Pinball Preparedness
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Wide Open Spaces, Or The Concealment Of The Forest for security?
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Wide Open Spaces, Or The Concealment Of The Forest for security?
I am trying to decide if it is better to keep the area around your house (200 ft or so) clear of vegetation so you can see if people are trying to approach your house, or to plant dense, thorny vegetation to block the view of your homestead from the road. Or is there a happy medium between the two? What do you think?
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13 Replies
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Thorny brambles, bushes and small trees don’t block your ability to observe, but are a deterrence. They can be used to “channel” approaching people and animals. We keep the mesquite thin and at least 100 yds away, but everything on our place cuts, scratches or bites.
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I personally would try both take it from the military and leave an open space to observe an approach. Them along the tree line plant the throny bushes. I would also consider planting an additional set up against the house ,but keep them trimmed so it doesn’t affect your visual and does not allow for cover. This seems like a happy medium to me and probably how I will eventually set my place up like.
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I’m of the opinion that you set a perimeter but keep the inside clear (somewhat) because while you are trying to keep out the bad guy, you may also need to move around within the perimeter and at night, that may cause you a problem, especially in a tense situation. You want clear sight lines and to be able to funnel adversaries into a specific “kill-zone”. Also remember, fences may not be a good idea because everyone will want to know what you are hiding.
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I like the idea of “kill funnels”, but I would still set it up with about a 100yds of space then thorny bushes on the perimeter. Cut trails/ funnels into the bushes which will become your funnels. You can always add to your “defenses” if there is a collapse or whatever. Add razor wire to to each side or just the outside of the bushes so whoever will almost definitely take the path of least resistance (which is your funnel). Make the funnels so they are visible from a easily defendable position, a reinforced window, door or ect. Really it all depends on how far you want to go with it. If you watch Southern prepper one’s older videos he has alot of helpful information on exactly this topic. Hell he built a concrete reinforced wall around his house so like I said how far are you willing to go? Ps.. Anyone that has ever hunted the PA woods will agree the worst stuff to try to travel through are those wild thorn bushes that grow as thick as a concrete wall lol. Bamboo and mountain laurel also grow thick and are a nightmare to traverse.
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I have grown to like the concept of “spider holes”…. making a place that you can dive into that others cannot find easily. When you have a raid of 50 people of a gang you will not defend your home against that much fire power / force. There is a time to hide, retreat, and fight, one has to choose the best option for that time. It seems the lower the number of people around you the better, as one of our greatest threats is people acting badly.
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What I’m trying to figure out is if I should plant these thorny bushes along the road in front of my house, since the house is within 90 ft of the road. The land across the road is relatively open, and beyond that about 800 ft is an interstate, where I suspect most marauders would come in from. My property is obviously not located in the best place for defense, but it’s what I’m working with for the time being. Thanks for your ideas!
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are you able to plant on the other side of the road? If not I personally don’t think I would plant them. It will act as cover and allow someone to get to close. Maybe in your situation being able to see what is coming may be the best option. Although if you are set on planting something just keep them trimmed no more than 2 or 3 ft high. Sounds like a tough spot and I wish you the best.
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I cannot plant on the other side of the road but thank you for the ideas!
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no problem I enjoy talking about these things. Have you considered a hedge row maybe its best to remain hidden from the interstate?
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What I would do is not the thorny briars but I would plant useful items. (Blackberry, grapes, prickly pear cactus, etc.) Research beneficial plants that can provide the security you want, but supply a food source as well. Also, is your drive is a straight shot to your house, look at ways of making that crooked or harder to get into. Expose their sides in the open area. Grumpy G made a video in Sept on this. Sorry can’t get the link to work.
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I noticed a home close to the road and not far from a larger highway that decided concealment is best for them. They have large bushes growing up in front and on the sides of their house to conceal it. If you were not from this area and knew it was there, you will not be able to see it. The driveway is the only issue. If you decided to conceal, how will you conceal your driveway? The other issue is making sure the brush doesn’t cause damage (moisture/termites) to your home. Is building a safe room a better option?
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This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by NCtherapist.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by
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It also depends on where you are – what the terrain is like in your area. If you surround your house with trees in the desert, it’s very nice for your house – shady, a wind block and view block. But people can tell there’s a house there from miles away, so in one way it’s concealing and in another way it’s advertising. If you are in a more wooded area, then trees and lots of brush might be a great strategy. For not being so easily spotted, I like the idea of concealing colors and materials. Many people have light colored houses with shiny metal roofs. They can be spotted from miles away, too. Other houses you won’t notice until you’re right up on them. But assuming someone has spotted your place, there are different scenarios, too. A big crowd coming, or just one or two people? A couple of illegals or a swat team? A druggie wanting to steal something off your place, or a cartel gang? Keep out casual trespassers and make your place look untempting for marauders, or be able to fight off a small army? I think there’s no one-size-fits-all for these things. But I like making the place hard to notice from a distance, making it look poor and not worth much effort, and have as good of an escape as you can manage. Seeing people coming up isn’t a problem in my area. I don’t clear any mesquite. If I lived in forested country or the mountains, it would be very different. Also, I have a great alarm and disincentive system – 4 alert dogs.
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