When neighbors surprise you...

[Schattentarn]

Most prepper advice is to reach out and network, join a support group or militia, otherwise you will just die in a short period of time. I wish there were more advice/information/stories for those of us who will just go it alone with our families (maybe extended families).

 

[Amish Heart]

If you have a family group, I wouldn't consider that going it alone. Having a family group can be a real good group. That's the kind of group I have.

 

[bigpaul]

the only group you can trust IS a family group, anyone else is suspect.
I do not agree with the sentiment that being alone means a fast death sentence, that depends on the person.

 

[Trihonda]

the only group you can trust IS a family group, anyone else is suspect.
I do not agree with the sentiment that being alone means a fast death sentence, that depends on the person.

i think this also depends on the SHTF scenario. I think in certain circumstance, security will be paramount. If you live on some remote mountain top, where you’re not likely to see another soul for decades, I’d consider that decent security. If there’s a chance you’ll run into people at some point, going lone wolf could be difficult.

 

[MOS0231]

i think this also depends on the SHTF scenario. I think in certain circumstance, security will be paramount. If you live on some remote mountain top, where you’re not likely to see another soul for decades, I’d consider that decent security. If there’s a chance you’ll run into people at some point, going lone wolf could be difficult.

Be sure to have a volley ball to talk to.

I agree with the difficulty of the lone wolf idea in some or more than a few regards.

 

[LiveTrap]

I think most of us, if not all of us would be the first to help our neighbors and share all we had if we knew that this was just a local weather, fire, or some other temporary disaster. Long term, war, complete electrical grid collapse, or something resembling TEOTWAWKI might be a little different.

 

[Trihonda]

I think most of us, if not all of us would be the first to help our neighbors and share all we had if we knew that this was just a local weather, fire, or some other temporary disaster. Long term, war, complete electrical grid collapse, or something resembling TEOTWAWKI might be a little different.

Yup, I agree.. I'm pretty sure my neighbors are prepping, but at an entirely different scale (and for different scenarios). I got the impression they were more in the "grocery stores are temporarily out of stock for a week or two" mindset. I don't get the feeling they're ready for the apocalypse (or zombies). I think they believe they have enough food, and to them, "enough" is probably a month or so (not entirely sure). That's woefully inadequate. That said, due to the hubby's meat allergy, they're fairly well versed in homestead gardening, and have been growing their own food (in identical soil to ours) for years. I don't think they're ready for all that TEOTWAWKI but I do think they'd have some value with their knowledge in growing crap. And I think if it was SHTF, they could ramp up their gardening to a much larger scale. I believe they have the skills based on prior conversations, but I don't think that's a bridge I need to cross until necessary.

Be sure to have a volley ball to talk to.

This had me rolling... "WILSON!!!!"

 

[Schattentarn]

I think if you are going to survive a SHTF, you have to be somewhat isolated. In my mind the biggest problem in survival (once you have food, water, shelter, energy and communications) is the hoards of unprepared people streaming out of big cities who what to share your resources with you. Or maybe just take them.

So prepping in the Hollywood Hills is not going to work. At some distance from a big city, it will work, but that distance depends on a bunch of factors.

If you live on a mountain top---and I did for a long time, you don't need others besides your family. With a chain saw, you can cut and fell trees into the road, chop them up into a kind of maze and you have a road block/check point to repel unwanted people.

It sounds to me like there are some people here that could survive for decades with their setups.

 

[GaRp58]

We will all have to deal with the loneliness, deprivation of a common grounds discussions, lack of motivation, little sleep and the need for a sense of security. A terrible part of survival is having to live with yourself and if you do not like what you see in the mirror and you know all your secret fears and have no other persons to "bounce" your fears off of....lots of suicides happen out of loneliness, lack of self-confidence and a need for perspectives for the future...who wants to prepare for a future with a house, garden, fishing boat when you have lost your wife and kids to a bomb, earthquake, volcano, tornado or such catastrophe? The future is bleak. Many wish no children because the world is so "sick" at the moment...
Be as tough as needed, be soft as required, be wise as possible and be dumb enough to survive certain situations from just enough luck. Live free, Gary

 

[Jayson]

I really don't want anything to do with most of my neighbors right now when we still have some semblance of civilization. I sure as Hell won’t be inviting them over for dinner when the SHTF.

 

[Trihonda]

...won’t be inviting them over for dinner when the SHTF.

if they’re bringing the food, I’ll let them choose their seat.

 

[GaRp58]

I think we will all surprise ourselves and not be too happy with that which we see in the mirror after SHTF.....

 

[bigpaul]

its a slight bit different over here, non prepping people keep food for a few days, maybe a week at most, not for a month or more, they dont expect anything really bad to happen so why should they? even panic buying for the pandemic it was only toilet paper and milk. I'm probably the only one in my area who does a "big" shop once a month.
our road system is a little bit different to your American highways, once you get off the motorways the roads are all narrow and with lots of bends and blind areas.
British people arent used to evacuating so will mostly stay where they are and the really big cities are a long, long way from my rural enclave.
as for lonliness and lack of communication with others, I revell in the peace and quiet and not having to deal with stupid people/sheeple. I dont DO people. I've always thought of myself as being a bit "different".

 

[Ginger]

I have had several people tell me since this shutdown that if SHTF gets bad they are coming to my house. And my response was that will not work...not many people are willing to do the work it takes to not go to the grocery store! Gardening, dispatching, clean water and conserving and maintaining energy needs is a very foreign concept to most! I have a few select I would be willing and thankful to invite in but most just don't have what it takes.

 

[Trihonda]

I think we will all surprise ourselves and not be too happy with that which we see in the mirror after SHTF.....

I'm quite confident how I will respond in a SHTF scenario (or at least a range of responses I might have). I am confident that I will be content with what I see in the mirror. Life will be hard, I will have to make some hard decisions, but I prep so I don't have to resort to tyranny, marauding or other evils to survive. What I will not like is what the rest of society will look like, what I think my neighbors and community members will resort to (but that's on them).

I have had several people tell me since this shutdown that if SHTF gets bad they are coming to my house. And my response was that will not work...

I think I've posted about this already on this forum, but one of my prepping crew had a hilarious response to one of our neighbors who (in a social crowded setting) made the comment to my buddy that she was coming over to his house if SHTF. She's very openly liberal, anti-gun, and very much thinks government will provide for all in SHTF, BUT she's actually a generally friendly neighbor who hangs in our social circles. My prepping buddy (part of my MAG) is very private and tells no one about his preps, but the liberal neighbor knows some of his background and skill sets (he used to live in an off-grid cabin). My buddy's response to her when she said "I'm coming to YOUR place" was brilliant. He replied with "Good, if the SHTF, that'll be one more liberal body to use as sandbags to stack in front of my front door". It was said half-jokingly, but the liberal neighbor hasn't mentioned anything since, hasn't encouraged anyone to go to my buddy's house, lol..

 

[bigpaul]

I am quite confident how I will react once TSHTF, I have lived off grid before on my own so that in itself is not an issue.
the rest of the family(in laws, my family are mostly deceased apart from a cousin) are not preppers and I dont expect them to survive for long post event, they are far enough away that they wont even think of coming here, like the rest of the population they will die where they live.

 

[MOS0231]

I think if you are going to survive a SHTF, you have to be somewhat isolated. In my mind the biggest problem in survival (once you have food, water, shelter, energy and communications) is the hoards of unprepared people streaming out of big cities who what to share your resources with you. Or maybe just take them.

So prepping in the Hollywood Hills is not going to work. At some distance from a big city, it will work, but that distance depends on a bunch of factors.

If you live on a mountain top---and I did for a long time, you don't need others besides your family. With a chain saw, you can cut and fell trees into the road, chop them up into a kind of maze and you have a road block/check point to repel unwanted people.

It sounds to me like there are some people here that could survive for decades with their setups.

I have debated on this one with more than a few people on multiple occasions.
A few things I have always wondered about:
1) When will people realize it is time to leave their homes in the larger cities and towns? People tend to stick close to what is familiar or that which gives a sense of security. How many days, weeks or even months would it be before they hit the road? And, by that time, what would the infrastructure look like? If what fuel you have in the tank is all the fuel you have, and the possibility of refueling a few hundred miles down the road is questionable, unknown territory, would you chance it?
2) Which direction would they go? More moderate climates with longer growing season? Areas with fresh water? Parts of the deep south would be pretty uncomfortable without AC.
3) If they have to hump it, how far could they get a days hump? Thinking not of preppers, but more like people pushing shopping carts with what they think is valuable on a highway.

 

[bigpaul]

I have debated on this one with more than a few people on multiple occasions.
A few things I have always wondered about:
1) When will people realize it is time to leave their homes in the larger cities and towns? People tend to stick close to what is familiar or that which gives a sense of security. How many days, weeks or even months would it be before they hit the road? And, by that time, what would the infrastructure look like? If what fuel you have in the tank is all the fuel you have, and the possibility of refueling a few hundred miles down the road is questionable, unknown territory, would you chance it?
2) Which direction would they go? More moderate climates with longer growing season? Areas with fresh water? Parts of the deep south would be pretty uncomfortable without AC.
3) If they have to hump it, how far could they get a days hump? Thinking not of preppers, but more like people pushing shopping carts with what they think is valuable on a highway.

thats the point I think.
most people over here are so blinkered("walking around with sh#t in their eyes" we call it) that they will not realise anything bad is happening for some time-especially in a slow event not everything will be one big bang event over- probably not until the lights go off and by then its far too late for them to do anything.
even if they think of leaving-most wont- where do they go? which direction? and why?
if they have to "hump" it (as said above) how far can they do that? how many days-days not weeks -? most here are too unfit and unhealthy-we have an obesity crisis in this country-too many take aways and ready meals.

 

[MOS0231]

This had me rolling... "WILSON!!!!"

Hey, I am here for you!

But seriously, after 6 months to a year of the going it alone kinda thing, and a young girl goes missing, get the dogs and trackers and form a CSAR.

 

[bigpaul]

Hey, I am here for you!

But seriously, after 6 months to a year of the going it alone kinda thing, and a young girl goes missing, get the dogs and trackers and form a CSAR.

I would have thought in a post SHTF world any young girl is going to be closely monitored!!!