House Location for a Defensive Situation

[Tequila jake]

In a defensive situation such as happened in New Orleans with roving bands of bad guys, is it better to have other houses surrounding your house fairly closely to block the goblins from getting too close to you, or is it better to have a lot of open space around your house so you can see them approaching?. I tend to believe that having lots of open space is better, not only so you can see them approaching, but because if they get too close without you seeing them, they can lob a Molotov cocktail into your house. Not that that happened in New Orleans, but it's a consideration.

Comments?

Tequila Jake

 

[george29]

Better to read the early warning signs and bug out.

 

[Treo]

My goal is to move far from the city on the theory that rural areas will pretty much be left on their own in the event of an emergency. I think that being away from where the people are would cut down on 90% of your problems before they happen

 

[wheelgunslinger]

totally agree with Treo.

I lived through 2 major hurricanes on the Atlantic seaboard, and both were chaotic for weeks afterward.

There's nothing romantic about being in the midst of a hurricane aftermath, unless you've never been in one.

Bug out.

 

[Treo]

Something else that I thought of reading this thread. There are 2 backroads ( I mean unimproved gravel roads) that lead up into the mountains here. if I was going to stay(permanently) in the city I would want to be in close proximity to one or the other of them.

 

[Huddog]

In thought I agree that the less populated the area the better. However, with my wife and my current professions it is not possible (at least not yet).

In addition I am in a neighborhood where the houses are fairly close together and as it is new not a whole lot is known about the neighbors. I think my best bet is to hunker down as egress from the area would get jamed up very quickly unless I am able to leave very early. Therefore, I prepare stay.

By the way, I am sitting here typing while I listen to the Tornado Warning Sirens.

 

[Titan6]

I heard Atlanta got plowed with a tornado today. Better to go one or the other. A gated community with a nice gate and a sturdy, high wall (not some clapboard, but stone) with good neighbors is a technique. Open spaces is another.

 

[Treo]

If I got to pick . if money was no object ( if money was no object I'd buy an island in the South Pacific mine the surrounding water & tell the rest of the world to go to Hell) Here's what I'd look for:

1. I'd want the house to be as secluded as possible, like maybe the only house in an industrial area. If they don't even know you're there.......

2. I'd want the house to be of stone,brick,tiltwall, something that would stop bullets & no sliding glass door on the ground floor.

3. Acess to off the grid water

4.Ample storage for food

5. Easy access to a back road to bug out ( by back road I mean a secondary unimproved road of the type that the authorities would be likely to forget should someone decide road blocks are a good idea)

If I could get all that I'd consider the location problem solved

 

[springmom]

It's been said before, but bears repeating....

Where you live is less important than how you've managed your surroundings. For example: do you know your neighbors? Do you know whom you can depend on in an emergency (including "help, I fell and broke my leg" type emergencies)? Do you have a neighborhood plan for dealing with emergencies? If not, you are less secure than you could be, regardless of where you live.

We have a place in Harris County, suburb of Houston. We know our neighbors on either side, across from us, and several houses down on one side. All the rest we know at least to say "hi" to and have some sense of who they are and what they're like. I know who owns guns (most everybody) and I'd not hesitate a second in getting them together for a mutual neighborhood watch in case another Rita takes a bit more westerly turn and lands on us. The old saying "there is safety in numbers" is correct... if you have a number of people providing security that is better than if it is just you. After all, you have to sleep sometime

We also own a ranch somewhat north of the OP's place, outside Llano. The neighbors there are few and far between, and we don't yet know them (new purchase in the last couple of months). But we will. It's up there on the "to do" list. In both places, we bought for "what we like" rather than "maximum security". I refuse to live in a bunker or a bomb shelter. I'll do what I can within reason to ensure that I am safe where I am, and that includes electronic alarm systems and cameras if need be; but no islands in the pacific with mines, thanks.

Point is: wherever you live, be proactive without screwing up your quality of life. Remember, it's software, not hardware, that matters.

Springmom

 

[Zach S]

if money was no object I'd buy an island in the South Pacific mine the surrounding water & tell the rest of the world to go to Hell

I like that thought...

I live in the sticks. Unelss someone wants to do a lot of hiking they cant really sneak up on me. If they're up to no good I live at the end of my road, everyone below me is related somehow, their houses are much nicer, and I know they've got guns in the houses because I'm not the only one that shoots up here.

They're still in earshot, but due to the terrain there's a lot of distance between my neighbors and I. I'm not too crazy about the one way out, but at least the one way in is pretty easy to cover.

 

[TallPine]

I think something like this would be about right:

http://www.castlestalker.com/



(except for the location in gun-free UK of course )

Seriously, I wish I could have a place something like that. The interior dimension minus the 9' stone walls is roughly the same footprint as our current house (2 story with cellar). But I would put the trap door in the entryway instead of by the stairs, so that unwanted visitors could just
d
r
o
p
into the dungeon hole

 

[dmftoy1]

Where you live is less important than how you've managed your surroundings. For example: do you know your neighbors? Do you know whom you can depend on in an emergency (including "help, I fell and broke my leg" type emergencies)? Do you have a neighborhood plan for dealing with emergencies? If not, you are less secure than you could be, regardless of where you live.

I think to me this sums up my thinking pretty well. I live out in the sticks, but have neighbors within 400-500 yards of my house. I've done my best to get to know them and we help each other out on projects, etc. (one of the guys has a caterpillar front-end loader/backhoe! ) Out of the 8 houses out in our little 'subdivision' (each on 10-15 acres) 6 have one or more hunters in the household and there's no less than 8 AR's spread out amongst us. (all are pretty competent shots). I have no clue how well prepared we'd be, but I think we all know each other well enough to establish a neighborhood watch and the only cars that go down the road in front of our houses are the people who live here. (no reason for anyone else to use the road)

Just my .02

Regards,
Dave

 

[Treo]

QUOTE: "but no islands in the pacific with mines, thanks. "

The island in the Pacific is more about ensuring solitude than safety. If money wasn't an object I would be perfectly content to take the wife, the dogs,the cat, and drop off the edge of the world. Maybe show up for supplies once a year, and spend the rest of the time sitting under a palm tree, sipping mai tais out of a coconut & listening to Jimmy Buffet, yeah I'm down.
( begins to sing " It's 5 O'clock somewhere....)

 

[bcp]

The island in the Pacific is more about ensuring solitude than safety. If money wasn't an object I would be perfectly content to take the wife, the dogs,the cat, and drop off the edge of the world. Maybe show up for supplies once a year, and spend the rest of the time sitting under a palm tree, sipping mai tais out of a coconut & listening to Jimmy Buffet, yeah I'm down.
( begins to sing " It's 5 O'clock somewhere....)

I once read that someone actually did that in the late 1930's to avoid the impending war. It was some unheard-of place, like Iwo Jima, Wake, etc.

Didn't work.

Bruce

 

[mljdeckard]

I agree with the 3rd and 4th posters. My ultimate goal is to build Fort Deckard out in the Utah sagebrush somewhere where I can shoot clay pigeons off my back deck and no one will care. The further away I am from civilization, the less likely that ANYONE I don't want attention from will come mess with me. (Ray Nagin.)

 

[Robert Hairless]

In such situations it's important to think creatively. Should a disaster strike we plan to post "Gun Free Zone" signs around our property.

 

[Tokugawa]

Springmom has the right idea. Community rules. Has for 40,000 years or so. Isolation is a good way to allow the goblins plenty of time to torture and rape. Ask any remote farm owners in SA.

 

[springmom]

spend the rest of the time sitting under a palm tree, sipping mai tais out of a coconut & listening to Jimmy Buffet, yeah I'm down.
( begins to sing " It's 5 O'clock somewhere....)

ROFL! I love that song!

I hear you. One of the reasons we picked the place we did for our ranch was that it isn't going to get developed or subdivided, at least not in our lifetime. But we need to get to know the neighbors (at least the ones that actually live on their property, lol) for security and socializing. Particularly since we intend to retire out on that property eventually. None of us is going to stay young forever, and if you have good relations with your neighbors now, it'll be a lot better 30 years from now when you need help, of any sort.

SPringmom

 

[eatont9999]

I used to live in the Harris county area. I miss Texas. I will be back in a few years though. I want to get enough land so that I can set up a personal shooting range and have my privacy. If I lived in the suburbs, I would definitely collaborate with my neighbors. If I lived in the boonies, a trespasser would get one warning shot and if he did not turn away, he would be sorry. I would still know who my neighbors are so I don't scare them off if they mean well.

 

[Treo]

This is actually a scenario I've put a lot of thought into, because I think its fairly likely. Nothing I've heard so far has dissuaded me of the idea that 90% of your problems would be avoided by not being in a city to begin with.

I don't think a hurricane is going to hit colorado springs,(and if it did Y'all'd be in WAAAAAAAAAY more trouble than me. our issue is blizzards.

I believe our biggest threat would be a terrorist attack of some sort. Again this would be localized and the outlying regions ( I belive would be told just stay out of town and let us handle this.

As for trusting the nieghbors I don't and that's all there is to it.

If I could get out of the city I would I still think that's the safest bet.

If I had to stay in town my first line of defense would be to try not to draw attention to myself, no generator all of our emergency stuff is propane . a neighborhood watch would be problematice given that our nieghbors are the type of people you'd be watching for.

Given the facts at hand I really think it would DW & I ( and a band playing Gerry Owen ) holed up in our house and then only if bugging out wasn't even a remote option.