Blacking out the windows when dark

[Amber_Leith]

In a true SHTF situation, there will be home invasions and empty properties will go first, I might even consider having a look around empty houses myself, first thibg you would look for would be activity during the day and then light at night.

Last thing before going in and help yourself would be just knocking on the door, what would those blacking out the windows do then?

Almost everyone around you will eventually figure out youve plenty food, water and arent dying of the cold. The police/military will try and centralise resources, they will use them for themselves and ration out the rest to keep order, they will go door to door and would target empty properties as much as any criminal. Would be do-gooders and church groups will knock on your door asking if you need help, saying no will eventually lead to it getting out you have supplies and saying no could potentially wind up with you being taken to some communal shelter. No matter what you say to do-gooder, it ends in something negative if you hang around. I guess the police could mark you out as somebody who is in ned of 'help' too.

Criminals wont just go after empty houses, a lucrative target will also be worth getting into eventually.

I cant think of a single scenario where bugging in as the only option is wise.

Bugging out in the sense we are all aware off would be even more insane unless your house is falling down, the countryside will be over run within a week as people escape cities. The UK countrysode cannot support a couple of million would be bear grylls or rambos, every tree in the UK would be burned within a couple of months.

Personally I think groups OR communication are key, I wil gladly bug in or out if I have a means of radio monitoring to find out whats going on. Being in a group is pretty much out of the question for me, I dont know anybody in person who appears to be a prepper, just online, if I knew people around here I trusted then Id get creative about bug out locations with them.

I still think bugging out within an urban enviroment is the best option, if youre creative about it. Office space, business parks, public buildings, abandoned buildings, underground etc etc are all better options to me than sharing a tiny patch of woods with thousands of other refugees.

[Mel357]

I've been thinking about this too, cant decide whether boarding up windows etc makes you more secure from outside attack, or make you more vulnerable in having less escape route in case of fire.

It also begs the question how far am I willing to go to protect my home and family (and supplies). I guess that needs a lot more thought from my end, the vales that are important to us now, those black and white areas will become a little more grey in a SHTF scenario.

[Plymtom]

Just as a reminder that you don't have to choose to do it or not in the here and now, if you have the ability, then you are prepared, the decision you can leave to match the scenario that happens.

[DundeePrepper]

In the main bedroom, I've had the curtains lined with blackout material for years - because of the sun, its always faced either south or east. Now, for both my living room and bedroom, I've been outside to check at night, and absolutely nothing shows at either window, and its all perfectly normal inside. Another window has a wooden frame fitted into it for sound sound protection - thats the room I work in, and any light from there is also invisible at night.

Every other window in the house, however, shines like a beacon though I have a *lot* of leftover material - as an emergency measure, cardboard would do, till I got something else sorted. For a small window, even a stack of clothes, or a couple of pillows pushed in there at night, until I'd worked out what I wanted to do. Two windows have venetian blinds, and there's a curtain pole already up over the door, thats only used for lightweight curtains.

For people thinking about velcro - if you use it daily, it doesn't last that long and there speaks the voice of experience. Daz's method is a good'un, and where I've got all my ducks in a row, mine's good too

Isn't it better to make your house look full of people? A bit like Home Alone.. lots of movement and noise, the unscrupulous are surely less likely to want to turn your house over if they think there's 20odd people inside ? Just a thought..

[Cromicon]

All of these scenarios worry me. I can see my family and I bugging in but as Amber Leith pointed out there will come a time when bugging out will be needed. Whatever the reason, be it environmental, biological, inventory led or due to outside aggression it will come. And the fact I haven't got a clue what to do scares the living bejeesus out of me.

I've toyed with the idea of buying an old bunker or reservoir as they'd be fairly secure... then a whole bunch of if's and buts fly through my head. Cost, effectiveness, location but most of all just the availability.

Then there's buying a property in the country somewhere and the same questions with added security and defense ones come to mind. The idea of drawing together as a group in some location sounds comforting but how realistic is it if everyone is scrambling for resources in little fiefdoms?

I wish the UK was a bit bigger.

[Plymtom]

Isn't it better to make your house look full of people? A bit like Home Alone.. lots of movement and noise, the unscrupulous are surely less likely to want to turn your house over if they think there's 20odd people inside ? Just a thought..

Not an altogether bad idea but what would your off putting party music be... Ramestein perhaps? maybe The Village people alternated with Gloria Gaynor and the Spice Girls? seriously though it does once again depend on what you think you are up against, and one of those situations where options for a plan are better than making a solid plan before hand.

[Yorkshire Andy]

where can you get life side cut outs of a biker gang to stand on the old record player?

Its funny when they come into our local most of the other patrons clear off yet they are a cracking bunch of people with a wicked sense of humor..

think in a shtf situation image will be more important as an initial attempted burglary than anything else. If you look like you mean business most idiots will turn and run...

[Steveo82]

for a shtf situation expanding foam between plywood and window secured with concrete screws works wonders. You will never be able to use again and will ruin the window but god is it hard to get off. I had to use a mini digger to pry it off and it will provide another 2-3" of foam insulation.

[rods]

I am in the process of fixing perspex secondary double glazing to the insides of my windows. This is just from an insulation / condensation point of view. However, this would be a good base to incorporate a black out lining into. I'm just thinking of black out lining that tucks in around the edges. Difficult to explain because iv got odd shaped windows. ( I don't live in a conventional house!)

What i really need to devise is some form of protecting the windows from damage on the outside but due to the construction of my home it is difficult to fix to. I'm currently trying to design a roll down / up system that would protect the windows from breakage from thrown stones etc but i would have trouble securing it to the fabric of the construction.

It is an interesting question though, if it is better to be seen as deterrent, or just keep your head down and hope that trouble passes you by.

[Plymtom]

I like this thread, the options are limited and trains of thought plentiful, the truth is in the fullness of time every approach would fail if you were just trying to go it alone, eventually someone would get in, or you would need to come out and try and make friends.

It's a good topic for Brussels though we could spend years discussing it and be assured of being wrong in the long term