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SECURITY
Minimum Security
My first exposure to minimum security was on our honeymoon when she looked into my eyes and said, “I trust you completely” after she chained a cannon ball to my ankle accompanied by a small chastity cup. Then this summer I attended a Prepper seminar about minimum security in the event of all out hell.
The expert said that the bare minimum was for six adults to rotate with two person team shifts; one inside and one outside. That was bare bones.
The ideal was to have six persons on each shift. Two inside and two outside in such positions that each one covers two sides of the dwelling. That leaves two guarding the entrance. If anything goes wrong, they would fire, then fall back to other ambush sites.
I also like the suggestion that you board up the back so an intruder had to approach by the front, on your terms.
Fortifying A Home
If you plan to shelter in place then inventory for some of the following projects and install when needed.
Doors:
The purpose here is to slow down and confuse an intruder while you safely lay on the floor and shoot through the door.
First fortify the striker plate with longer screws or a heavier plate. Cost per door: $1 or $10
Add optional one or two Swing Latch Guards to each door. Cost per Latch $11
Strengthen hollow core door by covering the outside with OSB plywood. Cut a large square around the doorknob. Place screws around the edges of the door. Cost: $8
Deluxe option is to place sets of angle pieces (looks like shelf brackets), one on each side of the door, bend the bracket ends to hold a 2”X4” board that drops into place. Consider two sets per door. Cost per one set: $5
For Sliding Glass Doors, place broomstick in bottom track to keep from opening. Nail one-by boards vertically along the sides on the outside to keep persons from lifting doors our. Place an 18” strip of OSB plywood up high across both mid top and mid bottom, leaving one foot open across the top for light. Hang a curtain across the bottom of the Mid top piece so you can look through. Leave a large cutout in the bottom corner so you can open the door while someone crawls out; cover with curtain. Cost: $10
Windows:
The purpose here is to prevent an intruder from entering the smashed glass as well as to keep bullets from splattering glass on you, all while not allowing the intruder from seeing inside while you lay safely on the floor and shoot through the window.
For large front windows screw in 1/2” OSB plywood sheet over curtains so neighbors do not notice that you have something to protect. Leave one foot at top for light and one foot at bottom for air and lookout. Place screws across board so curtains can be propped open at bottom when needed. Cost $8
Or, for large windows, cover with anti-smash clear film. Cost: $30
MFor smaller windows, screw 2”X4” board across middle of window to prevent entry. Cost: $1
Militia Man
I survived my first militia training exercise. What else can I tell you, other than I am a most humbled person. Being that I was never in the military or closely related to anyone who was, I never understood those people. What an eye opener! "It's not just a job," it's an art form. I can see now that three ex-military, twenty-year olds, can walk into a building containing twenty non-military trained armed persons and easily walk away with their candy.
Here's what I experienced the past two days. Because I had no military training at all but was good at computers, the day prior to the exercise they told me I was rated to be the "Drone Observer." I was quite honored with this prospect until I received an email not intended for me. It discussed the fact that my butt was the biggest in the group and just right to fit the cannon muzzle! They were going to fire me off as an aerial observer, as we have no observation drones.
I immediately went into panic mode and gorged myself all day thinking that I would be too tight in the cannon barrel. But that night I realized that was just what they wanted. So, I overdosed on laxatives to make me too thin. The laxatives hadn't kicked in
Saturday morning when it was time. I hated the idea of this job and was relieved momentarily when I overheard two of them saying they "needed to fire Jim." They made me wear a white sheet so I would appear from the ground as a cloud, gave me a walkie-talkie, and shot my ass. They hailed it a success and said I looked like "Super Klu Klux Klan Man" arching across the sky, leaving a brown chem-trail (it kicked in). I'll post the pictures when I get them. After that I assisted in a Medic bandaging demonstration.
Later, they taught basic patrol hand signals and movements. They all carried loaded weapons except me. I explained that I was not a "gun person." One nice gentleman gave me his AR-15 which contained a huge magazine with heavy bullets in it. I thought "Thank God" when he lightened the weapon by removing the magazine. He then placed it in an ammo belt and told me to wear the fifty-pound belt. That was the first time I ever needed suspenders just to hold up my belt.
The signals and movements came somewhat easy to me, after a lot of special coaching. What got me was the "Hit the dirt," "Get up," "Hit the dirt," "Get up and charge forward" that killed me. I would have been less winded if the AR manufacturer put a handle on the gun barrel to make it easier climbing up the weapon to get back up.
To Be Continued.
Militia Man - Part II
Read this only if you are into prepping either as a family or as a larger group. These are simply my notes taken during my militia experience.
1. A friend called me this morning after reading my first Militia Man article. He summed up the entire militia experience simply as "That's a young boy's game."
If you don't fit that profile, you'd best be in a comfortable defensive position. Forget about the running, hiding, climbing assault manoeuvres. This isn't paintball. Put a comfy lawn chair behind a concrete wall. If you are in shape like me, that's the best you're gonna do. The numbers sixteen and sixty-one have some things in common, but running isn't one of them.
2. I don't mean to scare anyone, but I have to be honest here. My biggest weekend shock was learning this. If two or three young ex-military persons equipped wanted your stores, all they have to do is walk in with a shopping cart. You can't stop them if you are not on their level.
3. If you have a large group, you had better establish your own militia and allocate a lot of training time and materials to that effort.
4. Communications:
A . Storm whistles costing about $7 are your best bet. They make an amazing loud noise capable of being heard a long distance away. Sentries and neighbours need them as a community muster alarm.
B . GMRS Walkie Talkies are cheap and valuable, don't require a license, and they all communicate with each other. In reality, they have a range of up to a quarter of a mile. Your sentries should have an earphone ($16). Train all in their use as they are more complex than the toys we grew up with. Locate the dead spots in your neighbourhood, as there will surely be some in which they cannot communicate from.
C . GMRS Antennas, a di-pole piece of wire to be placed on a roof or between trees, can be purchased for about $70. This may increase your overall range from the base radio by 50% more in distance. The cheap radios have a permanent antenna. If you desire the increased range, you will have to purchase a more expensive ($150) base model (one only needed) with a removable antenna so you can attach the wire antenna connection in its place. This base radio will communicate with all the cheaper radios with permanent antennas. The total cost of this upgrade is around $210.
D . Cricket Clickers ($3 per dozen) will be needed by night patrols in place of hand signals.
E . CB Radios are the next move up. This will help communicate with neighbours up to ten miles away, depending on weather and a lot of other factors. Don't count on repeater stations to extend your range as is common now, as those stations may go down.
F . Radios is a deep subject. Do your research.
5. Clothing. At best, if you are in the woods, purchase cheap olive-coloured tee shirts. Be aware that camouflaged BDU tops or pants can be purchased from thrift stores for about $5 each. This is because the military went to a computer generated graphic pattern making the old patterns obsolete. They are versatile, and as for comfort, the next-best thing to going naked. Ladies, they tie everywhere so bugs can't get in and with the loose fit and pattern, no one will know your butt size if you remove the tag. Be certain to purchase long Johns to go with them in the winter.
6. Your butt should be off the couch and walking for exercise NOW. After this weekend, mine is. I learned real quick that otherwise my body is useless to the community and may cause injury to someone else. There is no excuse for this.
7. Cache for Groceries. Whether you are alone or in a group, you must break up your supplies into smaller bundles and cache them in secret locations in and around your position. Seal it up in rubber containers duct taped closed and bury it if you have to. As I said earlier, experienced people can walk in anytime to raid you. Cut your losses in half or even less. Give yourself an option besides fighting to the death as you currently plan to do.
8. Bug Out. Have a good bug out plan(s) if you have to retreat. Know the rally point(s). Practice it over and over.
9. Know who you are against. I asked the group who they thought they might be firing upon. All of them said "zombies," referring to scared looters and pillagers. Several of the militia members were Dept. of Defence contractors who worked closely with military personnel. They agreed that the military will not support its might being turned on the American citizens. Nor do they believe we will be invaded by NATO of other foreign troops, as the military will never allow that to happen. So that only leaves scavengers to be feared.
10. Note for the ladies. Invest in urinal bottles ($3). Put one in each car. They have a two inch opening - you can't miss standing up.
11. Size does and doesn't count. The conversation was always the same around camp. Which is better, AK or AR? I didn't understand the passion and so kept quiet. But for me, it's either FL or CA.
I read an article by a Serbian war survivor in which he discussed this issue. He said he came across six young men at an intersection all holding boards as weapons. A seventh had a twenty-two rifle and a big smile on his face. The Serbian's point was to be happy with what you have.
Solar Power Lights
During a grid down scenario, the most reliable source of battery power will be from charging small batteries from solar garden lights – it's cheap, simple.
The AA rechargeable battery in each light can be replaced on a daily basis with an uncharged one. Each $2.50 charger will recharge one battery per day.
Drawback: Can only recharge AA and AAA size batteries.
Instructions
The replacement rechargeable battery should be the same capacity as the original battery with the garden light. Such as, an AA, 600 MA original battery should be replaced by an AA 600 Ma battery.
NiCad batteries have the tendency of losing their memory and wind up holding less power. This can be overcome by using Nickle Metal Liquid Hydrate (Ni-mh) batteries, a little more costlier.
Although we have several models of solar garden lights, note that some lights use batteries 1/3 the size of AA batteries which won't help you. Our main focus is on:
Ideaworks JB5629 Solar-Powered LED Accent Light, Set of 8 (Cost: $20)
and AA batteries for it being:
8 Piece Set AA Ni-mh 600mah 1.2v Rechargeable Batteries for solar lights (Cost: $9)
AAA batteries can be charged by placing a spacer in with the battery when charging. A small piece of copper tubing can be cut or bent for this. In a pinch use aluminum foil wadded up, but the foil has a short life span.