Did Aragorn really walk around the Wild with just a broken sword for protection?

[Morwen]

I think it likely that the shards of Narsil usually remained in Rivendell and did not accompany Aragorn in during all his Third Age exploits. Practically speaking, a broken sword, as Aragorn himself recognises, is of no real use.

He drew out his sword, and they saw that the blade was indeed broken a foot below the hilt. "Not much use is it, Sam?" said Strider. "But the time is near when it shall be forged anew."

Strider, FotR

Reading the last line I get the impression that Strider had only recently taken to carrying the sword around, as he senses his destiny approaching. Perhaps he was carrying it on that particular occasion as a talisman of sorts, taking the sword that separated Sauron from his Ring as he went in search of the Ringbearer.

[The Might]

Nope Morwen, I believe he was given both the Shards of Narsil as well as the Ring of Barahir as he left Rivendell and carried them around on his voyages through Middle-earth.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by The Might

Nope Morwen, I believe he was given both the Shards of Narsil as well as the Ring of Barahir as he left Rivendell and carried them around on his voyages through Middle-earth.

Yes, I believe Miggy is right here. Or at least that's how it looks from the tale of Aragorn and Arwen and from the Tale of the Years:

2951 - (...)Elrond reveals to "Estel" his true name and ancestry, and delivers to him the shards of Narsil. Arwen, newly returned from Lórien, meets Aragorn in the woods of Imladris. Aragorn goes out into the Wild.

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by The Might

Nope Morwen, I believe he was given both the Shards of Narsil as well as the Ring of Barahir as he left Rivendell and carried them around on his voyages through Middle-earth.

Because he's a gangsta and does what he wants.

We can talk about practicality all we like, but ultimately one of the things that sets heroes apart is that they do things that are impractical for normal people. Like traveling enormous distances by foot in short periods of time, or summoning dead warriors, or mastering Palantiri, or carrying around one's shattered ancestral blade. It's a myth. Heroes do crazy stuff.

If we are going to be all realistic, though, then I'd bet that Aragorn had a short bow along with him and a hunting knife. If he did carry a "useful" sword with him in addition to Narsil, it probably would have been something short, and he probably would have only brought it with him on particular journeys.