The 7 Best Improvised Self Defense Weapons You Can Take Anywhere

I’m a big supporter of everyone’s right to defend themselves with weapons. But it isn’t always legal or practical to carry a gun, knife, or other obvious weapons with you.

That doesn’t mean you are defenseless in the event of an attack. You likely are already carrying a lot of discreet weapons on you.

If you are willing to improvise, these 7 items make great weapons you can take with you anywhere.

Umbrella

This is by far the best improvised self-defense weapon because it allows you to defend yourself from a distance.

Umbrellas also have pointed ends, which means they can be used as non-lethal swords. You can also use an umbrella as a club to hit an attacker. It isn’t quite heavy enough to knock anyone out but should buy you some time or scare away your attacker.

Typical umbrellas are cheaply made and won’t do you too much good in a life-or-death situation.

You might want to consider getting an unbreakable self-defense umbrella made just for this purpose. It will still keep you dry from the rain.

Keys

Keys make for a tremendous improvised self defense weapon – but not how most people think to use them.

Most people think they should hold their keys in their fist with the keys jutting out. Yes, this does look menacing, and the sight of you ready to hit with those jabby keys might be enough to scare away an attacker.

Yet, that position is very unstable.

Go ahead and try it.

Put your keys in your hand and try to (gently) punch something hard.

The keys will probably spread apart and dig into your palm.

Instead, he gives other positions which work much better when using keys for self defense.   One is when you keep the keys deeper into your fist, so just a bit of them is sticking out. They will be more stable, and you could easily gauge an attacker’s eyes out with them.

Another position is to hold the keys enclosed in your first, with just one key sticking out. You hold the key between your closed pointer finger and thumb, which keeps it stable. You won’t have blade-like points coming out of your fist, but you will have incredible slashing ability.

Pens

This is not a weapon I’d like to use because it means I’d have to get close to the attacker.

But, when used correctly, a pen (or pencil or other sharp pointy items) could save your life.

To make a pen an effective self-defense weapon, you’ve got to aim it at the right places. These are:

• Eyes
• Throat
• Armpits
• Base of neck
• Groin

There are specialty “tactical pens” available. While some of these are cool, like this Atomic Bear “glass breaker pen” (Amazon Link), I personally wouldn’t spend my money on these.

The reason? It isn’t that they aren’t effective. It is just that if I had to kill someone with one of these pens, I could find myself facing a lawsuit because it was done with a tactical pen and not a regular pen.

Yes, this is something we need to worry about.

Flashlight

I keep a BIG and HEAVY flashlight in my car emergency kit and in my wife’s car too. Not only would the flashlight provide a lot of light in situations like changing a tire, but it would easily knock an attacker out. You can also shine the flashlight into an attacker’s face to disorient him.

When choosing a flashlight for self defense, look for these features:

• Long handle
• Made from a heavy-duty material like aluminum (not plastic!)
• At least 120 lumens
• Waterproof
• Heavy weight (those D battery flashlights are great!)

Handful of Change

A handful of change might not seem like a good self-defense weapon, but it could give you precious moments needed to save your life.

If an attacker is coming toward you, take the loose change from your pockets and fling it at the attacker. Even though this won’t injure the attacker, it will cause a flinch response. You will distract the attacker for just a moment. You can use that moment to flee or to draw another weapon.

You could also use anything else to fling at the attacker. A cup of hot coffee would be good, as would be some gravel from around you.

Purse

You know those funny scenes in movies where the little old lady attacks a mugger with her purse? Well, they got it (almost) right. A purse would make a good self-defense weapon when used correctly.

No, you don’t want to beat an attacker with your purse. Instead, take your purse and raise it to shoulder level. Holding onto the strap, start swinging the purse around you. It might not be able to injure the attacker significantly, but it can distract the attacker and keep him at a distance from you.

Purses, backpacks, and briefcases can also effectively block knife attacks. It will take some practice and ultra-fast reflexes to be able to do this, so go ahead and sign up for that self-defense class now!

In the meantime, this free book describes how to use a purse as a shield against a knife.

While we are at it, here are some items that ladies often have in their purses which can make great improvised self-defense weapons.

• Hairspray or spray deodorant
• Nail file (the pointy metal kind!)
• Manicure scissors

Got a lighter and a bottle of hair spray? You can take a cue from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (from the 1980s movie, not the TV series) and use this trick: Light the lighter, then spray the hairspray in front of it. You will create a ball of fire that will keep attackers at bay!

Anything Around You

A big part of survivalism is situational awareness.

This goes beyond knowing where your nearest exits are and whether sketchy characters are getting too close.

Situational awareness means knowing what is around you and where it is. If you know that there is a loose pipe, a big rock, or a sharp-edged wall close by during an attack, you can use these in your defense.

Be aware and be prepared!

What weapons do you carry with you? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation on Facebook.