If you were to go searching for places to buy weapons that you could use to defend yourself in a crisis scenario, where would you go?
If you’re like most people, you may answer your local sporting goods store, where you can buy firearms, ammunition, knives, bows and arrows, and other defensive arms.
I’m not disagreeing with that, but there’s one more place you may want to check out: your local grocery store or supermarket.
As soon as a major disaster occurs, whether it’s a local-based disaster in your area or one on a larger scale nationwide, people are going to flood the local stores and supermarkets to buy as many provisions as they can get their hands on, such as food, water, hygiene items, and other household objects.
You may be one of those people, and while you’re searching for those above kinds of provisions, you can search for weapons too.
Some of the following may be a bit obvious, but others will be less so:
Baseball Bat
As much of a cliche as it is to say, a baseball bat can be used as a highly effective self-defensive tool to strike blows against an opponent, and it offers you more reach than a hammer or a wrench. Look for these in the outdoor section of the grocery store.
Axe
Most grocery stores sell large axes and splitting mauls in the hardware or outdoors sections.
Both can be used as defensive weapons, and can also be used to help break down wooden doors so you can make an escape out of certain situations.
Canned Goods
Besides being good for eating, canned foods are also heavy like aluminum cans and can be used as projectiles to strike at assailants. Likewise, you can also place them into a burlap sack to utilize as a club or tie them to paracord forming a perimeter around your house to serve as an alarm system.
Aluminum Cans
Aluminum cans filled with soda or beer are rather heavy and can cause damage when you throw them at attackers as projectiles. Alternatively, you can put several filled cans into a burlap sack, tie the sack shut, and then wield it as a makeshift clubbing weapon.
You can also wrap paracord around your home, and then tie cans filled with pebbles to the cordage. When the paracord is disturbed by a possible intruder, you’ll be alerted by the rattling in the cans.
Burlap Bags
This one is not so much a weapon as much as it is a defensive item, but I thought I would include it anyway.
You can buy burlap bags or sacks at some supermarkets, and then fill them with sand or pebbles to essentially turn them into sandbags. Then you can position them being your doors and windows to absorb incoming bullets and to provide you with cover.
Standing Coat Rack/Hat Hanger
It may be a bit cumbersome, but you can wield a standing coat rack or hat hanger as a defensive weapon by holding it with both hands and then wielding the pointy edges against an attacker to keep them at bay.
Related: 7 Homemade Weapons That a Prepper Should Have
Cooking Spray
You cover a hardwood floor with cooking spray, and it will naturally become very slippery. This can help you to create a ‘Home Alone’ sort of defense against home invaders.
Flashlight
Some flashlights are very large and heavy, and can double as clubs (such as the MagLite). I would look for flashlights in either the hardware or outdoor sections of the store.
Glass Bottles
It’s a well known defensive trick that you can use a glass bottle as a defensive weapon, either by the bottle itself or by smashing it and using a sharpened edge as a knife-type weapon. Alternatively, you can break a glass bottle and then place the pieces of glass around your home to act as a defensive deterrent.
Hatchet
If your supermarket has a sporting goods section, you’re likely to find a hatchet or a camp axe of some kind that you can use as a defensive weapon. These will be smaller and handier than the camp axes and splitting mauls I mentioned above.
Knives
Almost all grocery stores and supermarkets carry knives in them. You’ll find these in the kitchen section, and in the sporting goods/outdoors section, if your store has the latter.
Even if your grocery store lacks tactical knives, kitchen knives can still be great defensive weapons.
Hammer
Hammers are plentiful tools in the hardware sections at grocery stores. They can be used as devastating self-defense tools at close ranges.
Related: Off-Grid Tools You Need to Have on Your Property
Hot Sauce
Go ahead and laugh if you want, but spraying hot sauce onto somebody’s eyes is going to be nearly as effective as spraying pepper spray on them. Just mix together hot sauce and water in a plastic spray bottle.
Screwdrivers
It may not be as effective as a knife, but you can still use a screwdriver as a defensive tool to puncture holes in an attacker.
Umbrella
A sturdy umbrella can serve as a very handy defensive tool; you can open it quickly to block strikes from an opponent.
Wrench
Just like a hammer, a wrench can also be used as an effective self-defensive weapon to strike close quarters blows against an opponent. Look for this in the hardware section.
Most grocery stores and supermarkets sell a lot more than just food and beverages. If you get creative and look around, you can find tools that could even save your life.
In times of crisis however, being prepared for any situation is crucial. When societal norms break down and chaos reigns, the threat of violent individuals becomes all too real. In such situations, traditional defenses might not be enough against looters and intruders.
Fortunately, you can learn here practical strategies to defend your property against looters and intruders. From concealed razor-blade wire to automatic DIY tripwire alarms, this guide equips you to protect your home effectively. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
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What a great article….. when you could just edc a handgun or rifle
Yeah the grocery stores have lethal items to kill a criminal, a large long sausage and you can eat the evidence too, ha, ha!
Related topic;
Bidenomics as per China’s takeover of America, Greedy corporations, lawyers, judges and crooked government agencies are selling out America to foreigners.
America is being flooded with terrorist of the world, many still vote for the likes of progressive politicians of both party sides, mostly Demoncrats.
What are really prepping for?
US Steel by a Japanese corporation for $14 plus billions, we are a service economy of work at home nobody generation, no longer manufacture. China owns America’s everything, start learning Chinese many of you voted for China Joe selling us out.
There is no other country for Americans to run to. If everything is so bad in America, why does the world want to come to America, America, now they land of freeloaders, taxpayers are real suckers.
Let’s go Army values, these are not the same values the old veterans signed up for, like “Be all you can be.” It is now whatever the DEI so it is to the Marxist indoctrinated troops in those branches of service. Since females crept into the combat units, standards have been lowered.
The only reason there are more females than men is the depopulation of men in combat on both sides of the wars from the Roman times to present day conflicts.
With all the illegals here in America, what does it matter if we are legal or illegal, they get the same benefits as native Americans? /and it don’t matter what skin color we are, we are all getting screwed.
America’s invaders are terrorists, psychopaths, criminals, mentally disturbed roaming free killing us in the streets and at home. While Biden, Obama and blue states try to disarm us Americans defending us and our family from the wicked.
Biden opposes the sale of US Steel to Nippon. He’s not supporting it.
Your comments on women in combat are not correct.
Perhaps step away from the kool aid for a minute, get facts and validate your assumptions? Just a thought.
My supermarket does not sell ax’s or baseball bats. What it does sell is wasp spray and other bug sprays that reach out to about 20 ft. effectively. I know the author left this out because it could be construed to be a caustic chemical assault crime in certain cases. But, it is less lethal than a bullet. usually.
So many things in a grocery store can be a weapon. It boggles my mind why some of these were not mentioned. For instance, simple frying pans have KO’d many an errant husband. Knives are effective but only if the person holding it is experienced, determined or trained. Actually anything you can think of could be used as a self-defense strategy. Simply use your brain. My wife uses knitting needles – a most effective stabbing tool and they sit out by her chair all the time.
Good judgement, common sense and thinking about a potential scenario where a weapon might be useful is always good. Use a “what would I do if ……” scenario and thinking ahead are key aspects to self-defense when needed with only a moment’s notice.
Do some acupuncture with knitting needles sold on isle #9 at your favorite grocery store to the criminal.
Husband Tamers. Cast iron skillet. Rolling Pin. Shower curtain rod or mop handle. Soapy water or vinegar in a spray bottle can disable an assailant by interfering with eyesight. An icepick is handy too. Don’t mess with me in my kitchen…I got box blades, lighters, all kinds of help, including a screwdriver, pliers, and a hammer. That junk drawer with tools also has zip ties.
Oooo watch out for that German Shepherd coming over the dutch door too!
Where we live a Meijer grocery store will have most, if not all of those things. Ohio, Michigan, etc – Midwest states.
I don’t know what part of the country you are in, if it’s even in America, but in MY neck of the woods, grocery stores don’t sell coatracks, mauls, or axes. Yes, some have a small tools section, so you can get an el-cheapo hammer or screwdriver, even some assorted tapes, electrical and knockoff duct tape, but baseball bats and “sturdy” full size umbrellas aren’t in them (they DO carry the little compact extending ones in many). The only umbrellas most sell (near me) are cheap ones for people who get caught unawares while shopping.
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Go to the kitchen GADGETS section, get a mop or broom handle and break the tip off to a sharp point if you want something half decent and didn’t bring anything in with you. Most people reading here would at the very least have a knife in their pocket, by the way. (know your audience?)
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For a REALLY EFFECTIVE WEAPON, go to the meat department and grab a tomahawk steak! LOL !
(sorry for the sarcastic humor there)
could use chop sticks, pen or pencil to jab in neck artery .
Ol’ Samson took out two battalions of Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, a tomahawk steak in the right hands could do some damage…
Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. I made one and it is not only a good what it was intended for garden and livestock tool but it will do the job in CQB.
That needs to be in the frozen section to any harm. Raw meat would just splatter than kill or main the bully.
yeah.. you don’t have his Strength
I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to be bashed over the head with a 3 pound spaghetti squash
Butternut squash is heavier and harder, and usually larger than a spaghetti squash.
While the items suggested, can be used for self defense …. about 60% of them can’t be found in the average grocery store I’ve been too. I will agree, Kroger has some stores where they sell grocery items, as well as items mentioned above, and Walmart locally carries groceries, as well as the items mentioned, but I really never considered it a ‘grocery store’. Canned goods, unless spoiled, I would never throw at attackers in defense … While I supposed a frozen steak could be thrown in a defensive maneuver … you aren’t going to catch me using it for that. The biggest take I got from this is Hot Sauce … and frankly there are a lot of things, you could cheaply create, with the same impact … juice and onion, throw in some garlic juice, and some powdered chili pepper spice …. probably do as well with less cost as Hot Sauce isn’t cheap, and will spice up a lot of bland foods in a pinch.
I suppose anything in the store could be used as a weapon
with which to depend yourself.
How about throwing some bananas on the floor in front of
the bad guy?
Come on man!! Get a clue!! The bad guy will likely be armed
as you should be also.
A .38 caliber snub nose revolver loaded with Plus-P hollow
points will stop almost any life threatening assault.
Revolvers are not likely to jam or miss fire and are easily
concealed in your pants pocket.
Hopefully you don’t live in the Peoples Republic of New York
or Californication but if you do ask yourself if you would
rather be convicted by twelve or carried by six?
You know that we live in dangerous times.That is why we
frequent websites that have information on surviving all
sorts of situations.
There is a name for unarmed people.VICTIMS!!
Live to go home to your family.They need you and so does
your country!!
That was the point to this article. Everything… is a weapon and UCOIN training teaches that very thing and yes you will throw a streak at someone when the time comes lol. Not really laughing but you will. Think for a second about your side table in the TV room. What’s on it? A pen? Crossword book? The book can be rolled quickly and it hurts like mad to have that jammed in your neck or face. The pen is self explanatory. Point being a flip flop can disrupt a bad guy long enough to do…? I know this is a topic most do not want to think about but today it is necessary. Actually have someone stand at your front door and, run the scenario. Is your bat by the front door? Why? So is the bad guy. Where is your hand gun? Is the bedroom drawer? Locked away? You are riding the porcelain pony and the front or back door is kicked. Oops. What to do then? Run scenarios. It can be fun and it just might save yours or someone elses life.
If your in NY or CA a conservative than a registered democrat you the defender will go to jail as the criminal laughs at you handcuffed.
As they say liberals will convict a ham sandwich at the drop of the judges gable in a liberal court of law.
It’s gavel, not gable. To give gravitas to your post you need to use correct terminology.
Ammonia which is available in the cleaning aisle, poured into a spray bottle sand sprayed into the face of an attacker will deter the most aggressive macho man alive. It is also great for aggressive dogs and I suspect even bears don’t like the smell of ammonia. I have used it tor repel dogs and one does not even have to hit the dog to make it shy away.
Weapons of opportunity.
Learn about them. A garot can be fashioned with paracord and two levers, or spiral notebook wire and two dowels or pieces of chair leg. A slash tool can be made from the cutter on a plastic/aluminum foil box. These are easily concealed, hidden in plain sight…unexpected.
I also have a wire saw with rings and hand ropes to quietly cut through metal and branches. These sell for 3-5 bucks in the hunting supply/hardware section of WalMart.
Workplace shootings are becoming more common. If you can’t get away, prepare to fight for your life! Look for scissors, staplers, sharp objects to fight with , heavy stuff tonput in your purse to whack someone upside the head and items to knock out whoever comes at you. Work as a group to attack together, and beat them until they down or you can disarm/get away. Don’t play…DECIDE in advance that you are willing to risk injury to save your life. Committing is the first requirement to survival!
You forgot to mention DRANO. It makes great hand grenades! A little DRANO & water in a pint Mason jar, put on the lid and throw it. Whatever it hits gets burned badly.
You forgot to mention pencils, consider my life long credo; sharpen anything and make a weapon out of it. That has always worked fairly well considering the circumstances.
Yes and stay sharp always!
Very useful comment. Think about different places you or your loved ones may be when the SHTF, then talk about escape routes, possible hiding places if necessary, and of course anything that may be used to defend oneself. The janitors closet in most schools would be a great place to hide (there is usually a lock on the door, and it is not an expected hiding place) and there are lots of chemical cleaning products, floor wax, and brooms. Almost every office building or hotel also has similar places.
The trick is to always be aware of your surroundings and the people around you and BE PREPARED! Whether that means flight or fight, know your limitations and understand your environment. Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security because “it could NEVER happen HERE”…
Thanks for the tip!
It was never widely publicized but while meeting and greeting troops in Afghanistan, there was a surprise attack and Trump was separated from the troops.
This guy killed 23 muzzie attackers with his shoe.
By the way, imperfect or not, when he was president eggs were 39 cents, gas $1.80 in the Midwest, and our FBI wasn’t the Gestapo literally putting people in jail in violation of the 1st Amendment for sending a fully clothed meme of Kamala via email.
I’d like to throw my two cents in. Chemical weapons (and the stuff for making them) are abundant in the grocery store as well. Obviously one has to be knowledgeable with regard to how to utilize these “safely” (without injuring or killing themselves or their family/comrades), but having said that, here are just a few representatives from a VERY large list: bleach, automotive brake fluid, ammonia, baking soda, wasp/hornet nest killers, rat poison, drain un-clogging products, alcohol, chafing pan fuel, turpentine, bbq lighter fluid, charcoal briquettes (not the quick-light variety), strike anywhere stick matches, mothballs or mothball cakes liquid toilet bowl scale and rust removers, oven cleaners, and commercial multi-purpose spill absorbers. Again, if you’re going to explore utilizing chemicals you have to be VERY careful and learn proper safety and handling protocols.
Before you bury your shipping container. use foam-crete to cover it top and sides at least 4 inches. After drying, you could cover the sides with treated plywood held up with Sand/dirt bags and back fill and you avoid the damage to the structure.
hope you enjoy having it collaspse
So now I understand that the Armoury Hall at the main entrance to Duneagle Castle has absolutely nothing on my local supermarket!
There are still a few “Grocery “ Stores that only sell groceries with usually 1 aisle that has a very few poor quality items listed here.
However, many “stores” are now multi-use: think Walmart/Target/Fred Meyer/ type stores…All of which WOULD have most if not all of the items mentioned. Quality may be an issue, but youCOULD find this stuff at the “Store”.
Yeah….. I read the article. Some made sense, some did not. Any grocery stores around these parts do not sell most of the “hard” items mentioned.
Me…….. I just keep my C.C. .380 in my pocket. At home, I use the bigger stuff.
I’m old. I’d trip over a bat at my front door. I can just imagine saying to the robber, “wait, I tripped over my bat and I can’t get up!”.
I did not read any of the other replies, so I have no idea if this is already been talked about. This is an interesting conversation starter, which is situational awareness.
What is Missed in this article is the obvious
Think , Step Back , Look around , Listen to the enviornment
Use your defensible space as a weapon to survail the the situation
Never react or run into the situation
Use anything at your disposal to create the barrier of defense
so many Stupid , no brain educated Morons out there
and being flown in , bussed in , given every opportunity to take over
so be smart , think before you act
I agree these items can be used to defend oneself. But an older person, like myself, needs much better defense than these. We can’t run. We can’t manhandle our attacker. Our shoulders probably won’t let us throw a can of beer very far. The last thing anyone wants to do is let their attacker get within grabbing reach. I think my point is pretty clear.
I’m curious to know exactly what grocery store you go to?? My local grocery store doesn’t carry axes and hatchet and baseball, bats and many of the other things you said. Burlap bags nope……
If the shit has hit the fan any thing is a good pick I like wasp spray its good for about 20 or 30 feet and if I am armed with wasp spray the laws went out the window
I buy wasp spray every year because I live in the country and while I co-exist with the little boogers as much as possible they do tend to crowd me on the porch. Seems to me the wasp/hornet spray has been made less and less dangerous every year, it used to be that bad ass jet freeze stuff, now it’s mostly soap.
Hot grits will do, I still have a scar on my hand from hot grits from 15 years ago. Had to go to an ER because of it. Wasp/hornet spray, bleach/ammonia in a spray bottle
Right out of the chute:
Most “Grocery Stores” do NOT have axes and/or hatchets!
What is everyone’s consensus on this statement? Maybe it’s just the region I live in and may be way off base because I’ve never been in a grocery store that had axes for sale, which is why I carry my Sig with me every time we go.
if you shopping at Walmart, K-Mart, Target, Costco, Sam’s Clubs, etc. stores like that have grocery items plus other items. I call them Grocery stores because that’s were I get groceries.
Can of Lysol and Bic lighter make a good flame thrower.
Was this article written by “The Onion”? Asking for a friend.