Paint ball with pepper spray?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Have you ever heard the expression about bringing a knife to a gunfight?

I would never consider pulling a machete on a Guatemalan (or many other countries where they learn to use them before they can walk)...would not likely end well.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

I would never consider pulling a machete on a Guatemalan (or many other countries where they learn to use them before they can walk)...would not likely end well.

Hint: Don't pull a knife on someone who has a gun either. Or even may have a gun.

[roygee]

Captain Fred, Peter Blake did not know how to use his firearm. The outcome could have been vastly different if he had been proficient in using his equipment.

[GoingWalkabout]

I recall when I was taking a truck loaded with food and medicine covered with a blue tarp across the mountain from Jakmel to a remote orphanage in Haiti. This was day 5 following the disastrous earthquake when the population was injured, hungry and desperate. My driver was a local and I was the sole person with him. No guns, not even a bass ball bat. We set out mid afternoon on a mission to supply a the clinic in the orphanage and the orphanage itself that had run out of food and medical supplies. It was something I just had to do. And yes the worst happened. As we turned a corner on the long mountain road I saw up ahead a log across the road. As we approached youths brandishing machetes came out onto the road. It was intense. We got out of it without being robbed even those these people were as desperate as you could imagine. Our truck was not looted. I asked the driver what he told them and he explained that we were taking food to starving orphans. Unbelievably looking back we were let through and a few hours later made it to the orphanage. I was also stopped again on the mountain road again by machete welding youths this time with 3 doctors I was ferrying to a remote clinic. This time as before we got through. I have been taken at gunpoint in another part of the world and have been stopped with gunmen trying to car jack me in Argentina. In all if I had a weapon I am not sure that I would have lived. Sometimes trusting in someone greater than oneself brings about a solution that is inexplicable. Than again I have been very lucky for which I am very thankful. But armed pirates do scare me far more than machete welding Haitian ' s. Bottom line is that I do not today know what I would do with an uninvited boarding but I also know from my training as youth to "be prepared". Sorry if I have been too long winded and sorry for not having a good answer to what is being discussed.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Again, you're going to bring a knife to a gunfight?

While sailing US waters, we always had an AK47 or Mossberg Mariner 12ga shotgun onboard. But right now, we're in Italy where having a gun would land me in prison. So yes... in Italy sharp objects and a plan is the best we can do.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Going Walkabout

I recall when I was taking a truck loaded with food and medicine covered with a blue tarp across the mountain from Jakmel to a remote orphanage in Haiti. This was day 5 following the disastrous earthquake when the population was injured, hungry and desperate. My driver was a local and I was the sole person with him. No guns, not even a bass ball bat. We set out mid afternoon on a mission to supply a the clinic in the orphanage and the orphanage itself that had run out of food and medical supplies. It was something I just had to do. And yes the worst happened. As we turned a corner on the long mountain road I saw up ahead a log across the road. As we approached youths brandishing machetes came out onto the road. It was intense. We got out of it without being robbed even those these people were as desperate as you could imagine. Our truck was not looted. I asked the driver what he told them and he explained that we were taking food to starving orphans. Unbelievably looking back we were let through and a few hours later made it to the orphanage. I was also stopped again on the mountain road again by machete welding youths this time with 3 doctors I was ferrying to a remote clinic. This time as before we got through. I have been taken at gunpoint in another part of the world and have been stopped with gunmen trying to car jack me in Argentina. In all if I had a weapon I am not sure that I would have lived. Sometimes trusting in someone greater than oneself brings about a solution that is inexplicable. Than again I have been very lucky for which I am very thankful. But armed pirates do scare me far more than machete welding Haitian ' s. Bottom line is that I do not today know what I would do with an uninvited boarding but I also know from my training as youth to "be prepared". Sorry if I have been too long winded and sorry for not having a good answer to what is being discussed.

The lesson to be learned here is to stay away from places where you are more likely to be attacked. I have never felt the need for a weapon and I'm sure if I told my wife we needed to carry a gun on the boat to protect ourselves, that would be the end of our boating.

What's the fun of being somewhere if you have to be constantly on guard and looking over your shoulder? How do you sleep at night?

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by rwidman

The lesson to be learned here is to stay away from places where you are more likely to be attacked. I have never felt the need for a weapon and I'm sure if I told my wife we needed to carry a gun on the boat to protect ourselves, that would be the end of our boating.

What's the fun of being somewhere if you have to be constantly on guard and looking over your shoulder? How do you sleep at night?

Sounds to me like the fellow was doing missionary work... not cruising.

[Crosis]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Something I have heard, is that people who eat a lot of jalapenos or habaneros are not adversely affected by pepper spray, so if you are in south/central America or Nigeria it may not be effective to be shooting pepper spray.

That's an urban legend. The concentrated oleoresin capsicum in the paint balls is not affected by ingestion of peppers just like drinking 8 glasses of water a day doesn't keep you from drowning.

[Crosis]

Originally Posted by rwidman

The lesson to be learned here is to stay away from places where you are more likely to be attacked. I have never felt the need for a weapon and I'm sure if I told my wife we needed to carry a gun on the boat to protect ourselves, that would be the end of our boating.

What's the fun of being somewhere if you have to be constantly on guard and looking over your shoulder? How do you sleep at night?

I have never heard a more left wing statement in my life. Do you have locks on your doors? How do you sleep at night if you have to be that careful? Do you have a fire extinguisher on board? How do you sleep at night being so afraid of fire???

How myopic and unrealistic. Being on guard is part of life with humans and having a gun to protect loved ones is not even remotely like looking over your shoulder all the time. Its no different than having a fire extinguisher in case of fire. I am sure you have a few of those.

[captain58sailin]

I drink 8 glasses of water a day, and I haven't drowned yet.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Crosis

I have never heard a more left wing statement in my life. ...................

Seriously?

I have no idea how you came up with that response. You completely misunderstood my post.

[handcrafter]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Why do multiple people always bring up the wasp and hornet spray myth on these threads? WTF? Just a sure way to really piss somebody off and put your life in more danger. Get a big ass knife, spear, machete or tomahawk and get the job done right.


I used to work with the wasp spray all the time when I was a house painter, it doesn't do anything like you describe.... "permanently blind the person"... yeah right.. what a joke. Like they're really going to sell a product at the local hardware store that some idiot can accidentally spray into their own eyes and permanently blind themselves. Just stop and think about it....

Your own experience doesn't match up with what Wasp and Hornet spray can do. Look at the ingredients, it's made up of nerve agent chemicals that are also caustic to eyes and lungs. There are many chemicals sold over the counter that have specific usage instructions and big warnings against being clumsy. Having said that, you could prove your case by posting a video of yourself taking a full can of spray unloaded in your face. However that worked out it would tell the story of whether Wasp & Hornet spray is fact or fiction for personal protection.

[GoingWalkabout]

I think CQC (Close Quarter Combat) training for defence along with offensive weapons of various kinds depending on your skill level is needed if travelling. Given the limitations of flight on a boat unless you are willing to surrender and take whatever comes at the hands of your assailant you have no other option than to fight. How you choose to defend yourself is a life and death question. For me I'm going back to do some training before my planned circumnavigation which will include South America.

If you look at this video it will show you some of the training that could save your life. And by the way this training is based on you being unarmed and taken by surprise.

http://youtu.be/y3ruUI0uliE

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Sounds to me like the fellow was doing missionary work... not cruising.

Not missionary work. I was there doing search and rescue and setting up field medic units.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by handcrafter

Your own experience doesn't match up with what Wasp and Hornet spray can do. Look at the ingredients, it's made up of nerve agent chemicals that are also caustic to eyes and lungs. There are many chemicals sold over the counter that have specific usage instructions and big warnings against being clumsy. Having said that, you could prove your case by posting a video of yourself taking a full can of spray unloaded in your face. However that worked out it would tell the story of whether Wasp & Hornet spray is fact or fiction for personal protection.

Not meaning to be argumentative here, and this is added with a friendly tone, simply to further the discussion of the topic.

I think it is false logic to assume that because someone does not volunteer to be videoed receiving a full can of some spray in their eyes that it is an effective self defense item.

I would not want to have a full can of typical hair spray (or paint, or deodorant, or air freshener or even whipped cream) sprayed into my eyes. Those do not contain healthy contents either. BUT, though I will not volunteer to have a full can unloaded into my eyes, I will NOT consider it a practical self-defense device to stop an attacker (despite the Hollywood movies that show them used with a lighter to blow torch the villains).

I am not a "bad guy," so if someone I was approaching showed a can of wasp spray with which they threatened to spray me, I would probably laugh, avoid them, or if pissed off by them, disarm them.

But, I believe a real "bad guy" who wants something (money, rape, etc.) would likely be incensed (no, not with incense ) and he would be enraged to the point of a vicious reply to the wasp spray attempt.

Just threatening them with the can of spray? I think that would be ineffective too.

In short, I think depending on "Wasp Spray" is really false security and likely ineffective against someone who is determined to do one harm or get what they want (while using some weapon or force).

But as with anything discussed here: YMMV. Do what YOU feel comfortable doing and then live or don't with the results.