Christmas is supposed to be the season of peace, warmth, and peppermint-flavored everything… not the season where burglars circle empty houses like sharks smelling chum.
As a prepper, I’ve learned that holiday security isn’t about paranoia—it’s about preventing the completely preventable. Burglary rates rise during December because people travel, houses sit empty, and criminals know exactly what they’re looking for: easy targets.
But you’re not an easy target.
You’re a modern prepper—and that means you prepare smarter, earlier, and better.
Below is your complete Christmas home-security guide, filled with realistic strategies and practical gear you can actually use. Each section includes reliable product recommendations so you can strengthen your home while you sip hot cocoa and plan your holiday break.
1. Reinforce Your Exterior Doors
Most break-ins start at the door—not the window. Criminals choose the simplest route first. Reinforcing your doors is one of the highest-impact, lowest-cost upgrades you can make.
Why it matters
Holiday travel means burglars have time. A weak doorframe? They’ll kick it in. A reinforced one? They’ll move on.
Recommended Gear
Reinforces hinges, strike plates, and frames so your door becomes nearly impossible to kick in.
Gives you controlled access without hiding keys under flowerpots.
Stops thieves from lifting your door right off the frame.
2. Secure Windows and Sliding Glass Doors
Windows are a burglar’s favorite after-dark entrance. During Christmas, thieves assume houses are empty and blinds are open showing the tree—and the gifts.
Why it matters
Most window security takes less than 10 minutes to install.
Recommended Gear
3. Hardening Your Perimeter with Lighting and Motion Tech
A burglar’s worst enemy? Being seen.
Smart lighting turns your home into a place criminals avoid.
Recommended Gear
4. Install a Home Security Camera System You Control Remotely
Even if you’re visiting family across the country, you can still monitor your home in real time.
Recommended Gear
Affordable, easy setup, great for multiple angles.
5. Use Smart Home Automation to Create “Presence Illusions”
One of the oldest security tricks: make your house look lived in.
But modern preppers don’t rely on old-school lamp timers—we automate it intelligently.
Recommended Gear
6. Don’t Advertise That You’re Traveling
This tip costs $0 but is more effective than any tech.
Things to avoid:
- Posting your airport selfie
- Announcing travel dates
- Showing your empty house before leaving
What to do instead:
Have lights turn on automatically, keep a car in the driveway, and ask a neighbor to collect packages.
Recommended Gear
7. Protect Your Valuables and Documents
Even with perfect security, plan for worst-case scenarios. Preppers always have a fallback.
Recommended Gear
Your best line of defense for passports, cash, and backups.
Locks onto furniture so small valuables aren’t grab-and-go loot.
8. Fortify Your Garage—The Most Ignored Entry Point
Many people forget that garages are prime targets during the holidays.
Recommended Gear
9. Keep the Yard Clean and Tools Locked Up
A ladder, crowbar, or even a gardening shovel can become a burglar’s best friend.
Recommended Gear
10. Prepare for a Power Outage (Burglars Love the Dark)
Holiday storms + stressed power grids = lights out. Some criminals strike during blackouts because alarms, cameras, and lights might fail—unless you prep.
Recommended Gear
Final Thoughts: A Safe Christmas Starts Before You Leave the Driveway
You don’t need a fortress; you need smart, strategic layers of defense.
This Christmas, while others rush out the door stressed and unprepared, you’ll lock up your home knowing you’ve taken the right steps—because being a modern prepper isn’t about fear. It’s about outsmarting risk before it even shows up at your doorstep.
