Am thinking likely better to have her by your side than a pistol. Only detriment is more than one assailant, so you may want to travel with a couple of them or the sidearm as a backup.
Let her mess them up while I draw. But I want to protect her as much as she will want to protect me, so it's mutual. In this state, we have Constitutional carry (I have had a CCP for decades, anyway). Being strapped is not a problem. Just the sight of her is enough to pretty much guarantee civility, but if someone attacks her, I figure I'd be next, and would respond accordingly.