JWR,
I’m sure I won’t be the only one commenting on this article, but I come to this site for good advice sound information; this article concerns me a lot. I have learned enough in the past couple of years to see the total unworkability of this approach, but I worry about newcomers seeing this and either heeding this advice or seeing through it and getting turned off to the whole site. What’s this family going to do when the mob torches the house, shoots through the (non-bullet resistant) walls, or just breaks through with a chainsaw or pick axe once they realize this is a “prepped” home. Also, 40 miles wasn’t enough distance to slow down the current wave of “refugees” into Europe; they will not be shrieking in pain over a little razor wire. More likely they will throw a rope or cable over it and drag the whole mess back out through the door. I want to tell him to watch that refugee crisis documentary from the other day (instead of some B-rated Hollywood flick) and try to envision how his plan will hold up in the real world. I trust the article will be duly critiqued and not just left on the site along side and positioned up there with the other great information posted here. – RH
o o o
Hugh,
Really? One entrance/exit and razor wire on all windows. ONE Molotov Cocktail is all it would take. That Spartan defense you just set up works both ways. – W.A.
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HJL,
Regarding Tuesday’s article, “A Solid Solution On Securing Home Defense During A TEOTWAWKI Situation, by B.M.”
The positive:
The writer offers some great ideas for utilizing concertina wire in a home defense scenario–one most of us have never thought of. And, he even offers a source for purchasing it. I’ll be ordering some tonight!
The potentially negative:
- Unfortunately, I believe the writer is drastically underestimating the levels and types of threats, at only 40 miles from a major city like Chicago. I have yet to see a suburban house that is defensible against large, violent mobs, for any length of time. Even WITH concertina wire!
- The Chicago region is rife with illegal firearms, despite some of the most-stringent gun control laws in the world–and all rifles and many pistols will shoot through concertina wire without any deflection, because most of the volume is simply filled with air. Even if rounds hit the wire itself, the deflection will be pretty small and probably inconsequential.
- If you’ve got kids, they’ll almost surely eventually get into the concertina wire and/or the booby traps. Be very careful.
- If you’re going to close off every single exit but one…you’ve created a fatal funnel that you yourself must pass through, if you’re forced out of a burning/invaded home.
Recommendations:
- Have some additional ways to get out, the more hidden, the better.
- Have some hidden means of defeating your booby traps during an emergency exit.
- If you must live in such a highly-populated region, the first thought must be to add some ballistic protection. No one is going to bother attacking your home.
- If you can’t afford to build that into your home (and most of us can’t), then you need to have an alternative method, such as sandbags.
- Or, perhaps you get a load of concrete blocks delivered to build a wall around your yard…and you just never get around to building that wall. (Meaning, you can position them around the interior or exterior of your home, should conditions ever warrant.)
- If you can, move away from the big cities. If you can’t move away, be VERY ready to bug-out and FAST!
- If you simply have to stay, be realistic about your chances, and prepare for World War III. Recalling that you can’t store enough bullets to defeat a city’s worth of mobs, you might consider building the proverbial hidden bunker inside your basement and learn to be very, very quiet.
It is likely to be a lethal mistake to underestimate threats to the suburbs outside of a major city–especially one with a definite penchant for violence, such as Chicago. Plan accordingly, YMMV [1]. – Jim