How good is my house for a civil disturbance or SHTF event?
I'm assuming SHTF means shit hit the fan. Lol. :P
Anyways, I live on a horse farm in a small town north west of Houston. It's about 55 acres on a relatively well traveled "FM" (Farm to Market) road heading north. I have a 20 acre hay field with about 6 acres of dense woods on it, and I have many trails, deer stands and "forts" set up for airsoft matches in the woods. There is a large cove in the woods with a relatively hidden entrance for vehicles -- and enough space to fit my dad's F-450, Toyota T-100 and Jeep Wrangler as well as several of our tractors. The woods are in a secluded spot and we have one neighbor behind us who is a pretty nice guy with two kids who I doubt would cause trouble. Many of our airsoft forts are elevated and completely livable in an emergency. Our land nearer the road has a really deep well (my whole area was once rice farms) that we have basically unlimited access to.
Available weapons include a Colt Commander .45, WASR-10, Mosin Nagant M44, a Winchester 12ga Shotgun and a .22. Soon to be acquired weapons include an M1 Garand and possibly an AR-15. I have lots of ammo for every gun.
Since we own a horse farm we have all sorts of tools and technical know-how. Our farm was heavily damaged during Hurricane Ike and we rebuilt everything ourselves without ANY assistance from the government! Haha. Living on the Gulf Coast has basically forced us to stock up on food, water and other things essential to survival. We have two generators.
My dad is working on getting two 500 gallon fuel tanks for diesel and regular unleaded while prices are down... these will most likely be placed in a secluded spot so nobody messes with us to steal gas. (Though I, like every American male who was properly raised, fantasize about shooting a burglar).
Things I'd really like to get include a Geiger counter in case some terrorist a--hole gets the wrong idea about the Houston ship channel and some sort of CB radio. Unfortunately I have no experience working radios but I plan to learn.
Concerns include the fact that the FM road we're situated on has been jam packed with "refugees" during both Hurricane Rita and Ike. Another fear is our proximity to the Houston area; some talking heads have said things about good a target the ship channel and refineries would be for an NBC attack and this worries me. Luckily we are fairly far away from south Houston. I'd just hate to think of being overwhelmed by scared people fleeing a disaster down south.
Normally I don't give a lick of thought to survivalism since it's really kind of the realm of the crazies, but lately? Who knows... Hurricane Ike gave me a whole new perspective, and since my dad's only plan is to "load everything up in the truck and head away from Houston" if something bad happens, I've taken it upon myself to prepare some sort of plan for this. Driving through northwest Houston after Hurricane Ike with a loaded .45 and WASR-10 in the backseat was definitely an experience.
Last edited by Mooseman684; 01-09-2009 at 11:27 PM.
Up grade the fence, driveway sensors, cameras, auto entry gate. Dogs, big dogs. Get mobile on the ocean, too. Sounds like you are training, I like the idea of a deer stand condo, good vantage point. Potassium Iodate or iodide for the nukes, and plenty of anti-oxidants, there's a product called nuke alert, its a expensive key chain for those events, Stock pile meds and staples, get a 1000 gal water tank, and feed it by rainfall barrels with auto pumps. Big Gardens. Sink a couple Large septic tanks and make walk down entries with piped air. Reload. Welcome.
the only problem with a big honking fence is it says "HEY, WE GOT SOMETHING TO PROTECT AND YOU CANT HAVE IT" then everyone will want in. up grade to a standard chainlink and maybe a electric fence on the inside... depending on how many family plan on staying with you, then you could post a "guard" at the front with a walkie, at all times...
heres a good e-book, i know, i know... but it has good info...Lights Out, Halffast
__________________ 12-21-2012: Party like theres no tomorrow!!!
If it's a real SHTF situation your probaly gonna be keeping a good eye out and the fence slows em down enough to get your rifle sights lined up nicely.
Keep this in mind: People in South Africa who tried to stay in their homes during riots and such were forced to stay in their houses as the houses were set on fire. Staying in a house in times of trouble can work against you.
larmus ... good point about the fence. Maybe keep it low like tangle foot traps or something of the like. You definitely do not want to draw attention. I'd make it appear that there's nothing of interest. Having a LPOP (listening and observation post) near avenues of approach will be a good idea... and a culvert or concealed trail back to your home or other location will be important. As for communication, see what I suggested to sea_chicken1.
kansascoyote ... there are some valid points there, however, most chemical weapons (like mustard gas) go low like in the trenches of WWI. There need be options aside from being underground too. Having the (covered) deer stands could be very useful in this case. While we are on the subject of a(n) NBC threat, consider getting yourself a few NEW NBS suits, a few NEW NBC boots, a few NEW masks with hoods and as many NEW filters as you can. These all have expiration dates, unlike a Twinkie. Potassium Iodate or iodide is a great idea and IF you can get your hands on atropine, I would. I would also strongly suggest you look into and consider decontamination ... especially if you are in an area that you feel is subject to an NBC attack.
Deersniper ... a pretty good, inclusive list. I would add MRE's to the list. I say so since they are sealed and are not subject to chemical contamination as a ground garden would be. Maybe a covered (or sheltered) hanging garden would be a good idea?
sea_chicken1 ... a ham radio is a good idea. Most modern communication devices may have or will fail. It is a good idea to revert back to basics. Maybe get to know Morse Code. The reason why I suggested tangle foot traps is because not everyone who you may encounter will be an enemy. This will definitely slow them down so you can get a better look and maybe someone out there to "challenge" them.
Recon 173 ... excellent point also. You need options. IF you plan to shelter-in-place, Mr. Murphy will come knocking. You need to have a back-up location somewhere else ... maybe another owned property, favorite hunting area or another place you know you can put things without them being tampered with. IF you have to bug-out ... you need a place to go. Even if you end up not needing that second location, you can always consolidate materials after the fact.
... do you have any other sources of water aside from your well? Also, is there a place on your property where you can catch fish for food?
... just my 2 cents.
Larry O
__________________ You don't scare me! Work on it!
Last edited by LarryO1970; 01-13-2009 at 09:54 AM.
The only thing I might add is to take a look at your first aid needs and meds for your family. Also things like extra eye glasses and the like.
EXCELLENT points Swede ... a lot of people die from infections, so make sure that you have enough ... or more than enough medications and ample first aid products to keep your family healthy in a preventable fashion as well as in the case of injury. Maybe consider getting yourself a good book on the subject.
Larry O
__________________ You don't scare me! Work on it!
I don't think you really need to worry about the Nuke side of things, who would waste a Nuke on Houston. The ship canal can be easily blocked by an attack on a tanker, either an oil or LPG one, at a strategic point. The refineries & tank farms around Texas city are wide open to attack by simple RPG's or home made mortars, the PIRA would have made mincemeat of that place in minutes if they'd had a go at it. (jeez, BP did enugh damage accidentally)
I don't think you really need to worry about the Nuke side of things, who would waste a Nuke on Houston. The ship canal can be easily blocked by an attack on a tanker, either an oil or LPG one, at a strategic point. The refineries & tank farms around Texas city are wide open to attack by simple RPG's or home made mortars, the PIRA would have made mincemeat of that place in minutes if they'd had a go at it. (jeez, BP did enugh damage accidentally)
The threat is more from a dirty bomb, not a nuke. Radiation is radiation, regardless.
... you do have a point though, that the shipping lanes could be blocked by sinking a ship at a choke point.
Larry O
__________________ You don't scare me! Work on it!
Good tips Larryo1970, i like the morse code idea, i was thinking about that yesterday and plan on starting to teach myself about it... gonna make my wife learn with me and posibly the kids as well. Thanks for that suggestions!
__________________ 12-21-2012: Party like theres no tomorrow!!!
Normally I don't give a lick of thought to survivalism since it's really kind of the realm of the crazies, but lately? Who knows...
Anyone with a savings account for emergencies is some sort of a "survivalist." You may not think it, but it sounds like you have and intend to acquire more stuff stocked up, for the sake of "just in case" (all the ammo, 1000 gallons of gas, water tanks, food, etc), than many on this forum, making you pretty "survivalist" already!!
Survivalism doesn't mean expecting daily nuke and zombie attacks. It just means you don't expect things to always be perfect, and allot some amount of resources accordingly.
Sounds like you have a pretty awesome place. Thinking of the flip side of SHTF and the government is trying to restore order, just in case. If you are armed, you will probably not be considered a "friendly", no matter what. Use Hurricane Katrina for example, when they TOOK GUNS AWAY from law abiding citizens. Won't happen again? Just kelwait. Unless a person or group can defend against Blackhawks, Apaches, LAV's, M1A1's, other assorted flying and armored vehicles. Not to mention night vision equipment, and the latest in non-leathel weapons (sound-wave) etc. Stay as secluded as possible for as long as possible.
Larmus if your gonna learn morse code get with your local ham club those guys are pretty sharp on cummunication, they will probaly be more than happy to teach you since it is dying out due to the net.
Re enforce your existing structures. Your pretty solid from a prep stand point although you should never stop adding to your stores. Set up your buildings so that they provide ordanance resistant protection. Cement flower/garden beds, stacked wood piles, "rock gardens", as well as "interior" improvements such as plate metal in the walls, filled cinder block foundation walls, etc.. Farmers and ranchers are among the most resourceful folks on the planet. Ask wife/mom where and how many new veg gardens she wants and add some decorative walls and home will become a castle quickly and attractivly.
Sounds like you have a pretty awesome place. Thinking of the flip side of SHTF and the government is trying to restore order, just in case. If you are armed, you will probably not be considered a "friendly", no matter what. Use Hurricane Katrina for example, when they TOOK GUNS AWAY from law abiding citizens. Won't happen again? Just kelwait. Unless a person or group can defend against Blackhawks, Apaches, LAV's, M1A1's, other assorted flying and armored vehicles. Not to mention night vision equipment, and the latest in non-leathel weapons (sound-wave) etc. Stay as secluded as possible for as long as possible.
WOW ... yet another that believes the military is going to turn on the people. How pathetic.
