SHTF happens and people start showing up at your house . . .

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In such a situation I have offered a very few of my closest friends and family members refuge. Upon arrival they will be issued a side arm and 200 rounds, long gun and 500 rounds, a room and schedule of watch hours and house chores. I have enough water and food to supply 12 people for a month. Could be longer depending on what we grow ourselves & consume. It could last twice as long.
 
I don't really "prepare for the SHTF scenarios", but I have one friend who said that if "anything happens he and his family are coming to my house" The reason for this is I have guns and they don't. I tried to tell him that it wouldn't work politely. However, he asked me what I would do if they showed up and needed a place to stay. Seeing as how I live by myself and he has a 12 person family, I told him I'd send them on their way. Needless to say we are no longer friends...
 
Why do you people go around telling other people about your goods you've stocked up, in case of a SHTF situation???? That includes telling lazy, irresponsible, oblivious-to-reality family members who then say, "Hey, I'll come over to your house and eat your food har har har har!"

Doesn't make a lick of sense to me to go around bragging about all your "survival stuff."

L.W.
 
There is a benefit to having preparations beyond the zombie paranoia some seem to have. IF you lose you job and can only afford to pay the mortgage/bare necessities until another good job comes along you have food and supplies that will take a huge financial burden off you and make it possible to pay the mortgage on McDonalds wages. My sister the social worker just found a kid who's father died in an accident and the mom sunk into extreme depression. The son (12 y.o.) survived for a few months by eating his late father's SHTF food storage, I can't say that man was foolish, he realistically saved his family since mom wouldn't work (let alone leave her bed) and they were rural enough that no-one noticed until a relative came by to visit. Summer break also contributed to the situation. The SHTF preparedness is good to have for small emergencies too.
 
Why do you people go around telling other people about your goods you've stocked up, in case of a SHTF situation???? That includes telling lazy, irresponsible, oblivious-to-reality family members who then say, "Hey, I'll come over to your house and eat your food har har har har!"

Doesn't make a lick of sense to me to go around bragging about all your "survival stuff."
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Who is running around announcing your supplies? As I said, when you live in a modest house, and live in the city, short of not allowing anyone in the door, which isn't the way we intend to sit our life out wondering if SHFT is coming around, having a general lifestyle of being prepared sticks out.

Only close friends know why we have what we have. And none of the sheeple see all we have, its just that what they see is still out of the ordinary.

Reading the posts in the thread was good. I agree that probably to many of the sheeple, we won't come to mind if there is trouble, and we can place doubt in their minds as well. The next time some clown makes the comments about coming to our house if there is trouble, I can simply claim that there is no point, we won't be home.

It sounds like a nice, non-confrontational way to get the point across.
 
Who is running around announcing your supplies? As I said, when you live in a modest house, and live in the city, short of not allowing anyone in the door, which isn't the way we intend to sit our life out wondering if SHFT is coming around, having a general lifestyle of being prepared sticks out.
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Those big rubbermaid storage tubs are your friend. They can hold lots of gear and supplies, yet look completely innocuous. Keep them in your basement or a little used room and people's eyes will glide over them. Plus they are reasonably resistant to water and fairly easy to move. About the only preparation that I'd say is hard to conceal is gasoline, due to the fact it needs to be stored in special containers and you don't want it in your main residence.
 
Seems these issues are being considered by others out there too-

lpl/nc
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http://www.peakoil.com/article30005.html

The Brother in Law on Your Couch Vision of the Apocalypse

Ok, it isn't the apocalypse, but whenever I point out to people that to a large degree hard times means consolidating housing, living with family and friends and taking in refugees you happen to be related to (by biology or friendship), I get a great deal of resistance. I suspect some of us are better prepared to deal with purple-haired mutants invading our neighborhoods than we are prepared to deal with the basic reality that hard times often look like your brother in law, his kids and spouse sleeping on your living room couch for three years. And I get the frequent impression many of us would rather face the mutants, given the choice. (snip)

Posted on Tuesday, August 21 @ 22:50:05 EDT by Leanan
 
When it comes to being prepared for emergencies.......just like guns, money and drugs.....only tell the people you want to share with about it.
 
When it comes to friends you wouldn't necessarily mind having around, I think the Alpha-Rubicon's "ticket" concept is a great idea. Got a ticket? Welcome aboard. No ticket? Buh-bye. It'll ease the strain on your supplies in an emergency, and in the meantime it'll really show you who's serious about preparing and who's not.
 
Ian,

Thanks for pointing me to the ticket concept. While I am not interested in many of the random gomers I encounter coming over, there may be some "on the fence" folks that a ticket concept could help encourage.

I do believe this general thread topic is a real one. While come SHFT I *may* be involved in defending from outsiders, I am certain to have to deal with have-nots I know personally. I can only imagine how the stress of the situation, combined with different ideas of how to accomplish tasks, is going to go down with certain of my in-laws. You talk about candy-asses, its going to be a never ending stream of stupid ideas likely to get us killed.

What really gets the people thinking our house could be a paradise come trouble, bar none, is the fence. A large, thick concrete wall around one house, at least in our neightborhood and our socio-economic bracket, makes a statement.

The other thing that gets attention is our pantry is fairly large, and it is packed. It is not in your face, but it gets noticed if people are over for meals at our house.

Last is our outside, people know it's not your average city lot.

Its little things (and a big one) but like I said, if you don't do things how the herd does things, the herd notices.
 
First and foremost I would keep all of my preperations a very private matter. Family member or not it just should never be discussed with anyone outside your household. In the event that something should happen you can always invite who you want to come to your house.
 
What really gets the people thinking our house could be a paradise come trouble, bar none, is the fence. A large, thick concrete wall around one house, at least in our neightborhood and our socio-economic bracket, makes a statement.
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Not trying to be a jerk by second-guessing you, but I would say a concrete wall probably brings more trouble than it is worth. In a SHTF situation it basically serves as an advertisement to looters that "There is valuable stuff here!" Obviously you can't really change that now, but I personally would have just put up one of those ubiquitous 8' wooden privacy fences. While it doesn't stop bullets it also doesn't attract unwanted attention.

The other thing that gets attention is our pantry is fairly large, and it is packed. It is not in your face, but it gets noticed if people are over for meals at our house.
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Much easier to remedy. Although it is a bit late now, a fairly large pantry can easily be explained away by saying you buy food in bulk to save money. Another solution is to keep only a small amount of non-perishables in the actual pantry and keep the rest of the stock in a container elsewhere in the house. When you buy more product you put it at the bottom of the container and use the stuff at the top to refill the pantry.
 
If it's TEOTWAWKI then we are in the PAW and who knows how nasty we will have to be. But for the much more likely SHTF, things will return to normal in the foreseeable future and we will have to live with those we turned away.
If you can afford it, put aside that extra 200# of rice, cases of beans, Spam, etc. and take on feeding the multitudes (or at least your no good brother-in-law and his worthless family, not to mention your hopeless neighbors).
As for those who jokingly invite themselves to live off your preparedness, have a handout with what it will cost them to set aside a month's worth of beanie-wienies, mac & cheese, Coleman gas, etc. and offer to buy and store it for them just as soon as you get their check. Then tell them you're really serious about that, because your dunderheaded in-laws (or those other dunderheaded in-laws, if that's who you're already talking to) will be first in line and you can barely supply them now.
-BothellBob
 
Interesting thread and I'll throw in my 2 cents (inflated value).

A friend who works with me and his wife who is a friend of my wife, informed me that my stockpiling (he's been to my home) was a waste of effort and some of the food would out date before we needed it. He, on the other hand was smarter than I am as he is collecting gold in the form of krugerrands and will simply buy what he needs if the SHTF. I asked him how he would do that and he replied he would come over to my house with his gold and barter for whatever he needed. I told him in that case, I would have all his gold and he would have a quiet burial out back, his wife if she was cooperative could be used as a kitchen appliance and his kids would be sent off to fend for themselves. His facial expression was worth a months worth of pinto beans.:)
 
This subject has come up at my house as well. It's hard to come up with a stock answer, because each situation would be different. How long is the event? How severe? How long and severe do you think it will be while you are in the middle of it?

We used to live next to a single mom and her young daughter. They had no preparations. There's just no way I could let them starve or be assaulted by zombie marauders (or whoever). I'd have to invite them over; just who I am. Neighbors across the street? Good luck to them...

I guess best thing you could do for free-loadin' in-laws would be to contact them prior to coming over and tell them to bring everything they can carry. Most people have at least something in their pantry, maybe a little cash, and maybe some propane - something, anything that would be useful.
 
I have the ammo and firearms but will expect them who do come over to bring their own, or take orders from me for any training they might need. I can tell you this, I have a bunch of freinds, and most have no to very little SHTF type support gear or knowledge, so they will definitely end up at my ranch....looking for me to save their betts! The ironic thing is, I'll bet most of them joke about me having so many guns and ammo around, but when if they have to use me as a source for saving their butts, the kidding will stop, and they will be very very happy they know me!
 
one fella mentioned Katrina and what it taught him. I tell family and friends 'don't think that can't happen to you'. an earthquake, volcano, bad winter storm, some sort of terror 'event', a fuel cut-off, name your poison is entirely feasible. be ready for 2 weeks at least. 2 months is better.
 
I've told everyone who's said they're coming to my house when the SHTF to bring all their food, money, guns and virgin daughters because we were using them up first.

I'm expecting a quiet night, reading a book.
 
good one W.E.G. !!! "When people say stupid stuff like, "I'm coming over..." I just tell them I need their ATM card and PIN number RIGHT NOW so I can start stocking up on supplies for them "just in case" they actually make it to my house."
just a couple day ago at my brothers house, a buddy of ours saw his "war room" ( which he makes a vailient effort at concealing) and said "i'm comin' over here when...." and he's a good guy that we like,and i was still annoyed as hell at this. it really is difficult trying to coax people into preparing themselves. but we ended up telling him, "wrong answer,marylou, you need to spend some of that BMW and swimming pool money on some guns and some cases o' beans ". but he still didn't seem to get it. and i've long since given up on my sister and her family.:banghead:
 
well.........

I'm Mormon and if anyone knows much about our religion we have been taught to be self reliant and be prepared. We have anywhere from 3-12 months of food and water on hand. As well as a variety of weapons. This part isn't taught my the Mormon church - it's just how I roll :neener:


So....knowing that I'm Mormon and in Utah (go figure) most people will probably be able to venture that the Mormon's in their neighborhoods will be very well prepared and seek out their help. Hopefully asking.

So, it's a catch 22. I have the food and water - as well as other things, but is this for me and my family and the rest can kiss off? Or do I share? The story of chicken little comes to mind.

If someone asks, sure I'd be more than happy to help out - as long as my family didn't suffer. IF it's a BG - then nope - they'll be eating a lead sandwich.

If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail.
 
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