PressNews reporter Alan Farthing got to sit down with Army officer, patriot and author Steve Walker to talk about his new book: Bulletproof Home. Steve has been all over the world and has seen how dozens of men in war-torn countries defend their homes, feed their families, ward off looters and rapists in times of unrest-strategies you can use to protect your family. Here is transcript of our interview:
Why Conventional Preparedness Wisdom Is Deadly
PN: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us, Steve. I was looking over a copy of your book before the interview and I thought a better title might be Prepping: Everything You Know Is Wrong
SW: (laughs) Well, I’ve traveled all over the world and I’ve seen a lot of civil unrest and I discovered that the real-life tactics people were using to survive are a far cry from the conventional methods you can find in many preparedness books or websites. Not only are they more effective, but more often than not, they’re easier to implement… and more affordable than anything you’ve ever seen! Remember, these people are from poor countries, they can’t afford bunkers, safe rooms or $10,000 surveillance systems.
PN: So this book is based on real world experience?
SW: Yes, definitely. It all started when I went to visit my sister, Hannah in Cairo, Egypt. She was there studying archeology. Two days later, the “Arab Spring” uprising began and soon there were roaring mobs in the streets. Hannah’s next-door neighbor, Amir knocked on our door and took us to his house, which, at first glance, looked like an ideal fortress-ten foot high walls, a safe area in the basement, and plenty of food or water. But, after a few days without food the rioters smelled our food cooking in the walled courtyard and swarmed over the wall, killing Amir. Hannah and I barely escaped with our lives. We ended up at the house of a nearby neighbor who, on the surface, looked like he was doing everything wrong but it turns out he was doing everything right prepping-wise.
PN: So, what lessons did you learn from the experience?
SW: I go into more detail about this in the book, but here are three big lessons I learned-there are many more in the book, but I’ll share a few with your readers:
Lesson #1 is: Your real key to preventing invaders from getting into your home is not fences, walls, or protective barriers.
In Amir’s compound, I thought we were safe. But in a crisis situation, where people are desperately looking for food and water, no one will think twice about breaking through your defenses. Even if the barriers around your perimeter seem dangerous, the idea of starving to death will scare intruders even more. There IS however a type of barrier that deters looters, and it’s not what you’d expect. I go into great detail about this in the book.
Next, here’s Lesson #2: Pay very, very close attention to the footprint you are leaving behind.
Don’t let it be known that you have food when others are going hungry. Amir didn’t follow this rule, and he lost his life because of it.
Lastly, Lesson #3 is… Never hide your stockpile in your basement.
That’s the first place looters and government officials will search and see whether you are hiding something important. When Amir ran to his basement, he was cornered. When the mob entered his home, and found him hiding with a massive stockpile of food and water, they had no problem dragging him away.
His Home Was The Exact OPPOSITE of A Typical Prepper
PN: Tell us more about the neighbor that saved you and your daughter’s life.
SW: Hannah and I managed to escape to a small back alley. We could hear screaming and gunshots coming from every direction. The smell of smoke was everywhere, stinging my nostrils. Then, through the haze, I saw the shadow of a man waving to us.
His name was Masud, and he lived two doors from Amir. He recognized Hannah and led us both to his house… which looked nothing like Amir’s. There was no barrier, there wasn’t even a fence. Instead we waded through rows of thorny brush. He told us to walk directly behind him in a twisted path, or else we’d risk stepping on spikes and other obstacles. The noise and dust faded away considerably as we approached the house.
His Home Was The Exact OPPOSITE of A Typical Prepper-It was impossible not to compare Masud’s and Amir’s defenses. Masud was a shrewd old man with valuables worth protecting, but you could tell he hadn’t spent a lot of money on hardening his home.
While Amir’s walled-up home seemed safe, it actually screamed “valuable things inside” – especially during the chaos of a revolution. On the other hand, Masud’s house was low key. His perimeter defenses were simple and effective.
What Hannah and I saw inside the house was equally unconventional, yet more effective than any type of traditional “prepping” I’d ever seen or learned about. He had no large stockpile of food and supplies in a basement, but several smaller stashes hidden throughout the house – sometimes behind concealed walls that he taught me how to make (it’s much easier than you’d guess).
So we stayed with him in his small home for about a week until the riots, looting, and mass violence had subsided – and safe transportation was once again possible. Finally, Hannah and I were able to make our way to the embassy and get plane tickets to get out. It was truly a shock and a relief to be back in America.
Masud did everything differently, and I know that’s why I’m still here on this planet, able to give you the life-saving information that I share in the book.
I discovered that the real-life tactics were a far cry from the conventional methods you can find in many preparedness books or websites.
PN: I know you are pressed for time, so I’ll let you go. I just want to say that I thank you for this great book-I’ll be using these strategies to protect my own family. So where can our readers get a copy of this life-saving information?
SW: Here is a link to a video that tells you all about what we cover in the book. There is an order button below the video. The information in this book WILL save you and your family’s life.
PN: Thank you, Steve.
SW: Thank you and God Bless.
SW: Thank you and God Bless.
