Your Team - finding others who prep.

[Moab]

A surprising thing happened to me yesterday. 

My wife is at the most advanced hospital on the west coast. I go to visit her yesterday. And am shocked to meet two different professionals within a half hour of each that prep and spoke openly about the guns they own. (This NEVER hapoens in LA. Unless your solely meeting about firearms i.e. - a firearms or part transaction, a gun store etc.)

 One was the hospital IT guy. The other was a male nurse with military experience. And experience as a nurse in AK and TX. 

The prep thing I was not to surprised about. Alot of people will talk about being prepared for a disaster. And might even mention the term "prepper". But in an apologetic way. As that word conjures up "nutcase" to most.

But the IT guy had a 5.11 backpack that I commented on. And we ended up having a conversation about his AR and pistol. Which surprised the shit out of me. Nit inly because we were in LA. But at a hospital to boot. 

But the nurse is a full on prepper. We started talking about disasters. And ended up having a long discussion on being prepared for NBC and other disasters. As well as various home preps and equipment. The many firearms he owns. His experiences in the military and living in AK and TX.  I shared with him about holding an FFL and building AKs.

We exchanged numbers. And plan to talk more. 

We already have two advanced medical doctors in our circle. One is definitely not a prepper. But has been instrumental in getting us medication and advanced medical care in the past. 

And the other dr is in charge of a major ER in Socal. So she has skills beyond imagination. We are closer with her. She lives close to us. I consult with her in medical issues regularly. I would not hesitate to team up with her family in a bugout or disaster.

But I have never discussed teaming up before. Or even having a plan in the event of a small local disaster. Guns and prepping are not duscussed that much in such a liberal area. In fact, this womans son is a childhood friend of my own son. So discussing prepping and especially gun ownership was never on the table. For fear of stigma being attached to my son at school. 

But both boys are grown now. And I plan to at least discuss helping each other if such an event should occur. Like I said, we live very close. But our home is in a much safer location. 

I have a feeling her family would be ok with guns. But that is solely based on their faith and trips to Isreal. A thin generalization at best. 

I can always find local knuckleheads to team up with. Who are just into guns. I've met and know many. But finding real professionals with advanced skills is harder. Especially with the stigma placed on prepping and firearms. 

I may make a stronger effort with the IT guy, nurse and our er dr friend. That would be a great combination of people to have on a team.

Who do you have in your team? How strong is prepping community in your area? 

[NT2C]

There's enough folks on my team here that I'm not really worried too much about shit going sideways.  Just from these forums, I have several members close enough to drive to in an hour or less.  Add to them a slew of former .mil friends and associates who also prep to some degree and I have enough backup to sleep soundly at night.

[majorhavoc]

Not many people I know that are into prepping or even guns.  So I don't have any sort of team.  There's a woman at work who owns a Glock and likes to shoot, but she keeps that on the down low.  When a conversation we had slowly evolved to the point where she could admit that, I could sense her relief that I got it and actually appreciated that she did that.  

If the S ever did HTF, I'll be lone wolf, except I'll be looking after a neighbor family who are dear friends.  Two teenage boys (sweet, but clueless), a disabled husband (brain injury and still the smartest guy I know) and the wife, the hardest working person on the planet.  

They don't know I'm a prepper per se, but they know me as a capable person they can look to when in need.  Car and home repairs, taking the boys camping, stuff like that.  I remember once the mother cut her finger in the kitchen.  "Damn!" she screamed.  "Where's a band aid when you need one?" When I told her I always keep one in my wallet she just looked at me and said

"Of course you do, Major. Of course you do."

[Moab]

Not many people I know that are into prepping or even guns.  So I don't have any sort of team.  There's a woman at work who owns a Glock and likes to shoot, but she keeps that on the down low.  When a conversation we had slowly evolved to the point where she could admit that, I could sense her relief that I got it and actually appreciated that she did that. 

If the S ever did HTF, I'll be lone wolf, except I'll be looking after a neighbor family who are dear friends.  Two teenage boys (sweet, but clueless), a disabled husband (brain injury and still the smartest guy I know) and the wife, the hardest working person on the planet. 

They don't know I'm a prepper per se, but they know me as a capable person they can look to when in need.  Car and home repairs, taking the boys camping, stuff like that.  I remember once the mother cut her finger in the kitchen.  "Damn!" she screamed.  "Where's a band aid when you need one?" When I told her I always keep one in my wallet she just looked at me and said

"Of course you do, Major. Of course you do."

I usually refer to myself as "oh ya. I'm prepared for a... (Insert emergency here.)" And never as a "prepper". 

We have to take back that word or come up with a new one.

As well as "gun owner". But I guess there's no substitute for that. 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

We had "survivalist", but the media screwed that one up back in the '80s and'90s.

Then "prepper" came into use afterwards, but that one got screwed up thanks to that fricking "Doomsday Preppers" show on Discovery Channel and the numbnuts who shot his thumb off on there.

[majorhavoc]

Yeah, and "prudent, sensible person who reasonably prepares for emergencies" just doesn't have any kind of ring to it. 

[Rednex]

Practical Prepper?

[Moab]

Yeah, and "prudent, sensible person who reasonably prepares for emergencies" just doesn't have any kind of ring to it. 

Lmao!!! I know! We need a new term or acronym. 

PSPWRPFE just doesnt have the right ring! Lol! 

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

I still use "prepper".

A show full of morons isn't going to stop me from using that term.

If nothing else, it gives me an opportunity to explain what a real prepper and not everyone that preps acts like the people on the show (which thankfully seems to have been forgotten by most folks) or is crazy.

Also gives me a chance to tell folks about UFoZS and our mission in helping folks be prepared for anything.

[Lambykins]

I live in an area where it is necessary to prepare. Or you die.
Seriously. The temperatures dip so low in the winter that you MUST have extreme cold weather preparations.
So, everyone here *preps* to a certain extent.
The majority of male residents here over age 30 (probably 85%) own firearms. Female residents over 30, probably 60%.
That being said...single/widowed women over 65, probably 95% own guns. Men over 65 (marriage status not important) probably 98%. So, my community is pretty much prepped.

I live in a trailer park, BUT I have homesteading friends in the surrounding countryside, all of whom have told me that if SHTF I am more than welcome at their places. Some of them are in the medical professions, some of them are plumbers or electricians or teachers, whatever.
I prep what I can while living with someone that is decidedly NOT a prepper.(She rarely thinks past next week)

[MacWa77ace]

We had "survivalist", but the media screwed that one up back in the '80s and'90s.

Wasn't that the Robin Williams movie that effed that up? Crazies in the woods.

[Raptor]

Since hurricanes are common, I refer to any stores that I may (or may not ) have as "hurricane preparations". I really do not discuss my preps with anyone (present company excluded) beyond a few family members and fewer friends.

I always suggest that our group refer to preps as "bad weather" type "supplies". For instance Lambykins notes in her case the preps could be winter or blizzard preparations. In Moab's case it could be "Earthquake supplies".

While spreading and encouraging the logic of preparations you must also weigh that against personal OPSEC. I strongly encourage not labeling yourself with a term that might be misunderstood. People are lazy and if for instance, you call yourself a moron there is a good chance they will label you as such. Adopting a term with negative connotations rarely works out well if your desire is to make it a positive term.

A quick story to illustrate my point
I worked for an oilfield services company based in Scotland. They had desires to be a worldwide company. They made inroads into all continents but could not get a foothold in the Mexican oil patch. Upon research we discovered the name of the company was a slang Mexican expression for that nauseous feeling right before you puke.

There was no way you could convince people that the meaning of the word puke was a positive term. Chevrolet encountered this with its Nova car...which in Spanish "no va" means No Go or does not work.

Avoid negative labels. In fact avoid labels if at all possible in this world of 10 second attention spans.

Back to the Moab's question about finding likeminded  people with whom you can team up. I concentrated on quality rather than quantity. I have found one local "team member" through the old ZS web site. We have been corresponding for over a decade. I have found another at a local political group (PAC).

I will frequently trade resources to the first one (he has a limited budget) and knowledge to the other (he has a big budget but at first little practical knowledge) in return for a mutual access to my "supplies" and skills and their skills in an emergency.   

That said I always assume in my planning that I am on my own and I plan accordingly. BTW planning and preparations do NOT guarantee success. They only provide options.   BTW I am not a "lone wolf" proponent just the opposite, but I am pragmatic.
     

[NT2C]

I'd also like to point out that your local ham radio club will likely have a few folks involved in serious prepping.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

We had "survivalist", but the media screwed that one up back in the '80s and'90s.

Wasn't that the Robin Williams movie that effed that up? Crazies in the woods.

Either that one or that John Candy movie "Canadian Bacon".

That was a good movie. Haven't seen that Robin Williams/Walter Matthau one, though.

[EBuff75]

I've sort of "disguised" myself in various conversations by referring to things that I'm interested in as "emergency preparedness" and then sort of conflating it with CERT.  That provides a professional-ish veneer for any of the activities that I'm doing. 

I don't have a "team" of people, as most of the preppers that I've met have been either the "Guns-guns-guns-guns-GUNS!!!!" type and/or they're along the lines of the more edge-case examples from 'Doomsday Preppers'.  I do have neighbors and friends who I trust to be rational / level-headed actors in bad situations, but that's about as far as I've gone toward building a team. 

[Moab]

I like the term "emergency preparedness". That's a good one, Ebuff. I think I'll start using that one. And if it gets questioned I'll do like Raptor and refer to it as "earthquake supplies". No one can argue with that here in CA.

Like just about everyone has said. It's difficult to find others to team up with. Not that I absolutely need them. Especially in a bug out. Most of those I know would just slow us down. But in a localized inplace disaster having medical and communications folks in your circle would be very helpful.

It's also interesting about what Ebuff said about the guns, guns, guns type. I have met many of those. As I have an FFL and used to sell alot of parts. 

The one thing I have noticed about most of the preppers and gun types I have met is that they aren't very knowledgeable. And do not seem to have researched the subject in any great detail. Even the nurse yesterday went on about a couple of his items. And they seemed silly at best. Some backpack that has a floatation device built into seemed to be one of his main preps. I think alot of people live by advertisements. They see something with a good ad. And think that must be something they need to own. When simoly typing a simple google search woukd provide them with a 100 times better list of what they need to do.

I had an old friend that considered himself a prepper. But never educated himself on the subject. Except what I would share with him. He had about 50lbs of bugout supplies in a duffle bag. And a pistol grip short shotgun. There was nothing I could do to convince him he needed backpack. He did finally get a folding stock AK. 

My brother is about the only prepper I know personally that really has their shit together. He and his wife have everything from solar power, to gardens, sealed dried food supplies that they constantly rotate, they can, every medical and medicinal supply you could imagine. Firearms and ammo and equipment. He's constantly researching. And improving his preps. We do share alot if knowledge with each other. But he is to far away to be a part of my team. Other than we do share alot if info. 

[Raptor]

I've sort of "disguised" myself in various conversations by referring to things that I'm interested in as "emergency preparedness" and then sort of conflating it with CERT.  That provides a professional-ish veneer for any of the activities that I'm doing. 

I don't have a "team" of people, as most of the preppers that I've met have been either the "Guns-guns-guns-guns-GUNS!!!!" type and/or they're along the lines of the more edge-case examples from 'Doomsday Preppers'.  I do have neighbors and friends who I trust to be rational / level-headed actors in bad situations, but that's about as far as I've gone toward building a team. 

CERT preps are an excellent explanation!
BTW I actually enrolled in a local .gov CERT group. At the end of the "training" (which to be chartable was remedial level) I asked "Ok so how do we stay in touch in case we are needed"? The answer was there was no provision to use the "trained" group in any manner.   

I too have run into the "Guns/ammo = prepping" group with depressing regularity. That and the "I am prepared for a hurricane I have a whole house generator" folks are to two groups I encounter with depressing regularity.

Preaching to the choir here:
Firearm collecting is fun; but it is not prepping. A generator is prepping only if 100% of your needs (food, water, shelter, self defense, medical, etc.) can be satisfied with electricity.

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

I will admit that in my younger years, I was one of those "Head to Walmart if SHTF" kind of preppers.

Then I got older and realized I don't want to be at Walmart on a good day let alone during a SHTF one. It's bad enough dealing with folks with a superiority complex on a good day and I can't even begin to imagine how it'd be during a SHTF scenario.

I sort of imagine it being like the supermarket scenes in "The Mist" with the crazed cult lady and her minions, except in Texas and with a lot more armed people.

[majorhavoc]

I use terms like "emergency preparedness" and "disaster readiness" in a lot of my posts here at UFOZS.  It's very intentional - I'm trying to make what we're doing here seem more accessible and mainstream to forum visitors who are new to this stuff.

Believe me, 'prepping' and 'prepper' would be a hell of a lot easier to type. 

[MacWa77ace]

We just 'get ready' for 'hurricanes' here in my AO. Which can mean an extended period without power. And lines at the gas stations. I've been thru a lot of them and never lost water supply or sewage. But everyone stocks up on bottled water in May/June for some reason.

But around here if you give someone the high sign, and a wink, and say "are you ready yet?", [even if they are a stranger] they'll say, "I need to get some Ramen or bottled water or batteries, and then I'm ready for the hurricane season."



My neighbors are 'hurricane ready'. They even have BOL's, but they don't call them that. They use code names for their BOL's like 'my Mom's house' or 'my inlaw's place', and I know they mean BOL #1.  [I use the same code words for my BOL's in front of my neighbors; "my wife's sister's house" but really that's BOL #2] And its just that their family is on another electric grid so if the power is out longer than their ginny fuel supply they may go over there.  But if its a 'Lights Out scenario...?

They don't know what they don't know. Or I don't know what they know.     Because no one talks about Fight Club [Prepping]!

There's a person at my work that is 'prepping' for long term events. She has food storage that will last for months. But she's to far from my AO to 'team up' like that, + she's going to be busy with her extended family in an emergency. We talk strategies and point out each others prep deficiencies etc. to make sure we're on the right track. Using clear language and not code words.