Category: Retreat Security

Prepper Turnout Gear, by Vincent H.

When I use the term turnout gear what does that mean to you?  If you’re a fire fighter this brings to mind the boots, pants and coat you don before you battle a fire.  If you’re at your retreat, or even your home, this is the gear you quickly throw on to address an unexpected problem.  In this post I hope to cover some gear I have decided would be beneficial to have under these circumstances and what I have acquired to use in this situation. The best example I can use to reference this problem to everyone is well …


Letter Re: Low-Light Tactics and Options

Officer Tackleberry’s recent article was a rarely touched upon subject in the tactical world. People like to train what they are good at and not what they aren’t so good at. Low-light takes a lot more work for a variety of reasons. I hope to add a bit to Tackleberry’s very useful article. I will attempt to not be too redundant, as Tackleberry did a very good job of describing techniques and principles… perhaps we can overlap in a beneficial way. When activating your tactical light, be it handheld or weapon-mounted, always have the light pointed at, or nearly at …


Low-Light Tactics and Options, by Officer Tackleberry

I have had some people ask how I as a police officer can defend the concealed carry rights for citizens and private gun ownership as a whole along with personally teaching firearms and self-defense to citizens.  To me the answer is an easy one.  I believe all of us have the God-given right to defend ourselves and our loved ones and firearms are a very good option in doing so.  I also believe that if there would have been citizens/students at the tragedy at Virginia Tech and other venues who were armed, trained and willing, then the death/injury tolls wouldn’t …


Retreat Security and Other Observations, by Chino

In a world where everything normal has been turned up-side-down and chaos and anarchy may be the order of the day, we will have to adopt a “security first” attitude.  Where our attitude today may be “trust but verify”, our attitude post-TEOTWAWKI should be “verify then cautiously trust.”  Whether it’s dealing with a stranger in person or talking over the radio, we should exercise extreme caution and be on guard against providing information that someone with ulterior motives can use against us. In a situation where a few people have provisions to sustain life but most people do not, there …


Do Not Underestimate Airsoft as a Training Aid for Youths, by Scott D.

My son who is 15 years old recently got into Airsoft and started to amass a collection of replica looking, fully functioning and firing Airsoft rifles and pistols. I had planned on enrolling him in a Hunter’s Safety course soon as he is of age but the more I watched him and his buddies play Airsoft in the bush like a rag-tag wild bunch I decided to take action.  This was a good way to train them to be soldiers.  Mostly because it was out of fear of some of the younger children getting seriously injured, since those plastic pellets …


Letter Re: Night Defense on a Budget

Mr. Rawles:   I ran a recon/sniper unit in Viet Nam.  We had first generation starlight scopes and tweaked M14s and we shot the dickens out of the bad guys.  I was tasked with keeping a critical part of Hwy 1 open and would often do road security taking a jeep with a borrowed xenon searchlight to provide additional infrared (IR) support for my snipers. It would cast shadows at 500 plus meters and you could not see it with the naked eye.   Many of us have more prep to do than budget to spend… but being able to …


The Ethics and Methodology of Sniping after TEOTWAWKI, by P.A.

Introduction Having served as a scout-sniper section leader in the United States Marine Corps’ Fifth Marine Regiment for two years from 2002-2004, I would like to share my thoughts regarding the application and role of sniping and long-range precision marksmanship (herein defined as shooting beyond 700 yards) in a TEOTWAWKI scenario.  Since the end of my enlistment I have had the opportunity to discuss emergency preparedness scenarios with the well-prepared, the well-grounded, and those that were neither.  Given my background the subject of sniping frequently comes up, and the sum of those conversations have led me to believe that there …


Letter Re: Planning for Training

Sir: I noticed the great recent piece by B.D. on the importance of training. Here is a follow-up to that: All too often as Americans we tend to focus first on the material side of things. That is, “I have to have the right gear to train with.” No, not necessarily. Proverbs 1: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Even for the non believers this is the best place to start when it comes to training and learning. A haughty spirit hinders proper learning. Unfortunately you see this all too …


Cold Weather Patrol Tactics and Techniques, by B.P. in Colorado

With the onset of widespread severe winter weather over most of the continental United States, I thought it prudent to share my experiences with cold-weather small unit tactical operations. A little about me: As part of my active duty Army career, I spent three years stationed in Alaska in a leadership position in an Airborne Infantry battalion.  During those three years, we spent a significant amount of field time in sub-Arctic conditions, my longest deployment being two weeks in a tactical field environment in the frigid interior at temperatures pushing -40 degrees.  Through these exercises, I learned a lot about …


Training and Practical Tactics, by Southwest LEO

First and foremost let me say that this is in no way meant as the definitive way to do things. This is only one man’s opinion of things that I have used in my job and have kept me safe over 15 plus years on the job (I am also not a tactical operator–I am just a beat cop). Also know and respect your local laws when training. Safety is also a factor. I have done live fire training and even with all safety being a priority wearing body armor and having an instructor right next to you my pucker …


Letter Re: Minimizing Generator Noise

Hi Jim and readers, After reading C.J.’s piece mentioning the negative attention he got from generator noise. I recalled how we reduced that awful noise in Viet Nam. We built a sand bag wall up about four feet high making an enclosure large enough to work around the generator comfortably for servicing and over lapped the door with a sand bag return wall, This insured good noise discipline, and a better work environment. The enclosure also makes an good firing position. Modern generators are nowhere near as noisy as the old Army 1.5, 5, or 10 KW generators, but the …


Two Letters Re: Some Practical Experience With Concertina Wire

Sir,   In response to “Some Practical Experience with Concertina Wire” I would like to add a bit about my experience with the stuff.    About twenty years ago I was deployed to Somalia during Operation Restore Hope.  I was in a combat arms unit tasked with providing convoy escorts, roadblocks and checkpoints, Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Teams and perimeter security to supply areas and support units.    For several weeks we were working as perimeter security for a Quartermaster Company which had commandeered a vacant embassy and its surrounding fortifications.  I say fortifications because all of the old embassies …


Letter Re: Some Practical Experience With Concertina Wire

CPT Rawles: I just wish to add that not only does concertina wire (C-wire) work well at stopping civilian vehicles such as cars and trucks, it also works on military vehicles such as the tracked Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. During a rotation through the Combat Maneuver Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany in 1992, my Bradley ran through a line of deployed C-wire and was brought to a complete halt within 50 meters. Not only was the wire totally entangled through our tracks, but as we were moving and dragging it that 50 meters, it caught on to and subsequently dragged …


Letter Re: Some Practical Experience With Concertina Wire

Sir, Since I served as an NCO, 11B (Infantry, Ranger) for many years concertina wire (“C-Wire”) is something I am very used to working with. As with many skills and tasks concerning TEOTWAWKI, the tricks and short cuts can make things so much easier. When deployed it is SOP that all vehicles have a roll of C-Wire. We tossed it on the hood and used it all the time, not to mention all the wire we set up around our outpost for physical security. Each squad was issued a pair of those fancy expensive leather gloves that has staples or …


Letter Re: Ballistic Protection From Compressed Earth Blocks

Jim: Some folks tested .50 BMG bullets on unprotected 18″-thick earth bag (Compressed Earth Block (CEB)) walls. See; “Bullet Resistance of Compressed Earth” located at the Earth Bag Building Blog. There is a YouTube video attached though. I thought this was pretty important, as this is the type of housing structure my husband and I are using. – Sky Watcher.