1)Get to know your neighbors. Know who you can trust. In a SHTF scenario, there is safety in numbers. If you have a neighborhood plan, or at least know who in your neighborhood is trustworthy and/or useful, you have a far better chance.

2)Create a perimeter. Whether it be just your property, or your street in conjunction with your neighbors, or whatever the situation may be, set a perimeter, keep it surveilled. At the very least, you will be able to see danger coming. At best, you can have a chance to set defenses.

3)underground is a great place to hide things. Creating an airtight, secure underground storage chamber is fairly easy. Keep a life line buried-even if you are robbed of your supplies, you will have something to fall back on.

Get a military field manual. Keep it in your house. It is invaluable.


just a couple suggestions.

Best detourant I know of....graphic scene coming....

Do not remove the 1st guy that trips said wire, leave him as an example!

That in itself would speak more than any sign or the likes.

Originally posted by Doc Holiday
Best detourant I know of....graphic scene coming....

Do not remove the 1st guy that trips said wire, leave him as an example!

That in itself would speak more than any sign or the likes.

This is honestly a great suggestion. There is a reason the old skull on a pole trick has been used throughout human history.

In then out!

It has already been said, that you cannot prepare for EVERY kind of SHTF scenario, no doubt. But many will have the same initial response, short term and then longer term outcomes.

Practice makes perfect & be prepared, yes this is something my Grand Mother (rest her soul) used to drill into my head.

Bugging in: Having lived in a town, for years, where power outages were common, it was easy to assimilate short term "what if's" scenarios. When some would even go check into a hotel for a week (yes, power outages lasted that long) We would simply "camp" at home. When my daughter was younger, I made it a game, she is now old enough and understands the "rules" to that game.

Depending on the "situation" one must assess in a very short time whether to bug in, or out. And there is always a chance you could be doing both. ie: short term survival at home, then when things have seemed to simmered down (martial law has been established) make your move to your alternative abode.

I won't list the obvious supplies to have on hand, nor my bug out bag contents, to each his own...

Several years ago I purchased some acreage at auction. Although the main reason was "retirement and retreat" SHTF was always in my mind. Imagine my wondrous surprise when I learned there was an "taped out" mine on the property. Now without giving your the exact location, I can tell you that:
1) it has been tested and contains no dangerous gasses
2) I still dream of finding an overlooked vein...lol
3) it was closed because and underground spring broke free flooding everything lower than 200 feet.

So there it sits. Closed/Sealed with all sorts of very cool "period" signs on the entrance... Danger! Carbon monoxide present! Fire Damp present! Hydrogen Sulfide @ 300 feet!

Wanna guess what's really behind door number 1?

"IF electricity is null and void (as we expect) what type of alarm system can you install on your property?"

How about a chihuahua? They are portable and run off of meat byproducts rather than electricity. A 2lb chihuahua will require 3 oz of food per day and it need not be anything you would want, we are talking raw chicken bones, brains, eyeballs, all the yucky stuff. Trust me if something moves, you will hear about it.

Getting one to shut up could be a problem as they do not have an off button.

Originally posted by eleven:eleven
I would like to hear opinions from those who plan to bug in. Specifically regarding the protection of your home and it's inhabitants. I, like most, fear the danger of those who want what you have, and are in the mindset of doing anything to get it. I"m looking for more than the simple answer of a gun or 10.

Unless you have multiple pre-loaded weapons and a vault full of ammo, firearms aren't going to protect you for very long. I have several firearms, but I don't intend to use them from Day One. These will be my weapons of last resort.

Sharp-edged and stabbing weapons will be the order of the day for close-quarter combat, if you intend to kill or maim the interlopers. A large supply of pepper spray is advisable for dealing with opponents at close proximity but out of hand-to-hand range. I would suggest the really heavy-duty pepper spray, the stuff they make for defense against bear attack. That stuff will stop and turn back a grizzly in full charge, I've seen it in action. Imagine what it would do to a human being.

I'm still of the opinion that establishing a well-camouflaged bunker on your property is the way to go — something completely subterranean with room for food, medicine, supplies, water, weapons and sewage disposal. This would be your "safe chamber" in the event that your house is overrun by interlopers.

I know, it sounds demanding, and it is; but you have to make a decision if you're serious about the survival of your family. You also need to prepare yourself mentally for killing other human beings. No way around that. I don't care if you do it with a gun or a knife or a golf club or a crowbar, you'd better be prepared to kill.

— Doc Velocity

Of course, for advice on self-defense in times of barbarism, you need but turn to the pages of history. It's all been done before, and very effectively, for thousands of years.

One of the most effective weapons for dealing with vandals at the gates is FEAR — literally scaring the crap out of the marauders.

I think the Europeans of a thousand years ago were the consummate experts at scaring opponents away. One of the most popular methods was to hang human bodies or pieces of human bodies on the perimeter of your property. Impaling humans and leaving their bodies to rot in full view of the enemy is always a terrifying touch.

It's been proven time and again — the smell of advanced decay and the horrifying scene of tortured, decomposing human bodies just hits the spot, and any potential invaders will think thrice about crossing your line of death.

— Doc Velocity





[edit on 1/30/2010 by Doc Velocity]

Read this thread a bit ago, and thought of something today that I thought might be helpful for a bug-in situation. Spend a couple hundred bucks on a couple 40 gallon hot water heater tanks, filtration system, and piping enough to go from the roof to my garage (where the current hot water heater is) and set up a rain collection system. As those start filling up, take the water from them and put it in the milk jugs i've been saving. If all's full of good clean "high quality H2O", install an open/close or collecting/not collecting valve and any excess goes where it does now.

When it comes to deterring looters,

It's sort of like the two guys being chased by the bear. One stops to put on his running shoes.
The other guy says "you'll never outrun that bear!"
To which the first replies, "I don't HAVE to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you."

looters will come up the drive and see all the pre-cut plywood sheets on the windows, etc., and see that you have the situation well in hand.

How about a call box at the end of the driveway with a big sign that says "push button to talk." Next to the box, you set up a silhouette with that's been smoked, with the range from your window posted.

Some yard art might be appropriate, like twin lighted flagpoles, flying Old Glory and the Marine Flag might do the trick.