I agree with the other writers that the right attitude and using common sense will go a long way to avoiding trouble.
We did carry small folding knives with us, not large enough to have alarmed customs officials if they had searched us. We also carried bear spray, which of course is for defense against animals if asked. The only time we ever used it was in Alaska, when we sprayed it around our tent just to discourage the bears!
Greg Frazier suggests keeping a few expired credit cards and some small bills in a 'mugger wallet', which you can keep handy in case you ever need to hand over something to someone who wants it bad enough to hurt you to get it. Of course, dispersing all your money into various locations on yourself and the bike (boots, moneybelt, hidden pocket, bike, etc.), means you should never lose it all!
Some very good advice on this topic is on the Safety page. This was sent to us a few years ago, on avoiding being a victim of crime:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tri...CrimeAvoidance
NOTE: Spraying bear spray around your tent is a NO-NO we found out later - the bears and other critters are curious about the strange - now somewHat dissipated - smell and come and investigate - it's an ATTRACTANT!
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