Protecting your family and property can be easily done when a few simple, well-placed measures are employed. Perimeter alarms are effective for use on your property, around your campsite or at your bug-out location. The easy, go-to perimeter alarm system is always going to involve a tripwire. This is not necessarily a sophisticated system because it can be as simple as soda cans with rocks in them tied to the line that will jangle and make noise. Here are a few simple perimeter alarms that can be easily installed wherever they are needed.

What’s Trip-Line?

Trip-line is wire, string or a very thin cord. The trip-line is stretched between two stationary objects and when it’s tripped, it pulls the trigger, activating the alarm system.

Deadfall Air Horn Tripwire Alarm

What You’ll Need: air horn, duct tape, flat rock, cardboard tube, stake, trip-line

Securely wrap and tie one end of the trip-line around the stake, leaving plenty of wire left to reach the tie-off point. Insert your air horn into the cardboard tube and cut it to size of the air horn can, then, dig a small hole and bury the tube about halfway with the alarm inside and make sure the earth is piled up around enough to keep it from moving. Choose a location for the alarm hole that is out of the way and has plenty of natural camouflage. Roll a piece of duct tape into a ball about the size of a grape, then, take the air horn out of the cardboard tube and place this “button” on top of the air horn’s trigger. Use another strip of duct tape to place over the button to hold it securely in place. Replace the air horn in the half-buried tube. Set the stake in the ground in front of the alarm hole but not too deep so that it easily pulls out when the trip-line is activated. Balance one end of the flat rock on top of the post so that it creates a deadfall over the alarm hole. Camouflage it with natural brush and debris. Tie off the other end of the trip-line to a tree, another stake or whatever stationary object is convenient to the location. It should be at least 3” to 5’ off the ground so that it can be trigger easily but remain invisible.

Pull-String Tripwire Alarms

What You’ll Need: pull-string alarms, tripwire, stakes

Pull-string perimeter alarms are tiny little explosives with a 6” pull-string on each side of a 1 1/2” charge and they can be easily purchased online. Known as the “poor man’s perimeter alarm”, they give off quite a bang when rigged to a tripwire. Tie the trip-line off to a stationary object like a tree or stake and then tie the other end to one end of the pull-strings of two or three of the alarms. It’s better to use a few of them instead of just one in case one is a dud. Then tie trip-line to the other end of the pull-string alarms and tie-off to another stationary object to create your tripwire across a path or area. The pull-string alarms should be suspended in the middle of the tripwire. These alarms are very handy because they are versatile enough to be rigged to doors and desk drawers, as well.

Tripwire Tips

Between 3” to 5” off the ground is an efficient height for setting a tripwire because the most important thing is that it is invisible and easily triggered.

Look for areas that have really good natural camouflage that you can use like tall grass or plants to assure your tripwire is hidden.

When choosing a location for the tripwire, think about the routes an intruder might use on your property or around your campsite.

Look for areas that are in deep shadow at night where an intruder would likely move and areas that cannot be seen from your windows or doors.

Don’t make the tripwire too taught because temperature changes may set it off. The center of the line should be able to move from side to side about an inch without setting it off.

Man’s Best Friend Alarms

Dogs are really the best security alarms that can be employed around a home and property. The only way to deal with a four-legged perimeter alarm is to eliminate it before it catches a whiff of or hears an unwanted guest and that is highly unlikely with the average intruder. Unlike the static tripwire alarm systems, that only catches someone crossing a specific path, a dog is a moving, highly sensitive alarm system that will catch someone regardless of the path they take.