Blacking out the windows when dark

[Panther]

the truth is in the fullness of time every approach would fail if you were just trying to go it alone

Absolutely right Plymtom, there have to be at least two families shacked up together for you to stand any chance at all. You have to be able to mount a round-the-clock lookout system (a minimum of three adults, taking it in turns to do four hour shifts) whether you're Bugging In or hiding up in your BOL.

I'm not so sure about this though

or you would need to come out and try and make friends.

If the S--- has truly hit the fan and law and order have completely broken down I'd be very reluctant and far too wary to open my door and try and make friends!!

[Plymtom]

That's the point Panther I'm not dead keen on the thought, but we talk about our preparedness in terms of days, weeks, months, years? at some point you simply have to, it's like a space mission or the old pioneers isn't it?

[XMaramena]

When I was studying in the middle east, I had a few months when my classes were 6-9pm then I was working until about 4am, so I slept during the day. Problem was just when I wanted to go to bed, the sun would rise up and blast through my windows which were wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. And with the curtains closed, the light would still come up behind the rail and reflect off the ceiling. So I ended up taping kitchen foil over the windows and my room was completely pitch black. Kitchen foil is thin, bendy, and completely opaque, unlike curtains (even with blackout!). If it can completely black out a room with an entire wall of window and the desert sun burning outside, I'm sure it can work the other way round. Someone mentioned velcro and that it wears out, but I'm sure you could do something similar with a bendy magnetic strip so you can take them on and off?