With gift giving season upon us, I find myself searching for unique, useful gift ideas for friends and family. There are a LOT of gift lists out there: lists for men, women, teens, children, foodies, minimalists, sports enthusiasts, artists, students, and more. It goes on and on. And while I have occasionally stumbled upon suggestions for gun enthusiasts and/or hunters, I cannot recall ever seeing a list specifically focused on self defense items for women.
Today I hope to remedy that.
Below you will find many things which I have given or received over the years as well as a few which I have purchased for myself or would like to purchase at some point. Most are inexpensive. Tuck one or two of these into a stocking alongside the usual nail polish and candy. Or assemble several together for a themed gift basket for your shooting club sisters, co-workers, daughter, sister, or any other woman you know who has a pro-active self-defense mindset.
Note: A few of these are affiliate links. (Most are not.) For details, click here. The links to larger retailers are mostly for clarification or example. I encourage you to purchase from your local, family owned retailers whenever possible.
Gifts Any Woman Will Appreciate
The following gifts are ideal for any woman with a self defense mindset – whether she owns a firearm or not.
1. Tactical Flashlight
By using a flashlight, a woman communicates that she is aware of her surroundings and prepared for things that prowl in the dark. This can potentially de-select her as an easy target. A flashlight also enables her to clearly determine whether someone is a friend or foe.
From a practical, non-emergency perspective, I have used my flashlight to navigate during a power outage in a theater, to find keys lost in dark cars, to locate a cell phone dropped behind a restaurant booth, and more. Every woman needs at least a few good tactical (and other) flashlights staged throughout the house, her vehicle, and her purse or pockets.
2. Tactical Pen
An inconspicuous tactical pen could be a lifesaver in certain environments. Unlike a firearm or pepper spray, a woman can openly carry a pen in her hand as she walks between classes or to and from the bank and no one will think twice – except possibly a predator. Plus, it is nice to have your own quality pen whenever you need to sign something. A non-tactical looking tactical pen is definitely preferred. Training is absolutely essential.
3. Pepper Spray & Practice Spray Canister
Pepper spray is perfect for situations where non-lethal force is required or preferred. And one is not enough. I like to keep one easily accessible on my purse, another attached to my hiking pack, and still another in my day bag. And that doesn’t count hidden backups. “An attacker would not expect you to have a second one. ” (Thanks to my friend, Kellie, for that tip.)
A practice spray canister enables us to safely train in the fast, effective deployment of pepper spray.
4. Lanyard/Wrist Strap
Who knew a simple lanyard could be helpful for self defense? Shelley Hill of The Complete Combatant – that’s who. She shared that she likes to attach a short lanyard to her pepper spray. The canister is inconspicuously tucked into an exterior pocket of her bag while the lanyard drapes casually over the edge. If necessary, she can grasp the lanyard and deploy her pepper spray lightning fast. Of course, practice is essential. Make or purchase a lanyard in the recipient’s favorite color and style and gift it alone or attached to a flashlight or pepper spray.
5. Tourniquet
Self defense includes self rescue. A tourniquet is another item which we hope never to use but need to keep in multiples. A SWAT-T is extremely compact and works not only for adults, but also for children and pets. Meanwhile a CAT or something similar is designed specifically for adults and is more easily applied to oneself.
Keep at least one in each vehicle, range bag, hiking kit, and purse and with tools like saws and lawn equipment. Purchase one of each type you own for training/practicing. I personally know two women whose lives were saved after a wreck because random strangers had tourniquets.
6. Notebook
Have you heard? Analog is the the wave of the future. That includes paper notebooks. Not only does a nice notebook pair well with a discreet tactical pen, the information recorded in it is not readily available to your cell carrier or the internet at large.
Use a pocket notebook to record important details during and after an emergency – whether medical, self defense, or something else. Larger notebooks can be used to log training sessions, keep notes from classes or seminars, and collect quotes or thoughts from books or other media.
7. Knife
Rule #9: Never go anywhere without a knife.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
A knife should never be our primary self-defense tool. Knife fighting is brutal and requires incredible training and skill. However, if all else fails and a knife is all you have – use it!
From the more practical, everyday perspective, I never knew how much I needed a knife until I started carrying one. From boxes to packages to cheese and even pie, a simple knife gets used almost daily. A neck knife works well, but any easily-accessible, fixed-blade knife will work. Folding knives are too slow for self-defense purposes but can make great gifts for women who have a preparedness mindset.
Gifts For Women Who Shoot
The following gifts would be more appreciated by women who own firearms and practice with them. Though even women who do not shoot can use many of these items for other purposes.
8. Ear Plugs
Every woman who shoots needs a stash of foam ear plugs in her range bag. When she brings friends to the range, she will be ready. These are also great for newer shooters who benefit from the double protection of muffs and plugs.
From a non-shooting perspective, after an emergency, a pair of these can help dampen the overwhelming sounds of sirens rushing in. They are invaluable at concerts and festivals, while riding in a Jeep or convertible, for helping with things like storm cleanup, and when camping or traveling.
9. Safety Glasses
Along with extra ear protection, an extra pair of safety glasses is always handy. Keep an extra pair for introducing friends to the range. Plus, it is good to have a replacement ready when her favorite pair of glasses eventually gets scratched or lost. These should also be worn while cleaning firearms and while completing some other chores around the house.
10. Dummy Rounds/Snap Caps
Dummy rounds/snap caps are essential tools for both new and experienced shooters. Because they are inert, they enable new shooters to become more comfortable with the basic operations of a firearm. During dry fire training sessions, dummy rounds protect the striker/hammer. In live fire scenarios, they can be used to overcome a flinch, practice proper trigger control, and more.
Every shooter needs at least a couple dozen of these. Stitch up a cute drawstring bag and place some dummy rounds inside for a unique, thoughtful gift.
11. Tap Rack Training Aids
Tap Rack Training Aids are great little tools for safe dry fire training drills. Ordinarily a slide will lock to the rear whenever the magazine is empty. By inserting this little gizmo into the top of the magazine, the slide will not lock back. This is particularly useful when practicing malfunction drills and reload drills.
12. Heavy Metal Removing Soaps
Whenever we shoot we are exposed to heavy metals. To counter that, there are soaps and other products designed specifically to remove heavy metals before our skin can absorb them. There are mass produced products which work well. However, I like supporting small businesses whenever possible. A little gift set like this one from Grunt Goat Tactical adds that personal, boutique touch.
13. Sniper Stencil
For the woman who has just about everything, consider the Sniper Stencil. This unique, plastic stencil was originally designed for military and LEO use. However it is not only for snipers. This could benefit any woman who shoots. Whether she is taking notes at the range, planning live fire training drills, or even quickly detailing injuries discussed in a first aid class, these shapes beat stick figure drawings. Check out this video explaining what she might want to include in a training log book.
Combine one of these with a notebook in her favorite color, a tactical pen, and mechanical pencil. If your budget allows, add in a gift certificate for a training class she has been wanting to take.
Gifts of Training
In lieu of ‘stuff,’ give the gift of training.
14. Image Based Decisional Drills
In self defense, our most important weapon is the mind. We can have the best flashlight, tactical pen, and firearm, but if we have not trained our minds to distinguish between situations that call for lethal, less than lethal, or non lethal responses, we are likely to hesitate and/or make the wrong decision. Image Based Decisional Drills help us train our brains and bodies to respond quickly and appropriately.
15. Membership In A Shooting Club or Range
A gift membership to a local range or shooting club can be a great idea for some women. Be discerning, though; we are more likely to commit our time to things when we have personally committed money to them. Otherwise, it will be like a gym membership which goes unused after the first week of January. Obviously, I love Armed Women of America, but there are other great clubs and groups offering camaraderie, friendly accountability, and training.
16. Training Class or Workshop
Unlike a club, a training class generally requires less of a time commitment. Consider USCCA for online or in-person training. Local martial arts studios also often offer classes and workshops just for women. If she loves history, consider an Appleseed event for her or for the entire family!
17. Host A Class
And finally, last Christmas, a friend approached me about hosting a private class for her daughter and a few other friends. These ladies had all expressed an interest in learning about guns but were hesitant to just walk into a range. She wanted to gift each of them the confidence that comes with training. I excitedly agreed.
So after Christmas, we scheduled a date that worked for everyone. We met at my friend’s house where she had prepared a lovely spread of snacks and drinks. Then we spent the afternoon going through the basics of using a pistol for self defense including a bit of dry fire. They were able to ask lots of questions and learn in a familiar, quiet atmosphere. A couple of weeks later, we met at the range for one-on-one live fire instruction. Each woman came away with a better understanding of how to safely operate a firearm for self defense.
I love helping women overcome those initial fears and getting them started on the road to safe firearms handling. A private class hosted in the comfort of a friend’s home is a great way to ease into it.
If you live in or near Northeast Georgia and would like to host a class for four or more of your friends or family, message me today. If you are not local to me, find a good trainer in your area and ask whether she might be willing to do something similar.
Merry Christmas!
As you give and receive gifts this holiday season, I pray that you will truly know the gift of Emmanuel – God with us.
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