Weapons on board ?????

As a person who does not own a gun or rifle and has not fired one since his days in the military I am wondering if there is some other way to protect onself and ones family? I am referring to maby taser gun or maby something to stun? Rubber bullets? Something non lethal that might get the job done.

I am wondering if there is some other way to protect onself and ones family?

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codgerbill, the world is full of other ways. The most effective is actually, easy to do. Just don't be where the trouble is. Sounds simplistic, but it isn't. We all have a "sixth sense," that cautions us sometimes that something isn't right. Pay attention to it, and give it its due. Be aware of your surroundings, always. Leave when you become uncomfortable. The Bad Guy is looking for a victim who is asleep or blissfully unaware. Take a few seconds to look around, now and then.

The most effective weapon I have ever had is a Boxer - a dog. Mine were trained, in the midst of unavoidable trouble, but that really isn't necessary, as dogs know all about that, when they are born. Any medium to large sized dog is a "protector," and far more accurate and effective than a gun. Any small dog is a "warning system," a burglar alarm. Ordinary "Obedience Training" is sufficient for a protection dog.

In order of effectiveness/usefulness, I place the gun and training for it, next. Now and then, caution and a dog are simply not enough. That is where the gun comes in. Others place little or no value on the gun, and the need for it certainly is rare. So, they might be right. I carry a gun, and have been where the rubber meets the road, many times. --- Just unlucky?  Don't know. Got the caution. Got the dog. Got the gun. Got the T-Shirt.

Non lethal weapons are not, in my opinion, good substitutes for the ordinary person. The taser, for example, is wonderful for cops. Solve a lot of problems at little cost and are rarely fatal. Great tool. An untrained person using the same weapon may have it fail, or turn on him. I have a lot of guns, and no tasers - no pepper spray.

You have unconventional weapons strewn around your house and RV. Tools, of all types - kitchen knives, etc, - anything heavy is a blunt intrument. Virtually all of them are legal to own, but legally become lethal weapons when used to threaten or injure another person. You need no permit to own those. You need to think about how one would use them, from time to time. (Become aware of their potential.) I have used that type of weapon, effectively.

Martial arts can be effective. Takes years of training, practice, more and continuous training. I have had some of that, and have relied upon it a fair number of times. It is no less dangerous/lethal, than a gun. If you don't want that for an everyday hobby, don't even bother to start.

Some things to think about.

Ray D  

All the diligence in the world may not be enough.The bad guy is usually faster,meaner and more ruthless.He is stalking you,not you him.I'll take handgun insurance anyday.

Ray D said:

...Also, you can buy ammo on line. I have never done that and don't know what hoops one has to jump through. But I have friends and associates who do it regularly. Google Handgun ammo. ...
Ray D  ;D

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I've never had a problem with CheaperThanDirt.com.

Thanks for asking this question because I was wondering myself.  When I told my dad that we are going to travel the States he told to get a will.  My husband has a gun licence as he like go shooting, mainly roo's and rabbits.  From reading this topic we might have to get some sort of weapon for protection.  Is it really that dangerous over in the USA?  We dont really have much problems with gangs or anything over here.  What about the wild animals over there, do you have many problems with bears and wild dogs ect?  Now I'm scared.

I have traveled teh states and I can honestly say there have only been two times I was concerned. Once while camping in Yosemite National park (signs everywhere promoting the use of bear boxes to store food regardless of the type of vehicle or RV) and we had a bear wander through in the early am hours. The dog knew something was out there, and maintained a low growl for several minutes. The next day we found out. The other time was while shopping in Fresno California. Several youths had watched us park and enter the store, and I stood inside the store and watched them. They approached the RV and started peeking in the windows. SURPRISE! Dog inside. They tried the outer storage compartments, but ran off when they spied me running at them.
Hind sight tells me that we had chosen a poor location to shop. I now have a few rules about stopping for anything.
1. Observe the area in general. If there is grafitti, keep moving.
2. If there are high fences around repair shops to protect the vehicles, keep moving.
3. If the houses in the area have fenced yards with fences higher than 4 feet, keep moving.
4. If the residences have garages and no cars are kept outside, keep moving.
5. If the gas stations have bullet proof glass, keep moving.
6. If the younger people look like they belong to a gang (dress, walk, actions, ect..), keep moving.

We normally will boondock at Walmarts, but I ALWAYS speak to the manager personally about the neighborhood. They know the area and can advise about vandalism, youth activity, ect. We also prefer State or National parks as a place to stay. It's cheaper, and quieter. We normally will camp in a privately owned camp ground when laundry is due.

As far as wildlife goes, keep the area cleared of food, follow the advise of signs or if you are in a park, ask a ranger.

Bottom line is this... If ANYTHING makes you uncomfortable, then it probably isn't worth stopping. Sleeping with one eye open results in a poor nights rest.

I do not carry a handgun, but as mentioned above, there are many items that can be used to protect yourself. Some common sense can prevent your ever needing to do that.

Sarah said:

Is it really that dangerous over in the USA?  We dont really have much problems with gangs or anything over here.  What about the wild animals over there, do you have many problems with bears and wild dogs ect?  Now I'm scared.

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Everyone will offer their opinion, but in a word, no, it is not that dangerous over here and you should in no way be scared to visit this great country.  Violent crime in the U.S. has been dropping rapidly since the early 1990's and continues to do so.  You can find more detailed information about the crime rates here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/sept09/crimestats_091409.html. 

I have never felt the need to carry a handgun on my person and I travel extensively both for work and pleasure.  Common sense and self awareness will prevent the vast majority of dangerous situations (see above post).  There are definitely a few remote areas where I would want a long gun for wildlife protection, but that is only if you are really isolated in some of the more remote areas of the West where foraging bears/coyotes are a nuisance to people. 

Again, the vast majority of violent crime in the U.S. is domestic violence and/or drug related.  Many people choose to arm themselves as is their right under U.S. law, but it is certainly not a necessity, nor should you be in fear during your visit.  Follow some simple precautions as mentioned above and you will have a great visit.

Christian

P.S. I think it is natural to fear the unknown.  I visited Western Australia last year, and I was much more terrified of the snakes and spiders when I visited the Outback than I have ever been of bears and people in the U.S...go figure. ;D

I've been backpacking, camping and RVing for over 40 years. I've never had an unpleasant encounter with any wild creatures (other than an occasional mosquito bite). Just remember while traveling that wild animals are, well, wild. Don't ask your children to stand next to the buffalo for a picture, don't try to get close to the rattlesnake for a picture. Don't leave food out on your picnic table or in outer compartments. Use common sense and you'll be just fine.

As for carrying guns, it's a personal choice. We've never felt the need. We've only been places that we felt not secure a couple of times and we just left and moved on to someplace where we did feel secure.

You'll be just fine and will enjoy visiting our country.
Wendy

I never owned a gun until we had some stuff stolen from our house. My Rv insurance is Mercury and my other insurance is Ruger.
I would rather be safe then sorry. I have only been in one situation about 16 years ago and wish I had a gun back then. 

I was reading this, wondering about carrying a weapon onboard when traveling. Had not seen the topic addressed in here till I did a search  I haven't traveled alone in a long time and I won't at night.  I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon here in Texas and intend to renew it. In my younger years I wasn't afraid of anything or anybody, but I guess as I've aged or listened to to many news programs I've become more cautious.

I will have my cellphone and hubby is going to put his CB in the motorhome, my only concerns are breakdowns. I'm already careful where I go in both Houston and also certain areas in the small town north of us and other places.

Even though we have neighbors I still live in the country, with my husband working away all the time I decided this was necessary.  Though I have a feeling my neighbors are likely armed to the teeth also. We have quite a few guns, all inherited from his dad and mine, from shotguns to rifles to all types of handguns. After the last hurricane when people were streaming through our area and some got on our road by mistake I decided I didn't want to be vulnerable again, even my husband got his too. 

I have told people do not ever come into my home and not let me know it especially at night, I will not take kindly to that at all and you might be in for a horrid surprise.  We have an automatic gate and a dog so you have to make an effort to come into my yard.

    Before you travel, check >  http://www.handgunlaw.us/  < regarding the states you intend to travel through for exceptions or special rules. Both of you get a nonresident permit from another state to give you more reciprocity options (we have Ohio resident and Florida nonresident permits) Florida added ten or so more states for us.
    Avoid suspicious areas and stay alert. Be ready to move on if things don't feel right. After nearly 30 years of Walmarts, rest centers and a few camp grounds, the wife and I have moved several times. Most problems we've had though, are noisy cars in parking lots or reefers in rest centers. By the way, we stay in the car side of rest centers to leave room for the truckers and it's quieter also. I would say that except when on site vending at fairgrounds / campgrounds, we spend 95% of the time at Walmart Supercenters. After 10 years, we've established a travel pattern and are familiar with areas along our route.   
    Hopefully you have a motorhome and don't have to go outside between a tow vehicle and trailer. If I had a trailer, I would definitely do things different than I do now.
    The main thing is don't let fear ruin your trips. Have fun and keep your eyes open just as you would around your home town.

Sarah said:

Thanks for asking this question because I was wondering myself.  When I told my dad that we are going to travel the States he told to get a will.  My husband has a gun licence as he like go shooting, mainly roo's and rabbits.  From reading this topic we might have to get some sort of weapon for protection.  Is it really that dangerous over in the USA?  We dont really have much problems with gangs or anything over here.  What about the wild animals over there, do you have many problems with bears and wild dogs ect?  Now I'm scared.

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Others have said not a problem and no worries.  That is absolutely true for where we travel and sightsee. Now if you were wandering around on foot in a depressed inner-city of a major American city looking lost and vulnerable, you would lose your wallet, watch, rings, etc in a matter of an hour or two (or sooner.)

Like others, we have hiked, biked traveled around the country for many years and miles and never ever felt unsafe from either two-legged or four-legged critters.  Even in Alaska (and Canada), you would have to be extremely unlucky to get attacked by an animal (but it does happen once in a while.)  We were in Haines, Alaska bear watching and a black bear was no more than a hundred feet (30 meters) from us - the bear had no interest in us.  Now if you surprise a sow with her cubs, I hope you can run faster than the other person in your party 

As blue-water sailors of a few years ago, to carry or not carry weapons was always a hotly debated topic among cruisers.  In a second or third world county (or offshore), you can't dial 911 (emergency) and expect quick help (or call the Coast Guard.)  When we took off for the Caribbean, we carried a stainless steel Mini-14 (cal .223) with a folding stock and 40 round magazines.  Always being law abiding, we declared the weapon every time we entered an county.  This got to be such a hassle (typically they would impound the weapon), we decided we would be better off without the Ruger, so we mailed it home.  Never missed the Ruger.

The question one needs to ask themselves is, "are you prepared to point your weapon at a person that lets say is stealing from you, and pull the trigger"?  At what point is deadly force justified (personally justified and legally justified.)  There were several instances of boardings of cruisers where the cruisers decided to fight back, the bad guys wound up with the cruiser's weapon and they shot the cruisers.  Typically, these were crimes of property that would have ended with a theft and not a loss of life.

We were burgled while anchored in Grenada - fortunately we were not aboard and no doubt the locals were watching our boat and waiting for an opportunity to swim out to us and steal things.  It was a terrible feeling, a sense of being violated, but in the end, it was just stuff we lost. In retrospect, we hated the situation, but it wasn't worth a loss of life.

On the flip side, if I am in a life-threatening situation, I'll use whatever means I have to protect myself and Jane.