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I was reading the book "A failure of civility: How to defend and protect you, your family, friends, neighborhood and America during a disaster or crisis" written by Mike Garand and Jack Lawson (www.failureofcivility.com ) and it mentions how to "harden" your house to prevent a real life Yugoslavia when the Soviet Union collapsed and every nation was either fighting its neighbor(s) or had its own civil war. (Its still not over- check out #EuroMajdan on USTREAM: Dear friends, we've been on air 24/7 since 27 november without a single break. To continue broadcasting, we need your financial hel... live streaming video of the current potential war in Kiev, in the Ukraine real time)

So, you have 5 acres. Maybe 10 but lets go with 5. How would you defend it?
 
Well my cousin's are cartels and they use ak to protect their products! Jk just got through watching pot cops.
I would build boobie traps around the perimeter of my land. I would be loaded with weapons and if I had man power I would start building a trench or some kind of border.
I would also create some kind of protection for my base/house perimeter wise.
so I would be double protected!
 
Step 1: Buy surrounding properties
Step 2: Bring friends who will buy the rest of the properties
Step 3: Have them bring their friends

If the bad guys are banging on your door, it's too late, GTFO and fight another day.

Your house may be your castle, but it can also be your alamo.
 
Nowhere, I don't believe any place can be made inpenetrable. The only place I would imagine you could feel safe is if you hiked 300 miles into Alaska lived in small camps, kept on the move with as few people as possible. You build up a big fort and all it going to do is tempt people that theres something to protect inside. Starving, crazed hordes that are armed are very difficult to dissuade.
 
Nowhere, I don't believe any place can be made inpenetrable. The only place I would imagine you could feel safe is if you hiked 300 miles into Alaska lived in small camps, kept on the move with as few people as possible. You build up a big fort and all it going to do is tempt people that theres something to protect inside. Starving, crazed hordes that are armed are very difficult to dissuade.

go far enough north and hook up with the Inuit, and you have some of the best cold weather fighters in the world as neighbors.
 
Get the friends and neighbors together and develop a militia. Sure is a lot better to have 30 or 40 armed men than 1 or 2 armed men. You have a lot more options for addressing the unorganized riff raft. Safety doesn't necessarily come from isolation. That is what has made our species successful. It is only when a more organized group comes along that you then have to worry.

So, ideally small town america where you have your own food and power generation abilities. Enterprise sounds good.
 
Build underground, with an old single wide trailer sitting on top as camouflage.

Now that's an idea worth persueing! Nobody looks up- and seldom does anyone look down. I was thinking actually about family- they're pretty much worthless actually but if bubblegum hits the fan,,,,oh yeah thats right, I'd shoot'em myself- I forgot! =D

Thats not quite true- I disowned my family a tad over 5 years ago over their drama so they're not even in the picture.

But seriously? I was thinking of a mix of "light tank traps" for cars, punji strips of 2 by 4's with nails camaflaged and with signs that says when you're half way into it,,,,"You are now in the middle of a mine field- backtrack the way you came". While they're wondering what to do (Forward and mines? Backwards and mines? Mines and those bullets being shot at me?)

I strongly encourage you to read that book- the assumption is the complete breakdown of society, no food, and no money you can only barter. Even the police have abandoned the area and their jobs.

I have also done the ultimate in forgiveness. I have asked, politely if everything goes bad that my first wife and her husband could come and stay, and the Daughter who isn't mine, her husband and the grandchild that should have been mine can stay and help.
 
go far enough north and hook up with the Inuit, and you have some of the best cold weather fighters in the world as neighbors.

How about NO? I have two kinds of arthritis- if I went to Alaska in the winter my body would lock up and I wouldn't be able to move for 8 months
 
In a perfect world with unlimited resources and no restrictions? an array of claymores and some of the automated mini guns with overlapping fields of fire like they use to cover the "no mans land" at some of the fed nuclear labs. All this covering the decoy building while you are safely in your bunker... Just a thought
 
In a perfect world with unlimited resources and no restrictions? an array of claymores and some of the automated mini guns with overlapping fields of fire like they use to cover the "no mans land" at some of the fed nuclear labs. All this covering the decoy building while you are safely in your bunker... Just a thought

*Ahem* (clears his throat) I don't have access to C4 but yes, I have considered command detonated mines using black powder. I have pulled the patent drawings on several ball bearing guns that use compressed air as propellant- nice thing about those is high rate of fire (3000 rounds per minute) little heat buildup, and its like a huge BB gun. Drawback is they're not very accurate at all- but if you have a wide angle target why not? So yes, my thinking has gone partially down this road.
 
I'll second the underground with decoy idea.

this is also another reason to have a mobile hardened home.....

what one could do in theory...get one of those 5th wheel trailers that's rated for carrying Caterpillar tractors....probably 3-4 axles.... and then build your mobile home/base of operations on it, using half inch to one inch steel plate (AR500 type of steel?), and then put your wood structure either in front of the plating, or behind the plating, depending on how you want to insulate and such, then an external layer of vinyl siding.... and having kevlar blanket layered between the steel and the wood or the wood and the interior paneling. While not proof against 20mm+ cartridges, or possibly .50 cal BMG cartridges, it would be resistant to just about every smaller round... this is a VERY expensive proposition....probably run up to the cost of a normal stick-built house... but it would be basically an hardened house....for the windows, you want to have armor shutters, and probably kevlar blanket curtains as well.

I am also in favor of having a band of trusted people as neighbors. Once the thieves and looters and general riff raff get past the wire of the property, you might be screwed... think Scorched Earth Policy.

I also like the idea of a frontier styled compound (commonly used as prisons and village retreats in other parts of the world); with which you can have outposts and look outs....

you could also stage a few active soft look outs using hunting equipment, say tree stands and blinds in the woods on the edges of your farmland or properties.
 
I'll second the underground with decoy idea.

this is also another reason to have a mobile hardened home.....


I am also in favor of having a band of trusted people as neighbors. Once the thieves and looters and general riff raff get past the wire of the property, you might be screwed... think Scorched Earth Policy.

I also like the idea of a frontier styled compound (commonly used as prisons and village retreats in other parts of the world); with which you can have outposts and look outs....you could also stage a few active soft look outs using hunting equipment, say tree stands and blinds in the woods on the edges of your farmland or properties.

*Squirms uncomfortably in his chair* Uh, have you been reading my mind? I was thinking of actually breaking up the homestead into the "main building" (target/bullet absorber) then have tiny homes placed strategically around the area to provide cross and cover small arms fire. Each of the tiny homes would essentially be a pillbox with armor and an escape hatch.

For giggles and grins I was looking at getting one of those big 53 foot by 8' freezer containers used on ships- they run about $10000 used, and while they prefer 3 phase power they do sell a $1500 single to 3 phase converter for them. Between that and canning should take care of our food besides the little meat critters like goaties and chickies.

I'm not too worried over anything bigger than 50 cal- since where I'm moving is quasi-mountainous region and the nearest large city (80,000 people) is 200 miles to the north and the land will be "out of the way" I'm not too worried.

I fully intend however to make a "kill funnel" using "jersey barriers" and cars parked strategically to prevent ramming. If you read the book I posted, they give details how to do this.
 
Get the friends and neighbors together and develop a militia. Sure is a lot better to have 30 or 40 armed men than 1 or 2 armed men. You have a lot more options for addressing the unorganized riff raft. Safety doesn't necessarily come from isolation. That is what has made our species successful. It is only when a more organized group comes along that you then have to worry.

So, ideally small town america where you have your own food and power generation abilities. Enterprise sounds good.

Defending 5 acres means sh*t has gotten too close and you are in a serious firefight. I have a 5 acre place, and for ultimate security you need to control about 200 to 300 acres around you. This will take multiple patrols, with backing sniper type positions, control of water supply and control of fields of fire.

Defending 5 acres is going to be very intense, time consuming and will require at least 3 people suitably armed and trained at all times, if faced with a numerically superior or better armed OPFOR. They need to be stopped at least 50 acres away.
 

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