Home Invasion and Murder in upscale Neighborhood outside Philadelphia

Fernando

1) Here is a Philadelphia news report about a home robbery/murder occurring about 35 miles outside the

city.   Some interesting points:

a) Home is in an upscale, low crime suburban area.   Large Home is on 10 acres of land and worth roughly $900,000.

b) Killers were in home for several hours --tied up victim's girlfriend and 12 year old son.

c) Victim , however, was a businessman who filed bankruptcy to evade $1.8 Million in debts.

See http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/the_intelligencer_news/police-seek-gunmen-in-fatal-home-invasion/article_a08b6962-974b-578b-8c3f-bb7f6d486ace.html 

Don Williams

 

 

Hi Don, thanks the link.

This is another good example of the difference between wishful thinking and how events turn out in the real world.  

Three big points here people:

1)We’ve said it time and again here in the blog: Seclusion and isolation doesn’t equal security. If anything, criminals have to worry about less eyes on them, there’s a smaller chance of someone noticing them and calling the police and they have all the time in the world to do what they want with their victims. You know why all these survival retreats have worked so well so far in terms of security? Because there still isn’t a serious crime problem in America!

2)They entered through a window. Notice how vulnerable most homes are. The window was probably opened, they just stepped inside through it. How many of you lock your front door but keep the back door opened? Doors and windows should be locked, and you should keep an eye on them when opening them for ventilation and fresh air. The reality is that most people don’t have barred windows and armored doors, and that means most people are pretty vulnerable in their homes.

3)The home owner had guns. Still, guns are a last line of defense, they are not an alarm, they don’t replace locked doors and windows and competent home security habits. Maybe if the window had been crashed to enter and the home owner had reacted fast enough or if he had been carrying his gun, he would have had a chance to defend himself. If you can carry in your State, serious gun owners carry at all times, when on the street or their living room. Especially if your home isn’t hardened for security, your reaction time gap is measured in the seconds it takes to shatter a sliding glass door with the butt or slide of the handgun and stepping inside. It’s a matter of few seconds, not few minutes.

FerFAL

BUG OUT BAG!: "The Best BOB for You"

This 3 Part Video shows what to include in a Bug out Bag. A BOB is not a backpacking bag or camping bag, its about getting you back home, or getting you from home to another secure location. The BOB in the video would cover 24 to 48 hours in average weather conditions (not extreme cold). There’s not much in terms of food but the 4 liters in it should be enough.

Great Deal on US Made 550 Paracord!

I just got an email from JHL Supplies, they are offering a great deal on 550 Paracord.

This is quality, Made in USA, Mil-spec 550 Paracord. 7 strand core and 100% heavy duty nylon, including the kernmantle outer sheath. (imitation Paracord sheath is made of polyester) 

Its made by Invista and is the same cord that the military uses.

Tom sent me a 7% off coupon code for blog readers: "overstock"

They are already running out of some spools so hurry up!

Here’s the link:

http://www.campingsurvival.com/us-made-military-paracord.html

Check my Youtbue channel for several videos on how to tie some of the most useful knots.

Take care people!

FerFAL

Natural Disaster Experiences in Australia‏

Hi Ferfal,
I really appreciate what the information you share, this is by far the best blog on the subject and I have no doubt that harder times are not far away – or have already arrived in much of the world. However, there are so many sad, often tragic, stories here that I wanted to share something a little different.
I live in northern Australia, an area that has gone through several category 5 cyclones in recent years. It is a terrifying experience and there has been an enormous amount of destruction to infrastructure and the economy. In the rest of Australia we have had record-breaking floods and catastrophic bushfires – we have no shortage of life-threatening natural disasters in this country.
The death toll from Cyclone Yasi was expected to be in the hundreds but civic preparedness was so efficient that it was capped at one – that person died after the event because he ran a generator in a closed space. Some of the things that happened: we didn’t have electricity for 10 days (much, much longer for the hardest hit communities). It was stinking hot and fresh food and ice was impossible to find. 65% of trees were lost and driveways and roads blocked – the sight of all those twisted, torn trees was incredible. Roads, houses and businesses were decimated in some areas. Road and rail access to the north and south was blocked (we are 1300km from the state capital).

Where I live there were some people who had power (because it was underground) and they helped those who didn’t. People we barely knew dropped in with frozen water containers so we could keep our food cold. Others took our dirty clothes and washed and ironed them (they did a better job than I do…) Local shops and the library allowed people to recharge and use mobile phones and laptops. Pubs and shops opened up food stalls and bbqs to feed people for free. The morning after the cyclone, volunteers and the defence force were out chainsawing trees so the clogged streets and driveways could open again. Coffee vans came round. The local government organised a city wide volunteering day to fix up people’s yards. In my street, a man appeared with a truck full of chainsaws. He’d driven 2,500 kms as soon as he’d heard about the cyclone and was there to help out. He wasn’t the only one.
Nobody went crazy, despite devastating and ogoing hardship for some. There were a couple of isolated cases of looting that were quickly stamped out. The crime rate didn’t rise, in the hard hit places or the ones that took in evacuees.

This isn’t an isolated case. These stories are repeated again and again, whenever there’s a natural disaster – like I said, there are lots in Australia and they hit all kinds of places, from the poor and remote to the wealthy and central. So when I read a post on your site about someone’s advice for surviving a hurricane I was mindboggled to see that ‘guns and ammo’ was no. 3 on the list. I’ve never once heard guns mentioned in disaster preparedness (in a potential apocalyptic future, yes, but never in all the disasters that have taken place here so far).
Why the difference? My guess is: strong social capital, less inequality than in many other places, good public infrastructure, excellent disaster management at the civic level, a tradition of rolling up your sleeves and looking after your mates (which can include strangers), and last but not least, very strict gun laws. The day the average citizen has to put ‘guns and ammo’ on their cyclone preparedness list will be a tragic one for Australia.

I know that bug out bags and Glocks may be necessary at some stage. I am not naive about human nature. But I also know that community, connection and robust civic structures count too and whatever we can do to strengthen them is a vital part of personal preparedness.
ps – have enclosed a pic of our house/st after Yasi
Thanks for your blog – it is great.
P-


Hi P,
Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences!
It goes to show how great people in Australia are, definitely a strong contender for one of the best countries to live in in my opinion.

As you noted, most people tend to be good, caring human beings that will come to the aid of those in need. I believe that Australia is particularly good in that regard with very high standards of living and relatively low crime rate. As you notice yourself, there’s always some social parasite looking to commit crimes. Those couple isolated cases of looting probably affected someone already struggling with the disaster itself. No matter how few of them there are, or how rare it is, you have to prepare for it because it may be you next time. Australia gun laws are strict but you can still have some serious firearms. I have no doubt that more guns wouldn’t have meant more post disaster looting over there. Guns don’t brainwash people into doing evil deeds.

Another factor to keep in mind is that as you said, people helped, the government was well organized and they basically had things being taken care of in spite of the disaster. One thing that I learned is that the worse the conditions are, the more desperate people you will see. If help doesn’t arrive in time you will see people fighting over basic things such as water and food like we saw in Chile after their last big earthquake.

You mention the importance of community and networking. I couldn’t agree with you more. How many people don’t talk with their neighbors beyond a “hi” and waving their hand? It takes time, its not easy, but guys, you have to get to know the people around you now, not after a disaster!
Thanks a lot for your letter. All the best for you and all the blog readers from Australia!
Regards,
Fernando

Food Storage: How much do you have right now?

It goes without saying that food is a top priority for survival from any perspective. No matter what happens, food will be needed. If you get hit by a tsunami, you’ll need food (and potable water!!!) and it may be ruined and scattered all over the area with the rest of your belongings except for what you managed to keep in a Bug out Bag or other Survival/Emergency Kit. If you’re snowed in during a storm, you better have supplies. If inflation sends food prices up 25% each passing year (or each passing WEEK! yes, can happen) trust me on this one, you will wish you had put aside that food stash you never got around to prepare. And if nothing ever happens… yes, you still need to eat, don’t you?

I recently came across this great video by Wendy Dewitt on food storage. It’s a bit long but worth every minute. It is a must watch video, people.

She also has an excellent guide available on line on her website.
http://allaboutfoodstorage.com/wp-content/uploads/EVERYTHING-UNDER-THE-SUN-2010-word.pdf
Wendy also has a DVD which I plan on buying ASAP.

Sensible Food Storage: Storing the Foods You Love to Eat



One last time, I know some of you guys don’t like youtube, please just click on it and watch it, you’ll thank me later.

Canning and food preservation can be as basic or as complex as you want to make it. If nothing else, learn to read the expiration dates and stock up a well balanced supply of store bought canned food. With little money you can put up a cache of sugar, flour, canned meat, oil and vegetables that will last for a very long time. Start small until you get the hang of it, but do start. Your ultimate objective is having six to twelve months of food, but don’t wait and at the very least get a month worth of food as soon as you can.
The sales found in supermarkets and dollar stores are sometimes ridiculous. You can make a significant purchase of supplies with a 50 Usd bill.

Before you even ask about canned food real expiration date:
In 1820, William Perry (Parry) took an expedition in search of the Northwest Passage, toward the North Pole. He took with him some canned meats. At the time, food canning was about a 10-year-old technology.
At least one can of meat was not used and wound up in a museum in England. In 1938, it was opened and found to be edible. It was fed to a cat which suffered no ill effects from eating the 118-year-old meat.
http://www.internet-grocer.net/how-long.htm

Food is still cheap and plentiful. That hasn’t always been the case. Don’t expect it to stay that way forever.

FerFAL