The End of Civilization – The Fort

A mans home is his castle, In an apocalypse scenario this is no longer a metaphor. It should be as real as the trouble brewing in the horizon, In the dark and middle ages castles were made by the nobility to protect their person, relatives, and wealth. Some castles are designed as a defensive strong point to defend vast amounts of real estate and population. In the apocalypse world this has to be implemented again to do the same.

Like any valued real estate the first premise that needs to be desired is location, location, location. However since this is no longer an option to most people who already own their home we will discuss this sparingly. A good location for a castle in an apocalyptic scenario is a place where there’s low to medium population, elevated ground, and a source of potable water. Potable water does not necessarily mean indoor plumbing. If the system breaks down and you run out of water from the faucet that is a major issue. This is the reason why most civilizations started near a body of water. (I still do not understand Riyadh why someone would decide to settle there prior to the discovery of crude).

The reasons for water and elevated position is a given, unfortunately these two are normally in inverse relationship with each other; the higher the ground, the less likely there is access to water. There are such a things as elevated rivers, lakes, and springs but stay away from volcanic lakes for obvious reasons. Regarding population it is not socially good to isolate yourself completely from survivors, eventually after an apocalypse scenario, communities similar to stone age communal tribes will form, and these communities will trade, compete, and fight with each other and among themselves. You have to include yourself in such communities eventually if you want to move forward and prosper. The reason why Europe became the strongest continent in the dark and middle ages is because of constant warfare among their nobility thereby advancing their military and technical prowess that paved the way for European colonization of the world. This is also the reason why City State divided Greece prospered and how Rome (The Republic and the empire) prospered.

The history of many nations such as those in South America and Asia has been marred with stagnation due to isolationist theory. Besides, you don’t plan (nor want) to have your children marry each other to create a new tribe. Modern medicine proves this will create several genetic anomalies. Something I do not recommend for your future descendants.

Back to the topic at hand, to those who already have homes or have a location chosen. The main parts of the castle is the wall, the tower, the throne room, the armory, and the court yard. Since modern military siege equipment have turned castles obsolete we will have to make certain changes to these at the expense of traditional engineering. Modern militarized fortresses in the last 50 years are based on “Maskirovka.” Military deception, literally it is Russian for camouflage. The best way hide something (anything) is in two different ways. Bury it deep or hide it in plain sight. You can implement both. On the outside your fort should be hidden in plain sight. The best way to hide a fortified house is to make it look like the dozens of other houses located in the general area. It can look like a suburban home, a condo high rise, an apartment complex, a warehouse, etc… regardless, as long as on the outside even to the expert eye it doesn’t look like a hardened military complex. This will also remove unwanted curiosity from meddlesome tattletale neighbors during peacetime.

With that settled, everything else about your fortress should be buried deep. The first point in a fort is the walls. If you have a perimeter fence or wall you can make it ordinary, I suggest the use of concertina wires and hardened concrete. There are paint available today in interior design shops to make hard steel and concrete appear like wood. You can also implement this within the walls of your home. If you wish to do this, consult an architect or an interior designer.

The weakest point of any wall is the door. Countries where constant trouble is the norm such as Israel, doors are made of hardened bullet proof steel. I once saw an incident where Law Enforcement officers couldn’t breach a door with a hand entry ram. but the door is surrounded by a glass wall finish so the police entered through that. The door of your home should at least be covered by a window with a clear shot of any unwanted visitors, this is also useful in peacetime against in-laws and sales men. Bolt Locks on doors would prevent any sort of forced entry from experts. there shouldn’t be any windows within arms reach of the locking mechanism of the door. Most importantly the quality of the hinges and its instillation should be carefully inspected. Whole doors come down with enough brute force breaking at the hinges or where the hinge is attached to.

If you can afford full concrete with steel armor outer walls; do this, in western countries where labor costs are simply an unwanted luxury this may not be feasible for ordinary wage earners. Dry wall plaster and 1/4″ plywood will simply not stop modern light arms. They are also very flammable. If this is the case a basement or double basement should be created as a castle within a castle. For people who live in apartment complexes or condominiums then Maskirovka is the key. Your front door looks like any other door in the building so try not to attract unwanted attention during peacetime. Since entry can only be done to your inner sanctum through the main door. Fortify your door with the suggestions given above, if you can afford to create a foyer and have another inner door then that is suggested. There is not much that can be done to fortify the walls separating your residence to the residence of the noisy couple next door. People who live in such places Should have a Panic Bag ready at all times in a hidden but accessible location near the entrance or the fire exit.

Windows should be covered at all times, You can use tint, double paned protection, (normally used to keep the sun away), blinds, curtains and other normal ways of covering windows. This is good for preventing would be attackers to gain valuable intelligence of your home and against peeping toms.
If you can afford double paned windows this will save a lot of electricity in the long run. This keep homes cool (or warm), Double paned windows used in condos are normally bullet proof (grade) to keep the hard strong wind at elevated altitudes and hard rain from breaking the windows and throwing all the inhabitants out into the abyss and drop 60 stories. There is no reason (other than money) not to implement such windows in lower floors since they look like ordinary windows.

Study your dream home if you do not have any yet, if your already living somewhere permanently consider the defensibility of your home and decide whether it can be turned to a fort at an affordable cost or it would be much more efficient to just be prepared to leave at a moments notice. Some homes in the modern world cannot withstand a frontal assault. Consider the level of threat, If your home can be made withstand an attack of SWAT entry team then fortify it to a point that it can withstand light armor. If there is no feasible way to keep a crazed paparazzi out of your bedroom then consider the quick evacuation scenario at ALL times.

If and only If, the home can be made defensible, consider the next threat level, light armor, fire, apocalyptic act of God weather phenomenon. (tsunamis, volcanic eruption, super typhoons, tornadoes, earth quakes etc) If your home is located where the threat level for these are low then you may move on to storage. The reason why I do not recommend storage for household fortresses that are not defensible against these threats is because its useless. If the plan is to retreat at the obvious sign of danger leaving behind all your valuable stores for the first looter to find is a waste of resources.

These are what you should store in order of priority; water, food, firearms and other weapons legal in your country, ammunition, medical supplies, self sufficiency supplies, power and energy, toiletries, and tradable assets.

Water Tanks and Swimming pools are good and useful water storage assets, They do not arouse the suspicion of neighbors. A good amount (One month on full ration for the entire household) of drinking water is also prudent especially in countries known for malaria, amoeba, and other water borne diseases, You can use these water at peace time to rotate their freshness, an in-house filtration system will also help in extended periods of time. A Back up portable purifier and water purification tablets can also help water clean. You can look at camping stores (there are some online) for examples of Portable purifiers and water purification tablets.

Food can storage is basic, research into dehydrated foods and MRE’s, they have long shelf lives and they are also good for emergency parties and gatherings. Make sure to note the expiration date of the stored food and consume when necessary to rotate the freshness of your food stores. You may research more into MRE’s and dehydrated foods on sites dedicated about them, normally they also sell the products they advertise and you can try a few for taste testing to have a feel on what specific MRE or dehydrated food you would like to store. Canned goods and preserved foods are also good for storage these also have to be rotated, remember AGAIN to keep close track of expiration dates. It would be really disappointing to store tons of food for the apocalypse and then they made you ill due to its deteriorated state.

Fire Arms and Weapons are your next consideration. In countries where legal ownership of firearm is the norm, Choose the weapon for you and your family carefully, make sure they are stored in a safe place out of reach of unauthorized personnel especially young children. Keep them maintained and learn how to use them. In countries where Firearm is not legal yet easily accessible do the same, ensure that the weapons are stored and kept maintained even if you have no way of practicing them. There are videos online on how to maintain almost all major firearms. For countries where firearms are scarce, Melee weapons are your best bet. Sports equipment can normally be used as weapons. However if you can afford to, functional melee weapons of European and/or Asian influence are available online being sold as martial arts equipment or home decors. Most Nations also have consider archery as a sport and you can purchase modern composite bows and learn how to use them, DO NOT try using bows as an alternative to firearms or any other weapon IF you do not have the time to practice with it. They are harder to use than a baseball bat. There are also Gardening, Cutlery, and Carpentry equipment that will make perfect melee weapons that are legal in every country. Remember do not over equip on weapons as they are expensive to maintain, and accident prone. It is better to master one to three weapons (for each member of the household) than have an entire armory and have novice level experience in their usage.

Medical supplies are your next priority if you find that you have enough weapons to equip your entire family. Over the counter drugs are very important during an apocalypse scenario, pain killers, paracetamol, anti-biotics, aspirins, sleeping aids, bandages, and other special need drugs (If you need them) such as insulin, ferro-sulfate, calcium, etc are also necessary for storage. The likelihood that they will be needed in a chaotic world exponentially increases and their production and distribution are most likely going to be affected. These can be used as tradable currency or humanitarian aid. Remember to keep the expiry dates of this drugs in check. Military and Civilian First aid kits are also available. These are easy to carry, store, and well packed for travel. Surgical sets and other essential medical assets are also available for commercial purchase. Military bandages are easy to install during emergencies and modern ones with coagulator (Helps stop the bleeding) drugs are also available to the general public.

Self Sufficient tools and materials is the next priority in the list, these are vegetable seeds, reloading machine, carpentry tools, solar panels, generators, fishing rods/nets, etc. Anything that could be used to manufacture or start a self sustaining fortress in your courtyard, roof, or other places in the house. Artificial lighting can be used as a substitute for the sun in case of nuclear winter. Such list of items are vast and are very very specific depending on your skill set. Do not bother storing self sufficiency tools that you have no idea how to use. Research rudimentary domestication of animals, manufacturing, and agriculture. If you are interested in Gardening concentrate on agriculture, if you are an engineer or carpenter concentrate on equipment for that etc. Do not bother storing self sufficiency items such as advanced surgical equipment if your not a doctor.

Energy consumables are next on your list, the likelihood of power disruption in terms of crude distillates (such as petrol and diesel) and electricity is high during these times, emergency broadcast systems and other forms of communication is necessary at the early part of an apocalyptic scenario to have an educated assessment of what you are dealing with. Fuel for your vehicles and generators or batteries for radios and phones might save your life in many local and national scenarios. If the disaster is global these modern comforts would give you a huge advantage on survival and reconstruction. Store as much fuel as all your vehicles can carry. (30 gallons for a 30 gallon tank). Since it is not likely you will have a full tank in your vehicle whenever the disaster hit. 2 extra sets of batteries for phones, radios, and other communication devices. Rechargeable batteries are also prudent if you have ways to recharge them.

Toiletries and other hygienic supply is also a necessity. They are very consumable tradable goods and are easily rotated during peacetime consumption, Germicidal Soaps, shampoo, toothpaste/brush, feminine products etc are very useful during emergency situations. I once used a particular maternity pad to cover a deep laceration I acquired in a street fight. Keeping sanitation as long as supply lasts keeps many known diseases away which can be deadly when medical attention are scarce or no longer available. Several wounds that are not considered mortal today can be infected and develop into gangrene resulting in blood poisoning. Rest assured when an apocalyptic scenario does happen there will be a lot of wounds to deal with.

Tradable goods are the least priority materials but are important to store if you have enough left over cash and space at your defensible fortress. Currency can take up the least amount of space but hyperinflation is normally the case during apocalyptic scenario assuming the break down is not global such that the legal tender of currencies is rendered invalid. As a security other tradable goods might be necessary. Recommendations are jewelry, tobacco, alcohol, and chocolate. Jewelry should be as small and obvious as possible. It would be difficult to trade Gold bars and get small ingots as change. Do not store silver for this, their value is not that high and can easily be faked. Do not accept jewelry as a tradable material if you cannot tell costume jewelry from authentic ones. Tobacco has a short expiration date so store this only if your a smoker, this can be used to trade with other more essential needs during an apocalyptic scenario. Chocolates contain high amounts of sugar and can be used to trade for other essential materials. This also is a good moral booster. Alcohol is the best tradable material to store, it maybe the bulkiest yet it can easily be rotated during peacetime and is widely accepted worldwide. Alcohol has other uses such as fire accelerant, pain killer, sleeping aid, weapon, and sterilization agent. It is also has a very long expiry date.

It would appear that a functional fortress and a sustainable fort is very expensive. Do not try to purchase all these at once, since most of the storage materials are consumable for everyday use try to measure your households consumption and see if you can live just a bit above your means so you will have some saved. Whole sale purchases also make most items cheaper. If you can afford to buy a year supply of soap for this pay check do so and then add another item to your list on your next paycheck. This would mean that you wouldn’t have to worry about soap for 1 year for your entire household then add another item as time goes by. Handle logistics carefully. manage your budget and most importantly live your life while preparing for the future.

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