Preparedness for when

Karmacat

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Would a tarpaulin or PVC tablecloth actually block body heat from an infra red camera? I ask as I really don't know? if so I'm covered as I've got both!

I don't know either, Mrs LW just thinking out loud ... if you were wearing as much clothing as you could, and had your head and hands tucked under you (the giveaways) it could be good enough. That doesn't sound good, I know - the chance of needing it is very, very small, and if you do that when it happens, and the terrorists are expecting easy kills ... it could work. What kind of world, hey?

Wheelie bins are beside the house so we'd probably be safer indoors, we have a lamp post at the bottom of the drive so we'd be very visible under the car, our drive slopes up from the road and the house is some 10 feet above it so we'd be easily visible from street level.

Yep, there's nothing in that for you, unless you happened to be parked at the back ....

Loft we could do but whether we'd be able to get the ladder up is another matter, it's a metal sliding one that 'locks' half way down for rigidity and anyhow there is only as Nuatha says ceiling board as protection.

If you leave a sign to show where you are, it remains as just that - a signpost And you point out something thats really important, that the recent literature released makes clear - the difference between hiding and protection.

If we were forced to stay in the only place that might be shelter would be the understairs cupboard as that's 3 sides brick but only wood on the other two.

If they force their way in, they might well open a cupboard of that size ... but they might be so hyped up, they wouldn't "see" it as such.

I'm writing a novel, and I need some distraction from RL this morning - this is a useful thought experiment, thank you!

Mar - loving the homicidal armed sheep around here that would be cats - there was an article about that not long ago "your cat wants to kill you", something like that.

[Deleted User]

No access to the back for a car we back directly on to another garden where they built a bungalow so close to our boundary fence the builders scaffolding was hanging over our garden shed. So escape of any kind would have to be on foot, mind I'd take time to re-lock the back door and leave upstairs lights on so they thought we were still inside, just for a small delay in pursuit that might give us our only chance, who knows??? and I hope I never find the answer, I have a very vivid imagination today though don't I?

nuatha

Your tarp or pvc table cloth wouldn't hide your thermal signature.
A sleeping bag under a mylar survival blanket under your tarp would certainly reduce it considerably - the tarp is there both to keep you dry and to hide the bright orange/metallic silver of the survival blanket.
If its a low cost camera drone then the camera will be low resolution and not that effective. how effective the above would be against a police helicopters thermal imaging system, I wouldn't like to guess. (there's an image herethat suggests a decent bag would work, you'd need to be completely mummied and breathing through the bag though. You'd also need a way of disguising shape looking at that image)
Mar's sheep would hide her thermal image fairly well

Lyn, if you've a two to three part sliding loft ladder that has spring locks in the runners (not the best description) then you could pull it up after you, releasing the locks as you go. Our loft hatch is on a hinge, and could be closed from above. Amazing what you can learn rearranging furniture.

Karmacat

Thanks nuatha! Just shows that thought experiments can only take you so far ... knowledge wins out every time

[Deleted User]

We do and we could, thanks Nuatha! We also have the foil survival blankets and tarpaulins which will help with the body heat. To be honest I'd kind of like the police to find us if there has been a problem and we'd been hiding as it would tell us that it was safe to come out of hiding.

TiredTrophy

Muck heaps.

nuatha

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

We do and we could, thanks Nuatha! We also have the foil survival blankets and tarpaulins which will help with the body heat. To be honest I'd kind of like the police to find us if there has been a problem and we'd been hiding as it would tell us that it was safe to come out of hiding.

The police would be fairly loud about it, search parties aren't quiet (hence having to ask for silence regularly) a small radio with ear plug would keep you informed as to news broadcasts.
Personally I'd rather spend extra time unfound than come out early and have reasons to regret that.
I'd also be very wary of someone shouting that the problem was over and it was safe to come out now - but maybe I'm too cynical.

Karmacat wrote: »

Thanks nuatha! Just shows that thought experiments can only take you so far ... knowledge wins out every time

Thermal stuff was a quick Google, which backed a hunch. Without the thought experiment I wouldn't have gone looking - and in extremis I wouldn't have time to Google (assuming there was even an option to do so).
Loft ladder makes two of the bedrooms inaccessible when its down - it also narrows the access considerably - given that I also have an objection to being somewhere without an obvious escape route, I worked out that I could retract the ladder from the top - though to give me the whole hatch space for passing things through I then had to unclip the ladder from its mounts, and move it to one side.

TiredTrophy

Freahly chipped wood piles etc. Stay warm and hide you as usually as warm as you are. Hay barns and straw stacks....as long as not set on fire...so maybe not....and just go in with the cows or sheep etc. Lots of movement....??

[Deleted User]

Not too cynical when I saw an interview with a survivor of the Kenyan Shopping Mal attack who said the terrorists went around kicking the feet of the bodies lying on the ground and if they got a response they shot them in the head. I'd not come out easily if I'd found good cover and would have to have daylight and proof visible that the 'police' were actually the police!

NewShadow

GreyQueen wrote: »

So, if in those rooms and bullets started flying outside, the sensible reaction would be to throw oneself to the floor and squirm into the room with the smallest, highest window and the largest, massiest fittings (we call them bathrooms here ).

For added protection (and possible comfort) get in the bath.

And... I always keep a couple of books next to the loo...

mardatha wrote: »

homicidal armed sheep for instance

:rotfl:

Have you ever watched Black Sheep?

Good film.