[BetrayedAmerican]

Here I am going to talk about anything and everything that involves prepping. I was big into the gun ban thing when it first kicked off then I realized it is a mute point as I will be dead before worrying about my guns so moving on.

One- Are you prepared? How prepared are you? Do you have enough? Are you ready? Are you an easy Target? All of these are questions that should be asked daily.

Two- What are you capable of doing about it? The question is not What are you willing to do as most are willing to go above and beyond their means. I am willing to use re-bar enforced 2X4's on the framework of my house also using 1 3/4 inch ballistic plating but the fact is I dont have the money for it... So what can you do with what you have?

I am in the deepest desire to fill you minds with things that you may already know, things you may not know, and things that you may not even care to know. Someone out there will take from this and learn if only a little.

First of all did you know you can build a bow for about 30 dollars capable of killing a dear at 20 yards. Explanation to follow

Take a 1 1/4 inch pvc tube with a 3/4 inch hole at about 5 feet long. then you take a 3/4 inch pvc tube placing it inside the first tube. this will take some work but it is possible. Now the once flimsy and bendy pvc pipe in no longer so flimsy. Next you take a 1/4 inch fiber glass dowel and force that in the middle of the 3/4 inch pipe.. You will need to file a grove at the top and bottom for the bow string. Regular bow string is fine as it is cheap. then you make sure to bend the bow stringing it and whaa laa.... The bow I made is roughly 30- 50 dollars depending on the build and it was brought in tested and laughed at, at my local bow show but when it was tested at a 65-75 pound draw people realized it was a lethal machine.... Just take a know rest and place it on the string with a peep site and a rigged up arrow rest and your good to go. The peep site and extra accessories will naturally boost the product cost but in the end it is still cheap to do.

I personally would prefer just going out and getting a PSE or a Bear or an Eagle or whatever but hey if money is tight and you want to do something fun there you go. Arrows not included though I would not shoot anything other than carbon arrows. They are straight or broken.....

Thats the first bit of this thread I will post continuously so stay tuned thanks for reading and long live the true Americans.
God Bless.

 

[Lucky Jim]

...I am willing to use re-bar enforced 2X4's on the framework of my house also using 1 3/4 inch ballistic plating but the fact is I dont have the money for it...

Yeah I've seen "ballistic panels" on the internet for bulletproofing your car or home but they cost the earth.
Do you think slabs of steel plate would do as a cheaper alternative? Heck I should imagine they can be picked up for peanuts in any scrapyard!
We could even cut some small pieces to hang around our necks as bulletproof vests to protect chest and back.
What sort of thickness would we need to be proof against high-velocity rifles?

 

[BDylan]

I'm thinking we're going to need hardened steel or mild steel of atleast .750 gauge thickness. A fabricated helmet to go with the plates hanging from our chest and back is only logical.

 

[MikeyPrepper]

Great stuff

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

This made me laugh though you are right. I wear the military grade daily and know it does nothing but prevent shrapnel from entering and wrecking havoc in our bodies. Stopping bullets, please there is no stopping whats coming at us. There are occasions where the round was diverted though. As for answering your question, the thickness and amount needed to armor a vehicle and yourself would be more than what most are willing and able to carry. The vehicle will be so weighted down that the extra power and gas needed will almost make it unworthy of the upgrade.

There is a vehicle if you want to take a look at it for giggles it is called the Marauder. Though again not many can afford it.

I like the idea that there are those out there willing to do what it takes for their protection so I will throw this out there. You will need to build a rigged vest capable of placing your steal plates into that is not only supported on your shoulders but distributes the weight from your shoulders to your back and waist so all are helping bear the pressure of the load. I personally am going with my standard military spec armor as it is enough to stop hand gun rounds and if I am being targeted by a rifleman I am done for anyway. I like to be the sniper not the sniped so my movements and methods generally keep me concealed anyway. Nothing is done fast and furious but slow and methodical.

I hope this answers the question without answering it directly as I truly cant throw figures accurately out there for you.

Thanks again as always.

 

[gin_and_pete]

My husband and I were just discussing this topic earlier today. And we both come to the same conclusion of steel plates being so heavy that the vehicle couldnt carry them as well as the costly financial bullet we would have to bite in order to purchase something like that. I was throwing around the idea of something along the lines of vehicle Kevlar. Something that could be applied in layers with adhesive much like the method used when fiber glassing car bodies or fixing fiberglass boats. Not too sure on the price or feasibility of this option but its just a thought. And as far as the body protection...I have heard of stories where a metal badge, a flask, a zippo lighter, or other small metal objects deflecting or trapping a bullet preventing the death of someone that was shot. So my theory is that (and I admit I am NOT an expert on ballistic by no means) although high powered rounds would probably break thru, anything additional that you could physically strap to your body in such situations would be of some assistance. But if your buggin out and already have a decent sized supply bag strapped to your back, added weight of steel plates or anything of the like would most likely be too much to carry. A suggestion for the 'in case' would be to study some battlefield medical procedures for such things as sewing up a wound, extracting bullets, or even field amputation of a limb. But as mentioned above...best to be sniper than sniped so know your surroundings and be on guard...get them before they get you.

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

Thank you all for your posts they are reviewed processed and greatly appreciated.

Alright on to a new topic again. Last time was the bow, a silent killer but you must be close to use it accurately and effectively. Now lets talk about what the military calls combat multipliers. If you have not guessed it by now I am big into defending what is yours.

Combat multipliers in the military revolves around the concept of putting the enemy where you want them or at least where they don't want to be. Trail cams. Hunters use them all the time, they are small compact silent and effective. They are a bit expensive to be used in large numbers but you can find them cheap in the paper or craigs list. They have a no flash no sound picture setting, I use this for bear and deer cams. I also use this for property surveillance as they only use charge when on and they are only one when taking a picture. Motion activation is great. There are those out there if you have the money I would highly recommend it, they snap photos then text the result to your phone. I would place this in a high activity level and in areas that may be of great importance so you know the level of activity right away rather than later when you walk around to check the cams memory.....

Pro's

Good for photographic evidence usable in court as it gives an accurate time date stamp on the photo
Good to see the number of people roaming your lands and when they come.
Silent snap shots they will never know you spotted them.

Con's

Cost $$$$
Batteries
The level of loss in the event one is stolen ( not only are you out a defense measure but money as well)


All in all I believe they are an amazing multiplier for house cottage cache or property surveillance systems.
Motion activated Cams linked to DVD burner is also used for close proximity to the house. That not only catches who, when, and where but it follows them via video rather than snap shots. EXPENSIVE THOUGH!!!!!!


Windows- This gentleman gave me a walk through of his lands and house one day and he brought me into each room and showed me an interesting multiplier. His daughter (12) hooked up a pull string loud snapper on the window handle and around a nail on the window sill. When the window was opened it snapped and was loud enough to ring the ears. That to me was amazing that a 12 year old thought of this. He later explained that he had found this in her room one day and now installed them on every window in the house.

Good warning. Pro's loud and effective. Cons They are already to close to the house for my liking at that point, none the less it would be a good idea for some.


Magnetic pull away alarms mostly used on windows and doors. They can also be set up around your property and hooked up to a much louder system. This is a trip wire setup using what we have come to call angle hair wire which is the super fine wire from a cars alternator. Very thin, hard to see and strong enough to pull the system to activate.... Another property warning and or used in the house.


There was to be more but it is chow time and I am hungry. I will add more in a little bit. The main point is to think what could enhance your warning, what could give you the edge over your enemy, what will put you on top right off the bat. Think about your multipliers and if you have none GET SOME.

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

Thank you all for your posts they are reviewed processed and greatly appreciated.

Alright on to a new topic again. Last time was the bow, a silent killer but you must be close to use it accurately and effectively. Now lets talk about what the military calls combat multipliers. If you have not guessed it by now I am big into defending what is yours.

Combat multipliers in the military revolves around the concept of putting the enemy where you want them or at least where they don't want to be. Trail cams. Hunters use them all the time, they are small compact silent and effective. They are a bit expensive to be used in large numbers but you can find them cheap in the paper or craigs list. They have a no flash no sound picture setting, I use this for bear and deer cams. I also use this for property surveillance as they only use charge when on and they are only one when taking a picture. Motion activation is great. There are those out there if you have the money I would highly recommend it, they snap photos then text the result to your phone. I would place this in a high activity level and in areas that may be of great importance so you know the level of activity right away rather than later when you walk around to check the cams memory.....

Pro's

Good for photographic evidence usable in court as it gives an accurate time date stamp on the photo
Good to see the number of people roaming your lands and when they come.
Silent snap shots they will never know you spotted them.

Con's

Cost $$$$
Batteries
The level of loss in the event one is stolen ( not only are you out a defense measure but money as well)


All in all I believe they are an amazing multiplier for house cottage cache or property surveillance systems.
Motion activated Cams linked to DVD burner is also used for close proximity to the house. That not only catches who, when, and where but it follows them via video rather than snap shots. EXPENSIVE THOUGH!!!!!!


Windows- This gentleman gave me a walk through of his lands and house one day and he brought me into each room and showed me an interesting multiplier. His daughter (12) hooked up a pull string loud snapper on the window handle and around a nail on the window sill. When the window was opened it snapped and was loud enough to ring the ears. That to me was amazing that a 12 year old thought of this. He later explained that he had found this in her room one day and now installed them on every window in the house.

Good warning. Pro's loud and effective. Cons They are already to close to the house for my liking at that point, none the less it would be a good idea for some.


Magnetic pull away alarms mostly used on windows and doors. They can also be set up around your property and hooked up to a much louder system. This is a trip wire setup using what we have come to call angle hair wire which is the super fine wire from a cars alternator. Very thin, hard to see and strong enough to pull the system to activate.... Another property warning and or used in the house.


There was to be more but it is chow time and I am hungry. I will add more in a little bit. The main point is to think what could enhance your warning, what could give you the edge over your enemy, what will put you on top right off the bat. Think about your multipliers and if you have none GET SOME.

 

[Lucky Jim]

How about this for an idea:- build a bullet-proof box for us and our family to shelter in when gangs start doing potshots at our house for fun!
It could be welded together and kept in a corner of a room ready to dive into and would be big enough to hold four or five people, about 7 feet long and 4 feet high with room to sleep in and sit up in. There could be a small cache of food kept in it to tide us over til the gangs move off.
It'd be a lot cheaper and easier than bullet-proofing all the walls in a house, where the windows would still be weak spots anyway.
It's not a new idea as many British houses had one in WW2, they were called Morrison Shelters (below) which families got into during air raids, they had metal grills instead of steel walls which wouldn't stop bullets, but the main purpose was to protect the family if the house collapsed.
If we built one we'd replace the grills with solid steel plate, and we'd cut small firing ports in each side so we could plug intruders, it'd be like being in a tank..

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

Fencing or Signs of Private Land

This is for the land owners. Post at intervals every 10-20 paces for the entire stretch of your land. It may be time and money consuming but it will help in the legal matter of things if the situation gets that far even. Then fence. This can be done at the sign line or a few meters after it ensuring the person or persons knows it is truly intended to keep people out. Then 10 to 20 meters within that have another more dangerous and harmful fence for those to ignorant to get the picture.

I know someone that planted raspberry bushes along his property line. He was a brilliant thinking in that he planted it at the barbed wire fence line so not only does he have a man made fence but now he has wild plants growing along the line creating a prickly mess hiding the barbed wire fence. The added bonus it yields tons (Not accurate weight) of raspberries for pies jam and jellies. Double bang for the buck.

In between the 10-20 meter spacing of the two fencing is where I would build my road that circles my property. This will allow me to check the structure of the fencing and allow me to check trail cams I have posted in certain locations. It will also show that the person on this land is active and checks.

The wood downed for the road project is used for building or burning. The brush and limbs of the downed trees built shelters, extra added support for the properties defense and was also used in composting for fertile soils in the coming growing season.

Again defense and protection combat multiplier.

Animals- Not only are they good to have but they are great warning systems if you know what to look for and when. Not the greatest but a good dog will let you know when something is going on a lot longer before you know someone is even there.

This will end the Multiplier as you can go all day and the sky is the limit as your imagination is the key stopper in this. That and money, always about the money.....

Learn to live without the need of it and you will be set. Thats when you know you are ready or very close to it.

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

Lucky Jim you would be very very vulnerable at that system if someone where to enter. The idea is alright but I would much rather prefer a safe room dug under my basement or crawlspace for those houses that have no basement. When I look at a house to purchase I look at the availability and likely hood that I can tear up a section of floor dig out a safe room and then replace the floor and make it look legit. I would never do that though it is a good idea that is just me. I have no protection from bullets coming at my house though like I said I should think on this more. Thank you.

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY TO THINK ABOUT

December 29, 2012 marked the 122nd Anniversary of the murder of 297 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. These 297 people, in their winter camp, were murdered by federal agents and members of the 7th Cavalry who had come to confiscate their firearms "for their own safety and protection". The slaughter began after the majority of the Sioux had peacefully turned in their firearms. The Calvary began shooting, and managed to wipe out the entire camp. 200 of the 297 victims were women and children. About 40 members of the 7th Cavalry were killed, but over half of them were victims of fratricide from the Hotchkiss guns of their overzealous comrades-in-arms. Twenty members of the 7th Cavalry's death squad, were deemed "National Heroes" and were awarded the Medal of Honor for their acts of [cowardice] heroism.

We hear very little of Wounded Knee today. It is usually not mentioned in our history classes or books. What little that does exist about Wounded Knee is normally a sanitized "Official Government Explanation". And there are several historically inaccurate depictions of the events leading up to the massacre, which appear in movie scripts and are not the least bit representative of the actual events that took place that day.

Wounded Knee was among the first federally backed gun confiscation attempts in United States history. It ended in the senseless murder of 297 people.

Before you jump on the emotionally charged bandwagon for gun-control, take a moment to reflect on the real purpose of the Second Amendment, the right of the people to take up arms in defense of themselves, their families, and property in the face of invading armies or an oppressive government. The argument that the Second Amendment only applies to hunting and target shooting is asinine. When the United States Constitution was drafted, "hunting" was an everyday chore carried out by men and women to put meat on the table each night, and "target shooting" was an unheard of concept. Musket balls were a precious commodity and were certainly not wasted on "target shooting". The Second Amendment was written by people who fled oppressive and tyrannical regimes in Europe, and it refers to the right of American citizens to be armed for defensive purposes, should such tyranny arise in the United States.

As time goes forward, the average citizen in the United States continually loses little chunks of personal freedom or "liberty". Far too many times, unjust gun control bills were passed and signed into law under the guise of "for your safety" or "for protection". The Patriot Act signed into law by G.W. Bush, was expanded and continues under Barack Obama. It is just one of many examples of American citizens being stripped of their rights and privacy for "safety". Now, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is on the table, and will, most likely be attacked to facilitate the path for the removal of our firearms, all in the name of "our safety".

Before any American citizen blindly accepts whatever new firearms legislation that is about to be doled out, they should stop and think about something for just one minute - evil does exist in our world. It always has and always will. Throughout history evil people have committed evil acts. In the Bible one of the first stories is that of Cain killing Abel. We can not legislate "evil" into extinction. Good people will abide by the law and the criminal element will always find a way around it.

Evil exists all around us, but looking back at the historical record of the past 200 years, across the globe, where is "evil" and "malevolence" most often found? In the hands of those with the power, the governments. That greatest human tragedies on record and the largest loss of innocent human life can be attributed to governments. Who do the governments always target? "Scapegoats" and "enemies" within their own borders…but only after they have been disarmed to the point where they are no longer a threat. Ask any Native American, and they will tell you it was inferior technology and lack of arms that contributed to their demise. Ask any Armenian why it was so easy for the Turks to exterminate millions of them, and they will answer "We were disarmed before it happened". Ask any Jew what Hitler's first step prior to the mass murders of the Holocaust was- confiscation of firearms from the people.

Wounded Knee is the prime example of why the Second Amendment exists, and why we should vehemently resist any attempts to infringe on our Rights to Bear Arms. Without the Second Amendment we will be totally stripped of any ability to defend ourselves and our families.

 

[Lucky Jim]

Lucky Jim you would be very very vulnerable at that system if someone where to enter. The idea is alright but I would much rather prefer a safe room dug under my basement or crawlspace for those houses that have no basement...

Yeah every property is different, I live in a 3rd floor apartment so a steel bullet-proof box would be all i'd have for protection when bullets start ripping through the place, it'd be a lot better than nothing..
Hey here's another idea, a Sandbag Emplacement inside your home!
This Jerusalem guy has built one in his living room (below) and part of it is in the shape of a couch, he did it more as an artistic fun thing rather than a serious emplacement and I'm sure that if we had a bunch of sandbags we could build a much better emplacement than this-

 

[gin_and_pete]

OK..the topic switched? Twice? Multiple topics on prepping within one thread.....isnt that the whole purpose of the forum? Different thread = different topic. I guess I am slightly easier to confuse than most because I am not understanding the logic. LOL

 

[Lucky Jim]

My husband and I were just discussing this topic earlier today. And we both come to the same conclusion of steel plates being so heavy that the vehicle couldnt carry them as well as the costly financial bullet we would have to bite in order to purchase something like that..I was throwing around the idea of something along the lines of vehicle Kevlar. Something that could be applied in layers with adhesive much like the method used when fiber glassing car bodies or fixing fiberglass boats. Not too sure on the price or feasibility of this option but its just a thought...anything additional that you could physically strap to your body in such situations would be of some assistance

Yeah the cost of completely bulletproofing a vehicle with commercially-bought Kevlar panels and windows would be astronomical.
And yeah do-it-yourself steel panels would be cheaper but the weight would possibly bust the engine.

Therefore a good compromise to keep the cost and weight down would be to just fit a few small panels of Kevlar or steel plate at certain spots like inside the doors and in the back of the seats, they wouldn't give total all-round protection but if shots started coming through the windows we could always duck down below the door panels.

Regarding body armour, I'm no expert but I think it all boils down to how much weight a person is willing to carry.
Personally I'd get a couple of very thick steel sheets to cover my chest and back to proof me against high-velocity rifle fire, and a thinner sheet to protect my abdomen against handgun fire.
I'd also get an army helmet (which I think are proof against handguns?), but I'd bolt a small steel slab to the front for protection against rifle fire.

 

[MikeyPrepper]

Great stuff

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

OK..the topic switched? Twice? Multiple topics on prepping within one thread.....isnt that the whole purpose of the forum? Different thread = different topic. I guess I am slightly easier to confuse than most because I am not understanding the logic. LOL

That was the whole point of my ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING Prepping thread is that I can and will be talking about anything and everything on here rather than creating 25 different threads to track for the sake of organization. It will all be crammed right into here. Forgive me if it is confusing. It was intended to bring ideas and information to the table just about anything to do with prepping.
Thanks for following thus far.

 

[BDylan]

Weight is certainly an issue when discussing body armor. However, I don't feel we can sacrifice protection in our quest to shave ounces from our burden. We have discussed the mandatory hanging steel plates to protect our chest and back. Lucky Jim has described a fabricated helmet to protect the cranial area. As my contribution, I would like to advocate a small, but thick, steel plate to hang at crotch level. This piece of armor will probably have to be secured to each leg to avoid the jostling that could impede tactical movements.

 

[Lucky Jim]

Weight is certainly an issue when discussing body armor. However, I don't feel we can sacrifice protection in our quest to shave ounces from our burden...

Yay, we'd have to tailor the amount of body armour to the tactical situation.
For example if we were on static "Home Guard" keeping watch from our window, we could wear a ton of armour, but if we planned to move around the area on "Citizen Patrol" we'd have to leave some off or we'd collapse in a sweaty heap after just half a mile.

I've just been checking out this website for fun, they deal in steel armor for cars, barricades, watchtowers and sentry boxes etc, but the prices must be astronomical and I think we could pick up steel plates at any scrapyard to make our own at a fraction of the cost.
http://armorinlaggar.com/index.html

I especially like their bulletproof steel panels (below) which can be sewn into jackets or hung around the neck, but here again we could make our own dirt cheap from a scrapyard sheet-

..I would like to advocate a small, but thick, steel plate to hang at crotch level. This piece of armor will probably have to be secured to each leg to avoid the jostling that could impede tactical movements.

Yeah the crown jewels must be protected!
This Russian guy in WW2 has got a neat one-piece vest, it looks like moulded steel but doesn't quite cover his crotch, so Murphy's Law dictates that if he gets hit it'll be down there-

 

[BetrayedAmerican]

As far as the armor topic goes you all are forgetting that steel plates sold as body armor compared to a home made variance will be off. There is a way people heat metal to get the desired density and hardness. You cannot assume to have the same protection with a home made as you can from a purchased set of body armor. Personally it will weight me down and I cannot afford that. I am a fast mover and methodical. I also have the patience of sniper training and can wait long periods of time and move very very slowly where and when needed so the armor factor for me is not a high priority compared to that of home and property defenses.