Some thoughts about defending your retreat

You are a smart man chello

 

Or maybe that I have a better sense of humour than some here...and am occasionally inclined to make a joke at my own expense.

 

I had often wondered the same thing about the concrete mix. Around here it is popular to line a person's property with quikrete bags if they have a creek running through it. They are layered the same way a person would lay block pattern wise. Lay them in dry and let the humidity/rainfall do the rest. As the years go by the paper bags rot away and they end up with a nice retaining wall against flooding.Looks similar to your idea. I do like the idea of the traffic cone as a bag filler.
Largest Manufacturer of Packaged Concrete | QUIKRETE: Cement and Concrete Products

 

Really like this idea, especially if you cut slits and embedded heavy galvanized wire or even barb wire along each run. As to the age old argument about a fortification is a death trap. I always ask what is the first thing the US Military do when they establish a base. Yes they fortify. I will qualify that with always have a plan b, and an escape route, a back door. I also like this idea if you have a lot of rocks. http://stockyardsupply.com/index.php/fencing/welded-wire-livestock-hog-panels/

 

Fortifications need not be inherent death traps...though it has to be said, that most fortifications can ultimately be defeated if the OPFOR has sufficient time, patience, resources, and resolution to overcome a substantial defence. In a TEOTWAWKI / WROL environment, if a solid defensive plan (including fortifications) can provide protection from roving, ill armed and uncoordinated gangs / bandits. it may be sufficient to deflect much of the golden horde onto easier / softer targets.

Fortifications should be seen as measures to enhance survivability, and buy time and opportunities to explore further options. Many ancient and medieval fortifications had sally ports, and often various concealed means of egress to enable parts of the garrison to counter attack, or escape the encirclement. Concealed means of egress should be part of a survival retreat planning.

Another method of achieving ballistic protection, is the use of gabions. THey could be incorporated into the homestead's landscaping and be prettified to conceal their actual purpose. Gabions can use dirt fill....just need to line the cages with geotextile fabric or concrete cloth.







A poor man's concrete cloth could be improvised from burlap sealed with a cement slurry applied from both sides.YMMV.

 

Gabions are what I was referring too in my post, about using livestock panels, filled with rocks. The pig fencing has a tighter grid for smaller rocks. You determine how wide you want the gabion, then cut up another one and make cells inside the 2 panels that you place parallel to each other. Wire or weld them together and then fill each cell up with rocks.
If it is 2 ft thick, it will even stop a .50 cal. If you research Rhodesian Farmer defenses they had a lot of good ideas about using these for standoff protection from rpg and even Molotov cocktails around buildings. They are readily available everywhere. You can custom design your own walls. I would beware going to narrow or high without some serious thought to engineering the structural loads and foundation support.
Although even on hard packed ground if the first tier is wide enough you should be safe.
Put some barbwire on top and there you go.

Unless they bring mortars or artillery against you, I think you have a fair chance, big thing I think is paying attention by monitoring the radio's and using your own intel networks as to what is happening in your zone. Say listening out 25-50 mile radius. Then start putting out ranging patrols with plans for ambushing groups before they arrive at your location. Assuming all has collapsed and you are truly with no government support or help.

 

Rhodesian Farmer Defenses:

Rhodesian Farmers Defensive Arrangements

The following is a general overview:

1) Most farmers fitted hand-grenade grills to the outside of all windows and Doors leading outside were likewise security grilled.

2) Many farmers built thick sand bag walls in front and under bedroom windows to stop bullets passing through walls and providing secured firing arc's. Beds were never placed against the outside walls of a farmhouse.

3) It was usual to have a designated safe room within the farmhouse that could be defended until support arrived. Sometimes this was a central corridor that allowed the farmer to move into other rooms to attack those outside through the windows. In the loft or ceiling over the safe room, some farmers laid sand bags to deal with possible mortar attack.

4) Every farmhouse in a given area was linked by a radio system called “Agric Alert”. This allowed radio contact with other farmers who formed their own defence units, usually under the umbrella of PATU (Police Anti-Terrorist Unit), which would react to a call from one of their neighbors for assistance. Another means of alarm raising was the use of a signal rocket - The Agric-Alert system was not done away with after the war, such was the lack of trust in Mugabe`s promises. It performed admirably as well when dealing with criminal activity such as stock theft. The alert system arranged for all farmers to check in with each other at a given time in the morning and evening as a means of monitoring their status.
South Africa also had such a system Called MARNET.


5) Around all farmhouse gardens were erected security fences with barbed wire (or razor wire) and which often had simple alarm systems built into them.
There were usually 2 fences were placed about 50 m apart with a ditch dig close to the inner one - the inner fence was usually very high 10 feet with barb wire and close to the main house, about 4 meters away, the outer fence was lower and alarmed with simple soda cans with stones inside that would rattle and wake the dogs if there were disturbed.

the reason for the 2 fences and ditch was much like todays BAR Armour on Hummers that you guys use .. the inner fence would catch grenades and they would then roll into the ditch and explode there causing little damage. and an RPG fired at the house would also be caught by the fence and do little damage to the mail house

Within the inner fence boundary, every farmer usually had a couple of large dogs. The dogs were fed their largest meal in the morning instead of the evening, in order to help keep them awake at night. Other farmers had geese or ducks, which made excellent guard “dogs.” Gardens were kept deliberately trim so as to keep clear fields of view and fire etc. The farm houses also had outside flood lighting erected in such a way as to blind those outside the fence, but not to interfere with the vision of those within the farmhouse.

the flood lighting often included hardened lighting, usually behind sand bags , reflectors were used to provide light from lights shining vertically upwards because lights are the first targets and if the reflectors were shot they still worked ... albeit with a few holes


6) All farmers and their wives were armed with an assortment of weapons, and most farmers were trained military men. They had at least one assault rifle, usually an FAL 7.62, assorted shot guns, .303 hunting rifles and so forth. It was also not unusual for wives to carry Uzi`s around with them, or other equivalents such as the Rhodesian Cobra. All members of the family were trained on the various weaponry available to them, including the kids. In one famous incident a child successfully fought off the attacking terrorists after both of his parents were wounded. The main defensive weapons were at all times within immediate reach of the adult farmhouse occupants, and were placed next to the bed at night.

7) Some farmers used mine protected vehicles, as a favorite of terrorists was to landmine the driveway outside the fence. A great deal of time was spent looking at the dirt roads for freshly dug earth points and so forth when driving around the farm.

8) Some farm gardens and particular points external to the fence were wired with home-made claymore like devices strategically placed in areas where attackers were likely to take cover. In a few instances farmers deliberately erected “cover positions” for the terrorists to use outside the fence, which were then blown up upon attack. A particular favorite was a section of plastic piping filled with nails, nuts, bolts, screws and so forth. I witnessed tests with these and the tubes cleared large areas of their intended aiming point of all bush cover and leaves from trees etc for about 30 meters into the bush. By placing a number of figure 8`s in front of these tests, it was apparent from the strike patterns that not one of them would have walked again had they been terrorists.


9)Out buildings were often fitted which screens of thin steel or wood the provide false cover to intruders who would have to stand behind the sheets to fire around the corners of buildings but could easily be picked off if they did, by firing through there cover.

 

@deMolay great post! I'm left wondering what hand grenade grills are and some other things and I can look them up.

 

This is a question for tech guru's. How about using marine radar for homestead or BOL detection of intruders. Maybe off the wall but what is your opinion?

OK to stop someone from throwing from throwing anything through your window, build a metal frame of angle iron that covers your window area, you can even build it so the frame extends out a foot or two, then attach expanded metal on all surfaces. No bricks, rocks, grenades, Molotov cocktails etc can come through your window.

 

I have for years expressed the use of having a false structure at the probable entrances to the area so that marauders and such might inspect them and through hidden electronics survale their intentions .
I recommend them the ground rather than in the structure because most would likely destroy the structure .
Secondarily , having some form of communications in secret locations around the perimeter ,recon teams have an alternate form of communications with command .

 

Another serious asset can be alternate language forms ,from sign language to Klingon or other foreign languages .

 

Really? We had one that would pickup seagulls taking off in the fog.

 

Ground Surveillance Radars exist....just that they are likely to be prohibitively expensive for the average joe prepper / survivalist to afford....however, who knows what ex GI radar equipment might be available as army surplus. man pack / portable ground surveillance radars have been around for quite a long time.


Annual report for fiscal year ... including the reports of the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Air Force ... 1961-64.


Ground Surveillance Radar Section, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry Battalion in Vietnam



Radar Basics - AN/PPS-4





Ground surveillance radar has, of course, moved on from the early 1960's

'Civilian' ground surveillance radars are available commercially: price and capabilities - YMMV

Low-cost surveillance radar for site security. | Scan 360

Radar | FLIR Systems

 

As interesting as your reply is, Bruce, (@BT Post) I wasn't remarking on the suitability of civilian maritime radars as field expedient ground surveillance radars. I was merely pointing out that there are radars specifically designed for the ground surveillance role, giving a few historical and contemporary examples of which; and throwing in a couple of Youtube clips for the mil history buffs here for good measure.

I take your point that a surveillance system suitable for one environment (marine) may not be practical or suitable for a different environment (ground surveillance): But I wasn't suggesting otherwise.

 

I appreciate both you guys clearing that up before I got myself involved in experimenting some day, and obviously I would be heading down the wrong road. Thanks