(Preparedness on the Cheap is a series of articles for the prepper and everyone else that do not have a lot of money, but needs to take steps to be prepared. A good deal of prepping is learning, planning and organizing. Prepping doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, but does involve a lot of doing!)

I take very regular walks around the yard and evaluate the property. I ask myself questions such as:

Do I need more privacy?
Does the yard look taken care of?
Where could someone hide? Where could I hide?
Do I have a clear line of sight of all my property?
Where can I take position at to protect my home and family?
What do I need to trim (trees, bushes, long grass) to reduce places for others to hide?
Do I need to secure anything so it can not be stolen?

You might think these questions are a little out there or sound crazy. But when you are thinking about defending your property and your family, are they? The answer would be no. You have a right and a duty to protect your home and loved ones from anyone wishing to do harm.

Anyone wanting to violate your home and property will do so or try to do so, but that doesn’t mean you need to make it easy for them. You should learn your property and look at it through the eyes of someone who wants something you have. I look at my yard from the edge of the property and from the middle of the property.

I personally like the fact I have a lot of trees on the road side and north side of my acreage, but not a lot of trees on the other two sides. From the road, people can see some things in our yard. However, we have a lot of privacy. I want a lot of privacy so I am okay with this. I don’t want people to see everything I do or my family does.

While trees and bushes can provide a lot of privacy, they also give a lot of places to hide and obscure the line of sight for me. I also have a few big buildings on my property that will hide others too. I am aware of that and plan to take precautions.

Do you have wide open areas to address? I do, but I consider my wide open areas to also be a benefit to my property. Less areas to hide and more area to maneuver people and vehicles.

In thinking about defending your property and controlling the perimeter of your property, you might want to ask this questions:

Where are good places to set traps or trip wires and alarms?
Where do I need to put motion sensor lights, alarms, spot lights, wireless cameras, trail cameras, etc?
Should I put a few tree stands in to better see what is coming?
Where are good places to make a defensive stand?
Where are good hiding spots for my loved ones and me?
What should I hide or disguise to make my property less attractive to others?

If you live in town, you should also ask yourself these questions:

How well do I know my neighbors? Do I like or trust my neighbors?
Who or what in town would be a threat?
Where exactly is my property lines?
Do I need a privacy fence or some way to mark the property lines?

Again, some of these questions may seem a little out there. I consider defending what is mine to be a high priority so I don’t consider these questions outrageous at all. By asking these questions, you can make a plan, set some goals for property defense, and start working on it. You do not have to do everything at once, but do what you can when you can.

Remember, we are evaluating our perimeter. I don’t have the answers for what you should do because everyone will have unique needs, land, and beliefs. You have to do what is best for you. I plan on protecting my family the best I can.

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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