While messing around looking at old MythBuster stuff on YouTube, I came across this:
Caltrops! Mostly marketed these days for the purpose of discouraging vehicular traffic, although the hollow versions are supposed to be more efficient at deflating tires. However, they’re also handy for deterring foot traffic as well. In conjunction with some ‘tanglefoot‘ wire stringing, there’s the potential to slow someones advance quite thoroughly.
There’s no shortage of commercial sources for the ready made stuff, but sometimes that DIY touch is called for. The easiest way, from what I’ve read, is to get ‘hog wire’ panels and simply cut-n-bend as needed.
Purpose? Well, I’ve seen people attach these things with strings or chain to make an obstacle that is easily laid across a driveway or trail, but can be removed quickly if needed. If I had a place out in the hills and was worried about my privacy, I could very easily see laying some of these across the most likely avenues of approach ‘just in case’. The obvious notion of dumping a bucket of them out the window of your car while being pursued…well, I’m not sure how that would work out but it seems a staple of movies.
awfully labor intensive. what’s wrong with nails in boards?
I would imagine one issue is that if you throw a board with nails out a car window, you have no assurance it will land right side up.
ah, car windows…only works in hollywood. when you throw most anything out the window with intent to flatten tires they usually wind up being your own rear tires. maybe if you rigged it up in the trunk somehow so the release is behind the rear wheels…. i was thinking more like path guards or driveway obstacles. i have several rolls of that thin springy and very sharp barbed wire for those tasks as well. oooh , maybe toss out a coil of that wire behind you.