As we were doing market research for Resilient Living most of the common answers to the question of how people will survive during a time of disaster were sad and disturbing. The one we received most often was something along the lines of getting guns and taking from their neighbors. Often said in jest, but when they get desperate enough that is exactly what they will do. So, security is vital.
There are many things you can do to improve your security. We believe that guns and violence should be the last resort. We at RL are hoping to reduce the need for violence by educating and equipping people beforehand so communities can work together to sustain then rebuild before desperation sets in.
Grey Man vs Hard Target
There are two main types of strategies when it comes to security in a time of chaos. Grey man and hard target. Depending on your situation and location you will have to choose one and allocate time and resources towards it.
Right now, currency is green paper fiat money. It has no real value except what we give to it. When society breaks down it is useful in starting fires and nothing else. Food, water, gear, and shelter will be the currency of the next age. Gold and silver are transition currencies as a new system of government comes back online. All of which are only useful to you if they are with you on site. Also, highly sought after when the national supply and distribution system stops. Police will be scarce, busy and potentially non-existent, so you are on your own if the disaster is big enough.
Grey Man
If you do not want to inform the world that you have a stockpile of supplies and only have a small community, we recommend the grey man strategy. This basically means to appear as bad off as everyone else. When seen outside your house don’t look well fed, groomed and fully equipped. When inside your home keep aromatic cooking to a minimum and speak to people about what you have at a low level. It is also wise to make the front yard look as though you have already been looted. Throw trash and broken furniture outside your front door. Do your best to be unseen.
This is a strategy that is selfish in nature, but you are responsible for your family first. It will work for a while. Hopefully long enough to where help comes, and society starts to rebuild. However, it cannot work forever. Unless you have built a large bunker under your house with years of storage you must at some point start planting crops and hunting small game. There will also come a point when your house will be attacked no matter how minuscule your presence might be. We will get to home fortifications later.
Hard Target
If you have built a self-sufficient lifestyle with crops, animals, multiple families etc. then you are a hard target. You cannot hide so you must appear too strong to mess with. You must be armed and look armed at all times. When out and about you must travel in groups and ready for a fight. While this may seem like a foolish way to appear as opposed to grey man it is the only way you can help others. It is also what our society is right now. America is strong and looks strong which discourages other countries to invade and pillage us. We also help many smaller countries because we have the resources to do so. You need to have a community of people to make this work. Always having at least one person, day and night, keeping watch.
We hope to build many hard target communities in an area that can help those around them get back on their feet, reestablish trading of resources and rebuild safe communities.
Home Defense
There are many non-violent options to protect your home. Installing stronger doors, getting a dog, putting up signs about trespassing, solar powered motion lights and other means of deterring people from approaching. It is a good idea to start protecting your home now for men with evil intentions exist in peace time as well.
There is a lot on Youtube about home defense. Here is a link to get you started:
Top 10 security hacks
Self Defense
You may have heard it said. “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” It is true that having the ability to defend ourselves is a human right and an American right under the second amendment, but that right is under attack. If the state goes down, wild west law will rule the land. Having firearms and knowing how to use them is imperative to survival in those days. While pepper spray, knives and other non-lethal means are helpful in slowing or stopping attacks they are not very effective in a gunfight. Being less armed than your enemy will get you killed but having a gun without ability to use it will too. We recommend taking a class to get training on how to use and secure your weapon. It would also be a great idea to take a class on basic self defense. Hand to hand combat is romanticized in Hollywood, but in the real world it is scary. Your body will only react in the way you train it to when under extreme stress. Learn now and fight later.
Basic Self Defense video:
Book:
General defense and survival advise
Viking Preparedness has a wide range of survival advise you should hear. Joe Fox has many years of experience that he freely shares. Start with his “5 things to never do” to get inspired to secure yourself and check out others.
Joe Fox – 5 things to never do
Viking Preparedness
https://www.youtube.com/user/VikingPreparedness/videos