Should Preppers Stay Under the Radar?
I know some preppers who broadcast the fact that they are prepared for a very uncertain future. They don’t have any qualms about advertising the fact that they have stockpiled significant amounts of emergency food, water and other supplies, often in two or three locations. Folks in the neighborhood know that their home is a fortress and that they have very specific bug-out plans should they have to get out of Dodge quickly.
I know other people who are on almost the same level of preparedness, but no one else knows about it except for their families and very close friends. They keep their emergency supplies well hidden so that visitors to their homes never see it. More importantly, they keep their mouths shut about the fact that they envision a day when they will need to use what they have stockpiled, either while hunkering down or bugging out.
So, which is the correct approach? Is it better to let the world know you’re prepared for a disaster, or is it smarter to take a stealth approach to the situation? Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
The one who doesn’t bother to hide the fact that he’s prepared for an emergency has a golden opportunity to influence those who haven’t thought much about the subject. When they see and hear that someone in their neighborhood is taking seriously the threat of societal collapse, they might start considering doing the same. And the more like-minded people in your neighborhood, the better you’ll be able to defend your common ground if a crisis produces lawlessness.
On the other hand, if you are the only person in the neighborhood who is prepared for a big problem and everybody knows it, there is a good chance you will be a target when the SHTF.
As far as staying low-key about your preparedness is concerned, you probably won’t be singled out for your supplies if few people know you have them. As a result, you’ll have a better chance of staying safe during a crisis. But the downside is that you might be a lone wolf following a disaster, wishing you had some support from neighbors who might be strong in areas where you’re weak.
I believe the best approach is to covertly stockpile as many emergency items as you can, but also subtly find out who among your neighbors might be open to forming a survival team. Bring up the topics of disaster preparation and survival casually from time to time to see how neighbors respond.
If you come to the conclusion that some are on the same page as you, take it a step farther and see if they’re willing to discuss post-disaster plans with you. You’re bound to find somebody who could help make you and your family stronger in a crisis.
Being prepared should be a way of life. My church teaches provident living and self reliance, two things we and our families need to practise daily. I lead a church class in the basics on bugging out and in, as well as prudent living i.e.: long term food storage, gardening, water collection and purifying, etc. You cannot be prudent and rely on the world, one’s family needs to look to learning and staying close to the Spririt of the Lord. Listen and be guided.
Good advice, Lorraine. Thanks for your comment.
I live way out close to the river bottom and I have my grown kids living about a stone’s throw from me…. there is only one way in and one way out unless you can track through heavy thick brush and thistles…I like being a lone wolf….in the case of society crashing, you can trust no one.
There is an excellent book “A Failure of Civility” by a couple of special forces guys, which addresses the nuts and bolts of strengthening your bonds with your neighbors in anticipation of “interruptions to service.”
In California, it’s assumed that we’re overdue for a 7+ mag quake. Authorities say that it could hit tomorrow, or 30 years out. They expect 30K serious injuries in the first TEN MINUTES, and a few years back there were NEVER more than 200 trained EMT / Paramedics on duty serving the 2MILLION folks living between Oakland and San Jose. What about all the other communities? You need to be prepared to go without police, fire, ambulance, hospitals, stores for 10 days to 2 WEEKS! Take CERT training with your local fire dept.
Darcy is correct. I too live in California. I have experienced firsthand the earthquake of 1989. The Bay bridge’s top span crashed down onto the lower span, The Golden Gate Bridge was closed until it was inspected for safety. All the other bridges around the Bay Area were shut down until they were inspected for safety. In Oakland the transitional bridge top span collapsed onto the lower span crushing trucks, and cars alike. I was in the Army Reserve and a combat medic. I was selected to craw between these collapsed spans to find any survivors. I found a few but there wasn’t much I could do to save them because they were squished like a bug under your foot. A couple I was able to get out and they were taken to the hospital. The others, I just stayed with them until they passed.
San Francisco was blocked off on three sides. There was no access to the city except from the south on highway 101. But the highway was heavily damaged and supplies were slow to arrive the city. Even help was slow to arrive because other places were in need of help. The military was slow to respond because they really didn’t have the personnel available to respond. Most of the members were at their regular jobs or out of position. (You can’t drive a truck over a bridge that is damaged.)
I moonlighted at a local Safeway grocery store. After we cleaned up the mess that the quake threw on to the floor; hoards of people flocked into the store to purchase supplies that they felt that they needed to survive. The store manager closed the doors and would only open them for a few hours a day so that everyone could get just a few items that they may need. On my suggestion, we limited certain supplies to three and no one was to purchase more that 20 items at a time. Fruits and vegetables were limited to a few pound per item. They also had to wear wrist bands, which were numbered so that would have a place in line for the next day. Each wrist band colour was changed in colour so that no two colours were used in the same week and we (the store employees) removed the bands as the customer checked out. This way the store can ensure that the customer can not cheat the system. Oh yea, no family members can come in and cheat the system by buying extra items. If they were to come into the store they needed a wrist band too.
The system worked pretty well. It lasted for about two weeks and there were no incidents or people losing their tempers.
I have seem people working together, helping one another because we were all in the same situation. Strangers were directing traffic and the motorist obeying. The hospitals were full but we were able to send most of the people home to tend their injuries.
After seeing this turned me into being prepared for any emergency no matter what that emergency may be. It taught me that there is NO ONE YOU CAN TRUST EXCEPT YOURSELF IN AN EMERGENCY! Today’s Government will issue you a warning to shelter in place. This is their way of saying stay put and don’t get in the way. If people are in their homes they are less likely to get into trouble and require valuable resources that can be used elsewhere.
So be prepared, to survive, and sit it out until the confusion has subside.
On another note, you can prepare all you want, but if you isolate yourself, you are asking for trouble. One item you can’t put in a bag is the ability to get proper sleep. You need a trusted partner who will keep watch while you sleep, and vice versa. Someone who won’t slit your throat and steal your supplies while you sleep. Their comfort is trusting you not to do the same to them while they sleep. You will be bonded by this trust.
I purchased a Lifestraw for each member of my family, as water is the real key to life. Other than that, everyone in my circle is an adult, so our food needs are not as relevant. Knowing how to procure and process small game and birds, turtles and fish, find and prepare native plants and berries, will sustain an adult. I feel for the families with small children, as they need the proper food and vitamins to survive. Make sure you know how to rig a snare, and include fishing gear in your bugout supplies.
I’ve always tried to explain it to my good friends this is how I was raised. When have you ever said to yourself, “I wish I didn’t have extra food water and supplies at my disposal.” Having extra doesn’t mean waste, it just means rotating through it and not being lazy about it. I know what I have and where it is and the same for my tools and survival needs. I hope I never need the survival items but most of the items are things I use anyway in everyday life. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on stock piling or bunkers or the like but I don’t waste money either. I buy only what I need and buy quality. Don’t get me wrong though I’ll go to the Dollar Store too if the situation warrants too.
If you can have these conversations with your friends it doesn’t have to be political or apocalyptic just reference Sandy or Katrina and they should understand. You can’t be prepared for everything but not preparing for anything will get everyone hurt.
That was a very good post. Thank you. To be frank, I delete many of your emails as I either think of them as either too basic or too over the top. My knees are too bad to think about planting seeds. I don’t make enough money to put in a underground shelter or have several bug out locations fully stocked. But, I am a retired police officer. I can and do think all of the time. I stockpile food and ammunition and I can still shoot from a stationary position. Please, keep the good ones coming and spread the word.
Dear Frank,
Well said!!!
For us, just about everyone within a 100 mile radius knows we are active survivalists due to our book you published through P4P; SURVIVAL 101-HOW TO BUG OUT AND SURVIVE THE FIRST 72 HOURS. The local media (newspapers and radio) have done multiple articles and interviews with us.
They know we peach about the importance of having a “BOB” (Bug-Out-Bag) for every member of the family and being ready for a short-term WHITE or GREEN event survival emergency.
But, without much fanfare we are also gathering a “team,” of like minded families, just in case like they say, “The biggie disaster (natural or man made) hits that could be catastrophic and easily become a longer-term YELLOW, RED, or God save us all, an apocalyptic BLACK Survival Event where the S$%T really does hit the fan.
To our long-term event preparedness we just invested in one of the new technology ALEXAPURE PRO WATER PURIFICATION systems (only available through Water4Patriots.com). With this investment we have reduced our need for massive water storage and the annoying labor of periodic water rotation. We are confident other families in our team will be ordering ALEXAPURE’s soon, too.
Keep up your good works my friend and finding us the best of the best “”New World” survival products and technologies.
We much prefer the blend of going pure “Neanderthal” only when we absolutely must and “Pioneer” when the grid is lost. We always go “21st Century” for everything in between the two whenever possible, making a bad event an opportunity to thrive … not just survive!!!
May God Bless Us All and Save America,
Orrin
Preparedness for a SHTF scenario begins with preparedness for life’s smaller emergencies. A good opportunity to find like-minded people may be when a major weather event has been forecast for your area. I would avoid anyone who is rushing out in a last-minute panic to buy bread, milk, bottled water, batteries, etc. They are the ones who will probably never learn and would likely go after your supplies in a long term crisis. The people who just seem to take things in stride and maybe even look forward to the possibility of a few days out of the usual routine are probably the ones who plan ahead for their survival. I would begin talking with them first about preparation for the immediate storm and see where the dialogue leads. It will take time and multiple conversations to determine who you can really trust, but this is a start.
It doesn’t hurt to have an Army Medic Book and plenty of supplies for emergencies because there may come a time when you cannot get to the doctor. I am an herbalist and am in the process of having an her garden for medicinal purposes. I have two stock ponds and plenty of ferrel hogs and deer….know who to use a bow and arrow, and access to some chickens to raise from neighbor….they are survivalists also. Would rally like a windmill for electricity and am looking into it. I really hate to say it but the way this country is crumbling, we may all be just surviving before long.