Introductory Note: The following is another in a series of articles by JWR that will link to some of the thousands of archived SurvivalBlog articles and letters, grouped topically.
Today, we address the broad issue of retreat security measures.
In my estimation, many preppers have a tendency to over-buy on their gun budget and under-buy on their night vision and intrusion detection budget. I would much rather own just a few guns and have a full complement of other key retreat security gear. After all, humans can’t see well at night with un-aided eyes, and we can’t be vigilant 24 hours a day. Many of the following articles address such gaps in retreat security planning, gear, and training. And some of your most important “gear” might be very low tech or even “no tech”—such as trip flares, bells, and well-trained guard dogs.
Thee following are just a sampling of the articles and letters on retreat security that have been posted over the past 11 years:
- Safety in Numbers
- Letter Re: Manufactured Homes Versus “Stick Built” Homes for Retreats + Gun Questions
- Letter Re: Tritium Sights and Night Vision Devices
- Critical Capabilities for Retreat Defense: “Move, Shoot, and Communicate”
- Letter Re: Road Blocks and “Spider Holes”
- Letter Re: Rebar as a Chainsaw Stopper in Wood Frame Construction
- Defending Your Home: An Outline of Security for Troubled Times, by K.A.D.
- Product Review of the MURS Alert Motion Detector/Alarm from Dakota Alert
- Two Letters Re: Product Review of the MURS Alert Motion Detector/Alarm From Dakota Alert
- Letter Re: Constructing Roadblocks for Retreats?
- Letter Re: Chain Link Fences for Incremental Retreat Security
- Four Letters Re: Prowlers and Lighting
- Letter Re: One Common Caliber for Retreat Rifles and Handguns?
- Home Security–The “Lock Bumping” Threat
- Letter Re: Hidden Rooms and Compartments–Conning the Burglars
- Letter Re: The Firearms Battery and Ballistic Wampum–Shallow and Wide, or Narrow and Deep?
- The Price of Home Security: You Can Pay a Little Now, or Pay Much More, Later
- Letter Re: The Importance of Proper Hearing Protection
- Letter Re: Barbed Wire and/or Concertina Wire to Supplement Retreat Defense
- Letter Re: Any Utility in Caltrops or Tire Spikes for Retreat Defense?
- Letter Re: Advice on Camouflage Clothing
- Reducing Your Sound “Footprint” by Countrytek
- Letter Re: Hidden Retreats Versus Open Fields of Fire/Visibility
- Four Letters Re: Advice on Protecting My Home from Gunfire
- Letter Re: Advice on Protecting My Home from Gunfire
- Letter Re: Building Design Questions for a Retreat
- Letter Re: Dispensing Charity in the Midst of a Societal Collapse
- Letter Re: The Importance of Stocking Up on Batteries
- Two Letters Re: Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security
- Temporary and Permanent Obstacles for Retreat Security
- Home/Retreat Power Generator Noise Reduction by “Jerry the Generator Guy”
- Letter Re: Hardening Gates for Retreat Security
- Letter Re: Hunkering Down in an Urban Apartment in a Worst Case Societal Collapse
- Letter Re: Anti-Vehicular Barriers for Retreat Security
- Letter Re: Harder Homes and Gardens
- Letter Re: Use of Force in Retreat Security–Planning for Rules of Engagement and Levels of Force
- Letter Re: Cooking Aromas and Post-Collapse OPSEC
- Home Invasion Robberies in Argentina, by FerFAL
- The Precepts of My Survivalist Philosophy
- Letter Re: The Legality and Ethics of Blocking Roads and Bridges After TEOTWAWKI
- Retreat Security Planning and Analysis, by Tobin
- A Practical Guide to the Recon Patrol, by TMC
- Letter Re: Remote Rural Retreats Versus Living in a Small Town
- Letter Re: Thoughts on Static Retreat Defense
- The Warrior Way as Survival Strategy: Attune Yourself to a Martial Mindset in Daily Living, by Jeff Trasel
- The Golden Horde and the Thin Veneer
- Finding a Mineshaft or a Gemeinschaft
- Letter Re: Some Technologies for Retreat Security
- Letter Re: Home Invasion Robbery Countermeasures–Your Mindset and Architecture
- The Incredible Disappearing Retreat in the Woods
- Selecting Retreat Properties–Pros and Cons of Buying Remote and Off Grid
- Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Reinforcing Your Retreat for Long Term Survival on the Cheap, by Q.T.
- The Meme of Crushroom: A Key Retreat Architecture Element
- Letter Re: Advice on Camouflage Covers for LP/Ops
- Letter Re: Best Military Manuals with Field Fortification Designs?
- Retreat Security: I Am Your Worst Nightmare, by Jeff T.
- Barriers – Berries – and Bounty All Hidden in Plain Sight, by The Prudent Gardener
- Letter Re: How to Remove Your House Image from Google Maps Street View
- The Disappearing Suburban Basement–Part 1, by Jeff W.
- Retreat Security Myths, by Grandy
- Letter Re: Steel Cables as Road Obstacles for Rural Retreats
- Predator-Proofing Your Property, by John L.
- Converting a Standard American Home Into a Hardened Retreat, by CentOre
- Blending In–Unremarkable and Invisible Architecture
- Two Letters Re: Securing Windows With Plywood The Fast And Easy Way
- Could America’s Farmers and Ranchers Face a Rhodesian Future?
- Defending Static Positions in a Survival Setting, by J.G.
- Letter Re: Concertina Wire Sources
- Defending Your Neighborhood, By M.M.C. and D.K.
- Defending The Castle, by R.T.
- Letter: Home Locks Review From Someone That Breaks Into Homes (Legally) For A Living
Closing Note: You can use our recently improved Search box at the top of the blog’s right hand column to find even more articles. (The ones that I’ve linked to are just a sampling.) The new Search tool is much more useful that the old one. When searching, use quote marks around terms that need to appear together, for example: “photovoltaic panel”. You can also use the word “and” in search phrases to combine multiple search terms, such as “seismic and detection”. – JWR