With gas prices still ridiculous I have been riding my bike to work for the past several months. I ride through the downtown portion of a major city. Do you have any self-defense advice for people riding a bicycle?

-From John C.

Answer: When it comes to bicycles the most important thing you can do in a self-defense situation is to use the bike to your advantage. What I mean is, your bike can be used to create distance between you and a threat.

In addition, if it came to it, you can also use the bike as a weapon. For example, striking someone with the front tire of a bike could provide enough force to knock the person down or at the very least push them off balance.

Of course, you want to keep your head up and be able to ride away before you are forced to use your bike to protect yourself in the first place.

Also, a friend of mine who bikes everywhere always carries a gun on him. So, at least have some type of weapon on you.

 

I installed a DIY security camera system around my home. The entire camera system connects to my Wi-Fi and records to a cloud service. How do I protect my camera system from hackers?

-From Kelly B.

Answer: Any electronic device that connects to the internet can be susceptible to hacking.

You can install a VPN (virtual private network) on your router to help protect these cameras.

 

I recently inherited a large family home. It has a second story where all the bedrooms are located. If someone breaks in, should I wait until they come upstairs to confront them?

-From Clarence D.

Answer: If I were you, I would go to the top of the stairs and yell that you’ve got a gun and to get out of your house. If that person is stupid enough to rush up the stairs at you then you need to stop the threat.

(I would shoot them in this case since if they rush up the stairs and get past me they could get to my wife and kids.)

 

Thank you for your service to our nation. I was traveling in Japan when the government issued a tsunami warning. What is the best thing to do if a tsunami is headed right for me?

-From Bert M.

Answer: If you were concerned about a tsunami the most important thing to do is get as high off the ground as possible.

Ideally, you want to get at least three stories off the ground in a building or some structure that is strong enough to withstand the water rush such as a building or parking garage.

Remember, waves can go on for hours at a time, so make sure you stay put until the danger is over and don’t assume since one wall of water has passed that it’s safe.

In addition, once the waves are over there will be tons of debris and contamination dangers, so you should safely get out of the area as quickly as you can.

 

I’m a veteran and moved to a more liberal state last month. I’m worried that the state I live in will pass more strict gun laws. I don’t want to do anything illegal but how would I go about buying guns that the government can’t trace?

-From Ned C.

Answer: Do a private party purchase in your state. So, don’t buy a gun from a local gun store, but buy it from a private seller.

In the state of Utah where I live, you can do this all day long and no records are kept.

The only restriction is a federal law requiring the seller to make sure the purchaser is of legal age to buy a gun, lives in the same state and isn’t planning to commit a crime with the weapon.

 

I purchased some Israeli gas masks to add to my survival gear. The mask filters have expiration dates. Can I use them if they have expired?

-From Beth R.

Answer: The older a face mask filter is, the less likely it is to perform at its full potential.

Over time, components in the filter may degrade, which can affect how well the filter does its job.

In addition, expired filters usually no longer meet certification guidelines.

To play it safe, I would update your survival gear and remember to check expiration dates so you always have filters that aren’t expired.

However, during an emergency, if the expired filters were the only thing you had, I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to wear them.

The reality is, there are many variables to take into account such as how the filters are stored, which will affect their shelf life. (Store them in a cool, dry place)