[wolfrem68]

I am not a person that dwells on "dooms day" scenarios like the end of the world on Dec 12 2012. But I do believe our country is is mortal danger from the break down of our aging electrical infrastructure and the possibilities of it being shut down by an EMP or other natural or unnatural source. My wife and I believe there are safety in numbers in a time of a disaster. People of like thoughts need to be able to contact others within a short period of time to coordinate activities - gather supplies- arrange for medical care, etc. After the stores are out of food, gas, and other supplies = it is too late to try to coordinate movements of friends and family and locate areas that are safe and can be protected. I think of my church members that are older than I and think of how they will be defenseless if riots break out and gangs are roaming the streets. The have nots will take from those that can not defend themselves. Just as in New Orleans in Katrina.
Okay - to get to the main reason for the post - What I would like to do is find others in my area that have the same thoughts as we do on survival. People that can come together and share ideas - that can be trusted and will help others in time of need. Not a militia or anything like that but people that can and will stand together if the worse does happen.
I live in the north east texas area and would like to hear from others in our area that would like to discuss topics and ideas for preparedness in times of trouble. Any one interested? Let me know.

 

[FirstActionSelfDefense]

This is a really good idea. Is there some kind of online database of groups such as this available? Perhaps collectively the members of this forum could create one.

 

[Magus]

Hello.


Say hi Via PM.

 

[wolfrem68]

I have looked online for groups in our area. I even contacted a couple of writers that post online for news with views located at NewsWithViews.com -- Where Reality Shatters Illusion of which give information on preparedness and survivial. They did not give any hard facts on how to form groups in our local areas. I have tried to form a safety group at our church with others that have conceal carry permits and members that may share the same ideas on survival with little success. I am sure there are like minded people in each of our respective areas that would value the safety that comes in knowing survival techniques and safety in numbers. Members on this forum might be interested in forming some sort of data base but I do not know about the rules on this sort of thing. I would like to find people in my area to form a support group, maybe there are those on this forum that live in my area. Only time will tell.

 

[NaeKid]

There have been some MAG's talked about, but, with those Mutual Aid Groups there have also been some problems where one person believes that they are the "boss" and wanna tell everyone else what to do while they sit on their fat-butts.

Others believe that the person with the most guns and ammo makes the decisions for the group.

Others still believe that the person feeding the group gets to make the decisions.

What ends up happening is the whole structure breaks down - quickly - unless the MAG is family orientated where the "boss" is the father-mother / grandfather-grandmother / great grandfather-great grandmother and everyone in the group is related somehow by blood. You need someone who is a true head of the group, not someone who wants to play at it.

With that being said, I am part of a MAG that works where we are loosely tied together - friends who are all preppers / hunters / fishers / gardeners and we work together to build each other up. Each family group is independant of each other, but, we will hunt and butcher together. We will go shopping and buy huge amounts of bulk-food and split it equally based on the money put into the pot. We will fix each others vehicles or computers or houses or garages without charging the others for our time (only materials).

If you can build a similar MAG where you work together to build up the group but keep your independance, you will be all the better for it.

 

[FreeNihilist]

Excellent point that needed to be made NaeKid.

With any group, there will always be mutiny sooner or later when TSHTF. People return to a more base mindset and fear begins to take over the mind. It is out of fear, that the worst actions are born.

Keeping one's independence as much as personally possible is definitely key.

I am always reminded of the old twilight zone episode where the man built a bunker and stocked it just enough for his own family and none of the neighbors took any of it seriously and BAM TSHTF and the man's closest friends are all trying to get in, first pleading and manipulating and later trying to break in and kill him and steal his supplies as the neighbors began to band together. It may be fiction but there's a very real psychological element being displayed.

Trust no one, suspect everyone!

 

[UncleJoe]

I live in the north east texas area and would like to hear from others in our area that would like to discuss topics and ideas for preparedness in times of trouble. Any one interested? Let me know.

Go to the social groups page and see if there is a group for your area. If not, consider starting one. It gives you a place to talk with more local people without all the other board topics burying your discussions.

 

[azurevirus]

I dont know if I would want to join a group ...at least not at the moment, if I did it would have to be a group of ppl that that I could trust with my life in their hands..because thats what you would be doing...family would be different but I think the problems you mention even in a family group would crop up at least to some degree eventually..I been holding off trying to get a family thing going as prepping just doesnt fly with them..I think or hope rather, that a shtf thing wouldnt get that bad..I can picture a couple to a few attempts by no goods to break in my place if the situation lasts a few months..I "think" I can deal with that by myself..I think once word got out you had guns ppl would think hard on the idea of taking whats yours..even more so if they knew you werent afraid to use them..having said all this..I too would enjoy meeting likeminded ppl..usually ppl with a common goal get along fairly well

 

[Elinor0987]

I am always reminded of the old twilight zone episode where the man built a bunker and stocked it just enough for his own family and none of the neighbors took any of it seriously and BAM TSHTF and the man's closest friends are all trying to get in, first pleading and manipulating and later trying to break in and kill him and steal his supplies as the neighbors began to band together. It may be fiction but there's a very real psychological element being displayed.

I found the episode! It gives a good illustration of how quickly situations could escalate into a state of panic and the extremes people will go to when they are are scared and desperate.

The Twilight Zone - The Shelter Video on TV.com

 

[tsrwivey]

What ends up happening is the whole structure breaks down - quickly - unless the MAG is family orientated where the "boss" is the father-mother / grandfather-grandmother / great grandfather-great grandmother and everyone in the group is related somehow by blood. You need someone who is a true head of the group, not someone who wants to play at it.

That would be the issue for me. I don't take orders well. I would also have a problem with strangers knowing where I live & what supplies &/or skills we have. Gives me visions of a long line of sick people showing up to my house expecting me to take care of them. I know what skills & "supplies" my neighbors have and I keep in mind what they would likely need when I'm stocking, that way we can barter. My neighbors are not preppers (I don't think), but they do have livestock, gardening skills, & lots of equipment that could be useful. I wouldn't be comfortable having "group" supplies or equipment. I would want to have care & control over all the supplies/equipment my family would need in a SHTF situation. We're just very independent-minded people.

 

[CulexPipiens]

I, for one, would not want to be listed in yet another database.

But that is both our problem and our solution. OpSec keeps you off the radar (good) but makes it harder to get together (or even find) other like mind individuals on a live (as opposed to virtual) basis.

Next, as Naekid said, you have the "who's in charge" situation. Plus you need to see if the group follows your beliefs. Religious or not? Militia? Farming? Self sufficient skills promotion? Salvage/scavange vs. having years of food and supplies stored up? etc.

Going it alone is going to be very difficult as it would be hard for one person (or small family) to know all and be able to do all... and that's assuming you don't get sick or hurt. Post SHTF, medical services, like most other services, could very well be a DIY endeavor.

Assuming you can find or form a group that works well together with a diverse (yet still redundant) skill set you would have a big leg up on the others.

One place I came across awhile back that appears to be almost a "personals" for MAGs is Prepper Groups. Looks to be grouped by state and then it's up to the group's posting to provide more details.

 

[FreeNihilist]

I found the episode! It gives a good illustration of how quickly situations could escalate into a state of panic and the extremes people will go to when they are are scared and desperate.

The Twilight Zone - The Shelter Video on TV.com

Awesome! :congrat: I'm going to go watch it again.

I feel it is pretty accurate in many aspects.

"Desperation is a stinky cologne."

 

[PamsPride]

I would love to find a group of like minded people in my area. What I would actually like is if my church had more like minded...as in prepping minded...people in it. Then the friendships could develop more naturally. In a church environment there is already an expectation of reliability so if more of them prepped it would be less of a burden on the group as a whole. Unfortunately when you have a group of religious people with a prepping mindset they are labeled as a cult.

 

[FreeNihilist]

Here's another issue with groups or people knowing about your equipment, shelter and supplies. Things like this happen more often than people would think.

There is this family that listens to my radio show. They come to my survival lectures. They come to my survival weekend training . They are doing well. The father makes a great living and can afford to buy what ever they feel is going to help them survive. He has a tornado shelter buried in his back yard. Fills it full of gear and food ,water, clothing everything a family of " 5 " will need when life is completely changed forever . At first his neighbors know nothing about his family and their survival thinking and planning. The neighbors even do not think to much about the tornado shelter. Then he starts to brag and boast and warn people to what is coming. How he listens to my show,goes to learn tactics and skills from me. Trying to get his entire neighborhood to participate and see the world as he does..

Well a series of tornadoes hits town, he calls home to tell his family to hit the shelter. His wife is distraught and panicking . He comes home to find his neighbors in his shelter and they will not let him or his family in . Why ??? No room and they actually use one of his guns in the shelter to ward him off from his own shelter and supplies !! Fortunately nothing bad happened in their immediate area.

Source: Wil2Liv.net • View topic - #3 - BJ's SURVIVAL TIPS TO CONSIDER ! SHUT THE FUCK UP !!

 

[The_Blob]

that is a perfect example of why many on these boards are so taciturn when people want to know 'everything' about our 'preps'... we've either learned the lesson the hard way or (luckily) heard about a situation like that & kept our damn mouths shut.

 

[Idaholady]

I'd like to meet some folks in my area, just to have some like-minded folks to hang out with and discuss 'what-if' scenarios and find sources for prep items.

I don't want to share exactly where I live or what I have, but I'd sure like to get together with like-minded folks, since my hubby is a huge DGI fan and I'm all alone in my prepping and have limited income. I'd drive 50-100 miles to meet some folks too.

 

[JayJay]

I'd like to meet some folks in my area, just to have some like-minded folks to hang out with and discuss 'what-if' scenarios and find sources for prep items.

I don't want to share exactly where I live or what I have, but I'd sure like to get together with like-minded folks, since my hubby is a huge DGI fan and I'm all alone in my prepping and have limited income. I'd drive 50-100 miles to meet some folks too.

Idaholady...I don't fool myself...all anyone needs do is check the phone book or go online to discover where we live.

I made the mistake of trying to bring on a neighbor---BIG MISTAKE!! She is negative about EVERY dang thing I do and her husband makes fun of EVERY dang thing I do.

 

[Clarice]

My sister's church in south MS is encouraging their members to prep. They have had several people in to speak on the subject. They have organized group buying of LTS foods. They are giving classes on back to basic living. Sister says the classes are full. To me this is wonderful. She wants me to come down and give a class on canning.

 

[PamsPride]

I saw a man in Walmart yesterday with his two kids about ages 8 and 10 and they were obviously stocking up! They had TP, paper towels, bottles of water, oil lamps, and lamp oil! I am almost stopped and introduced myself! LOL!

 

[gypsysue]

I found the episode! It gives a good illustration of how quickly situations could escalate into a state of panic and the extremes people will go to when they are are scared and desperate.

The Twilight Zone - The Shelter Video on TV.com

And didn't the whole thing turn out to be a false alarm or a hoax? How do you go forward from there, after your neighbors have trashed your house and tried to kill you when they were panicked?

The people around us in our rural neighborhood have had some conversations about what we'd do, but I don't think it'll come together into anything real unless the SHTF. Right now we're all still feeling out who believes what, and careful what we reveal to each other about our plans and preps.

I think a MAG with people you don't know would be even harder. :dunno: