Clueless Delusional 'Preppers'

[MountainGirl]

No food supply concern for a year, at my house.

Firepower and ammo you might be wondering? It equals my food stores.

Good to hear!
I was asking more about cities nearby - if they stock enough to feed everyone
...so they don't come eat all your Wheaties & drink all your beer.

[A Watchman]

It's astonishing to read some of the posts of people in prepper forums who think they are prepping for SHTF. I'm not talking about folks who homestead, or put up a large food supply, or stock tons of ammo/weapons...but even some of them...

I'm talking about those who live near, or in the middle of, 1,000+ population and up and think they will survive.

But the really astonishing thing is they think well, if a nuke or EMP hits far enough away, we'll be okay here in our city...WRONG! Before the 'cloud' even dissipates, everything will stop.

I get that not everyone can move out of population centers. What I don't get is why they think they'll survive with, you know, a little food & guns on hand. Delusional. Clueless.

I miss spoke when I quoted you as saying population centers of100,000 would not survive. In reality you suggested communities of 1,000 were delusional and clueless and headed for certain extermination.

Good to hear!
I was asking more about cities nearby - if they stock enough to feed everyone
...so they don't come eat all your Wheaties & drink all your beer.

Of course no City, Town, or Community stocks enough food for all local residents. Nor does your Mountain Top should visitors come a knockin'. A short term or long term survival plan would include defensive measures, wherever one resides.

[MountainGirl]

I miss spoke when I quoted you as saying population centers of100,000 would not survive. In reality you suggested communities of 1,000 were delusional and clueless and headed for certain extermination.

Not communities, individual preppers who fail to consider how the mindset of the large population around them can change - and that if they think their having a supply of food/guns will be enough, in the middle of a big city, then yes, imo they are delusional and clueless.

My OP should have been more clear - that I was NOT talking about natural disasters, local regional or more widespread, even though there were several posts by others in the thread with examples of bad behavior during natural disasters, Katrina, etc.; but rather an attack wherein unaffected areas might hesitate to send them their own resources...fearing additional attacks. It's the change in mindset of the population - that is as big a danger, imo, as not having enough food/guns.

Of course no City, Town, or Community stocks enough food for all local residents. Nor does your Mountain Top should visitors come a knockin'. A short term or long term survival plan would include defensive measures, wherever one resides.

Agree 100%.

[hawgrider]

Cranky this time of the year? Naw, I'm that way all 365 days, every year.

Roger that they don't call me the "Griz" for nothing.....

[Gambit]

they don't call me the "Griz" for nothing.....

is that what she said?

[hawgrider]

is that what she said?

Yeah my daughters gave me the name.

My wife just calls me asshole....

[Sarge7402]

Yeah my daughters gave me the name.

My wife just calls me asshole....

Hey that's a term of endearment around our house hold.

[Sarge7402]

MG
You raise a very interesting topic. One that definitely needs to be addressed. But more importantly is the simple fact that an individual group can not go long term survival alone. You are going to need the help of your neighbors regardless of what your skill sets and stock piles are. Especially if instead of just surviving we plan on rebuilding – see the ending of the Postman. To do that the community must come together and work together and that includes all forms of what we now consider local government. Yes you will need a court system to deal with recalcitrant individuals. You will need garbage collectors and engineers – especially if you plan on getting a locality’s water and sewage systems up and functioning.
Now those folks are by some folks definition non producers and leeches on society. Yes, they don’t contribute food or fuel to a community. But neither do doctors or nurses or dentists. You want to see a community die on the vine real fast let a good case of dysentery take hold and you’ll see folks die horribly really fast.

The time to build these bridges for those just moving into the community is now while the crapola hasn’t yet flown up into the rotating oscillator. Because ones it has you and your’s will be considered those terrible outsiders. And after the event that is something you do not want to be.

[MountainGirl]

MG
You raise a very interesting topic. One that definitely needs to be addressed. But more importantly is the simple fact that an individual group can not go long term survival alone. You are going to need the help of your neighbors regardless of what your skill sets and stock piles are. Especially if instead of just surviving we plan on rebuilding – see the ending of the Postman. To do that the community must come together and work together and that includes all forms of what we now consider local government. Yes you will need a court system to deal with recalcitrant individuals. You will need garbage collectors and engineers – especially if you plan on getting a locality’s water and sewage systems up and functioning.
Now those folks are by some folks definition non producers and leeches on society. Yes, they don’t contribute food or fuel to a community. But neither do doctors or nurses or dentists. You want to see a community die on the vine real fast let a good case of dysentery take hold and you’ll see folks die horribly really fast.

The time to build these bridges for those just moving into the community is now while the crapola hasn’t yet flown up into the rotating oscillator. Because ones it has you and your’s will be considered those terrible outsiders. And after the event that is something you do not want to be.

Hi Sarge, thanks for your reply; your words of concern are well received and appreciated. If it were me who thought Tom and I could survive up here long-term, then I would be the clueless and delusional one.

Two things: we are living a very, but not entirely, self sufficient life here on Peaceful Mountain. If the whole world below us vanished, we could last up here maybe a year, maybe a little more, and easily less - if something goes sideways that we cant handle ourselves with what is on hand: severe injuries, accidents, etc.... and although very remote, this mountain is not that defensible (geographically speaking) but we can put up a good fight, outcome unknown.

The second thing is, there is no 'community' anywhere near us; the closest ones (populations around 1500-2000) are 30 and 40 mountain-miles away (as compared to flat lands where a 30 mile drive is fast & straight). Building a relationship with a community in advance isn't really an option for us - And you are 100% right. For the times well after an event, for the rebuilding, it will be the communities who have the best chance at it, people pulling together.

My prayer is that there will be enough food, to give the people enough time, to do just that.

[Sarge7402]

Hi Sarge, thanks for your reply; your words of concern are well received and appreciated. If it were me who thought Tom and I could survive up here long-term, then I would be the clueless and delusional one.

Two things: we are living a very, but not entirely, self sufficient life here on Peaceful Mountain. If the whole world below us vanished, we could last up here maybe a year, maybe a little more, and easily less - if something goes sideways that we cant handle ourselves with what is on hand: severe injuries, accidents, etc.... and although very remote, this mountain is not that defensible (geographically speaking) but we can put up a good fight, outcome unknown.

The second thing is, there is no 'community' anywhere near us; the closest ones (populations around 1500-2000) are 30 and 40 mountain-miles away (as compared to flat lands where a 30 mile drive is fast & straight). Building a relationship with a community in advance isn't really an option for us - And you are 100% right. For the times well after an event, for the rebuilding, it will be the communities who have the best chance at it, people pulling together.

My prayer is that there will be enough food, to give the people enough time, to do just that.

Yes your situation is different than ours. We live in a very rural county 500 square miles and 25,000 folks. In that there are at least maybe six communities (more like villages) of any size (most are between 600 and 1500 residents). The rest are scattered from here to he77 and gone. And the county as a whole is at least 30 miles from any major population center. We are blessed that most of the county is in some form of crops or livestock and that we have a lot of things to draw off of. from infrastructure (roads, railroads and the like) to temporary housing (RV Sales places and a place that has about a thousand container offices) to a lot of professionals (vets, docs dentists etc). and three saw mill lumber yards. So our situation is different.

To not only survive but to get the community back on the road to rebuilding civilization it's going to take the efforts of a lot of folks starting at the community level