Best defense weapons for women running

Wrong headed. wrote:

Zee wrote:

Thanks for the responses. Running with a dog is something I used to do (German shepherd and a lab) but neither can keep up now with daily longer runs. There were some pretty good responses about the pepper spray and I would not want to use something that would inhibit my ability to get away. In a perfect world we wouldn't have to worry about these things. Any other thoughts?

There is absolutely no way you are running fast and long enough consistently that a dog can’t keep up with you. Plenty of dogs are capable of doing 30+ miles 4-5 days a week at a pace an elite male can’t hold. If you are running in locations where you are legitimately scared of being attacked, then run somewhere else.

You need to re-read what she wrote.

Why not spend that money on a treadmill

But what would minimize the chances of assault is for women to stop dressing like harlots and whores out there on the roads, wearing only those skimpy sports bras and tiny thongs or skin tight yoga pants and trying to look all hot and sexy.

CapnPerv wrote:

But what would minimize the chances of assault is for women to stop dressing like harlots and whores out there on the roads, wearing only those skimpy sports bras and tiny thongs or skin tight yoga pants and trying to look all hot and sexy.

To maximize your chances of assault, you should reveal your identity. I will have a truck load of previously sexually assaulted women on your doorstep ready to castrate you and burn your dessicated balls in effigy. You know, only cowards make offensive anonymous statements like yours on the internet.

hi capn perv wrote:

You know, only cowards make offensive anonymous statements like yours on the internet.

Pot, Kettle.

theJeff wrote:

Your Write wrote:

There are a dozen or more superior guns than the Block 43. I'd suggest a 380. Ammo has gotten so much better that there isn't much difference between 9mm and 380. But 380s come in much smaller platforms.

Yes, current .380s preform similarly to 9mms... from 25 years ago. Current 9mms preform closer to .45s from 25 years ago, however, so don’t make the mistake of comparing modern .380 stopping power to modern 9mm stopping power.

Yes, many modern .380s are much easier to conceal/carry than even the smallest 9mms (I would rec the LCP II to almost anyone), but there is more to think about than portability before labeling something “superior”. (You probably already know this, but many reading this thread may not, so choose your words responsibly :-))

You're lecturing me about choosing my words, yet you ignorantly use the phrase "stopping power" as if that is an actual thing? Give me a break. No ammo has stopping power. If you think shooting someone is like the movies you are nuts.

The truth is Glock is selling a name and has an army of brainwashed consumers out there. Similar to Apple. Yes, I can confidently say there are many many superior guns out there.

Molly would have not been able to pull out her gun fast enough as she was surprisingly slaughtered, as is the case with most gullible gun owners who think they can draw like they're in a Western movie. As only a tiny percentage of the population are ever attacked while running, it is unlikely Molly would have ever seen it coming. But you conservatives keep telling yourselves that this is a "problem" that warrants packing heat everywhere you go. It drives conservatives nuts because most gun owners end up shooting themselves, a loved one, or their child over an actual bad guy.

Tmill is already a check but I'm not going to do a 20 mile run in the summer on a tmill. I just wanted to brain storm with other people different/best options to protect oneself while running outside . I think that at times (not all the time) but sometimes safety is a concern that some women do have especially those running independently. A group would be awesome unfortunately to fit in runs it means getting out the door really early/late and coordinating that with others schedule would make things near impossible. When I didn't have kids it was more doable but I still ended up running solo more often than not. Thanks for the serious responses I do think it's important to consider what our options are rather than remain unaware.

Offense is your best defense. Always engage the attacker and put up a vicious fight. Most sexual offenders are looking for a particular personality type, They do not want or plan for resistance.

Carry a fork and plunge it into the pathetic MF'er.

Zee wrote:

Husband looking into getting me a hand gun or tazer to start taking with me on long runs. Anyone have experience /knowledge of what the best weapon (gun,tazer,pepper spray) to ward off an attacker?

I probably wouldn't use pepper spray. I had a friend who used to carry that religiously until the canister leaked in her pocket. She wasn't aware of this until she felt her thigh burning. It wasn't intolerable, but it certainly didn't make for an enjoyable day, especially on the run home. Also, keep in mind, if the wind starts blowing, you could end up partially spraying yourself with it.

I'm not sure how much you normally carry, but some apps have 'emergency buttons' that push your location to a pre-determined contact. A contact can also track you on apps like Life360 (one example of many) if you have it running in the background. Also, simple things like telling a person "I'm running this route and will be home in about an hour" are really effective ways of raising an alert quickly if something happens to you on a run. These won't necessarily save your life if you get attacked, but at least somebody would know you're in trouble before you completely disappear, and that should raise your probability of survival.

Whatever weapon you choose, know how to use it effectively. A knife is probably better than a gun due to weight and the potential of misfires, but keep in mind that any weapon you have can also be used against you. Because of this, my suggestion would be to take a self-defense class before you pick a weapon. If you're still worried after taking that class, I'd suggest always knowing the area you're running well enough to never be lost and have 'escape routes' planned for when you get nervous or uncertain of your surroundings. These routes will obviously depend on where you're running but generally would either make it where an attacker has to follow you on foot through an area you know well and (hopefully) they don't or would put you in a very public place very quickly. If you get cornered and can no longer flee, go all-in fighting for your life.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do and how it works out for you.

Make plans to run with like-minded women. Where I live there are a handful of groups of women that meet up to run each morning. It'll be more fun that way anyway.

I suggest you determine what is LEGAL to carry and in what situations you can use it. This varies by state (assuming we are talking about USA here).

Gonna go out on a limb here and recommend most female runners start carrying a trident with them on their runs. Would probably help. Just saying.

how useful is a knife against multiple attackers? how effective is pepper spray against rabid animals?

A tactical flashlight that can blind the attacker and/or hit him in the head.

Your best bet would be to run with another runner.

Pro/Con on pepper spray: The pro is that it's light and you can carry it in your hand with a handgrip holster or on your waistband with a clip. The cons are that there is no way of being positive that the canister has sufficient pressure to work and if you miss the face, you won't stop the attacker. If you don't practice turning it on and spraying it, it can be difficult to turn it on... especially in a life-threatening situation. Pepper spray won't stop some people.

Guns: You know very little about guns, right? You'll need to get a HCP/CCW permit, or whatever they call it in your state to legally carry a handgun. You'll have to attend an HCP training class and pay a fee to the state for an HCP license. I would STRONGLY suggest that you attend a women's or beginners self-defense with firearms class. You can find where these classes are held by visiting your local gun store. Many parks prohibit concealed carry, so you need to find out what the laws are on your trails.

The Glock 43 is too heavy for carrying while running and the trigger is a little too easy to pull. I would suggest the Ruger LCP or the LCP 2. Both are less than $300 and less than 11 ounces. You should carry in a waist belt with a sweat proof pouch that has either a velcro or snap fastener for quick access and to keep it from bouncing. The LCP and LCP 2 are so small you could probably adapt most water bottle waist belts to carry it. If you choose the LCP 2 with the light trigger, you should get a Kydex trigger guard/shield to cover the trigger to prevent it from snagging on anything and inadvertently firing. (It comes off automatically when you draw the gun.) The LCP has a harder to pull trigger and is less likely to fire in this situation.

If I ever felt the need to carry while running, I'd carry my older KelTec PT-AT. (The Ruger LCP is basically a clone of the KelTec, but the Ruger is made better so since you're starting from scratch, the Ruger would be a better choice for you.

You will, of course, need to practice shooting, cleaning, loading, and storing the handgun when not being carried. Cleaning will be important because you're going to get some sweat on the gun and that will corrode the metal parts.

For home safety, you want a safe like the First Alert 5400DF and bolt it to a bedside table. To open, in complete darkness, you put your hand in the handprint mold and press a code (like middle finger three times). Don't let your kids know the code, obviously. NEVER leave your handgun laying around, even for a minute.

Ok. There is some good info here from several ppl. I never really thought about practicing with pepper spray before hand but that makes a lot of sense. I also didn't realize that they make pepper gel. I'm not sold on a hand gun but thought exploring that option may be interesting. So thank you for the extra information regarding this.