Category: Retreat Security

Two Letters Re: The Legalities of Preparedness

Jim:  Like Ed S. I purchased several rolls of new razor wire to string up in case of a sudden rash of nearby home invasions.  I bought it on eBay along with some used razor wire gloves (they have steel in the palms and digits) to enable speedy deployment without losing a lot of blood.  At the farm supply store I bought a couple boxes of hog rings and some hog ring pliers, as well as some small steel conduit straps and a box of screws for mounting the deployed razor wire.  (Two or more parallel coils can be joined …


Two Letters Re: Force Multipliers for Retreat Groups

Sir, The recent Force Multipliers article was a good read, as was OSOM’s follow-up letter. Your comment about the Magic Cube flash cubes is a good one. I’m ashamed I didn’t think of that one myself. One of my concerns is the amount of electronic gear that seems to go into play in some of our TEOTWAWKI preparations. If you look at the logistics tail of the US Military you will find that a soldier uses his weight in batteries very quickly in the field. A big problem (as I understand it from my reading) is keeping our guys supplied …


Letter Re: Radio Communications and SIGINT

Jim, I’ve been a follower of your writings since you wrote your shareware novel “The Gray Nineties“. After seeing some recent postings on SurvivalBlog regarding communications, I decided to write you. I have been a licensed Amateur Radio Operator since 1984. Before that I was a “skip shooter” on the 11 meter band. My Army MOS was 13E. I’m presently a Certified Electronic Technician working in the Land Mobile Radio (LMR) industry. Survivalists who use tactical radio communications, whether it is CB, MURS, FRS, marine band, or VHF/UHF ham, need to be aware of a police scanner technology called either …


Two Letters Re: Force Multipliers for Retreat Groups

Dear Jim: Regarding force multipliers, you touch on early warning with SIGINT, HUMINT and night vision, but I would argue that more immediate early warning through intrusion detection or perimeter security should be stressed as well: If you are not aware of the bad guys approach, then all your other defensive measures are for naught.  Even just having a minute to muster a defense, instead of 10 seconds, could make all the difference.  Imagine an early warning on the approach of intruders at O-dark-thirty, with your entire team wide awake and suited up in defensive positions, vs. waking up to …


Force Multipliers for Retreat Groups

In the past 60 years military organizations of First World countries have often dominated their foes in combat because they’ve taken advantage of Force Multipliers. These are technologies or tactics that dramatically increase (“multiply”) their combat effectiveness. These multipliers are typified by electronic communications, aerial bombardment, intelligence gathering, rapid troop transport, electronic warfare, force concentration, and the use of precision guided “smart” munitions. Similarly, I suspect that in a post-collapse world, Constitutional law and order will best be reestablished by those who stand ready to employ force multipliers of their own. These will likely include: Uninterrupted radio communications to provide …


Inventory, Organize, Adapt and Overcome, by T.C.

My wife and I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and we have been in serious preparation mode for about a year now. Let me explain what I mean by serious preparation: I am talking about creating a defend in place (bug-in) plan and a bug-out plan along with identifying and obtaining the necessary resources to carry them out. Understanding how to Hunt, fish, trap, raise livestock, garden, can and preserve food along with the necessity of having an alternate heat and readily available water sources are still a way of life in the Appalachian Mountains. …


Where’s the Bad Guys? — Morality When the SHTF, by Kelly A.

1

You don’t have to read many gun blogs before you are faced with discussion regarding Bad Guys (“BG’s”). The BG shorthand is the current forum-speak for “Bad Guy”. In these discussions you’ll find that BG’s are always in desperate need of having an end put to their pathetic lives, and that they are nothing really but a target waiting to be acquired. But does reality reflect forum logic? Does every BG have an angry scowl and use someone’s beautiful daughter as a human shield? Life, unlike some forum discussions, is chuck-full of gray areas, shadowy concealment, and moral dilemmas where right and …


Letter Re: A Veteran Policeman’s Observations on The Golden Horde

2

James,   A lot has been written warning us of what will happen when the City Dwellers find their homes are untenable and vacate [en masse as The Golden Horde] for “the country”, but I haven’t seen anything on what the make-up of these hordes will be. The generic term “city dwellers” encompasses a lot of territory. Who will they be,what kind of shape will they be in, how will they be armed…all of these need to be examined. One category needs to be examined, I feel, more closely than others. Since I have seen posts on your site lately …


Tactical Movement in a Post-TEOTWAWKI World

One of the most inevitable situations that you will find yourself in a WTSHTF situation is moving across a landscape of some kind. In the Army we always move with a “battle buddy” and of course a weapon. As I suggest both, this is not always the case. Having someone to help you and watch your back is great, especially if they are military trained. In a WTSHTF scenario, a weapon (with ammo) is priceless. What else is priceless is the knowledge of how to keep yourself alive. We will explore each avenue and its risks. The first part of …


Training Sources for TEOTWAWKI, by Christopher E.

The reality of the situation is that tactical combat, survival and self defense training is not something that can be mastered in a week or a month.  Training needs to be consistent to the point where the drills become as a reaction that you don’t even have to think about it…. The point is that terrorists and threats to you have been in serious training for a long period of time while many of us still see the concept of learning the inner workings of firearms as being premature. Private survival training in the present day has often been seen …


Tactical Training for the Modern Family, by Jeff F.

In discussions with other members of the preparedness world one thing becomes abundantly clear. Training is secondary to supplies and generally is handled exclusively by the head of the household. I have found that being a former Marine, and a gun enthusiast, as well as the director of my family’s survival plan that many conversations with others all end up at the same spot on the map. The question I pose to the other males leading the charge is, “what happens when the SHTF and you go down early by brick/bullet or from a tap on the shoulder from Murphy?” …


No Law Enforcement in TEOTWAWKI, by Ron M.

I am a Christian, husband and father. I am a former 10 year active Army veteran and three year National Guardsman in Louisiana. My military background is helicopter crew chief, CID (the Army’s equivalent of the FBI) and then an Armor officer in the National Guard. After leaving the Guard I became a Louisiana State Patrol (LSP) trooper. I have since left the state police. It is my experience as a state trooper that I wish to write about. I have read on your blog about many things and appreciate them all in many ways. Recently a writer was predicting …


Letter Re: The Psychological Trauma of a Home Burglary

Mr. Editor: Just about nine hours ago, my house was burglarized. My husband, three kids, and the dog is still asleep while I’m anxiously waiting for sunrise. Thank God we were not home but security of home is invaded. I’m scared, nervous, and unsure of the future. I tell myself to be strong for them but body is numbed and jelly-like. My kids and I came home from a school event around 7 P.M. yesterday evening. We all went straight to the kitchen for a snack. The house was at its usual state, toys scattered around, and the living room …


Three Letters Re: The “Plan B” Map

Dear Editor: How does T.L.F. (the author of “The Plan “B” Map”) plan to get that bottled water, sports drinks and other suppliers from the dentist office, gym and hobby store? Surely not by breaking and entering or burglary. In the scenarios that are mentioned it is highly unlikely that these kinds of places would be open for regular “legal” business. I hope the author was not advocating looting or taking without paying. That would just add to the chaos and confusion of an already bad situation. I do not want to become one of the Golden Horde. – M.E.P. …


Letter Re: Making Land Navigation and Stealthy Movement Fun

Taking a page from my Marine Corps training from way back and utilizing the civilian environment which we are in I believe I have come across a fun way for groups/families to practice land navigation (land nav) and stealth/concealment at the same time. I have two young teen age children and have been trying to teach them land nav which is somewhat fun for a short time but they haven’t really gotten it yet. One thing kids really like is hide and seek another is to camouflage up. I liked it and in the past become very proficient and blending …