Assuming The SHTF and then...

**Russ** · 03-04-2012, 11:29 AM

I didn't want to highjack the other thread so...

But it made me think when Jessica said this:

Originally Posted by Jamauk

Yes, I've had those conversations with friends about being prepared. I've gotten those same looks. But my friends also joke that when the SHTF they are all coming to my house. They joke, but they also know I'm right.

And this is what gets to me. My wife and I have a small stockpile, we have a pond full of fish, we can, etc etc etc.
All I hear from relatives is how they're coming to our house to live if problems arise.

What's your plan? Do you plan for an extra 10-15 people? If a niece shows up with three young children, what do you do, turn them away?

**Jamauk** · 03-04-2012, 11:36 AM

Angrypuppy and I have talked about this at length. What we've basically come up with is this: depending on the severity of the emergency we may or may not share.

It's a tough situation and I hope and pray that I never find myself in it, but what it boils down to is this: My number one first priority is my family (both immediate and then extended). I love my friends and I'll help them in any way possible, but if comes to feeding my family or feeding my friends....well.

If it's a power outage (which we're known for out here) and it's been several days and my friends are running out of water (we lose the well pump when the power goes out), we'd probably share because we know the power should be back on soon (and we have a generator). If it's a record breaking earthquake and no one knows when the grocery shelves will stocked again, I probably wouldn't hand out food, but I'd maybe invite some friends for a meal.

I don't know. It's a hard place to be in. It's one reason why, even though we talk about prepping a little bit, no one really knows exactly how much we have. We don't advertise it and we don't show off our stockpile.

That's why I think those people on the Doomsday TV show are wannabes. Most preppers that take it seriously would never tell everyone exactly what they have and what precautions they've made.

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-04-2012, 11:56 AM

We will be going to our cabin in the woods if it ever truly gets that bad.

The only ones that I have invited are my mom, son (his girlfriend & dog), my sister (her husband, son & 2 cats), my brother (his 3 kids & 2 dogs) and my in-laws. I'm sorry to my friends & neighbors but I can only do so much.

But here is the thing. I have told them all when they start heading for the hills that they have to bring every ounce of consumables from their homes that they can pile into their cars (god forbid time allows for this) as a fee for their entrance.

We have a 20 acre lake that we can filter water & take fish from.
The rest of the time we will just 'wing' it. (Ration food, grow our own in either the ground or pots, those that want to hunt can (I will not, being a Vegan and will eat tree bark and grass if need be). Which brings up a very good point. If you are prepping do you have your seed banks?. These are seeds that are protected from air & moisture that you will be able to plant if need be.

We will learn to live off the land and may get quite lean in the process but if we are meant to die then we will all do it together.
I simply cannot fathom surviving in my cabin while my family dies around me on the outside whether they bothered to prep or not. I am willing to take the reins on this one. I will however require everyone to pull their own weight and do everything they can to help the 'community' survive and if they are not willing to do that much then they can just go on back home. (But that really is not an issue with me as I was raised in a family of workers that don't know how to stop and sit down for even a moment).

Maybe I am shortening my own lifespan being this way but it is a chance I am willing to take.

**KeithBC** · 03-04-2012, 12:40 PM

For a routine emergency like an extended power failure or storm damage, we would be happy to take in a neighbour or two. For a more major natural disaster (earthquake or forest fire, most likely), it would really depend on what resources we had left.

Family don't live nearby, so they aren't going to be knocking on our door for disasters of limited scope. If it is widespread enough to affect them too, they won't be able to get here anyway.

In the case of TEOTWAWKI, this community would probably work together to support each other towards self-sufficiency and to repel invaders.

**nodmicks** · 03-04-2012, 12:43 PM

My coworkers all say they are coming here if TSHTF. In all reality the only peeps I'd really want to take in is my mom, in laws brother in law,niece, my handicapped friend and her mom. My kids already live here

There is no way we would have room for other friends or coworkers.Nor could dh's hunting and our gardening feed the rest. It would be a huge stretch to feed us 4 let alone the rest we would take. All these people live about 30 miles away so getting here would be an issue. My mom would be my very first priority to get here since she has a hard time walking and lives alone.

We have 10 acres, fruit trees etc and hunting and fishing right down the road.

**annymoll** · 03-04-2012, 01:16 PM

Or children, their spouses,our grandchildren, our godson and his mother. That is it.Our children are oblivious to any situations of trouble. They make excellent incomes, but do no planning, prepping, or skill set building.We have planned for their ignorance and irresponsibility.I feel their temporal salvation is in our hands in a worst case scenerio.We do not share our planning with family or friends. They are blissfully unaware.( When you are banking your seeds make sure they are non GMO or heirloom varieties.)

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-04-2012, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by annymoll

( When you are banking your seeds make sure they are non GMO or heirloom varieties.)

Thanks for the clarification on that one!!!

**jas** · 03-04-2012, 03:14 PM

I hear the same thing here also, "I know where I am going if SHTF!"

Well folks maybe in the short term like say a hurricane and it is basically power that is out and the stores are empty of canned goods for a week or so. Maybe. Usually people here have those things planned out a little bit at stay close to home. That is if we are all not evcauated and it is a big one. By big one I mean anything larger than a cat 3 for me. I've stuck out some big ones and several all in a row and any bigger I am bugging out!

Now if we are talking total hyper inflation and the cost of stuff is just sky high they are on their own. Except my dd, ds and his wife. And inlaws. Of course we would be pooling all resourses and skills, and most likely all living in one place or close proximity.

When you look at my stockpile it looks big, but in reality it would not last all that long. I need to add more in the way of staples, I have a lot but not near what we would need.

I want even fewer people to know about what we have and have stopped really talking about it. I don't want to be a target at some point in the future.

As far as other family, they live too far away and I doubt they would come this way. If they did we would be stretched way thin, but would try to add them into the fold. I don't really see that happening.

**Uniwolf** · 03-04-2012, 03:43 PM

Ours would be the kids, SIL, grandbabies, more than likely DD2's BF, along with his brother and mom. I am like Jas, if you just look at what we have it seems like alot. But if you think about 11 people, and what we have. Then what we have won't last a long time. So I just keep, on keeping on. We don't broadcast what we have or what we do. It is better that way in the long run IMO. The less that know, the less we have to protect against in a SHTF day.

**known2him5** · 03-04-2012, 04:43 PM

But what if the inlaws then bring THEIR loved ones too? Where would you draw the line? and could you? THEIR families might decide to just take your things, and you would expendable to them.

I always thought I'd not allow too many to join us, until I read this:
SHTF Survival Q&A: A First-Hand Account of Long-Term SHTF Survival

According to someone who lived through a SHTF situation, there is safety and power in numbers - so I've started thinking of including more people after a disaster of major magnitude.

More people might very well make the difference between life and death at that point. As far as feeding , etc. . . our preps are renewable (gardening, small livestock, aquaponics, etc.) so more mouths would not be as big a deal as for some.

**thefrug** · 03-04-2012, 04:48 PM

Nope. I'm taking in nobody. Why should I? Where have they been before now? I'll tell ya where. Not having anything to do with us. So yea. Not gonna happen lol

We have 5 acres and we've worked hard to get a years worth of supplies for the two of us put aside.
Why would I share with people who could care less if we're alive now? But then it'd be ok if we were because then they could use us.
Right. I don't think so.
I could turn away Mother Theresa believe me. So it doesn't matter to me how many kids come around.

But, for those of you who are going to take others in just tell them when they say they're coming to your place, that they need to bring supplies.Tell them that you don't have that much put back. Just something small and they need to bring all they can get to help.

**monkeywrangler71** · 03-04-2012, 04:52 PM

If we're talking full on apocalypse, I wouldnt turn anyone away. Humans live in groups for a reason, it makes life safer and easier.

**calimomx2** · 03-04-2012, 05:16 PM

I'd like to think we would be able to help if someone needed it but I guess it would really depend! We don't talk about our prepping with anyone. We have one neighbor who approached my dh and told him he has been stockpiling things for several months now which to be honest shocked me but good for them!! Dh didn't share info back, we agree that it is best if people don't know what we do or don't have! At this point we don't have enough for just us (dh, 2dks and myself, the dog and the cat too!) so the simple answer would be for right now we would take care of our family first.

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-04-2012, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by known2him5

But what if the inlaws then bring THEIR loved ones too? Where would you draw the line? and could you? THEIR families might decide to just take your things, and you would expendable to them.

If someone showed up with someone else I would still let them all in (as long as they showed up with the admission fee of all their consumables -if I knew for certain that they would have had time to collect them.

And this might sound like a really horrible thing to say but they would not be taking my only survival items and walking away without killing me first and I guarantee that they will be severely wounded or killed in the process themselves.

**sabrelvssammy** · 03-04-2012, 05:36 PM

Originally Posted by known2him5

But what if the inlaws then bring THEIR loved ones too? Where would you draw the line? and could you? THEIR families might decide to just take your things, and you would expendable to them.

I always thought I'd not allow too many to join us, until I read this:
SHTF Survival Q&A: A First-Hand Account of Long-Term SHTF Survival

According to someone who lived through a SHTF situation, there is safety and power in numbers - so I've started thinking of including more people after a disaster of major magnitude.

More people might very well make the difference between life and death at that point. As far as feeding , etc. . . our preps are renewable (gardening, small livestock, aquaponics, etc.) so more mouths would not be as big a deal as for some.

Wow- thanks for that link.

I just finished reading his Q/A section and bookmarked his SHTF School to go back to read later. What an eye-opener from someone that sounds like they could be you or me.

I especially found interesting his comments about the most important items to have - guns/ammo (I knew that) but the 1000 Bic lighters. Who would have thought but it makes perfect sense!

Thanks for a great link and I hope you all here take the time to jump over and read it.