[HeckuvaJob]

Being new here, I wish you would've named names or provided links. You seem to be equating preparation with wealth. The more money you have/spend - the better prepared you will be. I think this is obviously true to some extent. However, a basement full of gourmet canned goods will only last so long. Personal nuclear reactors will require maintenance. The wealthy preppers will be sustainable until their wealth (i.e. material preps) run out.

More than wealth, I think frugality, resourcefulness, ingenuity, and knowledge will be the determining factors of who lives and who dies. I would list our very own Amish MacGyver - patience, as the prime example of this. The man shops at junkyards and seemingly has the ability to fix anything with a hammer, file and some scrap metal. I even think he was the person who was making someone a horse yoke for Christmas! I don't even know what a horse yoke is... but it sounds like it will be useful after the crash.

I'd rather be lost in the woods with patience, than holed up in some Ritz Carlton bunker, trading short-term comfort for long-term survival.

[Sixstrings]

ReverseEngineer wrote:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') find myself alternately impressed and astounded by these preps, jealous of them or appalled by the fact someone could personally consume so much wealth they could set up something like this for themself.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('HeckuvaJob', '
')More than wealth, I think frugality, resourcefulness, ingenuity, and knowledge will be the determining factors of who lives and who dies. I would list our very own Amish MacGyver - patience, as the prime example of this. The man shops at junkyards and seemingly has the ability to fix anything with a hammer, file and some scrap metal. I even think he was the person who was making someone a horse yoke for Christmas! I don't even know what a horse yoke is... but it sounds like it will be useful after the crash.

I'd rather be lost in the woods with patience, than holed up in some Ritz Carlton bunker, trading short-term comfort for long-term survival.

[gollum]

My wife and I earn around 50k a year between us, and have more preps than 99% of the public. One night my wife's sister was out here, looked in out pantry room, and mentioned that they could come here "if anything ever happened". I told her no one would be coming here and that they should make preparations for themselves, she was pretty shocked.
I can understand resentment against very rich preppers but there are a lot of middle income preppers too, and many upper income people who do nothing. When push comes to shove I'll do what I can to help others but I will never let my kids go hungry to "help" relatives who bought cars and big screen TVs while I worked on my garden, food storage, wood stove, weapons etc. Mr.Grasshopper is going to be SOL.

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cudabachi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', '
')

I find myself alternately impressed and astounded by these preps, jealous of them or appalled by the fact someone could personally consume so much wealth they could set up something like this for themself.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

My personal responsibility ends where my door is located. Period. The only people I am responsible for or have accepted responsibility for is myself and my children. I don't have to accept responsibility for anyone else and frankly I am afraid I don't have enough, can't do enough and will see my own children suffer.

If I tried to take responsiblity for others there is little I could do, so overwhelmed would I be. I won't be a community leader, know why? because there are so many others out there who are assured that they know what is right, they know what to do and those are the same short-sighten morons who look down on me because I am a divorced mother of three living just around the poverty line. Frankly? they can go F*** themselves.

You can come off high and mighty and do your bit for the better ment of all, good for you, but no one is going to help me or my kids other than me, myself and I, that is the way its always been and will always be.

If they haven't listened to me by now, they never will and that is their choice. Not mine. good luck to us all.

[strider3700]

You know I've tried to convince the neighbours that maybe they should prep a little, or even worse in my mind maybe they shouldn't rip out things that would be useful.

I've shared some of the food from my gardens and fruit trees and pointed out how easy it was and how much better it tastes.

I've had everyone over enjoying the warmth of the woodstove on cold winter days.

I've helped clean up the downed trees after storms.

I've offered boiled water to houses with newborns when the power is out.

I've given gifts of processed goods from our garden for christmas.

I've discussed the water filtration system with everyone that cares and anyone that looks has seen the clothes drying on the line in the back yard.

You know what the rest of the neighbour hood has done? I've seen two fireplaces ripped out and replaced with heatpumps. I've seen 3 new plasma tv's. There are at least 2 new ATV's running up and down the street in the snow today. We've had 1 new house built and it's over 4000 sqft with 6 bedrooms and 4 baths but it has a guy and his girlfriend living there. Lawns have been paved and turned into parking spots. Fruit trees have been removed. Gardens are decorative or gone. Thousands have been spent on christmas crap which hopefully won't interfere with the upcoming spring cruise.

At this point my hope is to move to a more farm oriented community. I can't save everyone and based on what their goals and hopes are they have zero interest in saving themselves. Even if I had the resources to save everyone on the street I fail to see why it would be my duty. The only reason I would even consider it would be to help enhance my chances through cooperation.

[davep]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('strider3700', 'A')t this point my hope is to move to a more farm oriented community. I can't save everyone and based on what their goals and hopes are they have zero interest in saving themselves. Even if I had the resources to save everyone on the street I fail to see why it would be my duty. The only reason I would even consider it would be to help enhance my chances through cooperation.

[Quinny]

I live in a rural village, but close to large town. The current depression is starting to bite with many of the lads losing work. We are however trying to work together more and a few people are starting to listen to my opinion. I'm quite pleased at the co-operation I'm getting from people who were taking the p*ss out of me a few months ago. When TSHTF I think the community will work together, but I worry about the large town nearby where there is virtually no land. I can see there being major problems with security as people start to take what they need. If there is a rapid die-off, I can see even minor preps being a big advantage, but some kind of defense might be necessary.

It then gets difficult. Where do you draw the line. Unfortunately my family isn't just in the Village, so if they need help, what do I do? OK I'm worried/scared about fighting the looters, but just don't know how I could face turning away kids. Thats why I want to move somewhere much more rural a long way from large population centres.

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('sittinguy', 'R').E. ,, I am a little stunned by your, share or you might go to hell rant.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', ' ')I don't have this problem of course, since this is not my model

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', ' ')I don't have this problem of course, since this is not my model

[mos6507]

Here is a little food for thought, RE. By moving to Alaska you're taking advantage of the fact that there is very little population density up there. If you stay away from the few concentrated towns, you can pretty much live the way humans did before the dawn of agriculture. Well guess what, if even a tiny percentage of the population of the globe decided to play Daniel Day Lewis like you and head up to Alaska, all the wild game would be gone and the trees cut down.

So while you may not believe in property, you're still going to face the same sort of competition for dwindling natural resources as everyone else.

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', 'W')ell guess what, if even a tiny percentage of the population of the globe decided to play Daniel Day Lewis like you and head up to Alaska, all the wild game would be gone and the trees cut down.

[strider3700]

Long before the age of oil people moved up north in droves chasing gold. If Alaska becomes a mecca of survival and word gets out like it always does then you will have lots of neighbours soon after.

As for becoming a larger target by having more then others I fully agree. My moral dilemma is the question of do I preemptively start taking them out before they come after me or do I actually hide as long as possible and hope they miss with the first shot. It's probably easier to prevent a rampaging mob if I wait to do it in self defence but the risk is so much higher that way.

[Dawn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', 'I') don't have this problem of course, since this is not my model and I don't believe in the ownership of land. It is however a problem for those who do follow this paradigm.

[ReverseEngineer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dawn', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', 'I') don't have this problem of course, since this is not my model and I don't believe in the ownership of land. It is however a problem for those who do follow this paradigm.

[JJ]

so here's a question: if word gets out and people decide you are hoarding food (true or not) how do you defend your home against a molotov cocktail?

[vtsnowedin]

AK -47

[StormBringer]

If they want your stash, they are not going to burn you out, it would destroy the food. Armed with any and everything yes but fire would be self defeating. But that only works if they think things through.