Oh yeah, they'll be the first to come looking for a handout though

1st rule of tin foil club...

Quoted:  My wife thought I was nuts.

Mine too. But her parents for some reason are pretty cool, hell they were even jericho addicts. I gave my MIL my cheaper than dirt master catalog with circles in it for ideas for christmas. I think we will be our own worse enemy when SHTF because everyone else will be leeches.

I make subtle hints but I don't go around bragging about what I have or what I'm planning to get unless it's with someone that I know preps.  Since I got into all of this stuff I make it a point to bring up "interesting news articles" and hypothetical scenarios when we're sitting around shooting the shit.  Also, whenever someone needs something like a flashlight, a knife, duct tape or whatever I've always got it handy.  If it's not on me then I run out to the car and grab it.  Then I make it a point to mention how easy it is to keep a few things like that in the trunk.  Every now and then I try to get them over to my house while my BOB is laid out.  When they ask me about some new toy I make sure and point out what a great deal I got and how useful whatever it is has been.  I've managed to get most of my friends interested in getting started. They all keep their camping backpacks packed up and ready to go.  Next time I put some stuff up in buckets I'm going to make some extras for them (they're paying me for it).  Getting them all armed is posing the biggest challenge.  Years of apartment living and liberal wives/family that don't approve of guns makes it difficult.  You just have to ease them into it.  You've got to plant seeds in their heads and let them make up their own minds.  Some people just never catch on.  Others will surprise you and be asking you for tips in no time.

Sorry I got distracted by the Best Florida Beaches thing on the Travel Channel.  I don't even remember the question.

Yeah, get one.  Two would be better.

ETA:  Whew, commercial break.

There's no opsec (cool term) here.  Friends and family think I worry about things that aren't going to happen.  My wife has become a little bit more supportive over the past six months or so.  The friends have stopped giving me crap, either because it's old news or they've started to consider the possibility.  I don't know.  Show's back on.

Yeah

Why tell co-workers and 'friends'... Loose lips sink ships.

Close family only around our place.  Nobody else needs to know.

I get tired of the (your an idiot if you believe TEOTWAWKI might happen look) from people and 99% of the family. Drives me crazy. I love my family (extended family) but I refuse to let my wife and two children suffer becasue I want to fit in with the rest of the sheeple.

I just recently made a new friend in the community. We are both prior military and both of the same mind when it comes to preparing for that "Rainy Day". It has helped get me refocused again about preparing. Best thing that has happened in awhile, because we can talk and bounce ideas off each other and not have to be outcast for our beliefs.

So my .02 to u is find a buddy who is of a like mind in this area if you dont all ready have one and keep each other going when everyone else in the world wants to call the men with the little white jackets on you.

My wife still thinks I'm nuts, to bad she makes most of the money untill I get done with college.  She is comming around a little bit. I just make sure she looks at every news article about power outages, water shutdowns, and sever weather. She did point to a generator and Sams yesterday and ask if it would be big enough to keep some lights on if the power went out.  Maybe I'm not so nuts after all.

Quoted: 1st rule of tin foil club...

Don't talk about tin foil club.

Anybody who comments that they intend to "come to my house" when things go bad is met by my standard speech. That is basically that you are more than welcome if you can provide something of value to the community. If not, we will find a use for you, whether that means dog food or fertilizer will be determined at the time.

My wife is supportive and I don't really care what anyone else thinks.  We went through our defensive measures plan yesterday and my wife concluded that I think about this stuff a lot, and she probably needs to think about it more.  It's nice to have discussions about picking up extra bags of rice that focus on where we're going to store it and how we're going to seal it rather than if we really need multiple 50# bags of rice.

If you buy a ham radio just in case you might need it someday, like my dad, you're a nut job.  If you get a ham license, then buy a radio and use it, it's a hobby.  The key difference is whether or not you learn how to use your gear before you need it.  If you don't know anything about your equipment, it's strengths and limitations, or if it's even still operable until a disaster strikes, you're only slightly better off than the people who have nothing.

I recently learned which of my liquid fuel stoves I can feed the nasty, dirty fuel that's been sitting around for several years.  My Primus stoves need the nozzle cleaned after each use if I feed them random crap for fuel.  My little Coleman Apex stove apparently doesn't care, which is a useful tidbit of information.

As others stated, the biggest problem is that you violated the first rule of tin foil hat club - you do not talk about tin foil hat club.  I don't believe that such an organization actually exists.  

I had a few friends who did - up until I got them to watch Jericho!

Seriously though, most everyone in my family and circle of friends are preparedness minded.

Most of the people that died on 9/11 were people that remained calm and stayed in their offices and continued working.

Sometimes freaking out and going nuts is a good thing.

my family thinks i'm nuts but my friends on are the bandwagon (in thinking only they haven't started preping), my girlfriend thinks im weird but is happy to go along with me, one of the guys at work thinks i'm totally off my rocker but the i talk about preps with the others, so i'm pretty good, just got to get my girl involved in preps and shooting now and ill be happy and broke

I'm a little surprised that you get that reaction in Utah medicmandan.  At least as far as food, water and other non-gun supplies, prepping is a religious mandate and most people I know think it is admirable and normal.  People who have been in my storage room have complimented us on our preps.  The only people who have made comments to the effect that we are wacky is my wife's non-mormon father and sister in law from Nevada (which is unfortunate, because their place would make a great BOL).

Now if anybody else, including my wife, knew the extent of the armory, they would all think I was certifiable.  Heck, I'd half-agree with them.

Quoted: Quoted: 1st rule of tin foil club... Don't talk about tin foil club.

And the 2nd rule of the Tin Foil Club is . . . . . . . .


But really, I dont say much to most, and my g/f slash soon to be wife is supportive and likes the idea of being prepared and self sufficient. And she can shoot too.....

   I hear ya' Medic.  There's probably small group of my friends that believe in prepping but no to the level I am at.  At least they have something to get them by for a short term SHTF.  Others I have hinted and preached to a while back but fell on deaf ears.  Oh well at least I tried.  Only one of my neighbor knows I prep.  The rest are on their own.  I've heard comments in the past "well I know where to go when things go bad".  I tell them "sorry I'm not the Red Cross or FEMA."

   Pretty much my wife is on board with prepping.  Sometimes I do get from her "another propane tank or more matches?" comment.  I tell her it's a barter item just in case.  The rest of my immediate family are also on board, actually appreciative on my effort.

   Unfortunately there are people here that has short term memory of past horrific and tragic events whether be nature or people caused.
     

Sure do, people say "Your paranoid" or "Why" sometimes I just laugh and ignore them, other times I'll try to explain how delicate our food service system is, or how delicate the power grid is, ect. but rarely do people care. I guess it suits the sheeple to be uniformed and ignorant.

Like squirrel shit.

I guess I've always been the prepared one.  Even as a boy scout many years ago I was always the kid who was better prepared. It did become a joke, but even through the laughter others would later come seeking assistance.

I really turned to deliberate and thoughful preparedness prior to Y2K.  Yah.  A big non event but you never know.  I didn't do anything crazy, just started buying a little bit more of everything on every trip to the store.  Friends and family did outright call me nuts.

I did, however, also note that these same people who would laugh at my preparedness would, in the same breath, claim that they were coming to my house if the shit hit the fan.  This was of course met with an immediate response:  'Don't bother.  Save yourself the trip.  The door will be locked and there won;t be room for you".  This was met with shocked looks.  

Friends and family have pretty much fallen into two camps.  There are a few holdouts who refuse to prepare.  They like to chuckle at my preparedness.  However, the number of these holdouts have SUBSTANTIALLY declined in recent years.  Hurricane Katrina really helped in that respect.  While few are as prepared as I am, most now have a few preps set aside and are good for a week or so.  Nothing great but better than before.  They've stopped laughing, and have started to ask for assistance...

If anyone gives you a hard time, ask them if they have life insurance.  Then tell them to thik about it:  The insurance company is betting that they live, and they are betting that they die .  Why do you buy life insurance, or house insurance?  Because bad things frequently happen to good people.  This stuff is my insurance.  I may never need it (like life insurance) but I sleep better knowing I have it...

If you want friends and family to take preparedness seriously, there are a few hints:

1) Do not call it survivalism.  Call it preparedness.  Its purely semantics, but the effect is real.  Its the difference between calling something a "Deer Rifle" and an 'Assault Rifle".  A 6.5 or 6.8 Ar15 fits the bill in eatiehr case but terminology make a difference for teh uninitiated.

2) Do not talk about end of the world, zombies, repelling hordes, etc.  DO talk about everday occurances.  Talk about hurricane katrina.  Earthquakes.  The water shortage in Atlanta. Fires in california.  Talk about the Ice Strom of '98.  

3) Do not talk about 6 months of supplies.  Its too daunting and 'extreme' initially.  Do talk about a week.  Maybe two.  AFTER they have bit and are hooked and have two weeks of supplies, then start talking about longer term situations.  The aftermath of the hurricane, etc.  It will be MUCH easier to get them thinking in terms of extending two weeks out to a month at that point than it will be to try to get them to think about a month right off...

4) Save the long term EOTWAWKI talk.  Stow it.  Some of those who jump on board the preparedness train will initially do 3 days, a week, two, then a month.  They'll come to you.  Hey Frozenny. " I got these supplies but I was wondering..... " .  They let you know when they need more info......

Half of my family thinks I'm nuts.  My oldest niece, immediately after the Sept 11th attacks thought that her father and I were really tuned in.  Since nothing similar has happened lately, we are both back to being nuts.

Two of my nephews, they think I am nuts.

My other niece and nephew have a clue.  That nephew continues to prep.

My sister...she is getting a little better.

Co-workers :  When we were filing out of roll call at the beginning of our shift on Sept 11th 2001, a co-worker dropped in behind me and whispered that he needed to talk to me.  Later on during the shift I gave him advice on what supplies to lay in.

A few years later, another co-worker who is a leech and is under the impression that he is everyone's hero asked me how much food I kept on hand.  I told him I was a bachelor who lived three blocks off of "Fast Food blvd".  Since he has no marketable skills and no socially redeeming value, I can see this person somehow managing to survive any situation to leech upon people more prepared than him.  I never talked about preparedness around this sleeze ball.

On a more positive note, some of my other co-workers have begun prepping as time and finances allow.  Three of them have read Tappan on Survival.  I told them that some of the book was outdated, but they still ordered it.  Shortly there after one of them asked me to help him pick out some books on wilderness medicine and another co-worker bought and is reading Lucifer's Hammer.

I rambled on entirely too long.

Medicguy

All of my friend know me well enough to know my political stances, and all of them pretty much have the same. The dont think Im nuts at all. Most of my family agrees with me; but not all of them know my political views. I dont volunteer my points of view onto people.  If you bring it up face to face, I'll discuss it ;  otherwise you wouldnt know Im a gun enthusiast, or a survivalist. I dont "advertise" it.

If they do they don't have enough backbone to say to my face

My wife is good to go on preps.  

My sons are about 90% inline and even their girl friends taking to having a BOB/GHB.

WE ARE NUTS

My wife feels that any day now, the dead will rise and try to eat our brains. She is ok with me buying guns, ammo, Mre's and other goodies.

My wife lived through Hurricane Andrew.  She's more into preparedness that me in many respects.  We're not a guns and ammo kind of family.  She realizes the safe full of guns are working tools and a few family heirlooms but we don't trust our future to the barrel of a gun.  More important to her is the stocked pantry, the freezer, and drinking water.

Her first impulse in a time of trouble is to get the children to a place of safety.  If that were to require exceptional measures, so be it.  After we get squared away, she's all about helping others.  It's just what we do.

One small example...  The phone rings a few weeks back and it's one of the neighbors warning her to get the kids in the house because a pit bull was roaming the neighborhood loose.  This dog is a known biter and is the thorn in the side of the whole community as are it's "owners".  She hangs up the phone and says to me "Grab your gun, the dog's loose again."  I got to spend the next two hours sitting on the back porch with my '97 Winchester, listening to some Blue Grass, and waiting for precious pup to arrive.  As a side note, it seemed that all my neighbors suddenly started sitting on the porch cleaning their shotguns, too, strange how that happens.  My point is this, she knows guns are tools just like our other preparations and that at times our kids depend on some of that stuff.  Don't mess with mama bear.

J.

A local school system was auctioning off surplus and one item was a military 10kw diesel generator on a one ton trailer.  

I could not make it to the sale, but my dad was there and I asked him to bid on it for me.  He thought I was crazy.  "what are you going to do with something like that"  my reply, light up the world or at least our house.


ends up a coworker bought it.  he deals with that kind of thing and stated it would sale for $3500

nct

Not really nuts, just a little peculiar.    

How much detail I share depends upon who I am talking to.  Coworkers, casual friends, etc I usually talk about having a few weeks worth of stuff around for bad weather type events.  When pressed about what could happen I point to NOLA or (locally) the great 1993 snowstorm, and ask them how they liked having no power/heat/hot water/food for a week with 28" of snow on the ground.

I gave up trying to discuss preps for more advanced issues like the economy, etc.  Most people cannot/dont want to fathom a scenario like a major depression, economic collapse, etc.  Even with some numbers and facts to back up what you are saying, people still think you are crazy for talking like that.

My wife and my brother are the only ones who know that I prep regularly. My brother doesn't think it's a bad idea, although he doesn't do any prepping himself. When I bring the subject up, he usually says he can't afford it now. My answer is that it won't matter later then whether he can afford it or not, it'll be too late.

My wife thinks we "have enough" food preps, although she really has no idea how much there really is. My food pantry is locked and I control the key. She knows where the key is, but doesn't bother with it. My wife knows that I still live the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared", and ever since the hurricanes of a few years ago, she doesn't seriously question what I do in regards to preps.

Outside of my wife and brother, I don't care to discuss my preps with anyone else. Perhaps that will change if I come accross someone locally of a like mind.  

Quoted: Whenever I bring up that I made a large purchase of something, or am making other preps my family/friends/coworkers take the opportunity to make jabs or say I'm a nut.   Picked up a bunch of strike anywhere matches tonight cause they were cheap.  When I got home I vac sealed them all and added them to the storage area.  My wife thought I was nuts. The guys at work think I'm nuts for having 55 gal drums of water.  They thought I was nuts when I got my HAM license and bought some equipment. I really don't care what they think but I find it annoying that they really believe at some point that stuff isn't going to be needed.   I'll get the last laugh when my family is sitting comfortable, enjoying hot meals and most of the comforts of everyday life while they starve.while they pile up in the frount yardfixed it for ya Anyone else catch flak from other people for trying to be prepared?

My friends are preppers, enough said.

My neighbors got on the bandwagen prior to Y2k.  I doubtthat any of them have anything left over from then, or have restocked since.  They do comment that if SHTF, they'll be asking me b/c I'll know what to do about it.  No one had commented on eating my food.  Sometimes pride is indeed a good thing.

I am truly a blessed man.

Ops

Quoted: I did, however, also note that these same people who would laugh at my preparedness would, in the same breath, claim that they were coming to my house if the shit hit the fan.  This was of course met with an immediate response:  'Don't bother.  Save yourself the trip.  The door will be locked and there won;t be room for you".  This was met with shocked looks.

Your response is priceless.

I get this all the time too, that folks are coming to my house if the SHTF. I always just smile and nod, but I am thinking exactly what you said. Actually, my plan would be to drive by the local strip club just before the SHTF and advertise for my home for wayward girls.

I guess it makes the sheeple feel good and lets them sleep at night if they believe they have somewhere to go. They must have never read the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper. Why they expect me and others like me to share our life-giving and life-saving preps with them, when they had the chance to do the same and did nothing, is simply beyond me.

In the end, I am reminded of the old bumper sticker, "Gas, grass or ass. Nobody rides for free!" If anyone does decide to take in friends or neighbors, here are some guidelines to use. I wish that I would have developed these myself, but I am certainly grateful for the poster that did.



House Rules for SHTF


Frankly, if I decide to be charitable and take somebody in, they're going to have to follow some set rules and agree to them before they get ANYTHING from me:

1) First, I'm in charge. What I say goes, period. This isn't a democracy. I don't care about your opinion, and I don't want to hear about what's fair and what isn't. This is a dictatorship, and I am the supreme overlord of the People's Republic of My Friggin' House. If you don't like it, you are free to leave at any time.

2) I expect you to make yourself useful. Even if it's something as mundane as cooking, cleaning, or keeping any kids that might be sheltering with us as calm as possible, you're going to do SOMETHING to earn your keep for as long as you accept my hospitality.

3) I probably won't expect any sort of reimbursement for all the expensive supplies you consumed while staying with me, but a heartfelt thank you would be nice.

4) Shut up. I don't want to hear that I'm doing things the wrong way. I don't want to hear that I'm being unfair. I don't want to hear that I have too many guns or ammo or that I'm exposing them to the children, or whatever other bullshit you have to say. Just shut up, eat your MRE or beanie-weanies or whatever the crap I just fed you and stay out of my way.

5) I'm in charge. My shelter, my food, my ammunition, my equipment, my rules. If you want to give orders, go back to your place, assuming it's still in existence and habitable.

6) Children will be under control at all times. This is my place; they will not, I repeat, NOT be left unsupervised at any time, especially since I don't want them messing with my stuff, plenty of which is delicate, expensive, extremely useful in our time of need, dangerous, or all of the above. I do not want to deal with whining or screaming brats who don't understand the concept of obedience, courtesy, or discretion. If they insist on being uncontrollable little hellions, I can and will introduce them to the concept of corporal punishment if you refuse to do your job and raise them yourself.

7) No smoking. I'm allergic to that shit and I can't stand the stench of it anyway. If you absolutely must have your fix, go somewhere else to do it. When you come back, rinse yourself off and change your clothes.

8) No alcohol. An emergency is not the time to be drunk or disorderly. All alcoholic beverages will be rationed as anesthesia in case of emergency, such as a broken bone or we have to pull shrapnel out of your ass.

9) Please be considerate. Dispose of your trash and bodily waste in the proper manner. Do not unnecessarily consume my limited resources (food, water, fuel, batteries, TP, etc.), and don't make a bunch of noise or do anything that would be considered unpleasant by everyone else present, especially me. Nobody knows how long we'll have to be together, but I'd like to spend that time without being tempted to strangle you for being a complete asshole.

10) Lastly, and most importantly, I'm in charge. You will do as I say. I cannot stress this enough.

Only my brother and best friend know the extent of my enthusiasm for firearms. Everyone else, its just "I've gone shooting before" unless they ask for more info. My brother loves the EBRs and MGs, but probobly wouldn't more than one for himself. He's a little bit shy about expressing his interest.

As for preps, my parents decided to stock up big time for Y2K. After nothing happened they decided to tear through the preps after a financial crisis. The only thing that remains of my parents preps is a 55 gal. drum full of rice.

Watching Jericho and reading some SHTF fiction here it really changed my perspective. I've decided to prep and told my brother about it. He is unconvinced, but would turn very quickly if something happened.

In short the only one that really knows is my younger brother, he thinks I'm a nut. He would change his perspective in an instant if something happened.

I tried to find like minded people at my work to talk about preps.  I found one but now the rest all know and think I'm "a gun nut" and crazy.  A few have told me they will be coming over in a shtf emergency.  In the past I just told them no but then I got the whole "I thought we were friends" talk and the "you would turn my family away" talk.  

I tried to explain that I have only few preps etc...etc...etc....now I tell them that I have ranged my entire subdivision.

Bucky145    

       

Bottom line is if you tell everybody, the preps you make for those you are responsible or who you have agreed to share with or want to share with will be squandered and/or stolen.  You don't have to lie, just don't advertise truth.

Most of my close friends know to some extent and are of a like mind. The GF thinks i'm insane but lets me do what I want. My best friend is way further along and has things hidden at my place.

I don't talk about what I have or intend to get but I do get the "I know where i'm goin if SHTF" from some folks. Mostly from friends of friends who end up at the range with us and see some of my tactical preps. I have passed on this standing requirement to many folks,
  If you can find me after SHTF then you must also bring with you six (6) months of personal food and gear, weapons prefered but not required. You must also have a skill that I or the crew don't already have i.e. growing corn on asphault, turning old tires into water, healing the sick with soap. If you can't, then I feed you to the hogs. Sorry about your luck. Start now and you may have a chance on your own.
 This weeds out all but the most sheepish.

MMMMM....Sheep, it's what's for dinner.



 

My family knows me pretty well and is not surprised I have been into guns and preps. My wife is actually very into it with me, and is an awesome organizer and idea person. I don't talk too much about this kind of stuff at work, so the folks there really don't know what I'm into. My closest friends all have a similar mindset.

I have a responsibility to my family, so in reality, I'm not real concerned about what folks think anyway. I do what I do because I know it is the right thing. I do strive to keep it in perspective though. Immediate family needs come first, preps for what ifs are budgeted with help from the wife.

yup

If a prepper makes it known then sheep will flock to his house looking for help.

I typically try not to tell people about it but when it does come up yes they think I am wierd.  Most have an I'll get by attitude and in my mind I am thinking not on my dime you won't.

I have been quitely prepping for the last year. Much more than ever before. My family has always been somewhat skeptical, but times are changing.

I talked to them for a long time about how important it was to start buiding up some food reserves. When I talked to certain family members about using there home as a BOL, they really started to get on board. Now we are pretty well set up.

My wife thinks I am nuts and she use to work for a local level Emergency Management Office.  

My wife and family/friends know I have a few guns for hunting.  My wife and children know that there are some firearms that are not for hunting.  My wife and children know the basement has stocked shelves of food.  My wife and children know there are full 5 gallon water containers in the back room of the basement.  My wife and children know that they are not to talk to anyone about anything in daddy's (locked) room in the basement where I keep our extra food, and my gun safe.

I have sacrificed for years to try and provide for my family.  I do not wish anyone to come to me for handouts if they have chosen not to provide for them selves or their own family.  I do not wish to be placed in a position where I may have to defend my family simply because I, my wife, or my children could not keep our mouths shut.

I will gladly talk to my friends about guns / hunting, or bulk purchasing of food when it is on sale (to save money), or what would happen if the oil supply was disrupted to this country, and how people may react.  I do not talk about my families preps.

Most everyone in our direct family has no idea what and how prepared we are, I intend on keeping it that way, they'll be nothing but leaches if they knew.

A few of our closest friends are the only ones in on our little secrets because they will all play an important roll if things go really south.

That is all.

I just do not talk about it with any one, for several reasons.