Contest Time II

[BTP]

Another point. Family. That Aunt who always calls you to do some work and then again on Christmas but you never hear form her all year otherwise. Your cousins, even the ones you don't like. These people are family and are most likely to be trusted when the chips are down v/s some relative strangers you might know from a prep group or even your neighbors. They are also most likely to look after your kids or you be the most willing to look out for theirs v/s the average neighborhood kid. I bring up family because in this digital spoiled me centered world many people no longer have those close family connections even though family may be geographically close. Besides, if your going to share your preps with someone, and you will be sharing so get used to it, then you should if they are around consider family even if they are not your default people to spend your usual time with. Perfect example, the guys I have the most fun with some would turn into blathering puss buckets in shtf, others would go totalitarian becasue they are from wealthy families and would think that still meant something. Then there are those who share the same group of friends but for whatever reason are more like frenemies out of jealousy in day to day life. If such people are jealous and kind of backstabbing now then just imagine shtf. I know this thread is about creating a MAG but maybe just maybe you already have the best starter MAG possible in your back pocket and it only needs a little nurturing. There will always be time to find worthy kindered spirits as things work through shtf and that is when you will really get to see who is who. Better to pick from the available neighbors ect once the veil of civility has come down and the aholes are more easily identified.

[Betty Buckshot]

I have family I could go to & have planned with my mom...BUT...the lazy, worthless SIL is a problem for me. That will be my absolute last resort. I know farmers & ranchers nearby + a couple of neighbors w/ military/gun experience.
I know of a Dr who preps & a couple of guys on a nearby ranch, but they don't know I know. Sure would like to form groups w/ them, but can't seem to get it into the conversation.
I feel being a single woman w/ teen daughter does not make me the person they would need/want for a group...BUT...I have a lot of cooking/gardening/canning experience that I'm hoping will be needed.

[DMH]

Drop by with a little extra homemade preserves or canned green beans. Lets them know you garden, can, and preserve and are neighborly.

[Jstwaiting]

Started this twice and cancelled both times. TO be discreet - no family - the six houses closest to me will be our tribe. They are all gun owners/users and the neighbor is in the medical field. Across the road is a very wealthy village area. They have their own police force. I can see them buying additional security.

I guess our MAG would be the wealthy folks - their best interests serves ours too.

There is no way anyone is a populated area like this could go it alone.

[W.Lynn]

I see a lot of something recurring over these posts, and it's something we need to make a conscious effort to acknowledge and to do on purpose.

Awareness and decision making. I am aware that I trust some people so well that they could show up at my door at 2am, with a bullet in their arm, asking for help. Help they would get, (but I would be asking for details. My grandkids are here, what if someone followed them?) Right now, any of my nieces would be welcome, but it might get to be a tight fit. My husband's idiot brother in law would be invited to keep moving.

In my case, these people already know - the idiot might get hopeful and show up anyway, but too bad.

Sometimes it doesn't take much, if you hear that someone from your "good" mental list has been admitted to the hospital for illness or injury, take the time to call and find out if they need anything, mail picked up, whatever. Tell them you consider them a friend, and want them to feel they can rely on you.

If they don't seem comfortable with the conversation, it might be because they are keeping secrets (prepping, being baby daddy to 15 little kids in another town, something.) It can also be because most of us are NOT emotionally mature and well-rounded people. Time will either bring them around, or you'll decide to look elsewhere.

Being aware is nice, deciding about people is a good idea, but bring it to the frontal lobes and think about why this one, and not that one. Maybe you saw them kick a puppy once, even if it didn't register at the time, most of us wouldn't much like them. Maybe you saw them handing out sack lunches to homeless folks downtown with a church group. Maybe the little details just need time to stack up before you decide.

[Frank]

Drop by with a little extra homemade preserves or canned green beans. Lets them know you garden, can, and preserve and are neighborly.

Brilliant DMH, simple and obvious but just the kind of stuff I'd have never thought of before hand.

[DMH]

Brilliant DMH, simple and obvious but just the kind of stuff I'd have never thought of before hand.

But, on the other hand Frank, they will know you can and preserve. So choose your recipients carefully.

[Red Sonja]

Tribes & MAGS. So many, many thoughts come to mind. Getting around the awkwardness of finding like-minded people is not impossible. Prudence, common sense & caution are a must. Meeting others locally & online takes time. Even if you pursued background checks, trust has to be established.

So, say something big happens & we come together quickly. Ok. From my experience with disasters, for myself & my coworkers, we had to work together as a team. We would also call & see who could volunteer to help us. You just don't know who your team truly is until the day of said disaster. (My experience comes from a major flood, snow storms & mass casualties from car accident pile ups etc.

A special code would be called & as a nurse or any other worker there, you could not leave the hospital during the disaster until the code was downgraded to a lower level.) The disasters sometimes prevented those who wanted to help, from coming. (Fallen trees, washed out bridges, power lines down etc.) So, in the SHTF scenario, let's say our tribe or MAG is formed & comes together from all distances, as much as possible.

Decisions will need to be quickly made. Who will be in charge? What if something happens to him/her? Who is next in line? What is the chain of command? What are everyone's abilities & agreed upon assignments? Will the state militias be at the ready? I think these things need to be well thought out in advance. It's hard to say how long the SHTF scenario will last.

So, what will this small society be like? Will the freedoms that the Constitution protects be strictly protected in this society? Will this society follow the same model of the executive, legislative & judicial branches of govt. or will it be something different? There has to be some kind of order and someone to oversee the smoothness of the transactions & abilities/agreed upon assignments/volunteering of the people. True, the best laid plans of mice & men often go astray.


But, I believe it would be foolish to form tribes/MAGs with no plans at all. I think that no matter what people's abilities or contributions may be (prepping ability, military or not etc.), the most important thing for people to have is that drive, that spirit, that willingness to help your fellow American during the SHTF scenario or any service to man; regardless of your race, religion, color, male/female etc.

God was first to give us freedom; to choose Him or not. I believe that freedom & doing what you can to maintain that freedom, is the lifeblood of the American spirit. A lot of people ask, what can we do? We're doing it. We're here. We're together. That's what matters.
The contest does not matter to me. This is how I feel & I hope others do too.

[MillenniumMan]

I like to think back to someone called Gordon Krantz, who traveled across the country, earning his living as an actor from the time SHTF started for him. Making his way until he found a dead postman's uniform. From then on out he was able to "Forrest Gump" his was out of getting killed. Even before then, he had to trade with settlements and towns for fifteen years while wandering about.

Gordon Krantz doesn't exist, and neither does Forrest Gump. David Brin had it all wrong until his character inadvertently created his own group, and a whole new United States of America. Johnny Stevens, the Sheriff, and the old man of Sugarloaf Mountain became his only real support.

Even those traveling to the old west knew, a lone man was a dead man. You needed mutual assurance to stay alive. But then people had far more respect for others. In a most modern societal collapse, there will be more of the lingering entitlement mentality types (if any of those type managed to survive) and far more cruel people who would try the lone wolf route simply because they want it their way or no way at all. And sooner or later they will die, horribly and painfully as a result of their actions.

[Red Sonja]

"Last edited by AD; Yesterday at 02:56 PM. Reason: Added paragraphs so I could actually read it. "

I wrote this late at night off the top of my head (just before going to bed.) It is better with the paragraphs. Thank you.

[AD]

"Last edited by AD; Yesterday at 02:56 PM. Reason: Added paragraphs so I could actually read it. "

I wrote this late at night off the top of my head (just before going to bed.) It is better with the paragraphs. Thank you.

Your welcome. I have to correct AA posts on new chapters when he is too lazy to do it. I am old and the eyes have a hard time following when its all jammed together.

[Tex]

One more day to get your posts made.

Let's see what you got.


Tex

[Gena.KY]

Well, I have not posted because I do not have a clan or a tribe. I am the only prepper that I know in my area. There are times when I think...why am I doing this? I have collected a bunch of doomsday stuff such as seeds, mason jars, medicine, some solar stuff and ammo. I dehydrate because it is easy to store and needs no rotation.

I have several friends who are big time hunters but we will need more than meat and if TSHF, all the woods will be hunted out and there will be no game left to feed us. I cannot feed all of my hunter friends for very long at all with what I have stored. It is a chicken & egg thing. Even though Batman is very capable of protecting me in everyday life, I don't know what he could do when a big group of bad & hungry guys come along. I can shoot pretty well myself but if they are smart and come at us from different directions, we will not have a very good chance at survival.

I don't know what a girl is to do. I have what I need to survive but no security to protect it. I have my hunter friends but cannot feed them all with what I have. I am too chicken to find any prepper groups. What if they pretend to be preppers and put me on their list? Then they will know who to come to for seeds and supplies.

My plan & best chance is to bug out to a friend's place which is in the middle of nowhere. They are not preppers, they are big time hunters that kind of live some of the old ways. They do have extra of lots of stuff stored, the gal will buy extra laundry detergent etc when it goes on sale. They have a beautiful garden and can cook better than Paula Deen.

My ultimate dream would be (brown nose) to have Sarge and his pals come to live with us. My dream group would be to have a doctor/medic/nurse, military folks, a vet to help with the animals, an old timey person who knows how to make soap and candles etc. (I have books on how to make these things but someone who has done it before would be helpful) and a McGiver type guy who can make things with scraps of junk.

So (sorry ABT) my only plan so far is to get far out and hope no one finds us.

[tk]

I cant add much but this is how I think. Finding a good group of people in a SHTF situation is going to be a hard choice . My first thought would be go it alone to survive but I know sooner or later I would need help. Living in a rural community as I do I have mostly good neighbors all hard working farmers and general labors. Even our little church and its members are local. But knowing how some live ( very un prepared in todays life) and how they could contribute to a tribe I then would have to be very skeptical. Jealousy is human nature. Add to it hunger illness and attempting to keep your own family alive is going to change some of these friendly neighbors into enemy's . Being a very good judge of character is going to be a skill needed. I think it will take a group of widely skilled people to survive but also mental skills. Such as someone prepared to make some very hard life or death decisions and not many people have what it takes to make them. The key to it all for me would be try to choose the right people and quickly weed out the bad ones but in any case be self prepared and ready to go it alone if need be.

[AmericanBTGoG]

G-lube, why are you apologizing to me?

I'm a loner w/r/t readiness, as well. But you have a tribe/clan (right here). And if shtf here in fl, you (or other of the paste-eaters) just might see me on your doorstep (after asking, of course). Vice versa is not out of the question, too.

But that's part of the reason I keep harping on get togethers with board members. The Textravaganza will be a fantastic opportunity. And even if its just getting to know a kinda/sorta local board member, that's a step in the right direction. For example, Wendy has, on several occasions, mentioned that if someone is passing through (that part of Texas whose name I will not mention), get together for coffee at a mutually OPSEC place.