Prepper category three: Marauders.

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Sainthood

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Joined
Oct 8, 2021
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Location
The Steppes
In my opinion there are three types of preppers.
1. Bug in
2. Bug out
3. Raiders/Marauders

How many of y'all are aware of the existence of this type? I can virtually guarantee you that their existence is a real threat that will not be borne out of desperation or lack. They're already here, and their strategy is simple.

-To scout their neighbors and any point of interest where resources are being readily produced by people like YOU.
-Attack, raid, loot
-Force those who they have stolen from to pay tribute in return for safety
-Rinse and repeat

In an age where human morals are already breaking down, they will not arise as a result of disaster but in anticipation of such. Many are civilians on the fringe, or ex-military with the perfect skillset to remain self-sustaining and on the move without any need to produce their own resources.

Thoughts on this?
 
I'm aware of these types. I'm aware of all types. I have a paper map with a modified key that I update. I have marked different area's to show threats.
I have individuals marked for known threats in a 25-30 mile radius. In one direction we have very little to worry about. The ones I don't know about are those that keep to themselves and won't reveal there nature until after SHTF. We also have known farms and individual's marked that we plan to do trades with, as well as friends and allies.

We will be paying attention after a SHTF collapse and hope to identify raiders before they reach us. We plan to help others that are decent people that encounter any raiders and take them out.

I'd suggest everyone get 2 paper map's of there local area and laminate them.
 
Marauding preppers are a threat. Met several over the years whose basic premise was to take from others. Their preps focus on guns, ammo and tactics for using them; that is about it.

It is one of the reasons a lot of preppers, take great efforts not to advertise by sight or sound. Huge traditional looking gardens are an "Eat at Joe's" neon sign.

Though becoming more mainstream, big swaths of solar panels are also a tip off (they can see them and locate them ahead of time on googlemaps).

The sound of running a chainsaw, tractor or other motor, or firing a gun, will be an alert.

Smell of wood burning, the sound of children playing or dogs barking, cattle lowing, chickens squawking...so many things we pay no attention to right now, will be a clue to locate you as an opportunity rich target.

We talk much about the threat from the unprepared masses but, one of the biggest threats will come from our own.
 
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There are a couple of modes of thought on raiders.

One says that their numbers will have significantly thinned the further out they get.

The other says the opposite. They will recruit from the desperate and conquered as they go and it will be the best organized, battle tested amongst them that will make it furthest out and take on the largest targets.

I lean towards the latter being true.

So distance, while a layer in overall security, is good, it is not necessarily going to be your permanent saving grace.

There are several schools of thought re; strategies against marauders. Each has their pros and cons. None are fool proof.

  • You can stand your ground and make your place into a ostentatious fortress, daring anyone to raid
  • You can try to hide in plain sight (making you place look like it has already been looted)
  • You can stay underground and hidden, rarely going outside
  • You can go nomadic
  • You can pay them off/join them
  • You can make plans ahead to join and train with surrounding properties to form a well organized patrol and defense force.
 
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The third category Marauders / looters , I do not consider in no form or fashion a prepper . I have seen on television where some city scum tried to portray themselves as a prepper as they planned to steal . In my opinion someone that hasn't prepared for their own survivability , simply is not a prepper . -- That is why most real preppers have also prepared to eliminate such un-prepared looters . Near my survival grounds is what we call the bottomless hole , a perfect place for dropping the corpses of those so called Marauders / looters down .
 
Like some of you suggested a person whose main focus is raiding and terrorizing those who have prepared are not, in my opinion, of the typical mindset. However, it cannot be ignored that while you (myself included) are concentrating on a well rounded prepper mindset and compound if you will their main focus is on weaponry, tactics and locating protentional victims and places to raid. This group will not be "gang members or thugs" they will be people who has trained and perfected the skill of raiding from others they've either perfected these skills in the civilian world or from military training.

This group of individuals do exist they consider themselves preppers. I have talked to this type before and they are scary. They have accepted and are even looking forward to the fact that they will have no morals in a post SHTF world. They have accepted killing as a means to survive and not just killing to protect. They take those skills seriously and put a lot of time in on the range and money into resources necessary to sustain that type of prepper life style post SHTF think top of the line light body armor, best weapons, lots of a ammunition, and attending formal training. They are doing this while we are diversifying our preps food storage, water treatment, etc. We are attempting to tackle the whole gamut they are putting a lot of focus on one aspect, so it is reasonable to assume they will be very proficient at it.

They will be a huge problem and they will be a problem until the post SHTF world has stabilized enough to once again have some type of law and order.
 
They will be a huge problem and they will be a problem until the post SHTF world has stabilized enough to once again have some type of law and order.

They, meaning the marauders, will be a problem until others ”remove” them. Which will absolutely happen! Our group is one of many preparing to do just that. Plan on taking them out before they come your way!
 
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They, meaning the marauders, will be a problem until others ”remove” them. Which will absolutely happen! Our group is one of many preparing to do just that. Plan on taking the, out before they come your way!

The key is identifying them and have a plan to immediately illuminate them. Don't wait for them to get to you.
 
Like some of you suggested a person whose main focus is raiding and terrorizing those who have prepared are not, in my opinion, of the typical mindset. However, it cannot be ignored that while you (myself included) are concentrating on a well rounded prepper mindset and compound if you will their main focus is on weaponry, tactics and locating protentional victims and places to raid. This group will not be "gang members or thugs" they will be people who has trained and perfected the skill of raiding from others they've either perfected these skills in the civilian world or from military training.

This group of individuals do exist they consider themselves preppers. I have talked to this type before and they are scary. They have accepted and are even looking forward to the fact that they will have no morals in a post SHTF world. They have accepted killing as a means to survive and not just killing to protect. They take those skills seriously and put a lot of time in on the range and money into resources necessary to sustain that type of prepper life style post SHTF think top of the line light body armor, best weapons, lots of a ammunition, and attending formal training. They are doing this while we are diversifying our preps food storage, water treatment, etc. We are attempting to tackle the whole gamut they are putting a lot of focus on one aspect, so it is reasonable to assume they will be very proficient at it.

They will be a huge problem and they will be a problem until the post SHTF world has stabilized enough to once again have some type of law and order.

As you pointed out, many of them are survivalists (they do not have a camp per se) and some are former military. They have been in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa and many other places we didn't even know about, where social unrest and civil war are the norm.

Unlike most of us, they have the first hand experience of dealing with marauders. They know the tactics, the social structure...and learned from those experiences in addition to the extensive training they received from the military.

Often, they had to spend many days living in the outskirts of towns and villages, undetected. I know a couple of these, and they are thankfully the good guys; not all of them will be when SHTF.

Underestimate them at your peril.
 
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Marauders are the least of my concern. Our location and very low population density ensures that they won't be a problem.

Yes. You have a very remote location.
 
I am saying all of this out of sincere concern for all of the good preppers out there so please, take it as that, and nothing else. If you are ready, for your particular situation, then I will take your word for it.

For those who never really considered this situation, a word or two towards how we prep for it and how difficult it can be even when you know it is coming.

We run drills/war games (Paint balls). We have a group of 5 within our group that are stealth and their job is to penetrate the camp and take hostages (children). We know they are coming, within the next day or two, but, not exact timing, how or from where. They already know our routines, habits, security measures, numbers, locations of resources…all which would be intel that any decent scouting party would measure.

My former SIL was a special ops US Marine, did a lot of intel gathering, before being part of some offensive teams and while he has never revealed things he shouldn’t, the things provided in his experience and training, are pretty amazing. A lot of these guys run very expensive businesses, to teach others (including marauders and contractors) what they know.

IF you do not spend much on infrastructure, property, storing/growing food etc like most preppers do, you have the time and money to do nothing but train for attack. Marauders can afford the most expensive advanced equipment like coms, body armor and night vision and they know the channels to get equipment that most of us can only salivate over.

We now win 4 of 10 against our team. At first, they won every time. We are not made of money so, we are limited in the security measures we can implement. You innovate, they innovate and acquire. You make changes, upgrades and rethink things. Everyone learns.

I am not trying to say it is hopeless, but it takes specific forethought and action to prepare as best you can for it.

I say this out of genuine concern for all of you; They may not be the most immediate threat, but, they will be one of the most formidable.
 
Yes. You have a very remote location.
Yes. The nearest big city is about 150 miles away and it's in the middle of a large agricultural area. Lots of farms, dairys, feed lots, orchards and a couple rivers. I believe that would keep any marauders in that area, slowly being picked off by the locals. Why pass up all that food, cross a desert, pass through more ranches, then go up in the mountains to my area? If any of them survived the farmers and ranchers, the winter would wipe out any pathic loser that made it.
 
This is why I wanted to use steam for power instead of a generator. No noise. Zombies are attracted to noise.

I think you should not only have night vision, but a thermal scope as well. Or whatever they're technically called. I have Burris. Except for the exceptionally well-trained and exceptionally well-equipped, you can't hide from these. And I don't know why that sort of guy would be eyeing my area.

Dog(s) are a must-have.

Remote LED lights which are battery-op/solar and remotely activated are useful. You can backlight intruders instead of lighting up yourself. Distracting for them, too. Along with the remote lights, a remote noise-maker is useful. This might even include a cheap throw-away weapon which would cause intruders to hit the dirt and focus in that direction. It could just be blanks. Remote noise-makers can also make it seem like there are more people present.

Hopefully, these things give you that moment needed to aim and fire accurately. Although I suspect tricks will be used. Misdirection will be a common tactic. They might send a little kid onto your property looking very destitute to draw you out.

To be even more elaborate, a remote micophone and speaker would allow conversation or warnings without giving away your physical position. Misdirection can be your friend, too.

Update:
Remote Relay
Solar Charger
Battery
Outdoor Flood Light

To operate a device, a solenoid or a motor would be used in place of the Outdoor Flood Light.
 
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I am not john Wayne nor have I been in the military.
We have 2 ex military but not infantry.

Our Fall Bank group defense plan is based on these assumptions.

1) Some of us are too old to play soldier as that is a young boys game.
We can't run but can hold a defensive position.

2) All adults will wear sidearms and all men will carry long guns as well.

3) We are concealed from the roadway in the country. We have already scouted out all neighbors within a mile radius of us.

4) We have hard protective defensive positions already built. If there is shooting our side is always behind protection.

5) All intruders will have to approach us down our long S curve driveway. We are surrounded by marsh thicket on the approach (street side and another side) and i/2 mile cow pastures on two other sides.

6. In normal combat the defensive position has a 7:1 kill ratio over open attackers.
Intruders must leave their vehicles behind to attack us. This will persuade most attackers to skip us.

7. During hunger times, we assume attackers will:

. . . . Be hungry, thirsty and exhausted.

. . . . Untrained as military troopers.

. . . . Not have any intelligence on us,

. . . . Will pick easy locations such as mobile homes, or something they can see often.

. . . .Will strike early in the mornings,

. . . . While they can see their truck(s) for fast loading and getaway.

8) Our goal is to trap them at the locked gate at the S curve, where they will be pinned into a line because of garb wire exposed to them after they enter the trap.

9) We will fire a remote shotgun blast behind them to force them to turn in that direction.

We will then order them to disarm or die.

We will interrogate, and if necessary, take their arms, capture them , and take them on a snipe hunt 20 miles away. They will be dropped off half naked and alone to stay alive.
They should never be a problem again.

21. If we have to kill them, their bodies will be deposited in front of an abandoned home that can be seen fron the roadway if their buddies search for them.

22. We have a contraption built that will fire into the intruders at thee gate if they open fire.
It will fire 5 shotgun blasts at once into the 15 foot wide paved driveway.
We can pull another string and fire a second volley if needed.

23. All defenders will have walkie talkies.

24. If the gate needs to be abandoned, those guards will have vegetation cover to drop back to a secondary defensive position with three shooting angles at them as they will then be pinned in a open field.

We then will rely on a free standing shooting platform 6 feet in the air they can lay on behind RR ties.
They will appear to be in the top of a Christmas tree.

Those two snipers will do their stuff.

25. Our intent is to not be in a shooting contest. We don’t want anyone on our side hurt.

26. We will have 2 gate guards on duty at all times.
2 more guards will be sleeping nearby if needed. They can be awakened by pulling a line to a tent pole.

27. Our gate wall of RR ties has a dirt hill in front of it. It cannot be seen from the gate, 30 feet away.
There will be three spare long guns in case of a jam.

28. We hope to never be attacked because we will have a sign at the roadway that says
“Quiet Please.
PMS Support Group Meeting in process.”

This is not a perfect plan but it is one the group is happy with.
There is more to it but this is our front line.Yes, we will cover all sides and have a safe building that is like a tank. But in order to get to it the attackers will have to have a can opener and use it while being sniped from their rear.
 
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If I were experienced enough to advise people on a defensive plan, I would suggest do what we did.
We took inventory of our assets, number of healthy defenders, our location, protective cover, and on and on.

Then we looked at the dangers, our flaws, where they would occur, what our options are, etc.

Then we built a plan, on paper, that fit us, not somebody else.

Then we formulated a plan, then continually refined it.
We had others review it.
We had the members study it.
We focused on it.

Then we created it because it meant life to us.
 
If I were experienced enough to advise people on a defensive plan, I would suggest do what we did.
We took inventory of our assets, number of healthy defenders, our location, protective cover, and on and on.

Then we looked at the dangers, our flaws, where they would occur, what our options are, etc.

Then we built a plan, on paper, that fit us, not somebody else.

Then we formulated a plan, then continually refined it.
We had others review it.
We had the members study it.
We focused on it.

Then we created it because it meant life to us.

Then prepare for nothing you planned to go as planned.
 
They have accepted killing as a means to survive and not just killing to protect. They take those skills seriously and put a lot of time in on the range and money into resources necessary to sustain that type of prepper life style post SHTF
And I take my skills in dealing with them seriously. To the point of competing in IDPA - which actually is designed for dealing with just that type of threat.
In the video, the targets with the black hands are human shields which you have to avoid hitting.
 
I appreciate that all plans change. This is true.

But my life experience greatly improved after I studied contract law.
I learned that he who writes the contract controls the deal.
He who does not negotiate that contract is likely to be a loser in some way.

He who controls the ground and time of a battle has the advantage.
He who gets there first has the advantage.

He that does not plan is a fool and will probably achieve very little in life.
If one believes their life depends on it then plan that way.

In prepping and defense we are afraid to go all in lest we look like fools.
Defense is nothing to fool around with. Do all the work you can.

Folks, we are down to a month before your personal plan had best be finalized..
 
Here's a bold idea for this Prepper Site.

IF we are down to a month to have a Defensive plan ready to go,

Then invite Newby's to give their layout, numbers, and all detail of their strengths and weaknesses;
And let's kelp design ideas and options just for them?

Perhaps start a new thread reading "Let Us Help You Design a Defensive Plan."
 
I would. Nobody knows where I am.
What have I got to loose.

Do we fear for ourselves so much that we believe a lurker will load up his camper and seek us out?
Besides,you are not telling what you did, you might just offer suggestions to an old lady who lives in a shoe.

If nothing else ask for their email address and assist that way.
 
I would. Nobody knows where I am.
What have I got to loose.

Do we fear for ourselves so much that we believe a lurker will load up his camper and seek us out?
Besides,you are not telling what you did, you might just offer suggestions to an old lady who lives in a shoe.

If nothing else ask for their email address and assist that way.
I mean I wouldn't offer up weaknesses, but yeah. It's not some rogue lurker I worry about, it's the federal government that has the technology and money to scour the net for details about me. They know who we are. There's no true anonymity online. At least not from the most dangerous.
 

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