I want share a story with you today in hopes that we can all take a closer look at the individual items we are trusting in for our security. You will all probably recall the BOL break in post I did a couple weeks ago. Today’s post is a follow up on that situation.

 

   If you recall the cabin had been entered and it appeared that nothing was actually taken. We even have a 99% solid ID on the culprit. During the months after the break in it was determined that there was a police scanner that turned up missing but so far that’s all… Well, inside the cabin was a key ring that had a whole mess of keys on it. Thankfully, when Mrs. Prepper and I discovered the break in the keys were still hanging on the hook right where they always had.

 

   These keys would have been the worst thing to have been discovered missing since used in the right series they could be used to gain access to the whole shooting match. You know if you use the shed key to open the shed then you could find the key for the fuel storage area that also had a hidden key to the conex boxes, etc. Well like I said thankfully they hadn’t been taken. So, I took them and locked them up at my place so my friend could pick them up from me next time he came East…

 

   Pick up the keys he did and then promptly forgot they were in his car and they ended up back inSeattle. Now, this isn’t any big deal but he then forgot to bring them back on his next trip. I didn’t have spares for most of the keys on that ring so that left him with a small problem, which was the main point of this post.

 

   At the cabin all of the windows are covered with wooden shutters and then secured with a hasp and Master Lock padlock. The keys to those locks were on that ring… I had spare keys to the front door and even the secure supply storage area but not those windows. This wouldn’t be any big issue except that its winter time and he would be burning the woodstove to keep the place warm enough to stay in. The bedroom is at the back of the cabin and the woodstove is near the front door at the other end of the place.

 

   I don’t know about you but I’m not about to go to sleep with a fire burning between me and the only exit. Some folks wouldn’t be overly concerned  but not this prepper, I’d want at least one of the windows for an escape route in an emergency.

 

   After trying to pick the lock with my junior cat burglar lock picking set and failing, we went for a pair of bolt cutters to see if they would work… The lock was clearly marked as hardened and I knew from experience years ago that a hacksaw wasn’t going to work. As you can see in the photo, these cutters aren’t all that large, I’d been using them to cut rebar and they seemed on the small side for even that chore.

 

   Well I’m happy to say we got that lock off but I’m sorry to report it wasn’t even a difficult feat! That lock cut like it was made of lead… This is not at all what I expected! I had been under the false belief that these locks being well reputed would do a much better job of slowing down a thief, not so! My entire security strategy would have to be rethought!

 

   Let me clarify, I use padlocks but I also do use other forms of security to protect my valuables. In the role of locking down less important items or for shorter periods of time, I thought these locks would be just fine… I’ll be searching for something else to fill this role from now on. I’ve seen metal shields that fit over the lock making it much harder to get a cutting devise on. Also the puck locks that twist on and would also be difficult to cut… Lot’s of locks around my place and I’m not really looking forward to finding a new solution and then trying to be sure they are all keyed alike again… Oh well, better to learn from this small mistake then to have the SHTF and find out the hard way after losing something significant to this lack of security! I’m sure that the common criminal already knows about these locks weakness!

 

   We are all only as secure as our weakest link, do some research of your own and see if there are areas that you too are vulnerable. As I discover the replacements for my own locks I’ll report what I find and hope to help all of you in your pursuits as well!

 

 

Prepper

 

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