This following covers strengthening your home against bad elements, human and otherwise. These are easy options, early-warning systems, and fortifications against the unknown. They are also low-budget which is favorable when, in times of stress, cash can be scarce.

Cover provides you with just that: a certain amount of protection (depending on materials used) from small-arms fire up to the dam-dam (artillery). Cover places that material between you and the aggressor to protect you from bullets, spears, etc. Examples are walls, foxholes with sandbags, or log piles.
Concealment, on the other hand, shields you from view, but doesn’t necessarily provide you with physical protection from attackers. Examples here are thick hedges, bushes, or screens (such as for a duck blind).

Camouflage is the art of blending men or materials with the surroundings: a disguise. The camouflage should be dictated by season, terrain, climate, and whether an urban or rural environment.

Now let’s cover windows. Tiny Tim may wish to tiptoe through the window with a Molotov. You can put a stop to this by covering the exterior of the windows with wire mesh. I strongly recommend 2”x 3” rectangular wire-mesh/re-wire; either galvanized or coated, the heavier the gauge the better. The wire doesn’t obscure any view and can accommodate your muzzle for a firing port (on movable windows that open). The wire will help deflect rocks, grenades, and Molotov’s, the latter, I must say from experience being very bad.

Wire that doesn’t match your house can be painted with all-weather paint for metal using a brush or roller. You can pre-measure your pieces and then attach them to the casing or the house with those U-shaped nails that electricians use. Very important: make sure there’s space between the window and the wire, to allow some give for the marauder’s projectile. You may have to build it up on all sides with 2”x 4”’s to provide that space, but it beats a barbeque.
Walk your property. Note down and commit to memory every critical distance and feature: front door to front gate, length and breadth of ground, dead space, and possible places for attacker cover and concealment. Have your whole family participate and make it a group endeavor, taking special care to teach the kids the “why” part.

Training and emergency drills for your family will cut down on the confusion should anything occur; repetition could be the deciding, winning factor for your family’s engagement. I also highly recommend Motorola’s, one for each family member. Teach them good commo and radio discipline and how to keep it short and sweet (KISS principle in effect). Vox’s free your hands but they don’t have great range and solid objects such as walls can interfere with them. Motorola’s are simple. Keep it simple.

If you’re in an area and State that you can do it, fence off your property and put a securable gate on it. The fence can be supported/strengthened by blending natural and man-made defenses that will prevent or slow vehicles from entering a point other than the gate. The gate is exactly where I want them. Channel your attacker. Funnel him into the areas he will be vulnerable to you. Make sure to post signs inside of your fence about 10’ back and visible everywhere: No Trespassing/Keep Out/Private Property.

If you can swing it, run the aforementioned rewire all around the fence on the outside (if it’s split-rail and post). Cut stumps with their roots still attached make excellent “buffers” for the outside of your fence. Space these about 10’ outward. When snowfall comes, they won’t be able to be used as “Evel Knievel” ramps.

And this is just the beginning! If you want to learn more go to SHTF Plan.

Many of these tips can be adjusted to fit your family and lifestyle. They are a sincere effort to keep your home safe from the dangers outside, from desperate men and women in a turmoil-filled world, that could absolutely happen after a chaos situation!