Search
Calendar
Help
30 May 2014, 11:51
I have been thinking about this recently and it's very hard to decide on what would be the best course of action.
It's simple enough, but a very fine line game.
The thought is what's going to be the best route to maximise safety at a location?
The two dominant systems are a solid security system, think castles and prisons, maximum security, but very clear and visible. There's clearly something being protected by the structure. So you are very overt, but should be very secure too....in theory.
The second system is a much more stealth sneaky system. The idea here is to keep a low profile and be overlooked, if not completely hidden. Although you are covert and unseen, if you are found, you will not have the solid structure to keep you safe from attack.
So the game continues to play out. Which do you aim for, or which should you lean towards?
Let's just look at SitX, and not neccessarily a SHTF or EOTWAWKI situation. We'll just take a general security situation, let's say it's a power shortage for...well, we don't know how long for. We don't know if it's TEOTWAWKI or if it's a 1 week shortage and we're on day 6 of it? Because that's the kind of situation we'll be facing in reality.
So, clearly you'll want to have some solid construction in the house and garden to keep you safe. Things like reinforced fence posts, solid locks on the gates, things like that. The same with the front door and with the windows. You'll want them as strong as possible with as solid locks as possible too.
Having a working security system would be very helpful too. Alarms and the alike. However, some houses that host CCTV could look like they're broadcasting high security and actually attract more attention than initially desired.
Let's say that you live in a Flat, Terrace or Semi (the majority of UK properties). If you're the only one on the street or in the building, with CCTV, people will be suspicious and you'll become a target. Don't forget, if it's power down people will assume you're more vulnerable. So for these kinds of things, it makes sense to go overt and stealth.
For example, if you have a porch, it might be wise to have a camera hidden in there, or to even set a small camera up, inplace of that peep hole in the front door. Also, the overhang of the roof, if you have a small enough grid on there, that's super close to the camera, that can work like a 1 way mirror, where you can see out through the camera, but people can only see the grid and not the camera hidden behind it. This is also true with garden furniture and fixtures. A bird box could be easy enough to hide a security camera in. Poor birds. You could probably convert the bird box into a bat box, and use the camera's lense to look like the hole in a bird box....if you're feeling more eco friendly.
The same with window shutters. If you have ornamental ones, you could very easily get heavy duty metal ones, and get them looking all pretty, like ornamental ones. Doors and the alike, although they may look pretty, can be reinforced steel, as long as you have a strong enough brackets, hinges and wall brace.
It's a hard question to answer.
The same issues are apparent when considering a BOL. Does higher security systems, e.g. walls, gates, and the alike, become a hinderance after a certain point? If so, is it possible to be overt and still host a good security system?
Drug dealers in many countries use razor blades on bits of string dangling down from plants, at around eye level, so catch passers by. Planks of wood with nails facing up and covered in leaves, also a system put into place. Trip wires made of razor wire, or thin wires with barbed fish hooks tied to them, have been employed. These systems are a major problem to navigate, and can clearly be used to our advantage. It seems that fishing kit could be a double purpose system. However, would the traps give away your position? Could you use them to notify your location of the direction of travel or the movement of those coming towards you? What kind of distance would you need to be warned from, in order to make a safe getaway?
Could you afford the loss of the gear you were using for security?
The thoughts are many and huge!
Some opinions and ideas on this would be very helpful.
It's simple enough, but a very fine line game.
The thought is what's going to be the best route to maximise safety at a location?
The two dominant systems are a solid security system, think castles and prisons, maximum security, but very clear and visible. There's clearly something being protected by the structure. So you are very overt, but should be very secure too....in theory.
The second system is a much more stealth sneaky system. The idea here is to keep a low profile and be overlooked, if not completely hidden. Although you are covert and unseen, if you are found, you will not have the solid structure to keep you safe from attack.
So the game continues to play out. Which do you aim for, or which should you lean towards?
Let's just look at SitX, and not neccessarily a SHTF or EOTWAWKI situation. We'll just take a general security situation, let's say it's a power shortage for...well, we don't know how long for. We don't know if it's TEOTWAWKI or if it's a 1 week shortage and we're on day 6 of it? Because that's the kind of situation we'll be facing in reality.
So, clearly you'll want to have some solid construction in the house and garden to keep you safe. Things like reinforced fence posts, solid locks on the gates, things like that. The same with the front door and with the windows. You'll want them as strong as possible with as solid locks as possible too.
Having a working security system would be very helpful too. Alarms and the alike. However, some houses that host CCTV could look like they're broadcasting high security and actually attract more attention than initially desired.
Let's say that you live in a Flat, Terrace or Semi (the majority of UK properties). If you're the only one on the street or in the building, with CCTV, people will be suspicious and you'll become a target. Don't forget, if it's power down people will assume you're more vulnerable. So for these kinds of things, it makes sense to go overt and stealth.
For example, if you have a porch, it might be wise to have a camera hidden in there, or to even set a small camera up, inplace of that peep hole in the front door. Also, the overhang of the roof, if you have a small enough grid on there, that's super close to the camera, that can work like a 1 way mirror, where you can see out through the camera, but people can only see the grid and not the camera hidden behind it. This is also true with garden furniture and fixtures. A bird box could be easy enough to hide a security camera in. Poor birds. You could probably convert the bird box into a bat box, and use the camera's lense to look like the hole in a bird box....if you're feeling more eco friendly.
The same with window shutters. If you have ornamental ones, you could very easily get heavy duty metal ones, and get them looking all pretty, like ornamental ones. Doors and the alike, although they may look pretty, can be reinforced steel, as long as you have a strong enough brackets, hinges and wall brace.
It's a hard question to answer.
The same issues are apparent when considering a BOL. Does higher security systems, e.g. walls, gates, and the alike, become a hinderance after a certain point? If so, is it possible to be overt and still host a good security system?
Drug dealers in many countries use razor blades on bits of string dangling down from plants, at around eye level, so catch passers by. Planks of wood with nails facing up and covered in leaves, also a system put into place. Trip wires made of razor wire, or thin wires with barbed fish hooks tied to them, have been employed. These systems are a major problem to navigate, and can clearly be used to our advantage. It seems that fishing kit could be a double purpose system. However, would the traps give away your position? Could you use them to notify your location of the direction of travel or the movement of those coming towards you? What kind of distance would you need to be warned from, in order to make a safe getaway?
Could you afford the loss of the gear you were using for security?
The thoughts are many and huge!
Some opinions and ideas on this would be very helpful.
Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism - Thomas Jefferson
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin
Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither - Benjamin Franklin