A totally new scenario I have never seen before.

You have your B.O.B. in your vehicle, your shelter is stocked and secured, and all of your plans and contingencies are in order...
S just HTF, and guess what, it doesn't affect you at all. What do you do? Go on with your life like it never happened thinking, "better you than me"?

To many times I read in forums and threads the mentality of: "This is mine! I stored it, and unless you have something to trade, or are able to take it, you can pound sand!"
If this is the case, what is the point of prepping? To be the sole survivor? If you think so, I pity you. What is the point for having TONS of food in a bunker for yourself? So you can eat it all, alone in a bunker? How is that even entertaining as an idea?

Going back to the first paragraph, it doesn't affect you at all. What would you do if a family of four loose their house to a fire? They need food, water, clothing and shelter. You have it all in your back yard, would you give it to them?

reply to post by JJTHEFETT

How is that even entertaining as an idea?

I'd call it quite a bit more entertaining than suffering hunger and watching my kid starve sooner than necessary because people that couldn't be bothered to gather their own when food was easy to come by, didn't. I hate to say it, but if TSHTF, it really does become a zero sum game for strangers. For someone to win, someone else loses as the resources really are finite.

Well here where I live it is a very small rural farming community with 2,500 people in a county with an area of 1,500 square miles. We all help each other out all the time anyway, if someone comes down with a serious illness the whole community gets together and we'll have a silent auction and benefit dinner for them. We had a family who's home burned down last winter and the entire county came together and helped build them a new home.

In the scenario that you describe I would willingly help anyone that needed the help and I have often tried to get some of my friends from Fl that are out of work to come up here since we have room on our land and their are plenty of jobs. I could honestly not sleep at night knowing that a SHTF scenario had just taken place and there were some out there that needed help and I didn't help them.

That's not to say that I would want everyone in their brother showing up at my place because that would place my family and I in danger and could draw the attention of some people we may not want here. People should always do what they can to help others as long as it doesn't place them in harms way and that's a big problem in our world today, people rarely help each other.

reply to post by Nucleardiver


Thank you, that's what I would hope to hear. I'm not saying open door to everyone, but we shouldn't let everyone just flap in the wind. You hit the nail on the head!

If it's a big enough event, it will eventually affect everyone. Take 9/11 where actual impact is localized to ground zero, but its effect goes far beyond with economic downturn and security measures.
Or Suppose that a solar flare takes out half the country's electric power. Chances are there would be a mass migration to the other unaffected half.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


OK, but what's after that? You still die alone. You mentioned your kid. What would be left for them? What if there was another family of lets say, three. Their child was the same age as yours. And both of the parents are dying from injuries or lack of heart medication, whatever. Would you reconsider if that meant your child could start a family of their own in the new world? That their family would be the start of an entire new society?
Or would you still say F.O.?

reply to post by JJTHEFETT


I'm assuming you don't have children seeing as how in your scenario you are by yourself eating food by yourself. I would rather die and let my children eat me then outlive them.

Originally posted by JJTHEFETT
You have your B.O.B. in your vehicle, your shelter is stocked and secured, and all of your plans and contingencies are in order...
S just HTF, and guess what, it doesn't affect you at all. What do you do? Go on with your life like it never happened thinking, "better you than me"?

To many times I read in forums and threads the mentality of: "This is mine! I stored it, and unless you have something to trade, or are able to take it, you can pound sand!"
If this is the case, what is the point of prepping? To be the sole survivor? If you think so, I pity you. What is the point for having TONS of food in a bunker for yourself? So you can eat it all, alone in a bunker? How is that even entertaining as an idea?

Going back to the first paragraph, it doesn't affect you at all. What would you do if a family of four loose their house to a fire? They need food, water, clothing and shelter. You have it all in your back yard, would you give it to them?

i think you misunderstand what shtf means.

what you are describing, is more like a local catastrophes, in most cases, people come out of the woodwork to help others.

what most people see as sthf, is a end of the modern day world. there we be no one unaffected. there will be no power, gas, no way to mass produce any thing again, it will revert back to hand to mouth.

and it would be unwise to help others, as horrible as it sounds you will have to take care of your own first. then and only in a way that no one finds out what you got, consider helping others.

reply to post by JJTHEFETT


If we're talking a disaster of limited duration or scope like others have said, that's a whole different matter. A Tornado, Earthquake or Hurricane is a thing where you can see what you have and see what you can spare with no need to be hoarding to have surplus when it's over. Ultimately, relocation may be necessary but it solves the problem and no one dies from it.

If we take a Carrington event as I believe from my reading, it would impact Earth for effect? The duration is unknown and likely, the majority of preppers don't have enough for who they planned to support with it. So sharing with folks who have or are willing to contribute nothing in return is taking days or weeks off the back end of your own odds to outlasting the duration of services being out. Some worst case scenarios of magnetic storms estimate as much as 6 months on a large % of a global, not regional basis without power and stable services. That isn't a situation to be generous in because you'd be giving days of your own survival by giving supplies outside barter.

It's a whole question of scale, I suppose. Scale and level of surplus to share.

Going back to the first paragraph, it doesn't affect you at all. What would you do if a family of four loose their house to a fire? They need food, water, clothing and shelter. You have it all in your back yard, would you give it to them?

Community based approaches are the best, get people collaborating. But get them collaborating before the fact. We'd be in good shape if we had disaster preparedness clubs, and more of it in the churches.

If there is a civil war you walk to the fighting or get a lift from others.My wife knows I will and why.

No matter how long you prep and how much you store, you can't take care of everyone. Immediate family come first, then other relatives. Once the door opens, say adios to your supplies. It's the industrious ant against a plague of locusts. Once the locusts die off, the remaining industrious ants come out to start rebuilding a hopefully better world.

As others have said, localized events are a different story. Then you can afford to help because you can restock after things settle down.

reply to post by JJTHEFETT


That's why part of our preps have to do with what role we'd fill after such an event. We already run a business, so the idea is really an extension of that. We hope to be able to become a trade center, where we can trade things we'll have extra of (water, produce, tobacco, herbal medicines) and skills (medical, mechanical) for things others may have extra of (manufactured items, manufactured medicine). Of course, defense is a key component too.

I don't want to just "survive" a SHTF event, I want to be able to thrive after one. By the same token though, I don't even want to put it to the test...but since all my preps have to have a tangible "now" application as well, none of it is wasteful. And we don't stockpile stuff we never plan to eat, our goal is simply to always have extra of what we usually eat and rotate through it. So, if at any time something happens, we're good. Will take some time though, so hopefully the world holds together a few more years.

No matter what the event though, there will be an initial period of darkness and violence, where it will be extremely brutal. Only after surviving this period, would such an aim (the trading center) be possible.

reply to post by superman2012


No, that is not the point. It's the opposite. I'm saying what is the point IF THAT IS what you do. If you have everything and keep it only for your self, what good have you really done? If you save for your family, and there is another family who looses their house to a fire, would you help them?

Originally posted by JJTHEFETT


Going back to the first paragraph, it doesn't affect you at all. What would you do if a family of four loose their house to a fire? They need food, water, clothing and shelter. You have it all in your back yard, would you give it to them?

yes 1 is sure many would also hope if they encountered these circumstances they would be given a chance as well..

NAMASTE*******

reply to post by Gazrok


Very true! And Trident Blue and Magister also have great points and ideas. My main problem with what I hear a lot today though, is a mentality of solitude. As several of you have stated you want to survive and flourish afterwards. And a great way to start would be with community organization. But, what happens if the community is destroyed? What if the people coming to you are not the locusts, but other ants that were unfortunate?
So, if a doctor who lost everything in the event, or two lone children found your location, wouldn't that also be a way to flourish afterwards?

First the doctor: Yes he has nothing, but what could he offer later? The medical care that could save your family's life?

The Children: While now they would be hungry and scared, after the event they have almost limitless potential! They would be the ones who you would pass the torch to. They would be the ones teaching the next generation how to survive. You would basicly mold the next society!

My last question, which may be better for a new topic is: Can we also look at our investment into people as a form of prepping?

All of you have helped me with this question a lot, giving different views and outlooks.
I thank you.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Yeah, I can understand that aspect too. I want to make the point clear that I'm not saying let everyone in and give it all away. I just get worked up when I see so many whom portray a lack of compassion or empathy. Like you said it would depend on duration and supply. That is FAR better than the "NO" I hear so often.

reply to post by JJTHEFETT

My main problem with what I hear a lot today though, is a mentality of solitude. As several of you have stated you want to survive and flourish afterwards.

I think that, for a time after a SHTF event, solitude is going to be the key to surviving that initial period of chaos. I think it will take some months for the survivors to realize the need for establishing community and trade, etc. If such an event occurs, we would NOT be advertising our location at all at first, and actually doing steps to thwart people being able to find or reach us, until we deem it a fit time to start the whole business.

I would pillage rape and plunder, and become an immoral renegade.. To hell with your peaceful, sharing communities! Survival of the fit only the strong survive!
Lol


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by JJTHEFETT


My bug out location is so remote that if anyone can survive the trip in the desert to my location; I will share if you come in good faith.

The one thing that most survivalist ignore is the rampant diseases that will ravage the land. If you are going to be around people...you and everyone else is going to get sick. When the power goes down and bio containment is breached in all the facilities that mfg/store bio/chem weapons; the wind will be deadly!!! Combine that with the natural diseases that will accompany dirty water, unconstrained sewage, dead bodies of animals and humans, etc; zombie hoards will be the least of our problems....



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