Category: Retreat Security

Letter Re: .22 LR Rimfires for WTSHTF

Jim: While I agree that the 10/22 is not a “battle rifle”, I think it will have a lot of utility WTSHTF. The ease of use and flat, fast trajectory make it an outstanding suppression weapon. Untrained troops are easily suppressed and several 10/22s working in coordination, will serve to allow others with battle rifles to maneuver to an assailable flank in both a defensive and offensive situation. Regards, – Dances With Goats in Kansas JWR Replies: I have to disagree. .22 LR has a rainbow trajectory, and very poor energy at long range. The ballistic trajectory of .22LR makes …


Sun Tzu and The Art of Prepping, by B.F.

Around 2,500 years ago, a Chinese general named Sun Tzu wrote a treatise called “The Art of War.” I first read it when I was in Officer’s Candidate School back in the 1970s. There are a number of translations and interpretations of the book available today. It is claimed that Marco Polo brought back a copy from his travels in the Thirteenth Century. I have also read where writers say that Von Clausewitz used Sun Tzu’s principles when he wrote “On War” and that (probably closer to the truth) Napoleon had a copy that had been first translated into French …


Praise For Chris Walsh and Revolutionary Realty

Over a period of time I have accumulated many letters of recommendation for Chris Walsh and his real estate agency, Revolutionary Realty. (It is a two-man agency that specializes in retreat properties in The American Redoubt.) I’ve actually received nine letters of recommendation for Chris, but the latest one reminded me that I’ve been remiss in mentioning Chris in the blog. So from the nine letters, I picked just six particularly succinct ones to post, as a representative sample. Note that some of these are just excerpts from longer letters. And I’ve redacted a few details to protect the privacy …


Keys = Access = Power, by B.C.

My last parent passed away, and I’m dealing with the estate/inheritance. I was the close child and trustee/executor (personal representative). It’s a miracle that all the siblings are still friendly (though there is still money to be paid out)! I will also warn you that it is a LOT of (thank-less) work. One of the projects was to sort out all of their keys. It was no small task, as my father owned his own business. I also decided to do my keys at the same time. I’ve tried to hit all the points, but it is hard to organize …


Letter Re: Personal Notes of Application From SurvivalBlog’s “The Frog in A Slowly Heating Pot”

Dear SurvivalBlog Editor, Regarding the letter, Personal Notes of Application From SurvivalBlog’s “The Frog in A Slowly Heating Pot”- Part 1, by C.F., Saturday June 13, 2015, I always recommend to folks wanting to setup a sentry organization that they review the United States Armed Forces’ General Orders for Sentries. This gives the organization an excellent starting point for how to organize an effective watch program and insures that all participating are using the same vocabulary. Since the prosecution of George Zimmerman in FL in 2012, many folks would like for their sentries to be unarmed, but I encourage all …


Security for Survival

Shielded Ethernet Connectors When connecting devices to your security system, there are two basic methods used: wired and wireless. In a later article, I will cover the advantages and disadvantages of both systems and when they are appropriate to use. However, the idea for this first installment was created as I had to repair some Ethernet cabling at a customer’s residence. The customer was familiar with Ethernet connectors and had cobbled together a connector when he moved his computer system to another area of the residence. He had lost a wifi radio to a lightning storm when he shouldn’t have, …


Defending The Castle, by R.T.

Numerous articles and blogs have appeared over the last couple of years, targeting the prepper community and those people associated with standing up for our God-given rights as well as those rights afforded us from within the Constitution. These articles are generally positive, and they supply the reader with a fair amount of good quality advice in regards to surviving a “grid down” situation or some other catastrophe that may come about. Being that it is nearly impossible to know which impending event might suddenly occur with little or no notice, it is extremely difficult to plan for ALL possible …


Letter Re: Finding Other Preppers

Dear Mr. Latimer, I am struggling with an issue and hope you can give me some guidance. I recently made a purchase in a preparedness business that opened in a neighboring town. The owner of the store had several questions regarding my life and specific questions about my level of preparedness. His questioning was more than trying to sell his products. (What supplies do I have? Describe the location and terrain of my home. What water sources do I have? What are my neighbors like? Am I a member of a group? et cetera) I understand his reasoning, but I …


Security Screens, Security Film, and Security Bars, by D.E.

A large percentage of preppers plan on bugging in and weathering any possible TEOTWAWKI situation in our existing homes. While this plan provides the ability to stockpile lots of food, water, and gear (including weapons and ammo of choice) for the long term, it does not prevent one or more intruders from coming with superior numbers or fire power, penetrating our defenses, and taking all of that great stuff from us. We rely on the strength of our home, and we don’t realize or want to acknowledge that local building codes are not providing for castle strength. Modern homes are …


Advice on Caching Containers

I recently had a consulting client ask me about sources for waterproof containers that she could use for caching guns, ammo, food, camping gear, and so forth. I generally prefer military surplus ammo cans and shipping containers for two reasons: They are made to rigorous military specifications (“mil-spec”), and They are relatively inexpensive, compared to their civilian counterparts. For ammunition caches, I generally prefer military surplus (“mil-surp”) 20mm ammo cans. The larger 30mm cans hold even more, but they are so heavy when full that they are a pain to transport any distance. If you opt for the 30mm size, …


Your Friends, by D.D.

Most people don’t see the need to prepare. To them, these funny stories about the end of the world (in one form or another) are nothing but a passing amusement, at best, or the ravings of paranoid doomsayers, at worst. Still, though, they have a backup, fool-proof plan, just in case they are wrong. This plan, of course, is to come to your house. As soon as they hear of any of your preparations, they casually invite themselves over: “If anything does happen, I know where I’m going…” They speak as if you’re preparing to carry their burden, too, and …


Notes for Tuesday – October 14, 2014

Today, we present another entry for Round 55 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course (a $1,195 value), A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hardcase to go with your …


Three Letters Re: How to Build a Defensible Single Family Retreat

Hugh, Regarding M.S.’s statement: “You can forget about defending any type of suburban or urban home or business altogether.” I beg to differ. If anyone attacks my suburban home, he’ll be immediately counter-attacked from the flanks and rear by my neighbors. This is more effective and cheaper than elaborate defenses.- G.K. HJL Replies: The importance of having relationships with your neighbors cannot be stressed enough; however, M.S.’s statement still stands. For example, the average suburban home has 6 to 8 3/8” sheet-rock walls and a couple of chipboard sidings on a cross section, all of which a standard .308 round …


How to Build a Defensible Single Family Retreat, by M.S.

My parents were part of the “Back-To-The-Land” movement in the 1970’s, so I am no stranger to the principles and techniques underlying today’s prepper movement. Cutting ten cords of wood to heat our northern Minnesota home, by hand with an axe and a crosscut saw, was part of my formative years. Raising chickens; living in the deep woods, which were especially deep during the year that my father moved us to a camp in northern Ontario that could only be reached by float plane with the nearest neighbor 60 miles away and only accessible to us by snowmobile in the …


Killing, Dying, and Death – Part I, by M.H.

This article will be on something that is rarely talked about but nevertheless is a fact of life and certainly a major fact in a TEOTWAWKI type situation. It’s the combat mindset of killing, dying, and death. This includes getting a handle on killing bad people; you dying; your wife, husband, or kids dying; and the fear of death. Most importantly, it also includes the fear of killing. It will hopefully shatter all the theories and misconceptions people have from Hollywood, or from “experts” who have never killed or risked being killed. While not particularly thought of as a skill …