The Art of Reconnaissance
By SE
“Time spent on reconnaissance is rarely wasted”
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to
gain vital information about enemy forces or features of the environment for later analysis and/or
dissemination.
Often referred to as recce (British and Canadian English) or recon (American English, Australian
English), the associated verb is reconnoitre in British and Canadian English or reconnoiter in
American English.
Reconnaissance for preppers is a similar objective to that of the military need but for a different
outcome. Whilst the military seek intelligence and information in order to be best positioned to
attack or defend as required we in the prepping community do it to give us as much information as
possible to survive the lead up to and during a catastrophic event, and to continue to survive and
thrive AFTER the event.
The better informed we are the better our chances of survival are.
For our purposes anything that lets us know in advance such things as;
The route of the storm front / blizzard/ flood waters/fire/refugees/rioters etc
The ETA and size of the storm front etc
The estimated strength of the storm front etc
The possible likely damaged you may face
The location of supplies and equipment we may need to access to repair and care for ourselves
The likely movement patterns of masses of displaced refugees
The location of state check points / reports of criminal ambushes etc
The type and location of a terror attack and the direction of any aftermath / fallout
The government / military/ police response
The growing or declining threat of the attack to us
Options for bugging out / avoid the effects of the attack
The location of supplies and equipment we may need to access to repair and care for ourselves
The timing / numbers/ location of civil unrest / riots/ insurgency etc
The states likely response – security measures etc
The location of extra supplies / materials / fuels essential to our survival
Escape / Access routes
Locations of state agencies / rioters etc
Likely bug in / out routes
The warnings from the Met offices / Climatologists/ Water Companies/ state etc about possible
drought - food shortages- fuel shortages- energy shortages- power cuts etc
The location of supplies we can access now to increase our caches and the location of distribution
centers / hubs after an event where we may be able to recover extra supplies.
The risk to us from repressive new laws or loss of liberties by the UK government or EU government
etc in response to political or military events, such as plans to limit the amount of fuel you can store,
fuel rationing, food rationing, anti “hoarding” laws, restrictions on travel, curfews, anti-gun laws,
prohibitions on radio communications by civilians, banning of rallies or public gatherings for protest
etc ad infinitum.
The threats we seek information on are clearly many and varied and include both manmade and
natural catastrophes.
Gathering information
So how do we accrue that essential information and collate it?
Firstly the Main Stream Media is likely to be the first we hear about an issue developing, if we see,
read or hear about something and it gets our interest then the obvious next step is to try and first
CONFIRM the threat and to do this the obvious option is to double check ALTERNATIVE media
sources such as RADIO AND TV stations from overseas such as Al Jazeera, Russia Today, CNN, Fox
news, France 24 etc most of whom also have internet based news services, Satellite news
broadcasters, Internet based INDEPENDENT news services and of course PREPPER FORUMS / NEWS
GROUPS / E MAIL GROUPS/ BLOGS for;
(A) Further confirmation of threat
(B) Extra IMPARTIAL information
(C) Information in greater depth / substance
(D) The likely RISK to you and your family or group.
(E) What response / steps other preppers are making
(F) Official guidance from the authorities.
Monitoring LOCAL commercial and state radio stations can provide more information as can local
pirate radio stations. Local online community bulletin boards like found on Facebook or Community
Parish forums can also provide more useful information.
Local Amateur and Citizens band radio stations often broadcast information during a disaster or an
event and at times it is possible for the prepper to ask the relevant in situ call-sign a specific question
about what is going on.
Unfortunately most police forces radio systems are now encrypted but often those working in
support of the authorities use radios you can listen into ( Councils, Fire and Rescue, Coastguard,
Utility companies etc) and they can often indirectly provide essential information (so it’s prudent for
preppers to identify and note local agencies radio frequencies)
Most of the above are often designated SIGINT by the military as in SIGNAL INTELLIGENCE as it
involves watching, listening to or read electronic media broadcasts
Next if the threat is LOCALISED you may wish to carry out a PHYSICAL RECCE of the threat area, ie go
and see from as safe a distance as possible for yourself. Maybe simply observing from afar via a pair
of binoculars will do, or perhaps you need to actually enter the risk area to make a better
assessment (not always a good idea if violence / arrests/ health damaging threats are present)
Often you may wish to observe events if they are man-made as they occur this (riots/ protests/
round ups/ terror attacks/ insurgency/ open conflict) for an extended period in that case you will
need to learn some bush-craft / field-craft skills that will allow you to lay up in a concealed or
camouflaged location for up to 24 hours or more without being detected by the authorities or bad
guys. In a city you may need to access a suitable observation position from which to watch events as
they happen so URBAN prep skills and local knowledge will be required.
Watching the numbers and type of traffic moving by road or rail into the area is always worth noting
as is speaking with people leaving the area (only if safe to do so)
You MAY gain information from speaking with troops / cops/ wardens etcetera at check points or
registration centers but the risk of being detained is usually enough to dissuade most preppers from
taking that option.
The above often described as “Real Time Intel” or “live observations”
The Scout or designated Recce prepper will need to consider, equipment needs, location suitability,
access points, risk of detection etcetera.
Safe way in / safe way out (suitable camouflage if required urban or rural)
Escape route if required
Making Observations (Binocular / field glasses)
Makes notes (notebook and pen)
Take photos (camera)
Relay info back to group by radio or TEXT if cell system still working (radio – cell phone)
MREs (food and water that does not need cooking)
Local area maps to mark info on
PDW (if necessary)
Suitable clothing and supplies for staying in place for the selected time period
Maybe a suitable vehicle will be required to transport the people carrying out the recce, this will
need to be off-road capable and carry extra supplies to sustain the people involved.
What, where, why, when, who and how?
So apart from threat analysis what are you looking for when you “recce”
Apart from assessing the risks and hazards to your family and home from any given event you also
should pay attention to gathering information about other issue such as
Bug out routes (roads, paths, lanes, tow paths, sub ways, rail lines, pylon routes, rivers, canals, bridle
ways etc)
No go areas (police stations, military depots, detention centres, refugee / commuter routes,
motorway and rail junctions, high value facilities like fuel and food distribution centers, power
stations, coal yards, gun shops etc)
Make notes of places where you may find more food, fuel, medical supplies, weapons, building
materials, vehicles, livestock, clothing , tools etc that can be recovered at a later date if needed.
So places like
Food distribution centres / hypermarkets/ trade and bulk food suppliers
Fuel Depots (road, rail, maritime and council)
Chemist’s suppliers and distributors
Builders and timber merchants
4x4 and commercial vehicle distributors
Agricultural merchants / Farm Supplies
Grain stores / silos
Gun shops/ Civilian gun clubs
Amateur and Business radio equipment suppliers
Garden Centres
Tool and machine outlets (generators, pumps, hand tools etc)
Boat yards / ships chandlers
Coal yards / Firewood stockists
Outdoor and Wilderness shops / outlets
Archery, shooting and angling stores
Military surplus shops
Livestock breeders such as rabbit and chicken farms
Riding stables and tack suppliers.
The list goes on and on and requires your own personal input but other useful points to note and
highlight on your maps are the locations and routes of old closed rail routes and the sites of natural
springs, wells, aquifers, bore holes. Good places for scavenging sea food from local coastal areas.
Local orchards etc.
By SE
“Time spent on reconnaissance is rarely wasted”
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to
gain vital information about enemy forces or features of the environment for later analysis and/or
dissemination.
Often referred to as recce (British and Canadian English) or recon (American English, Australian
English), the associated verb is reconnoitre in British and Canadian English or reconnoiter in
American English.
Reconnaissance for preppers is a similar objective to that of the military need but for a different
outcome. Whilst the military seek intelligence and information in order to be best positioned to
attack or defend as required we in the prepping community do it to give us as much information as
possible to survive the lead up to and during a catastrophic event, and to continue to survive and
thrive AFTER the event.
The better informed we are the better our chances of survival are.
For our purposes anything that lets us know in advance such things as;
The route of the storm front / blizzard/ flood waters/fire/refugees/rioters etc
The ETA and size of the storm front etc
The estimated strength of the storm front etc
The possible likely damaged you may face
The location of supplies and equipment we may need to access to repair and care for ourselves
The likely movement patterns of masses of displaced refugees
The location of state check points / reports of criminal ambushes etc
The type and location of a terror attack and the direction of any aftermath / fallout
The government / military/ police response
The growing or declining threat of the attack to us
Options for bugging out / avoid the effects of the attack
The location of supplies and equipment we may need to access to repair and care for ourselves
The timing / numbers/ location of civil unrest / riots/ insurgency etc
The states likely response – security measures etc
The location of extra supplies / materials / fuels essential to our survival
Escape / Access routes
Locations of state agencies / rioters etc
Likely bug in / out routes
The warnings from the Met offices / Climatologists/ Water Companies/ state etc about possible
drought - food shortages- fuel shortages- energy shortages- power cuts etc
The location of supplies we can access now to increase our caches and the location of distribution
centers / hubs after an event where we may be able to recover extra supplies.
The risk to us from repressive new laws or loss of liberties by the UK government or EU government
etc in response to political or military events, such as plans to limit the amount of fuel you can store,
fuel rationing, food rationing, anti “hoarding” laws, restrictions on travel, curfews, anti-gun laws,
prohibitions on radio communications by civilians, banning of rallies or public gatherings for protest
etc ad infinitum.
The threats we seek information on are clearly many and varied and include both manmade and
natural catastrophes.
Gathering information
So how do we accrue that essential information and collate it?
Firstly the Main Stream Media is likely to be the first we hear about an issue developing, if we see,
read or hear about something and it gets our interest then the obvious next step is to try and first
CONFIRM the threat and to do this the obvious option is to double check ALTERNATIVE media
sources such as RADIO AND TV stations from overseas such as Al Jazeera, Russia Today, CNN, Fox
news, France 24 etc most of whom also have internet based news services, Satellite news
broadcasters, Internet based INDEPENDENT news services and of course PREPPER FORUMS / NEWS
GROUPS / E MAIL GROUPS/ BLOGS for;
(A) Further confirmation of threat
(B) Extra IMPARTIAL information
(C) Information in greater depth / substance
(D) The likely RISK to you and your family or group.
(E) What response / steps other preppers are making
(F) Official guidance from the authorities.
Monitoring LOCAL commercial and state radio stations can provide more information as can local
pirate radio stations. Local online community bulletin boards like found on Facebook or Community
Parish forums can also provide more useful information.
Local Amateur and Citizens band radio stations often broadcast information during a disaster or an
event and at times it is possible for the prepper to ask the relevant in situ call-sign a specific question
about what is going on.
Unfortunately most police forces radio systems are now encrypted but often those working in
support of the authorities use radios you can listen into ( Councils, Fire and Rescue, Coastguard,
Utility companies etc) and they can often indirectly provide essential information (so it’s prudent for
preppers to identify and note local agencies radio frequencies)
Most of the above are often designated SIGINT by the military as in SIGNAL INTELLIGENCE as it
involves watching, listening to or read electronic media broadcasts
Next if the threat is LOCALISED you may wish to carry out a PHYSICAL RECCE of the threat area, ie go
and see from as safe a distance as possible for yourself. Maybe simply observing from afar via a pair
of binoculars will do, or perhaps you need to actually enter the risk area to make a better
assessment (not always a good idea if violence / arrests/ health damaging threats are present)
Often you may wish to observe events if they are man-made as they occur this (riots/ protests/
round ups/ terror attacks/ insurgency/ open conflict) for an extended period in that case you will
need to learn some bush-craft / field-craft skills that will allow you to lay up in a concealed or
camouflaged location for up to 24 hours or more without being detected by the authorities or bad
guys. In a city you may need to access a suitable observation position from which to watch events as
they happen so URBAN prep skills and local knowledge will be required.
Watching the numbers and type of traffic moving by road or rail into the area is always worth noting
as is speaking with people leaving the area (only if safe to do so)
You MAY gain information from speaking with troops / cops/ wardens etcetera at check points or
registration centers but the risk of being detained is usually enough to dissuade most preppers from
taking that option.
The above often described as “Real Time Intel” or “live observations”
The Scout or designated Recce prepper will need to consider, equipment needs, location suitability,
access points, risk of detection etcetera.
Safe way in / safe way out (suitable camouflage if required urban or rural)
Escape route if required
Making Observations (Binocular / field glasses)
Makes notes (notebook and pen)
Take photos (camera)
Relay info back to group by radio or TEXT if cell system still working (radio – cell phone)
MREs (food and water that does not need cooking)
Local area maps to mark info on
PDW (if necessary)
Suitable clothing and supplies for staying in place for the selected time period
Maybe a suitable vehicle will be required to transport the people carrying out the recce, this will
need to be off-road capable and carry extra supplies to sustain the people involved.
What, where, why, when, who and how?
So apart from threat analysis what are you looking for when you “recce”
Apart from assessing the risks and hazards to your family and home from any given event you also
should pay attention to gathering information about other issue such as
Bug out routes (roads, paths, lanes, tow paths, sub ways, rail lines, pylon routes, rivers, canals, bridle
ways etc)
No go areas (police stations, military depots, detention centres, refugee / commuter routes,
motorway and rail junctions, high value facilities like fuel and food distribution centers, power
stations, coal yards, gun shops etc)
Make notes of places where you may find more food, fuel, medical supplies, weapons, building
materials, vehicles, livestock, clothing , tools etc that can be recovered at a later date if needed.
So places like
Food distribution centres / hypermarkets/ trade and bulk food suppliers
Fuel Depots (road, rail, maritime and council)
Chemist’s suppliers and distributors
Builders and timber merchants
4x4 and commercial vehicle distributors
Agricultural merchants / Farm Supplies
Grain stores / silos
Gun shops/ Civilian gun clubs
Amateur and Business radio equipment suppliers
Garden Centres
Tool and machine outlets (generators, pumps, hand tools etc)
Boat yards / ships chandlers
Coal yards / Firewood stockists
Outdoor and Wilderness shops / outlets
Archery, shooting and angling stores
Military surplus shops
Livestock breeders such as rabbit and chicken farms
Riding stables and tack suppliers.
The list goes on and on and requires your own personal input but other useful points to note and
highlight on your maps are the locations and routes of old closed rail routes and the sites of natural
springs, wells, aquifers, bore holes. Good places for scavenging sea food from local coastal areas.
Local orchards etc.
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