Odds ‘n Sods:

Walter at NoNAIS.org mentioned a device under development that would destroy RFID tags. Keep in mind that if the USDA thinks that you are purposely disabling your livestock’s tags they will give you $1,000 fine if and when NAIS registration becomes mandatory.

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SurvivalBlog reader Sid recommends the Wunderground.com weather web site. He says that it is more comprehensive than its competitors. My first impression is that it does a great job of fusing weather data from multiple sources, including weather radars.

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Planning to stock up on lantern batteries? Get the Eveready Energizer brand rather than Duracell. Here is why.

Note From JWR:

I heard from Jake Stafford of Arbogast Publishing that the first big batch of copies of the “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course have now been printed and the accompanying audio CDs have be “burned.” The course binders will be assembled and mailed soon–starting later this week. All of the copies that are going to U.S. addresses are being mailed via Priority Mail, so you should have them within about a week. Thanks for your patience!

Letter Re: Another Recommendation for the Survival and Austere Medicine e-Text

Mr. Rawles,
The subject of survival medicine is one which you touched upon in your novel “Patriots” (nicely done, I might add) as well as occasionally via letters to your blog. All well and good but far less than the subject merits insofar as it may weigh into our collective futures. If I may be so bold I’d like to suggest that it be given at least as much attention as the nifty gadgets readers are often eager to promote.
You may or not be aware of a relatively new book on the subject, perhaps the first if not the only peer-reviewed volume on the subject of survival medicine in general. I am speaking of the 2005 publication of Survival and Austere Medicine: An Introduction.
The book was written by a small group of writers that include two physicians trained and practiced in the art of medical care under unusually austere conditions, as well as the more common clinical practices known to all.
The book is available to everyone with a computer, an internet connection and an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) reader application. It is free to download and print for your own use.
In addition the authors have chosen to publish a hard copy version for which they collect no royalties, the better to make it accessible to everyone at very reasonable cost (under $20 shipped). It can be ordered direct from the publisher.
Keep up the good work of spreading the word on surviving difficult times. The world is becoming a harsher place every day and only a blind man would fail to see them for what they are.
Sincerely, – RR

JWR Replies: You are actually the fifth SurvivalBlog reader to mention it, and I posted the link once before, but it bears repeating. Austere Medicine as an invaluable reference! Coincidentally, the hard copies of the book are available from Cafe Press–the same folks that make the SurvivalBlog T–shirts and other logo products.

Two Letters Re: Push or Pull Carts For All-Terrain Hauling

Hi James,
Thanks for the very useful letter about the All Terrain Carts. There are lots of things to think about after reading your article; I had some thoughts to add. I like the input you had about storing liquids, etc… In the tubing of your frames for these carts. A very likely necessity IMHO. I would hate to cart 20 gallons of water 90% of the way home, and spill 1?2 of it before you get there!
In the article, the web links to the different types of carts all have inferior wheels as a week link unless you live on the salt flats. I like the castor, or solid wheel in town, or on hard surface. When I hear All Terrain, these simply don’t fit in this category.  
It is hard to beat ATV (all terrain vehicle) rims/tire combos.  Coming in at around 5 lbs each (assuming aluminum rim), I think the weight of the tire is overcome by the extreme dexterity that this kind of tire provides.  I would be very comfortable placing 1,500 lbs on two ATV rim/tire combos.  The weak link,… the axle.  
ATVs are a modern marvel no matter what one’s opinion.  The terrain that they can defeat is seemingly almost mathematically impossible.  The equal and opposite reactions coupled with the “balloon effect” of their tires result in ease of straddling washouts, logs up to 1?2 the height of the tire, etc… And doing so all the while not tipping the apple basket.   Consider that this cart could also become a much needed stretcher during TEOTWAWKI after a terrible incident, the balloon shock absorbing effect of the pneumatic tires could in fact be lifesaving to the passenger.
In the following idea’s, I am envisioning a horizontal cart about 7’ long and 4’ wide, not nearly as high as the picture of the cart with the elk on it.
When I hear All Terrain,… I envision hills. Hills that make pushing a loaded cart troublesome indeed. I think a few moments of brain storming would render a very very handy feature to this cart.
Here’s my thought: After your horizontal All Terrain Cart is built, fabricate a makeshift mud flap that serves three purposes.
1. A simple mud flap
2. A mud scraper
3. A parking brake for climbing those steep hills when your body needs a break, and you can’t figure out a way to get the cart to stay still. I recommend mounting the mud flap/parking brake/ scraper assembly directly above the center of the rim, located above the rubber ATV tire, (approx. 1 1?2” above inflated rubber tire. Weld a piece of pipe on the “frame” sticking out over the tire (aprox. 5” long piece of pipe, drill a hole big enough for a cotter pin to fit in the end.
Then weld a piece of 1/8” steel plate aprox. 6” long and 4 1?2” wide to another piece of pipe that is at least 1?4” i.d. larger than the o.d. of the pipe welded to the frame. Bend the 1/8” plate at a slightly tighter radius than the pneumatic tire. (When mounted, the only edge touching the tire would be the end furthest away from the pipe it’s welded to). ( Envision the old playing cards mounted to the bicycle frame that flop against the spokes that kids used to do to create a “motor” sound). Same principle. This mud flap will in fact be mounted and facing towards the front of the cart, (not the back as you would typically think). This multi-purpose flap will actually ride/bounce on the tire.
Slide the flap assembly onto the pipe welded to the frame, (pipe welded to frame should be about 1?2” longer than the pipe welded to the flap assembly) slide a heavy duty washer on, then drop in your cotter pin; this will retain the flap assembly to the cart.
If installed properly, you should be able to pull/ push the cart forward with the curved flap bouncing off of the tread on the tire, but once you go to pull the cart backwards, the curved flap will “dig in” to the knobby tread of the tire, this is the brake. If you are fighting the flap, you un-pin it and store it away, or, flip it over backwards so the curved flap is now curved the complete opposite of the tire. It should easily be out of the way of the knobby tire this way, it will only rub on the tread, but it is a large curved surface that can’t grab the knobs on the tire. I like this idea because if this cart became a stretcher, then hopefully the person in tow could put downward pressure on the curved plates which would apply friction to the tires slowing down the descent rate if going down a hill.
There are so many different tread patterns to tires that you may have to attach lugs, or make notches on the plate so it actively engages the lugs when using it as the intended curved down parking brake. Some tires are staggered tread; some are more like a paddle tire where it would be easier to engage such large knobs.
The descriptions so far do not act as a mud scraper. I would weld a piece of flat stock to the back side of the mud flap assembly that faces rearward. This flat metal will not touch the tire, but will scrape off any thick sticky mud that may attach itself to your tire and keep you from rolling the cart very easily not to mention the extra pounds of mud that it should remove. Keep it off of the rubber enough that you can still flip the assembly over backwards, plus, you don’t want to jamb up your drive train with weed entrapment. Leave at least an inch of space.
When designing your cart, determine your potential use. A true All Terrain Cart would be better served with a 48” space between tires than a 24” space. High centers of gravity need to be offset by a wider “stance”. The wider the stance, the heavier the axle needs to be. Think it through, and make it multipurpose. Just don’t let the kids use it as a Soap Box Derby car! – The Wanderer

 

James:
Check out the hiking attachment system for a bike trailer. Attach to your cart, copy the design, or use it with the bike trailer it was intended for…
Hope it helps, – OSOM – “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Israeli Defense Force Issues an “Order 8” Call-Up of Citizen Soldiers.

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A new electric car is hitting the U.S. market with a splash.”[W]ith the backing of PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and ex-eBay chief Jeff Skoll, [Martin Eberhard] has created Silicon Valley’s first real auto company.”

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The naive residents of Memphis, Tennessee prove themselves to be sheeple.

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Jay in Florida mentioned this article: Feral dog packs attack Australian farmers.

 

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Freedom is not empowerment. Empowerment is what the Serbs have in Bosnia. Anybody can grab a gun and be empowered. It’s not entitlement. An entitlement is what people on welfare get, and how free are they? It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights — the ‘right’ to education, the ‘right’ to health care, the ‘right’ to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are the rations of slavery — hay and a barn for human cattle. There’s only one basic human right, the right to do as you da*n well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.” – P.J. O’Rourke

Note From JWR:

The following letters demonstrate once again the collective breadth and depth of knowledge of SurvivalBlog readers. Thank you everyone, for sharing your knowledge, experience, and wisdom!

Eight Letters Re: Selecting a Martial Art and a Dojo

Hi Jim and Family,
Many, many years ago I was an assistant martial arts instructor. I had studied several Chinese styles along with Japanese Kendo. I was making inquiries about instruction in my area for my daughter after being out of that area of study for over 30 years. The self defense instructor I was talking to said that for the best ‘out of the gate’ use of martial arts for practical street self defense was Ju-Jitsu, but to watch the style you want to learn. Basically the styles of Ju-Jitsu are quite similar but some are less suited for immediate self defense utilization. He stated his approach was toward the styles that deal with grappling techniques. His idea was that, for females particularly, the advantage the attacker wanted was one where the attacker gets the female on the ground and then he has control. A school that teaches good grappling techniques will train the student how to defend her/him self when on the ground, and make short work of the attacker or to grapple with the attacker while standing and place him on the ground. Unfortunately he was from a distant county or I would have had him teach my daughter. But the type of school I wanted to find was one where what is learned in the classroom can be immediately applied when the student walks out the door. And that was his method. Learning some systems or methods can take a year or more to be able to utilize in a practical sense. This is fine for athletic endeavors or building strength and endurance or studying it as an art form. But grappling techniques of Ju-Jitsu is best for getting direct tactically efficient self defense capabilities. It sounds trite or ‘grasshopper-ish’ but from my studies one thing Bruce Lee kept trying to get across to martial artists was that his form was no form. His approach to martial arts, and much of life, was well stated in an interview. He said to be like water. Water can rush forward with great force, destroying everything or it can flow around and erode away an obstacle. When water is poured into a tea pot, it becomes the tea pot. So be like water. Basically I think his concept of martial arts was to have a set of basic tools for self defense and by ‘becoming water’ you can mold those basic tools and techniques into an infinite combination to be applied to differing situations an threats. Don’t become hung up on the ‘style’ of martial arts. Style is nice but can be difficult to learn and easy to be defeated. Whereas good grappling techniques for ‘on the ground’ fighting as well as direct straight line use of force to defeat an attacker is more tactically and energy efficient. The instructor I talked with advised to visit as many of the schools in my area and watch what was being taught. It will take a bit of time but is well worth the time spent. I, like you, prefer the Way of the 1911. But a good set of self defense skills is something you don’t have to have a permit for, at least not yet; and you can carry them everywhere. Later,- The Rabid One

 

Dear Jim,
I read your blog a couple times a week. You recently asked about martial arts training for the family. Jujitsu is good. From what friends tell me, who practice martial arts on a frequent basis, the art you practice is not as important as having a skilled sensei who can teach it properly. Sort of like with firearms: the gun is not as important as shooting it well. See if you can find out some comments on the skill of the teacher. Even Tai Chi is a good martial art, but finding an actual self defense teacher of Tai Chi is very difficult. Best, – Heretic Monk

 

James:
I am only a beginning martial artist, and have dozens of military and martial arts books, but one that read and re-read all the time is Living the Martial Way . (Similar to what I do with “Patriots” , and Boston’s Gun Bible, pick it up in the middle and learn something new.) I can’t recommend this book enough. Keep up the good work. Sincerely, – M.W.

 

Jim:
Well I personally think a good year of solid training (2-3 days per week) of any martial arts will put you a few levels above the average Joe in this day and age. Ju Jitsu is a good suggestion or Aikido which is similar or even Tai Chi mixed with Dim-Mak for the light weight person. I myself have recently started Escrima as since I am of somewhat poor health I wanted a lower impact exercise, I also seen a fellow who needed a cane for walking use Escrima 100% effectively and kept three opponents from ever getting hold of him. It also made me think that learning stick fight would give you machete skills and some knife skills, and also number one is with stick training everyday items are weapons…canes, sticks, boards, shower rods, curtain rods brooms, baseball bats, toilet plungers–so handy items are everywhere…
Another thing to note is that women are women and men are men and there is no way to get around it. Yes, there are a number of exceptions where some women are as good as a medium sized man but in most cases a toe to toe fight is not what a gal wants to get into. A woman’s strongest body part is her legs and then her flexibility, Tae Kwon Do is one I would recommend for women I do believe Ju-Jitsu has many leg holds so that is a good choice too. if she can get a good leg hold she can easily break an arm leg or neck….but be careful men are really just more savage, instinctive and brutal beasts…
One other thing to note is sometimes no matter the training some people just can’t fight. I know, because I happen to be one, in my training I became a dojo fighter. This means I was very good at
sparring I was even able to keep up with a few orange belts while a white belt and orange in my class was five belts above a white. But the few real fights I was in, I went blank. Kinda like writers block if my first punch or two didn’t work or take a good hit… I was lost and defeated in detail, every time. 🙁 I don’t know the cure for that but be aware of it. Your S&W is a good back up – Wally

 

Jim,
I am excited for your family; it sound’s like fun. I would say that the ‘style’ does matter but not as much as the ‘instructor’ and the ‘school’. In probably a year, I will be doing the same with our son(s). I will be looking for some one who teaches respect, discipline, control, and other values that good instructors pass along. I appreciate the spiritual aspects too, but I’m not looking for some one that will be passing on ancestor worship or praying to the Grand Master.

Regarding ‘styles’ some are more practical then others but the ‘instructor’ is the key. There’s a lot more to learn then just learning how to fight (however, if the school is not teaching them how to ‘aggressively’ defend themselves then it will let them down when they need it the most.) It’s is as essential as learning discipline, respect, and the other values.

What I’m going to tell you is considered “Old School.” The most important things is learning how to ‘block’, how to take a ‘punch’ and how to keep yourself covered when the chips are down; fighting is a contact thing (forget the art part). The first style I took was Kenpo (the instructor taught us how to cover ourselves and take a hit); it was very practical, straight forward, and easy to learn. I have never taken Ju-Jitsu and admire it as well as Aikido, but IMO I think if the person has already touched you, you have already failed (to protect your perimeter). If the Ju-Jitsu instructor is practical (and provides striking techniques) than I would give it a try.

One of my good friends recommends the Haganah F.I.G.H.T. (Fierce Israeli Guerilla Hand-to-Hand Tactics) System. He describes it as: “a unique combination of Israeli military tactics and Israeli and other martial arts—to defeat stronger, more skilled, and even armed opponents. Learn how to restrain, incapacitate or terminate your opponent fast with intuitive strategies and tactics. Haganah doesn’t employ countless, complicated techniques, but rather easy-to-learn systems enabling you to get confident and capable in just a few months. Men and women from across the country use the system to feel safe, secure, confident and stay in shape.”

Perhaps to save money, you could have the one son teach the rest of the family the lessons that they learned in the previous session (it will reinforce what they’ve learned and the rest of the family will benefit from it also). God Bless, – The Bowmn

 

Mr. Rawles:
I have practiced many martial arts in the last 10 years. Jiu Jitsu would be my first recommendation to anyone. A huge percentage of hand-to-hand combat scenarios are going to the ground at some point anyway, so you may as well know what to do once you get there. Someone ignorant to Jiu Jitsu stands virtually zero chance against someone even moderately trained. You will gain more in the first month of Jiu Jitsu training than you would in any other martial art.
That being said, Jiu Jitsu is virtually worthless in a two (or more) versus one scenario. Your best defense there is obviously the 1911. 😉 If I had to pick a martial art for multiple bad-guy encounters, I would choose Muy Thai kickboxing. Many of the martial arts that focus on striking are very good if taught properly, but for my money Muy Thai is the most versatile striking art around. Someone skilled could easily take down a large person with one well placed shot. (Best case scenario, obviously.)
The plus to both of these arts is that they are both immensely fun to practice and are an amazing workout. If you have an opportunity to take both I would highly recommend it. If you have any additional questions please let me know and I will be happy to help. Regards, – Big Wooly Mammoth

 

Jim,
You were looking for advice on self-defense courses? I would strongly suggest that you look into either Jerry Peterson’s “SCARS” training or the new school of his protege and former partner, Tim Larkin. Both of these are very expensive but the systems are virtually unbeatable. I’m on the small side of average sized and after taking the SCARS course, no fighting scenario intimidates me (and that’s some serious rewiring there. The concepts these guys teach are geared to real world problems, while the other disciplines are built around exhibition fighting (where it is literally ingrained in you to stop fighting when the other guy says “enough.” That is very dangerous when you’re in the middle of a street fight.)
I know that you feel that it pays to buy “quality” when it comes to weapons that your life depends on. The curious thing about that is that the most lethal weapon you have at your disposal is your mind, and these courses show you how to take possession of that weapon so that, whatever the situation, you are never unarmed! Best Regards, – Jim K.

 

James,
The study of a martial art should be a goal for any serious survivalist. We must remember to counter force, in kind; not all situations call for use of deadly force. The skills obtained allow the individual a force progression, from mild persuasion to deadly force, if needed. The martial arts foster respect for others, respect for self, team work, physical coordination and mental focus.
First, any Japanese art that has a “do” attached to it means “way” and in most cases can be viewed as a sport. “Jitsu” or “Jutsu” attached means “art” and in most cases can be viewed as a combat art. Jiu-Jitsu is the original samurai combat art, which uses your opponent’s force against him. This art uses joint locks, arm bars, throwing and grappling techniques to subdue your opponent. Judo was derived from Jiu-Jutsu, with most of the maiming techniques removed, except for arm bars which are allowed for senior rank competition.
I spent six years studying Jiu-Jutsu and competing in Judo, as well as a couple of years in Karate.
In my opinion, Jiu-Jitsu as a “soft” art is more beneficial than say Karate, a “hard” art. Hard arts focus on strength against strength moves, like punching, kicking and blocking. These arts may be viewed by bystanders as aggressive. Soft arts focus on off-balancing techniques which may be viewed as passive. This can be of benefit in a situation where the police are summoned.
One very positive benefit of Jiu-Jutsu is learning how to fall. In a throwing art this skill is a must. I’ve used it outside of training and saved myself unwanted injuries.
Christians who wish to become students, should ask the instructor if any meta-physical techniques or teachings are included in the training. Zen and Bushido (The Way of the Warrior) teachings are, in my opinion, not compatible with a Christian lifestyle. – Terry in the Northwest.

Letter Re: “Ed’s Red” Mix-It Yourself Firearms Bore Cleaning Solvent

Dear Jim,
WD-40 is a poor lubricant and a lousy gun cleaning solvent. (“WD,” incidentally, means “water displacing.”) While it may have some utility in removing moisture, that’s about where it’s value ends. Aside from being a poor lubricant, it also tends to oxidize and gum in short order, making it a poor choice.
Anyone interested in bore solvents should consider making a gallon of “Ed’s Red.” (C.E. “Ed” Harris was a chemist and technical editor for the NRA’s American Rifleman magazine. He devised a modern equivalent to the old Frankfort Arsenal Nitro-solvent Gun Cleaner No. 18. as detailed on page 352 in Hatcher’s Notebook.) It works exceedingly well for modern, corrosive and black powder cleaning. To wit:
Combine 1 quart of deodorized kerosene, 1 quart Dextron automatic transmission fluid, 1 quart mineral spirits and 1 quart acetone into a suitable container. (A metal can works best. If you choose to use a 1 gallon fuel can, replace the neoprene gasket with one made from cardboard gasket material, purchased at your local auto parts store. Acetone will cause the neoprene gasket to soften and swell.)
That’s it! If you choose to go the extra mile you can add 1 pound of anhydrous lanolin (available by special order at some pharmacies) to the mix and stir well. Ed’s Red is an outstanding cleaning agent, combining polar and nonpolar solvents (mineral spirits, kerosene and acetone) with a lubricant with exceptional stability and antioxidant properties (Dextron ATF) and a polar “grease” (lanolin) for long-term protection. Best of all, it’s cheap and easy to make.
A fine resource on “homebrew” firearms cleaning can be found here.
For those without the patience to wait for their order of lanolin to arrive, an even simpler and highly effective solvent can be found here. Regards, – Moriarty

JWR Replies: Thanks for your comments. I must add one other warning about the solvent WD-40. It is notorious for deadening primers in ammunition. Keep stored ammunition in sealed cans, separate from solvents and paint cans.

Odds ‘n Sods:

I just noticed that WhataCountry.com (not one of our advertisers, but a very reputable firm that I’ve done biz with for 15 + years) currently has reconditioned AN/PVS-2 Starlight night vision scopes on sale for just $476 each. The PVS-2 is an older bulky design, but genuinely “bomb proof.” When you call, tell Yasha that Jim Rawles sent you.

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The inventory of unsold houses in Phoenix, Arizona is now at 50,000 and climbing. For comparison, in January of Aught Five, the inventory was only around 5,000. I predict that house prices in the English speaking world will fall dramatically in the next year, particularly in the super-heated metro markets. Phoenix is one of them.

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SurvivalBlog reader T.R.O. notes that is no great surprise to hear that California has started warrant searches for unregistered “assault weapons” and .50 BMG rifles. It was just a matter of time before they started doing this. My advice to our readers that live in California: Vote with your feet, folks!

Letter Re: Source for Gardening Books

Jim,

This site has a lot of how too books on many subjects and I have found their books too be first rate.
http://www.storey.com/
In particular for vegetable gardening these two.
Seed Sowing and Saving.
The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible
Even after 30+ years of gardening and 10 years with a greenhouse this is the book I still read in the winter getting ready and refer too all summer long.
With the new bigger greenhouse and a small coal stove this coming winter will be the first time I will try to grow food all winter long. It will be fun and probably a little painful. – D.M.

 

Letter Re: Chain Link Fences for Incremental Retreat Security

Mr. Rawles,
Recently the I had the occasion to put in a new chain link fence on my property and while I would have preferred something in the 8-to-10 foot range negotiations with my wife led me to use a more standard fence size of waist high. After calling to get quotes for an install to compare what it would cost me doing it vs. professionals I made my trip to the local Non super store hardware store. While purchasing the components the fine elderly gentleman gave me some pointers and repeatedly pressed upon me the importance of installing the fence with the right side up. He pointed out that “correct” side was the side of chain link which is bent and not the one that is cut. Repeatedly he noted not to put the cut side up as it will “tear ya up”. After paying and loading up I was tooling home when it hit me that if I installed the cut side up it would be a security measure in plain sight that most folks would never notice or give a second look. After installing the fence I must say that the cut side of the fence is super sharp (the wounds are healing nicely!) and while it’s easy to overcome with just a coat or door mat as a small layer in my security level I am happy with it. I would prefer tangle wire or razor wire but that would require more negotiations. When I work around the fence I have a piece of grey PVC pipe with a slit cut in it that fits over the sharp wire. It doesn’t look out of place, and blends in with the grey of the fence and so my band aid supply has not been further depleted. Hopefully someone else might make use of this. I am sure I am not the first to think of it but for a moment of enlightenment I am happy with what I came up with.

On a personal note I want to thank you for your daily commitment to your blog as I have found it more than pays for my 10 cents a day. Keep safe and our prayers are with you. – Mr C.


JWR Replies: Shortly after TSHTF, a chain link fence can be quickly upgraded with a course of coiled razor wire fastened to the top, but only if you’ve bought the wire and mounting hardware in advance. It is also important to buy a couple of pair of protective “concertina gloves” (also called “staple gloves”), a face visor, and something heavy duty to protect your forearms to wear during the installation process. The hardest to find of these are special wire handling staple gloves that are reinforced. (Typically these have the palms and fingers reinforced with metal zipper material, staples, or riveted leather strips.) These are a must to protect your hands while working with military concertina wire or civilian razor wire.

Of course only in a worst case out-and-out TEOTWAWKI would you want to erect military concertina wire arrays. But just in case, it would be prudent to have the materials on hand to do so.

Unless you have a big budget to buy commercially made razor wire (also called barbed tape), or a huge budget to buy a nifty three strand deploying trailer, then think surplus. Used concertina wire can sometimes be found at U.S. Army DRMO surplus disposal auctions–often for as low as scrap metal prices. Keep an eye on the calendar of auctions to attend one in your region. (Army camp/fort auctions are your best bet for finding concertina wire, such as this upcoming palletized lot of concertina and barbed wire at Fort Lewis, Washington.) In my opinion, used, slightly rusty wire has two advantages: First, it does not have the reflective sheen of new wire, so it not as obvious to casual observers at long distances. Second, from “up close and personal”, the sight of rusty barbs might get the bad guys thinking about tetanus. (Yes, I know that the tetanus risk from punctures by new wire is nearly as great as that of dirty or rusty wire, but at least here in North America the bad guys all grew up hearing about the perils of “rusty nails.”)

Lastly, keep in mind that that no obstacle is effective for long unless it is under observation from the Mark I Human Eyeball. The U.S. Army’s decades-old mantra is still in effect: “Cover all obstacles with fire.”