I heard it through the grapevine

I let everyone know I'm a survivalist. They know I'm stockpiling food and equipment but they don't really know what exactly we're holding on to. They also know that we are very well defended. I've invited several people to join us in preparing. So far my wife's sister has agreed and is welcome at your place it disaster strikes.

If you choose to tell other people what you're doing be prepared for a very harsh reaction. People will tell you you're crazy and insult you. That's what happened to me. However, they all thought I was crazy to begin with so it didn't change much for me.

My wife is much more shy about telling people. She's also a little afraid that people might come after our supplies.

 

For the most part, I keep it to myself. We have 2 other couples we trade with for various things, so they're in the loop.
I've tried talking to my siblings and parents but they think I've gone off the deep end. 1 brother seems to think there is some merit to what we're doing here, but with him in Co. I can't do a lot to help him except offer him info and support. His DW trusts the .gov to take care of everything for them in the event things really go south which she finds highly unlikely, if not impossible. (It can't happen in America mentality)
I've gone so far as to go the other siblings with my tiller and ask them where they want the garden. Not one of them would allow me to dig up any lawn so they could grow some of their own food.
But in the event that things do get ugly, I expect to see them at the door where I'll be waiting with open arms, a pasture full of goat meat, chickens and eggs and shelves full of last years garden

 

I have only told certain people. I do not want anyone coming and robbing us.
Think we have to be selective in who we tell.

 

My adult children know, but not many others. I live in a rural area, so some stockpiling is expected, but no one really knows what I have. It's much safer that way.

 

UncleJoe - Everyone needs a relative like you. God Bless.

 

We've always had a close knit family, and not just siblings. We still have annual family reunions with a couple hundred people from 4 generations. Growing up that way isn't something you can throw away. It becomes part of who you are. I couldn't possibly say "told you so" and turn them away even if they do think I'm a little batty right now. My mom just can't understand how I can raise animals and then kill them when you can go to the store and get whatever you need. That will never change. She grew up in the 40's & 50's when America was moving off the farms, into the burbs and was the king of the world. So I let her have her world, she allows me mine, and we remain a close family with different points of view.

 

IF it became necessary... I would be even more picky about who I talk to about such things. IF it became necessary.... I would be the one dressing in dirty smelly torn up clothes to fit in with the rest of society. I would be the one that although I could be taking a shower, I won't... just to fit in. Grey will be much more important IF it became necessary.

Until then, I have to admit, I have told some people that I shouldn't have. But even them have no idea what I have stockpiled as far as food, water, and such. They only know about the firepower

 

If they won't help prepare then they are not welcome. I don't care who they are. Parents deceased, kids live in Southern Caliofornia. I dont really see them coming to Oklahoma in the event of a disaster but if they did they would be welcome. Sister lives in Idaho, her husband raises sheep. We never have gotten along so I don't see her coming here. If she does she made a long journey for nothing.
Some people say I couldn't say no but I know I can and will. Disaster supplies will only last so long no matter how much you have on hand. I will not let my wife and step kids do without becasue some one is too lazy or too stupid to prepare.
When people ask I will advise. Those who have no interest I leave alone. I have better things to do and interested people to advise instead of wasting my time on those who wish not to be prepared.
When people ask about what I have on hand I tell them I have everything I need. Then I expaain to them that every thing is stored off property.
they then realize that knocking on my door will not do them any good.

 

I tell as many people as I can about emergency preparedness, but I don't tell them what I already have prepared. I don't want people showing up at my door as a refugee.

 

well I dont tell anyone here where I live, NO ONE, i live in a small city but in a poor area, and I dont want it known that although I look (and am) poor same as them, I HAVE FOOD, I want that kept secret. I will give food out IF and when and to whom I feel led to, but if TSHTF and it was known I have food, i would not live to eat it myself.
see, I dont have more money than most of my neighbours have here where I live, but I have made the choice, the decision, to spend every dime I can storing up food. while they do drugs and drink and party and order in pizza, I tour the grocery stores looking for bargains. while they go into debt buying a new television, I go into debt buying food to store. It will work out a lot better for me in the end, because you cant eat a tv. and when TSHTF, they wont be able to even sell those tvs.
I have however told my daughter I am storing food. I hoped she would help me out financially since I am trying to store for them as well, but so far she is not there yet. she and her husband just bought their first house, they live an hour drive from me. So I have to continue trying to store up food and hopefully I will have enough not just for me, but for them as well because they wont have anything stored I dont think.
I want to tell my brother in Ohio to store food,but am afraid he will laugh at me. He loves me, he is a great guy, but he doenst reallyl listen to women, lol. it would take a man to tell him. but you know, he lives on the edge of town, he has a large barn, a big house with lots of room to store food. He does have firearms, he hunts. but he doesnt think about preparing for future. I may just try to tell him. send him some of the food storage company links so he can browse them. ya maybe I will do that...
NOt only dont I tell people here where i live, I hide my food. I have hidden all my stored food so that when people are visiting me, no one sees it. I have food hidden in boxes and cartons hidden in closets or under bed and in drawers. all people see is just my normal food supply and I will keep it that way.

 

I keep all my supplies on roll out shelving in one room of my house. Nobody knows that it's there except us.

 

I work 40 miles over the mountain. Most of the people I talk with are preparing for a hard time. They just don't realize how hard it could get.

I've been storing food, clothing, ammo, medical/hygene supplies. My husband was getting mad about the shelves and canned goods I was buying. So I didn't tell him about the ammo and Rugur 10-22 I bought.

Then a couple of days ago, he tells me that we need to start buying ammo. Well I showed him what I had been storing and the new rifle I bought. He was shocked that I would go out and buy and rifle w/ammo without him along. But he is pleased that I did. Espeically since ammo is hard to get now. Most of the stores only have bird shot.

My kids live 7 hours away. They know that they can come here if they need to. I hope they do. It's hard when you don't know what is happening in their area.

I still garden and dry a lot of our produce and fruit. I don't expect canning jars and lids to be around in the future. So getting proficient at drying food is important to me. I also, use a solar oven during the summer. I will build a solar dryer this summer.

I have an old medal freezer that I want to turn into a smoker. Will be thinking on that one.

And I want to build a rocket stover or outdoor oven this summer for bread.

I am open to any suggestions.

 

Sounds good. I'd love to have an outdoor oven. Anything smoked tastes awesome.

 

You should just use the "invite a friend" button on here to see if he would be willing to join up with the website - maybe share some of his knowledge with us and he might even realize that he is already prepping by hunting and having a small farm - but - a bit more might just be a bit better ..

 

i agree..

my wife and i will help family because they have helped us. but i have let them know they need to start because we can't do it all. we live in the country as do my wife's side of the family, but mine, the ones still alive, do not. they live in the city and when it hits the fan, probably won't make it here anyway. besides, my wife doesn't get along with them anyway. but i send info, lists, sources, but ...... now we have decided that if/when something happens and small children are involved and the parents are dead or missing, we will do our best to help them. i will not totally abandon what is left of my humanity. but supplies and resources will only go so far. i will help as much as i can as longas it does not put my wife and my children in danger.

 

I belong to a small group of people who prepare. We are spread out over the state and locally, there is one person who knows that I prep, as a matter of fact, he is part of my preps, so to speak. Should something happen, he knows that his job is to get his stuff together and join me. With him, we will have three shooters at the ready. Should things get even worse, the rest of us have a plan to get together.

It's good to have people you can rely on in times of trouble. It's important to know them and trust them as well.

 

Two is one. One is none...

 

That is soooo true!
Over the winter we started socializing with my wife's doctor. We talked about it and realized that for all our preps, this is an area that is sorely lacking. They come over a couple times a month now. We make dinner, play cards, and chat. They know that a lot of what we eat came from our garden last year and they find this fascinating. They have no idea how much stuff we actually have.
This past weekend I inadvertently left one of my shotguns out where it would be noticed. We live in the country and explained to them that if someone ever came to our house to do us harm, it would take at least 10 min to get a police response and by that time the intruders would be gone and we could be dead, so we need to be prepared for a bad situation. This led to other preparedness discussions. By the end of the night we had them realizing that being prepared is probably a smart thing to do.
It's a very slow and cautious process, but we're hoping that we can add them to our small but growing community of people that can work together if/when things really go south.

 

Not unless I wanted killed.