I think Heads on Pikes would be a good decoration...

Testes on pikes would be scarier. I might even turn around at that one.

I'm with PhunkyMunkey here.

Build a fortress if you own the place. And I'll add, get the heck out of an apt bldg if not. Or at least move to the burbs.

How many of us, by a show of hands, actually, right now live in a major city, in a high crime area? Or one that could slide that way quickly? Was this just an exercise in the logistics of inner city survival, or is there one of us worried?

I moved out of a small, southern city of 400K people, because I was just 3 or 4 miles from downtown, and 5 miles from the 'bad' part of town. AND I was living in the student ghetto, near a university campus. I'd already had shouting matches with some of those idiots about my CCH. (did you know that even with a cch, it's illegal to carry after sundown?) And I knew from experience that they had no concept of ownership or property rights. (did you know that JUST because you pay your rent and you have a numbered parking space, that it's not FAIR for you to expect that you get to park there if the people in Apt 204 are having a party?! did you know that if you have a grill outside, they SHOULD BE ALLOWED to use it because you don't really 'rent' the 'common' areas? common areas, of course defined as my patio)

(I knew they'd steal, murder, rape and rob anyone who was there if / when there is trouble.) You can see WHY we HAD to get out.

I moved about 30 miles to a place just 4 miles outside of a town of 16K people, in an area that is primarily agricultural. For all intents and purposes, I've ALREADY bugged out. I realize that not everyone can do this, but we don't all live a block from Compton, South Side Chicago or some other nationally known high crime area.

I could not imagine, trying to hold off that 35 or 40 people who lived in my old apt bldg, if they KNEW we had food and water. And that doesn't include the thousands of others in the hundreds of apt bldgs around there. Some idiot would yell, "...let's SMOKE them out!", and it being an burning apt bldg where they might kill a bunch of other hungry people, wouldn't keep mean hungry stupid people from torching the place.

As much as I hate to say this, because I'm not 100% where I want to be prep wise, we are living in the days JUST before Dec 7th 1941 combined with Oct 29th, 1929. I think the Iranians are the match for setting the world on fire. And the green idiot, liberal / socialists have been hamstringing us energy and economy wise for 50 years. If we lose our oil supplies, everything we need will double or triple in price. So whatever plan you're working on, screw all that cable, cell phone, doggie day care, two movies a weekend crap you've BEEN doing. Cut back, stock up and get ready.

I think we've got between 2 and 8 months before we're WAY deep in the fecal matter / rotating wind creation machine scenario.

Of course, it's just my opinion, and I've been wrong before, I'm only human. But this is like the end of the first "Term1nator" movie.

There's a storm coming.

PM,
I think your initial idea has some short term merit though I am not sure how far you might want to go.. For fun a few years ago I played a small trick on my brother and his wife. We were all meeting up at our farm for a weekend of fun. I happened to get there first so I opened a bunch of the windows, threw some stuff out of them, burned some sections of grass, and did a few other odd things. I then took a shotgun ran a few shells through it and dropped it breech open on the ground. Next I hid my truck and then went in the woods and waited. Half a case of beer later he finally showed up. Needless to say I almost rolled off the hill watching the fun.

Beside the humor of the situation, what it did show is that people react to a house that looks to have been ransacked. So from personal experience (or at least that of my brother) I can saw that your idea has some merit.

Another idea to consider is that in hurricane prone areas window coverings are sold that pretty much seal up a house. They are comprised of heavy sheets or corrugated metal that you mount to the windows using bolts. Here is a picture of a house with them installed http://www.atlanticarmor.com/page/hurricane-panels.html They are designed to take wind thrown objects at over 150 miles an hour so should do a reasonable job against people (for some reason I just had a mental image of a person being thrown at 150Mph). Obviously a determined person could still get in but a determined person could also get shot...

I was interested in looking up the stats of my town and we have 16k here. Not bad. I have NO plans on leaving unless there is NO other choice because I just think it would be far too dangerous to travel.. We could never move all the " STUFF" anyway.. We got the windows that SOT mentioned, that are rated for 150mph. The windows themselves are, without a cover. They don't break.. If hit with any great force greater than 150mph... The whole window could crack but not shatter. We got a alarm on every window and door also fromX-10.com.I feel so much better having the alarm..and I think that it is a vital security issue. We have a large dog too. Loaded guns placed strategically around the house where you can get at them is great too, but with grandchildren, we don't do that..

I would prefer to live rural like I did when I was in PA, but that option is out now, even if I wanted to, houses are not selling here any time soon..and two of my daughters and their families are here too..I think doing some research on finding out out to make " false walls" and hiding caches on your property is great too.. Booby traps are a good thing to start learning about NOW. My husband just got a bunch of 550 Paracord and is busy making bracelets for everyone today..
Anyway.. the only way I would leave here is if the house was destroyed..I have water source here, and fishing close by, and a good neighbor with lots of guns &ammo..
b]

seagrl wrote:Anyway.. the only way I would leave here is if the house was destroyed..I have water source here, and fishing close by, and a good neighbor with lots of guns &ammo..

My wife just told me a few minutes ago that she is predicting a very active hurricane season (she is a native). So I am going to get ready. Who knows we all may have to pick up and get the you know what out of FL. Grin.

ps. I don't believe in predictions being accurate forecasts of the future. But they are fun to talk about.

SlobberToofTigger wrote:

seagrl wrote:Anyway.. the only way I would leave here is if the house was destroyed..I have water source here, and fishing close by, and a good neighbor with lots of guns &ammo..

My wife just told me a few minutes ago that she is predicting a very active hurricane season (she is a native). So I am going to get ready. Who knows we all may have to pick up and get the you know what out of FL. Grin.

ps. I don't believe in predictions being accurate forecasts of the future. But they are fun to talk about.

Well, my husband would not be very sad about leaving Florida.. The q-tips are all over the roads now, traffic sucks and it will soon be time to head NORTH for a visit if we can handle the gas prices!

The harder you try to keep people out, the harder they will try to get in. Defense is viewed as a means of protecting something...

...something valuable or important. Anything worth protecting is worth stealing. And no matter how impregnible your fortress is, it is still a static defense. Fixed fortifications are vulnerable to a determined attacker. Siege warfare is nothing new. In fact...mankind has gotten so good at it, most of the world's armies don't even bother with permanent fortifications anymore.


Your best defense in WROL is to remain off the beaten path. Keep a low profile. Have some friends, but not too many. Don't draw unwanted attention to yourself.

I know that this is going off topic a bit. But I have to ask. How much do yall reckon a stone wall would cost? Sure you could loot the materials after the SHTF, but then that kinda defeats the purpose. Also, while I understand that many can not afford buying a chunk of land and putting up a simple house as a place to bug out to. Well I kinda understand anyway.

It is good to be prepared. And it is good to "feel" safe with your preparations. But I have to ask. Would the money spent on hundred and fifty mile an hour wind windows, and brick walls not better be spent on an obscure acre of land, and a simple two room "primitive" house that you can bug out too? Sure the windows will hold up to winds, but as I work for a company that does install those windows, I can tell ya that they won't hold up to a baseball bat and a determined person. Get the normal windows and let insurance replace em when a weather event comes. Spend the money on a place to bug-out to. You don't have to buy it all by yourself. Hook up with a few people from this site in your area, and go halves or quarters or whatever. Load your food stocks and seed banks there. When the SHTF trash your house and have enough stuff in your basement to hold out till you can bug out.

Anyway. A wall with glass is better than stern looks and harsh words, but Ill tell ya. A good pair of leather gloves, thick pants and a good shirt make the glass useless.

foo gas will do fine, I don't know too many that'd want to walk through that.....

I agree, get off the beaten path. That's what we're doing. Moving out there actually, so no need to bug out.