Sharing is Caring?

[Audacia77]

My grandfather was an All-American badass. He enlisted in the Merchant Marines at 16 during WWII and had 3 ships sunk from beneath him. He joined the Army after the war, and was a Staff Sergeant in the Paratroopers when he was commissioned and went to flight school. He served through out Korea and two tours in Vietnam. He was a true patriot, devout Mormon and an awesome grandpa. He passed away Veterans Day in 2007.

One of the last conversations I had with my grandfather was shortly after I came off of active duty. I spent a significant amount of money on some firearms, and only had a fraction of the amount of food and supplies I do now. My grandfather was uniquely qualified to answer some of the questions I had regarding preparedness. I posed him this question: "Grandpa, I spent all this time, effort and money in taking care of my family. Most people don't even think about it, more or less put something away for an emergency. So, if the world went to hell in a hand basket, would I have to share?" He looked me in the eye's and said "No, son" and then he smiles, "You get the share."

With that simple statement he transformed my view of preparedness. The words "you get to share" shattered me image of a bunker mentality, to more of a sense of community. It's given me more motivation/inspiration than any novel, book or video has ever been able to.

I wonder if anyone else shares this sentiment?

[Eddiesketti]

I just finished reading the book Patriots by James Wesley Rawles. In that book the main character talked about giving until it hurts. I would say that there is a line at charity sometimes. On one hand you might want to help someone, but if you do more might ask for help. If you don't help someone they can always come back to try to take it by force.

In a perfect world, sharing with soldiers and loved ones is one thing. Sharing with complete strangers might get you killed.

I suggest reading that book if you haven't already.

[Audacia77]

Eddiesketti, thanks for the reply.

I have read "Patriots" and thought it was a very interesting read. I do agree with the "give until it hurts" philosophy in an environment described in the book to friends, neighbors and strangers. I also believe in exercising common sense regarding this matter. I'll forgo the "Free Food" banner in front of the house or letting a stranger into my home to see what supplies I have. But, the odd's of this scenario playing out are slim. Note: Please, don't read to deep into that last statement! Yes it is possible, and yes it deserves contemplation. I have taken my own steps and am not writing it off.

My thoughts on this matter, and motivation to prepare, are geared more to the individual, local or regional event that could occur. Think of it as a real big food insurance policy... with guns. :D If an event will impact your local for a short duration (i.e.: snowstorms, floods, earthquake, etc for 3 days - 2 weeks) would you crack open your supplies to your neighbors, friends or even strangers and share your "stash"? Even at the expense of having to start it all from scratch once the norm has been restored. This isn't just referring to the food on hand, but your fuel, wood, and clothing? Would you open your doors to a family, who you don't know, that may have no means of keeping warm? Let an acquaintance from church use your radio to contact family from out of town. Me personally, the answer would be yes. I would want to make as a great of an impact to those around me in hard times and help everyone through it in one piece. Again, as many precautions will be taken as possible and common sense would be used. But that goes without saying.

[fixer]

depends.

many of the unprepared might simply see it as your obligation to share the stuff that "you hoarded" with them. pure welfare mentality at work. then they'll tell more welfare leeches and then when you decide that you don't have enough to share any more they'll get nasty about it. :rolleyes:

i'd be inclined to share with family, (don't have any in my immediate AO), friends, (many are already somewhat prepared) and neighbors. (but then i've got some new vacancies around me)

if you can, helping to educate anyone on that list so that they can prepare in advance would be a really good thing to do... but don't tip your hand and disclose what you've got. simply help them to get themselves prepared if you can.

IIRC, in Patriots, they gave handouts to some people who KEPT MOVING. they did take one family in. i seem to recall that they made it VERY CLEAR there would be no second handouts.

but that's a story, and the group was very well prepared.

IRL, you've gotta purchase everything out of pocket and have a finite amount of space to store stuff.

but it depends on the event causing the need. i keep having door-to-door sales chumps ask me for bottled water. i usually have a case or two of 1L bottles from Costco handy. so they get a BIG bottle of water for free. not a huge deal, but nice on a hot day.

[ThirdWatcher]

Most of my (LEO) coworkers are aware of my level of preparedness and they occasionally make jokes about fighting their way to my house in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. I care about them very much and I therefore have given them a standing invitation to bring their stuff (and families) should it be necessary.

[ColdDeadHands]

Here are some guidelines I go by if the SHTF and I go into survival mode;
In a survival situation you need to be selfish, it's all about yourself.
Don't count on anybody to provide anything for you.
You don't know how long you need to survive so hamster all your food and supplies.
Don't let anybody see what you have.

YMMV

[glocktogo]

I would be inclined to share with those who didn't have the foresight to prepare, yet bring skills and a willingness to contribute to the survival of the community to the table.

I would not share with welfare mentality leeches who sit on their dumb asses and expect everything to be handed to them.

[ThirdWatcher]

That's where I'm at. ;)

[Spade]

As mentioned there is a concern for welfare leaches (zombies) coming out of the wood work to take your hoards of stockpiled goods. I understand sharing when you can but there comes a time when sharing can doom you or your family. I can see the high road so to speak of your grandfather's way of thinking. However in my opinion some people have more of a social need to help then others. I have often lived my life by the idea of help those you can that want to help themselves first. While this is not the always easiest thing to know when you first see it, it becomes painfully obvious which ones have no desire to better their situation after some time around them.

Honestly helping in a shtf scenario is a case to case thing. Will helping them harm you any any way? Do you have the means to help them?

But something that a person I feel must understand in a shtf scenario is you can't help everyone. Also you may have do violence to protect yourself or even to help yourself. Some people come to terms with this fairly easy, while others do not. Sadly some that don't may suffer because of it.

[ThirdWatcher]

My buddy who bought his own weaponry and ammo and is married to an RN is more important to me than the 'one man crimewave' who steals everything that isn't bolted down so he can get his next fix. It is really nothing more than triage to me.

[fixer]

Most of my (LEO) coworkers are aware of my level of preparedness and they occasionally make jokes about fighting their way to my house in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. I care about them very much and I therefore have given them a standing invitation to bring their stuff (and families) should it be necessary.


sometimes you don't get into "the show" without a ticket.

and having the guys and their families show up should not diminish your supplies.

in short, visitors should bring their own "stuff" to get them thru whatever time period you announce (long in advance) needs to be met.

for example, one handgun, one long gun, one "working" knife (Spyderco to K-Bar as an example. while they are nice, a Leatherman or SAK is not what i have in mind here... but those are nice *additions*. a steak knife... not so good, a machete might not be the tool you want to wear all day., ammo and mags for the firearms (can define qtys) and gear to support them (cleaning gear, web gear, sling, holster, Camelbak, etc.) food for 30, to 90 days, 7 changes of clothes (seasonal), sleep clothes (seasonal), hygiene supplies (be able to shower, shave, wipe your butt, brush your teeth, etc.) individual FAK for each person, plus one group FAK, personal flashlight of 80 to 120 lumens (Surefire or equivalent, a Photon is handy, but not what you want as your ONLY light) AA or 123A batteries for flashlight (avoid AAAs and Cs), holster for flashlight. prescription meds, birth control, bedding, cooking gear (pots, pans, utensils, paper plates, dish soap, seasoning, etc) laundry soap, 2-way FRS or GMRS radios (1 per person), fuel for vehicles and/or generator, etc.

*that's just a quickie list*

individual groups may need to refine this. type up/print out the checklist and pre-pack some things and remember to rotate anything with a shelf life... and then do a bug out run to see how long it takes to pack up and get to the destination... then spend a 4 or 4 day weekend making sure that you see how smoothly things do or don't work.


in some cases, food could be considered communal, which would give the group a better variety. if that's the case... you've gotta trust that someone won't "cheap out" on what they plan to bring.

food qtys have to be REAL based on what the people who bring it will actually eat, especially if they're working hard. i.e.: teenage boys eat more than old men or young girls.

with a large enough group, there's always the chance of having the "problem child" or "whiny bitch". that could be the person who won't do any work, uses all the hot water, raids the kitchen, can't cope with whatever happened, etc. *sometimes* you can identify the problems well in advance, sometimes they pop up out of the blue.

on the other hand, some people are enough of an asset that they could show up on your doorstep naked, and still be welcomed inside, given food, clothes, tools and weapons and nobody would bitch. because they'd pitch in to work at making things better.



or just tell the people that say they'll show up at your place that they're welcome..then reach out and feel how "meaty" their arm is and lick your lips... or say that you'll always need cannon fodd.... umm... "helpers", or that the brothel will always need fresh "talent".


but seriously...there's always the matter of "who's in charge" while the destination location may belong to one family, someone else may have the tactical experience and they should take over related things when needed. someone else may have professional or institutional food experience and they could take over the kitchen.

[120mm]

If SHTF really happened, the "loners" would be dead ****ing meat.

The only way to survive would be through building solid groups and communities