In today’s era, it’s always a sound idea to carry a weapon everywhere you go. While traveling, one can bring a pocket knife on checked baggage and defend himself. Moreover, in Paris, people prefer to take a knife to a restaurant. That way, they have a sharpened blade ready to roll.
When you are on vacation, you are in an unfamiliar place. Thus having a self-defense tool on you at all times is mandatory. You won’t find me ever without a blade in my pocket while traveling. That is the reason I am never vulnerable. There are plenty of other reasons to carry a knife while traveling. In this post, I’ll cover why I believe it’s mandatory.
Confidence
When traveling abroad, at some point, you will feel unsafe. Because of that, we need to be ready at all times. Carrying a weapon like a knife gives us that boost of confidence we require. Being confident in such situations is essential. Since tourists are not usually taking a threat on them, they’re easy targets. You mustn’t be an easy target.
If a hostile attack you, you’ll be able to react. As a result, you might make the offender flee away. Imagine you are an attacker. You approach a guy that looks like a tourist. As you may know, a camera on the neck and additional signs. You advance to him, and then he pulls out a knife. What do you do? If you’re not using a gun or a pistol, you will most likely flee.
In addition, confidence is key to self-defense. When defending yourself using some tool, you must be confident. If you seem nervous, the attacker won’t have any problems getting what he wants, most likely your wallet and phone. However, if you fill yourself with confidence, you’ll be intimidating and flee away. I encourage you to read this post about tips for using a pocket knife for self-defense.
Self-defense
That is a no-brainer. But, relevant to discuss. If you’re a tourist and carrying a knife, it’s most likely for that reason. When traveling, it’s easy to feel defenseless. You’re in a foreign country or city, and you are not familiar with the culture. You know nobody and solely trying to have fun. As a result, many people may attack you since you’re an easy target.
If someone sees a helpless tourist, imagine what he thinks. He is confident he can steal from you. However, if you are carrying a pocket knife, defending yourself is peanuts. It is that simple. A knife is lightweight, accessible, carryable, and lethal. There is not a single reason you won’t be carrying one.
There are two main reasons why you’ll pull out your knife on someone. If someone approaches you, don’t panic. You got this under control. You are carrying a weapon, and you can ultimately avoid injuries. That is the boost of confidence we discussed earlier. The single best piece of advice I can share with you is to keep matters simple.
You can use the intimidation method or the offensive method. The intimidation method means you have to be confident. You are using your self-certainty to scare the attacker off. If he sees that you are as sure as you should be, he’ll flee. That is the best way to avoid injuries, which is our goal.
The second way of fighting off such a threat is to attack yourself. You are using this because two things happened. First, you are unable to use the intimidation method. Second, when it doesn’t work. Only then you’ll attack the offender. It’s important to note that you’ll most likely get injured when being in such a fight. As a result, try to avoid it altogether.
Everyday tasks – A well-sharpened knife is a fantastic tool. It can be beneficial for many jobs that you may need to perform daily. I order online a lot. Because of that, I open packages more than the average person worldwide. As a result, I constantly need to have a blade on me. That allows me to open these packages with ease.
*SENSITIVE CONTENT*
That is a single example. There are plenty more that a sharp blade will excel. For instance, you may need to cut certain things to use them. Cutting rope is a mission that you need a knife.
While you are traveling, you must have a knife on you. That is because you want to be ready for anything. You can never know which things you’ll have to perform. Thus carrying a tool on you is extremely important.
Last year, I was in Spain. I am a fanatic of carrying a knife on you at all times, even in Spain. Later that day, I was shopping and bought a bottle of soda. I was eager to open it since my thirst was taking me over. Luckily for me, as soon as I exited the store, I pulled up my knife and opened the bottle. I didn’t have to rely on anyone nor anything.
Ultimately, having a knife on you gives you this sense of independence. In my eyes, that feeling is super beneficial to you enjoying the trip. As a result, I encourage you to carry a tool on you at all times while traveling.
Assisting others
At most times, I don’t travel by myself. Because of my experience, I feel as if I’m the defensive authority. That is why I carry a lethal weapon on me at all times. In any case of a hostile attacking my group or my surroundings, I can react.
Moreover, even abroad or in another state, someone has to protect others. I served in the military for a few years. If there’s one lesson I take home with me, it is always the one who is ready. People constantly rely on others to protect them. While that is each person’s choice, I prefer to be the ready one. As a result, I can look out for other people and assist others.
There are plenty more cases where you need a knife to save a life. Life may be an animal that is stuck on a fence, and you notice it. Later, you can easily cut the barrier to set it free. Would you have been able to do that without a blade? I assume most people wouldn’t.
That is one example of a scenario when you need a knife. If I’m creative enough, I can come up with one hundred similar situations. Even while traveling, it’s vital to have that edge (no pun intended) on others.
Accessible
We are all familiar with the fact that a knife is an accessible weapon. It’s compact and easy to pull. As a result, it became popular amongst people who wish to defend themselves. Same as a pistol, you can have it on the side of your body or in your pocket.
One of the reasons I carry a pocket knife while traveling is because it’s accessible. In times when I need to use it, I have it on me. Pulling it from my pocket takes around 2 seconds. Thus whenever I feel there’s a need to pull the blade out, I can do it in no time.
Some people carry their weapons in their bags or in an inaccessible place. That is simply wrong. The whole point of having a knife on you is to be ready for anything. How are you fit for anything if you can’t access your knife in a few seconds?
The same applies to soldiers who have a plate carrier on them. They don’t have to have it on them at all times. All they need is a weapon and a magazine to do their job. That’s it. So, how come they wear it at all times? Because it assists them in carrying their essentials at accessible spots. That way, they can carry up to 10 magazines and pull out each one of them in a few seconds. Additionally, operators carry their medical supplies on it or tactical belts.
Ultimately, carrying a knife is a matter of having it at an accessible place. That way, you can be ready for any situation that may come upon you. I recommend that if you carry a knife while traveling, pack it in a spot where you can pull it out in mere seconds.
Be ready for anything, anytime.
Similar to the previous reason, carrying a knife means you are ready for anything anytime. When you are abroad or in another state, you may feel defenseless. That is perfectly normal. Because of that, we want to avoid these feelings. Hence we carry a knife.
Having a sharp blade on you is extremely calming. You know that if somebody charges at you at any given time, you can disable the hostile. Additionally, whenever you feel like your surroundings are in danger, you can use your knife to assist others in need.
From my service, I can tell you that it’s all about being ready. If your plan makes sense and is bound to happen, you’ll most likely come out winning. However, if your planning is sloppy and everything goes out of control, you may end up losing the engagement.
People plan special operations with great caution. They know that if they get one detail wrong, everything falls down the drain. You have to be familiar with this concept. Because of that, you won’t carry your knife in your bag. For that reason, I take a sharpened weapon on me at all times while traveling.
Lightweight
When we travel, we always try to pack light. That is because we want to be as mobile as possible with as few interruptions. Because of that, people don’t carry a rifle everywhere they go. They might seek to feel safe. However, it is not worth the trouble. You might be ready to fire, but if you’re carrying an LMG everywhere you go, you’ll be miserable.
A knife is lightweight. One of the reasons it became such a popular self-defense weapon is for that reason. When someone carries a knife, one might not even notice and forget all about it.
Similar to a pistol, a knife is usually inside your pocket or in a tactical spot. People who carry light threats wear fitting clothes to have them suitably. You may notice that many people who carry pistols wear long pants. However, when somebody has a knife on them, one only needs a pocket. At some point, you might even forget that you are bringing a knife.
In my military service, I learned that being light is the name of the game. When you walk for miles on end, being slender means everything to you. A difference of a mere pound is substantial. That could be the difference between having to stop or continuing your march. Because a pocket knife is lightweight, I carry it all the time when traveling.
Easy to use
Owning a gun takes practice. You are required to be at a shooting range for long hours and shoot it. As a result, most people who don’t have time don’t try to buy a gun. Being a well-rounded shooter takes time. It takes practice to load the gun properly and even insert a magazine into it. As a result, guns are not as popular as other easier-to-use weapons.
A knife does not require any practice whatsoever. Hell, you can even order a pocket knife from Amazon as we speak. Thus knives are more popular amongst people who don’t want to shoot a pistol once a week.
All you have to do to use a knife against an attacker is solely pull it out at the right time. You can take classes or hire a self-defense tutor. That will make you better at self-defense and using a knife. But, you can use a knife whoever you are. That is if you are allowed to carry a knife from the beginning.
Don’t get me wrong. Getting self-defense classes or krav-maga lessons is suited for you to have. It will increase the odds of you avoiding injuries against a real hostile. In addition, I recommend you to have one of these classes, as I think they are incredibly essential. However, anyone can use a knife without practice.
Safe
Although the opposite makes more sense, carrying a knife is safe. Moreover, there is probably no safer self-defense tool you can have on you that is safer. Because of that, whenever I have my pocket knife on me, I am not afraid it might stab me by accident.
Similar to a pistol, a pocket knife has a safety mechanism. In it, you can’t shoot it unless you deliberately load it first. It is impossible to click the trigger. As a result, carrying it in public is safe.
In a pocket knife, there is a safety mechanism. Whenever you don’t pull it out, it’s locked. As a result, the blade is not available to use unless you pull the knife up on purpose. Because of that, don’t worry that it will stab you inside your pocket.
While traveling, it’s even more essential for you to stay safe. Thus I carry my pocket knife inside my pocket whenever I’m traveling. That helps me defend myself in time of need. I have it to avoid injuries and to assist others. Because of that, I can’t carry an unsafe knife and let it injure me. I take a blade with a safety mechanism pre-installed in it. That way, I stay safe throughout my trip.
Lethal
I believe you are starting to get into my shoes. I carry a weapon like a knife for self-defense purposes. It’s easy to explain why I have it, as I’m doing in this post. However, most posts I read about these topics are family-friendly style. I will not spare from you any information and will tell you the complete story.
I carry a pocket knife on me at all times because it is lethal. That is the biggest reason for this fact. It is sharp and can seriously injure someone. However, with this much power, you are obliged to show maturity. You can’t use this fascinating weapon for the wrong purposes. You are required to use it for the sake of defending yourself and your surroundings.
There are many terrorist attacks in which the terrorist was using a simple kitchen knife. It is not a problem using one. As a result, whenever you are using one, ensure it is for the correct purpose. I can’t forbid you from using a knife for any purpose you like to. However, you are already reading this post, so I may hardly tell you my opinions on the matter.
A self-defense weapon ought to be lethal. You are using it to defend yourself, and if it has no threat whatsoever, the hostile won’t be afraid of using it against the unfriendly. That is why you need to sharpen the blade of the knife constantly. It is not so it can cut tomatoes smoothly. It’s for the fact that you are using it to defend yourself, and it needs to be able to injure someone.
Cheap
One of the reasons I carry a pocket knife internationally is because it’s cheap. Most of us track our monthly income and expenses. We don’t want to spend more than we earn. Owning a self-defense weapon can be rough in the pocket. As a result, most people who can’t afford a gun will prefer not to buy one.
A knife is a cheap alternative to a self-defense weapon that anyone can get. As a result, it became popular amongst people who can’t afford a rifle or a pistol. In addition, it is one of the reasons that as soon as I could legally carry a knife, I purchased one. When I was younger, I was broke. I couldn’t afford any threat, let alone a pistol. Later, I bought my first pocket knife.
I still have that knife that I first bought. I like to my first blade to remind myself of why I carry knives in the first place. Usually, I prefer to take a weapon on me and not a knife. However, when I travel, it’s simply not possible. As a result, I take my knife whenever I travel.
Conclusion
It’s safe to say that I like to carry a knife. Whenever I travel, I feel defenseless. That is why I prefer to have a knife on me at all times. That way, I can avoid injuries if a hostile notices an innocent tourist and tries to rob me. And I can assist others that might need my help. You’ll not find me injured without a pocket knife on me whenever I’m abroad.
I encourage you to purchase a self-defense tool for yourself and carry it at all times, even while traveling. In addition, on this website, I write about pocket knives and different knife legislation. Read more of my work here.