It's Not That Easy (Shelter), Part Two

Dear Preppers and Survivalists,

In most disaster situations (90% to 95% of them), a typical stick-built home will be fine, if alternative water, heating/cooking, lighting, and sanitation plans are in place. These alternate plans should cover a disaster with and without electricity.

However, there is the possibility that groups of villains will attack you and your family's home to take your preps. Last week's article covered some long-term ideas for your home to protect your family.

But,

What can you do outside of your home to slow down your attackers?

First, you can eliminate dead space. Dead space is any place that can not be covered by a firearm's fire. Dead space can be a low spot in your yard or a ditch, or it can be behind a thick tree or behind a gardening berm.

Yea, dead space can be behind your garden's raised beds that your husband built for you last summer.

Now, the best method of eliminating dead space is for you and a partner to identify those areas of dead space.

Basically, one person gets into the shooting position and the other person walks in the area covered by that shooter. Any area in the yard that the shooter can not see the walker's shins is dead space.

Once any dead space is identified, it is filled in with dirt, removed, or remodeled as needed.

If you can not fill in or remove the dead space, you are going to have to come up with a plan of dealing with the dead space during an attack.

After eliminating dead space, the next thing you can do is to put in obstacles.

Before I begin, Remember!

the "All Obstacles Must Be Observed" rule.

The first set of obstacles, I am going to write about, are wire obstacles; they can be made out of smooth wire, barbed wire, or concertina wire.

Smooth Wire

Students pulling a 'patient' through a wire obstacle during
an U.S. Air Force Phoenix Raven Class
by
Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol

One type of smooth wire obstacle is Tangle Foot. It is placed in areas that villains will have to run through to avoid getting shot. Tangle foot is wire that is usually ankle to knee high, tied to posts.

Ya, ya... I know the picture shows barbed wire, but the picture was the best I could find for tangle foot. Plus, the picture shows what could happen if the tangle foot is placed too high.

Another obstacle that smooth wire is used for is an electrified fence. The electric fence wire is placed on wooden or metal fence posts, with insulators, just like a barbed wire fence then electrified.

Barbed Wire

Fence and Bog Pool, Pringle's Green
by
Chris Eilbeck

If you ask someone to describe a barbed wire fence, most folks will tell you about a 3 to 4 strand fence like the picture to the left. It is the typical fence that most people will use to keep livestock, and no one will notice this type of fence in your fields.

Mother Earth News has an article that gives great advice on How to Build a Barbed Wire Fence.

But, this post is about wire obstacles.

Several years ago, I came across an article, by an United States Army combat engineer. The article dealt with secretly building a wire obstacle. The author suggested that a combat engineer first build a typical barbed wire fence. Just like you, the enemy wouldn't notice a 4 to 6 strand fence running across a field. Once it got dark or the enemy was heading that way, a group of soldiers would add the single or double aprons to the fence.

Concertina Wire

Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment,
breach a concertina wire obstacle
by
Specialist Henry

Concertina wire is razor wire wrapped around a very hard wire forming circles. This sh*t is bad.

To cut the inner wire, you will need more than an ordinary wire cutter. The soldiers in this picture are using bolt cutter to cut through the concertina wire.

Did I tell you, it's tough and sharp, very sharp.

OK. This finishes the general descriptions of the types of wire used in wire obstacles. Hopefully, I'll have some information for you about using this stuff, this Saturday.

Link:
The Free Dictionary - Dead Space
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dead+space

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) - JP-315: Barriers, Obstacles, and Mine Warfare for Joint Operations
http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/new_pubs/jp3_15.pdf
Note: This is a 'big picture' military publication

On Violence - If An Abatis Falls in a Forest, But the Enemy Didn't Observe It, Did It Really Happen?
http://onviolence.com/?e=194
Note: This article argues against the "All Obstacles Must Be Observed" rule.

Global Security.orgy - FM 5-102: Countermobility
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/5-102/index.html

Reimer Digital Library - FM 3-21.8: The Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad
https://rdl.train.army.mil/soldierPortal/atia/adlsc/view/altfmt/23583-1

Global Security - EN0065: Field Fortifications
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/en0065/index.html

Global Security - Army Correspondence Course Program (ACCP)
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/accp/index.html
Note: A collection of these United States Army correspondence courses. They cover a wide range of self-study courses

Wikipedia - Agricultural Fencing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_fencing

Wikipedia - Barbed Wire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbed_wire

Mother Earth News - How to Build a Barbed Wire Fence
http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/barbed-wire-fence-zmaz84zloeck.aspx

American Fence and Supply - Building A Fence With Gaucho® High Tensile Barbed Wire and Field Fence
http://www.afence.com/BekaertBrochure.html

Wikipedia - Concertina Wire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concertina_wire