HJL:
I’ve got the same issue on my one acre in a small town in Georgia. Great soil but with neighbors that think it is theirs. In my case a 45-foot section of board fence drew a line. I continue to fence the corners and plant hedge material when nephew labor is available. Periodic extra tall posts seem decorative now but will make a splendid support for barbed wire. My intent is to make it possible to fence it quickly from stored supplies should misfortune befall us. I hesitate to go ahead and install the fence because the location, while better than where I live, is still not ideal.
In addition to that I have researched IR flood lamps to be used in conjunction with less expensive NV gear. (Scot’s review of Armasite’s Spark) The combination in a defensive scenario seems to be the right application of resources. I can deploy five of those Sparks for the cost of one PVS-14. If I thought I needed offensive capabilities, nothing short of a PVS 14 would do. I have recently come to understand that there are active gang members in this little spot of a town, so the research has begun. The utility of NV vs IR and the availability of a larger tract outside of town is what I am talking about. I would still have to deal with those fine fellows, but distance helps. The current house is five feet from the property line on one side. – R.V.
o o o
Hugh,
Great topic. I, myself, have over the years in my prepping learning curve been had by both the good and bad types. There is a saying that “try not to live up to my expectations” and a lot of people these days attain that status without even batting an eye. When I was in Colorado Springs in the late 1980’s, I met up with some families who were into the survival mode and fellow church members. We ended up pooling resources and having a central family with a remote location to watch over “stuff’ stored with them. We sometimes were not in contact for a month or more, and one day I got a call from a fellow member who was upset because he had been unable to reach these people. I ended driving out to their home only to find a bank-owned “for sale” sign and a vacant home. Back then it was a little harder to track down a person(s). The loss for everybody in the group was both physical and even more a mental let-down because of the mutual trust we thought we enjoyed. Our “group” never recovered, and we parted ways. It was a bitter lesson and also a sign of the times, even more so today. We no longer have, as a country, the spirit of treating people as we would treat ourselves, and that is a sad commentary about our nation.
On the bad side, my living in the country in a remote section of Northern Texas presented an opportunity that some low-lifes just could not pass up, when they burglarized my home, killed my dog and cat (beaten to death), and stole about 15K in personal property. The property was covered by insurance, but the loss of both my beloved animals was the real tragedy. Nothing was ever recovered, nor were the parties identified. I have since moved from TX to AZ and from there moved to Northern Nevada. I have made contact with people in all those locations who where aware and committed to improving their survival chances. Today, I am extremely cautious about groups or people and their motives. I trust in God and prepare the best that I am able. I am not a pessimist; instead, I have discovered that I am a realist, who tries to apply common sense, which today seems to be a rare commodity in the country. Do not give up but pray for guidance and trust those who only have as much to lose as you do. Get off your rear and realize we are at an end game situation, and the days of doing nothing and waiting for a better tomorrow are in our past, not in our present. – John in NV