No, I’m not talking about the type protection that gets you lectured by your priest. It’s time to talk the third rail of preparedness: protection.
Over the years, several of us took to viewing it this way because this is when you lost people to the whole idea of preparedness, as well as bringing out the mentally-defective feces throwers. In the first case, you had a lot of posturing for politics as well as some truly thoughtful and sincere people who just could not stomach the idea of harming any living creature for any reason.
At least until their children were threatened. More than one such, over the years, has ended up going at something/someone bigger and stronger with nothing more than attitude and teeth when a child or family were threatened, and surprisingly often come out on top.
As for the latter, you have your ‘herf-derf you just want to fight government and you will die’ imbeciles (and that may be an insult to regular imbeciles everywhere), the ‘people are good we should just help each other you killer coward’ types, and those who feel the police and military will be there to protect them. While it is fun to fisk each and every type of idiot who pops up to throw feces, right now I just want to get you some solid information so you can decide what is best for you.
The fact is, in any disaster, there are going to be people that stand up and do amazing good for as many people as they can. Such people are wonderful, amazing, and we would all be the better if there were an order of magnitude more of them. Then, you have what are referred to in some circles as “ten percenters.” These are the people who loot, rape, kill, and more when the opportunity arises. The ones who demand food, water, and more but won’t do a thing to help. It’s a fact of life in this fallen world, and no amount of wishing is going to change it.
Nor is it going to change the fact that police, fire, EMS, military, and others just took the same (or worse) hit that you did. The military was the prime target of the attack, and that may include some National Guard facilities. As for the police and other local first responders, those that survived are pretty much in the same boat you are, and are trying to survive, check on family, and then do what they can to help. They are few in number to start with, and after the last few years with so many leaving in the face of defund the police and other such junk…
So, depending on your location, there may or may not be some organized efforts to rescue, get people out of harms way, etc. Your best option is not to count on such, and be prepared to handle things on your own whether you stay put or decide to do the bugout boogie.
If you stay put, your location represents a safe haven to the no-legged, four-legged, multi-legged, and two-legged out there. If you see giant multi-legged creatures, congratulations as you have just proven a rather abstract theory on reality shifts the hard way. As for the normal such, you need to be prepared for the short-term and the long-term. Which means you need to be thinking firearms, edged, and other as they provide protection from trouble at all times, and may later provide protection from starvation.
Firearms are the most contentious for a number of (mostly) political reasons. I am not going to recommend any specific firearm or type of firearm to you. What I will do is point out some food for thought in the course of which there might be some nudging but I will try to avoid it.
One thing to consider are the laws in your community. They vary, and I will not openly recommend defying them even in the face of disaster. You had the chance to deal with it at the polls before, now you’re stuck.
The second thing, aside from finances, revolves around caliber. You may remember my reference in the first article to “…probably the type Fudd who says you have to have all your firearms in .489 Harambe (or you ain’t s***!)…”. Fact is, most common rifle calibers out there are 5.56/.223 and .308/7.62×51 NATO because military and police use both in their weapons. You will also find a lot of 7.62×39 for AKs, and a variety of .30 caliber rounds of various types. In pistol calibers, 9mm, .45, and .38/357 calibers are in common use. In shotgun ammunition, 12 followed by 20, though there are good arguments for .410 both for availability and for hunting if needed. Despite what the Fudds may say, look at what you have the best chance of finding now and later.
Third, despite the Fudds and other interesting types out there, take the time to find what works for you, particularly with a pistol. I really loved it when customers would listen to me, pick out two or three they liked, then go rent them at a range and shoot them. It was interesting how often the gun they thought they liked the best was not the one they bought. Semi-automatic or revolver, same thing. What counts is control and accuracy, so take some time and find what works for you. Because if you can control the weapon and put a round on target, that’s what counts. If you can draw and put a round on target quickly, then it doesn’t matter if someone else has a weapon that can spit out 20 in a hurry. Really need to get into that more later in a stand-alone post.
Fourth, consider a mix. Rifle gives you long range, shotgun medium, and pistol short. There is no one perfect weapon for any situation. Oh, also consider that in either nuclear war or a zombie apocalypse, there are good reasons for everyone who is capable of handling weapons to have them. This is true fixed-base or on the move.
Now, consider edged weapons. Rather, think of them as tools. Knives and other edged weapons can do a variety of jobs, from cutting meat or rope to combat. Axes and hatchets again serve multiple functions destructive and constructive. Even swords can come in handy in some circumstances. Edged tools multitask, and it doesn’t hurt that a lot of people are more scared of an edged weapon than a firearm at close range.
Then, think about other types. Bow and arrow immediately comes to mind. I used to have a decent bow, can’t remember if it is buried in storage or what happened (stupid lightning). Good for hunting, quieter than a firearm, and again you have some range. Most of the time, an arrow can be reused. There are other options, take a few moments to consider if any of them work to your circumstances.
Finally, think about what you are willing to do to protect those you love, to keep them alive and safe from potentially horrible fates. Think about how you would deal with resource sucks, who take but give nothing back. Then pray, both to choose wisely and that we are guided away from disaster.
Then, do what works for you, your circumstances, and your location.
Oh, if you have the time, as we consider such things, look at reading John Ringo’s Black Tide Rising series, at least the first three books. A good solid look at preparedness, and particularly the things that have to be thought of in the context of protection. Also, a fun and easy read.
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Preparedness On The Fly (Food)
Preparedness On The Fly: Water
Preparedness On The Fly: Light
Preparedness On The Fly: Cooking
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If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo. Getting hit by lightning is not fun, and it is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.