During emergencies or civil unrest, intruders can become a real concern. Looting tends to focus on locations with useful or valuable supplies, and prepared households may draw attention when normal protections break down. That’s why awareness and planning matter.
Placing deterrents, booby traps, or countermeasures may be illegal in your area, but when the government falls and the laws are no longer enforced, you can begin to deploy whatever deterrents you wish.
Disclaimer: Several of the deterrents that I will describe here might be illegal in your state and could result in serious injury. These are mentioned for informational purposes only, and I do not suggest ever considering building or deploying these methods.
Bright Lights
This is one deterrent that will be quite effective against most looters.
In a grid-down environment, having bright exterior flood lights or motion lights signals to anyone around that you are prepared and ready to repel any attack.
Therefore, looters will think twice about trying to loot your home if the outside has lighting that exposes them and also blinds them.
Barricades
With some simple brackets and a 2×4, you can fabricate effective barricades on the inside of your main entry doors. These will make breaking the door down exceptionally difficult if not impossible, and stop looters in their tracks. You can also purchase metal barricades, which can be installed on the doors instead of using… Read more here…
Reinforcing Main Entry Doors
When your home was built, the contractors probably used the cheapest materials and faster building methods.
The screws on the hinges of your entry doors and the strike plates are easy to upgrade, and both will greatly improve your doors’ security.
Replace the hinge screws with the biggest screws that will fit at a length of three inches. Replace the deadbolt strike plate with an upgraded version and use long screws for this as well.
In this case, the best way to reinforce your main entry door is to install a looter proof kit, especially made to keep intruders away. This kind of kit was especially created to reinforce your main entry door at its weakest points, where most break-ins actually occur. Instead of relying on flimsy factory hardware, it strengthens the door frame and locking area so forced entry becomes extremely difficult.
The anti-looter kit contains:
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Heavy-duty reinforced strike plates designed to resist kick-ins
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Extra-long, high-strength screws that anchor the door hardware deep into the wall studs
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Reinforcement brackets that distribute impact force across the door frame
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Industrial-grade steel components built to withstand repeated blows
Unlike alarm systems that only react after an intruder gets inside, this kit focuses on stopping break-ins before they happen, making your home a far less attractive target for looters and burglars. So, if you want to make sure your home is protected, click here to purchase this kit with my special discount (Limited time offer!).
Booby Traps
There are many booby traps that can deter, startle, or slow intruders without causing serious injury. Common options include tripwires or pressure triggers that activate loud noises, alarms, air horns, or strobe lights to draw attention and disrupt movement.
👉 These Every Day Items Will Get You on FEMA’s Radar
Modern setups avoid dangerous traps and instead focus on environmental deterrence. Uneven ground, loose gravel, collapsible covers, or shallow obstacles can cause an intruder to stumble or rethink their approach without serious harm. Fence and entry deterrents like angled extensions, roll bars, or hanging obstacles also make climbing difficult and noisy.
When using booby traps, the goal is to discourage access and, most importantly, to buy time without creating unnecessary risk to family members or neighbors.
Razor wire
Razor wire is an effective way to protect property by creating a clear physical and psychological barrier that discourages entry and controls movement. It’s commonly used by preppers to secure perimeters, block access points, and slow vehicles or foot traffic before they reach a structure.
My advice is to skip the expensive razor wire and make your own instead. This method I tested can provide a similar deterrent effect using just a few basic materials:
Vehicle Barricades
These are not as easy to build but are worth considering. A vehicle barricade can take on many forms, from a simple purposely downed tree to a Czech hedgehog barricade welded together from heavy angle iron. Depending on the size of your property, you may have several points where vehicles may enter and approach the house. Consider vehicle barricades in these areas.
Felling a tree across your driveway or other access points is a decent barrier, but it is not practical if you need to clear the area to get your own vehicle in and out.
A roll of barbed wire laid out three or four strands high will entangle the tires of a vehicle and hinder its forward progress. This can be set up so you can roll it out across the area, but still be able to roll it back on itself to open the area back up.
Also, there’s one more method most people overlook. This secret Special Forces tactic can protect your home in ways you didn’t think about until now:
Moreover, in case you are building a fence, consider cementing long poles filled with concrete to use as the core of your layers of defense. If you make the spacing between posts narrower than the width of a car, then you’ll have a barrier that most vehicles will not be able to drive through.
But, if you have some welding equipment and some fabrication skills, you could easily construct some Czech hedgehogs from heavy angle iron. These will stop any civilian vehicle and many military vehicles from proceeding through the area you place them in. With a little engineering, you could design these to be assembled with bolts, which makes storing them easier and deploying them as simple as taking the parts to the area and bolting them together.
Entanglements
Running wire or rope in a wild pattern around your yard will create a massive net that will take a significant amount of effort and time to move through. Also in the dark, many looters won’t even notice the entanglement until they find themselves inside of it and tangled up. These are also easy to build and require a small amount of materials that are easy to obtain. Read more here…
Happy New Year, dear reader!
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Final Thoughts
In an SHTF situation, no one will come to defend your property against looters. There looter deterrents are good to install right now, but others, like booby traps or vehicle barricades, should be saved for when you actually need them.
You may also like:
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I always thought a Widow’s Walk would be a good addition.
360 view up high.
Get a Big Dog and a Shotgun.
i picked up 2 small puppies in the center median on a busy 4 lane this morning and brought them home to the 3 i already have. they are full of food and water and asleep on their new doggie bed now as i wright this.
dogs are the best defense and early warning system you can have. i’ll never understand how someone can just throw out something like that.
i have more than enough land and love for them all. it’s karma.
At least three runs of wire to include barbed wire, foot entanglement,concertina wire, six foot chain link, 100 yard clear field of fire, tripwire to flares, foo gas, claymores, that should do it. Then someone on guard all night and you only halfway sleep with your weapon on you with one in the chamber. God help me I hope I never live another time period like that. My current defences are very minor and I plan to just be so low key nobody notices or cares. I will trust in God as to what the final outcome is to be.
Actually a good subject, I expected to see a few more replies, but I may be an early reader… I’ve read one of these articles very similar to this one a while back on this site… My reply back then was very similar to Dome Living’s replay… I do have a history of these sources as I think Dome Living does as well… Living rurally, woods on three sides, down from the crest of a tall hill a bit…not visible from the road, and, depending on the event that has occurred protecting my property and my existence, would be top priority… again, living rurally, over 150 miles from any Metro Mess, and just a few neighbors who are like minded, my actions would be swift as possible… and even more deterrents activated… lol…. I laugh, its just me and a dog, and our bite can be worse than our bark…just saying… Live long and prosper… and hopefully a Happy New Year… Gig Em!, and yes I will never forget 911, Pearly Harbor, and the Alamo…
I think these are all good and effective ideas in the immediate present, but maybe not for when TSHTF for smaller groups of people. You’ll have to judge what is good/bad for your individual situation. At such a time, these measures *could* be interpreted in the following ways:
Bright Lights: “I have stuff, and electricity.”
Barricades: “I have stuff beyond this/these barricade(s).”
Reinforced Doors: “I have stuff behind this reinforced door.”
Booby Traps: “I have stuff I need to protect with booby traps.”
Razor Wire: “I have stuff beyond this razor wire.”
Vehicle Barricades: “I have stuff beyond this vehicle barricade.”
Entanglements: “I have stuff beyond these entanglements.”
At the point of SHTF, I think no advertisement is good advertisement. Lights or alarms controlled by a motion sensor should be disabled – perhaps swapped for motion sensors that will quietly alert you to the presence of a stranger.
Instead of people/vehicle barricades, install natural barriers to movement such as felling a tree across the road, driveway, or path you wish to block. Note that fresh-looking tree cuts and sawdust stand out, and they will defeat the purpose of a natural barrier. They could be sprayed with a natural dye in order to blend in with the environment.
Natural barriers can also be used to direct the movement of people to a point that you desire.
Booby traps and entanglements, in SHTF, won’t necessarily be illegal, but will definitely stop a group of people whose curiosity will then be intensely aroused, and they will want to know in detail why one or more of their members has been affected.
Razor wire and reinforced doors, especially in good condition, also indicate that something is in the vicinity worth protecting – possibly, worth appropriating for their own use.
Even if you do not use these things which could draw people to your stash, hideout or bunker, they could be used to draw people away from you and toward a different area.
If you have a lot of people in your group, then you can afford to be more obvious with the methods above because you can have people standing guard while you are asleep.
Woodstock you did a better job of expressing what I was actually thinking. All of these full tactical “deterrents” may just bring on the very confrontation I don’t want to be in. I was describing my situation 50 some years ago that I don’t ever want to be in again. I keep the visual aspects of the property so plain jane no one should give it a second thought. Kre you seem to be on the same page, and yes Old Para, I know a thing or two but I have made a deliberate choice not to use up too many brain cells planning to interact with another human being on that level ever again (unless absolutely cornered).
lights, barricades, razor wire, vehicle barriers,
Entanglements, and if you want to use that lawn for kids games, you can use your lawnmower to wrap it all up quickly.
vehicle barriers – have any that look like stray horse ? OR a small sign that says mine field, and back it up.
All can be seen in advance, and thats GOOD. In fact, its the BEST way to telegraph the message, WE SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND MONEY TO PROTECT THIS LIVING SPACE, that we have no money left for extra food or valuables. OR, we have LOTS of those items to protect.
booby traps, SHTF . . . well is that a BIG ice storm ? or the end to a central Gov ?
No gov, no restriction EXCEPT your own ethics. Dont “catch” your own kids. PS, more than one fool has forgot they set one with string to trigger and blew their own head off.
Reenforced Doors, These days, they sell a couple of KITS that LOOK good, haven’t priced or investigated yet, but I have interest. Big question is, can I afford them ? or should I think about making my own from some common scrap or raw materials ? Simply changing the screws for a much longer length is great. Also, up size the screw diameter ( may require some extra work to fit them) dont forget, hinge side AND latch side.
MY approach, I am leaving the house mostly unprotected to avoid attention, except for the Wolves on chains. provided they dont poison the wolves, and then tip over the head of the Mozart bust on my desk, activating the secret door that leads to the 200′ brass pole, they wont be able to get to my secret cave. Nuclear power, millennium worth of preserved food, underground PURE spring water supply ( hooked to Poland Mane)
yes, I may be prepared.
Chip vin poppy dome W stock, all good, all thumbs UP and an extra 100 thumbs for Poppy, Location Location Location !
Are there depressions or defilades near your home shelter? Good places for caltrops. Blocking roads with trees? Ten per side, fell in about a 45 degree angle to the road and crisscrossed. 12 gauge trip devices are market prolific, relatively cheap while peace is abundant. Sounds as if a few folks here like DL “know things” (wink).
I like the disclaimer paragraph in this article. Should be the first thing you read . including the comments.
Low key. Discreet. Caltrops. Try hard for the “we’ll check this one later”look.
How do you safeguard yourself from a nutcase that lives on top a high hill that overlooks your house and your entire yard?
This is something that was brought to my attention only a few weeks ago. There is this person, and he lives on a hilltop, across the road from my residence. I’m guessing his house is probably 800 to 1000 feet from my house. In the 25 years that I have lived here, I spoke to him once. At the time, he said he wanted to buy a truck I had. I refused to sell him the truck. Our paths never crossed again, until he showed up at my mailbox a few weeks ago.
I had just taken my garbage container to roadside for pickup. He comes walking toward me (John Wayne-style) from his driveway. He was armed with a side iron and made sure I could see. The first words out of his mouth were: “Did you sell that truck?”
His question momentarily made me have to think what truck. Then I realized it was the dually Chevrolet he wanted me to sell him 25 years ago. I realized then that he had been nursing a grudge for 25 years.
I was alone at the mailbox. I was also defenseless. I am 68 years old. I have had heart surgery, nearly half of my colon removed, and I have COPD. I am limited to how much I can do. A physical altercation would be greatly damaging to me… my strength and wind would not last very long.
I was friendly, hoping he would just go away. He didn’t. Suddenly out of nowhere, he tells me he has been watching my wife and me through a scope mounted on a rifle. This explains how he knew I was taking my garbage container to the roadside for pickup that morning. He was watching me and rushed down the hill in time to be at the entrance of his driveway when I got to my mailbox. The mail carrier arrived and he left.
The very next day he comes running down his hill. He was armed with a side iron. I had just gotten home and had to open my driveway gate to get me truck in. He approaches me and says something that I wasn’t able to make out. He repeats it with an arrogant attitude, like he was trying to force me to answer him. He gets closer and says: “I saw somebody in your yard last night and your dog. There were two human legs and four dog legs moving together.” I played along, pretending like I didn’t know anyone was in my yard. I knew no one was in my yard. It was me and my dog at around 11pm that night is who he seen. I knew he was lying about a stranger being in my yard.
He again told me that he is watching my wife and me. He admitted that he sees my wife catch her ride to go to work. He admitted that he sees every move we make outside in our yard. Then, he says: “I’m doing for your protection. I’m looking out for you.”
Now I have to admit that this neighborhood has several shady characters running around, but I never realized there was nutcase like this guy living in this neighborhood. The height he resides on gives him an advantage. There is no way for me to shield us from such height.
Ben, I may be 72 years but healthier, but I would be sufficiently shook up inside of me to realize that I need Plan B. I can’t just hunker down and think that somehow he will just disappear. Plan C is prepare getting out of that vulnerable position. So, what is a Plan B for me? Start working on removing that resentment that he has. Start by carrying in my pockets that I could gift him like candy, anything. I would make a note of what interests him and keep the gifts variable so he does not start to suspect anything. Plan B can work just like a stray dog can become your guard dog.
Unfortunately I am dealing with a lack of respect, driven by entitlement thinking. If they see it, they want it. If I refuse, they get angry. ATV’s and dirtbikes would drive through my yard. Animals (cows, horses, hogs, destructive dogs) would roam free in and out of my yard. Dogs killed several of my chickens and rabbits (they tore through into the lot and cages). Tools and other items, as well as fuel, started going missing from my carport. I built a fence around my yard (with a locking gate) at my expense and labor (the two adjoining property owners refused me any help). I purchased two dogs to roam inside my yard. The fence and locked gate apparently angered some people.
One morning I went outside and saw that the gate and a wooden post had been rammed (broken). I repaired the damage. Then one night I heard my dogs barking. A young male (6’+) had climbed over the gate and was approaching my front porch. I walked off the porch and asked him how he got into my yard. He smiled, and boldly told me what an idiot I was for locking my gate. He later committed a crime elsewhere, and the court gave him a year, with free room and board.
I have since installed security cameras and alarms. I’m shaken every time I hear a noise outside, especially at night. For nearly three decades: I have given groceries, gasoline, jump starts, and free rides. I have stopped giving. I cannot afford it. And now a whole new type of nutcase has come out of the woodwork. Evil is real. Evil cannot be appeased. But I am remembering that: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…”
what happens when you give treats to the neighbors cat, you see the cat a LOT MORE.
property line ?
pyramidal arborvity grow FAST, green giant arborvietys grow almost as fast.
spelling ?
the pyramidales are not allowed in some states, so green giants, grow up to 3′ per year. grow close, makes a nice fence. use a good camera to be able to show police if he damages them.
Might be a good idea to MOVE. . . to high ground yourself.
after your last post, MOVE