Home Fortification

 There are a lot of better ways to fortify your home that are also more affordable than a prefabricated bunker. If you own property then the best way to begin is from the outside in. The goal is to establish a solid perimeter made up of alarm systems, obstacles and diversions to keep intruders from every reaching your home. If you live in an urban setting with densely populated buildings and the neighborhoods have less territory to defend, it leaves you with all the more reason to create yourself a system of formidable external defenses. 

This is especially true when you are in close proximity to dozens of people who are also trying to survive. The more people you have in your direct vicinity the more vulnerable you are to being attacked. The larger the property and the fewer the neighbors the more advantages you have in defending your home. Large open properties give you more visibility and more area for establishing defensive barriers. You can see the wisdom in spending your money on land that gives you access to natural resources as opposed to having to make due with a garage-sized shelter (a tomb in the making).

 TEN BASIC DEFENSES FOR YOUR PERIMETER 

However you choose to beef up your home security is not limited by your ingenuity and imagination. Survival tactics are all about taking what you have and making the most out of them. Be creative in your thinking. Here are some things to consider

 - (1). Hedgerows 

A thick hedgerow with thorny thickets around it makes for an excellent natural defense. Men have been using these in warfare for centuries now. At the very least they can slow invaders down. 

(2). Conventional Alarm Systems 

There are all kinds of alarm systems you can use. There are electric alarms, home-made alarms made with bells and lines, motion detectors, tin cans, or anything that will make a noise to sound the alarm when invaders are approaching. 

(3). High Walls 

Walls are good for slowing down approaching invaders. The higher the better. Brick walls may be susceptible to being destroyed by explosive or heavy vehicles but provide good protection against gunfire. Used properly they can stop an attack altogether. (

4). Fencing 

A simple chain link fence rigged with a bit of barbed wire or electric current makes a very good deterrent to invaders. You can set one up all along your perimeter for an effective defense strategy. 

(5). Trenches & Dirt Parapets

We all know that armies have been digging trenches and 'digging in' for battle for many centuries. They can slow down both vehicles and personnel. (

6). Moats & Natural Runoffs

It can be challenging to build a moat but they really work well if you have one. It worked in the old days and will still work today. 

(7). Security Cameras 

Whether fake or real a security camera is a good deterrent for invaders not wanting to be seen. 

(8). Man-made and/ or Natural Barriers 

You can fell some trees, roll large boulders into strategic places, throw some old bulky appliances into pathways or build your own contraptions that are heavy enough and broad enough to impeded the progress of invaders entering your property. 

(9). Snares, Pits, and Traps 

With a little effort you can put these out in areas where they can do the most good. They have the capability to maim human invaders just like they do when used to hunt game. 

(10). Attack Animals 

All intruders are wary of dogs. Even if your dog isn't vicious it can still sound the alarm if anyone is approaching your home or shelter. Their hearing is impeccable and their extreme loyalty means having help if you're attacked. You should feel free to explore and experiment. Anything you believe would be effective and is affordable deserves consideration. This creative thinking comes in handy, especially if you decide to stay where you are and defend yourself from the outside chaos right there in your home. You need to creatively and effectively fortify your home using whatever means possible. 

LOCK YOUR DOORS AND MORE 

If you're smart you'll already have storm-grade doors on your home. This type of door carries more than just one dead-bolt lock. For those who can afford it, upgrading to bulletproof and shatterproof glass windows is the best way to go. Even the older wooden windows can be made more defensible. Simply screw them or bolt them down to into their frames. 

There is also plexiglass, iron bars, and wire mesh to add even more protection to these openings. If you have sliding glass doors you're just asking for trouble. These doors are very vulnerable and extremely difficult to defend. If nothing else, people who have these types of doors should add dowel track locks or some sort of a plate they can screw into place so the doors can't be lifted off their tracks. 

You could also try to create some type of covering for your doors that will camouflage what they really are. One of the most popular and affordable way to add an extra defensive layer to your home is lining the walls with sandbags. The military uses sandbags for more than just protecting soldiers in combat. They also use them to protect buildings, bases, and homes against natural disasters. Sandbags are easy and cheap to mass produce. 

It only takes a few layers to stop a bullet. Just buy the sacks yourself and then acquire some dirt or sand to put into them. Stack them up a couple of rows high both inside and outside the walls of your home. The methods mentioned above are just some cheap and practical ways of helping you defend family and home from invasion and gunfire. It makes anyone attacking your home have to really work hard before they can breach your security layers. 

Remember, the more work done ahead of the disaster the more likely it is that you'll stay ahead of your potential enemies and survive. 

Appreciating Higher Ground 

All throughout history we see combat and disaster situations proving that higher ground provides a clear advantage against the threats men face. Whether environmental or man-made, a higher vantage point carries significant advantages. 

During times of tsunamis and hurricanes the victims are usually forced to retreat to higher ground to avoid the flooding and being swept away by powerful current and running waters. During military engagements the higher ground gives troops a better vantage point from which to cover more ground visually and see what the enemy is doing. Regardless of how you choose to defend your person and property, making the most of the upper levels can give you a much needed edge. Height broadens the scope of your vision. It enables you to spot your enemy from a farther distance which gives you more time to put the proper strategies in place before they even get there. 

If you have access to your roof you should think about creating a protective outpost. Assign one of your family members to act as lookout and maintain a surveillance schedule. The roof is similar to your basement in terms of being a last resort. 

It is a backup location just in case intruders breach your home. Remember the 'Home Alone' movies? See how cleverly McCauley Culkin (who played Kevin McCallister in the movie) deterred those bandits? He rained paint cans and bricks down on them from above. If you have a good imagination you can come up with creative ideas that most people never would consider to be legitimate defensive measures. Take advantage of all the things you have, from construction materials, lumber, tile, and even flower pots. Talk about taking the enemy by surprise!