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So, who has punji sticks, caltrops, barrier walls? This topic had a lot of action, as recently as 2017.

If you made caltrops, how many did you make? 5? A bucketful?

Barrier walls? Anyone get some done?

Defensive positions? Did anyone actually go out, plot out their property, decide likely areas of incoming threat, and put anything there? Any form of cover, or even concealment?

I'm curious.
 
I don't have certian things, but I have the materials and tools to make such things if I need to.

An excellent "poison" to use on caltrops, punjii sticks, and barbed wire can be made by mixing roughly equal parts of animal blood (human blood works too), fresh bird shit (both chicken and pigeon shit work equally well), and finely chopped-up raw shellfish (land snails and crushed up slugs will work, as will freshwater clams and mussels).

This mixture should be used promptly and reapplied once a week, as it loses potency when it ages. It should be reapplied twice a week if the weather is very hot and/or the punjii sticks are in direct sunlight.

If you use this mixture on arrows, then apply it to the shaft of the arrow (near the tip), and not on the arrowhead blades themselves.

Wear protective gloves when working with this stuff, and make sure it never gets near broken skin or a burn ( including a bad sunburn). Also, never touch your face (especially your eyes) when concocting this mixture.
 
You don't need to have the items but you do need to have the material and skills to make these defensive items. Current laws that are valid now, will not be enforced in a WROL situation. That is when the items need to be manufactured and installed.

Natural barriers (thorn brush, cactus, etc, ) should be already growing, to help channel folks to where you want them and away from where you don't want them. Humans tend to take the least path of resistance, even in SHTF events.

You should know your terrain / property. You need to know the access points and the distance to object in your possible line of fire. With many ammo types, a 50 yard miscalculation in distance, can dramatically affect bullet drop. Example: Zeroed at 200 yards --- 556 drop at 300 yard = 7.3 inches --- at 400 yards the drop it is 23 inches. A miscalculation of 50 yard could mean a difference of 7 or 8 inches of drop, enough to miss your target. Know at what distances you are most likely to be shooting. Mark areas of approach and the distance to various points of concealment / cover.

Now for the really bad news. almost all farms, ranches and homes are not defend-able. Just about ever home has access points on most sides. Approach paths then cannot be watched from within the home buildings. Early warning and information is the key to protecting the home front. Trip wires (smoke signals) will provide intrusion alert but not the number of intruders. It is important to know if it is a couple of folks or is it 20 people, headed your way. Very small group and you maybe able to defend, large group, and you will need to rabbit out. Never get into a firefight if you can help it. All opponents have one major point of weakness, LOGISTICS. Don't attack the intruders, destroy their supplies.

Unless you are a millionaire, ballistic walls are cost prohibitive. Solid 6 to 8 inch concrete can be penetrated by multiple rounds of 308. Now granted that is a heck of a lot better than a stucco wall, but it is still not bullet proof. A concrete block planter poured with concrete and filled with dirt, will stop most rounds, even with repeated hits in the same spot. Thinking out of the box with defenses will go a long way. A planter close in (your protective barrier) and a planter mid point in the yard is a trap for intruders. Once again human nature, intruders see the planter as cover to attack from, you install the appropriate surprises at the planter. Out of the box thinking, verses brute fire power.

As the world turns and the situations get closer to a major SHTF event, you can start burying caches in spots near your BOL or homes. Surprise SHTF event (EMP. Solar) will still provide you with time to hide needed supplies (if you have already picked and prepped the spot). You don't want to be trying to figure out where to bury stuff, while you are still trying to figure out what happen.

The object is not to out fight your opponents, the object is to out live them.
 
i'm not sure I have the ability to manufacture caltrops but pungi sticks are in my plans and I've got plenty of wood around for that purpose. i'm going to put something on top of the fences around my home, haven't decided what yet but something sharp! all these plans are for after WROL not whilst normal laws apply.
 
i'm not sure I have the ability to manufacture caltrops but pungi sticks are in my plans and I've got plenty of wood around for that purpose. i'm going to put something on top of the fences around my home, haven't decided what yet but something sharp! all these plans are for after WROL not whilst normal laws apply.

The caltrops are very easy to make. Take two 9 penny nails ( about 2 inches long) bend then in a 90 degree angle. Grind points (can be hand filed but a lot of labor). Cross the two nails across each other and then attach ( I braze them but they can be soldered, welded, supper glued, wired , etc.) them together. Now, no matter which way you drop them, one point will always be pointed up.

Of course this was all in fun, for research only.
:D
 
I think a "hedgehog" would be easier, just a flat bit of wood with lots of long nails nailed THROUGH it so they stick out the other side, the plank is then simply placed flat side down on the road, track or whatever. no welding, braising, glue or bending required:D

Very true and I do like the concept of the "Hedgehog) but coltrop are harder to spot and can be spread on just about any terrain. The board will flatten the grass. shrub it is placed on, the coltrop just lays there. I liken the "Hedgehog" the the "Pungi pit" both are very effective if properly hidden and easy to fabricate. I like the coltrop for concealment in tall grass, weeds, hedge rows or even over grown roads or trails. The "Hedgehog" would be very effective if slightly recessed into the ground, covered with a light layer of soil / grass, and then a vehicle drove over it or a trooper walked on it. The key is to have the locations scouted out and have the material ready to build these items if needed.
 
wood and nails are something I've got in abundance:D
the hedgehog can be any length, long or short to fit the width of the road or track, very similar to what the police use to puncture tyres of a suspects vehicle.
or it could be part of a trap on a bent branch which is triggered by something on the ground, a stick or a wire or cord.
 
I think a "hedgehog" would be easier, just a flat bit of wood with lots of long nails nailed THROUGH it so they stick out the other side, the plank is then simply placed flat side down on the road, track or whatever. no welding, braising, glue or bending required:D
Lumber rots.so using something like the tread from a tire and nails might work better and longer..

bigpaul is spot on with the "Hedgehog" idea, but i like jimLE's twist.
You can make them even more effective by placing them spike down into the soil and allowing the spikes to rust a bit. The rust will cause an infection unless the intruder is heavily versed in how to properly lavage a puncture wound.

May have to play with this idea in real life.
 

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