Family will always hinder the extent your coterie can explore to find these people - raiders who are dedicated and have no fixed assets to keep them tied to a place. And then there will be others who will use that opportunity to attack the family left behind.
This is why societies form governments, even autocratic ones. Raising families requires a level of stability anarchy is insufficient in providing.
Very well said. Hostages to fortune and all that.
The frontiers women and children who were left at home when the men went out trapping and hunting were all well trained and adept at protecting the homestead with rifles from wandering Indians and ne’er do wells who came begging for food. I foresee such things happening again should government collapse.