Bugging: Whatever the question is...

...this is not the answer:



For $50,000 (per adult), an outfit known as Vivos will save you a place in one of its self-contained survival shelters. The company claims to have a "network" of these underground complexes -- 20 in the U.S. and two in Europe -- to save your well-heeled ass in case of:When the shit hits the fan, all you have to do is get to your assigned TEOTWAWKI timeshare -- each of which houses up to a thousand "members" -- before Vivos locks the door. Now that's (you should pardon the expression) turn-key survival.

Naturally, sales of doomsday shelters are up between 20% and 1,000% (depending on who's doing the bragging) in the wake of Japan's earthquake-tsunami-radiation disaster.

Whenever I hear about this kind of "assurance of life" racket, I know that P.T. Barnum was right -- the whole thing strikes me as designed to separate naive people from their money. For the moment, though, let's suppose that it's the real deal, just as Vivos claims it is.

Fundamentally, the only difference between a big-bucks bunker and a community shelter is the price. Inhabiting the former will be the less fortunate and the ill-prepared; in the latter will be wealthy hamsters.

No guns. No knives. No smoking.

Both groups will become nothing more than refugees. One, we may presume, would be free to go if they so choose, while the other paid dearly for the privilege of being imprisoned -- if, that is, they can even get to their gilded gaol.

And that -- actually getting there -- is among the myriad flaws of bugging out in general and Vivos-type schemes in particular. Public panic will set in within an hour after a catastrophic event (or word of its imminence) and, as a result, order will start breaking down. Roads will clog with evacuees. Opportunistic crime will spike and carefully prepared BOVs will be stolen, stripped or otherwise rendered useless.

No, thanks.

My family and I have made very different choices. We cultivate a preparedness mindset, hone our skills and plan to shelter-in-place unless we have a damned good reason to leave -- 'cause in the end (again, please pardon the expression), there's no place like home.

(Oh, by the way -- if you're really into the "continuance of life" thing and want to throw money at preserving the human race instead of your own survival, Vivos offers a CryoVault deal, too. "Join us in the gene pool," they say. Talk about chilly...)

"...pole shift, super volcano eruptions, solar flares, earthquakes, tsunamis, and asteroids...nuclear bombs, bio terrorism, chemical warfare...the return of Planet X (known as Nibiru) and the massive solar system disturbances it will cause."

Bugging: A new primer from WLC

I shared one of Kevin Estela's helpful PowerPoints back in 2009; his name also came up in "On 'false gods'" a week ago. Now I'm pleased to pass along another of his Wilderness Learning Center presentations -- enjoy and learn.

View all presentations from Kevin Estela on slideshare.

Bugging: The everyday BOV

Whenever the subject of "the ideal bug-out vehicle" comes up, I'm always amused at how many folks envision something like this:

Such a civilized beast is undeniably capable and admirably self-contained -- as well as horribly inefficient and dangerously ponderous.

Most of us live in the real world. Not only is the GlobeCruiser well beyond our means, we can't even justify dedicating a separate vehicle to the BOV role.

Pursuing the ideal wastes time, or at least it spends time poorly. As I wrote some months ago, "the right stuff" is the stuff we have when we need it. On knives, for example, Mike Stewart of Bark River Knife & Tool said it well:

"The best bushcraft knife is the one you have with you and is best suited your needs and style of use -- not the needs of somebody that wrote a book on bushcrafting."

So if and when we decide to "bug out" -- whatever that looks like, whatever the reasons -- we'll be doing so in the same vehicle we use to commute to work, shuttle our kids and haul groceries. That's a bargain we strike with our everyday lives, and when the SHTF, wishing for something perfect is futile.

When I acquired a 2005 Chevy TrailBlazer in October, I speculated that "it might even be a worthy BOV." After a thousand miles, I've found it to be nimble, roomy and relatively fuel-efficient for its size; its conventional four-wheel drive and respectable ground clearance are bonuses.

As-is, it works.

That said, I'm going to do what I can -- cost-effectively and without transforming a plain-Jane SUV into some cobby Mad Max chariot -- to make it better. It still has to do its duty as a family wagon, but I believe that a handful of improvements can round it out. Here's what I have in mind.

1 - Reliability
The world's most capable vehicle becomes useless the moment it breaks, so my first task will be to perform routine-plus maintenance, stem to stern. In my experience, that's especially important when buying used, and even though mine is a "certified" vehicle, I'll change every fluid and replace every filter. I'll check each hose, belt, function and circuit. Even the wiper blades will get replaced.

2 - Efficiency
So far, this particular truck is giving me a full-to-fill range of about 300 real-world miles. I won't go crazy with exhaust and engine mods, but I want to see what a better air-filter element, new spark plugs and a squeaky-clean throttle body will do for fuel efficiency. I'm also researching the potential benefits of re-programming the powertrain control module (PCM). My goal is to bump the range to 350 miles.

3 - Communications
When the SHTF, it's likely that mobile-phone networks will be jammed, or even down entirely. Beyond the factory in-dash AM/FM, we already have short-range GMRS radios, a hand-held scanner and a compact shortwave set (with accompanying antennas and 12V adapters, of course). I expect to add a small CB transceiver to this vehicle, probably one of those all-in-handset Cobras with the NOAA weather feature. Information is power, especially in an emergency, so the idea is to have reliable ways to listen, not just talk.

4 - Lighting
My TrailBlazer is the base "LS" model, equipped only with conventional lighting. After replacing the 60W high beams with 100W bulbs and swapping for higher-output elements in the rear, I'll add auxiliary lights at both ends. I also expect to install supplemental hazards and an under-hood light. I'll go with power-conserving LEDs wherever practical, and all will be controlled via switches set into a factory blank on the dash.

5 - Undercarriage
I'm not building the ultimate off-roader, so there will be no lift kits, no heavy under-body armor. I simply want the important belly bits -- radiator, oil pan, transfer case and fuel tank -- to have a measure of protection if I need to detour, say, onto a rail bed. For that, the inexpensive four-piece kit offered by the factory will do just fine.

6 - Towing & Recovery
With 275hp and a matching torque number, the inline-six has enough power to get the TrailBlazer out of most trouble, or to pull something else of reasonable size (and reasonable stuckness). Both towing and recovery require attachment points -- two standard-equipment tow hooks serve that purpose in front, and I'll add a D-shackle "hitch" to the receiver in back. Simple.

7 - Safety & Power
A fire extinguisher will be mounted in the cargo compartment, along with our 400W power inverter. I'll install a 12V accessory outlet near the rear hatch opening.

8 - Up on the Roof
File this one under "nice to have" -- a safari-style cargo rack, bolted to the existing roof rails. It wouldn't be attached permanently, and it's probably unnecessary for anything short of a bona fide expedition, but it's on my wish list.

9 - Tires & Wheels
Also on the list is a set of mild all-terrain or mud-and-snow tires, mounted on an extra set of wheels. I'll wait to see how well the current set of all-season tires performs in the snow this winter before deciding if this item stays or goes.

The Rest
Notice that there's no mention of a brush guard -- this everyday BOV still must function as family mule, and I'm not interested in adding extra weight. I don't think I'll need a guard to mount extra lights, but if I do, it'll be a minimal safari bar.

How about GPS? Sure, but like mobile phones, GPS might not be there when the SHTF. There’s no substitute for good old-fashioned paper maps, and we carry a bundle of current ones, along with a compass.

Since this late-model Chevy comes with a large serving of electronics, tin-hatters probably won't like it, what with its vulnerability to EMP and all. (Whatever.) If we're talking TEOTWAWKI, however, the GMT-360 platform does have a benefit: availability of parts.

Millions have been built and sold since 2002, in two versions and a dozen trim levels under six different badges, so its "pick'n'pull" potential is significant. Hell, I just got back from my regular "school bus" run, mostly rural-residential roads, and I counted 22 -- in ten miles.

In the end, my TrailBlazer probably will never be called upon to serve as a BOV, and that's fine -- better to have it and not need it, as they say. The changes I've described will make it a more capable vehicle anyway, even in its vanilla, everyday role.

Bugging: Now what?

One crisp morning many years ago, I was clambering about the scree above Glacier National Park's Lunch Creek Basin. Scanning the steep slopes, I spotted my photographic quarry -- an adult mountain goat and a pair of kids, perched impossibly on the side of a cliff.

I eased my knapsack off my shoulders, pulled out my trusted Canon and fitted a telephoto. Leaving the bag on a ledge, I moved slowly and quietly toward a better vantage point.

That's when my right foot slipped on a loose rock, putting me face-down in the alpine gravel. I began sliding, feet-first and untethered, down the slope. Reflexively, I went spread-eagle, halting the slide and avoiding what could've been a deadly fall.

It took me an excruciating hour to creep to relative safety, and still another hour to make my way back to my knapsack, a hundred yards away.

I never did get the shot.

The experience left me with my life and more than a few lessons -- chief among them my resolve to never again willingly separate myself from my gear.

But what if I'd found myself in a "Now what?" situation, whether unavoidably or through my own negligence, in the same kind of place and with the same assets? Inventory check: the clothes on my back, a pocketknife, cigarettes and paper matches, chewing gum, wristwatch, wallet, car keys and camera.

Moving down-slope, below the tree line and into the basin, I would've had access to snow and moving water that I could've collected in the camera body, the lens hood or even a boot. The alpine scrub offered pitch, tinder and fuel for a fire. Leaning cut boughs over a rock outcropping would've made for a tolerable shelter. My camera's lens might've been useful as a firestarter, a signaling device or a cutting tool. Being late summer, potentially edible creek-side vegetation was plentiful.

Despite being ill-equipped, I believe I could've survived.

When the SHTF, our only resources are the ones we have at-hand. Months of work stocking a TEOTWAWKI cache in the basement isn't much good if we're stuck in traffic miles away. That bug-out bag stashed in the trunk becomes useless the moment the car is stolen. Maybe we left our personal-defense handgun at home in the safe, because we never made the time to get a concealed-carry permit.

Spilled milk, that. The mission doesn't change. Survive.

Regardless of the situation, mindset is the key to survival. To reinforce that, the U.S. military has used the word SURVIVAL as a mnemonic device:

• Size up the situation
• Use all your senses, Undue haste makes waste
• Remember where you are
• Vanquish fear & panic
• Improvise
• Value living
• Act like the natives
• Live by your wits, Learn basic skills now

Interesting, isn't it, that there's no mention of gear? That's because having the ultimate stuff in a bag is a whole lot less important than having the right stuff between the ears.

Preparedness begins, then, with mindset and skills. After that, we can consider the kind of gear that increases our chances of survival -- along with the best ways to ensure that we have it when we need it.

On that Montana mountainside, I made the mistake of leaving behind some of the gear that would've been helpful in a survival situation, but I still had a knife in my pocket. To this day, I always carry a serviceable knife -- whether it's a basic pocketknife, a multi-tool, a big folder or a fixed blade, and airport security notwithstanding, it's simply not negotiable.

Sometimes, of course, becoming separated from a well-stocked fanny pack or knapsack can't be helped, so I've learned to appreciate the value of carrying a minimal kit in my pocket whenever I head into the woods.

I highly recommend the Field & Stream article on building a simple kit that fits in an Altoids tin. Assembling such a kit is guaranteed to make you feel like a kid again, especially if you involve kids in the project. For some of the more unusual items, by the way, I've found Best Glide Aviation Survival Equipment to be a reliable source.

Back in 2004, then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said,

"You have to go to war with the army you have, not the army you want."

That assertion may have plunged Sec. Rumsfeld deep into hot water, but for those of us engaged in preparing ourselves and our families to survive under less-than-ideal circumstances, the principle is worth remembering.

Because when the worst happens, it's not about having what we need -- it's about using what we have. The mission doesn't change. Survive.

Bugging: Bag it

Without question, the most important tool in any survival situation is the brain -- and fortunately for most of us, it comes permanently attached in its own handy carrying case. Sooner or later, however, we come to understand that preparedness also involves other tools and supplies, and that means finding a way to carry stuff.

Yesterday's post suggested a model for a family-size bug-out box, something that would be hauled in a vehicle. This installment will deal with the personal, more portable bug-out bag.

Besides being durable and comfortable to carry, a bug-out bag needs to allow quick and convenient access to its contents -- I'm talking about a smart layout of pockets and compartments. And ideally, whatever its size, a bug-out bag will be big enough to accommodate:

• Water, or the ability to gather & purify water
• Food, or the ability to gather & prepare food
• Shelter & warmth, or the ability to create shelter & warmth
• Tools
• First aid & medical
• Communications
• Defense

It's possible, of course, to carry the bare essentials in something as small as an Altoids tin, and I have several personal kits packed into wide-mouth Nalgene bottles and small belt packs. A big fanny pack, like my well-traveled North Face model, is another good choice for toting a kit.

I'd like to offer a few more options -- three bags that work, in different ways, for me.

Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack
With carrying capacity equivalent to a large fanny pack, the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack (retail $89) is a cross-torso shoulder-slung design. It's stout, water-resistant and offers plenty of zippered pockets accessible without opening the 216-cubic-inch main compartment.

One of the things that sets this bag apart is a clever "slip compartment" that rides next to the body, designed to conceal a firearm for quick strong-side draw or weak-side cross-draw. I suggest adding the simple and inexpensive Maxpedition Universal CCW Holster for the sake of safety and consistency, and then practicing with the arrangement.

(If you need a refresher on why armed personal defense should be a preparedness consideration, please go back and read "Cold, cold water.")

The Jumbo Versipack is the kind of bag I can pack with bug-out (or bug-home) essentials and leave in the trunk of my car, but it's friendly enough to use as an every-day "man bag." (Sorry.) It's a certified winner, and when funds allow, I intend to make the Jumbo Versipack the standard grab'n'go pack for each member of my family.

'Cheaper Than Dirt' MOLLE Backpack
Some of us remember Karl Malden saying, "Don't leave home without it," and took the suggestion maybe a bit too seriously.

Well, fellow packrats, rejoice -- the MOLLE Assault Backpack (retail $50) from Cheaper Than Dirt was made for us.

("MOLLE," by the way, stands for "Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.")

Is this the highest-quality backpack available? No, not even close -- but as a high-capacity, pack-it-and-forget-it bag, it might be the best value I've seen. It's respectably well-made and features a dizzying array of pockets and compartments. The grid of PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System) webbing on the pack's exterior means that it can be tailored to individual needs with add-on pouches, even a hydration carrier.

For me, the bug-out role of a fully stocked CTD MOLLE Assault Backpack would be to support an overland trek from our shelter-in-place base. I'd also be inclined to toss it in the trunk of my car before heading out for longer than a day, especially during the winter months.

Maratac Briefcase
When the SHTF, some of us we won't be bugging out, and we won't be bugging home. We'll be bugging to work.

Law-enforcement, emergency-management and disaster-relief personnel have entirely different requirements in a bag. It might need to carry "bail-out" tactical gear, maps and grid schematics, a notebook computer or a mobile-communications setup. For those and similar roles, the Maratac "Force Multiplier Bag" (retail $69) from CountyComm would be a worthy choice.

Fundamentally, the Maratac is an oversize, overbuilt fabric briefcase with typical briefcase features. Three of the outside panels are covered in PALS webbing, accommodating a range of modular pouches. The interior is fitted with a stiff divider, covered in loop (as in hook-and-loop, or Velcro®) material that allows flexible placement of, for example, a concealed firearm and magazines.

The wide, padded shoulder strap doesn't make the Maratac a candidate for wilderness travel, but for its intended purpose, it definitely fills the bill.

Bugging: ShelterBox

Whether it's family preparedness, personal defense or other tasks, I'm a big fan of "modeling" -- looking for good ideas and then applying or adapting them to whatever I'm trying to accomplish. It's an approach that ends the search for a single answer, in favor of assimilating a range of wisdom into a custom solution.

On the subject of preparedness, there's no shortage of information and advice on the WWWeb. Despite that, I've noticed that some folks have trouble putting together a compact, portable store of disaster supplies.

For anyone intimidated by the prospect of assembling a family bug-out kit, I suggest modeling something called a ShelterBox.

The concept was developed by a Rotarian and former Royal Navy search-and-rescue diver as a way to deliver essential materials (sans food and water) to victims of disasters around the globe. Now an international charity funded through donations, the ShelterBox organization has become one of the most effective aid agencies in the world.

A ShelterBox, which serves up to ten people, comprises:

• One 49-gallon box, the delivery container; later, it can be used to store water, food, etc.
• One ten-person tent.
• Ten insulated vinyl sleeping mats & lightweight thermal blankets.
• Ten envelope-type sleeping bags.
• 180 water-purification tablets (enough for up to three months).
• One collapsible 5-gallon water container & two collapsible 2.1-gallon water carriers.
• Collapsible trenching shovel.
• 164 feet of rope.
• Repellent-treated mosquito netting.
• Ten PVC ponchos.
• Tools (hatchet, knife, screwdriver, hammer, pliers, saw, hoe head, etc.).
• Multi-fuel stove.
• Cookware, dinnerware & utensils.
• Children's activity kit (simple school supplies, stickers & coloring book).

Even though a ShelterBox doesn't include necessary consumables, look at it as a model -- and then try to tell me it's impossible to assemble an all-inclusive, 72-hour family bug-out kit because it won't fit in an SUV or sedan.

I contend that a typical American family of four could gather materials equivalent to a ShelterBox, plus provisions for food, first aid and defense, into the same space or less, packing sufficient water separately. It's easy, really.

(If at this point you're wondering if the ShelterBox people will sell you one of these kits already assembled, you've completely missed the point. You're probably prime refugee material, and you should find another blog to read.)

Bugging, Part IV: The Right Stuff

Considering what's at stake when preparing for the worst, it's no surprise that people are constantly looking for the perfect, ideal or ultimate something-or-other -- as if owning the best is some sort of talisman against misfortune.

Sure, some gear is better than other gear, and preparedness does involve putting together the right stuff. An unrestrained "shopping list mentality," however, misses this fundamental point:

The best SHTF stuff available is the stuff I have when the SHTF.

Not having the ideal stuff becomes so much spilled milk then, doesn't it? At that moment, what I have is what I have. It must be as capable and as reliable as it can be, and I need to know just how good it is.

Don't skip over that last point. I'm talking about testing -- actually using -- my SHTF stuff and, more important, developing the skills and ability to use it well.

If I own a genuine Swedish Army firesteel but haven't used it to start a fire in the pouring rain, I'm putting my family's survival at risk. Without training and practice, my tacticool carbine becomes about as useful as a Louisville Slugger. If I'm in poor physical shape, my mountain bike isn't going to be much good as SHTF transportation.

Singer, not song.

Although my family's kit comprises the best stuff we can justify, I lose no sleep pining for ideal SHTF gear, nor do I consider us somehow doomed or defenseless without it. I believe we're better off acquiring stuff that's capable and reliable, then acquiring the skills to use it effectively -- beginning with familiarity, striving for proficiency, and pursuing mastery.

Bugging, Part I: Securing the Castle
Bugging, Part II: My Tin Hat
Bugging, Part III: In or Out?

Bugging, Part III: In or Out?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go? (The Clash)

Many of us consider evacuation more likely than it actually is.

Outside of the geographic areas that regularly deal with floods, wildfires, hurricanes and other natural hazards, in most crises the vast majority of Americans should stay put, at least in the short term.

Whatever the crisis, whether my family stays or goes, our over-riding concern will be our own safety, survival and defense. Those considerations -- not sentiment or the well-meaning advice of public officials -- will drive our decisions.

What's more, altruism and benevolence have no place in our plan. Sound selfish? You bet it is -- becoming a charity during a serious crisis is akin to committing suicide.

Let the prepared survive.

Stocked for Survival
Naturally, our home holds the largest stores of what we'd need to survive for an extended period:

• Water, or the ability to gather & purify water
• Food, or the ability to gather & prepare food
• Shelter & warmth, or the ability to find shelter & create warmth
• Tools
• First aid & medical
• Communications
• Defense

I won't include a detailed checklist here -- that's not really the point of this installment, and besides, each of us has different needs -- but I do suggest taking full advantage of the WWWeb. Among the resources we've found useful:

• Ready.gov
• FEMA
• American Red Cross
• PandemicFlu.gov
• State, county & municipal homeland-security & emergency-management agencies
• Preparedness & survival forums
• Survival books
• Military field manuals

We prefer to download Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) files whenever possible, saving them for later reference offline.

There's No Place Like Home
Where we live, there are few reasons that my family and I would need to "bug out." As described in Part II, we've researched hazards and threats, and we've concluded that our best shelter and most defensible position is right here -- what's known as shelter-in-place.

Safety, survival and defense become more difficult while on the move and, ideally, most everything is simpler in familiar surroundings -- by itself, that's reason enough to shelter-in-place. In addition, our home is well-equipped and well-stocked, and yes, we know what it can provide, but we've gone beyond everyday familiarity and stockpiling.

Within a two-mile radius of our home, for example, we know where natural water supplies are located. (We're mindful, of course, that surface water may not be an option under some circumstances.) In the same area, we know where we can forage for edible plants and hunt game. We've practiced small-scale sustenance gardening, with the goal of expanding it if the need arises. And since the nature of home defense changes during a prolonged crisis, we've created a precise map of the perimeter around our home, out to 600 yards.

The last point I'll make is the need, in my opinion, to keep a low profile. Since most people won't be adequately prepared for a crisis, the quickest way for a prepared family to become a target family would be to shelter-in-place with generator whirring, house lights aglow, and gas-fired grill sizzling on the deck -- dumb and dangerous.

Time to Go

"Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man." (Gen. George S. Patton)

A stay-or-go "pivot point" may present itself at the outset of a crisis, or something may force our hand later, or it may not happen at all.

If we do choose to leave our home behind, we'll make that decision because it's in the best interest of our family's safety, survival and defense. We won't leave because everyone around us is leaving, and we won't stay for sentimental reasons.

That said, we've prepared for two bug-out scenarios: Light (one or two people) and Full (family).

Our grab-and-go packs are subsets of our shelter-in-place stores. Each member of our family has ultra-minimalist kit for a light evacuation. Obviously and necessarily, we'd tote more in a full bug-out. Again, our supplies include provisions for water, food, shelter, etc.

We've mapped primary and contingency routes, rendezvous sites and retreat locales, along with potential hazards and threats -- a calculated bug-out, if you will, not a random dash. Our destinations do not include public shelters -- we refuse, categorically, to join the masses of refugees who chose not to prepare.

Note that I haven't mentioned the word "evacuation" to describe my family's plans. We prefer to call it "bug-out" or "retreat," because we have our own routes and destinations. Despite the fact that we may be putting distance between ourselves and a threat or a hazard, we'd be moving toward something, not merely running away.

Bugging home
Finally, here's an often-ignored piece of the preparedness puzzle: the virtual certainty that our family won't be conveniently assembled when the SHTF. I may be at home, my wife at work, the spawns at school.

That's when preparedness planning becomes especially crucial. Everyone must know the plan and execute their responsibilities -- no freelancing. My wife will bug home if she can; ideally, she'll pick up the spawns on her way. If it's apparent that shelter-in-place is impossible and a bug-out is called for, the drill is to follow the primary route and try to assemble at established checkpoints.

And so on.

Of course, as countless military leaders have observed, "No plan survives first contact with the enemy."

Still, whether we stay or go, we're glad that we have a plan.

We hope we never have to use it.


Bugging, Part I: Securing the Castle
Bugging, Part II: My Tin Hat
Bugging, Part IV: The Right Stuff

Bugging, Part II: My Tin Hat

A few weeks ago, my older spawn presented me with my very own tinfoil hat.

Okay, I do spend a fair amount of time preparing myself and my family to survive under less-than-ideal circumstances. That's because I believe that the future, whatever it looks like, will belong to those who prepare -- not out of unchecked cynicism, but with a firm grip on the risks present in today's world.

Some among us are obsessed with Red Dawn scenarios, SHTF, TEOTWAWKI and the like. I don't (and won't) belittle those folks -- in fact, I've learned a lot from their approach to preparedness. I've just attacked it a bit differently.

The Mindset
Everyday life has a set of rules and resources dictated by personal obligations and societal norms. My fundamental responsibility is to function and prosper in that context.

For me, preparation happens within the context of everyday life, not at its expense -- that is, I don't live each day as if it's TEOTWAWKI, but I know what I need to do to prepare and survive.

I live my life, taking advantage of its opportunities, neither paranoid nor naive.

The Lay of the Land
It's tempting (and typical) to begin the preparedness process with a shopping list and an evacuation route, ignoring what I believe is the first and most important step: assessing risk.

So, with the invaluable aid of Google and Microsoft Streets & Trips, I've plotted relevant risks, hazards and resources.

What could possibly threaten my peaceful rural-suburban home in the Midwest? In terms of natural hazards:

• Tsunami: No risk.
• Hurricane: No risk.
• Wildfire: Negligible risk.
• Earthquake: Negligible risk.
• Landslide: No risk.
• Tornado: Moderate risk.
• Flood: Moderate risk in the surrounding area; negligible risk to my home.

That list is obvious and straightforward. Now, what man-made characteristics could pose a risk?

• Rail: Two active freight lines pass through the 10-mile radius around my home, running a total of 42 miles in length, with one coming as close as 1.25 miles and the other 2 miles away. Also, there's a major rail yard 10 miles WNW.
• Airports: A major airport lies 10 miles NW, and another is 10 miles WSW; the latter is the preferred arrival-and-departure point for high-ranking government officials and other dignitaries, since it shares facilities with an Air National Guard base. There's also a small airport 10 miles SE.
• Power plants, nuclear: None within 150 miles.
• Power plants, coal: One, 15 miles WSW.
• Utility transmission, electricity: One 345kV+ high-tension run passes within 1.5 miles.
• Utility transmission, natural gas: One large transmission line passes within a half-mile of my home; a major pipeline passes 45 miles SE.
• Municipal water supplies: Three well-sites within 5 miles; five water-storage towers within 5 miles.
• Biohazards: A sewage-treatment facility 0.5mi N.
• Radiation hazards: None within 25 miles; numerous nuclear pharmacies and two NRC-regulated sites within 35 miles.
• Military: An Air National Guard base 10 miles WSW, and a major national-defense supply depot 10 miles NW. Numerous bases, installations and armories within 50 miles.
• Other: After a local televangelist recently called for the destruction of Islam, his statements appeared widely in the Arab media. His church's two large facilities are 1.5 miles and 3.5 miles NW of my home.

I'm willing to bet that most of my neighbors are largely unaware of what surrounds us. Most people either don't care or don't take the time to find out.

For example, there's a major NSA listening post nestled deep in the West Virginia mountains, and yet most of the locals (like most Americans) remain blissfully ignorant -- a common mistake and, in my opinion, a dangerous one. I do my best to avoid making it.

Finally, I've identified various emergency-assistance resources in close proximity to my home, keeping in mind that some of these services (or all of them) may be unavailable in an emergency situation:

• Tornado sirens: Two within 5 miles, with the closest 1.5 miles away.
• Fire/EMS: Five stations within 5 miles, with the closest 2 miles' travel.
• Law enforcement: Four stations within 5 miles, with the closest 2 miles' travel.
• Medical: The closest hospital is 10 miles' travel; there are two urgent-care clinics, three medical-arts facilities and at least six pharmacies within 5 miles.
• Food & provisions: Within a 5-mile radius are three large groceries, five mass-merchandisers and ten convenience stores. There are three produce farms within 10 miles.
• Defense: Three mass-merchandisers, both within 5 miles, sell ammunition; there are three FFL retailers within 10 miles, with the closest 5 miles away.
• Fuel: More than a dozen gas stations and five propane stations within 5 miles.

All of this information, taken together and especially in the face of a present danger, helps form the basis for every preparedness-and-survival decision that follows.

Bugging, Part I: Securing the Castle
Bugging, Part III: In or Out?
Bugging, Part IV: The Right Stuff

Bugging, Part I: Securing the Castle

First thing every morning, I confront a stark reality: This is not the world I grew up in.

Howdy Doody Time is over. The Beaver has left the stage. Happy Days? Only in re-runs. By any measure, this is a far more dangerous world than the one in which we lived even a decade ago.

Our enemies, once marked by flags and isolated from us by borders and oceans, now are shadows that move among us. Law enforcement and homeland-security professionals, brave and dedicated as they are, cannot stem the tide of illegal immigration or prevent grandstand-style homicides. Home invasions are as common as fender-benders on the freeway.

It's time to live our lives accordingly -- not paranoid, but prepared.

The first and best place to tackle today's reality, I believe, is at home. Secure castle, hearth and family, then expand security preparations outward.

My family and I have spent a lot of time on home security and defense. Here, in general terms, is our approach.

Security
I married well -- my bride was working in private security when we met, trained professionally in security and defensive tactics. For the purposes of home security and defense, however, her skills are perhaps less relevant than her mindset.

When we bought our home, we addressed locks and lighting immediately. We also scouted the property and formulated our plan for electronic measures.

Then we chose a system installer -- a 20-year-old moonlighter, the relative of a co-worker -- and that's when the fertilizer met the ventilator. Hard.

The kid's electrical work was solid, if slow, but he hit a wall when it came to programming the system. When we told him that we'd withhold further payment until the system was operational, he bolted for our basement and started ripping live electrical lines from the joists. Fortunately, my hand-to-hand skills weren't as rusty as I thought, and I was successful in persuading him (and his brother, who made the fracas two-on-one) to leave.

What happened to us was the embarrassing result of several bad choices, illustrating how important it is to choose a skilled, experienced and trustworthy installer. Get professional and personal references -- don't make the choice based on an infomercial or a Yellow Pages ad.

Or nepotism, for that matter.

Long story short, we now have three-level electronic security, with a fourth to come. Belt and suspenders, if you will.

Defense
Even the best security system is no guarantee against intrusion, so the next step was preparing to defend our home.

My personal choice of a home-defense handgun was based largely on my wife’s primary. Why? They share the same manual-of-arms and the same caliber, which means that we don't have to perform mental gymnastics if one or the other becomes a backup under stress. Likewise a pair of kissing-cousin shotguns, which join a rifle kitted specifically for home defense.

Because our spawns are in their curious and hormone-charged teens, our defensive weapons and ammunition are always secured -- but they’re secured in such a way that my wife and I can access them in seconds.
Finally, we acknowledge that the most important part of choosing firearms to defend our home is professional training. As Col. Jeff Cooper said:

"You are no more armed because you own a gun than you are a musician because you own a piano. The instrument is not the answer; the skill to use the instrument is the answer."

Other hardware & software
Completing the picture, in no particular order:

• Our mobile phones are either on the belt or charging at the bedside.
• We're equipped with weapon-mounted and hand-held SureFire flashlights and numerous handy Maglites.
• A pair of alarm dogs are effective flesh-and-blood adjuncts to our electronic system.
• We've posted generic electronic-security signs conspicuously around the property, to discourage opportunists.
• We cultivate a good relationship with our monitoring service, which knows our duress and hostage codes.
• Our system incorporates a “cell backup” in case our land line is down or has been cut.
• Each member of our family carries a panic fob.

Plan & drill
We believe that the real key to surviving a threat is our plan. We've designated a primary "safe room," and our spawns have “safe places” where they can hunker down in relative concealment and cover until we can reel them into the safe room (or if we can’t).

We've established code words to communicate threat (intruder), acknowledgement (the equivalent of “Marco...Polo”) and all clear. That may seem like a contrivance, but our spawns know the difference between “C’mon out, everything’s ok” and the code for that condition -- no secret word, no safety, stay put.

Most important, we drill our plan -- daylight, low light and no light -- with the goal of survival-in-place until law enforcement arrives. No heroics, no machismo.

Security first, survival second, defense as a last resort.

About Castle Doctrine
Preparing to employ armed defense to protect oneself and one's family is a personal choice and, thanks to our elected officials, not at all a simple one.

The crux here is called Castle Doctrine, and whether or not it applies varies from state to state. It designates a person's place of residence (and in some states a person's vehicle or workplace) as a "castle" in which that person may expect to enjoy protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack. It gives a person the legal right to use deadly force to defend that "castle," and other innocent persons legally within, from violent attack or intrusion which threatens violent attack.

Fundamentally, Castle Doctrine enables a person's right to self-defense, trumping the misguided "duty to retreat" principle and the idiotic mandate that a person use only proportionate force against an attacker. And legally speaking, it permits the criminal defense of "justifiable homicide" when the use of deadly force actually causes death.

Castle Doctrine is not a get-out-of-jail-free card, and again, it's not universal. It's also important to note that the law almost never permits armed defense of property -- only life. Each of us is obliged to know our state and local laws and make our own choices. And if we choose to make armed defense part of protecting self and family, professional training is a must.

Bugging, Part II: My Tin Hat
Bugging, Part III: In or Out?
Bugging, Part IV: The Right Stuff