This topic contains 15 replies, has 15 voices, and was last updated by 
-
Posts
-
Do you have a group of people with whom you plan to hunker down when it hits the fan? If you do not have a group of friends, fellow preppers of family members, think about your neighbors in the following exercise.
Write down a list of everyone’s skills. Are you missing any extremely important skills, like medical knowledge, foraging, or food preservation? Make a plan to start filling in those gaps.
Write down a list of what you believe might be everyone’s weak points. Do you fully trust every single person? Does a member of your group have beliefs that could jeopardize the group? Think about this carefully and ponder several courses of action to prevent problems.
Here are some articles you may find helpful.
- Selco: What If Unwanted People Show Up at Your Door When the SHTF?
- Want to Be Better Prepared? Find Some Prepper Friends
What did you come up with?
What are the skills in your group? What skills are missing? What problems are you expecting and is there anything you can do to prevent that?
-
The person in my life that IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM, is my DIL. I have no idea what my son saw in her, she is a liberal, does not believe in G*d, and is a millenial that thinks the government and everyone else should take care of her. She is in her early 30’s and has been on disability for over 10 years. He fell in love with her dog. And because he didn’t want to lose the dog, he married her and brought her up here with him. She has not taken his name, does not work, and weighs over 300 pounds, but she DOES have quite the collection of animals. What will she do when SHTF? She will sit around and whine about her aches and pains. Will she do absolutely ANYTHING to help? I doubt it. How do you deal with a family member like that? Without upsetting and alienating you son? I would love to hear any ideas!!!!
-
I read both of the suggested articles; they weren’t ones I’ve read before. Thanks to both Daisy and Selco!
I’m going to respond to this day’s challenge first by how I’d chose NOT to associate. Example 1: DH and I went to what was supposed to be a Meet and Greet for a local prepper group. Only one man was there; others were busy and he was disappointed. We talked for an hour or so. It didn’t sound like a vibrant group…disorganized. Those are not deal breakers, necessarily. But I wasn’t getting anything that I connected with at all. Topics rambled and we weren’t giving away anything cuz he liked to talk. THEN HE SAYS: “I’m perfectly comfortable with someone’s blood running down my blade.” Not a threat; part of a who’s who …………OKAAAY, we’re outta here! For 3 reasons: A..Totally inappropriate topic for a first Meet and Greet. B..I had already gotten the impression that he desperately wanted to be an ex-Seal or Ranger ….but definitely was not. C..Even should such a thing become an unfortunate necessity [as in war..self-defense], I don’t want to become or associate with someone who is “perfectly comfortable” with it.
Example 2: DH and I took in a relative and her young son. She’d lived with us before when she was an older teen, so we THOT we knew what we were getting into. 20 yrs later, she was far different. She was now a paranoid, unstable person. She needed to take over and lead…not because she was good at it. Far from it! Because she was so terrified of life that she had to push it in her direction only. Course she never saw that her way led her to homelessness, jail, … She had become crafty and manipulative but with low intelligence, it wasn’t too hard to see thru it. Sadly, she lied to herself most of all…because she was an unreachable, terrified little girl inside.
In StuffHitsFan, folks like her will be like hiking with a 75lb pack…and she is the rock in your shoe. But during a SHF…wouldn’t she become compliant and workable out of sheer terror? No…cuz she NEEDS to have her needs met HER way. She DID try to move in on our friends cuz they have bigger house/more stuff. [they initially fell for it, despite our warning about her…cuz they are kind but not wise.] A person like her will ‘upgrade‘ so as to meet her everlasting, immature needs and sell you out. Never bright enough to know their error. Mental illness is going to be far worse if times are hard. Not even to mention unavailable meds.
At this point, we are mostly alone except for our elderlies. They still have cards to play in the game, despite physically impairments. But their lives will not be much longer anyway, but very short in SHF. Besides our gullible-but-prepared friends, we have probably 3 adjoining-property neighbors that are up here for the reasons we are. One has actually said so….with no OpSec. Not good. Another…I would NOT trust! That “child” lies about others and must run the show …tho maybe having a baby will mature her now. Don’t know her dh much but they have skills and youth. The third set are kind and have generously done us a couple favors …and have a greenhouse! Thot we were moving away before now so we’re disappointed that we didn’t cultivate friendship with them..so far. If we are still here and not near our kids when SHF, I think they might be allies. But we’re all old up here…having ailments that won’t be helpful. Might have to have uneasy alliance with MsLiar “next door”. Better to have an uncomfortable ally than an actual enemy? Especially up-ridge from us? Not sure….
Ultimately, we hope to be near kids/grkids in SHF. We all know each other for our good and bad points. But we love each other….and we’re mentally stable and reasonably mature. Both of those qualities are strained even in ‘normal’ hard times. But we can forgive and tolerate too. That’s family. We have a variety of skills. I write stories for myself and run thru how we’d do in a StuffHitsFan. That’s shown me our strengths and I can poke fun in my fiction, at our weaknesses. Aging is coming up on all of us tho…and few descendants to take over. They have many friends so hopefully some will be appropriate for this.
One of our problem areas will be that most of us are leaders in one way or another. Hopefully we’d all lead within our own expertise. Not sure we have an overall leader who would be up to speed in SHF. Eventually, our daughter would be the coordinator…after she recovers from freaking out. She fights any idea of her life going back into chaos. I’m too old to coordinate for long….but as even y’all know 😉 …I still have the skill of talking! DH and SIL are not into details so their leadership needs to be in their very important skill sets. Our skill sets cover many key areas…but we have a hole.
OldMtWoman
-
Not blowing off Farm Girls question, cause its a great one.Just adding my answer to this exercise.
Family members. Not much help, as they will be baby-sitting another family member who will have a complete meltdown. So they are out
Neighbors. One family very trustworthy.Proficient and knowledgeable with firearms and are handy. Good BS skills when it comes to people. Negative. Doesnt handle stress very well. Another family. Firearms proficiency, cool headed, knows something about natural medicine, but not much. Negative, not many other skills besides that.
Skills missing…um just about everything.
What can be done for prevention of the stressful member who will probably scream and shout and have an anger fit. Have a plan in place, rehearse the rational for the plan. Have recreational items handy -music, books to distract and calm the person down.
-
I don’t have a group per se. I have invited a few friends — if SHTF. All of these invited friends have skills, mostly former military friends plus some friends with medical skills. Depending upon the calamity, I doubt that all, maybe only a couple, will make it here. I have laid down extra supplies just in case. As for skills, we all have a lot of overlapping skills.
I live in a rural town. Most of the neighbors here are very self-sufficient and tight with other locals (myself included). The neighbors have lots of crazy skills and have taught me quite a bit (wood stove cooking, canning, local plants, edible plants).
The issue would be the summer people (depending upon when the calamity arose). I am probably far enough off the beaten path (rural dirt lane) to not even affected by the summer folks. I do need to come up with a plan on how to deal with these potential unwanted guests.
-
Hmmm…I live in a very, very small rural “village” among folks who tend to look out for everyone. Three strong church groups along with a goodly number of Mennonite families who participate in community events regularly. My closest neighbors include my handyman who cares for his invalid Mother and who has a lot of practical skills plus has shooting skills and two well-trained German Shepherd dogs; our local Volunteer Fire Department Chief who has years of life-saving training; and a lady who has LPN training and is from Texas so she’s cool! If things got really crazy I think my son who lives in town would probably insist I come and stay with them. But, I would make certain he picks me up in a truck so all the supplies I’ve been stockpiling would go with us. Maybe I will live to see a complete breakdown of society and if I do, I’m a tough old bird and a survivor. I won’t go down without a fight. 🙂
-
This is a tough one. But I am going it alone. DH and I have been doing what we can to prep and he is not fully on board. With his health problems he is unable to do but so much, but he does try. Though I am trying to do the heavy stuff like the garden and getting it cleaned up and mulch down as we are not going to do a garden next year. But we want to keep it up in a way that we can use it the following spring. Right now we have well over a year’s worth of food, so instead of garden I am going to concentrate on non food items.
If SHTF, my family on my side will be the ones that are in with us. Son in law keeps up on his firearms and practices much more than I am able. No where here for me to practice. My daughter has been in college as well as one of my granddaughter’s and now my grandson as well. We will be getting together if anything happens. We do talk about things we need to do but I am carrying the bulk of the load. Though they are stocking food and they do a small garden every year. We only live 15 minutes apart so will be more than likely at my house but if a need to leave this area happens, we will all head for my grandparents old homestead.
As for DH’s side of family there is only one person we could trust and that is his granddaughter but she and her DH live in CA. Not sure how that is going to play out. She and DH have been prepping and have bob’s set at the door to leave on a moments notice. They know they can come here if they are able. I truly hope they would be able to get to us.
We live to close to military and the town is now building up around us. So I do feel a need to prepare for leaving this area. We do have something going but not yet ready for that move.
-
What a thought provoking exercise.
The answers I came up with are NOT ideal. I think it would be like little sister and DH and I go it alone. The addition of SIL (and his dad) really changed our family dynamics. We have prepped for the adult children coming here-but can you ever have enough?
The neighbors are a possibility. They both have great skills and would be assets but they also have adult children/grandbabies they are planning for.
This requires more thought. But, if everyone (family) converged in a SHTF situation thank goodness we have a psychologist in the family.
-
I actually do this (looking at people’s skills, assets/liability) as a by-product from when I was in the Marines.
I have a number of good neighbors with varied skill sets that fill in the gaps of my own.
Health would be a big factor as one of my neighbors are elderly, and are on various medications. We look out for them, help with heavy or awkard chores etc.
Get along great with the Amish. I am taking in one of my Amish neighbor goats to breed her with my buck. Already have the pen set up for when the livestock come in from the fields.
Most around here are friendly. Grated when SHTF that could all change, but I think if we do our best at the on-set to establish a network we could be ok. -
And, I think if people were able to talk to each other, come up with a plan, I think a community could be ok.
How many cows do you have? How many could you sustain using non-modern methods of haying? And if you had help from your neighbors. How many cows do you need to maintain the herd? How many could be slaughtered for feeding people in the community?
Same goes for sheep, hogs, chickens, rabbits etc.
A lot of people around here have gardens. Ok, everyone scale up. I would be willing to give some of my compost to add to other peoples gardens. Establish a seed exchange.
Going to need the Amish and their help with horses for hauling heavy stuff if the fuel is gone. -
Don’t have a solid Mechanic here, have 2 allies in the vicinity, but a long way to push a car. Have some neighbors with excellent medical credentials that aren’t in my circle, but they’re neighbors. I’m the expert in too many areas, but others are learning.
-
This one was hard . The only ones I would have a problem with would be my niece and her husband. A more arrogant self entitled jerk, I have never seen, not only does he think he’s “special” but he’s also alcoholic to boot. But I can’t get my niece and the kids here without him(believe me we’ll try). My SIL would go off the deep end if anything happened to her grandkids so we’ll have to deal. Everyone in the family has certain skill sets that will be useful over and above what we (DH+ I) can normally do,ex: Son2 is a butcher carpenter, BIL and Son1 are communications.We have hunters,fishermen and ex military in the group. My sisters have the sewing and knitting, crocheting skills to teach others. I unfortunately take after my mom, barely can keep buttons on things LOL (not really, but sister is WAAAY better than me). DIL1 and 2 are teaching their children how to be self sufficient and do things on their own.
-
Doggone, something happened to my typing again. I hope it doesn’t show up double.
Here goes again- Also don’t have a group per se, but have been assessing neighbor’s skills. Most of group would be family )small group) and some trusted friends but with opsec. (Have a too talkative family member) otherwise not a problem person, but helpful. I am onboard more than others but if SHTF suddenly they would come onboard fast. We have a wide variety of skills that cover the basics and neighbors have skills that would fill in the blanks and we would help one another.
Big problem would be that some need special medicines. Even the most disabled among us (we are all getting old) have skills a lot of other people don’t have.
Biggest problem would be people on drugs and people that think the world owes them a living. A lot of that everywhere even if you don’t realize it. In a small village you know who the nuts and troublemakers are for the most part, but multiply that number by number of people in a more populated area and problems multiply.
-
I would have to go about 15 miles if I need to bug out with my ex, my daughter, and his family. I am welcome and we have spoken about this several times. He is proficient in fire arms, hunting, being a mechanic, and uses and repairs two cycle engines. His mother and my daughter are great in sewing, crocheting, and repairing a variety of items as well as cooking. I can, preserve, dehydrate, and can cook from scratch including breads. I have knowledge of foraging and have a variety of books on the topics. I have been a nurse for years and have taken several different types of first aid classes. My daughter works for the Red Cross and is really good at reacting in a disaster and keeping herself and everyone else calm. We have other members who can repair things, cut wood, hunt, fish, etc. I need to keep examining this scenario to see what else we need to get covered.
If I have to stay at my home, I have a lot of items here to use but the neighbors are more for themselves. I found out where I would stand with them when my husband died. Within a few days, no one came around. It was a hard but a good lesson. Rather find out now than when SHTF!
-
<p style=”text-align: left;”>This is a tricky one. I have my parents nearby. My dad has a LOT of skills and preps a little. My mom is a “head in the sand” type and would not do well under pressure, but could be distracted and useful caring for younger kids or menial, repetitive jobs. Unfortunately, both parents take a lot of prescriptions. One brother knows and has firearms but does not prep at all and has TERRIBLE children. He and I have already discussed him NOT “coming to my house if something happens “. We have a few neighbors I’m getting to know but the will take time.</p>
-
Day 26 Strength of Survival Team
There could be three or four different teams.
First – just us. An 80- and 70-year old. There is no medical experience or knowledge between us. That is the biggest problem.
However, he is an accomplished shot, built a former home, and we both know nature and garden. Plus, I preserve and know just a bit about the plants around us, I am an old fashioned housewife and mom with all of the sewing, knitting, etc., skills. DH would have no hesitation to protect us by any means. He sleeps little and needs constant action. I can be too compliant and not firm enough. I can see too many options, but I will make a decision and stick to it.
Second – Add our immediate neighbors. Farm kids with two very small ones of their own. He has a BobCat and knows how to use it. Accomplished hunter (arrow and bullets) and fisher-people, he has a small arsenal but knows how to handle it and keep it discrete. He knows how to build nearly anything and does – ice fishing house, block wall, rebuild a boat or a bathroom. Downside here – typical youngsters. General college degrees between them, but small town thinkers and the opposite political party. We do not discuss politics; but, besides that we work well together.
Third and Fourth – one or both of our children and their families.
First – my daughter, her husband and three teenage sons. She may have one or more international students with her. One is graduating from dental school and will be a huge asset. Her three sons- 18, 16, 14 are just learning about hard work. No real life experiences there, just BSA and camping; but very smart. They will, however, see the reality of the situation and pitch in, especially if given a choice of what to do. Daughter will soon be a licensed psychologist. She is good at dealing with the emotions and stress that people have. She is sometimes too flippant with me, but she is usually right. She is a good manager. Her husband on the other hand, will be a challenge. He is a computer geek, programmer. Does nothing around the house. If we have a discussion he seems to take the opposite point of view and cannot reach a decision on his own. I would have the most trouble with him. He will question every decision we make thinking it is a democracy. On the other hand, he will work, and work hard when he sees what needs to be done.
Second – DH’s son, his wife, their son and daughter. He is another craftsman and is very creative. Although she has a very small one, she likes to vegetable garden and will be an asset there and in the kitchen. 15-year old granddaughter and 13-year old grandson are city kids with ballet and ski-boarding. No skills other than their usual house chores. DIL has said if anything happens they will come here. No doubts. I am happy that they are comfortable with me, after 16-years of being married to his father, that she especially knows they are respected and we will get along. They would be good workers.
There is another son – DH’s oldest, but we do not talk to him. Dad and son do not get along and we do not understand why. If they showed up we would turn them away. He is lazy and she is a (non-)know-it-all who questions everything and seems to have a general lack of respect. However, if their only child showed up, we would take him in. We have not seen him in five years, but he knows he is welcome and I would hope that he would fit in since he is just 21 and still malleable.
One other possibility – my ex-husband. Although he was a pilot and that skill does not translate to a SHTF situation, he is logical, level headed, a manager, willing and capable of doing almost anything we need done – except hunting. Plus, we ALL get along great as a team. He is sort of a mini-prepper with buying things on sale, but not for any specific SHTF future purpose.
We have hunters, gatherers, preservers, security, managers, chefs, willing hands, and mostly open minds to train.
But, if something happens to me we would be in trouble. I have the gardening and preserving knowledge for the immediate use. Plus, we need a medic.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.