I’m guessing if you’re reading this, you have an interest in solo travel, but are hesitant because of the safety factor.

Let’s just start by saying what everyone is thinking – it’s absolute garbage that we even have to have articles about safety while traveling solo. Unfortunately, there are some people who think women are easy targets or who have evil intentions. So it’s best to pray we never need it, but be prepared just in case.

Because let’s be real, none of us want to have to live our lives afraid or avoid amazing opportunities simply because we’re a solo female traveler or don’t have a guy to travel with. Eff that. I’m not saying throw all caution to the wind. But I’m certainly not saying we need to sit at home with our doors locked unless we have a male escort.

Having traveled to a number of states and eight countries (so far), having taken self-defense and karate in college, and having a number of law enforcement friends, I have a bit of experience to share from what I’ve learned along the way.

Note: Seeing as most assaults and robberies are committed by men, I’ve written the article with the assumption of a male perpetrator for simplicity’s sake. However, I fully acknowledge that women commit these crimes as well.

Traveler Tips

There are a number of blog posts and other articles out there about traveler safety tips that work for both men and women – don’t forget to peruse a few of those! (Here’s an example from Kristin Addis of Be My Travel Muse.)

For example, keep copies of your passport and important documentation both at home and hidden in your bags away from your wallet. I also leave a tentative itinerary at home so my parents have some idea where I planned to go and with what timeline. I also check in with them via text when I arrive at a new hostel. Even if you don’t text your parents when you have internet, let friends at the hostel know if you’re leaving and where you’re going.

And don’t forget important phone numbers and other information! I always take a copy of the hotel/hostel’s business card so I have the phone number and address. This is also helpful so I can show it to a taxi driver or to a local for directions. Copy down embassy and emergency phone numbers in your phone, as well as on the copies of documents you’ve stashed away in your bag.

Self-Defense Classes

This is something I recommend whether you plan to travel solo or not. It’s a crazy world we live in, and knowing a couple self-defense moves is just plain practical. Even grocery parking lots close to home are often the target of assaults and robberies.

Self-defense classes are sometimes offered through Krav Maga schools or police departments for free or low cost. Even if a class isn’t on offer, Krav Maga or other martial arts schools may be willing to host a class if you express interest. Some classes, like one I know offered by a local police officer, was an afternoon event over four Saturday. Or you can find a class taught in just a few hours that’ll cover the basics.

In this COVID world we live in, you may be limited to YouTube videos for a while. These work too! Just be sure to practice these moves to help build muscle memory so your body responds faster and more naturally. I definitely recommend learning a couple moves to throw or pin an assailant. (No, you don’t have to be big or strong for this – you’re using the assailant’s weight and momentum against him.) If you have a guy friend you can practice on, even better. Put some padding on the floor, and practice throwing him to the ground.

Basic Self-Awareness

Let’s not forget some basic self-defense and awareness skills that aren’t physical, but can help avoid a confrontation to begin with. Because crap-tastic as it is, strolling along with music loud in our ears could make us a potential target. So be sure you can hear what’s going on around you. That’s not only good for self-defense, but also in case someone else needs help or there’s some other emergency. Consider just having one earbud in, or having the music low enough in both ears to still hear what’s going on.

Keep an eye on your surroundings. I know, I like to daydream and I can easily fall into my own world of distractions while walking, especially if it’s somewhere familiar. But don’t forget to look around you and keep an awareness for anything suspicious.

See somebody following you? Keep looking back now and then to let him know you see him. If it’s super obvious he’s following you and not simply going the same way, you could call him out on it. Perps like the element of surprise, so they’re more likely to pick another target or to drop the idea altogether if they realize they can’t sneak up on you.

Try to keep your dominant arm available — if you’re carrying groceries or bags of souvenirs, carry them in your non-dominant hand. That way your dominant hand is free to block a punch or to throw your own punch to the throat or diaphragm.

Download Maps of Your Travel Destination

This was a game-changer when I learned about the app Maps.Me! Paper maps are great, but they’re bulky and make it obvious you’re not sure where you are. They’re also a bugger to read if you’re at a location that’s not well-lit. (Let’s be real, avoiding dark locations is also a good tip, but sometimes you’ll be returning from a market or dinner at dark, even if it’s not late.)

Some other apps may work offline as well. But with Maps.Me you can download maps to use offline that can still track where you are on the map. That way if you’re, say, traveling in the Middle East like I was when I learned about this app, and you don’t have internet access away from your hotel, you can still figure out directions. Make sure to bookmark your hotel, destinations, bus stops, or any other sites you may need so you have access to directions when you need them.

A self-defense tool can be as convenient as a simple ring. The Defender Ring has a variety or tops so you can style it as you like.

Self-Defense Tools

The possibility of carrying any of these items greatly depends on where you are and any local laws. But these are certainly some items to consider! If you have any concerns about carrying an item listed below, be sure to check with an attorney to verify that you’re covered.

Pepper Gel vs Pepper Spray

Most of us have heard of pepper spray, but if you have a choice, I recommend pepper gel. The gel has a thicker consistency (as you’d expect from the name), which means it’s easier to spray directly at your assailant and less likely you’ll spray yourself as well. It’s highly likely with spray that you’ll get some in your own eyes or breathe it in yourself, even with minimal wind. This is because the spray is a finer, lighter consistency, and also because it comes out as a cone delivery, versus the stream of the gel. The gel isn’t a guarantee you won’t spray yourself, by any means, but it certainly helps.

Pepper gel also travels further than spray, allowing you to keep more distance between you and your assailant. (Gel travels about 8-12 ft. vs 6-12 ft. for spray.) Additionally, pepper spray may not be effective if it’s raining as the rain drops can interfere with the spray reaching your target.

Also, because the gel is thicker, it’s harder for the assailant to wash or wipe off in the midst of the attack. Trying to wipe it off only pushes it deeper into their pores or eyes.

Tiger Lady

The Tiger Lady claw was designed especially for female runners as a discreet form of self-defense they can have at the ready. It’s a small device that’s easy to grip and has retractable claws if you’re in a self-defense situation. It doesn’t need batteries or charging, it’s lightweight, a reasonable price, and the claws have hollowed grooves to collect blood or tissue for DNA evidence.

The claw is pretty handy because scratching at someone’s face or arms just feels like a natural response to being attacked. So you don’t have to be a self-defense guru with a strategy to use this tool. Keep it in your hands while running, or in a pocket if you’re out traveling and exploring but want something easily accessible.

While it won’t pin or maim the assailant, it’s certainly enough to deter most perps. After all, they don’t want or expect you to fight back! Most want an easy target and will run for the hills if you show you’re willing to fight. A good scratch across the face should suffice, and you have DNA evidence to back you up.

Defender Ring

The Defender Ring has a lot of similarities to the Tiger Lady claw, but it’s smaller and thus may be easier to carry. It’s a fashionable looking ring for which you can get a variety of tops, but inside there’s a sharp spike to slash or impale your assailant. Again, the ring holds a hollowed-out section for DNA collection, which is fantastic.

While the spike is smaller than the multiple claws of Tiger Lady, it’s literally always on-hand, and can still be a great deterrent. Hopefully a couple jabs to the face, hand, or arm are enough. But there’s always the throat or eyes if the assailant isn’t backing down.

The claws are faster to activate, though it’s a larger tool to hide and have accessible. The ring is readily available, but it can take practice unscrewing the top to access the spike (the website says about two to three seconds with practice).

Realistically, no matter what self-defense methods you use – whether the ring, claw, or hand-to-hand punches and throws – you’ll want to practice with them! The moment you’re startled and being attacked is not the moment to be figuring out how to hold the pepper gel or activate the claws.

Behold! The spike of the Defender Ring.

Personal Alarm

I mention these because most people have heard of them. Personally, I’m not so much a fan. The point of the alarm is to activate a loud, obnoxious sound to get the attention of those around you so they come to help. But when was the last time you saw anyone checking on a car alarm going off to be sure it wasn’t being stolen?

Also, if you’re in a crowded area, setting off the alarm may do nothing more than demonstrate the bystander effect. People may look at what’s going on, but no one jumps in to help because there’s an assumption that someone else will do it. (If you’re not familiar with this, look up the murder of Kitty Genovese.)

However, if you’re not keen on the idea of causing bodily harm to your attacker (even at the possible expense of your own life), then the alarm is an alternative. For one thing, if the assailant just wants to rob you or isn’t confident, the alarm drawing attention could be enough to make him give up.

Another option, which I think holds more potential, is to activate the alarm, then jam it to the assailant’s ear. It’s loud enough that the shrill noise could be enough to stop him, even if for a moment. And then you run like hell.

By the way, running like hell is always a viable option.

Stun gun

Stun guns are another option that I personally feel iffy about, but are certainly useful. The stun guns provide a crippling amount of voltage to bring the assailant down, hopefully long enough you can get a good head start running. They’re small, and potentially can even prevent an attack if the perp hears that cackling of the voltage. Some are made with a safety pin on a wrist lanyard, so if the attacker gets your stun gun away from you, he can’t use it against you. I will say, though, a bugger about this is that your stun gun has to then not only be readily available, but you’ll need the wrist strap on before any confrontation.

Unlike the pepper gel, claw, and ring, the stun gun will have to be charged regularly to ensure you can actually use it when you need it. But similar to the claw and ring, you’ll have to be in close proximity to the attacker in order to use it, whereas the pepper gel gives you several feet of distance.

There are also a number of laws to consider with stun guns. They’re not legal in all 50 states, and I’m sure traveling internationally with them is a bugger. (You can travel with a stun gun in your checked bag, but be sure to check about the legality of the weapon at your destination before you leave.)

If you’re leaning towards a stun gun for self-defense, be sure to do research on the laws as well as on which models are best. Some don’t work as well through clothing, some may require a few seconds of contact before the assailant is brought down, and not all models include the safety pin.

Carry a Rollerball Pen

Especially when traveling abroad, carrying a pocket knife or other weapon could lead to a whole slew of legal problems. Seeing as I tend to fly carry-on only for leisure travel, there’s no way I can carry a pocket knife or pepper gel. However, anyone anywhere can carry a rollerball pen. These pens tend to be sharp enough you can jab it into the assailant. Again, most perps want an easy fight and will back off after a few stabs with a pen.

I specify it should be a rollerball because the ink will flow more easily than a ballpoint pen. This can create a tattoo in the perp to help ID him to police. Even more impressive, forensic science can match pen inks, giving you more evidence should he argue the ink dots were from something else.

Also, if you’re able to keep the pen cap, DNA evidence can be spared to help your case. Even if you can’t find the cap again, law enforcement may be able to get a DNA match – the cap just helps preserve evidence.

These pens can be stashed everywhere as a “just in case” self-defense tool. Keep a couple easily accessible in your purse, carry one in a pocket or clipped to a tall boot. You could also stash one on your car’s visor or within easy reach of your driver’s seat.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article gave you a few ideas and perhaps more confidence to travel as a solo woman. Even if that travel is just in your hometown, you never know when the situation may call for some self-defense know-how. Even your local bike or walking path may have a couple creepers hanging around, making you thankful to have that pepper gel or claw with you. (Speaking from personal experience here.)

Don’t forget that it’s beneficial to have a combination of options at your disposal! For example, take a self-defense class, carry an alarm-cum-stun gun, and wear a ring.

Again, no matter what tools and resources you utilize, be sure to practice and become familiar with them first! The best preparation is having a plan and trusting your gut. And God forbid you ever need the plan.

If you still need a little motivation to venture solo, here are some benefits to traveling as a solo woman!

If you have any other tips or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below!

Happy traveling!

Pin me!