Home // Preparedness & survival

Self-defense 101: Improvised weapons to use when SHTF

By Divina Ramirez // Feb 08, 2022

TAGS: bug out, disaster, Gear, improvised weapons, off grid, preparedness, prepper, prepping, self-defense, SHTF, survival, survival gear, Survival Tips, survivalist, weapons

---

Most preppers focus on essentials like food and water when prepping for a major crisis or off-grid scenario. But it's important to keep in mind that the vast majority of people won't be stocking up on supplies, which is primarily why crimes almost always skyrocket following a disaster. People simply get desperate.

Therefore, you should also stash weapons for self-defense, such as firearms. However, there could be situations in which you won't have your weapon with you or won't be able to get to it in time. If society collapses, your stash of ammunition won't last forever as well. In that situation, you will need to improvise.

Fortunately, there are many everyday items that you can use as weapons in a pinch. (h/t to BackdoorSurvival.com)

Types of improvised weapons

Improvised weapons can be divided into four main types, namely:

• Bludgeons – A bludgeon is any fairly heavy object that you can use to strike something with.
• Piercing – Any sharp or pointy object that can be used for stabbing and puncturing.
• Thermal – Thermal weapons were used during the medieval period to damage enemy fortifications. You can also improvise weapons to shoot or generate fire. However, such weapons have a very high risk of causing harm to the user, so these should only be used when you need to do something drastic to protect yourself, your family members or your group.
• Chemical – You can also improvise a weapon using highly irritating chemicals. For example, you can fill a toy squirt gun with bleach.

Improvised weapons for self-defense

The following are everyday items you can improvise as weapons for self-defense when SHTF:

1. Box cutter – You can easily cut yourself with a box cutter if you're not careful with it. This is why it makes a formidable weapon in an emergency. It's also extremely cheap.
2. Precision knife blades – A precision knife may have a much smaller blade than a box cutter. However, you can use several of those blades to improvise a weapon. Attach a blade to the end of a stick to make an arrow or a makeshift knife.
3. Pen – With enough force, you could use a pen to stab or puncture an attacker.
4. Car keys – Improvise brass knuckles with car keys by holding your keys and closing your hand such that the keys are poking through the spaces between your fingers.
5. Tire iron – A tire iron can inflict some serious damage when used as a bludgeon.
6. Mug or tumbler – A heavy coffee mug or a steel tumbler makes an effective bludgeon.
7. Fire extinguisher – Dry chemical fire extinguishers make good non-lethal weapons. The chemical stream can get into the attacker's nose, mouth and eyes and temporarily incapacitate them. You could use it to bludgeon the attacker as well.
8. Belt – You can use a belt to hit or strangle an attacker. (Related: 16 Survival uses of a leather belt.)
9. Flashlight – Shining a flashlight onto an attacker's eyes can temporarily blind them, giving you a chance to escape.
10. Cane – A cane can inflict serious damage if swung hard enough at an attacker.
11. Umbrella – Though the pointy end of an umbrella is unlikely to actually pierce the skin, it can still cause immense pain if used as a stabbing weapon.
12. Purse or bag – Swing a heavy purse or bag to fend off an attack.
13. Rocks – Blunt, heavy rocks can cause bruises or even break bones, while sharp, jagged ones can cut.
14. Slingshot – Slingshots are viewed as more of a toy than an actual weapon. But a big, sturdy one can double as a makeshift weapon in a pinch, especially if you use it with sharp, jagged rocks.
15. Screwdriver – Screwdrivers make excellent makeshift stabbing weapons.

Knives and firearms aren't the only weapons you can use to defend yourself when SHTF. You can use many everyday objects as weapons in a pinch, such as belts, bags and car keys, to name a few.

SHTF.news has more articles with tips on how to defend yourself.

Sources include:

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

BackdoorSurvival.com

bug out disaster Gear improvised weapons off grid preparedness prepper prepping self-defense SHTF survival survival gear Survival Tips survivalist weapons

---

---