Why Bugging In Is Better Then Bugging Out Revisited

Every disaster brings its own set of unique circumstances to the forefront.  When the situation warrants, if you have the choice of bugging in or bugging out; bugging in will be the better option.  Why you ask;  let me elaborate.  By bugging in you have the following advantages.

• You will be in familiar surroundings.
• Food and water in your refrigerator and or pantry can supplement your survival stash.
• You’ll have additional time to improve your existing homes defenses.
• Your home will offer shelter against the elements.
• You’ll have access to clothing, blankets and other survival gear.
• You’ll have access to weapons and ammunition.
• You can better protect your home from looters and thugs.

The better prepared you are now, the better prepared you will be to deal with your survival situation later.  Trust your instincts and stay alert.

You can get a free preview of my first three post apocalyptic fiction books by clicking on the book cover images to the left of this blog post, on my blog page, which will take you to the Amazon.com website. Then you can click on the look inside option which will give you a free preview.  If my survival fiction books interest you; then consider purchasing them.  Book titles include American Rebellion Book 1 of the Revolution, American Rebellion Book 2 of the Revolution and American Rebellion Book 3 of the Revolution.

 

Image of the Week 1/20/13 – 1/26/13

Makes an interesting entrance to a secure location 🙂

Survival Logistics Revisited

Keeping in mind that a survival situation will effect everyone’s survival and not just yours, it is important to minimize your struggles in order to maximize your survival chances.  The following are some important considerations.

• Allow extra time to accomplish your goals during a disaster as it will usually take longer to get to your destination, complete your plan or project, etc.
• Information is critical so use it to your advantage.  Make sure it is up to date and accurate.
• Have sufficient modes of transportation and reserve fuel for yourself, your family and your supplies.
• Utilize all available skills as needed and keep an accurate inventory of your gear, food and other resources.
• Security, security, security.  Increase your security level as disasters will often bring out the worst in people.  Your security and safety is critical.

There are three types of folks.  Those who will do nothing to prepare for their survival and immediately surrender to circumstances, those who will do whatever it takes to survive even if their actions are immoral and unethical and those who will do what is necessary to survive while retaining their morals and ethics.  Try to be part of the 3rd type of folks. 

If things do get bad you need to be prepared to defend yourself not only for your own survival but for those other family members who may also be depending upon you for their survival.  It can be a dangerous world when disaster strikes so be prepared.

You can get a free preview of my first two post apocalyptic fiction books by clicking on the book cover images to the left of this blog post, on my blog page, which will take you to the Amazon.com website. Then you can click on the look inside option which will give you a free preview.  If my survival fiction books interest you; then consider purchasing them.  Book titles include American Rebellion Book 1 of the Revolution and American Rebellion Book 2 of the Revolution.

Holding a Home Invader (Criminal) at Gunpoint Revisited

If a criminal breaks into your home you have the responsibility to ensure the safety of yourself and your family.  If you are holding the criminal at gunpoint the following are some recommended steps to follow.

• Call 911.
• Inform the 911 operator that you are holding an intruder (criminal) who has broken into your home at gunpoint and that you are the homeowner.
• Inform the 911 operator that you are in fear for your life and if the criminal takes any aggressive action you will shoot the criminal in self defense to protect yourself and your family.
• Order the criminal to keep his hands in the air, get down on his knees, then get face down on the floor with his head turned the opposite way from you and to spread his arms out from his sides away from his body.
• Inform the 911 operator that you are the homeowner and describe what you are wearing.
• Inform the 911 operator that the criminal is lying face down on the floor and describe what he is wearing.
• Make sure there is a clear distinction between what you the homeowner are wearing and your position, standing up in the home as opossed to what the criminal is wearing and his position on the floor in the home.
• Keep the 911 operator on the line until the police arrive.
• Have a family member if possible meet the police outside, reiterate the situation and escort them in.
• Lower your weapon when the police arrive and follow their instructions.  Make sure they are fully aware that you are the homeowner and not the criminal.
• Inform the police that you want the criminal prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and that you are prepared to press charges.

You can get a free preview of the beginning of my first two fiction books by clicking on the book cover images to the left of this blog post, on my blog page, which will take you to the Amazon.com website. Then you can click on the look inside option which will give you a free preview.  If my books interest you; then consider purchasing a copy.  As always I appreciate it.

Using a Communications Drop

A communications drop is an old school way for two or more people to stay in touch in a clandestine manner.   A drop is a secure location known only to the people who use the site but is not common knowledge to outsiders.  In the event other forms of communication cannot be used due to an electro- magnetic pulse or other security considerations; a secure communications drop can be a way for families to remain in contact.  Secure drops can be the inside of a hollowed out log or perhaps a secret area inside an outdoor deck.  Written messages, coded or un-coded can be left to alert family and friends as to where and when you would like them to meet you.  The nice thing about old school communication drops is there is no limit to how creative your drop sites can be.

If you like this blog post feel free to check out my fiction books which can be seen on my blog page to the left of this post.  Click on the book cover images to see a preview.  If you like what you see then please consider purchasing a copy.

Refuse to be a Victim Revisited

There you have it; that’s all it takes!  You must simply refuse to be a victim.  Whether in your personal or professional life, the most important thing is to have the mindset that you will not be a victim.  Once that mindset is developed, everything else becomes easy.  People with a victim mentality attract predators, people with a survival and refusal to be a victim mentality keep predators at bay.

Once you have decided to not be a victim, then doors of opportunity open.  Your confidence increases, your interests broaden.  You must keep moving forward, train vigilantly in defensive techniques and in the proper use of firearms and practice, practice, then practice some more. 

Remember each person is individually responsible for their own safety and security.  Don’t delegate that responsibility to someone else.  Make sure you have the skills and the will to defend yourself  properly if the situation ever calls for it.

Preparedness Essentials You Should Not Overlook Revisited

When it comes to being prepared, the following are some essentials you should not overlook.

• Keep your vehicles gas tanks full.  When your gauge shows 3/4 full make sure you fill up again at that point.  A full tank of gas has essential uses.  Never let your gas tank run down; keep it topped off.
• Keep at least 10, 5 gallon gas containers full, in a cool dry garage location and use Stabil to increase their storage life.  Date the cans so you know when the gas needs to be used by.
• Have a 10,000 watt backup generator available and have an electrician wire it so it is ready to run your house if the power is out.  Have a secure, security chain applied and locked to a secure exterior portion of your home to keep it from being stolen.
• Keep a 3 months supply of food and water stored for each member of your family.  Don’t forget about your pets.
• Keep a 3 months supply of all common battery sizes available.
• Have your well maintained firearms available with a sufficient quantity of ammunition for self defense purposes.
• Keep pre-cut plywood available for boarding up windows if needed.
• Have a charcoal grill with a sufficient supply of charcoal for emergency outdoor cooking.
• Firewood properly stored is another essential item along with a sufficient quantity of dry matches.
• Make sure your garage doors have backup locks and that all your window and door locks are fully functional.
• Brace your front and back doors with rigid, vertical suspension bars.
• Keep your communications gear/cell phones/radios and flashlights fully charged.
• Keep at least $100.00 in singles and $50.00 in coins readily available.

Early Warning Intruder Detection

Every home should have an early warning system for intruder detection through the front and back door, patio doors, garage door, etc.  An inexpensive battery powered system which has worked well for me is the Doberman Mini Defender system.  A 2 pack of this system generally runs for about 15 dollars.

Basically they are magnetically triggered alarms with an on/off switch, a chime switch (which I never use) and an alarm setting which omits a piercing 100db alarm for 30 seconds.  I use the alarm setting which is very loud and will give you early warning that someone has breached your security.

The unit is smaller than a credit card and as an example, one end mounts to the door and the other end to the trim around the door at the same level, usually with about an inch of space between the pieces.  The magnets sense each other and if a door is opened, the magnets are breached which sets off the alarm if the alarm setting has been pre-turned to the on position.

As the trim and the door in many homes are usually not flush I use layers of double sided tape to bring the recessed surface even with the higher surface, before mounting, so everything is flush and level.  When defending your home anything which gives you an early warning, turns the advantage to your favor and gives you time to call 911 and bring your weapon into play for a defensive scenario.

 

Gun Control, The Real Facts

Most of you know that I am against gun control and the ridiculous measures legislatures continually try and pass.  Here are some of the major reasons why gun control is wrong.

• Guns are used by law abiding American citizens in self defense approximately 2.5 million times per year or about 6,850 times per day.  That equates to a lot more innocent citizens surviving and a lot more scumbag criminals being stopped.
• Concealed carry laws have reduced the murder and crime rate in all states where concealed carry laws have been passed.
• The 2nd Amendment protects the rights of individuals to keep and bear arms.  The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
• Washington D.C. has the most restrictive gun laws in the nation and is frequently the leader in murder rates.  While the murder rate in concealed carry states has decreased an average of between 36% and 49% Washington D.C.’s murder rate has increased 46%.
• More people die every year from motor vehicle accidents or sports related injuries then from accidental gun discharges yet you never see anyone trying to ban motor vehicles or sports.
• Gun control laws only disarm law abiding citizens.  Thugs and criminals won’t obey them as they are deviants to begin with.
• Given a choice criminals prefer unarmed victims 100% of the time.
• Self defense is an individual responsibility which cannot be delegated to someone else.  Firearms with proper training are the most effective form of self defense.

Removing Personal Data From Images (Survival Security)

When taking pictures with a digital camera or cell phone camera, these devices will add personal data to the pictures you take.  In many instances it is better to scrub the image which means removing the date, time, place, GPS coordinates or other info from a picture before sharing it online. Windows will make this fairly easy to do. 

Step 1 – Place the pictures you want to protect in a folder.   

Step 2: Select all image files then right click and select Properties.

Step 3: Select the Details tab, then click on “Remove Properties and Personal Information.

Step 4: Remove properties.  If you want to remove all possible info, just click OK to create a set of copies identical in every way except for the identifying information.  You may then delete the originals and save the copies.