For many years in Africa, one of the most useful “local secrets” in the realm of tools and weapons is the sjambok.
The sjambok is a semi-flexible whip, meaning it doesn’t go completely limp when you let go of it.
It can be used to strike an attacker (or a rampaging animal) from a distance, it’s great for crowd control, and it moves FAST.
It also hits HARD and SHARP.
It’s made of hippo or elephant hide when it’s made locally… but YOU can get a modern equivalent to the sjambok made from indestructible modern materials.
In fact, one of the ways to make a “sjambok equivalent” is to create a whip from steel cable, like this one.
It’s virtually indestructible… and it hits so hard and fast that an attacker (or a rabid dog) would never know what hit them.
Plus, it can be used for vehicle safety, too (because it can be used to smash out glass windows, as an escape tool).
It’s a little unconventional, but it’s lightweight, easily carried, and incredibly versatile.