Preparing your survival compound for SHTF and things you need to consider. Part 1

Hello my friend and welcome back to today’s post.  Today we are going to look at preparing your Survival compound for SHTF and things you need to consider.  It is part one of a multi-part post, as the subject is just too large to cover in a single post.  Grab yourself a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.

In the next few posts, I hope to cover: Communications, Food Storage, Livestock, Water Storage, Gardening and Security; so check back each day for the other parts of this series.  First off, let me start by defining what I mean by your Survival Compound.

Your Survival Compound – A piece of land, with buildings, where you plan to wait out the coming SHTF that is about to befall America. It is where you will call home during this crisis and where you and possibly your friends will feel as safe as possible, while the world crumbles around you.

While I doubt that any place will be even remotely safe during these times, your survival compound will be as close as you can get to it.  If you prepared it properly, that is.  In today’s post we are going to look at “Communication Preparedness”, and what you can do now to both prep and be prepared for the times ahead.

Communications will be an essential part of your survival and is something that is worth a considerable amount of attention on your part.  Even now, the National media is so corrupted and no longer even remotely tells us what is really going on here, in America.  In a crisis, all truth in reporting will be non-existent and you will need to find it from other sources, if you want to know what is really going on.

So what exactly should you have in the way of communications?  I would suggest the following: Amateur HF Radio (180 – 10 meter bands), Amateur VHF radio (6 meter – 2 meter bands) Amateur UHF Radio( 220 MHz. and up), a good CB Radio with side band capability, a good Trunking Scanner Radio.  If you live close to any large body of water or coast, you might want to add a good Marine Radio as well.  Let me also say that many of the good VHF radios will also allow you to listen to air traffic communications, as well as frequencies up to the 900 MHz section.  Also, on those radios which allow you to go to the 800 & 900 MHz range cellular phone frequencies are blocked.

It is also worth mentioning that many of the governmental agencies also use frequencies in the 220 MHz range, which is also covered by many VHF radios as well.  You may not be able to transmit on some of these frequencies, but the idea is to be able to hear what is really going on in the world around you.

CB radios are great to have because many people have them and there is sure to be an abundance of local information on them.  Just remember, that the government will, without a doubt, be monitoring them.  Just be aware, that they will be a main source for Government disinformation as well.  Take what you hear on them with a grain of salt.

Antennas and power to operate your radios, will be another area where you will need to look at carefully, as you don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb when you put them up.  I would stay away from “Beam” antennas at all cost, simply because there is no way to hide them, that I’m aware of.

Instead, I would opt for wire antennas using 16 gauge or smaller wire.  These can be hung from existing trees and are very hard to spot even when you are looking right at them.  They can also be taken down quickly and moved when you need to.  On the HF side, I would go with a 20, 40, and 80 meter antennas.  That is where, I think, you will find the most usable information.

Because most radios run on 12 volts DC, you will want to use 12 volt Deep Cycle batteries to power them.  These batteries will need to be recharged constantly.  I would recommend using a couple of solar panels or a wind turbine to keep them charged.   Something else worth mentioning is the need to bring them with you when you evacuate in the face of overwhelming forces, should the need arise.

Building a portable communications trailer to house your batteries and packed with extra antennas, which could be put up and taken down quickly, is essential.  Adding protected slots in the trailer where you could quickly add your radios from your comms shack, on a moment’s notice would also be a huge plus.  This way if you have to abandon your compound, you will be able to quickly bring your communications with you.

A word about COM SEC (Communications Security): When you hang your antennas or mount them in trees, place them as far away from your compound as possible.  The reason for this is if your signal is tracked back to your antenna, it won’t be setting in the middle of your compound. Never use your real name or anyone else over the radio.  Always use made up call signs such as “Hammer” or “Thunder”.  Anything you choose but avoid names which imply sex such as “Angel” or “Pretty Girl”.  These tell anyone listening that you have women in your compound and that could be bad if they have ill intentions.  In fact, it’s not a bad idea to change your call signs every couple of months to keep anyone listening confused.

If you have to transmit, and you have a handheld radio that will do the job, always try to move at least five miles away from your compound before transmitting, each time, try to go in different directions and varying distances if possible.  You never want to transmit from all sides of your compound as simple signal triangulation would point directly to your home site.   Think before you transmit and be ready to move on a moment’s notice!  Wire antennas can be replaced, but you can’t!

Well that is it for today and I hope you will enjoy todays and the rest of the post in this series.  Until next time, stay safe, stay strong, and stay prepared!  God SAVE America!

-The Sargent-