How Much Clear Space is Around Your House

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Dunerunner, Jun 7, 2017.


  1. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    I live in a coastal rain forest. The native flora here doesn't just grow, it explodes. One day it is neatly cut back, a month later it has intruded two feet into my clear space.

    We have a "Green Belt" between residences here of 10', but I keep things pretty well trimmed to that "Border".

    I have a plan for placing deterrents into the Green Belt, but cannot implement that until a SHTF event occurs. There is only twenty feet between my home and the Green Belt behind me. Not much of a warning that folks are scouting us out or about to attack the house, thus the well placed impediments.

    What are you doing, or better... Do you have 20 to 30 yards of visibility, a fence, or in BT's case... A Brown Bear and Miles of Alaskan Wilderness?
     
  2. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    At the moment I live in charming suburbia....no clear space to speak of. However, the neighbourhood has a number of semi feral kids who'd probably see off any MZB's or potential looters. They leave me alone...I've known all of them since they were infants, and in some cases since their parents were children, and have quite a mutually respectful rapport. The benefit of being anchored for a long time in the one place.
     
  3. Out in the woods

    Out in the woods off-grid in-the-forest beekeeper

    This region is mostly dense forest. State-wide 92% of this state is forest.

    In our town homes are 1/2 mile to a mile apart. You can not see my home without being on my land. I do not have much clearing around our house.
     
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  4. enloopious

    enloopious Rocket Surgeon

    Yes, just cut down half an acre of pine and maple around the house. Building a Japanese Tea House, A 12 x 12 workshop, and a 10 x 12 green house. We are also planting a garden in the empty 5 acres of forest behind us. Lucky me I got poison ivy 3 weeks in a row...
     
  5. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    You're gunna need an ocean of Calomine Lotion. ;)
     
    Tully Mars likes this.
  6. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    Right now suburbia, a year from now much different. Security now and SHTF are great factors in the property we choose as is the community itself.
     
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  7. AxesAreBetter

    AxesAreBetter Monkey+++

    Between 15 and 500 yards by my reckoning.
     
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  8. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    Something else to consider - I grew up and live in a rain forest/evergreen jungle. When I'd previously moved to flat open country it took a while to get used to the exposure. I have to say I'm still much more comfortable sneaking around in the bushes where I have a lot of visual cover than out in the open. While having clear space around my house makes sense it also makes sense to have some sort of evac route where you can find cover if needed.
     
  9. DarkLight

    DarkLight Live Long and Prosper - On Hiatus

    The closest thing to my house on either side...is the neighbor's house. The setback from the property line is a minimum of 6 feet, which you can measure with a micrometer. 12' from building corner to building corner and about 13.5 on the other side.

    Suburbia has it's drawbacks.
     
  10. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Good point.... Except for crossing the interior roads in this neighborhood, you can walk concealed in the green belt from one end to the other. A little rough travel, however with all the Salal, Huckleberry, Wax Myrtle and downed shorepine snags.
     
  11. M118LR

    M118LR Caution: Does not play well with others.

    I've been banished from other Forums for giving an Honest Answer to your question "Dunerunner"!
    Folks can't comprehend the Skill Level of Trained Professionals, or perhaps it's too un-nerving to contemplate just how vulnerable the civilian population really is. But the Japanese stationed thier SNIPERS in treetops effectively during WWII, armed with today's weapons how far away is the highest treetop that you can see? Perhaps others stationed on that treetop have the ability to neutralize your offensive posture? Or? I can just get tossed off another forum because it wasn't in keeping with what I should mention. Thanks for putting me in this position for answering Honestly.

    I'm now at the hands of the Management of the Monkey.
     
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  12. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    @M118LR, It's a discussion...

    I don't believe there is anything in your post that could get you tossed. That is a prospect I had never really given any consideration to, and just 20 yards from my home is a nice mature 145 foot hemlock fir... :cool:
     
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  13. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    Not to mention wild blackberries, scotch broom and poison oak... Even though I look like a puffer fish I can still move through that stuff surprisingly well and I'm one of those guys that's always accidentally sneaking up on people. Out in the open all I see are places I can be killed from.
     
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  14. M118LR

    M118LR Caution: Does not play well with others.

    I'm just going to alert you to the realities of Today's Battlefield. If you can see me with your best binoculars, I can range and distance you with nothing more than the cross hairs of my glass. So if you can't conceive at your location of the distances that I can really reach out and touch you with, it may be your shortsightedness that leads to your unraveling!
    And how far away are you from that 145 foot hemlock that I might preposition myself in?????
     
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  15. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    So close you could drop a rock on me... [LMAO]
     
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  16. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    BOL is covered in chest high brush and waist high cactus in places. Lots of cover for marauder and defender alike. Other than the drive, the nearest road, only parts of which are visible, measures about 3/4 of a mile LOS - maybe within .30 magnum or .50 cal range of an experienced sniper with the right equipment. Most Joe Dokes don't fit into that category.

    The brush is so thick it's difficult to walk around and the terrain is rough (good physical barrier) and am seriously considering constructing a dwelling in one of the ravines, out of sight of parts of the road that are visible from the hilltops. It's kind of the opposite approach of others in the area, most who've placed their homes on the hilltops or out in the open (lot sizes range from 40 acres on up to a few hundred, and I have no neighbors on adjoining lots). Nearest neighbor with even so much as a building is two miles away.

    I suppose a hilltop may be easier to defend and to spot anyone approaching, but it also ensures they will be spotted in the first place and that in turn could make their defense necessary. Personally I'd rather do everything possible to avoid a firefight in a SHTF or any other scenario. Whatever you do seems to be a two-edge sword.
     
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  17. M118LR

    M118LR Caution: Does not play well with others.

    I don't think that going in the opposite extreme is any better. Traveling farm country you can see homesteads miles away from the interstate. They would be difficult to sneak up on, But everyone knows where they are.
    I would clear an area at least as far as my night vision can see. But that just me.
     
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  18. enloopious

    enloopious Rocket Surgeon

    The soft targets are the ones people go after first.
     
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  19. hot diggity

    hot diggity Monkey+++ Site Supporter+++

    Enough to keep structure fires in any of the outbuildings from reaching the house. (I tested this a few years back...and no, I didn't do it. I was out of State and have an airtight alibi.)

    I've been here for 30 years and know all my neighbors. Community gives you a widened security plan.
     
  20. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    That is a definite plus, having close neighbors that are like minded, prepared and ready to defend their and your assets. Kind of Neighborhood Watch on Steroids!
     
    M118LR likes this.
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