For walking in the neighborhood I would carry the following:
A whistle
A can of OC spray (MK3)
A surefire G2 flashlight
A cellular telephone
Driver's license
Medical Insurance Card
A couple of Powerball Gel packs (or similar)
Any emergency medications (glucose tabs, insulin, nitro tabs, etc.)
Small FAK
Water

All of this can be carried in a cammelback (or similar) or in a waist-pack (like these)
http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?s...ING_HIKING_LD:N

To avoid becoming a victim of a strong-arm robbery or similar, don't look like a victim. Be aware of your surroundings. Look at people as you walk past them. Don't have earbuds on listening to your ipod, etc.

Thanks everyone.

I have no health problem that I know of, but a 50 years old can have any kind of health problem any time.

Cane or stick is a good idea. It would help in case of attack by teenagers, dogs or for possible falls and hurting ones ankle. Would it be too far ( paranoid ?? ) if I think/plan for sticking a knife at the top of that stick like a biounette ? In case of a dog attack a spear is perhaps better than a knife.

Prblem is, there is no mechanism I know of that will allow a knife to be attached to a stick in seconds.

dont take this the wrong way. but you dont need anything for a walk. dont be so paranoid to go out on a walk in friendly neirborhood. the chances you get mugged ,bite by a dog or hit by a car are very slim....so dont worry <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> nothing will happen as long as you use common sense and your brain.
you dont need to take anything other than a bottle of water and a cell phone. the rest to me is over the top. you said you had heart problems so maybe take a pill or two. i suppose you could always talk to your doc.

Totally agree with you.

Simply drink a large glass of water before going out, bring your charged cell phone and maybe a flashlight (nice to have in the dark and fun as well). That's it !

I am 52 and walk at lunch time. If I was you I would not leave my house without a small flashlight, pepper spray, loud whistle and a couple band-aids in my billfold. Given that I hike in large desert city parks I take a lot more things with me. We had a fellow slip on a trial at Camelback mountain. He broke his ankle and had to spend the night. They found him the next morning. I bet he wished he had some pain killer on him.

Has a lot of the same elements as urban EDC I think:

• Fake wallet with not much money and bogus cards, pictures.
• Real wallet, with cash, cards, ID, emergency contact info.
• Cheaper watch - timex, casio, etc.
• Reflective and light colored clothing - nothing expensive looking to draw attention. Consider one or two LED based reflective signal lights.
• Walking stick
• Whistle around neck.
• Flashlight - bright enough to blind temporarily
• Pepper Spray or equivalent.... you just never know, even in "safe" areas.
• fold-away hat and jacket, the kind that fold into their own pocket + poncho for heavy rain
• Water + sugary snack
• cell phone
• pocket knife
• Meds for any medical conditions
• Good walking shoes

I suppose a compass if you are exploring or don't konw the territory well.

I agree with Haertig that in the urbanized situation you described and the situations you raised, I think getting other people to help you will probably pay the most dividends when it really counts. I'll take a different tack here and suggest a non-gear approach, in addition to the gear tips others have already put forward. If you often walk the same route and see the same people, try to be friendly and even get to know some people, whether residents, shop staff, or other walkers you regularly see.

Don't forget, the more people who are around, the less likely that any particular person will help you--it's a well known sociological effect (although the name escapes me at the moment). Even if there are buildings all around with occupants, I hate to say it, but your cries for help could go unacknowledged even if a dozen people actually peek outside. The only really effective antidote to that natural tendency is familiarity between the person in need and onlookers. The greater the personal connection, the more likely they will come to your aid.

Of course, there are plenty of examples of people doing extraordinary things for complete strangers, but that's often not the norm in many situations. If you're on the ground alone with a badly twisted ankle and the only people around are in cars driving by, there will be a great tendency for people to just drive on by, especially if you're obviously awake and not grievously wounded or unconcious, in which case they might feel compelled to call 911 as they continue driving on. Calling 911 really doesn't ask that much of someone. Seeing you attacked by a dog and coming to your rescue does. Or if you're on the ground with a badly twisted ankle which doesn't require an ambulance, getting ice and waiting with you until someone with a car comes or offering you a ride does require personal effort on their part. It's a natural tendency for many/most of us not to want to put too much effort for someone that you don't know at all, particularly when we feel like there are others around who could help you. Like a famous spouse once said, "It takes a village." In the wilderness, self-reliance is key, but when we're in the village, it sure helps to have the village on your side. Anyway, just my 2 cents worth.

like i said dont be so paranoid that bad things will happen.the chances are slim. just take a bottle of water and and maybe a pill or two. if your that worried about something bad happening then dont go walking ,choose another location to walk, or <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> (my favorite) take a self defense class.
use your brain and dont worry nothing will happen.
Like someone once said "There's a big difference between prepared and paranoid."

I've found it helps to single out an individual from the herd. If it's for yourself and not life-threatening, you can look someone in the eye and address them directly like: "Excuse me, but could you please...". Then they'll feel obligated to do something otherwise they'll look/feel like a jerk. If you're tending to someone else that's been hurt, you often have to point at someone and tell them what to do, like: "You! Find a phone if you don't have one and call 911!" Usually works pretty well.

> Don't forget, the more people who are around, the less likely that any particular person will
> help you--it's a well known sociological effect (although the name escapes me at the moment).

"Bystander apathy". Because responsibility for acting is spread over so many people, no individual feels it strongly enough to act.