Posts Tagged ‘personal alarms’

Top 10 Non-Lethal Self Defense Products

Sadly, it is not a “Leave it to Beaver World” and a time might come when you have to defend yourself. But as much as we love our guns though, Americans are not fond of the idea of blowing away a fellow countryman right on the street. At the same time, we can not just passively stand around and be robbed and raped. That is why we have embraced non-lethal forms of self defense. While the ancient martial arts are a great tool, the answer has been found in science with the development of new weapons. Most involve electricity or capsicum. Here are the top 10 non-lethal self defense products.

- The classic stun gun. Almost everyone is familiar with these and the sinister crackling noise and menacing electric arc they make. About the size of two large bars of soap, they can deliver charges up to 900,000 volt to disrupt the voluntary muscle system for around 10 minutes. Even an attacker that is drunk, high, or insane is not immune to it and, as scary as it is to get shocked by it, it is always non-lethal.

- Mini stun gun. With only slightly less power than its larger brother, it is still strong enough to “drop” an attacker yet small enough to fit into a pack of cigarettes. It is great for those who want to keep it in hand when going out to the car or walking down the street.

- Clandestine stun gun. The “cell phone” version is very similar to the mini but a bit larger. The “pen” version is about the size of a marker.

- Telescoping stun baton. Too big to really carry on the street but is great when walking in the woods or walking the dog. It can break up a dog fight while keeping your hands at a safe distance.

- Tazers. Also too big to carry but idea for home or car. It works on the same principal as the stun gun but buy firing darts with a wire back to the gun. It is a favorite of police because it can be used at a safe range.

- Classic mace/pepper spray. A compressed solution of capsicum that burns the eyes, mouth, throat and skin. Some of them come with ultraviolet dyes to help identify the attacker later.

- Clandestine mace/pepper spray. Similar to the clandestine stun guns but it has more options on shapes and size.

- Mace foam. This works the same basic way as the spray but cover the attacker face with the irritating foam. When the attacker tries to wipe it off to see it rubs it into the skin causing more burning. It is the size of larger mace sprays and can fire up to 10 feet.

- The mace gun. It looks like a small flare gun but fires 7 shots at a range of 25 feet, 3 times further than the sprays do.

- Personal alarms. These are small (keychain size) alarms that when activated put out a 130 db alarm. That’s as load as 8 100 db alarms going off at once. It is so loud it ca be heard at a ¼ mile. Some even have a flashing strobe to help identify its location.

So there they are, the top 10 non-lethal self defense weapons. Take responsibility for you safety and see if one is right for you.

Are Personal Alarms Really Effective?

Small, easy to conceal and can cause a racket when triggered.  No wonder personal alarms are one of the top selling self-defense gadgets in the market today.  Many people, particularly seniors, women and teens, prefer them because they are lightweight and easy to carry around.  They are also unobtrusive, particularly since many personal alarms are designed to mimic ordinary everyday objects.  But when you are staking your life on such a small device, questions inevitably arise: are personal alarms effective?  And how do they work to deter crime?

How personal alarms work
Personal alarms are designed to sound a loud alarm when switched on, usually with a button.  This button is usually referred to — appropriately enough — as the panic button.  The alarm is a high-decibel sound that’s meant to warn other people that someone needs help.  It can also be used to locate someone, such as a young child or an elderly, in case they get lost or need assistance.

Personal alarms are also the preferred choice for people who can’t fight back or can’t scream loud enough.

Are personal alarms effective?
Personal alarms emit a blaring noise that will only be shut off if the user pushes a button.  The noise can register at up to about 140 dB.  That’s a lot of noise if you consider that a train whistle only registers to about 90 dB.  Use this much noise against an attacker and you will cause panic or momentary confusion, giving you enough opportunity to fight back, bring them down, run away or alert someone that you are in imminent danger.

If the user is lost and need to be found, the personal alarm can be very effective in calling someone’s attention.  It’s also an excellent device to use to warn or alert other people during any kind of emergency.

Personal alarms can be very effective self-defense tools but they too, have their limitations and it’s important for users to recognize this so they know what to expect and are better prepared for certain situations when a personal alarm may not always work to their advantage.

While quite effective in deterring crime or a possible attack and in helping locate a lost loved one, the personal alarm may not always suffice in certain situations, such as when:

- The user is in an isolated area where no one else can hear the alarm and no one can come to the rescue.
- An assailant may forcibly take the alarm and turn it off, thereby rendering it useless.
- The alarm runs out of power.  This device needs fresh batteries in order to work.  In case the batteries die out when they’re needed most, the alarm will not be of any help.

In spite of its disadvantages, the personal alarm still has its own set of benefits.  The user simply has to understand what it can and cannot do so as to be able to maximize its use.