1) 1/2 cow will take up a lot of room in your freezer--consider adding a chest freezer just for this.
2) Cuts in a 1/4 cow are iffy--1/2 cow should be representative.
3) Vacuum sealer is a necessity in general to prevent spoilage.
Practical, quality pen allowed in carry-on luggage but has defense capability:
https://www.zebrapen.com/products/f-701-all-metal-retractable-ballpoint?_pos=1&_sid=b279ee4b9&_ss=r
I don't think that I've seen it mentioned yet, but doesn't the Sig P320 pre-cock its striker "more" than other striker fired handguns? Wasn't this done deliberately to get a better trigger feel?