If you have a good food and water storage, and no weapon, and your neighbor is hungry with a weapon, you won’t have your food and water long. We believe that a disaster or a SHTF scenario can bring out the best in people, but it can also bring out the worst in people. For this reason, we recommend everyone is prepared to defend themselves. Below is a good overview, but you can read more about all sorts of defensive options in our ever growing Tactical Library We also recommend that you subscribe at the end of this page to keep up with the latest updates.
Weapons
A weapon is a tool. Weapons do not need to be feared, nor do they need to be glamorized. A machete can cut through brush, and it can be used in defense. A firearm can be used to hunt for food, or it can be used to dispatch an attacker. The best weapon is the one you have with you and know how to use. At apocalyptic prepping, we firmly believe that if someone is coming to do us or our family harm, we want to be prepared to meet that with as much firepower as possible.
Some people aren’t comfortable with firearms, and that’s ok. There are many options available. We actually wrote an entire article on The Best Alternative Weapons. We believe in having multiple weapon systems, not just firearms. Even if you pick up something smaller and less lethal, such as pepper spray, you can always increase your arsenal as you grow in comfort and you identify your needs.
Protection
Having a gun, bow, sword, or even a bazooka doesn’t help much if you get shot or incapacitated. If you’re truly in a violent SHTF scenario, whether you’re bugging in or bugging out, you need to be ready for some down right not nice people.
Sand Bags for Home Protection
Sandbags are great for all sorts of uses when protecting your home. They are very popular with flooding, but they are also incredible at stopping bullets. These are inexpensive, yet effective. This is rare in the realm of self defense, especially for things that actually stop bullets. Whether you’re concerned about a flood of water or bullets and shrapnel, we strongly recommend that every prepper have sandbags on hand. They don’t have to all be filled, but you should have them on hand.
Body Armor
This one is more expensive, but a proven life saver. Having armor plates over your vitals greatly increases the likelihood of surviving a gunshot wound. They also help protect against other weapons. We get ours from Primary Arms (who doesn’t sponsor us, but should).
Gas Masks
Government enforcement officers like pepper spray and tear gas. Regular citizens can get many of these chemical agents as well, even today, to say nothing of what may be available in an apocalyptic or SHTF event. If you’re trying to maintain a defensive position, even if you have cover, you don’t want to be incapacitated by a gas. Having a gas mask in this instance is your friend. We also strongly recommend a gas mask with a face shield as well. If you’ve ever touched your eyes after cutting peppers, you know why.
Training
Practice
Learn to use every weapon you have, be it a knife, machete, or a rifle. Prioritize practicing the applications you’ll most likely use. I primarily use my weapons for hunting. Because of this, I practice shooting in scenarios similar to how I’d hunt. For example, I practice by shooting skeet because I hunt waterfowl, grouse, and pheasants. Beyond that, I practice with scenarios I may need to face. For example, where I currently live has very little tree cover and I live on a hill. I can see for miles. Because of this I practice long range shooting. Establish what you may face and then Practice practice practice.
Courses
There are professional courses that teach skills with all sorts of weapons. You can learn fencing, martial arts, archery, and firearms. You can learn cowboy style shooting, or military style of shooting. There are so many options available. If you’re limited by your location you can find resources online, or you can use and practice from books. Below are some of our favorites. We also strongly recommend that you prioritize safety training. Learn to be safe and comfortable with all your weapons in as many situations as you can think of. Always be learning and expanding your knowledge base.
Drills
Once you’ve figured out particular maneuvers on training regiments, either from your own study or from a course, practice those over and over and over. The drill I’m currently working on is high cardio shooting- shooting when you’re heart rate is high and you’re breathing heavy. There are a lot of variations of this. Run then shoot. Climb then shoot. Burpees, then shoot. You get the idea. I’ll be doing this with all of my weapon systems, including firearms, archery equipment, and throwing axes.
The first snare I set for a rabbit didn’t catch anything. I was about 10 and had rigged a slip knot with some bailing twine and set it on a game trail. I didn’t know if rabbits used the game trail, but it seemed like a good spot…. READ MORE
