Top 5: Self-defense products

By: Victor Rodriguez

It could happen to anyone. No matter how many miles you cash out at your local gym or how many self-defense classes you take, you’re never going to be too prepared to handle yourself in the presence of a threat. Instead of arming yourself to the teeth with knives, guns and hand grenades, try one of these self-defense products.

1. Date Rape Drink Test

You hear about it in the news or in cheesy daytime dramas, but the dangers of being given a spiked drink are all too real. Drink Safe Tech has produced a simple way to detect colorless and odorless drugs that disappear from the body within 24 hours. While it’s not a self-defense product, preventative defense is just as important. Costing less than your favorite Starbucks cappuccino drink, the Date Rape Drink Test is $1.50 at drinksafetech.com.

2. Monkey Fist keychain

Straight from the 1800s, the Monkey Fist is an old tool with a modern design. At its center is a small steel ball bearing wrapped in paracord. This crude — if not caveman-esque — tool can definitely stop an assailant in his tracks.  It’s also highly portable with the keychain attachment. While this product is available through Walmart ranging from $25 to $30, for the more do-it-yourself types, all the items can be found at the local hardware stores, with several online tutorials to help you retain your piece of mind.

3. Cat defense keychain

Don’t judge this product by its cover. While this keychain may be cute, the stainless aluminum charm has been disguised as a cat, with its eyes doubling as spaces for your fingers, and ears doubling as twin spikes for an incredibly effective piercing punch. This ferocious feline is primarily available at amazon.com, and generally costs about $5.00.

4. Pepper spray or mace

One of the most used self-defense products is the pepper spray, and for good reason. The sheer amount of development that this concept has gone through is astounding. A person is now able to completely customize what type of pepper they can pack. From concealable lipstick to sprays disguised as pens, or even a quick release key chain, most pepper sprays now come infused with an ultraviolet detection component, which help to identify attackers.

5. Tasers

Tasers offer what police agencies describe as the “less than lethal” option to deal with an attacker. Stun guns can take many different shapes; some fire two fish hook prong projectiles that literally stick themselves into the target, while others require direct contact to work. These electric angels are commercially available online from $20 to $60, but you may also buy them at Quartermaster Uniforms.