! But my MVP days came to an abrupt end at about age 12. Suddenly, it became clear I was growing up to be a girl.

Had I grown up in a different culture, I might never have been able to play ball with the boys in the first place. Instead, I might have been wearing clothing that kept me from running and kicking. I might have had responsibilities for younger siblings or for aging grandparents. In some cultures I might even have been facing marriage as my immediate future, instead of looking forward to college.

Now, these two short paragraphs are meant to describe extremes in childhood experiences. But the point is clear: growing up can be very different for women and men.

For a woman in an emergency, these cultural differences show up dramatically.

In New Orleans before Katrina, women and girls made up about 54% of the population. They had the primary responsibility of caring for family members including children, older people and people with disabilities. When the order to evacuate was given, 80% of the people left behind in New Orleans were women and girls who were unable to leave because of their caregiving responsibilities.

Do you know girls and women who have family obligations that would make evacuating more difficult and more dangerous? What “extra” steps should they be considering as they prepare for emergencies?

How do girls and women cope financially in emergencies?

The stereotype – and admittedly a stereotype – is that women look to be protected and men are expected to do the protecting. Historically, in the U.S., men owned everything so they naturally had to accept that responsibility. But even today, where ownership and responsibilities can be shared, the stereotype persists. Polls show that the public still looks to men for being the family’s financial support.

And the reality is, despite gains, women do still fall short financially. They continue to earn less, save less, and live longer.

So when emergencies hit, women generally have fewer financial resources with which to respond and recover.

Given these disadvantages, what can women do to improve their chances?

First and foremost, take on the responsibility for yourself!

I’ve written frequently about my senior community, which, as you might expect, is made up primarily of women. And I’ve been known to complain, from time to time, about the men who say, “Quit scaring the little old ladies!” as well as the women (and men) who say, “I’m just waiting for the firemen to come save me.”  (Yes, I know. “Firemen” and not “firefighters.”)  These comments reinforce some of the stereotypes I’ve discussed above!

Let’s assume you that aren’t one of the “little old ladies.”

Or maybe you are older but aren’t scared by thinking about preparedness. Maybe you have girls and young women in your world and want to help them break through stereotypes or peer pressures that are limiting their thinking.

Step one is to realize that as a woman in an emergency, you’re responsible for yourself.

Step Two is to develop more confidence about being able to take care of yourself in an emergency.

Just about everything we write about here at Emergency Plan Guide is aimed at this process! Many of the ideas are simple. Here are a few, with links to more resources. They should be familiar to you.

• Get strong. Run, climb and play ball when you have the chance! Bike, swim and walk. Get strong. Stay strong – so you’ll be a lot more able to respond when necessary. (This is particularly important for older people.)
• Expand your horizons! Learn more about what threats you could face. They could be financial. Or political. Maybe weather-related or climate related. You don’t have to worry about everything; focus on the top 5 or 6 that are most likely to impact you.  (I have a list of 97 different possible emergencies.  Let me know if you want a copy to go over with your family or group.)
• Get informed. What can you do to prepare for the most likely emergencies?  Read a book about hurricanes or earthquakes or wildfires. Watch a couple of videos online. Talk to experts in your community.
• Finally, take action! You may want to make some sort of  “Preparedness Calendar” and mark down one goal per week or per month. These are the kinds of things you could add to your calendar:
  • Pack a go-bag and learn about evacuation routes if you could be threatened by fire or flood.
  • Make plans to improve your home to withstand storms or winds or earthquake.
  • Go camping and learn to light a fire and cook outdoors.
  • Sign up for a course in home repair from The Home Depot, or first aid from the Red Cross, or take the full Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training from your city.
  • Really enthusiastic about outdoor survival? Attend a commercial survival school! (Due diligence is called for. I looked up a half-dozen such schools for women online, to get an idea of prices, curricula, etc. Unfortunately, 2 of the 6 sites got “caught” by my antivirus software as being compromised.)

There are so many interesting and fun things you can do by yourself or with other women or girls! Practice your leadership skills and and turn activities into “events” that will have a real impact on everyone’s competence, and confidence.

And a few final words about becoming a victim of human violence.

In a widespread disaster.

So here’s the reality. In emergencies, women can become targets. First, as mentioned, women may not be able to escape a disaster if they have children or family members to care for.

When women end up in disaster shelters or other temporary living situations, they can become targets for theft, coercion or sexual abuse.

Of course, you can’t avoid every emergency, and certainly not a wide-spread disaster. But the stronger you are physically, the more competent you appear and the more self-confidence you convey, the less chance you’ll have of being taken advantage of.

On a daily basis.

Develop better habits for personal safety, particularly if you live alone.

• Do you carry a bulky open purse that could be grabbed, or do you use a cross-body purse that’s not likely to go missing?
• At home, are you conscientious about keeping doors and windows locked? Have you set up timer lights and motion-activated lights to discourage unwelcome visitors?
• Where do you keep your jewelry or money? Right there on top of your dresser or in your underwear drawer where every thief expects them to be?  Get creative about hiding valuables!
• When you’re driving, do you know where you’re going? Do you know where you’ll be parking? Is your gas tank at least ½ full all the time?
• Have you considered carrying a whistle or pepper spray to discourage unwanted attention? What about a course in self-defense?

Examine your current level of confidence. What you can do right NOW to give it  a boost?

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I’ve crammed at least two dozen “action items” into this Advisory, hoping that one or two would strike a chord with you. Perfect would be if you responded with something like . . .“Virginia, I have always wanted to learn to do this! Thanks for the push!”

And of course, if you are already familiar with everything mentioned here, perhaps you can figure out a way to share or teach a survival strength to someone else – particularly a girl or woman. Teaching is absolutely the best way to improve both competence AND confidence for both teacher4 and student!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Let us know if you have a story of your own that helps make the point about the difference between being a man in an emergency and being a woman.

Times are unsettling.

Whenever we experience a big disaster, whether it’s a man-made massacre, a devastating hurricane, or a raging epidemic — we all jump immediately into survival mode. Chances are greater that we might be attacked or simply caught up in an event that suddenly turns dangerous. We need to be ready to defend ourselves in these circumstances.And for people who are prepared, survival includes self-defense.

Keeping out of trouble is the very best form of self-defense.

For most of us this means simply staying at home, avoiding planned demonstrations, not being drawn to accident scenes. Staying at home, even after a wide spread disaster, is easy enough if you’ve taken basic steps to store food, water, medicines, etc.

If you must go out to replenish supplies, keep a low profile. And have a plan to get away from trouble if you feel you are heading into it! Know where you are going, and have an alternate route in case you need it. Avoid wearing flashy clothes and carrying purses or packs that could catch the eye. Go with the crowd, but stay on the fringes so you can get away quickly if necessary.

But if you must protect yourself . . .

1 – What about stocking up on guns and ammunition?

I must admit to seeing a big increase lately in emails coming across my desk that advertise weapons, including all sorts of guns. Some messages promise information about how to get guns legally and illegally. Others promote accessories that will make guns easier to draw, quieter to shoot and harder to notice when you are carrying them on your body.

Now if you have been reading our Advisories for a while, you know that Joe and I both have histories with firearms. Joe was in the military. I hunted with my Dad starting at about age 12. So we are comfortable with guns.

But our Emergency Plan Guide mission is to create more resilient citizen responders and resilient communities. That includes senior citizens, young people, employee groups, etc. We try to stick with plans that are suitable for most everyone. In our estimation, a gun-owner needs a special mind-set and special training in order to be a valuable member of the community.

So, in this Advisory we are looking at other options for personal safety and self-defense.

2 – Martial arts skills are a potent defense for some.

If you are a trained martial arts master there is no doubt you might have a much better chance of surviving a violent attack by someone even with a weapon. In fact, nearly everyone can become more skilled, without having to become a master. (I’ve seen classes advertised for kids, for young women – “Don’t get raped” — and for senior citizens.)

I think even I could handle several of the self-defense moves illustrated in this article: http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_1376_16-self-defense-moves-to-impress-your-friends-muggers/

But – and here’s the big caution. I am NOT in the best shape of my life, nor have I trained or practiced these moves. So I’m NOT confident that I would remember exactly which move to apply when. What about you?

In other words, unless you are willing to sign up for a professional class and become proficient if not professional, a casual approach to martial arts is probably as useless and dangerous as a casual approach to guns.

3 – When you have to fight, your ultimate goal is still to get away.

There may be a time when your “antennae” just didn’t work and you can’t avoid a person who is threatening you. (Like the guy in the image above.)

Or, and I hate to say this, YOU may have provoked a situation by threatening, annoying or insulting someone (Road rage? Street protest?) to the point they attack you. At that moment, you need to be able to let go of your own emotions and recognize the danger you’ve put yourself in!

Either way, if you decide that you must fight for your life, then commit to it. Any half-hearted attempt will be inadequate and could put you in even more danger.

Some self-protection suggestions that make sense for me.

• First, yell sharply and loudly right in the face of the attacker!
  “BACK OFF!” makes it clear you are not going to be a willing victim. Your aggressive resistance may even be enough to make the attacker look for an easier victim. Note you are yelling at the attacker, not yelling for “Help!” from some unknown source.
• Then, use what you have or can find as an improvised weapon.
  If you have keys in your hand, use a key to scratch or cut. Hurl a cup of hot coffee. Toss dirt or sand. Spray an attacker with perfume or hairspray.
  Use what you can to distract the attacker so you can get away.
• Consider “weaponized” personal items for self-defense.
  Any device is useless unless you understand how to use it, and you have it in your hand ready to use. This takes us right back to “mental attitude.” Here are some ordinary items that become weapons if you use them that way. Click the blue links under the images to go to Amazon to get current prices and full details. (We are Amazon Associates. If you buy using our link we may get a small commission. Your price is the same.)

Examples of weaponized personal items

I try to carry a flashlight all the time, for light and as a weapon.  

Lately, we have the choice of “tactical” flashlights that serve both purposes. My favorite “tactical” flashlights have a ridged grip that won’t slip and a sharp front edge that would cut seriously when used as a slashing weapon. A wrist strap means you won’t drop it so easily. (The image shows just one flashlight. You can order a pack of two from this company, too. Just click the box on the sales page.)

Tactical Flashlight, YIFENG XML T6 Ultra Bright LED Flashlight with Adjustable Focus and 5 Light Modes for Camping Hiking Emergency (1 pack)

I also like to carry a “tactical pen.”

Here’s a picture of one of my pens attached to my small, cross-body purse. (Not when I climb on an airplane, though.)

Tactical Pen Multitool Survival Gadget – LED Flashlight + Screwdriver + Emergency Window Breaker – EDC Pocket Gear – Unique Birthday Gift for Men and Women – Survival Self Defense Military SWAT Weapon

And two dedicated self-defense items you should know about

Carrying guns or knives requires a level of training outside the scope of this Emergency Plan Guide Advisory. But there are other options to consider. The items below are NOT expensive — and they work. Check them out.

Please be aware that laws regarding stun guns and pepper spray vary. Before you buy either or both, check with your own state. Here’s a link to get you started on that legal research.

Stun gun.

You hold a stun gun in your hand.  When you press it against the body of an attacker, its “electrical punch” can completely disable and disorient him for seconds or minutes, giving you the chance to get away. Before you purchase, be sure a stun gun is legal in your state or county. (For a lot more on stun guns – and tasers, which we do NOT recommend — see our earlier Advisory.)

I like the model shown below because it has a safety disable pin. If you lose control of the gun, the pin pulls out and it won’t shoot. It comes with a wrist strap, too – and in pink and black.

VIPERTEK VTS-979 – 53 Billion Stun Gun – Rechargeable with Safety Disable Pin LED Flashlight, Black

Pepper spray

As I just said, for your stun gun to work, you have to press it against your attacker’s body. That means the attacker is VERY CLOSE to you!

That’s why I prefer to carry a canister of pepper spray. It can shoot a spray at least 8-10 feet. Anyone over 18 can buy and carry pepper spray. These days you can also get pepper spray as a gel or as a foam. They have the same basic capsaicin ingredient and serve the same purpose. The gel isn’t as likely to blow back onto you in a confined space, but you may have to do a better job of aiming. Most important feature of the gel: it goes at least 6 feet farther.

Finally, if you purchase any pepper product, check your canister carefully. Note its expiration date.

Here’s a pepper spray one I recommend. It has a pocket clip and actually shoots 10 ft. (We tested it.) with up to 35 bursts. (This brand also comes in pink, with a key-chain attachment. Pick the one that works best for you!)

Be sure to read all the instructions and safety precautions!

There are now pepper sprays in GEL format and in FOAM format! They have the same basic capsaicin ingredient and serve the same purpose of self-defense. But neither is as likely as spray to blow back onto you in a confined space! Moreover, pepper gel goes a good 6 feet farther than either spray or foam, so you can use it from a safer distance. The gel doesn’t spread out as much though, so you may have to be better at aiming.

Click on the link below to get to a sample of gel made by SABRE. I own the SABRE spray and find it fits my hand well, and it looks as though the gel is packaged pretty much the same way

SABRE Pepper Gel with Attachment Clip, 35 Bursts (5X The Competition), 12-Foot (4-Meter) Range, Gel is Safer, UV Marking Dye, Twist Lock Safety

Finally, if you purchase any pepper product, check your canister carefully and note its expiration date.

Should you make a change in what you normally carry on your person? (Don’t store pepper spray in the car where temperatures could get so high it might explode!) Should some of your family members have one or more of these self-defense items?

Remember if you are faced with any of these emergencies – while you are shopping, jogging or simply resting on a park bench — you will only be able to protect yourself if you act without hesitation . . .

• Assess the situation.
• Decide what to do.
• Do it!

Here’s to your safety,

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. If you’ve read all the way through to here, then you will want to know whether bear spray is legal. The answer? It depends — on the state and even on the country! Generally, bear spray is meant for defense against — you guessed it — a bear attack. Carrying it may be legal. Using it against a person is illegal.

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