wife in foreign country, needs to carry something

[64zebra]

My wife flew out this morning on a 23 hour journey to Nairobi, Kenya for a medical mission trip with our church. Now needless to say she couldn't pack along her Glock 26 thats she's fallen in love with since I got it for her, so she was going to take her black Zytel plastic knife that I got her, er...I mean the 3 1/2" plastic letter opener
only problem is she was concerned about her luggage being inspected going through the airports in Dallas, Chicago, London, then Kenya, and all of them on the way back, these days who knows what would get searched, etc. We also didn't know the laws there in Kenya and she decided not to carry it.
I then suggested that since she's a nurse working on the medical team, and will be using/carrying surgical/medical instruments everyday in her fanny pack, that she "aquire" a knife of some sort when she gets in place in Kenya....even a butter knife, carry that on her then before they leave for the airport conveniently leave it behind somewhere

(I was going to get her the other letter opener from cold steel that hides the letter opener in the handle of a hairbrush but it wouldn't have arrived in time for her)

anybody been in this situation before? and if so what did you do?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[glembe]

I would have walked on the plane with a rattan waking stick, TSA allows canes and waking sticks but they must be x-rayed

[64zebra]

yeah, I would consider that for me on the plane, but I was thinking of what would be practical for her to carry on her as she's working in the children's clinic, riding the bus, etc
my thinking was to carry the knife since she knows a little knife defense stuff but no cane lol

TSA does allow canes, umbrellas, etc but they get checked

[something]

she should be able to get some crazy tribal knives when she gets there! I got a nasty mini-sword when I was at Victoria Falls.

[64zebra]

she should be able to get some crazy tribal knives when she gets there! I got a nasty mini-sword when I was at Victoria Falls.

yep! she talked to another nurse thats been before and she was allowed to bring some spears and knives in her checked luggage for her husband's collection....my wife is supposed to be hooking me up too

[Musketeer]

The problems she may face include machettes at the low end and RPGs at the high end. For some reason I think a letter openner is a poor response.

Personally I would suggest not going. Help the people who live here, there are enough of them, and let the UN handle Africa.

[64zebra]

The problems she may face include machettes at the low end and RPGs at the high end. For some reason I think a letter openner is a poor response.

Personally I would suggest not going. Help the people who live here, there are enough of them, and let the UN handle Africa.

thanks for the reply, but we're well aware of the problems she may face and we both knew the "letter opener" isn't the catch-all ultimate weapon

as for not going, yeah thats an option but its our church group thats sponsoring it (and other organizations), they make this trip each year, there is a reason she is going

[ExSoldier]

Wow. I hate to make this observation, being a Christian myself that carries AND instructs...BUT....the trip is sponsored by the church and it goes to honor God, right? Well.....under such circumstances might it not be just a little judgmental of God's sovereign protection? I mean, if I were "called" into such a magnificent undertaking I'd have to put my welfare into the hands of the Lord and just....TRUST. I know how hard that is for the sheepdogs...I really DO. It's one reason I don't go into the missionary field, even though my wife would love to do that in our retirement. Trust and know that even if God wants to "call your wife home," it's all part of the plan. That'd be the attitude I'd have to take and I wouldn't be happy about it and I'm sure there would be many conversations in prayer over this!

[64zebra]

Wow. I hate to make this observation, being a Christian myself that carries AND instructs...BUT....the trip is sponsored by the church and it goes to honor God, right? Well.....under such circumstances might it not be just a little judgmental of God's sovereign protection? I mean, if I were "called" into such a magnificent undertaking I'd have to put my welfare into the hands of the Lord and just....TRUST. I know how hard that is for the sheepdogs...I really DO. It's one reason I don't go into the missionary field, even though my wife would love to do that in our retirement. Trust and know that even if God wants to "call your wife home," it's all part of the plan. That'd be the attitude I'd have to take and I wouldn't be happy about it and I'm sure there would be many conversations in prayer over this!

there was, we've prayed about it and talked about it, I don't want this thread to turn into a religious or xyz topic, but we talked about it and I said we live by faith and we pray for our safety everyday here and we pack weapons, I see no difference in being in another country
we just wanted her to have an option

[ExSoldier]

there was, we've prayed about it and talked about it, I don't want this thread to turn into a religious or xyz topic, but we talked about it and I said we live by faith and we pray for our safety everyday here and we pack weapons, I see no difference in being in another country we just wanted her to have an option

Yeah I know. I'm not going to make any further observations on this since it's off topic and tends to make folks uncomfortable. I carry everyday (well, not when working--schools frown on that) too, but then I don't see myself as on a daily mission for....God. As I said, that's the main reason I don't enter the mission field myself.

Having said all of this, were I to travel overseas on my own to work and live in a hostile country I'd take the necessary steps to get armed regardless of local laws and with full knowledge of consequences. I just have a real aversion to being the subject of a terrorist or bandit kidnapping for politics or for money. These kinds of things tend to not work out to the benefit of the captive. Daniel Pearl springs to mind. There are many others, unfortunately.

There are some great movies that realistically illustrate this.

Proof of Life with Russell Crowe
Memorable quote:
Q: What are we doin'?
A: GO LOUD!

I got my primary e-mail address from Proof of Life. "Goingloud45"

Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio
Memorable quote from the movie with DiCaprio's character speaking to a pretty female journalist:

In the States it's BLING BLING, hey? Out here it's BLING BANG! If you get my drift....?

[something]

"in a hostile country I'd take the necessary steps to get armed regardless of local laws and with full knowledge of consequences."

not so smart....99% of the time that would be a worse decision in a unstable country.

[ExSoldier]

"in a hostile country I'd take the necessary steps to get armed regardless of local laws and with full knowledge of consequences."

not so smart....99% of the time that would be a worse decision in a unstable country.

Remember, I'm speaking of long term residence while working overseas and I've already BTDT. It was a long time ago, but I spent some time in Central and South America. Kidnapping was already big business in many of those places. This was obviously pre-911.

I'm also not necessarily referring to a country with an unstable government. I was in Nicaragua when Somoza was in control and he had (at that time) firm control. I was able to secure a 1911 & 5 sp mags loaded with 230gr ball almost within moments of arriving at my destination near the Honduran border. No probs with the gov't...but a lot of potential trouble with bandits and kidnappers and even at the time the newly formed Contra movement. Heck, I was a kid then and I still knew what to do. Later on, I had the occasion to travel subsequent to my time as an army infantry captain to similar areas at the request of an old friend to act as an advisor on security issues to a landholder with large areas of ranch land. Again, I was armed as soon as I was met at the airport (after exiting the airport but before leaving the grounds). I had made it a condition of my travel that I be armed while in-country. Before I entered the airport for my return flight, I returned the Sig I'd been loaned. I wasn't worried about the government in either case. But I'd had ample reason (based on extensive pre-travel research) to worry about corrupt soldiers/cops/ and assorted thugs & commie insurgents.

[FknRa]

If it were me, I would take a good file, A piece of stainless 1/4x1x9, 2 small pieces of wood and some parachord or leather strand. Make yourself the knife when you get there.

of course, I'm a metalworker by trade and do it for fun.

It doesn't have to last forever, it just has to work for now. Give it as a gift to one of the families when she leaves.

[ExSoldier]

If it were me, I would take a good file, A piece of stainless 1/4x1x9, 2 small pieces of wood and some parachord or leather strand. Make yourself the knife when you get there.

of course, I'm a metalworker by trade and do it for fun.

It doesn't have to last forever, it just has to work for now. Give it as a gift to one of the families when she leaves.

Why make a "shank" when I'm sure all manner of knives are available everywhere and legally? Next, metal worker or not...do you really want to be the guy who brings a knife to a gunfight?

[64zebra]

well I don't think anyone would want to bring a knife to a gun fight, but having something to stick in a scumbag's eye or neck when they tried to get ahold of you would be better than nothing.

thats the kind of brainstorming I was looking for discussing