PERIMETER SECURITY

It is a known and frequent fact of life that, in desperate times, people do desperate things.
While dug in and seemingly safe, there will always be a soft spot or weakness in the perimeter. It makes little difference weither you are sleeping in a fort or under a bridge, the perimeter must be secured.

Your area or the "safe haven" you think you control may attract attention and the envy of those without your fore site. After long term disaster or at times of lawlessness and as supplies start running low and Police / National Guard are overwhelmed with duties. You will need to take responsibility for your own security. If you are static (dug in) you have a number of options (and limitations). The walls are hard and provide cover and concealment as well as viable barrier. The windows can be covered or barricaded, doors can be locked and a "fatal funnel" can be established to channelize neophyte intruders into your self defense fire. members of your family or party can occupy different parts of the house for better coverage/support and better detect intruders or outsiders "probing" your perimeter.

Alarms both hard wired and portable, electric or mechanical can be implemented as early warning systems. If you are lucky enough to have power, most of these options are easy to come by and many people will take advantage of this option.
However, if power is out and you have no hard wired system to watch over you as you sleep, you may need to get inventive.
Option one: GET A DOG! treat it well and have it become one of the family. Apart from AWACS aircraft, nothing is a better early warning system then a loyal K9. The dog deserves a place in the family and should be fed and sheltered just as you would any child. This will keep them dependant, healthy and loyal. Dogs should be trained to NEVER except feedings from anyone other then group members and not allowed to "scavenge" for food. It is hard to keep a hungry dog from eating what it finds along the perimeter, a full belly helps keep them focused and less opportunistic.
One expert (and close friend) in K9 security training upon reading this page advises the following: Only one handler should feed a "Guard" animal and then ONLY from a designated bowl. With proper training the dog will learn that the only meal that exists for him is what flows from this source, it is his reality and nothing else matters. This is an advanced training program and handlers must be schooled by qualified instructors. This makes K9 members of your group poison resistant.
Option two: multiple perimeters. Have a warning perimeter OUTSIDE the hard perimeter. This need not be a deterrent, just a detector zone. Anything that can signal a probe or breach.
Option three: Have a "clear" zone if possible. You don't want to provide cover or concealment to an outsider. This zone is the "Killing Zone" an area that a determined intruder must cross before reaching your "hard" perimeter. It should serve as notice that they (the intruder) will be vulnerable if they enter. Prepare for a group rush and consider your immediate action. It must be fast and firm and as Clint Eastwood said in the Eiger Sanction, Something Massive!
Option four: Portable alarms. The type used by joggers and normally carried on a belt can be set up trip wire booby trap fashion in key areas, across doorways, on steps or attached to items that intruders need to move or open. These loud piercing screamers are cheap, small and practically disposable. They provide a real time exact location of the intruder. Wind chime type detectors such as cans and rattles suspended on dental floss may be primitive but they still work. Driveways and walkways around your area should be gravel not paved. This will help you (and the dog) detect an approaching intruder.
Option five: Lights. Motion activated lights are great but need protecting. Lexan covers and Vandal resistant housings should be used to cover them as they will be natural targets. Of course if the power is out this is not an option.
I like surrounding a perimeter wall/fence with reflective tape facing inside (towards you). Even in low light the reflective "line" is visible from your shelter and any black spot or break in the line is easy to see. That black spot will be a person standing in front of the tape....intruder detected! He may think he's in the dark and safe but his position is identified.

ON THE MOVE.
If bivouacking or relocating and you need to set up a perimeter, you will need to go native. Sure the joggers alarm and rattle line may be part of the equation but more often then not, it will be just what is around you.
Pick a site that offers good natural protection on as many flanks as possible. It should be neither on top or at the bottom of the terrain. Avoid natural attractants such as trails, streams and roads. Remember that any obvious "escape" route will be an potential ambush point so think defensively.
I suggest using false stops and after dark relocation for your bivouac. followers and ambushers are likely to spring after hours attacks on a camp site you are not in.
Gather twigs and leaves into a ring around your rest area. Use the debris under foot first, this will clear your camp area while you are piling up brush. It keeps things quiet in your camp and noisy outside the perimeter. Sleep LRRP fashion in a tight star pattern with each member facing out and feet close together, in this way a silent toe tap can be used to inform all members of the group of approaching intruders and from what direction.

Strict noise and particularly LIGHT discipline must be observed. You may be more mobile then a fortified house but you are really an island in the wilderness. Personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. Being in a forest puts my intruder on the same playing field as me. I'm not holed up with an outsider siege mentality to contend with. Sooner or later they will find your soft spot.
POST SENTRIES,
This is the only way to secure a none existing perimeter effectively. Watch in shifts,
Trust the dog and pay attention. Have a react plan as well as one or two rondevu spots. This is a more fluid situation and the sooner you wrap your head around that the better. Be dynamic not a sitting duck.
Something as slight as the smell of coffee can bring the desperate down on you. Be sure you are in a safe area before you stoke up a fire or camp stove, then only use them just before displacing. Anybody you may attract will find you long gone by the time they arrive. This could also mean a cold camp (no fire) so be sure you are dressed for that.

Your worst enemy is complacency, be vigilant and direct in your thinking and travel plans. This type of security is hard to maintain so you will need to find more permanent quarters. Relatives, friends or co-workers that have a similar mind set can join forces to share manpower, food and shelter until the world rights itself. This means acting now! Any major incident/disaster will eventually come to an end. The powers that be have the resources to reestablish order given enough time. You only need to keep the wolves off your door for a while, this is not a new life style. Take heart and plan now. What can you do now that would "fortify" your home or safe area? Think about a mobile situation, how to bug out and where to go, how to get there and security needs until you arrive.

You only have three options, stay and bug in, fortify the homestead against looters and criminals, rely on your law enforcement units to handle the situation (and hope you are not relocated forcibly) Or you can bug out to another site with better chances for your group, providing security as you travel.

Or you can pray and hope for the best. NOTE: most of the intruders coming for your food-water-blankets-first aid will be made up of people from this category.

Watch your six

(and 3+9)

RJ

THE SCATTER GUN

Of all the "Home Defense" weapons one might think of only the Shotgun can really do it all. In times of civil unrest or disorder even law enforcement turns to this as their ace in the hole. If you ride "shotgun" on the west bound stage a double barrel might do. If you need to take on the "TERMINATOR" a semi automatic might be the right tool, but for everything else the PUMP gun is King.
The 12 Gauge pump shotgun has the reputation (deserved or not) as the ultimate man stopper. Lets face it, this particular weapon can drop a Grizzly Bear at close range, what chance does a man have?
The Pump - Trombone - Slide - Jerk gun, whatever you call it, is a dependable and formidable weapon to keep in your home battery.

Many styles of "pump" guns have been developed over the years. The configuration of these weapons was based on user preferences, sites, stock, finish and so on. But the barrel of a 12 gauge is pretty much a pipe. A 12 Gauge is roughly 75 Caliber or 18.5 mm, the "choke" or muzzle constriction imparts a desired "pattern" to the shot as it exits the weapon. Commonly these are "FULL" which is the tightest pattern and will hold the cloud of pellets together longer for greater range. "MODIFIED" is a bit wider for mid ranged or faster cross flying targets and "IMPROVED" which is wider still for shots in dense cover where targets will be very close.

But none of this really matters to the defensive shooter. The choke you will most likely want is ...none, cylinder bore, wide open. Here the ammo you use is what dictates your shooting options.


Styles and makes of scatter guns vary like any other firearm, but I urge you not to make more of it then it needs to be. Keep it simple and you wont go wrong. Weapons with allot of bells and whistles on them tend to be problematic to non professional "civilian" type shooters. Oh sure they look cool and I see every one use em in the movies but unless you plan to practise much and that goes for family as well, the plain Jane pumps will serve you best.



Extended magazine tubes, shell carriers, slings and pistol grips all have their place IF you know how to use them. Putting a tactical light on your weapon might only show a perpetrator your location if you don't know how and when to use it. Lasers on shotguns are just stupid....there I said it, it's like plowing a field with a scalpel, to put such a site on a non surgical weapon is nothing more then Hollywood hype.









The one thing you will notice I do fully approve of and consider standard on any home defense shotgun is an extended magazine tube. sure this is not Beirut, but when the wolf is at your door and he brought friends, you'll want that extra round or two.

Shot size is what you need to consider now. Every one I know will say good old OO buck. Ever since Steve McQueen shot up that police car in "THE GETAWAY" every body wanted OO buck in their pump guns. OK it was a cool scene, but reality dictates that the more stuff flying through the air, the better your chances of hitting something. That's not to say you should go out and stock up on 8 Shot. That's just it. You need to find the right combination of shot size - number of pellets in the round- and practical expected distance / pattern of the round. Add to this you must have knock down power over the greatest number of "perceived" contacts ranges and you really have allot of work to do. I for one hate math.

Shotgun shells although many and diverse can be broken down into three categories, Bird - Buck and Ball.

Bird shot is the finest and holds a great number of small pellets. Buck shot holds fewer projectiles but they are of a larger caliber, more suited to taking larger game. Ball or "slug" is a single projectile like a large caliber bullet. These fly farther , hit harder and do incredible damage BUT you lose the scatter properties of your scatter gun.

Although I think you should have a mixture of shot sizes to suit your needs, such as hunting for game, I found after testing many types and sizes that for home defense NUMBER 4 BUCK (not #4 Bird) is the best all around shot size.
It is dense enough for distant shots, groups into a deadly pattern at threat distances, and has good stopping power. Number 4 Buck has excellent penetration through standard building material and has great "skip" firing characteristics. Which means it can be used to bounce shots off of pavement, walls, automobiles etc. this is an important consideration in an urban environment.


Now the exception to the rule:
The 410 bore shotgun. This diminutive little scatter gun is perfect for younger family members both as a trainer and as a fast handling low recoil close range defense weapon. Don't laugh and for God's sake don't step out in front of one, the 410 may be small by comparison but it will flatten you out like a puddle of milk.

By no means would I chose the 410 over a 12 gauge as my primary scatter gun but as a lite number two for the teens this gun rules. As to the 20 gauge for the wife instead of a 12 gauge I say baloney, a 2 3/4 inch low brass 12 gauge is easy to tolerate and in fact is fun to shoot. Standardize!
The last thing you need is a draw full of mixed gauge shells.

Practice Practice Practice.
remember, rounds do not go where they are wished, they go where they are aimed.

Watch your six
RJ

PICKUP TRUCK / CAMPER CONVERSION

I have my Bug Out gear and relocation plans, now what?

You need to get where you're going and time is of the essence.

Now what should I drive?

Well that better be the vehicle you have with you. For some of us it's a pretty, shiny 4X4 SUV, others will use the family camper (a great idea if conditions allow) but most of us have plain Jane vehicles for getting to work or doing the running around town thing. I wanted my vehicle to be a bit more user friendly and pro-active while still blending neatly into society. I couldn't have it look like the War Wagon but it couldn't have all those prissy ground effects and plastic parts either. It needed to be a tool not a toy.

For my needs, I chose a pickup truck. I wanted an older truck with less electronic crap that I would have a hard time finding parts for and would be easier for me to work on myself.

I went with an older Ford Ranger. I had plans for a conversion and this vehicle suited me just fine. I found one that had "the look". It had a ding or two (or three) was scratched by years of regular use and nothing about it stood out. The type of vehicle that could easily get lost in a crowd. I liked that.

It was a Forest/Hunter green which would help me hide it should I need to pull off a side road and ditch (Sleep) for a while. It had a long bed with liner and this was crucial to my plans.

I had seen trucks with "Sleeping Platforms" and thought this was a great idea. As soon as I could bring things together, I converted this small lite duty work truck into my Camping/Hunting/Bug Out vehicle. The cap was held on with standard cap "clamps", I wasted no time removing them and replacing them with eight stainless steel carriage bolts run through the side rails of the truck body then sealed. This was for all practical purposes, part of the truck now....forever.

The truck was not lifted but had great clearance, firm shock absorbers, and a set of aggressive tires, this would help me avoid trash and debris in the road. It had a simple ladder type frame and standard suspension, but I had no plans on over loading it so this was of little consequence.

The inside of the bed was my main concern. I carpeted it very well to act both as a sound and temperature insulation. Then I constructed a simple ladder frame of given dimensions that I could make storage compartments under and a sleeping deck above. The compartments need to fit items I would be using a lot and needed to get at easily. I also had "long term" storage area up front for jack, jumper cables, tow strap and lug wrench. I hoped I didn't need access to these items on a regular basis.

The deck was then padded with industrial grade "high traffic" carpet. The color and pattern chosen to match the truck well, keep the inside dark and for it's ability to hide dirt/blood stains (this is a hunters truck after all).

The deck sleeps two adults with room to spare (some) and stores all the items I might need to take with me on a long term trip. Water, food, stove, lights, sleeping bags, tools, extra clothes, first aid, fishing gear, anything I need. A tarp is on stand by to act as cover and protection for the carpet when I put wet items in the rear.

Although this is not a "full sized" pick up, that is not a terrible disadvantage as far as I am concerned. The smaller size allows me to fit in some tight places and the vehicle gets good mileage giving me greater range.

The truck suits my needs better then expected. I am ready to camp at a moments notice or head out to the trout stream. I just throw a few odds and ends in the back and off we go.

In the event of an emergency, I am able to do the Bug Out Boogie across town or to the out back with very little prep time or heads up. Truck owners should consider the idea. Check on line for plans and ideas for sleep/storage platforms.

Watch your six

RJ

HURRICAN EARL

Here comes Earl.

Here in New York State, it has been HOT humid and down right stuffy the past few weeks. Temperatures in the 90's+ are the norm and my A/C has been blowing snow for days.

But it looks as if things may change.

With Hurricane Earl working it's way off the coast of North Carolina and currently a category 3 Storm, I'm sure a freshening breeze is on it's way.

Although it appears Earl may be loosing strength, it is wise to keep an eye on this storm and be ready to act, NOT REACT.

If you own an "Emergency Alert Receiver" check your SAME codes for the counties you will be traveling through. Codes can be found on the NOAA web site.

It is the holiday weekend and its easy to look the other way and make the best of your vacations HOWEVER, if you are in these regions be advised:

Areas are being asked to relocate, hotels are closing and ferry-train service is expected to be cancelled.

Make plans to move out of these areas NOW, highways and hotels further inland are bound to be congested.

Watch your six

RJ

HI HO COLLOIDAL SILVER....AWAY

In the middle ages, Silver may have saved the lives of those wealthy enough to own and use silverware. The daily use of these utensils caused absorption of silver and helped stave off disease maybe even the "Plague".

Silver is and has been known for decades to be a natural antibiotic. Its uses have been varied over the years:

Pioneers used silver coins in their water barrels to help kill bacteria.

Silver leaf was used to cover some wounds in the trenches of WW1.

Surgeons use silver sutures.

The Greeks used silver crocks to store water, The Chinese used it to preserve wine.

Today Silver is used in wound dressings such as Silverlon ( particularly for burns), in Medical Devices and Prosthesis.

You hear new advertisements every day about products with silver in it to help kill bacteria, Underarm deodorants, Hunters Spray (to kill human odor), Vitamins, Water Filters,even plastic Bags with silver to keep food from spoiling.

Some metals are known to have benefits to human health such as:

Iron, Copper, Zinc and others and in high concentrations these metals CAN BE TOXIC, of all these beneficial elements, Silver is the least toxic to humans.

Aide groups in third world nations have used silver to treat water for decades. Experts claim no organism has ever survived more then six minutes once exposed to Colloidal Silver, also it is found to be effective on pathogens without being toxic to its host.....So what is Colloidal Silver?

Colloidal Silver is microscopic particles of silver in liquid suspension. It is used topically for wounds and to treat many maladies that antibiotics are used for. The benefit to the survivor is its availability when others medications may not be available. Colloidal Silver can be "produced" with a colloidal generator. A table top device /appliance that will produce gallons of colloidal saturated water.

All households should have a Colloidal Generator for use when other options may be limited or just for common uses. Unlike other antibiotics, germs-bacteria do not build up resistance to silver.

It should be noted: a condition known as Argyria (a saturation of silver in the body) due to over use, can cause the eyes and skin to become grayish blue. It would take very high doses of silver over years of use for this condition to manifest itself. However it is considered permanent and I would be remiss if I didn't mention it. For the disaster survivor, for use on ACUTE patients this is of little concern.

Watch your six

RJ