Unless you are a military sniper, have won many wrestling titles, or simply know the ins and outs of surviving during a mob mentality-war, you may very well want to read the following! None of us will be one hundred percent secure but there are ways to keep you and yours safer.

Obviously, the best way to stay alive and to avoid firefights is to not offer up a reason for anyone to attack. You have to set the groundwork early, long before something happens. Keep your business between you and family only. Do not advertise you are prepared by bragging in the coffee shops and at gun ranges. If everyone in the county knows you have a stockpile of food, water, and Ammo and are ready for anything, of course, you will be a target.

When the SHTF the things you do can make or break you, so first assume an attack is possible, and assume people are watching and waiting for an opening.
Know the area you are defending first and foremost. Know the hiding places. You need to know where someone attacking the home can seek cover, and where you can seek cover if you launch a counter attack.
Know distances, for example, how far from your front door to the end of the driveway, to the mailbox, and to that large oak tree in the middle of the field. Know your firearm’s capabilities at the marked ranges, and know your own capabilities and of those helping you.
Do not gather in a group anywhere outside of adequate cover and/or concealment.
Never open any doors to the outside when there is a light on behind you. Always turn the light off before opening any doors to the outside. Cover windows so silhouettes cannot be seen if there is a light on in the room. The best method is to leave lights off or turn the lights off when entering a room and then look out windows to scan the ground.
Do not establish any patterns by going to the barns, or walking the grounds at the same time each day. Stay in the shadows at night, and never walk under or near any outdoor lighting. You need an escape route, one that allows you to get clear of the structure into the woods, under cover or to seek concealment outside the home.
You may have to come out a basement window, drop out of a back window or even crawl under the home to a covered corner of the house.
Simply put, if you cannot be seen, you probably cannot be shot unless someone wants to waste ammunition like in the movies and just sends hundreds or thousands of rounds into the home without having acquired a target. This is not likely to happen, however.
If fired upon your immediate reaction should be to move to cover as you deploy your firearm. Standing in the same spot to return fire will get you killed. Moving targets are harder to hit, as are smaller targets. Crouch, kneel or lay on the ground if cover is not available.

It would be incredible if everyone could just come together and get along during such a crisis but – sadly – there are some human beings out there that simply cannot be trusted. When you get more than a few of these type of individuals out there in the bleak post SHTF world, we are all in trouble.

Watch out for yourself, do what you must to survive, but keep that low profile. You may just save your life and the lives of those you love!

For more on how to stay protected during a SHTF scenario, visit Counter Tactics.