Helpful Info. Home Defense in a Rural Area

[Clyde]

I thought this would be an interesting video for those not stuck in the city.

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[Brent S]

I thought this would be an interesting video for those not stuck in the city.

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Good videos Clyde. Got me thinking about a couple more security lights.

 

[jimLE]

yeah,great video..i've often thought of a home security system,with outdoor camera's..and to me,that means having the security system hooked up to their own breaker switch(s).this way i'd be able to turn of the other breakers off.and in turn.that'd turn off all the celling lights.and other in door lights.and the out door lights would also have their own breaker(s) as well...

 

[Silent Earth]

Guys Home defence in rural areas ESP after TSHTF must not become a simple debate about guns as it to often does, there are far more issues involved to successfully defending your RURAL home as a survivalist or prepper from the usual
1 GUN CHOICE
2 Pre marking distances from the house to spots attackers can hide at so you can dial in your scopes
3 Potential ESCAPE routes
4 OPs to watch out for intruders as society goes T*ts up
5 re-enforcing lower halves of the house walls to resist bullet penetration
6 Making the outside as fire resistant as possible if intruders use petrol bombs to try and drive you out
7 Set up noise makers and / or flares to help pre-warn you intruders are coming ( Low light or IR CCTV help as well)
8 Designated free fire zones for each member of the household
9 Always having a vehicle set up in a convenient but out of the way to escape in fully loaded with fuel and gear as soon as TSHTF
10 Planting vicious thorny and dense plants like fire thorn, black thorn etc to redirect / funnel bad guys into free fire zones
11 Install HINGED window shutters / mesh screens to prevent intruders breaking in that are closed at dusk each day .

etc etc

 

[Arcticdude]

Guys Home defence in rural areas ESP after TSHTF must not become a simple debate about guns as it to often does, there are far more to successfully defending your RURAL home as a survivalist or prepper from the usual
1 GUN CHOICE
2 Pre marking distances from the house to spots attackers can hide at so you can dial in your scopes
3 Potential ESCAPE routes
4 OPs to watch out for intruders as society goes T*ts up
5 re-enforcing lower halves of the house walls to resist bullet penetration
6 Making the outside as fire resistant as possible if intruders use petrol bombs to try and drive you out
7 Set up noise makers and / or flares to help pre-warn you intruders are coming ( Low light or IR CCTV help as well)
8 Designated free fire zones for each member of the household
9 Always having a vehicle set up in a convenient but out of the way to escape in fully loaded with fuel and gear as soon as TSHTF
10 Planting vicious thorny and dense plants like fire thorn, black thorn etc to redirect / funnel bad guys into free fire zones
11 Install HINGED window shutters / mesh screens to prevent intruders breaking in that are closed at dusk each day .

etc etc

Great ideas. In my case planning for home security started even before I bought the land. It took me several years to find just the right property. My new home will be more than 3 miles off a little used county road behind 2 locked gates. The nearest private land from our place is several miles away. The house will be situated on a slight slope partially hidden in the trees overlooking a valley that runs through my property. There is a small hill about 1/4 mile from the house that has a 360 degree view for miles in all direction that would make a good observation point. The only unprotected spot would be behind the house, but between the dogs and some strategically placed early warning devices, it would be very difficult for someone to advance from that direction. We'll have at least an 8 - 12 month supply of fuel for the generator, for times when the sun and wind aren't enough for power, a lifetime supply of firewood, and a well and 2 springs for water. In the past I've tried solar powered motion sensor lights on some of the outbuildings for security, but the animals kept setting them off so I took them down.

 

[Clyde]

Guys Home defense in rural areas ESP after TSHTF must not become a simple debate about guns as it to often does, there are far more to successfully defending your RURAL home as a survivalist or prepper from the usual
1 GUN CHOICE
2 Pre marking distances from the house to spots attackers can hide at so you can dial in your scopes
3 Potential ESCAPE routes
4 OPs to watch out for intruders as society goes T*ts up
5 re-enforcing lower halves of the house walls to resist bullet penetration
6 Making the outside as fire resistant as possible if intruders use petrol bombs to try and drive you out
7 Set up noise makers and / or flares to help pre-warn you intruders are coming ( Low light or IR CCTV help as well)
8 Designated free fire zones for each member of the household
9 Always having a vehicle set up in a convenient but out of the way to escape in fully loaded with fuel and gear as soon as TSHTF
10 Planting vicious thorny and dense plants like fire thorn, black thorn etc to redirect / funnel bad guys into free fire zones
11 Install HINGED window shutters / mesh screens to prevent intruders breaking in that are closed at dusk each day .

etc etc

Great list!
The first thing i did before getting my house is to get one that is easily defended. When in doors I looked at all the angles of fire for the best defense. I routinely quiz the wife, and kids on what they should do and where they should go depending on the emergency, i.e. intruder, earthquake, fire, etc. Should guns be required my wife and i have a section of the house that is protected through WASIFOF (well aimed, sustained, interlocking, fields of fire). basically we get the intruder in a cross fire and cut him to ribbons.

 

[Silent Earth]

Think about this my fellow country bumpkins After TSHTF and a clear and present danger to our remote home becomes real, consider YES the average hungry urban sheeple either individually or in a pack is likely to come wandering down the track to try and scrounge / steal or take over your home. YES YES YES We all know how to deal with these fools BUT.

The BUT is this there are equally plenty of other Americans / Aussies / Fins and Brits who are NOT stupid, indeed they may be Forcemen Survivalists, Militia groups or just Countrywise dudes who will come CROSS COUNTRY to see what they can take, Its to these people we really need to be focusing our attention on.

This is why a partially fortified home plus escape route plus bug out ready vehicle plus counter insurgency plan is needed as much as your tarted up M4 clone.

I like trip wires to empty metal food cans, trip flares, 12 g trip blanks etc set up in places YOU would use if YOU were sneaking up on someone else living in your home. and judicious planting of vicious thorny snd toxi plants in places you cannot easily cover to funnel the OPFOR to where you can contain / deal with them.

Its not the gated dirt track that scares me, its the rolling landscape all around that scares me, it MUST be tamed by making it work in your favour, if YOU have spotted the ideal perfect spot for an OP then chances are a competent opponent will spot it as well, we have to think laterally, outside the box AND be one step ahead of all the other preppers, survivalists, militias, gang bangers and homeless vets who are likely to come a calling.

Lets not forget that most of US have already discussed in depth that if we had to Bug Out on foot non of us would follow the roads, I respectfully suggest so will many of the bad guys.

 

[Silent Earth]

One of the best perimeter security systems available that can detect sound from possible aggressors up to two miles away during the day and four miles at night, that does not need power supplies, wires, triggers, ir or anything is the Mark One MUTT, especially the terrier family, Jack Russells, Parsons Jack Russells, Border Terriers, and other 100% working microcanines are among the finest perimeter protection systems available to man. AND they keep the rats, gopher, squirrel population under control, The only thing is they cannot be treated as HOUSE dogs ( Dawgs as you colonials like to call them ) They MUST liuve OUTDOORS 24 / 7 / 365, they must sense ALL of the land around them is THEIRS, that way they react to ANY and ALL unexpected visitors

 

[Silent Earth]

a friend had a place outside liberal in KS, he called it his redoubt, solid thick timber and brick walls, window shutters, brick chimney that could be locked off etc he said no one could easily get him out, I said imagine this soda bottle was a Molotov and I threw it only the asphalt shingles on the roof, few months later he send me a picture of the place with a corrugated galv steel roof soon to be overtopped with a living sedum roof, totally fire proof.

 

[Clyde]

They MUST live OUTDOORS 24 / 7 / 365, they must sense ALL of the land around them is THEIRS, that way they react to ANY and ALL unexpected visitors

Great idea, except for one thing where i live.....
I do NOT have a yard.... I have a patio. Hazards of condo living.

 

[Silent Earth]

My back yard measures 45 feet wide by 30 feet long and it is OWNED by a border terrier called Max, enter it with me and he will play with you, enter it alone or come over the 6 ft fence and before you can draw your gun your testicles would be in his belly, especially after dark, think about it mon ami

 

[Silent Earth]

With all our homes its vital we deal with PASSIVE security issues first before we go onto active security issues, EG
Very solid composite doors bolted not screwed to the masonry, multi point locking by default.
Self adhesive laminating film applied to all windows so if someone breaks the glass it remain intact and is a noisy bastard to remove.
Window shutters, French shutters, Roller shutters
Sprinkler system on the roof if needed to wash away flammable liquids
High good quality fencing preferably topped with something nasty like spikes, razor wire, anti vandal paint etc ( local laws permitting)
Really vicious nasty shrubs and hedging to stop bad guys and redirect to your field of fire ( great planted under ground floor windows)
Dry powder fire extinguishers on all floors, great for fighting fires and as an improvised weapon for folks with an allergy to guns.
VERY will lit drive ways with conscious effort to remove blind spots where bad people can lurk, automatic drive in garage doors are good so long as the lights come on inside as the door opens and there is no places INSIDE to be ambushed from ( tidy up your garages peeps)
The back yard / patio gate MUST be lockable and preferably made of metal bars so you can see no one is waiting on the other side.
Strategically placed Blind spot mirrors salvaged from old Panel vans can help you ensure you can see into dark spots and around corners on your property without exposing yourself.

 

[Brent S]

Solid shutters on all ground floor windows are an excellent idea. It will slow down an intruder at least. The biggest problem is in most modern homes, even a 22cal bullet easily penetrates thru walls. If I build another home it will be 12" block, filled with rebar and cement. That ought to slow down just about any small arms fire.

 

[Silent Earth]

In the Uk most houses are built from fired brick outers and concrete block inners with insulation in the air gap that's enough to stop most rounds up to 5.56.

Solid shutters on all ground floor windows are an excellent idea. It will slow down an intruder at least. The biggest problem is in most modern homes, even a 22cal bullet easily penetrates thru walls. If I build another home it will be 12" block, filled with rebar and cement. That ought to slow down just about any small arms fire.

 

[Gazrok]

Personally, wouldn't be a standoff situation in my case, I'd be pulling the trigger on 'em. Kept wondering about this in the video. The old guy should have just shot him right through the glass with him at the house like that. (here's where my shotgun would have worked well).

I used to do this though (go outside as the fierce protector), until I realized it was kind of dumb. I mean, even then, the others in the house still armed up and got behind locked doors, but yeah, I should have stayed inside. Can't recall if the video showed it, or if I heard it wrong, but ideally, you want to turn off the inside lights. Our house is like a maze, and the light switches are NOT where you'd expect (happy accident, even if it is a pain sometimes), so WE could find our way easily, whereas an intruder is screwed.... Also, we only call the cops when we're pretty sure it is an actual intruder (this has been once, and they apparently ran off...we saw a car drive off), so don't want them to come out for nothing. (at the time, we had a dispute with a former boarder who left owing us a bit of money, so pretty sure it was them)....

1 GUN CHOICE

I personally prefer a shotgun for home defense, but when alerted, I also have a pistol ready as well.

2 Pre marking distances from the house to spots attackers can hide at so you can dial in your scopes

I do this already, but really more SHTF planning than home defense. If they are fleeing, I'll let them go. (doubt they'd be back) Plus, I'd need to go get a hunting rifle to really take advantage of it.

3 Potential ESCAPE routes

Again, more SHTF planning than anything else. Not too many ways off the property by vehicle, as the whole thing is ringed in by fences and in many places, line of trees. Getting away would be more on foot.

4 OPs to watch out for intruders as society goes T*ts up

Not sure what is meant here.

5 re-enforcing lower halves of the house walls to resist bullet penetration

Nice thing about a concrete block house

6 Making the outside as fire resistant as possible if intruders use petrol bombs to try and drive you out

Not much you can do about the roof though (though there are SOME things you can get to help this).

7 Set up noise makers and / or flares to help pre-warn you intruders are coming ( Low light or IR CCTV help as well)

Not exactly cool with the neighbors pre-SHTF, so I go with motion lights (and dogs, and a really loud bird). We also have a perimeter alarm for the long driveway. Cameras are on my Christmas wishlist though.

8 Designated free fire zones for each member of the household

Nearly impossible with my house layout. Because the interior walls are standard (not concrete block), we use MagSafe rounds for self defense purposes. (expensive, but won't go through the walls). Outside, is pretty much a free fire zone.

9 Always having a vehicle set up in a convenient but out of the way to escape in fully loaded with fuel and gear as soon as TSHTF

My truck always has the GHB and some other emergency gear, is convenient, but only a little out of the way (out back).

10 Planting vicious thorny and dense plants like fire thorn, black thorn etc to redirect / funnel bad guys into free fire zones

In our case, this was just a happy accident (especially with stinging nettles). We removed them from places on the ranch, and replanted them along outer fence lines, for example. We also put in rosebushes and aloe plants under windows.

11 Install HINGED window shutters / mesh screens to prevent intruders breaking in that are closed at dusk each day .

I prefer decorative iron bars. Always on, harder to remove (especially if you use specialized bolts), and are also good for storm protection.

I'll add to this, strong exterior doors (and interior bedroom doors) with anti-intruder aids (like kickplates), and switching interior bedroom doorknobs with exterior ones. A fairly inexpensive fix, but really adds to the security of the door, and makes a nice easy saferoom.

 

[Clyde]

Personally, wouldn't be a standoff situation in my case, I'd be pulling the trigger on 'em. Kept wondering about this in the video. The old guy should have just shot him right through the glass with him at the house like that. (here's where my shotgun would have worked well).

I agree. Once the perp presented his gun it would have been game over.

Can't recall if the video showed it, or if I heard it wrong, but ideally, you want to turn off the inside lights.

this is one of the hardest things to teach youngsters....

 

[Gazrok]

I know our house well, and even I bump into things in the dark. Can't imagine a stranger trying to navigate (or better yet, trying to find a light switch, lol)...there are like 3 in the whole house, that are where you think they should be. It's weird, don't know if they did it on purpose or not.

 

[Brent S]

Everyone feels comforted by lights, but at night it just draws attention to you. I like the dark, and feel safer in it. I remember training in the military about not looking at a flare or bright light as it takes a long time to get your eyes adjusted to the dark again.

 

[Arcticdude]

Everyone feels comforted by lights, but at night it just draws attention to you. I like the dark, and feel safer in it. I remember training in the military about not looking at a flare or bright light as it takes a long time to get your eyes adjusted to the dark again.

I'm the same way. I know a lot of people who have yard lights all over the place, some look like prison yards at night. To me I feel safer without the full time outside lights. If I need light when I go out at night I'll take a flashlight with me.

 

[Gazrok]

We pretty much just use motion sensor lights, outside at night. For one thing, it's good security. For another, cuts down on the power bill. I still have a few to change over though. Eventually, all exterior lighting will be motion sensor. (except the business sign by the road).