Protection - The name of the game is survival, not ego feeding man stuff. Think Stealth.
In the 1960s and 70s I was a hot rodder. I built a bunch of fast cars, raced them, and miraculously, lived to tell about it. One in particular comes to mind today. I put a big Pontiac motor (a 389) in a '56 Chevy. The sucker was pretty quick when I was done with it. In those days cars like that were called sleepers. It looked factory stock. Later on I started adding cool stuff; chrome wheels, loud mufflers and so forth. By then it was a pseudo street rod, no longer a sleeper. But as a sleeper, that old '56 Chevy fooled a lot of folks. I didn't know it then, but it was stealth-like.
Today there are hundreds of things we can do to be stealth-like with our preps. One that comes to mind is NOT parading around the neighborhood in cammies and showing off your prep stuff. In light of my car-guy background, one might suppose I have a cool 4X4 with all the off-road goodies. I wish, but nope, not where I live today. That would stand out like a '23 Ford T-Bucket in the grocery store parking lot. Not smart. I do have a 4X4 that will go just about anywhere, but looks like a cleaned up beater thats never been off the road - just the look I was shooting for. I miss the rumble of power the last exhaust system had. Now my rig is as quiet as a new Cadillac. This sucks, but at least others won't hear me if I need to be stealthy.
An awesome, fully decked out 4x4 might take you virtually anywhere. A not-quite-standard 4X4 (with a locker rear end) will take you 95% of anywhere, and you just might still have money to get the little things, like enough stored food for the family. My 4X4 is a 1988. Does the job, and we have stored food, arms & ammo, gear and goodies. I am nowhere near ready for SHTF, but I am getting there without having to make payments on a cool truck.
Preps should be kept as quiet and personal as your underwear drawer. One of my pet peeves is the proverbial monster gun safe in plain sight. Showing off the manly collection of firearms is fun, BUT - Do you really want desperate folks (like your neighbors at/in SHTF) singling out your family as a possible source of food and gear they need very badly? Hide the safe.
Leaving ammo cans in plain sight, not good. Sure they're cool, and useful for lots more than just ammo, but they send multiple subtle messages. One of which is you are a manly man with guns and stuff, all the other subtle messages are about your family someday being a target of desperate folks. Stash them somewhere. And paint them any color but green or black. Mine are gray, boring, and hardly noticeable.
Your additions and comments are most welcome! Thanks,
Sam
The first layer of protection is Anonymity, second is Stealth, third Evasion, fourth Formidability, fifth is Guns, ammo and practiced skill.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
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5 comments:
I see your last two posts and you seem to be part of the problem..
The lack of community, neighbors don't know you and you don't know them. Tell me do you really expect yourself, your wife and if you have kids to survive all by your lonesome ? You read to much fiction if you think you can.
You better drop your pride and start grouping up if you are to actually gonna try and make it. Look at how the migrant working mexicans team up and live under the same roof. Maximum efficiency.
Fair enough Kenneth. Thanks for the observation.
I do have a group, some family and friends, all with a kindred spirit. We have yet to buy our retreat, but we are shopping around, mostly learning at this point.
The intent of my posts today is to warn folks that too many people, in my opinion, are so open about their preps they will loose it all when SHTF. There are those that will take advantage.
Discretion is a word I should have used.
I do not understand how you perceive a lack of community on my part. Choosing very carefully who one shares such personal information as their preps is pretty solid common sense.
I am sorry you took offense to these posts today. Would you mind reading them again with the above information in mind and letting me know what you then think?
Thanks,
Sam
Thank you for clarifying, I meant no disrespect even though they are harsh words. It's not that I took offense but if people were to come across this blog they might get the feeling that personal "hoarding" will somehow save them.
Again, thank you for clearing up for myself and whomever else reads this blog but fails to participate by commenting.
I know my neighbors. There are some I trust and others I don't. The important thing is to remember who you can trust and who you can't.
RW
Stealth gives you an element of surprise to strike the enemy.
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