[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Laughed at (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 11/5/2009 5:32:24 PM EDT
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I am working on getting setup to handle a range of events that may come. I have put together a (2) 5 gallon bucket grab and go survival package. I have also started working on a larger home version. Starting to look at freeze dried food, self packaged foods like beans, rice, and grains. My goal right now is modest. Try to get about 3 months worth of food and water packaged up and secured. Have some comfort items as well, cloths, jackets, blankets, sleeping bags, cooking stuff, sort of like a ready to use camping setup.
Well my brother was up and I showed him my preps I have done with the buckets. He sort of laughed at me. He said what am I worried about. Nothing is going to happen. He thinks I am totally nuts. I tried to explain about the fires we had. He says I am wasting my time and money on doing any of this. I did not bother with the talking about guns, I know that is useless. How do I, or is there a way to convince people that a little prep goes a long way? Would I be wasting my time in even trying to get him to see that some sort of prep is needed? Dru. |
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I've walked that path.
My advice? Keep your mouth shut and keep on prepping. No preppers will laugh. They will also make snide comments and poke fun at you. However, after you've spent considerable personal time, energy and money prepping these idiots will tell you "I don't need to prep. If shit happens I'm just gonna come her and eat all this stuff you have". Prep and shut up. You don't convince them. Find an american red cross preparedness phamplet and give it to them. THey can prep or not as they like. |
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Well considering you are in CA so you get what wild fires , earth quakes and hurricanes also? NOT having emergency preps is laughable. Im mean seriously is there a state that Mother Nature hates more then CA?
I think you are very smart to have your preps. Buy some extra nasty shit for your brother to eat when he comes crawling for your preps in the event of an emergency. Canned Scrapple and lima beans is on par for his attitude lol |
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What frozenny said... Do your thing, network with people with the same goals and don't worry about everyone else. C.g. what has said that and this is gonna be up to you, but you need to prepare yourself to turn him away if he shows up at your house during SHTF. I know if sounds calous but you put the work in for survival not him. OPSEC works great too, keep your preps a secret and you kill a bunch of birds with one stone. J- |
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I talk to two people about my preps....my wife and my father....Dad is part of my BOL plans and is a prepper......No one else knows, I don't tell other relatives....I don't trust them to not run there mouths and then when things get bad people start showing up at the door.....
My brother is the same way....not even a firearm allowed in his home....his wife won't have it.......... |
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I don't tell anyone except my closest family members (who "get it") and a few friends. I know who I can depend on if something happens, they may not prep as much as I do, because they are unable to, but they know they'll be welcome at my house...and they'll bring what they can. |
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As others have stated, OPSEC first and foremost. In a month or so, I'd tell your brother that he was right and you got rid of all that stuff you stocked up on.
I think the key to get people to understand prepping is to make them think for themselves. Just start up an informal conversation when you're just hanging out drinkin beers about the chaos that would ensue if the power went out for three days. Once people start thinking about what they would do, even for just a minute, you've planted a seed. |
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I have succeeded in the last couple years in getting just about my entire family and most of my friends on board with at least doing basic preps. It takes a while - one thing I do is send out newspaper articles (usually just one or maybe two a day) about different views on what is going on - quite a few I get from here or www.survivalblog.com - I always make sure it is newspaper articles and hard facts. I don't send out bullshit from debkafiles, infowars, globalresearch, wnd, etc etc... I especially look for the stories we don't hear about the economy. One sister converted after I bought her a copy of One Second After - I used the Newt Gingrich approach because most people realize he is a pretty smart guy.
Credibility is the big thing - you have to be careful about what you send out - I don't do anything with sites that are borther or truther related. Give it a try because you know when the SHTF you'll be taking care of these people. |
Spellcheck genius
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So what!! My brothers and family feel the same way! Really I could care less! Would I take them in? Yes there family! Do I feel fighting a up hill battle is worth it? No not at all! MY family being my wife and children come first above everything!! You need to ask yourself"What is worth trying to protect?" Then you can answer the question "How do I get my brother on board?"
For me if my brothers die! Yes it sucks but what I care most about is still alive! |
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It's not just about the "end of the world" crap. SHTF happens all the time. If you loose your job, you could be one of the saps asking the Gov to give them something for "free" or you could use some of the prep you already have. Have a bad winter storm and have no power for 2 weeks? Tornado rips up the town? It happens multiple times every year.
In the old days, when 80%+ of the country lived on the farm, everyone had a pill of supplies hidden some where. The government didn't come help you during a flood, drought, blizzard......You made it on your own. Its what made this country. Those that didn't plan became stories to scare children...the Donner Party, Roanoke Colony..... |
My Wife's worthless family, who in a SHTF situation would be completely useless and detrimental to my sanity and anyone else they are around for more than 30 minutes, knows about our preps. And think we're nuts. They're just the types who would survive a nuke or some other disaster, stumble through the wasteland and leech off our supplies. We'd starve in a couple of weeks with these worthless, asinine, morons around. Her Mother actually said to me, half joking, "now they'd have someplace to go". I flat out told her our supplies are for the two of us, our child and pets and not for anyone else, even family. To have food and water put away for themselves would be the wise thing to do. She kinda laughed and changed the subject. What would you do if someone like that showed up? 
Tell no one. |
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My brother is exactly the opposite. He sees prepping as a natural behavior. Sad thing is we're both broke college students, not so sad is I'll graduate soon with 100% job security at least for now.
Dad agrees with prepping but can't bring himself to get supplies, he'll take slight cajoling after he sees my ¨rapid¨ build-up of supplies after my graduation.  My message is: Keep building up your supplies like mad. It's been said to death, buy more of the simplest staples, rice&beans kind, and you'll have something to throw at the leeches.
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My Wife's worthless family, who in a SHTF situation would be completely useless and detrimental to my sanity and anyone else they are around for more than 30 minutes, knows about our preps. And think we're nuts. They're just the types who would survive a nuke or some other disaster, stumble through the wasteland and leech off our supplies. We'd starve in a couple of weeks with these worthless, asinine, morons around. Her Mother actually said to me, half joking, "now they'd have someplace to go". I flat out told her our supplies are for the two of us, our child and pets and not for anyone else, even family. To have food and water put away for themselves would be the wise thing to do. She kinda laughed and changed the subject. What would you do if someone like that showed up?
Tell no one.  You just described my life to a T. I know how you feel 
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| Let 'em laugh. SHTF or no, I benefit from my preps all the time. We never run out of anything any more - now it's a walk to the garage if we run short of toilet paper or {Motrin|steak sauce|pork and beans|...} instead of a 7 mile drive to town. Being prepared is a lifestyle, not an eccentric hobby. |
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You know, you could direct him to what FEMA says he ought to be doing, and chastise him in a joking way that even the govt recommends he prepare for emergencies. Umm, he lives in an area prone to earthquakes, fires, landslides. DUMB to not have some basic preps in place.
FEMA site Be prepared for him to show up at your place asking for handouts. Good time to remind him what a dumbass he was to not do what the govt asked him to do. |
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+1 for OPSEC
+1 for telling him you got rid of all your preps But, of course, he's your brother and you are concerned. Get him ramen noodles. Lots and lots of ramen noodles. They're cheap as hell. When he shows up at your door, point at the buckets with the noodles and tell him that they are his rations and not to touch your stash. Hopefully, it will not be a EOTWAWKI event and he will have learned a lesson, if not you've taught him that you are the authority on the subject and should listen to you. "Hey, guy! Remember the preps? Howsabout you STFU and listen to me, or do you like eating ramen 3 times a day?" |
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mixed feelings on this one. sorta like folks not saving for retirement. try to educate up to a point, because in the end we all pay for those who don't take care of themselves.... In my world that's not true. I am not my brother keeper. He is. Some decisions have adult consequences. It seems he has made some. You can lead a horse to water... and then it's not your fault if he dies of thirst. |
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Dru,
I was also laughed at. It was 1992 and I was working for a large company that had a Safety Team. I joined. I got trained. I helped rotate their supplies. I was told "get rid of anything expired" which was a joke between us all because everyone knew I was the packrat. So it all came home with me. "Expired" water, med supplies, all of it. Right into my disaster cupboard. I was building (what I realize now was) a BoB with supplies enough for my son and I to survive for three days. I never really talked about this stuff, not even to my then-husband or best friend. I just did it because I wanted to, and it was "one of those silly little things she does." 1993 came and my supply stash grew. I was thinking more about things, and my kit and cupboard were getting more comprehensive. All of the things I had discussed with the former Marine I had dated for a while came back to me. I started wandering into surplus stores and looking for useful things at the dollar stores. At the time I was living in Chatsworth, CA. 1994. The weekend of my birthday we had a party. That Sunday I cleaned the house and put the dishes in the dishwasher. The next day was a holiday for me but the ex had to go to work - his first 4am shift at Packard Bell. He got up and went to work. I remember laying in bed after he left thinking about what I was going to get done that day, and all the BOOM! RATTLE RATTLE *glass breaking* RRRRUUUUMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLEE......*screams*JOLT*car alarms*SHAKESHAKESHAKEisthisevergoingtoend?!?! 4:31 AM, Monday, January 17, 1994. The Northridge Earthquake. I was in the bottom floor of a two-story apartment. I was three miles from the epicenter. But here's the difference. I was able to reach for my flashlight (and find it) and put on my jeans, socks and work boots, t-shirt and sweatshirt which were stacked up next to my nightstand all the while calling out and talking to my then 5-year-old son. There was no power, it was pre-dawn dark. I could hear the neighbors in the apartment complex next door screaming. Dogs barking, car alarms going off. I was in crisis mode. I had trained for this, prepped for this. I knew what needed to get done and I was doing it. I checked on my son and he was sitting up at the head of his bed with his arms crossed, looking fiercely angry. "You okay?" I'll never forget his reply: "I don't like that big noise come an mess up my room!" Hahaha, okay kid. stay put. Put on these clothes and wait for mommy. I gotta gather some things then we're going to Gramma and Grandpa's! It was about that time that my idiot ex comes in, barely able to function, saying over and over and over "Oh my God, oh my God..." Yes, I know. We had an earthquake. SNAP OUT OF IT! I finally got him to focus and start loading the car. Water, blankets, clothes, salvageable food, all the stuff from my disaster closet was taken out and packed into the car while I tried to find the cats. I finally located them under my son's bed. Got them crated up and loaded along with my son and his stuff. Left a note on the door about where we had gone and away we went. By 9am that morning as the rest of the family gathered, my dad and I had a full breakfast cooking on the Coleman stove and we were watching TV (they had power sporadically) and making plans. They had gone out gathering folk they were responsible for and brought them to the house. They'd come by to gather us, but I'd left the note on the door so they knew we were okay and where we went. We moved back into my old room and were pretty much self-sufficient from the moment we stepped in the door. I'd brought my supplies with me, and was willing to work to help where needed. I left the idiot ex to help mom clean up the kitchen and Dad and I went to go check on the shop. He's a manufacturer, and we were very concerned about the chemical plating tanks and drilling machines. The weeks following the Northridge Quake were some of the most... interesting... I've ever experienced. I learned a great deal of very valuable lessons. I learned about the limits of preparation, where my strengths and weaknesses were and what needed to improve. I learned that I'm extremely strong and capable but that some people that I expected to be like me just couldn't handle it. Most of all, I was respected because I knew what to do, and was able to do it. And after that, no one laughed at me anymore. I continue to prepare, train and learn. My best friend is my preparedness partner now and she lends her skills and knowledge to mine. I'm fortunately in a situation right now where I have the location to store supplies, and a bit of "extra" money to get the things I need. I still get "that look" from my other housemates, but it's good-natured. They know that when the next time this happens - and we're overdue - that I'm ready. I AM the insurance policy. So keep on doing what you're doing. You're not the only one doing it, but just remember that despite the Shake Out drills, prepping isn't "trendy" right now. It never is until after the fact. Your brother will be caught unawares. You will not. That's his decision and your decision. I think you're making the right one. |
| Oddly enough, last time i was laughed at was the exact same thing. My brother saw my buckets of preps. (he was helping us move...) Said nothing would ever go wrong. I looked at him serious as death and said, "well, I can afford to be wrong. can you?" Kinda shut him up. |
a few years ago we had a snowstorm in mid october with wet snow on trees that still had leaves on them. needless to say power lines came down. trees came down. my sister called my boy on his cell phone asking if he could go to Home depot and pick up a generator that they could buy over the phone with their credit card seeing as they were snowed in. my boy has a 4wd pick up, so he and i went and got it and delivered it to my sister and bro in law [and their 4 kids]. they had maybe 2 gals of gas in a can and one extention cord so my having a 4wd cherokee, i came home and got 20 gal of gas and several extension cords and flashlights and xtra batteries and took them back to them. just one example where someone who may have laughed at your preps yesterday could be begging for your help tommorrow. at that point you could tell your brother " this is a one time thing, the next time something like this or worse happens, don't call me, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN!" " now you see the reason why it's worthwhile to prepare". 
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We had a bad flood here. Knocked out power for over a week. Had lights , heat , cold beer , hot coffee and food. TV , DVD player.
The red cross dropped off a 2 gallon bucket " to bail out the basement"  in the bucket was some propaganda a flashlight (that broke the 2nd time I turned it on) and a bottle of water.
If it wasnt for the HEAT and hot food idk we would have been in sad shape! It was the winter melt that caused the flood plus it was non stop raining and in the 40s outside so you can imagine how cold the flood water was! I was actually in FL with my cousin when it happened. A friend down the street with a lifted truck Came to check on my Grand Mother who was still alive at the time. made sure she was squared away and got her stove top coffee pot out and set up for her. Another friend came over and stayed with her while we flew home. With in an 2 hours of getting off the airplane our house had 50% of its function back and the basement was pumped out. That flood put alot of people out because they had no heat , food ect. Believe in being prepared. Not to mention my grand parrents and great aunts lived thru the depression. So having stuff squirreled away was just normal to me. I was a Boy Scout so I learned to be prepared as a kid. |
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Oddly enough, last time i was laughed at was the exact same thing. My brother saw my buckets of preps. (he was helping us move...) Said nothing would ever go wrong. I looked at him serious as death and said, "well, I can afford to be wrong. can you?" Kinda shut him up. "well, I can afford to be wrong. can you?" This thread is now concluded. |
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As others have stated, OPSEC first and foremost. In a month or so, I'd tell your brother that he was right and you got rid of all that stuff you stocked up on. If you really value OPSEC, tell him this. It's a pretty good idea. This is a good idea. |
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just remember that noah was laughed at too.  "How long can you tread water? Ha Ha Ha Ha." I have endured major personal SHTF more than once. Preparation helped ease the consequences. I work with SAR and disaster response and have been to some places that were very devastated and seen what it takes to get back tosome semblence of normalcy. While no one can prepare for any eventuality, all preparation makes the consequences less severe, and in many cases turns a major SHTF into a very minor ripple. |
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California?!? I'll pray for you. Be prepared to evacuate to the next state over. Get extra gas cans for your car, and very small trailer to haul them, covered with a tarp. Freeze-dried food, bottles of water and a backpacking filter-pump. .22 pistol.
He laughs best, who is still alive! |
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On September 10, 2001, some of the people whom I had tried to convert to preppers thought I was a nutjob. On September 11th, Some of those people wanted info on how to get guns. Most never really caught on, but a few became die hards.
Do not worry about your brother. If you feel some sort of obligation, build a bucket for him and keep it with your stuff. He can be your SHTFBeotch. "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those with loaded guns and those who dig....you dig!" |
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I'm moving to a remote location soon and already have my list of stuff to start buying when I get settled.
I'm not telling a soul, but if it's bad enough that my 2 brothers and sister need a place to come to, I'll try to be ready. In the meantime, I honestly don't trust anyone to not tell others about what I'm doing, and if nothing happens, no one will know what I'm doing but me. |
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On September 10, 2001, some of the people whom I had tried to convert to preppers thought I was a nutjob. On September 11th, Some of those people wanted info on how to get guns. Most never really caught on, but a few became die hards. Do not worry about your brother. If you feel some sort of obligation, build a bucket for him and keep it with your stuff. He can be your SHTFBeotch. "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those with loaded guns and those who dig....you dig!" No one really thought that anyone would be dumb enough to fly airplanes into buildings ... until Sept 11th ... What I don't get is that there are plenty of historical situations that people never planned for, or expected, yet people today still have the "It can't/won't happen to us" mentality |
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He is family, I worry about him. I have no choice in that. He is also the OLDER brother so that is a strike against me. I also worry about my sister in law, my nieces too. I am lucky in that I am all ready in the boonies. That helps to keep my secrets. There are a few who know I am preping. They too are also preping. We are sharing tips and tricks we find on line and by doing.
It blows my mind how soon people forget things that happen. I was helping my brother build his house in Murrieta. There was a big wild fire coming towards his house. We did what we could to cover the open roof to keep embers out. He was freaking out and running around like a headless chicken. I explained what if that happens again and you have to run? Ehh, what ever, no biggy. I was close to the Cedar fires out here. They pretty much kept me home for 8 days. They burned a lot of houses and people lots every thing. I am trying to get something ready IF that event happens again. It is suppose to be an El Nino year. So that means more rain over the winter and that means more weeds and under brush growth. So we could have a bad fire season again. Sarah, I was hammered by the Earth quake that hit Imperial Valley. The one that moved the All American canal over 30 feet and collapsed the earth quake proof police station. I was on the edge but power was out stuff came flying down off the shelves and crap flying every where. I had my camping gear packed away but did have a flash light on the head board. The batteries even worked. I am not trying to plane for 2012, world ending, man, bear pig flu (Al Gore's nemesis) epidemic that kills almost every one or an event that turns the Zombies loose on humanity. I am trying to get prepared for the basics. When I try to talk to him, it is like he has a look like "I KNOW" but if he does something, it is like it may be real? I do not want to be at a point6 I might as well just put the dirt on top and call it a day. I have started the planning of my home stash. To start I needed to pick a few simple goals. I am starting with 3 months of food and water. I will be adding as I can. Next week I will be getting a bag of beans and rice from Costco. That is my humble start there. It is a work in progress and it will change as I learn more about what to prep for and how to do it. Thanks. Dru. P.S. We canpick a lot of things in our lives, our nose, butts, ears, friends, but we are stuck with our families. I will try to prep for others as I can, but I will be first in line. |