Cobb - Preppers home defense: security strategies to protect your family by any means necessary

PREPPERS

HOME DEFENSE

Security Strategies
to Protect Your Family
by Any Means Necessary

Jim Cobb

Text copyright 2012 Jim Cobb. Design and concept 2012 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Published in the U.S. by
ULYSSES PRESS
P.O. Box 3440
Berkeley, CA 94703
www.ulyssespress.com

ISBN: 978-1-61243-143-7
Library of Congress Control Number 2012940427

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Acquisitions editor: Keith Riegert
Managing editor: Claire Chun
Editor: Bill Cassel
Proofreader: Elyce Berrigan-Dunlop
Cover design: what!design @ whatweb.com
Photo credits: see page 222

Distributed by Publishers Group West

NOTE TO READERS: This book is independently authored and published and no sponsorship or endorsement of this book by, and no affiliation with, any trademarked product mentioned or pictured within is claimed or suggested. All trademarks that appear in the text, illustrations or photographs in this book belong to their respective owners and are used here for informational purposes only. The author and publisher encourage readers to patronize the recommended products mentioned and pictured in this book. This book has been written and published strictly for informational purposes, and in no way should be used as a substitute for actual instruction with qualified professionals. The author and publisher are providing you with information in this work so that you can have the knowledge and can choose, at your own risk, to act on that knowledge. The author and publisher also urge all readers to be aware of their health status, to consult local fish and game laws, and to consult health care and outdoor professionals before engaging in any potentially hazardous activity. Any use of the information in this book is made on the readers good judgment. The author and publisher assume no liability for personal injury to the reader or others harmed by the reader, property damage, consequential damage or loss, however caused, from using the information in this book.

To Tammy,
Until the day after forever, sweetheart.

Writers often lament that it is a lonely business. The truth is, few writers would be successful without a rather large group of people working together behind the scenes.

To my beloved Tammy, thank you for all you have given up during the writing of this book. I truly and deeply understand and appreciate the efforts youve made to give me the time needed to work. To my boys, Andrew, Mike, and Tom, thank you for the times you were all able to be quiet and let me do what I needed to get this done. I love you all!

To Mom and Grandma, I wish you both were here to hold this book in your hands. I know youd be proud of me. I miss you both terribly.

To Dad, thank you for your support and for always asking how the book was coming. I do so love our Sunday visits. Check it out, man!

To my in-laws, Jerry and Kathy, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family. I hope I never let you down.

To Deborah in the UP, my partner in crime with www.SurvivalWeekly.com, your support and encouragement have been invaluable.

To my erstwhile cheerleaders, John Burks and Bob Freeman, your excitement about the book kept me going to the end.

To Rick Rourke, Rick Cox, and Jed Dronet, my erstwhile pre-readers, your input on the manuscript was much appreciated.

To Bob and Joanne Hrodey, a guy could hardly wish for better people to work for. Thank you both for putting up with me.

To Jerry Ahern, thank you for the Foreword. I wish you were here to see the final product. you were and still are an inspiration to many of us preppers and survivalists. May you rest in the peace youve truly earned.

To Scott Williams, thank you for your insight and advice while I was working on this book. your input was truly beneficial.

To Ed Corcoran, thank you for giving me my start with writing about preparedness as a profession, rather than just a hobby. you gave me my start and for that Ill always be grateful.

To Steve Thibeault, just one more step in our plan for world domination! Thanks for your contribution to this work, as well as to my career. Were just getting warmed up!

To those who also contributed material to the bookJon Merz, Chance Sanders, laurie Neverman, Donald Jonesthank you for your assistance.

Special thanks to my editor, Keith Reigert. An author could hardly have asked for a more patient and helpful editor for his first book. Also, thank you to Kelly reed for sticking with me through the months of swapping book ideas. To all the folks at Ulysses Press, thanks for making this book so much better than it would have been without you.

To Chris Golden, thank you for holding my hand and teaching me about the business of writing. I hope youll never regret not shoving me out from under your wing.

To Brian Keene, thank you for the best piece of writing advice Ive ever received.

Last, but not least, a special thanks to one of my best mates, Ian Carter. Gone but certainly never forgotten.

When Jim Cobb asked me to write an introduction for his book, I was extremely happy. I like Jim and his sensible approach to prepping, which I still tend to call survival planning or something similar. Jim and I generally think quite a bit alike. Neither he nor I would ever advocate stockpiling weapons and ammunition while ignoring basic gardening, seeing to the water supply, elementary security concerns, etc.

Armchair preppers or survivalists have a great deal to learn once they wake up from their happy naps. Lets take guns. Everybody (almost) wants to talk about the guns. I like to talk about guns, too. Now, lets say you have decided that you like the AK-47my choice in semi-auto only, of courseover the AR platform. One of your three children is old enough and reliable enough to carry a centerfire rifle. So, thats three AKs. I chose the Century International Arms Centurion 39. Using the postage scale, the rifle itself, devoid of accessories, weighs 7 pounds, while the magazine, thirty rounds loaded, weighs 2 pounds.

Lets say that your oldest child (the trustworthy one), your spouse and you yourself go it on the cheap and each only carry a rifleloadedand two thirty-rounders, not including the one in the rifle. So, that makes 7 pounds for the rifle and 2 pounds each for a loaded magazine. That adds up to 13 for the individual weapons package. A good camp and defensive knife will typically weigh 1 pounds, including sheath. Now were at 15.

Two pounds is the weight for a quart of water to carry on the belt. Let us assume that the canteen and its cover and possible canteen cup weigh so little that we can chart them off.

Now, remember, lets count a few pounds for clothes, boots, a couple of candy bars, and other miscellaneous items. Maybe were at 20 pounds and we can proudly say that we have a grossly ill-equipped (not to mention probably ill-trained) member of the family who will be out of ammo and rendered totally ineffective as a combatant after the first encounter with an enemy of superior numbers and firepower.

Does your trooper have food and water waiting at whatever command and control center the good guys have established? Is there more ammo, either available in loaded magazines or loose?