Understanding The Biggest Threat You Face

[Copper Catcher]

If you are worried about a financial collapse and civil unrest occurring and have put into motion a plan on trying to prepare for these events you probably have inadvertently ignored the single biggest threat you will face.

In this “pre-crisis” time period the reality remains self evident that the vast majority of people around you have done little to get ready for a mild event that might last a few days; much less an event that last a week, two weeks or longer.

In order really understand the severity of this stark fact one only needs to look at a recent survey done by CareerBuilder which found that forty percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck all of the time! Another seventy-seven of all Americans live paycheck to paycheck at least part of the time.

Let’s be honest, no one likes to think about worst-case scenarios. In fact it appears that most people have given up totally on focusing on their future because they feel as if it is totally out of their control. This defeatist attitude goes hand in hand with the mentality that the government is going to take care of you and every aspect of your life because you can’t do it yourself.

This is a total lie! You can and must take control over your life and the decisions you make. Freedom is a precious commodity that if ignored will be not just lost for this generation but forever!

Stop for a moment and ask yourself, how much extra food and water do you think your neighbors have on hand? How about toilet paper? Do you think they even have a decent flashlight? Do people around you have an extra supply of medicines they need?

What happens if there is a natural or man made disaster that takes place where you live or everywhere all at one time?

When you are in the middle of a full blown crisis situation with the understanding that no help is on the way, you either feel confident that you can handle what has happened or you see yourself in serious trouble! This is a very DANGEROUS time because civility and rational thinking are quickly tossed out the window and many times replaced with violence.

What do you think a person in that situation is going to do? What would you do? The answer is simple, whatever it takes! Beg, borrow or steal, and by force if necessary.

So, what have you really done to not only prepare but defend yourself and your possessions from this real threat?

One might quickly fall back to a position that neighbors will help neighbors and people will come together for the common good. I do think overall this is true and there is strength in numbers. Yet this can be both a positive or negative!

Are people going to watch each others back in times of crisis or are they going to be an unruly mob and loot and steal whatever they need in order to survive?

People who prep often refer to “bugging out” as the final answer and solution when the situation gets real bad. To that I say; if the entire economy has collapsed what makes one place any better then the other? Some will tout that due to the density of people an urban area is going to be worst than in a rural setting. This might be true but how many people in reality have a second home in a rural area they can go to? Very few, I’m sure.

Reality versus Practicality

We are creatures of both habit and comfort. Our life revolves around the everyday utility services we take for granted: water, sewer, electricity and natural gas or propane.

In preparing you can choose to spend an enormous amount of time and resources trying to duplicate all those services you depend on or you can choose to take reasonable precautions and realize the likelihood of everything stopping at once and never reoccurring again is very slim.

If you are a person that has chosen to stay in your primary residence during a natural or man made disaster then it is important to have a critical eye in order to truly assess all the strengths and weaknesses of your structure.

Few people want to live in a fort with bars on their windows and doors. For some however this is already part of their reality.

In looking at my own situation I have spent hours doing research evaluating different products that will help secure, as much as possible, my home from an outside threats.

It is important when you start this process to be clear on what you’re individual goal might be and what you may or may not be willing to sacrifice to achieve it. With that said, unless you are going to live in a cement box with no windows and only one door you have to be realistic in your thought process. If someone wants to break in to your home and they have an unlimited amount of time to do it in they will succeed.

My main goal for home security is making it as difficult as possible for anyone to gain entry yet still have a usable and livable space.

If you are home alone and someone tries to break in when you are inside you must already have a plan in place to take corrective action. This should be locking your self in another room! Your possessions can be replaced but your life can not be. Once in the locked room you should have a weapon in your hand to neutralize any threat coming toward you. Period!

You need to survey all your windows, doors and crawl space access points. Likewise, if you have a two story home you should not neglect any second story windows. Any and all portals of entry no matter how small or large is a potential threat.

Large windows and glass patio doors are for most homes the weakest link and the easiest place to gain entry. Most modern homes have tempered glass. When the glass break it shatters into smaller pieces or stays in place as a sheet that with a gloved hand can be easily pushed aside with little effort.

Criminals are predators of opportunity; their “job” is to find an easy target. A left open garage door, a sliding glass patio door or even a down stairs windows that is slightly cracked open are all invitations to a criminal to come in and take what they want.

What you keep in your yard likewise gives any criminal a clue of what might be in your home. That expensive John Deer mower or nice stainless steel grill ensures a treasure trove of goodies inside.

Alarm systems are noise makers and there is nothing wrong with a noise maker. But these are not feared by criminals. You often hear people say the best home defense is to have a barking dog. While this may be a deterrent to some would be criminals, having a dog is not the “be all” solution to home security.

The smash and grab technique today appears to be the method of choice for most home invaders. Picture you car in not in the driveway, and the criminal looking in an open window to see a large flat screen TV. He walks around to your glass patio door, kicks in it taking the TV and is gone in less than three minutes.

A simple and effective tool to slow down entry is to have a security laminate, like the product made by 3M, placed on all existing windows and glass door ways.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... dow_Films/

This film absorbs the shock, and while the glass does break it stays firmly attached making entry difficult. Again, with enough time someone can eventually enter but this slows the process down greatly.

Another product you might want to look into is something to help secure your door from being easily kicked in. For about $70 you can buy a product called EZ Armor
http://www.armorconcepts.com/Our-Soluti ... ntry-Doors

If you have an outer storm door that you would like to replace with a more secure door; you might want to check out the product made by Larson:
http://www.larsondoors.com/storm_doors/products/349_20

Make sure to lock your crawl space access door and routinely check all your windows and doors to make sure they are secure. Many police department and sheriff’s offices offer free security inspections, which hopefully would be helpful to have critical eye assess your situation before rather than after a crime has taken place.

[Nickelless]

Thanks for the links at the bottom, CC. I read somewhere else about security laminate but I wasn't sure where to start in trying to find it. Ditto the links on the doors.

[brian0918]

What you say about people living paycheck-to-paycheck has been my experience too. When our payment system goes down at work, everyone starts flipping out about how they're going to have to put off mortgage payments and various bills, and I always hear a few people here calling their bank about overdraft charges on their checking accounts. I don't know what these people are spending all their money on, but they have no excuse. We are not a fast-food joint paying minimum wage - these people are making comfortable income.

Actually, I do know what they are spending it on - cigarettes, beer, cable TV, cell phones, take-out food, and popping out more babies they can't afford.

[brian0918]

Thanks for the links! I had not heard of security laminate - very interesting. Our side door is single-pane glass and that has always worried me. This could be a potential solution.

Here's a nice video I found on youtube of actual burglars trying to break through the 3M security film:

[NDFarmer]

Actually, I do know what they are spending it on - cigarettes, beer, cable TV, cell phones, take-out food, and popping out more babies they can't afford.

C'mon people want it NOW. They want a bigger house than their parents live in, at least two new vehicles, a motorhome, a boat, and a couple of jet skis sitting in the driveway. And probably 5 or 6 credit cards that are maxed out that they are making the minimum payments on each month. Then if they miss a paycheck or two everything come tumbling down and they wonder why?

[brian0918]

Actually, I do know what they are spending it on - cigarettes, beer, cable TV, cell phones, take-out food, and popping out more babies they can't afford.

C'mon people want it NOW. They want a bigger house than their parents live in, at least two new vehicles, a motorhome, a boat, and a couple of jet skis sitting in the driveway. And probably 5 or 6 credit cards that are maxed out that they are making the minimum payments on each month. Then if they miss a paycheck or two everything come tumbling down and they wonder why?

Oh, I'm loaded up in debt too, so I'm not that much different, but we rarely drink, don't smoke, no cable TV (not even basic or antenna), and I only have a cellphone because my work pays for it. By the time I started realizing that the economy was headed toward disaster, I already had a new car loan, mortgage, and $30k+ in student loan debt. But I've been working to pay off the highest interest loans quickly, and avoid buying things whenever possible. We spend most of our money on good quality food from local farms. We prepare most of our meals from scratch, don't buy prepackaged crap from the grocery store, and eat out maybe once a month at most. And I've never used a credit card, nor do I ever plan to use one.

[68Camaro]

The video is pathetically sad and funny at the same time.

We did a major addition and partial remodel the first half of this year and sprung for the money fo impact resistance laminated doors and windows - handy both for hurricanes as well as intruders. Won't stop a car much less a tank, but will certainly keep the average smash and grab dude out of the way.

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

Thanks, CC! This is an awesome thread! Spot-on!

[penny pretty]

copper is my hobby. silver is my investment. lead is my protection(ok some copper there also) When it hits the fan, only the govt will outgun me. If it comes to that, maybe my veteran status will save me. Lets hope home invasions do not become the norm, but do not count on it!

[Bham]

Thank you CopperCatcher, your thoughts are dead on. I have had many of these concerns for years now, but only recently started to take action. The 3m film I understand is very, very good. I really enjoyed watching those bad guys get frustrated, but talk about desperation, when they couldn't get in they ended up stealing the darn trash can! Geeeeez...

[Copper Catcher]

I wanted to add a few things to think about as well. This product appears to be a good one at adding an extra layer of protection on your doors: OnGARD Security Door Brace http://www.globalsecurityexperts.com/

Also, make sure as much as possible you’re outside at night time has bright lights to discourage individuals snooping around. Trim back any bushes or trees close to the house that could conceal individuals.

You might think about installing low voltage up lighting around the perimeter that has a timer or a light sensor letting them come on automatically. The technology has advanced and now the best type of outdoor low voltage lights are led which will last forever versus changing bulbs constantly.

[Copper Catcher]

Another security detail to consider concerns your garage door. A lot of people have electric garage door openers and most people have an opener inside their car. Many times the car is parked in the driveway, sometimes it is unlocked.

Think about installing a separate remote control switch that goes in between the plug and the socket where your garage door is plugged in, to turn off the electricity going to the garage door. I realize this is another step and a real pain but it again is another layer of protection to consider.