TexasCHLforum.com

Hey Everyone,

I have been lurking for awhile but it's nice to meet y'all with a post. :-)

I am looking for some suggestions of protection to carry on campus this fall. I will be attending a pretty large campus this fall. Since I can't carry my gun on campus I am wanting something else but not really sure what. I will be doing a lot of walking between parking and the building my classes are in (couple of miles). With as many hours as I am taking, I will probably be up at the library after dark several days a week. There aren't any medal detectors that I know of in the buildings I will be in so that's not going to be a problem.

I am not too keen on pepper spray because the wind around the west texas area is pretty breezy most of the time (facing the wind with only a bottle of pepper is a recipe for stupid) and well... pepper spray just seems lame. So any suggestions of something that might be decent alternative? I do wear jeans and boots quite a bit so I can wear something strapped to my ankle. I can conceal something under my jackets as well.

What do you do when you can't carry?

LainD

I carry a cane which works at my age. May not work for a college student. Steel barreled pen might work for you. The F-701 can be picked up in any Office Max or similar store fairly cheaply. A Taser or other shocker works too. Finally a folding knife is an option as well. And don't forget your backpack or computer bag. Might be able to swing something like that pretty good.

Most of the time I am unable to carry (I'm active duty on Fort Bliss, hence no carry), so I generally carry a good fixed blade knife with a minimum blade length of 3 inches. Combine that with some basic self defense classes (most colleges offer something along those lines, even some martial arts Intramural activities) and you should do just fine in MOST situations. It is not as comforting as having a pistol on your hip, but that is better than nothing.
Also don't be too put out by mace, it will still do its job at extreme close range (even in the wind), and let me tell you.....it sucks to get hit by that stuff
Your best weapon though would be your situational awareness. With that you will be able to pick up on potential situations and formulate a plan of action before you even get close to a confrontation.

teraph wrote:Most of the time I am unable to carry (I'm active duty on Fort Bliss, hence no carry), so I generally carry a good fixed blade knife with a minimum blade length of 3 inches. Combine that with some basic self defense classes (most colleges offer something along those lines, even some martial arts Intramural activities) and you should do just fine in MOST situations. It is not as comforting as having a pistol on your hip, but that is better than nothing.
Also don't be too put out by mace, it will still do its job at extreme close range (even in the wind), and let me tell you.....it sucks to get hit by that stuff
Your best weapon though would be your situational awareness. With that you will be able to pick up on potential situations and formulate a plan of action before you even get close to a confrontation.

Good suggestions. I have done enough MMA to be really annoying in a fight but I would probably be overpowered pretty quickly. Hence the reason I want something on me.I tend to be a really watchful person and even more so on campus since there are literally 10's of thousands of students on this campus each day. If I were to carry mace, does the brand matter? I have seen everything from $6-$50 for a can of mace. Mace probably wouldn't be as accessible since it would probably end up in my backpack most of the day. Once I get out of my car in the morning, I usually have everything contained in my backpack and don't carry anything else.

Do you know the limit on the size of fixed blade that can be legally carried in TX? I am kinda leaning towards a fixed blade for my boot or belt.

I can't help but chuckle at the fact that you are on a military base but can't carry.

LainD wrote:

teraph wrote:Most of the time I am unable to carry (I'm active duty on Fort Bliss, hence no carry), so I generally carry a good fixed blade knife with a minimum blade length of 3 inches. Combine that with some basic self defense classes (most colleges offer something along those lines, even some martial arts Intramural activities) and you should do just fine in MOST situations. It is not as comforting as having a pistol on your hip, but that is better than nothing.
Also don't be too put out by mace, it will still do its job at extreme close range (even in the wind), and let me tell you.....it sucks to get hit by that stuff
Your best weapon though would be your situational awareness. With that you will be able to pick up on potential situations and formulate a plan of action before you even get close to a confrontation.

Good suggestions. I have done enough MMA to be really annoying in a fight but I would probably be overpowered pretty quickly. Hence the reason I want something on me.I tend to be a really watchful person and even more so on campus since there are literally 10's of thousands of students on this campus each day. If I were to carry mace, does the brand matter? I have seen everything from $6-$50 for a can of mace. Mace probably wouldn't be as accessible since it would probably end up in my backpack most of the day. Once I get out of my car in the morning, I usually have everything contained in my backpack and don't carry anything else.

Do you know the limit on the size of fixed blade that can be legally carried in TX? I am kinda leaning towards a fixed blade for my boot or belt.

I can't help but chuckle at the fact that you are on a military base but can't carry.

A knife cannot be longer than 5.5 inches blade length, cannot be designed to be thrown, cannot be a dagger (to include dirk, stilleto or poniard) or a bowie (note the little b, which may be used to cover anything that resembles a big B Bowie knife) nor a sword or a spear. That leaves a LOT of fixed blade knives that are quite legal to be carried in the State of Texas, IMHO. I'm not good at posting pictures exactly, but the knife I carry can be seen here: http://www.knivesplus.com/bokerknifebk-ya100.html. That is merely one style/type and kind of a cheap knife I will admit, many others are quite acceptable (unless you live in San Antonio, from what I've been told and read on here), and likely better quality. This is just starter information, it would be good for you to do more research and make an informed decision for yourself and your circumstances. IANAL nor an LEO, and nothing I say should be construed as telling you something is or is not exactly correct, etc.

Look at the kimber pepper blaster (several MPs here like the fact that it is shaped like a pistol). You could carry this on a belt too (there is a carry pouch that they have for sale)

http://store.kimberamerica.com/Products ... fault.aspx

As for knife length...I did some checking and I found that 5.5 inches is the limit, but hopefully a LEO can confirm that for me (the ones in/around El Paso tend to not care as long as it isn't auto, butterfly or dagger)
A quick question about your MMA, do you subscribe to the ground and pound or the stand up style? I only ask because (even though it seems like a lot of fights go to the ground) the best way to end a fight is to effectively put your assailant on the ground swiftly, efficiently and with enough force to "knock the fight out of them". At least according to several instructors that I have had the good fortune to talk to and work with

P.S. I wish I could carry on Post, might make some things better

LainD wrote:What do you do when you can't carry?

Well, at work, all I CAN carry is a pocket knife and my cell phone - but, if I were a student at a college or university, I'd have the Kimber Pepperblaster 2 (Google Kimber+Mac and check out Amazon's prices and the leather belt holster) on the belt, with a Taser in the backpack in one of the small pockets, ready to grab as a secondary device. Always, a cell and the best (closest to my classes) parking I could afford to get.

Wayne

On campus, I use a spork. Never underestimate the power of a plastic spork.

I am the same way. I am at class daily, year round.... I leave the gun in the car when I head to class and carry oc spray and a knife.

OC Spray: Sabre Red OC Spray... $8 a cannister I think?
CRKT M16 Folder.

OC spray is a fairly hotly debated topic, as far as brand name and concentration. When in the military, we recieved 'training' (read entertainent) on OC spray. I was probably sprayed 10 times over the 6 years with various brands and concentrations. The end result was this: THEY ALL HURT.

Some people are affected severely by OC spray, some aren't. If they are going to be affected, it isn't going to really matter what concentration or how hot it is... it's gonna burn regardless. Some more than others, but even the lighter stuff is enough to tear your eyes up badly and clean out your sinuses. I saw a few guys over the years who were not affected at all by the stuff... and hated them for it. That is a rare thing though..

Keep in mind, OC spray isn't designed to take the fight out of someone or drop them- it's designed to give you, the administrator of the OC Spray, a fighting advantage. After I was sprayed, I could still complete an obstacle course, prone people out, wrestle, etc, albeit clumsily. Knowing this, I would srongly suggest your play-by-play to look something like this:

>Spray BG
>Run like heck
>After distancing yourself and arriving at a safe place, call LEO and let them sort it out.

Like I said, hotness, concentration, brand name... they are sort of like handguns and calibers. Everyone has an opinion, but in the end, when used corretly, they will do the same job...more or less. Whatever you use, don't expect them to drop like a sack of potatoes (although some will) and submit. They may be able to fight through it, so I would strongly suggest that you bail immediately.

YMMV.

pepper spray FOAM shouldn't be affected by the wind as much, right?

AdioSS wrote:pepper spray FOAM shouldn't be affected by the wind as much, right?

I can't answer for certain, I have never used foam. The advantage of foam is that it will have less blowback. For example, you spray BG with regular stream stuff, stream may bounce off of BG's face and into yours. Foam sticks together so particles don't go into the air and into your respiratory system as you breathe. I don't like any of that because I INTEND for every liquid molecule to get into any orifice and pore possible.

Another item for your campus EDC you might want to consider is a flashlight. Especially if you think you'll be around campus at night. Being in the military and not being able to carry on base I carry a knife, surefire pen, and flashlight at all times (better than nothing). Here is the flashlight I carry: http://ineedmoregear.com/featured-manuf ... lack-88031 having that 180 lumens hit the bg's eyes will definitely give you the edge and a few more seconds to decide what you have to do.

teraph wrote: Your best weapon though would be your situational awareness. With that you will be able to pick up on potential situations and formulate a plan of action before you even get close to a confrontation.

Good luck finding your solution! Be safe!

Someone else already mentioned that foam type pepper spray is a good alternative for windy conditions. And you can rely on pepper spray in most cases since it is based on a chemical reaction humans have, not on pain compliance (though that is there also). I have only met a couple people who could work through a decent pepper spray incident, and police get trained to not be totally incapacitated by it, but it is generally effective. I have seen a few people down and out of commission for a couple hours after being sprayed, even with EMS treating them and cleaning them up.

I also have a lot of faith in the Taser. They sell a civilian version that is not gun shaped so it will not cause nearly the alarm on campus that the police gun shape will cause. It is also good for a 30 second burst to give you time to drop it and run from the area. If used and documented by a police report on the incident, Taser will give you a new one free (might need to check that but it was their policy last I saw).

That and the knife and MMA should make you pretty safe. Situational alertness and not looking like a victim go a long way in stopping crimes against persons.

srothstein wrote:Situational alertness and not looking like a victim go a long way in stopping crimes against persons.

Handguns are certainly useful self defense tools, but mindset and tactics are more important. I believe someone who has good mindset and tactics but no gun is better prepared than someone in condition white who happens to be carrying a handgun. I also believe a good flashlight and OC (and a cell phone) are tools we should carry regardless.

That said, I drove to Austin last year for the committee hearings of both campus carry bills, and the legislature's refusal to pass the law will play a large factor in my response come November.

I'll second a good flashlight. I carry a Surefire E2D LED, but there are lots of other good choices.