New SHTF discussion

[FatBoyOnFire]

Hey everyone, I just wanted to discuss something that I have thought about regarding the SHTF situations..

Before I do that, I would like to give some kudos, from myself, to the creator of the site. I am officially an addict. My wife also says "you suck" because I am always on here..

Anyway..I got to thinking about this SHTF stuff. I have read numerous posts about what may cause the "event", and how to be prepared. I have read how many people tell ways they are getting prepared for life after the "event", but I have yet to read about my ideas. I could be totally wrong about this, but I haven't read about it yet. If you have, please don't blast me for this post..

In my mind, ensuring survival would be very dependent on how people are positioned in groups. Civilization depends on many factors working together in mutually beneficial relationships. You can be loaded up with as many weapons as you can imagine, but if you don't know how to grow a crop or heal an infection, you are doomed.

Lets say there are groups of people with a wide variety of life sustaining skills (i.e. builders, hunters, farmers, doctors, gunsmiths, etc) that band together for the sake of life preservation.

What I want to know is, if **** were to hit the fan, who would you recruit to ensure your survival in a world that had absolutely no common commodities available. Also, how would you go about recruiting these people to work in a small, mutually beneficial community?

 

[dunkel]

Very carefully. If I don't know you before SHTF, I'm not going to trust you after SHTF. Hell, if I DO know you before SHTF, I'm probably still not going to trust you after SHTF. Not to say it'll be impossible to recruit, but you'll have to be very, very careful.

On the other side, I'd be awful careful about being recruited, as well.

 

[FatBoyOnFire]

That's what I was talking with my wife about tonight. She didn't understand the concept of reverting back to primal instinct. She wants to believe everyone would be willing to "get along and work together". When I told her about Darwin and survival of the fittest scenario, she though I was being unrealistic..

I do think it would be interesting to see how these small groups of people would band together.

 

[Petro_58]

I tend to agree fo the most part. I think you are correct in assuming that most people will seek groups, the safety in numbers has always held true. I feel most will be totaly un-prepared. Again, you'll need carpenters, welders, mechanics, doctors, farmers etc. One (if not the one) of the most precious comodities will be Guns, Ammo, and weapons in general because that's what is going to give protection for all. Trusting who and how far becomes one big concern. Because all the other bands will probably be after your stuff too. That survival of the fittest thing. The people that think they can make it on their own will quickly disappear one way or another. It will be shoot first ask questions for awhile & also will be to a point survival of the fittest until, the group becomes more organised and trusts are built.
I've seen a bunch of posts by people that think there will be no electricity, food, water supply etc., while that may be true for a time, some things will return fairly quick. Water by well or pump, electricty can be generated fairly easy. No I'm not saying it's going to be an easy life but People will Survive and there will eventually be the New Normality of Life, & that will improve more with time. And with the knowledge that people have and the raw materials that will still be around it's going to depend on how fast you can organize the Strongest Group to take what you need to control life your area. Sure the Lone Rangers can survive for a while but they'll eventually realize they can't make it on their own forever.

 

[jloneill17]

I say you just "praise the lord, and pass the ammunition!"

 

[dunkel]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

It's all going to depend on how bad it is. As long as you're getting basic needs, it's really not going to be that bad and I do believe people will band together. Once you get to the point where you're running out of basic needs, it's necessarily going to become a much more basic struggle for survival and the number of people you're willing to trust and work with and share resources with is going to dwindle down to, eventually, just yourself.

Consider this scenario. You are holed up in your bug out spot. You have plenty of food, a stream nearby with water, basic needs met. Not comfortable, maybe, but you're surviving with no urgent needs. A man stumbles out of the woods into your camp and says he's a doctor. Well, you think having a doctor on hand would be useful, so you willingly allow him into your group, share your food, etc.

Now consider the same scenario slightly modified. You're holed up in your bug out spot. But you only have a day or two worth of food left. One bottle of water. You have a wife and two small kids to take care of. The doctor stumbles into your camp. Are you going to be thinking about how a doctor might come in handy at some point in the future? Or are you going to be worried about making it through the next day? Are you going to be willing to share your food when you're on the verge of starvation? Willing to share food with a stranger because he might, possibly, maybe help you at some indeterminate point in the future? When sharing that food means your own children go hungry?

 

[DoubleTap]

tough decisions will have to be made, after watching (THE ROAD) id have to say im going with just my immediate family and hunker down in the bugout spot, i will try to be as prepared as 1 can get, im currently in pretty good shape or at-least i think so, any major medical would be a problem for any group given you limited mean's, what really worries me is my 2 son's seem to think nothing will ever happen and refuse to believe that we need to be prepared ( they think that people like you and me are the 1s that fuel the collapse ) they didnt see the rodney king event's that blew-up in minutes around the united states, and thats a small scale event, i cant imagine the response if something bigger happen's, i believe that once the economy goes kaos will ensue like a wild fire.

 

[gdog]

Having the gear is a part of it. Having the skills is the bigger part. The folks that think they will just take what they need will be piles of corpses on the borders of the areas that prepared people occupy. If you don't have a plan and a place to go, you are what is called a refugee. Refugees don't fare too well. Throughout the country, even throughout this state, there are groups that ARE prepared and are prepared to keep it. They have already addressed the problems of sustainability and defense. Don't be caught unprepared.

 

[Flammenwerfer]

If I may suggest something, If recruitment is a problem(since trust will be an issue), There are several paperbacks that can significantly improve the chances of survival for everyday run of the mill common folk, and will benefit the city-folk beyond estimation. Living in our area the most benificial literature that can be obtained is the "FOXFIRE SERIES" of books. It gives detail information for everything you need to survive and thrive in appalachia. It teaches you things about planning, canning, primitive log homes, wine making, local medicine(Herbal and Natural) and the proper uses thereof, hide tanning, planting, animal cleaning and meat preservation, and so on.....Another great book is the S.A.S survival guide. It covers many different scenerios in all climates. These books can turn a small group of ordinary people into a very successful and thriving community.

Both of these books can be attained over the internet, although the complete library of "FOXFIRE" books may be tricky collect. Some of the volumes are very elusive.

 

[jsquared]

I am of two minds on this. On one hand, having a group of diverse people bringing different skills to the table would help out immensely, and there are a lot of things you simply can't do by yourself (like pull 24-hour security). On the other hand, more people means more food, more water, a bigger shelter, more noise if you are trying to be quiet, more of a trail to follow if you are moving, slower movement, etc etc etc. The list goes on and on.

In my opinion the perfect group would be 3-4 people of varying backgrounds.