Monthly Archives: December 2011

OPSEC and the Holidays

Posted by on December 28, 2011 Comments Off on OPSEC and the Holidays

One thing that is overlooked way to often is OPSEC  in everyday life.  Some people out there are quite good at it and others are oblivious (the majority of the sheeple).  Now is a perfect time to discuss OPSEC not

necessarily with respect to a disaster, but with respect to thieves.  I know this isn’t a pleasant topic to think about with Christmas being only a few days ago.  This however is one of the most overlooked times, when
it comes to OPSEC.  The week after Christmas is one of, if not the most opportune times for thieves to scope out neighborhoods.

The garbage day after Christmas has probably one of the highest amounts of trash put to the road.  So this in turn is a burglars paradise.  They can simply drive around and take notes of the new ‘toys’ people received over the holiday.  Don’t get me wrong, just because you get some new stuff doesn’t make you a target for thieves.

If you think about it though, putting boxes from things like computers, TV’s, tablets, etc. out for the weekly garbage is like putting out a shopping list for thieves.

Most people wouldn’t even think twice about putting out the boxes without cutting them up or even better yet reusing them for something else.

So what to do?  Well the first thing that comes to mind would be, make sure you are spending your money on things that fit into your survival and preparedness goals.  Now beyond that reuse the boxes for other things.  You could use the cardboard for

insulating where you have your supplies stored.  Cut-up the boxes so they are can fit in a recycling bin or garbage can if your area doesn’t recycle.  Depending on what you have you could possibly burn it in your wood stove.  And worst come to worst, you could take a trip to your local waste processing facility, this isn’t the best option, but is an option if you chose this.  Just remember to use good OPSEC when moving these items.

-Survivalguy

Merry Christmas

Posted by on December 28, 2011 Comments Off on Merry Christmas

I would like to wish everyone and safe and Merry Christmas.  Remember to spend time with your family.

Gun Show – January 7-8 2012

Posted by on December 26, 2011 Comments Off on Gun Show – January 7-8 2012

The first gun show of the season is just around the corner.  The Rochester Gun show is coming up, it is January 7th and 8th.  At the Fair and Expo center in Henrietta.Campfireshop.com

Global Warming – Extreme Weather

Posted by on December 23, 2011 Comments Off on Global Warming – Extreme Weather

Global warming is no longer the key phrase, now it’s referred to as climate change.  Which is obviously more accurate.  We have seen/experienced an increase in hurricanes, floods, heat waves, etc. over the past several years.  More recently was the October snow storm that crippled many places along the east coast.  According to some of the experts, this is basically the beginning, and it is going to get worse and more frequent.  This presents itself to a whole slew of issues.

Flood


How have you prepared?  If you have prepared to your area and weather you may need to expand or alter your plan for a long term scenario.  Some of you have prepared for everything and will be in pretty good shape, others that haven’t prepared as much may be in trouble.  So what to do? Evaluate your preps and your plan.  Try to determine how you need to adjust for your area.  Think about the weather in your area over the past several years, particularly the storms and other events that were the most severe.  The experts have said that climate changes lead to changes in the frequency and intensity.  So, i urge you to take these things into account with your preps, and make adjustments as necessary.  Remember, flooding isn’t the only thing to plan for, snow storms, power outages, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.  These all can seriously infringe on your preps and your prep plan. 

the SurvivalGuy

Beware the Delivery Man

Posted by on December 11, 2011 Comments Off on Beware the Delivery Man

Yes, you read that correctly, beware your delivery man.  If you order things on-line, you will want to exercise a level of caution (OPSEC).  The more you have delivered the more you will be noticed.  You will be noticed by both your delivery man and possibly your neighbors also.  Depending on what you are having delivered can have a significant impact on how much others observe.  If a package is labeled as ammunition and this isn’t a normal item for you, this may make others start to look at you a little differently.  If you get a shipment of grains and or other heavy or bulky items, it will be even more noticeable, especially  if they are sitting on your doorstep waiting for you to get home so you can take care of them.

Some companies are diligent about how packages are labeled, and others will label the boxes with the biggest advertising they can fit.  Others just don’t put any thought into it, and it is hit and miss.  This is a serious matter that isn’t always addressed.  The people that know you have preps and even worse those that know what you actually have is a significant risk to OPSEC.  The box won’t necessarily have it’s contents identified on the outside, but the company name may be blazed all over the outside.  With general merchandise companies this isn’t as much of an issue.  When it comes to companies that deal primarily with specific types of products, the less attention the packaging draws the better.

What to do?  I hope you are thinking now.  One option would be to use a mailbox service like theupsstore.com you have to check your local store for rates and services.  This would afford you the ability to have packages delivered to a physical location that isn’t your home.  This in turn gives you the security that your stuff won’t be stolen while waiting for your return and your neighbors won’t see the delivery truck leaving packages for you all the time.  This is probably the most secure option, although it lends itself to other security issues as well as the cost. In the event of a disaster, your neighbors won’t necessarily be pre-programmed to come pounding on your door because they have seen some of  your preps delivered…

Some things you can do to help maintain your security would be to have someone home when packages are due for delivery.  This isn’t an option for everyone, sometimes we just can’t get the time off work, as well as it could burn up a lot of vacation time if you had to take time off every time you had a delivery coming.  If you have a friend or neighbor that you trust or even better one that is a prepper also.  If you have someone at an alternate address (friend, family member) that is home during the day, that could receive packages for you.  Remember not to put these people in danger either.  If they are in an area that has nosy neighbors you could ultimately be putting them at risk for looting/theft.

You may also be able to talk with the delivery company, and have them hold your package for you to pick up in person.  This may be the most secure way.  Your local delivery man isn’t involved, your neighbors don’t see things being delivered, and you aren’t putting others at risk, receiving your items.  And most importantly, you are the only one aware of what is ‘going on’, thus helping to maintain OPSEC.

Don’t forget, to use caution when bringing your items into the house also, it’s best to do park in the garage and unload the car there.  You never know when you might have your own Gladys Kravitz.

Until next time,

the Survivalguy