SHTF - Signage

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One uncle has little regard for others. He was traveling in a remote area when he saw a no trespassing sign. He hiked, in the snow, past that sign toward a residence. Then he came across the sign that said, "Bear traps Set Everywhere." He respected that sign and retreated back to his car using the same footstep that he had left on the way up.
 
I watch the whole video, it was good and useful. I generally "Loath" U-tube videos, because the person can't enunciate. This guy was clear, and spoke at a reasonable speed. He had several good points.
 
My first line of defense is completely passive, and is there just to detect people approaching.

My second line of defense discourages people, without advertising there is anything of value past that point.

Signs are my third line of defense. For ethical reasons. They are placed just before the point where the element of surprise would be rendered moot anyway. They are there for MY peace of mind. Anyone who goes past the signs, has signed their own warrant. I don't have to worry that they are just a lost traveler looking for a good place to camp, who would happily go somewhere else if they knew they where about to walk into someone else's place. Go past my signs, and I know I don't need to make a judgment call...I just need good trigger control.
 
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Hardcalibres said:
Signs concede the element of surprise.

That is a big concession.

Signs demarcate what someone considers a boundary - that is useful information for people who pose a threat.
Signs belong in a normal world with normal rules.
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Your point is well taken.
Fundamentally sings are Intelligence .
But it really also depends on the situation.

If you are trying to avoid a significant threat group and you don't want to put up signs t show you are around.... but this also means anyone might come by thinking the area clear
And then you cant just hide in a spot and indiscrimately gun down anyone who happens to stumble down the path.
Could be people meaning no harm, just travelling through to meet up with loved ones at another location, or any myriad of legit reasons.. and then when you fight, there might be gunfire bringing down the exact threat on you are trying to hide from.

Never mind, that even if you are successful and even if folks have been jaded to death, but even in the post-Apoc, folks will not take kindly to their friends/family getting needlessly massacred.

I think signage should be an issue of METT-TC , driving the decision to put them up or not.
https://metttc.com/mett-tc/
 
Rick said:
Your point is well taken.
Fundamentally sings are Intelligence .
But it really also depends on the situation.

If you are trying to avoid a significant threat group and you don't want to put up signs t show you are around.... but this also means anyone might come by thinking the area clear
And then you cant just hide in a spot and indiscrimately gun down anyone who happens to stumble down the path.
Could be people meaning no harm, just travelling through to meet up with loved ones at another location, or any myriad of legit reasons.. and then when you fight, there might be gunfire bringing down the exact threat on you are trying to hide from.

Never mind, that even if you are successful and even if folks have been jaded to death, but even in the post-Apoc, folks will not take kindly to their friends/family getting needlessly massacred.

I think signage should be an issue of METT-TC , driving the decision to put them up or not.
https://metttc.com/mett-tc/
Click to expand...

The four stages of perimeter security are:

1) Deter
2) Detect
3) Delay
4) Respond

So...yes signs can be part of that first stage.

All my boundaries are fenced......so any one who wants to enter my patch, needs to cross a fence to do so.

But others may be planning upon putting up signs warning people to stay out of a larger piece of land they would claim as their territory, if there was a very severe crisis. So for them, signs would be a way of indicating they are treating that land as theirs.

But during a very severe crisis and once all the people who can't adapt to a world with no ROL are gone, putting up signs hoping they will scare bad people away is unwise. You cannot give any advantage to bad people (including losing the element of surprise). If I am a raider, then the sign will warn me to ratchet up my alertness level and potentially work out a plan to identify, specifically target and assault what is beyond the sign.

In practice, you also can't put up enough signs to cover all the ways someone may wander into any substantial perimeter - so having the mindset that they have been warned is also problematic.

I mostly posted they only fit a normal world because I assess that most people who post about how they are going to use signs in a very severe crisis, are actually just hoping (out loud) that the signs will scare threats away - rather than having to find out if they themselves are capable of shooting people. Wishful thinking is not much of prep or self defense strategy.

There are other ways to force escalate on intruders that don't involve shooting them in cold blood as your first response - it is just that signs are a relatively poor way of doing that.
 
I agree trying to scare away bad guys is just wishful thinking.

My signs are to scare away the good guys.

Hardcalibres said:
In practice, you also can't put up enough signs to cover all the ways someone may wander into any substantial perimeter - so having the mindset that they have been warned is also problematic.
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This is why I live in heavy concealment. The perimeter from which someone can see me is small. Much smaller than my land, or my ability to detect people entering it. The signs are only at the point where I lose nothing by having them up, because anyone going much further in that direction, will see my place anyway.
 
Just keep in mind of your signage at the moment. In a lawful society they can and have been used in court cases if you had the displeasure of defending yourself at home. He did mention that briefly around the 14 minute mark.

I realize we are thinking SHTF here, all bets are off at that point, just thought it was worth mentioning.
 
Curmudgeon said:
Just keep in mind of your signage at the moment. In a lawful society they can and have been used in court cases if you had the displeasure of defending yourself at home. He did mention that briefly around the 14 minute mark.

I realize we are thinking SHTF here, all bets are off at that point, just thought it was worth mentioning.
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This is a very important point. I find great humour in many of the above signs. The reality is that, much like the barrels that you can buy with "smile wait for the flash," engraved on them, today that type of humour will be presented in court to show that you had intent to murder. A simple NO TRESPASSING sign gives notice without adding a threat of legal problems.
 
5D7285B0-71DC-42BA-B642-E158B5F41BAB.jpeg
 
This one will only stop educated folks, the others just die,
 

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My signs on the gates will stay the same as now.
No Trespassing, and Beware Of The Dog.
My old sign from years ago faded out - This Property Protected By A Vietnam Combat Vet.
 
The signs that are out now and all year long are easy.
 

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Fwiw, I quickie-made this one up, after we suffered a 'Porch Pirate hit' back in our Old 'hood, a few yrs back.. :mad:

smile-youre-on-candid-acog-jpg.301236
😬

..I like that it 'says what I Want it to say - with out Actually "saying it" (ie: "[violator] WILL BE SHOT".. yah, that Could open one up to 'liability', this-side of WROL..)

But my All Time Favorite 'NO TRESPASSING sign' would be, ie:

No-Trespassing-Sign.jpg


..with simply "TRESPASSERS" on a large, clear board.. Maybe, like, nailed to the neck-stumps where the Heads used to be.. 🤔😬

.02
jd
 
If one had a long road leading to their home this might be an idea. Place range markers down the side of the road every hundred yards out to 800 yards or so with wind flags next to them.

For extra measure put a beater car off the road at the 500 mark with one well-placed bullet hole in the drivers-side windshield. For extra-extra measure actually range your rifle at those distances.

8DE0611F-17D6-4BEE-92A2-E6026202AE38.jpeg
F4F046B6-BEA8-4090-9673-A8659713B8C5.jpeg
 
kd4ulw said:
If one had a long road leading to their home this might be an idea. Place range markers down the side of the road every hundred yards out to 800 yards or so with wind flags next to them.

For extra measure put a beater car off the road at the 500 mark with one well-placed bullet hole in the drivers-side windshield. For extra-extra measure actually range your rifle at those distances.

View attachment 74489View attachment 74490
Click to expand...
I wish my driveway was that long for starters
 
We've had this similar conversation within our family. I've come up with 2 options:

'Ninraw
Nurrofruoyefil
You are now hexed!
(Actually "Warnin' run for your life) Every bad thing that happened to them, they would be thinking of the sign.

Or

Guillotine factory ahead
Volunteers needed.
(you will just have to decapitate all trespassers)
 
kd4ulw said:
If one had a long road leading to their home this might be an idea. Place range markers down the side of the road every hundred yards out to 800 yards or so with wind flags next to them.

For extra measure put a beater car off the road at the 500 mark with one well-placed bullet hole in the drivers-side windshield. For extra-extra measure actually range your rifle at those distances.

View attachment 74489View attachment 74490
Click to expand...
I like.


Distribute targets with tight patterns around a killing zone.

Ben
 
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