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Power of suggestion a woman's best defense?

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What three items should women traveling solo internationally always be sure to include in their luggage?

A rubber doorstop, a wedding band and a pair of men's boxer shorts, said David Mair, managing partner at Champlin, Minn.-based Soter Healthcare Inc., who also consults on security assistance for corporate, scholastic and leisure travelers.

Putting a rubber doorstop under the inside of a hotel room's door will keep the door closed and an attacker out of the room even if the lock is picked, said Mr. Mair, who served as director of risk management for the U.S. Olympic Committee for 15 years before going into consulting. He also was president of the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. from 2001-2002.

Regardless of whether she is married, the woman traveler should wear the wedding ring to suggest she is married, which can be especially helpful in Arab countries where the culture discourages women from traveling alone, Mr. Mair said.

As for the boxer shorts, “Say someone enters her room while she's in the shower and he sees the boxer shorts lying on her bed. That suggests she is not alone,” Mr. Mair said.

“Most companies have not done a good job of preparing their employees for foreign business travel,” he said. As such, employees need to personally “assess the risk of where they are or where they are going.”