Prepper security: What is perimeter protection and why is it important?

Perimeter protection is crucial whether you live in an apartment in the city or in a cabin in a remote location. Consider these tips that may help secure your home and keep out trespassers. (h/t to PreppersWill.com)

Understanding perimeter protection and knowing how to keep the perimeter of your home base secure is the first step in preventing anyone from trying to break into your home.

Safety analysis of your home or bug-out location

Perimeter protection begins with safety analysis. This involves considering the safety situation of your home before disaster strikes.

You may have your hands full if you reside in an area that hunters frequent or if you live on a major farm with vast tracts of land. Secure your survival garden and your livestock to deter thieves from targeting your crops or animals.

Don’t become complacent if you live in a “nice” neighborhood. Desperate people may be willing to do anything when SHTF, especially if they know you have a stockpile of food and supplies.

Reading books about self-defense and home protection can help you learn more about various perimeter protection safety measures. Topics worth researching include:

• How to defend and buttress your home from an outside attack
• Urban home invasions
• Spontaneous concentrated urban rioting and looting

Don’t leave everything to the police. You’d want to make things hard for an attacker so you have a better chance of arming yourself for a counter-attack. (Related: Simple strategies you can implement NOW to significantly improve your home security.)

Detailed below are simple ways to buff up perimeter protection in your property.

Perimeter protection

A protective, live defense perimeter around your house may increase your chance of surviving a long-term disaster scenario.

If you do not have the funds or manpower to set up a wall around your property, you can improvise. You can use barbed wires around your bug-out location or plant trees near windows to keep your home safe from prying eyes.

Perimeter alarms

Early-warning devices or perimeter alarms are devices designed to set off a series of noises that will let you know if someone has trespassed on your property. You can invest in state-of-the-art units or you can set up simple perimeter alarms that are just as effective.

Exercise caution when attempting to make these alarms and wear safety gear to avoid accidents. If there are wild animals in your area, take note that some of them may accidentally trigger your perimeter alarms.

• Low-cost trip wire device – For maximum effect, set the device to trigger a blank shotgun shell to explode.
• Pyrotechnics – Use pyrotechnics to set up an old-fashioned yet effective alarm system. They can also shock attackers or slow their progress. When using pyrotechnics, take the necessary precautions to avoid the risk of fires.
• Tin cans and small pebbles – Secure the tin cans with strings. The pebbles will rattle in the tin cans once someone triggers the string.

Develop good relationships with your neighbors

Try to get to know your neighbors. When SHTF, they can report any unusual events at your property to the authorities or they may even come to your aid. Let them know you would do the same for them.

Get a guard dog

Dogs are effective at deterring burglars. If your pets sense danger, they may make a big fuss that will get your attention.

When choosing a guard dog, consider how people-friendly you want them to be. Some breeds, like the Great Pyrenees, can be a bit mean or aggressive when they need to be. However, other breeds may have a hard time switching from guard dog to family dog mode.

Don’t wait until SHTF to extend perimeter security on your property. These precautions may give you the seconds you need to defend yourself and your loved ones from attackers.

Sources include:

PreppersWill.com

BackdoorSurvival.com