Anybody here grouping up for SHTF?

Super Shooter · Dec 22, 2012

Of course people will have to bring certain things to the table. Or are most people trying the lone survivor thing? Just a consideration that I have been tossing around, what do you guys think? I don't want specific plans or names or anything like that, that stuff shouldn't be posted here anyway. I don't see much of it except for TV or hear much about it and was just wondering what others are thinking.

I know that groups offer several different dynamics that operating alone, and have considered that too.

biganimal · Dec 22, 2012

We have a small group that includes my 3 sons and a daughter and their spouses, two other couples and the wife and I. We are multi talented and cross trained in various skill sets. We all have emergency rations and survival gear at the ready, including firearms, ammo, and reloading stuff. We also have a bugout plan with options. This all came about several yrs ago in anticipation of natural disasters such as blizzards, (we lived up north) hurricanes, and floods. While preparing for the natural stuff we are prepared for man made problems as well.

11B3XCIB · Dec 22, 2012

Unless my skills are needed at some pivotal location, I am going to some family land and taking everything I can out there.

I've been gearing up for most any situation for as long as I can remember.

I read in a James Wesley, Rawles book, a quote that said something like "I'd rather die at home with familiar surroundings, than thousands of miles away" or something to that effect.

I'd only light out on foot if I'd lost everything and was leaving to simply survive.

armaborealis · Dec 23, 2012

Who would you prefer to hang out with in a post-Katrina type situation where things are getting squirrely?

1) Some dude you met on the internet who says he's a Paramedic-Ex Ranger-Ham Radio expert?
2) Your family members, church friends, coworkers, etc who you have significant bonds of trust with?

I'll take door #2. I'd prefer to have someone I trust take the night watch over someone with great training/kit/etc. I have spare stuff and can hook up my neighbors with what they need to help me keep a 24/7 neighborhood watch going if necessary.

If you aren't making friends with useful skills and developing your "tribe" already... Why not?

Tigerstripe · Dec 23, 2012

my close neighbors suck.

Andy you dont qaulify as close.

rotarymike · Dec 23, 2012

Because I live on the coast in a hurricane area we have bugout bags ready to go. Because I live relatively near heavily used train tracks I have gas masks. I too would only leave on foot if there was basic survival at stake.

HOLY DIVER · Jan 2, 2013

I'm staying with family. Headed out of the city by moonlight headed one county over

rebelsgt1 · Jan 2, 2013

Me my family and some neighbors are grouping together.
All my family (4 generations) are pretty close and know to come to us. They are to bring everything useful,water, meds and medical supplies, guns and ammo, gasoline,fishing rods. My neighbers know my plans and i feel will group with us because everyone knows there is strenght in numbers.I have what i believe enough weapons to provide pretty sufficient safety and security for all and enough knowledge to start putting together a fighting force IF necessary.
rebelsgt1 out

Enjay · Jan 4, 2013

We have a few connections but don't really have a group other than the one we're raising.
The closest family is about 400 miles away. While they think it's prudent that we have supplies on hand they don't prep beyond a well stocked pantry and have been resistant to all discussions of shtf and prepping. If anything they'd probably come here if they can travel. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to feed all of us off of my little 1/3 of an acre so we may end up gardening in the drainage ditch and median strips if that happens lol.

I'm open to helping the neighbors out with our skills, but we can't store enough for all of them, and again I can't grow enough for all of them either. As far as I can tell other than a family in a rental the next street over who had a container garden a few years ago we're the only ones in the neighborhood who grow a vegetable garden.

PCShogun · Jan 4, 2013

No Plans on paper.

I have some ideas that could be described as a plan but its only in my head. The wife and family don't really think that way and so it makes them nervous. My son-in-law might be receptive to a discussion and would definitely be on board in an actual emergency that required us to do something drastic, like get out of town. He has some useful skills, but other than a realistic view of the world, I got next to nothin other than firearms, and some food, which is still better than many.

Enjay · Jan 5, 2013

Hey PC

It puts a kink in your plans when your family isn't like minded doesn't it?
Maybe this year you might have a hankering to grow your own tomatoes, and put a couple in a pot. That get joined by a pepper plant, and maybe some beans over there next to the fence. Then next year well those either were so good or failed so miserably that you want to try again in the ground. So you dig a bit of a garden. Then you get tired of the water bill, so you find a rain barrel on craigslist and hook it up to your house gutters so you can water the expanding garden for free. Maybe when that one gets full you get another one because it's such a waste to let it all go. Then the garden could really use some manure, so maybe get a couple rabbits or three because their poo can go straight into the garden, which starts to produce enough that you have vegetables coming out of your ears. Sounds like it's time to buy a pressure canner and some jars and make some salsa. Oops, those darn rabbits, their babies are cute but what're gonna do? Might as well put them in the canner too. Next thing you know you have sustainable water storage, renewable food, renewable animal protein, and wow you're not even a prepper.

Midnight Raver · Jan 5, 2013

That is THE BEST explanation of trying to take care of yourselves without looking for handouts EVER!

Nicely done Enjay, nicely done!

P.S.: Not to mention what rabbit fur can come in handy for as well.

PANZER22 · Jan 5, 2013

Enjay...I enjoyed your post...Sounds like you have a plan there.......May be I could come and be your perimeter security

HOLY DIVER · Jan 5, 2013

Very cool post Enjay!!!!!! Back to the grouping thing. Just wondering is everyone's group standardized? Will all of the groups ammo magazines all interchange? I think this is important. Vote on it if everybody agrees that a Glock 21 is the side arm everybody must own a G21. If everybody agrees a AR-15 well you get my drift

Super Shooter · Jan 5, 2013

HOLY DIVER said:
Very cool post Enjay!!!!!! Back to the grouping thing. Just wondering is everyone's group standardized? Will all of the groups ammo magazines all interchange? I think this is important. Vote on it if everybody agrees that a Glock 21 is the side arm everybody must own a G21. If everybody agrees a AR-15 well you get my drift

In a perfect world everyone would have the same equipment, what you will end up with is something totally different. Some might have an AR, another an AK74, another AK47, another an SKS, don't even get into pistols. Add to that load bearing gear i.e plate carrier, chestrig or something of the sort. We all know people have not, and contnue not to plan accordingly. But yes uniformity would be nice.

HOLY DIVER · Jan 6, 2013

It makes sense to standardize in my mind. But I agree most wont. Oooo and I also the a 12ga riot shotgun is a must for any group/prepper

PCShogun · Jan 7, 2013

Funny you mention that Enjay. I grew some Bell Peppers and radish's this year.I've also been talking about a rain barrel. You know, just to water the yard with.

It sounds bad, but I've been feeding a flock of geese behind the house in the thoughts that they would reciprocate in the event things got really bad.

beerman · Jan 7, 2013

The wife and I would probably load up the car and truck and head North. Her family has a farm on a few hundred acres in the UP of Michigan. I'm pretty sure that's where we'd head. The problem with that is, it's a 1300 mile trip, so we'd have to commit to going before things got too bad and you couldn't buy gas anywhere (I don't have a way currently to store enough gas in the truck to make it without refueling somewhere). We'd probably stick around here if we thought it was a temporary thing/natural disaster type situation.

PCShogun · Jan 7, 2013

Beerman, get a diesel truck. The odds are against you that gasoline will be available as everyone will be after it. However, there are much fewer diesel vehicles in use and so you may have better luck finding that fuel.

Carry a hose to siphon fuel from the gas stations tanks in the event the pumps do not work.

An expensive option I saw somewhere was a 100 gallon fuel tank that sits in the back of a truck and looks a lot like the diamond plate tool boxes you see everywhere. How far could you go with an additional 100 gallons

I saw a show recently where the guy made a field expedient biofuel using cooking grease, ethanol (octane boost), and lye from a cleaning product all filtered through some coffee filters. Not sure if it really would work but you could learn more about it and then just carry the ingredients you'd need to make some. It would be a good skill to have too for afterward.

Enjay · Jan 7, 2013

PC,
Were things to hit the fan you'd probably want to have a design in the back of your head and "random" materials on hand that would allow you to knock together an enclosure of sorts to keep the geese at hand and more easily protected. Goose eggs are good eating once you get used to them. They do, however, require more room than rabbits and they are very noisy. Great if you want to use them for watchdogs, but I'd really rather not have to have hungry people listening to my food day in and day out, too tempting to my mind.

If I may ask, where did you see those tool box looking gas tanks?