# How do I talk to other preppers without jeopardizing OpSec?



## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

I'm part of a local moms group. Recently a few ladies have mentioned things like "Holistic healing" and "herbalism". Others are HUGE into stocking up. One woman went so far as to quote directly from a prepping website. 
I've heard two schools of thought regarding prepping: 1. get neighbors involved for community safety 2. Don't tell ANYONE! I'd like to get more local resources but I don't want to approach anyone directly & ask if they are prepping too. Wish there was a secret handshake or something :dunno: 
My question is, how do I pull from these resources and share my own knowledge without looking like I should be fitted for a tinfoil hat? Is it unwise to mention anything about my preps? I just find it really difficult to get my home in order when even my dear hubby doesn't want to participate. I could use the support from local mammas but I don't want a target on my back either. Frustrating!


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

I find that it's best to be seen and not heard, I listen and make no comments unless it's someone that i've known for yrs and know for a fact that they are preppers, not just pretenders. I trust no one. many people just want to agree with you and then ridicule you later on.


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Too much paranoia is bad too. If we are worried about an extreme situation only those who band togetehr cna survive.

I am not concerned that my buddies know about ym Ammo stash for example why?

Either,
a) I am there and need the extra hand I'll be happy for the extra person(s) but if I am there and NOT need an extra hand no one gets in here alive w/o my say-so and everyone understands that and I think PPL who know me would _not _consider me a soft target of the type one would go to and plunder (soif they had bad intentions would know to go somewhere else).

b) If i am on travel a few states away and not here, I will likely never make it back home. Why? I likely wont make it home for one of 2 reasons 1) I found a better spot and am staying put there... or I am dead. in either case if someone plundesr my stash its no longer a matter of concern for me.

So both situations, I am home or not home ,it will likely not be an issue if my friends know.

(I know the "what iffers" are now going to chime in wit all sorts of contrived scenarios where this wont work, but broad brush my analysis is sound for my application.

By being open with friends its helps create a support network which is the only way to survive.
For example I am sure those of them that ahve houses would be happy to see me on thier doorstop with a car full of high value supplies and take me in..
Or vice versa if someone shows up with supplies that complement my set.

No one can prep for any situation and most prep for what theyare good at so cooperation is key..
And no one can survive by themselves.


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

BlueZ said:


> Too much paranoia is bad too. If we are worried about an extreme situation only those who band togetehr cna survive.
> 
> *I am not concerned that my buddies know about ym Ammo stash for *example why?
> 
> ...


 no one said anything about ammo, that;s one of the reasons that we're branded as nuts, someone always has to mention ammo or guns, why can't somethings be just taken for granted and not mentioned, no one gets impressed be anyone who braggs about how much ammo they have.


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## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

I mentioned the word "Prepping" to my best friend of twenty years & she looked at me like I had three heads. I've now, jokingly, been labeled the crazy one in the group. Just from that one mention I've learned a valuable lesson. Be careful who you share info with. That's where I'm confused....if I fine like-minded people, shouldn't we pool our knowledge?


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

mamabear2012 said:


> I mentioned the word "Prepping" to my best friend of twenty years & she looked at me like I had three heads. I've now, jokingly, been labeled the crazy one in the group. Just from that one mention I've learned a valuable lesson. Be careful who you share info with. That's where I'm confused....if I fine like-minded people, shouldn't we pool our knowledge?


This is why most of us are on a forum. We have been labeled nuts by are friends. Well, the friends we used to have.


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## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

True enough! Oh....I apologize for all the type-o's on my last post. That's what happens when a toddler takes residence on your lap while you're typing.


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## sillymoo (Oct 30, 2011)

I let little things slip, like that we always keep a few gallons of gas "for the lawn mower", or that we keep extra water and paper products on hand because of that time our municipal water was contaminated. I have realized that it is best to bring up specific incidents that I prepare for, just like the tainted water. Saying that you prep for TEOTWAWKI or because you never know just sounds too ominous for nonpreppers. Bringing up how to overcome relatively easy problems like a lack of water or electricity for a few days makes them think you are just looking out for the comfort of your family and they can relate. By the way, I have also found out the hard way that people who stockpile things they get for for with coupons are not necessarily preppers. I still can't believe that a woman thought I was nuts while she had 10 years worth of toothpaste and shampoo in little travel sized bottles and didn't have meat in the house.


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## BlueShoe (Aug 7, 2010)

If anyone in your family close to you came through the depression you can blame your extra supplies on them as an example. The first people I ever met who kept a lot of food was in the 1980s. They were depression era and learned from that. I know some other people born just in or after the depression who stock several weeks of supplies. If you live in hurricane or snow storm areas, same thing. "Prepping" is probably not a good word for discussion with zombies. It symbolizes Armageddon or civil unrest. Or you can blame your language on the Extreme Preppers show. It's the same thing the two major parties and media did to the word "militia" when McVeigh helped blow the federal building in the '90s. Never mind that it's outlined and detailed in the Constitution. It's now a dirty word. And that was probably the intent all along.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

It makes sense to reveal as much to them as they reveal to you. When they mentioned a prepper website you could've asked what that was and then asked if they were preppers.

I've talked to friends, relatives, and church people about what I expect to see happen with the economy. Some people have seen me in the grocery store buying a hundred cans of food and twenty gallons of water. I've told them what I'm doing. Everybody thinks I'm crazy. A couple of people have either bought gold or are considering it. I can't get them to actually prep. Hopefully that's changed with some of them since I've last seen them.

I feel obligated to tell family members. Most of them live far enough away that they're not going to show up on my door step after it hits the fan. Even if they did I won't be answering the door for anyone. And I will shoot anyone trying to break in after I warn them to stop.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

lotsoflead said:


> I find that it's best to be seen and not heard, I listen and make no comments unless it's someone that i've known for yrs and know for a fact that they are preppers, not just pretenders. I trust no one. many people just want to agree with you and then ridicule you later on.


Great advise; my neighbor, not even a friend, called me one day and pretended she was a prepper learning from her church.
So, naturally, I confided.....waaaay too much. I discovered she wasn't a 'real' prepper, this after she'd seen my stores.
Then one day she expressed how she WISHED she could store like me but didn't have the room, but just bought a $30,000(maybe more) car instead of building onto the 800 sq ft house.
Relationship nipped in the bud--real fast; and I learned my lesson.
Never divulge what you have.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

With people who have seen my preps and then have said when TSHTF they are coming to my house I have started talking "poor me" to them. "When DH was sick we used it all up and we are too broke to replenish, so if TSHTF we may have to come to YOUR house instead" kind of thing. I will never tell anyone again what I have.


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## mamabear2012 (Mar 8, 2012)

Great advice from everyone. Looks like I'll be keeping my info pretty close to the vest.


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## gerschmedley (May 20, 2012)

I would say, if you don't "know" them, then mention you "heard" about prepping or saw an episode of "preppers" on natgeo and see how they react. If they think it's crazy, then discussion is over. If they think it's cool or neat or something they should look into, then continue.
IMHO


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

sillymoo said:


> I let little things slip, like that we always keep a few gallons of gas "for the lawn mower", or that we keep extra water and paper products on hand because of that time our municipal water was contaminated. I have realized that it is best to bring up specific incidents that I prepare for, just like the tainted water.


^ what sillymoo says! I try a few different ways.
1 - Complain about the prices of everything - need to get stock up while it's on sale. 2 - It's "Hurricane/Tornado/Fire/Fill in the blank" season, need to get the extra batteries, etc... 3 - Personal stories - we were w/o power for a week in an all electric house, honey, I learned my lesson. A friend w/ a wood burning stove let us crash at their house, we were warm, and while our freezer was defrosting, they benefitted from the extra meat. 4- As a gardener, we can/preserve enough to hopefully last an entire year, more if possible - next year, the harvest may not come. BUT - I don't use the word "prepper" and I don't talk about my inventory. There's a new couple at church who we KNOW are preppers and would love to connect, but we can't - she talks too much. I can hear her now, yeah, I go to church with a family of preppers, yadda, yadda, yadda - she'll blow our cover.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

I let people know I share their concerns and perhaps that I have a few supplies, but try to keep the extent of my preps secret. 

I am in an area where bug out would be necessary if anything major happened, so I have envelopes with a letter to friends and family explaining my concerns and asking them to bug out with me. If I ever felt bug out was necessary, I could just give it to friends and tell them to take and read. If they decide to bug out I include checklists and maps for my friends to find their way to my cabin in the woods. I can personally evac in 10-20 minutes with enough to survive for 2-3 months or in 1-1.5 hrs with all my food and guns but my hope is that a) I could wait a little longer for a few friends to join me, or b) they could join me latter.
'


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## artman556 (May 2, 2012)

I wouldn't tell anyone


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## menehuni509 (Apr 27, 2012)

I've talked to my daughter, who thinks I'm crazy by the way, and told her that when TSHTF, I'm coming to get the kids. If she and her s.o. want to come along at that time, they're welcome to, but the kids are coming with me to where they'll be safe and have enough to eat. She told me that was okay, but I think she was just humoring me. I wasn't joking though.

My son, on the other hand, is trying to figure out how to get his kids from their mother to our place so they'll be safe. Unfortunately, we may have to take her, her new man, and his two kids just to get my son's three kids.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

menehuni509 said:


> I've talked to my daughter, who thinks I'm crazy by the way, and told her that when TSHTF, I'm coming to get the kids. If she and her s.o. want to come along at that time, they're welcome to, but the kids are coming with me to where they'll be safe and have enough to eat. She told me that was okay, but I think she was just humoring me. I wasn't joking though.
> 
> My son, on the other hand, is trying to figure out how to get his kids from their mother to our place so they'll be safe. Unfortunately, we may have to take her, her new man, and his two kids just to get my son's three kids.


When I read stories like this, I'm really glad I don't have children.
I mean that in a selfish way, but I'm honest!!!:ignore:

Oh, wait...I have a husband of 38 years with beginning dementia...I guess that counts as one child??


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## MichaelK (Aug 3, 2011)

I don't use the word "prepping" with anyone. Anyone that is outside of prepping websites. I think though that you can fish for information about others by mentioning specfic things, without disclosing your intention of being prepared.

For example, try to organize some of your neighbors for a canning bee (or whatever you girls want to call it) Market home canning to them being about making higher quality products than what you buy in the store, or that you know your home canned jellies don't have any pesticides in them.

Talk about the bone-warming heat of a neighbor's woodstove and how you want one too, or complain about your electric bill and how you hope to save money. Again, don't use the word prepping.

Your husband can talk about how his reloads are so much more accurate than anything he can buy in the store. Don't mention though the extra cases of bulk 5.56mm stashed under the bed.

You can get a feel for what people think about you after that and those inclined to be prepared also will sort of fall into a groove with you. Those that don't will just think of you as the local health freak. Just another harmless eccentric.


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## Berta (Apr 8, 2011)

When I first started prepping I told everyone and tried to get them on board. Big mistake. I turned into the crazy lady and became the butt of every joke. I moved two years ago and now I keep my mouth shut. My one very dear neighbor is elderly and although not classified as a "prepper", she does keep a stocked pantry. We live in a very rural area and are prone to losing power often. She offered to come help this "city girl" organize and stock a pantry. As sweet as she is, she is the mouth piece of our street and anything said to her might as well be posted on a billboard for all to read. I have said to her I was buying a can or two extra to put back, and that made her happy. But no one local will ever know the extent of what I have stored.


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## Ration-AL (Apr 18, 2012)

personally, i think if you are concerned with how do you open up the conversation with them you probably shouldn't be talking to them about it in the first place...

all of the people who know what i do, know far more about me then just my prepping stuff , they are friends and family who know all of my darkest secrets and thoughts, and i have some dark thoughts, lol , so talking to them about prepping wasn't hard and i would like to think within my group I'm fairly respected, so i was able to get everyone on board pretty easily, friends are already stocking food and planning routes to get to mine...bloody city dwellers, lol , as my place is the best BOL to start with they are all coming to my place, we then plan to fall back to a series of 4 cabins that we collectively own in the cascades and we are starting to stock those locations this summer...point is since i chose life long friends whom i have seen in personal SHTF situations and how they acted and who know every detail about me already this topic wasn't an issue...we all know telling other people about this stuff is crazy, but we're close enough were we can all be crazy together and survive in the end, haha 

If you don't have anyone like this and you feel the need to pick up a church buddy for your prep team/fire squad i suggest going slow...very very slow and watching very carefully how these people are in the world, they may be one way in church or home and maybe completely different at work or when ordering their coffee in the shop, see what pisses them off, what their threshold for annoyances and anger are, are they a road rager? how did they act when a loved one left them or when they lost a job? how angery did they get, how quickly did they pick up and move on? did they mope for weeks?
alot of these things can be signs of how a person may react in a SHTF situation, and really just their general disposition , personally i x'd everyone in my life like that out years ago and it's much better because of it , sure everyone gets angry and mad, it's just how long they hold on to it and what they do with those negative feelings and emotions that matter, i see the people who deal with these feelings poorly as a very serious risk, on par with an intruder really if not more dangerous as you never know if this so called friend has been holding on to something for so long or feels they have been wronged in someway and wants to exact some sort of revenge or even just try to take what i have, all of my friends are blunt and up front as you can get and actually take pride on calling each other out when we're being stupid or full of ourselves, we truly do function as a harmonious unit.

try things out on camping trips with newcomers, maybe go rock climbing or some sort of adventure sport where stress is induced and see how they react....just go slow....


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Behaviors that might draw attention to us*



BillS said:


> It makes sense to reveal as much to them as they reveal to you. When they mentioned a prepper website you could've asked what that was and then asked if they were preppers.
> 
> I've talked to friends, relatives, and church people about what I expect to see happen with the economy. Some people have seen me in the grocery store buying a hundred cans of food and twenty gallons of water. I've told them what I'm doing. Everybody thinks I'm crazy. A couple of people have either bought gold or are considering it. I can't get them to actually prep. Hopefully that's changed with some of them since I've last seen them.
> 
> I feel obligated to tell family members. Most of them live far enough away that they're not going to show up on my door step after it hits the fan. Even if they did I won't be answering the door for anyone. And I will shoot anyone trying to break in after I warn them to stop.


BillS, I am not trying to be offensive here, although this post might come off that way. I am trying to communicate how important OpSec is and desperate people will take desperate measures. I am sure that people will kill and be killed over food in the future.

BillS, not only do I keep my mouth shut, I am careful about how I shop.

Once sugar was on sale (holidays), and I put four 5# bags in my cart. When I ran into someone I knew, I was asked why I had so much sugar. I told her I was going to do alot of holiday baking. That 20# of sugar could be small in the big sugar prepping picture. But she had previously been on the receiving end of some of my holiday baking, so it wasn't totally a foreign idea to her. I also included some other baking needs to add to the illusion--chocolate chips, cocoa, etc.

What was reinforced for me is that you never know who is watching, taking notes, curious, putting 2 and 2 together, or whatever--friends, neighbors, grocery clerks (who might be able to access your information). I bought sugar in that quantity 2 more times that year. I did not run into anyone I knew on my subsequent trips, but my story would have been the same if I had.

If there is a special on something I want, I would rather go back a few times with less noticeable quantities than to make a spectacle that many people will notice, especially if you use one grocery store. If there is a great sale going on, such as peanut butter and I buy more than one, some people take notice. If I go back to the same store and do it again, the same person who noticed, might have their curiosity piqued. Where I live, I have several of the same stores within reasonable access. I try to use one store on one trip and a different store on subsequent trips.

All of this said, I am well aware that all of our food purchases are being tracked and that in itself might be a target.

All the preps in the world could be dashed if one hysterical loud mouth decides you are holding out and need to give it up.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

lotsoflead said:


> no one said anything about ammo, that;s one of the reasons that we're branded as nuts, someone always has to mention ammo or guns, why can't somethings be just taken for granted and not mentioned, no one gets impressed be anyone who braggs about how much ammo they have.


You must see how ironic that is coming from someone with a username: Lotsoflead...


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

sillymoo said:


> I let little things slip, like that we always keep a few gallons of gas "for the lawn mower", or that we keep extra water and paper products on hand because of that time our municipal water was contaminated. I have realized that it is best to bring up specific incidents that I prepare for, just like the tainted water. Saying that you prep for TEOTWAWKI or because you never know just sounds too ominous for nonpreppers. Bringing up how to overcome relatively easy problems like a lack of water or electricity for a few days makes them think you are just looking out for the comfort of your family and they can relate.


I agree 100%. Encourage them to prep because of known issues not some ominous doomsday scenario.

For instance, in our area we have a gas scheme run by a local supermarket whereby the more you shop the more of a discount you get on gas. I tell people I buy gas in bulk because I get this discount, so while they may think me cheap, they will sympathize given the price of gas, and may start to copy my example.

I also store water, because everyone knows our town has issues with ecoli in the water.

I think it is important to avoid conversations that make us sound like Ted Kaczinski or militia men. Does that mean avoiding the tactical aspects of prepping? No! It means just using our God given intellect to rephrase it in terms of: "sports" "target shooting" "fun" "IDPA" "hunting" "camping" etc..


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

weedygarden said:


> not only do I keep my mouth shut, I am careful about how I shop.
> 
> Once sugar was on sale (holidays), and I put four 5# bags in my cart. When I ran into someone I knew, I was asked why I had so much sugar. I told her I was going to do alot of holiday baking.


I agree that OpSec is hugely important and have encountered the same issue at the store.

As a matter of conscience I would prefer not to lie about my purchases, but misdirection is not a lie.

One asset that preppers should consider for rotation, i.e. if they are not eating all of the food they are rotating, is a food pantry. I regularly make charitable donations of food to my food pantry (often rotating foodstuffs as I do). And if I am ever challenged about my purchasing habits I say that the food is for the food pantry. Granted its for my personal pantry and may only make it to the community pantry in a few years  .

Once you have been donating for a few years the volume of your donations and of your preps will equalize meaning that 100% of your preps will be tax deductible and that you have roughly a 1 to 1 relationship between how much you buy and how much you donate. Talk about camouflage!!!

And it satisfies at least part of a Christians obligations to tithe...


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## Ration-AL (Apr 18, 2012)

Padre said:


> Once you have been donating for a few years the volume of your donations and of your preps will equalize meaning that 100% of your preps will be tax deductible and that you have roughly a 1 to 1 relationship between how much you buy and how much you donate. Talk about camouflage!!!
> 
> And it satisfies at least part of a Christians obligations to tithe...


never thought of that ! i more than like this, very good info , thanks a ton !


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## urbanprepper (May 15, 2012)

I, unfortunately live in an apartment building at the moment, so my prepping must be contained in closets, cabinets and any free space I can find. Most of my friends know about my prepping, as it's hard to hide it all when people are over. 

The way I have solved this (as best I can at preset moment) is to get most of my friends involved. My bug out route has a rendezvous point for us all to meet, then head to my location (which they don't know)

Also, I have started to move the bulk of my stored food to my location, and keep only enough for my planned 2-3 week bug in. 

But, I no longer tell people I prep.


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## hellrazor762 (May 20, 2012)

"Well you see, when I was a kid we got hit by a tornado and were without power for two weeks. Luckily we had a generator and enough food to last us. Ever since then I've always kept enough supplies on hand for such a situation. " True story plus a great cover.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

I often feel the same way. I have one friend who tells me she chooses to "trust in God" for provision. Hey, that's great and I agree and everything, but after that comment, I've never brought it up again. I also have another friend who I practically BEGGED to let me help show her how to store some food and she dang near didn't speak to me again. I have never mentioned it again, nor will I. If either of them show up at my house I will turn them away. Not in a mean way, just a "I'm very sorry, but I don't have enough for you" kind of way while I secretly think they should have listened to me. They don't need to know how full my basement is.

Another thing to think about when considering who or if to tell is who would be the most likely to crack under pressure. If a woman had starving kids, the UN soldiers come to the rescue and withhold food until she spills the beans how long do you think it would take for your name to be mentioned? Don't think for a second that the powers that be will not use our fellow citizens against us. It will happen. Be very, very careful.


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## Padre (Oct 7, 2011)

*This response drives me crazy*



lazydaisy67 said:


> I often feel the same way. I have one friend who tells me she chooses to "trust in God" for provision.


Were Noah and Joseph not "trusting in God"? Or the Maccabees when they fought against oppression? God helps those who help themselves, and while all things are possible for God, you have got to remember that in His plan death is not necessarily a bad thing. If you choose not to prepare to live, he may grant you your wish, or he might see if you really mean you "trust in God" when you and your children are starving, remember Job. Its ok not to prep when you are responsible for no one other than yourself, but it is an uncharitable decision not prepare for your children and potential leave them to misery and despair because you chose not to prepare.

Quietism is not authentically Christian, because as the Fathers of the Church note, God will not save us without us, our cooperation that is.


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## 41south (Dec 4, 2010)

True Opsec talk, means there aint none. 

And when it comes to prepping I think of a short story one of my Great Uncles often told about God taking care of us. A man was in a flood he was on his porch a boat came by, he says no the Lord will take care of me. Later another boat comes by, he is on the roof, no the Lord will take care of me. Later a helicopter comes by, he is up on the chimney with water to his waist, no the Lord will take care of me. 

He drowns gets to Heaven and asks the Lord. Lord I thought you would take care of me? The Lord replies, my child I sent two boats and a helicopter for you, it was up to you to get on one of them.

The Lord won't put more on us than we can bear, that is true. But in my opinion, man can put more on himself than he can bear.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Is this too preachy?*

I am not much about preaching to others. I especially try in situations like this to not go there, and if this is too much that way, I am sure someone will let me know.

I am writing this because I think this really speaks to the potential of the situation. The bible says something about in end times that brother will turn on brother, neighbor against neighbor. I am sorry, I looked for this verse, but couldn't find it.

If you are a believer, and your brother or sister knows what you have, they might turn on you and turn you in if they know you have something.
Actually, I think, according to this, you do not have to be a believer for this to be true.

I think that people who "think" you have something, will want it and some will get it one way or another. I also think that some people consider knowledge of your preps "an invitation". Think about the desperate people searching for something. (We have bums 
who work the neighborhood--keep knocking on doors working it until they find something, somewhere. One homeless drunk keeps knocking on the same doors, looking for a 5 or ten spot)) Why would you go places where you have no idea if there is food, when you can go where you KNOW there is. It is absolutely human nature (or even animal nature). And if they
are rebuffed and turned away, they might go find some backup, spread the word, and turn on you. Why not? What use are you? "You turned me away, I'll show you."

It is far better for everyone to think you have nothing also. They will keep on keeping on.

Knock, knock. "Hi, we are hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"

Option 1: "We just have enough for ourselves. Get out of here. Leave us alone."
Option 2: "No, do you know where there is some food? We are hungry and need some food."

And if someone journeys a distance to come climb on your prepping back, try turning them away. "How can you do that to me? Do you know what it took for me to get here?"

My problem is not talking about my preps too much. My problem is that I am very independent and take care of myself. If I can take care of myself and my small family, that will be plenty. I don't try to convince others. I keep my mouth shut and keep moving forward. And I try not to draw attention to myself.

Climbing off my soapbox now!


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark 13:12 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death..

This it??


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Padre said:


> Were Noah and Joseph not "trusting in God"? Or the Maccabees when they fought against oppression? God helps those who help themselves, and while all things are possible for God, you have got to remember that in His plan death is not necessarily a bad thing. If you choose not to prepare to live, he may grant you your wish, or he might see if you really mean you "trust in God" when you and your children are starving, remember Job. Its ok not to prep when you are responsible for no one other than yourself, but it is an uncharitable decision not prepare for your children and potential leave them to misery and despair because you chose not to prepare.
> 
> Quietism is not authentically Christian, because as the Fathers of the Church note, God will not save us without us, our cooperation that is.


If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever....
I Timothy 5:8


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

mamabear2012 said:


> I mentioned the word "Prepping" to my best friend of twenty years & she looked at me like I had three heads. I've now, jokingly, been labeled the crazy one in the group. Just from that one mention I've learned a valuable lesson. Be careful who you share info with. That's where I'm confused....if I fine like-minded people, shouldn't we pool our knowledge?


I know exactly where your coming from. I can't understand why people don't see what s going on around them and think that it very well could be them. From the katrina fiasco to other major disasters seems people would learn. That being said while OPSEC is a top priority "feeling others" out may be your best bet, the people you mentioned who "stock up" what if you casually ask them about what they do? Maybe get together for coffee ( at their house) and get them to share with you. Once you know they are Does not talkers you can tell them a bit about your beleifs and preps. Maybe even help each other with resources and such, maybe even get to a point of "group orders" to save money. I've been lucky enough to find a few like minded people here I do so with.


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

lotsoflead said:


> no one said anything about ammo, that;s one of the reasons that we're branded as nuts, someone always has to mention ammo or guns, why can't somethings be just taken for granted and not mentioned, no one gets impressed be anyone who braggs about how much ammo they have.


Lots.... THANK YOU!!!!! I totally agree here. While I'm well stocked in that department it is only a small part of prepping. Food water and shelter IMO are of higher value/importance. You can find alternatives to ammo but not food or water,


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## SimpleJoys (Apr 28, 2012)

I talk about growing/canning my own food. grinding whole grains, etc. from a health perspective and don't go into just how much I'm canning, how much wheat and corn I have, etc. I also say I'm worried about inflation and prefer to buy a little extra at today's prices. That way, I feel like I've given a gentle warning that people can think about if they choose without making them think I have a whole lot of stuff.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

JayJay said:


> If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever....
> I Timothy 5:8


I'm providing for me, my wife, her son, his future wife, and their child that's on the way. I don't have the resources to provide for my sisters, their husbands, their children, and their grandchildren. They've been told to prep. They have more resources than we do. This isn't a normal situation where someone will be in need and I'll be turning my back on them. I think this parable says it all:

(Mat 25:1-13 NIV) "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. {2} Five of them were foolish and five were wise. {3} The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. {4} The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. {5} The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. {6} "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' {7} "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. {8} The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' {9} "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' {10} "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. {11} "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' {12} "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' {13} "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

weedygarden said:


> BillS, I am not trying to be offensive here, although this post might come off that way. I am trying to communicate how important OpSec is and desperate people will take desperate measures. I am sure that people will kill and be killed over food in the future.
> 
> BillS, not only do I keep my mouth shut, I am careful about how I shop.
> 
> ...


I understand what you're saying. I understand what you're doing and why you're doing it. No offense taken. At different times when I've run into people while grocery shopping I've felt obligated to tell them, regardless of the possible problems that could cause. The people in our Bible study know we're preppers because for awhile that was an issue for my wife and we all prayed about it as a group. I explained to everyone what we were doing and what I expected to happen to the economy.

I'm aware that desperate people could come after our stuff but we're prepared for it. We could have desperate people asking us to take in their children but I won't be opening the door for anyone. Not unless we sense the voice of God telling us to let them in.

Those of us who are Christians could have more guests than we anticipate for that reason. God knows how long we'll be here before the Rapture. If the Rapture is six months after the collapse then we'd have enough food and water for eight people instead of four, for example.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Well the only people who know are our family that's actually gone into our basement and seen and helped with our preps. For questions and help I only have this board, as the other board I've found get dominated be gun geeks preppin for zombies. I'm pretty sure most of my time will be spent farmin and tendin to food critters. I do try to tell my immediate family though because for 100 bucks you can get 125 lbs of pinto beans. They may be gassy but al least they won't be on my porch begging! I mean, not counting guns and ammo, I have yet to spend 2K on grub and my family is set for over a year so its not the cost that stops people from prepping, maybe people can't accept that things won't be great forever. As Bilbo Baggins said, they're too complacent. They need a good dragon invasion or something to wake them up.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

mojo4 said:


> As Bilbo Baggins said, they're too complacent. They need a good dragon invasion or something to wake them up.


Love the reference!! :2thumb:


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

BillS said:


> I'm providing for me, my wife, her son, his future wife, and their child that's on the way. I don't have the resources to provide for my sisters, their husbands, their children, and their grandchildren. They've been told to prep. They have more resources than we do. This isn't a normal situation where someone will be in need and I'll be turning my back on them. I think this parable says it all:
> 
> (Mat 25:1-13 NIV) "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. {2} Five of them were foolish and five were wise. {3} The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. {4} The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. {5} The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. {6} "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' {7} "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. {8} The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' {9} "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' {10} "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. {11} "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' {12} "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' {13} "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.


No problem..you are providing for your immediate family...case closed??
We are the 21st century Noahs.....do 'I' feel guilty??

This explains that......Genesis 7:16.....Then the *Lord *shut him in.

I believe the Lord was showing Noah that it was HIS decision and to aleviate any guilt on Noah's part for leaving all humans on earth to the coming fatal disaster, HE closed that door.
Hopefully God will guide me when the time is right.
We have far too many sources and outlets to become aware of the coming disaster and it's not an emergency on my part that you ignored the warnings and bought blings.
WE ARE THE 21st CENTURY NOAHS. We will save our people that are willing..
For all others, there is the flood.


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## lilmama (Nov 13, 2010)

It isn't hard for me to have an 'excuse' when the discussion of prepping comes up. I don't advertise that I prep but I will say I do if they start talking about it. We live in hurricane country and when Rita hit we didn't have electricty for a week, our waterline had broke the first two days, there was no food left in town. The same thing happened with, I believe, Gustav, but we only had no electricty for 3 days. Later down the line my husband was laid off due to the economy and we lived off our stocked pantry. Once I tell people this they don't look at me like I'm crazy. Of course if they are from my town and went through it too, they may not even blink an eye.


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## lilmama (Nov 13, 2010)

JayJay said:


> No problem..you are providing for your immediate family...case closed??
> We are the 21st century Noahs.....do 'I' feel guilty??
> 
> This explains that......Genesis 7:16.....Then the *Lord *shut him in.
> ...


Wow, never saw it that way. I'm sure it was tough when they started banging on the ark to be let in. Also, the Lord would have had to shut it because Noah didn't know when the floods were coming, just that God told him to prepare. 
I have Hebrews 11:7 in my Preparedness Binder. "By faith Noah, being warned, by God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, he prepared an ark for the saving of his house."


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## eldarbeast (Mar 28, 2011)

The mere fact that you are conversing via the internet about controversial subjects proves that your 'OPSEC' is already in jeopardy. When a government organization like the EPA is using UPV's (Predaters) to track environmental spills in Kansas and Nebraska or the FDA can track 'Mad Cow Disease' in Idaho from an animal purchased in Mexico via New Mexico, one is just kidding themselves that everyone on similar forums are listed in a file someplace by someone...

eldar


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## tragerjs (May 22, 2012)

I had to divulge I prep to the 2 other people I work with because I have all of my supplies that I order online shipped to my work address. I'd rather explain myself to my 2 coworkers than to the hundreds of people in my apartment community, ya know what i mean? Anyway, one asked what I was prepping for so I just said possible unemployment and hurricanes. Our town lost power for about a week a few years ago due to a storm. Other than that, I try to remain vague or make a joke of it "didn't you hear the zombies are coming?". Honestly, I have never cared much what people thought of me, and I'm not going to start now. They can live in their own ignorant bubble. Meanwhile, I've been able to maintain OPsec in my immediate surroundings, which is what is most important to me.


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## Pixelphoto (May 31, 2012)

join the boy scouts, go to shooting ranges, appleseed project, ham radio classes, volunteer firemen, etcetc. surround yourself with over like minded people. These types of things attract preppers / survivalist types. Hang around those types of people and the talk is sure to turn to those types of topics.


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## surviving (Jun 5, 2012)

the MAFIA has a good policy,

"never talk about things you would rather not have a Federal Prosecutor and a Grand Jury hear"

sounds like good advice.

Peace
Sheila
www.survivingsurvivalism.com


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

I use Sgt Shultz as my ideal for OpSec.
That being said, there are some valid excuses for nosy folks when purchasing large quantities of basic foodstuffs.
1. I saw Food, Inc and am worried about all the additives they're putting in food now....(Organic food excuse)
2. Our church is sponsoring _____ and we're sending them a truckload of food.
3. My distant cousin, etc is getting married and they're trying to save money on the dinner (big event excuse.)
4. It's for the benefit they're doing for ____ who has ___ and needs help with the medical bills.
5. I donate ____ every year to the homeless shelters.

If someone ever asks if I'm a prepper, I indignantly reply that I'm most definitely not a preppy and have never owned either an Izod shirt or a sweater.


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## cengasser (Mar 12, 2012)

This thread is very interesting. I've tried to mention prepping to one person, they kinda chuckled. I said well we've had tornadoes touch down near by, and the Ice Storm a few years ago left us without power and water for a week. Then she kinda said hmmmm, maybe not a bad idea a "few" supplies. But that joke about Armageddon and Zombies of course came up. 
No mention of prepping here. Learned my lesson.
Friends of my son saw our new crossbows and asked if we're prepping. Answer: a few things in the event of natural disaster. We live in the south so it's not to far fetched. Snow in our area 1 inch, shuts things down. Our own son has not yet grasped the concept of total economic collapse and he's 25.... So we have stuff put away out of site. He'll thank us later.
As for Noah, never thought of him as a prepper, but I can relate. Glad for all the good information here. It has helped us get started, now what to do/not to do..
I'll keep my mouth shut, act like all the others with said head up said butt. And tell them I have nothing when they knock. And do what needs to be done if it gets ugly.
to many sheeple thing nothing bad ever happens to good folks...I know that's just not true!
Happy Prepping!!!


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Marcus said:


> That being said, there are some valid excuses for nosy folks when purchasing large quantities of basic foodstuffs.
> 1. I saw Food, Inc and am worried about all the additives they're putting in food now....(Organic food excuse)
> 2. Our church is sponsoring _____ and we're sending them a truckload of food.
> 3. My distant cousin, etc is getting married and they're trying to save money on the dinner (big event excuse.)
> ...


I was at the dollar store a while back and they had pasta at $0.69 for a 1lb box. I went to the checkout with 15 boxes. The clerk looked at all the boxes and said, " Looks like your church is having a spaghetti dinner." I looked at her and said, "Yeah, something like that."


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## Beaniemaster2 (May 22, 2012)

mamabear2012 said:


> I'm part of a local moms group] [I could use the support from local mammas but I don't want a target on my back either. Frustrating!


Lots of great comment in here but actually, I think it is wise to get friends, neighbors and family involved with prepping, especially those you truely care about or don't want to see on your doorstep!

After many years of dealing with the same situation, I finally came up with the idea of becoming one of 'them'!!! Start slowly and get a feel for those who agree and you will know who doesn't!

Start with things like "You know, it seems like everybody is talking about getting prepared for hard times ahead and frankly, I'm starting to worry alittle, have you done anything about this??? (little fibs doesn't hurt and makes you sound like you are in the same boat)

Maybe mention sales that are going on, "you know, Spam is on sale this week, maybe I'll get a few cans and maybe some rice to have on hand, alot of people say that if you just get a few extra things every time you shop that it really adds up... I think I'm going to look into this alittle more.... we would be in deep trouble if we lost power for weeks like it did in New York last winter... don't know what we'd do without water too... etc

Of course this isn't going to work with people who already know you prep, but even with them you can make remarks like, "You know I've stored alittle but now I'm worried we won't have enough, we've had to eat soooo much of it already cause things have been alittle tough lately"

Basicly, get your foot in the door and see where it goes from there, again start slowly by not saying too much at first but next time you see the ladys, gives you an excuse to bring it up again...

Another thing would be mentioning shows or documentarys on this kind of thing, another thing that might work would be to print out info from ready.gov or things that people post in here... I haven't looked at all these, but here is a site for printable flyers I ran across:

http://www.justpeace.org/printflyers.htm

Then when you see the girls, you could say something like, "Look what somebody left in my mailbox, thought it was interesting so I made you all a copy"

Only suggestions here, I'm still working on it myself... Good Luck!!! 

PS: For those that think God will save them, remind them that God helps those that help themselves... And for those who think the Government will save them, just say, "Yeah, it worked so well for the Katrina victims..."


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

PS: For those that think God will save them, remind them that God helps those that help themselves... And for those who think the Government will save them, just say, "Yeah, it worked so well for the Katrina victims..." 

And there's always this:
I Timothy 5:8....:ignore:


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## paguy (Jun 8, 2012)

I allow very few people to know about what I do. If I am asked I do not hide it but, at the same time I keep it under the radar. I have always been the "Walk softly and carry a big stick" kind of a guy. 
Usually when I talk about things I talk in generalities. If I am talking about water I might say that FEMA recommends this much per person per day, PEMA says this, ARC says this, etc. I talk about how to store it and ways to obtain it, treat it and reuse it but, not about my own supply.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Such a life lesson*



JayJay said:


> PS: For those that think God will save them, remind them that God helps those that help themselves... And for those who think the Government will save them, just say, "Yeah, it worked so well for the Katrina victims..."
> 
> And there's always this:
> I Timothy 5:8....:ignore:


For anyone who still thinks the government is going to save them, what a life lesson that should have been. But, I know that there are many people who can have the same lesson day after day and not get it. I know. I have been a classroom teacher and there are people who learn "differently". And there are those who never get it.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

weedygarden said:


> For anyone who still thinks the government is going to save them, what a life lesson that should have been. But, I know that there are many people who can have the same lesson day after day and not get it. I know. I have been a classroom teacher and there are people who learn "differently". And there are those who never get it.


I also was in the public classroom..there's ignorant, those that never HAD the opportunity for that learning experience..and then there's just plain ole s****d(learning disabled now)...those that just can't and NEVER will get it regardless how many times shown!!!
And then there are liberals, in a class of their own..:ignore:


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