Criminals are violent and aggressive, so you need the right tactical kit for successfully repelling a home invasion.
Some of these items are similar to what you might carry in your self-defender kit outside the home.
Clothing
An often overlooked survival item for home defense is clothing.
A collection of home defense gear kept by the author’s bed. His Springfield Armory rifle,XD Service pistol, flashlight and cell phone are all visible.
Fighting naked or even just in your boxers is not ideal.
I consider it as must have tactical gear.
Next to my bed is always a pair of jeans and sneakers.
A handgun is an excellent tool for defending your family against home invaders.
Clothing is the basis of my home survival gear.
Firearm
If you have an intruder in your home, it is likely a deadly force situation.
Home invaders, on the other hand, frequently come at night knowing you are home.
A hand held flashlight like this SureFire should be considered a mandatory home defense tool.
These are not people looking to avoid confrontation.
Rather, they invite it.
Deadly force may need to be employed to protect yourself or your family.
A flashlight mounted on your home defense rifle can make engaging deadly threats much easier.
A firearm is one of the best ways to defend yourself in these scenarios.
While your concealed carry pistol can serve well in these instances, many people opt for another firearm.
In your home, you do not have to work about concealment.
Having and knowing how to use a tourniquet can literally save your life in a home defense scenario.
A larger gun with a greater capacity home invaders often work in groups may be ideal.
For me, I keep mySpringfield SAINT AR-15next to my bed.
It is loaded with Hornady 55 grain TAP Urban ammunition with a spare magazine on the nightstand.
Hard plates like these in this armor carrier can stop rifle rounds in addition to bullets fired from a pistol.
I also keep aSpringfield Legacy Series XD 4 Service model pistolin aHornady RAPiD Safeat my bedside.
My wife has a very similar set up on her side of the bed.
The mirroring of defensive weapons allows us to use the others tool without fumbling with an unfamiliar system.
Flashlight
Lighting is essential to any self defense encounter.
Before ever shooting your firearm, you have to know that a deadly threat exists.
If you cannot positively identify the threat, pulling the trigger is ill-advised.
If the shooter had positively identified the target, a life would have been saved.
For home defense, you gotta flashlights for each defender.
One should be a hand-held light that is used for searching and general illumination.
I like theSureFire G2X Tacticalas an affordable, but high-quality, flashlight.
A second flashlight should be mounted on your firearm.
This light is used for engaging a threat.
Cell Phone
Communicating with public safety services is of obvious importance.
double-check the call taker understands you believe there is a threat to your safety.
A burglary that is not in progress will be labeled as a low priority situation.
You will want to let the 911 operator know how to recognize your home.
Street numbers arent always easily seen especially if officers are crossing through a neighbors yard to reach you.
If you might gather everyone into a single location, this will help the officers properly identify the intruders.
Some wounds are not survivable, but most are.
At its most basic, a bleeding control kit will include a quality tourniquet like the C-A-T or SOFTT-W.
These commercially manufactured tourniquets have been developed and tested by emergency medical personnel and proven effective in combat.
I encourage you to read Kit Perezs article onhow to use a tourniquet.
Multiple tourniquets and other supplies allow you to treat multiple wounds.
I urge caution when selecting where you purchase your medical supplies.
I recommend both without hesitation.
Body Armor
Body armoris a completely passive protective machine.
Once you put it on, it works without needing any additional input.
Soft body armor will stop many handgun rounds.
In other words, Level III-A armor will stop more handgun threats than a Level II-A vest will.
Hard armor is typically worn in a carrier that goes over your clothing.
So, I recommend having duplicate gear readily accessible in addition towhatever you might add to the plate carrier.
Final Thoughts on Self Defense Equipment
Ive presented the basics of a home defense kit.
Special needs, budget and location will determine what you include in your kit.
It is now up to you to evaluate your residence, likely threats and family situation.
Whatever you decide, do not delay in implementing your gear plan.
You never know when defending your family will move from the theoretical to reality.
