Roving Gangs - Counter Tactics?

[Gazrok]

My favorite defensive ideas that can look innocent now (pre SHTF)....

1) Thorny bushes and plants. These are great along your fences, under your windows, etc.

2) Fences (as high as you can legally have them). Personally, I like chain link because you can see (and shoot) through it, while slowing them up).

3) Decorative Iron Bars on the windows.

4) Security doors that look like normal wooden doors.

5) The concrete pillbox/planter idea.

6) Medicinal/Herb Garden that also has pretty flowering plants. (disguises the purpose)

7) Shed, to hide things like generators, well access, propane tanks, etc.

8) Rain Barrels with planters on top

9) Footfall traps (simple trench dug out, lined with boards that have face-up nails), then covered up with leaves (especially in the fall) or grass

10) Fake thin fiberglass rocks (enemies think it's hard cover....but bullets are going to go right through it. (and you've already designated the range))

 

[TheShadowKnows]

My favorite defensive ideas that can look innocent now (pre SHTF)....

10) Fake thin fiberglass rocks (enemies think it's hard cover....but bullets are going to go right through it. (and you've already designated the range))

That is bloody brilliant. Probably only would work once per pile as you'd tear it up pretty fast, but still.

 

[jimLE]

goes to prove..he's more warped then some of us here..LOL

 

[Gazrok]

I'm a big fan of unconventional strategies....you should see me play boardgame strategy games, LOL...

Probably only would work once per pile as you'd tear it up pretty fast, but still.

Could always have replacements ready...but yeah, the idea is more for that ONE bad time where there's more than you could handle otherwise. Can you imagine the look on their faces when their buddy gets shot behind a "rock"?

 

[Gazrok]

Almost forgot, plant stinging nettle. Grows wild here, we're constantly keeping it in check in the pastures, (hurts like a bitch), but I encourage it to grow along the outer fence line. Granted, good enough clothing will negate it, but any exposed skin, and it really hurts for a bit.

goes to prove..he's more warped then some of us here..LOL

LOL. Should check into some of the sneaky stuff the Allies pulled in WWII. We used the principles of illusion and misdirection to do some pretty amazing things then.

 

[TheShadowKnows]

LOL. Should check into some of the sneaky stuff the Allies pulled in WWII. We used the principles of illusion and misdirection to do some pretty amazing things then.

Sun Tzu's art of war teaches us to know where the enemy expects us to be, and be elsewhere.

 

[Gazrok]

Excellent book. I'm pretty much in the camp that he's an amalgamation of folks vs. one guy, but a lot of lessons in that book still hold true to even modern warfare.

 

[Psalm7]

I heard from 2nd hand that a individual in a neighboring town that has a simi prepper reputation was commenting to some preppers i know that he and his buddies have worked a raiding paty plan into thier prepps using local maps and planning targets and routs to take . Not that they overly concern me but it reminded me of Gaz'S old thread so i looked it up . This kind of stuff should be a part of anyones prepp's . Not the raiding but the defense against such .

 

[Gazrok]

Almost forgot, plant stinging nettle. Grows wild here, we're constantly keeping it in check in the pastures, (hurts like a bitch), but I encourage it to grow along the outer fence line

Well, over the course of 6 years, I've pretty much made myself all but immune to stinging nettle. I can walk through it barefoot and get nothing more than a tickle.

Only time it really affected me since, is when I went to pick what I thought was a daisy, but was the flowered nettle instead...that more than tickled, because I grabbed it, then surprised, slid my whole gripped hand the entire length of it... Left some nasty little welts.

 

[user 6493]

I heard from 2nd hand that a individual in a neighboring town that has a simi prepper reputation was commenting to some preppers i know that he and his buddies have worked a raiding paty plan into thier prepps using local maps and planning targets and routs to take . Not that they overly concern me but it reminded me of Gaz'S old thread so i looked it up . This kind of stuff should be a part of anyones prepp's . Not the raiding but the defense against such .

I would try to confirm this and if it is valid if the SHTF the first thing I would do is hit him first,and I don't mean take what he has,,,,I mean leave him for the BUZZARDS

 

[OmegaLead1309]

Four black males driving slowly through a predominantly white neighborhood at night ,might be seen as being opportunists. But that would be racial profiling and a cop pulling them over, infringing on their civil rights. Are we planning to infringe on someones rights ? Maybe that roaming gang are just some poor hungry misunderstood boys , looking for some skittles and iced tea.Would all the real ambushing-*********-racist-instigating haters...please stand up !

Race would only be important when the scouts are making reports and identifying individuals. I don't support racism of any kind.

 

[OmegaLead1309]

Yes, this is EXACTLY the kind of group I envision being the most likely encountered. While I'm rural, I'm not so far off the main Interstate that I could escape the notice if they are scouting each exit and going down a few roads. Of course, they'll encounter staged car crashes and downed trees to impede, but that may just make them more curious.

Nothing is fullproof, but having a plan is better than not having one.

Best not to make the coverup look obvious.

 

[drt4lfe]

SHTF....Roving Gangs.....Racial profiling and Racism would be last thing on my mind.....Racism is part of our World and always will be.....If you are totally out of place there is a reason.....

 

[Gazrok]

I'd wager in a post SHTF scenario, that ANY stranger (regardless of race, etc.) will be treated as a threat. Even a harmless looking old lady. My protocols will NOT change based on such things. Proving yourself to NOT be a threat will be on ANY strangers here come such an event.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Wow what a thread.

Roving gangs?

For me, race, color whathaveyou makes no difference. I would have to look at it from the point of view that I am at my BOL, and notice a group, could be any group. There would be other members of my group with combat experience (I have none), so I would defer to them as far as tactics.

But I bet there is a way I could phrase this to get some great conversations going with a couple friends.

I skimmed the replies, going to look back through and see if any combat guys compared this scenario to small unit ops overseas, because that is where my thinking leads me.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

I have not met the Author in person, he is a friend of a friend. I read his first book (Excellent) and I will get the second, which I will link. I would think the small unit tactics covered in the books would have direct answers to the original post, the author (Eeben Barlow) was literally fighting "roving gangs".

https://sofrep.com/81361/eeben-barlow-pens-the-african-war-bible/

Meanwhile, I will see if I can get a copy shipped free lol.

 

[jontte]

I would try to confirm this and if it is valid if the SHTF the first thing I would do is hit him first,and I don't mean take what he has,,,,I mean leave him for the BUZZARDS

this would certainly be a case of pre-emptive measures...any individual that plans a "raiding party" into their preps is a hostile.

 

[lonewolf]

I live in a location where ANY stranger stands out a mile, and that's now in the good times, post SHTF anyone who isn't local will be treated as suspicious.

 

[Gazrok]

I skimmed the replies, going to look back through and see if any combat guys compared this scenario to small unit ops overseas, because that is where my thinking leads me.

That would certainly be the most lethal "roving gang"....a group of military, armed and trained, but no longer any country to fight for, so just working as a group to survive. If they decided to just kill all, and take what they wanted, it would certainly be the absolute worst threat a prepper could face.

 

[DrHenley]

Here's something that might be useful for "crowd control" LOL
XM556 Hand Held Microgun (scaled down Minigun in 5.56)
http://www.emptyshell.us/xm556-microgun/

 

[Maverick]

Here's something that might be useful for "crowd control" LOL
XM556 Hand Held Microgun (scaled down Minigun in 5.56)
http://www.emptyshell.us/xm556-microgun/

Doc, buy me one and I’ll let ya know how it shoots anyway, the Wife wants one... until I told her the cost of 15 minutes of shooting.

That Microgun is sweet!!!!

 

[WGregMiller]

Doc, buy me one and I’ll let ya know how it shoots anyway, the Wife wants one... until I told her the cost of 15 minutes of shooting.

That Microgun is sweet!!!!

Me too!

 

[jontte]

would like to see the face of the LEO if I put in an application for that here...would prolly have to do cpr to save the life of the poor police...

 

[lonewolf]

the problem with roving gangs/golden horde theory is I cant see it happening in the UK, this is a country where the majority live on rubbish convenience food and don't walk more than 200 ft from their cars, we have an obesity/health problem in this country, so I really cant see them roaming -walking-the country like a load of locusts consuming all in their path.
I really don't believe that someone paying a 10, 15 or 20 year mortgage, or even a long time renter-like me- just up and leaving just because there is no food in the shops and the lights have just gone off. the only reason someone would permanently leave is if they had been burnt out of their home/arson and then they'll probably go to relatives houses in another town or city.
what I do believe is we will get a lot of scavengers seeing what they can find on the outskirts of a city or a large urban centre, but they will only roam as far as they can in a day and then return home at night with their ill gotten gains. so they further we are away from these large cities the better off we will be, safety will be in the lower population areas not in the big population centres.

 

[Gazrok]

Similar issue here in the States, but even moreso, as our cities are much farther apart. I mean, I drive almost 50 miles, each way, every day to go to work. In Europe, I could drive across a small nation in that distance....

 

[lonewolf]

most people in my location here commute 60-100 miles each day to get to a larger place for work, otherwise its only part time work in a shop, or a care home(and these are closing down because they are losing money and its only minimum wage anyway).
its a ghost town here much of the time.
to get to a large city, say Birmingham or London which are several hundreds of miles from my location is a 3-4 hour drive minimum on a good day, more during the summer tourist season.

 

[Gazrok]

Wow, you really are off the beaten path then, hehe...

60 miles? 100 miles? 60, maybe, 100, no frickin' way. I already despise "working" for the 2 and half hours (and paying for the privilege) already, let alone MORE time....(and yes, driving is work, or it wouldn't be a job for others folks).....

 

[lonewolf]

Wow, you really are off the beaten path then, hehe...

60 miles? 100 miles? 60, maybe, 100, no frickin' way. I already despise "working" for the 2 and half hours (and paying for the privilege) already, let alone MORE time....(and yes, driving is work, or it wouldn't be a job for others folks).....

yes that's the general idea, that's why we moved to this location when we decided to move back home.
relatives are generally surprised when we say the nearest ER is 30 miles away(serious cases they don't bother with an ambulance they bring in the helicopter) nearest even medium sized supermarket is 25 miles away in any direction- we do have supermarkets like 10 miles away but they are no bigger than the average corner shop we have to go further to do our monthly "big" shop, anything other than food and we order it on line and get it delivered to the door.
jobs around here are part time and very low pay, that's if there are any, if you want a full time job you have a 50, 60 or 100 mile round trip to find work, good job i'm retired!
about a month ago we were in a larger town(population 20,000) and when we gave the salesman the address for delivery he said "you live in the middle of nowhere" and I guess that's most (non local) peoples attitude, in fact go any more than 25 miles distance and most people have never heard of this place, which suits me fine!

 

[Gazrok]

Yep, nothing in the city near us (even though about 25K people). So we commute to a metro area with millions.

We are just about 5 miles outside of the smaller city, but on 5 and a half acres, bordered by trees on three sides, so feels like our own little slice of country.

 

[lonewolf]

there are only 2 cities in my county and both are very small compared to others in the UK.
we are on the very edge of a small country market town, the only reason anyone has ever heard of this place is because of the weekly market and livestock auctions- the auction will cease at the end of the month and the weekly market is in question after the end of next month unless they can find another site for it, if it wasn't for these nobody would ever know this place existed.