Protection "Don't shoot!!" Non-lethal Alternatives

When the zombies come crawling up your street you'll have to get used to taking them out.  This blog is not about dealing with Zombies but with other humans that are alive.

After watching the latest Doomsday Prepper episode I realized that many of the people on that show have tons of guns and ammunition but not many have Non-lethal options. That's a problem.

In a heightened state of alert during a crisis, it's likely the "preppers" adrenalin will be flowing! The biggest mistake I think anyone can make is prematurely using lethal force. Although in many "Preppers" minds any crisis could lead to social disorder, it may not unfold that way. If you shoot someone and things are back to normal anytime soon your actions will be held against you. If you've been around fire arms you've likely heard that most confrontations end in the first 2 shots from a fire arm. Naturally people pull back and move on to easier targets in most cases. You run from gun fire not towards it. Aside from defending from an all out siege you should consider where your money is best spent and have a balanced plan of lethal and non-lethal options.

Here are some thoughts on non-lethal options. After all I will always deter confrontation first and quickly escalate if necessary. These tools could be used to warn and deter someone to move on to an easier target.

1. Mega Phone - Use loud siren mode to confuse, distract and verbalize warnings and threats.

(Military uses a high power directional speaker to direct deafening, piercing sound at pirates in the ocean)

2. Bear Spray (high potency pepper spray) - Shoots up to 15 Feet away - See it HERE

3. Paint Ball Gun - Turn air pressure up to maximum setting and in full automatic mode for Shock & Awe of a would be attacker.

4. Pepper filled Airgun balls - This is a paint ball filled with pepper spray used by police. See it HERE

5. Net Gun - See it HERE , Buy it HERE

6. Taser Gun / Stun Gun

7. AT NIGHT - High power spot light to blind attacker. HERE

Think of the consequences before you attempt to take someones life in a crisis!

If you know of other Non-lethal options please post them in the comments.

Doomsday Prepper - Storing Fuel or Gas in a 55 gallon drum ( barrel )

So I've found lots of forum posts asking the question "Is it safe to store gas in a 55 gallon drum at home?" Most questions center around using a steel drum or barrel 55g gallon or 30 gallon and if it is safe. I've seen a wide variety of advice. Some say you have to vent the drum others say don't vent it because the gas will evaporate. Others go off on tangents about how unsafe it is and how local codes and insurance will be an issue. So I wanted to get to the bottom of this issue and get credible information.

My investigation yielded the following information that I thought was useful.

NOTE: You should not rely on my paraphrasing of the "How to handle flammable and combustible liquids safely" manual by Justrite Manufacturing found HERE.  Read it yourself and check local laws before you store fuel!!!

1. DOT approved drums or barrels are designed to contain hazardous contents. Steel seems far safer to me than any type of plastic barrel.

2. Gasoline ignition point is 475 to 536 degrees F.

3. Gasoline only explodes when it is vaporized (carburetor or fuel injectors do this in cars).

4. Fuel expands and contracts with hot or cold temperatures. It's this expansion and contraction that can build up pressure causing the container to fail and spill flammable fumes and liquid in the storage space. If there is an ignition source such as a spark from a light switch, water heater, garage door opener it could go boom if the space is enclosed and the vapors build up or fuel reaches an open flame!

5. To prevent container failure you must use a "drum safety vent" like this one HERE It will automatically vent if the pressure gets too high (say from a fire in the storage space) and equalize the vacuum that can occur when you pump the fuel out or it gets really cold.

6. The storage drum should be grounded to a water pipe or grounding rod into the earth AND a ground wire must BOND the storage drum to the tank or container the fuel will be pumped into. Some fuel pumps made for fueling can automatically BOND the two containers to prevent static electricity discharge (spark)

7. Use a pump made to transfer gasoline! Electric pump motors create spark and non fuel pumps can cause an explosion. Here is a hand pump made for gas: HERE

So what's important is that this information be true and correct. Here is the link to read the safe fuel storage manual yourself.

In conclusion, it seems to me that properly storing gas or diesel in a steel drum is safer than having 10 plastic gas containers for the simple fact that the container can be grounded to avoid a static electricity spark. Of course none of this considers any local limitations on the amount of fuel you can store by law. It does seem clear cut that you can have two cars with full tanks and a portable container for your lawn mowing equipment without any issues.

Communication!

When the Zombie Apocalypse commences you can bet essential systems will fail as people flee or get infected. Secure communication will be essential. If you use standard FRS radios or walkie talkies everyone can hear you. If you reveal your plans of what you have you may become a target of roaming gangs of the living looking for resources. The solution is a inexpensive type of radio / walkie talkie called a tri square radio. It has 10 million private channels that really are private to most people. The company claims that 100,000 conversations can be had all within range of each other without interference. With a standard FRS radio you get no more than 175 simultaneous conversations before interference renders the radios unusable. Imagine how useful the Tri Sqaure radio would be for people impacted by hurricane Sandy or Katrina. Motorola also offers a high security radio but it's much more expensive than the Tri Square brand. If you want to know more about the technical specfications of the Tri Square then check out the wiki page. It's worth noting that the "Privacy" channel on a Family Radio Service radio (most popular) is not private. It's a system the allows for more conversations. It doesn't scramble or prevent eavesdropping. The Tri Square Extreme Radio Service uses a military developed transmitter called a spread spectrum transmitter that hops frequencies of channels 7 times per second. You cannot listen to the Tri Square with a readily available radio scanner like you can of a CB, HAM or FRS radio.

Awareness is everything when the Zombies drag themselves towards your hideout!

So you bugged in! But don't be blind. Situation awareness is key to survival. You need some things to help you stay on top of the situation and make the most informed decisions you can. Here's a list of gear you need to have.

1. A Radio Frequency Scanner. Let's you listen in on local fire, police, TV stations, FRS Walkie Talkies, CB radios and Ham. Why? Because listening to what others are seeing and doing is most valuable information. In the SoCal Blackout the author used a "scanner" to determine where power was restored and gas stations were reopened. Others using the popular FRS radios on hill tops were reporting where power was restored all across the region. This is an essential item for any zombie prepper. Uniden makes a great Digital scanner for this purpose.

2. Motion detectors. Get them. Optex makes a model for outdoor use that can be up to 1000' from your receiver. These will give you early warning that zombies or refugees have crossed on to your property. You can set up four zones with different tones so you know "where" they are coming from. It's best if you're not surprised during the darkness. Best of all these are battery powered so they keep working after power plants have been over run.

3. Cameras, just a nice touch to work along with the motion detectors. Sometimes it's best if you can see the zombies' movement but they can't see you watching. They won't last long with the power out.

4. Communication - two things; you might not know who is a zombie or not. You wouldn't want to blast someone not infected. Get a bull horn so you can speak to strangers and keep your distance. Second, get some of the new 900mhz walkie talkies called "TriSquare eXRS" they use 10 million privacy codes and they are actually secure unlike FRS "privacy codes". You'll be able to follow any FRS conversation on your scanner and so will others. that means if you disclose your plans to a family member over an FRS walkie talkie your safety may be compremised. With a eXRS radio, it scatteres your conversation 7 times per second and is virtually impossible to listen to from a distance of 50' except by government agencies. This is a good investment for bugging out during the zombie apocalypse!

Be ready.

Zombies vs. Alligators - Perimeter Security

I saw this in Mexico and it is a great play on an old security concept, the moat. In this tip you will be building a moat around your house or a very least across the front side.  In Mexico at this little resort they added a new twist which is brilliant. They posted signs warning of alligators in the water. I don't think they actually had alligators but I'd bet money that anyone considering a swim through the moat to get in the resort would change their mind! In the case of zombies that can't read you will need hungry alligators to eat the zombies as they cross. One has to wonder if a zombie bites one of your alligators will you have zombie alligators that don't require regular feeding?

Securing your front door against a zombie attack!

You have to understand that most front doors are weak against true attack. They provide a false since of security. If your home or apartment is like most, you have a wood frame door. The problem is that with a little bit of force the door frame made of wood will split and the dead bolt will bust through leaving your door open. If you have seen any episodes of cops you can see how easy this is to do! The last thing you want is a heard of zombies piling up and busting in. So what can you do?

Well the best option and most expensive is to replace the entire door and structure around it with a steel frame  with 3 foot footers and a steel door. While this is the most expensive option, it would take some zombies with explosives to get through your door.

Here is a link to a steel door. What's nice is that you don't want your neighbors knowing your house is zombie proof so they make them to look like wood doors by putting a wood lamination over the front and back surface.

These guys (master security doors) sell a high security front door that would be perfect for the zombie apocalypse!

http://www.mastersecuritydoors.com/?tpage=technical&tvideo=4&ttitle=%20DIY%27s%20-%20Best%20Security%20Door%20I%20Have%20EVER%20Seen!!!%20%20As%20featured%20on%20the%20DIY%20Network


Now if you're on a budget there are a few things you could do to make your existing door a little stronger. Even though a strong front door will usually send zombies to your windows, you have to secure the front door!

1. Install a steel dead bolt stress plate like this one: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1295025

2. More important is to reinforce the wood door frame where the dead bold force is put upon. First take off your door molding on the inside of the door (lock side only) Then install a Strong-Tie secured with 3" screws into the 2x4" framing around your door to prevent the dead bolt from busting through.

Here is the Strong-tie metal strap to help keep your door closed!  http://bit.ly/HPHTTs

3. Replace existing short wood screws located on the hings with extra long top grade steel screws.

4. On the door hinges you can remove one screw from each hinge on the door frame side. Then install a longer screw in the exact same position, opposite side of the hinge (door side of the hing). Leave this long screw sticking out 1/4". Now drill a 1/4" hole where the screw on the door jam side used to be that you took out. Now when you close the door the protruding screw from the door side will go into the hole on the door frame side. This will prevent someone from opening the door by removing the pin in the hinge because that long screw will act like a dead bold into the door frame (hinge side).

Or you can buy one pre-made like this: http://www.stanleyhardware.com/default.asp?LEFT=left_cht_specialty.htm&PAGE=cht_specialty.htm&TYPE=STATICLEFT


Remember be prepared!