What to do with those people who you think will show up after SHTF

[Weedygarden]

This is a good piece of advice. I am not posting all of it, but it is worth reading. It is good to think about how we can be better prepared, without going shopping. You can't leave within two hours if you don't have your stuff organized.

https://survivalblog.com/evacuation-by-s-a/

They’re coming. You know they are coming, because they have told you so. Yet, you have told them over and over through the years what lies ahead. They have listened politely with a small smile, then proclaimed, “I’m just coming to your place!” ‘Nuff said?

Personal Message To Our People
Our personal message is that when you get the call to come, then come. You must come, now. Leave within the next two hours so you can get out of the city before the roads become impassable. Some say if you miss the 24 hour window for evacuation, you will be walking when the traffic snarl halts due to congestion, car breakdowns, running out of gas, fender benders, or lack of food and water. This means any time of day or night. In fact, a night exit may be your safest bet. Your city possibly could be like Houston before Hurricane Rita. You’ve seen the footage. Travel became impossible. Everything shut down, and some people even died.

Always keep your car gas tanks so they are no less than 1/2 empty. Even better is 3/4 full, at all times.

Priority Lists
Pack as if you will never return. Bring two cars, totally filled with family, pets, and goods. Here’s your Priority List, in this order:

Personal Papers
Gather your personal papers, such as passports, birth certificates, marriage certificate, bank and credit card account numbers, deeds, insurance policies, et cetera. Do not spend a lot of time on this! You should already have all this information in one place; a thumb drive is preferable. Get this information ready and assembled right now, today.

Food
Grab all of your food, everything. I mean everything… every box (opened or new), can, jar, bag, cases of water and soda. Include all drinks, powders, mixes, baking goods, such as sugar, flour, and baking soda/baking powder, salt, herbs, spices, extracts, candy, paper products, pet food, fresh food and frozen food packed in coolers, Ziplock baggies, Saran Wrap, aluminum foil, bleach. Leave nothing. You are only a two or five hour drive from here. We will preserve or eat the fresh food when you arrive.

Meds and Toiletries
Bring all of your meds and toiletries, everything, outdated or open, new, prescription and OTC. This includes all band aids, ointment, cream, old splints, walking boots, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, thermometers, fingernail clippers, razor, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, tooth brushes, floss, mouthwash, shaving equipment, soaps, hair products, toilet paper, pads, tampons, ALL matches, candles, and lighters.

 

[TMT Tactical]

Weedygarden, really good start here. I sure hope more folks read and understand this may save their lives or their families lives.

 

[Terri9630]

We have as much at the mtn place as we do here. If necessary we can just load the animals and go. It would he nice to load everything from here if there's time but we could survive without it.

 

[ssonb]

Weedy is right, the friend whom I speak of every once an a while said when ask about this same situation was, If you have to leave be prepared and leave early and leave often, you are going to need the practice. If it turns out that one of your leaving alerts is the real thing you are not going to have anything to come back to.

 

[WVDragonlady]

No one will come here lol Hopefully his family from NJ will go the SIL's down in southern MD. its closer. I have no idea if they even think about things like this. Probably not

 

[Meerkat]

Not sure what anyone will do till it happens.

 

[CrackbottomLouis]

Come shtf me and mine shall vanish like a fart in the wind. I tell everyone they are welcome to come to my house but I wont be there and there will be nothing here to help them. And I dont tell them where I will be. And they will not be able to find out even with access to property records. Always hide who owns any property you buy.

 

[hiwall]

Weedy's article is a good one.
A lot depends on what happens and just how long it takes to happen. It could be as quick as a nuke flash way in the distance or as slow as what happened in Venezuela which took years. Also everyone has a different view about the meaning of SHTF. Personally I really view it more like TEOTWAWKI. Anything else is just a bump in the road.

 

[Weedygarden]

This is the next part of the article. BTW, this came from Survivalist Blog. It is not mine. But it answers the questions and concerns that all preppers have about those people who don't want to think about what the future holds, but will use you as their plan A.

"Guns and Ammo
Guns and ammo need to come with you, all of it. Also bring knives, baseball bat, flashlights, camping tent, and good backpacks.

Jewelry and Precious Metals
Pack only your sterling, gold, and platinum jewelry. Bring all the precious metals you own and cash and coins, too, all of it.

Clothing
Pack only practical clothing for outdoor living. Leave your Sunday clothes at home. Don’t bother with fancy dresses, shoes, suits. Bring clothes for farm life, such as jeans, pants, shorts, tees, long sleeve shirts, all your socks, tennis shoes, boots, hats and caps, all winter outerwear, PJ’s, undergarments.

Linens
Bring all of your linens, particularly sheets and pillowcases. Also include pillows, bedspreads, comforters, afghans, mattress protectors, sleeping bags, towels especially beach towels, and yarn.

Tools
All manual hand tools and manual kitchen tools, scissors, good knives, multitools, all work gloves, flashlights, water purification tablets, and water purification systems need to come with you.

Miscellaneous
A few more miscellaneous items should come, if you can fit them. These include alcohol and a couple of small, private, personal souvenirs, momentos, pictures, or family items dear to you. Bikes and helmets may be strapped to the roof or put behind your car. We have plenty of fiction and non-fiction, how-to books on gardening and homesteading, Bibles, classics, cookbooks, children’s library, and magazines to read. It’s enough for many years in our bug-out location. We are also well-stocked on paper, pencils, and office supplies.

Preposition Items
Now that you have read through this list and mulled it over, please know that you can preposition many of your items at our place. As you know, we have several bunkhouses and out buildings. By prepositioning tubs filled with family clothing, tucked away in the attic, you will have more room in the car when you evacuate.

If you have any questions, now is the time to ask."

 

[Weedygarden]

The last of the article:
"What About In-Laws?
Over the last few years, I’ve sent to you, our dearest family, many pictures and descriptions of our place. It’s truly in the country and rural. That means snakes, insects for every season, rodents, dangerous feral animals, wild animals, and our farm animals. It’s a gritty life full sounds and smells.

Do Not Invite…
Please do not invite others with you to our safe place– no friends of yours, no friends of yours at all. They will not be welcomed and will be sent on their ways. That being said, you may invite your family in-laws if you wish, but think this over carefully. Consider the situation and the personality of whom you are thinking of inviting. They will be your responsibility. The extant buildings are for our own immediate family, and there are over a dozen of us. But remember: Baby Jesus was born in a stable. Are those you want to bring along prepared to sleep in the barn or a tent?

You May Invite…
This being said, you may also invite any MD’s; DO’s; Dentists; EMT’s; licensed, actively practicing in hospital onlyRN’s or LVN’s; midwives; hunters; or better yet, former Army who served in Iraq or Afghanistan while carrying full gear everyday and who are stable, along with their guns plus ammo; or friends that grew up in the country and have actual skills, not just memories of their dads working with the herd or working the fields. We are full up on CPA’s and attorneys. Of course, these special guests will bring their families and we welcome them. I personally would welcome a church pianist or someone with an acknowledged beautiful voice. You know who those people are. Music feeds the soul and speaks to the heart. Consider the situation and the personalities of those whom you are thinking of inviting.

Anyone You Are Thinking of Bringing Along
Concerning anyone you are thinking of bringing along: Do your family members camp? Do they spend time and enjoy the out-of-doors? Have they ever? Were they involved in a solid scouting program when growing up? Do they garden? Can they horseback ride? Are they complainers or can they adapt to a new lifestyle? Have they ever gone to the bathroom in a pit latrine? Have they taken an outdoor shower at night or used a solar shower? Are they afraid of the dark or open spaces or tangled forest? What kind of physical shape are they in? Medically fragile and morbidly obese folks may do better remaining in the city. Are they teachable? Will they know that a move to our place will be like Jamestown in 1607, life fraught with danger and everyone works to eat? Everyone you invite must pass an honest test in your mind as to what they can contribute. Can they be happy in a setting where input and opinions are considered helpful and are listened to, but only considered just that: thoughts and opinions?

Our Place Is Not a Democracy
In the end, our place is not a democracy. It’s our farm, and everyone who is not family is a guest, so we will have the final say in matters. Supplies that others bring become part of communal supplies.

Now, in light of these caveats, do you still want to bring along extra family? If so, you must advise them of how to priority pack and to arrive in two fully loaded cars, hopeful for a new life.

Note To SurvivalBlog Readers From the Landowners
We personally have well-loved families for whom our preps are directed. All families live in great, giant sprawling cities of our country. They don’t prep because life will always be golden and going their way. What bad could really happen? Ah, the optimism of youth.

We, on the other hand, were born into the June and Ward Cleaver golden age of America in the fifties. We’ve seen disturbing changes take place over the last few years. You know the ones of which I speak. While there have been wonderful improvements, such as protection for children and women, some social justice trends have been disappointing.

Be Specific
Email or letters that you give to your family should be specific as to what you already know about them. For example, I don’t need to say, “Bring your seeds or sewing supplies.” That would be the same as saying, “Bring your unicorn.” However, it’s no issue to say to my group, “Bring all the food in your house.” I have seen their pantries and refrigerators. As many, many young professional people today, they keep a just minimum amount of food items. Trips to the grocery store are frequent, and they eat many, many meals out each week. There is not a week’s worth of food for their families in their fridges and pantries. It should probably fit in a cooler and two colorful square school crates that sell for $5 each.

Big Issues- Sanitation and Food
As far as people brought along with and by family, the two biggest issues will be sanitation and food. We have a pond, a well, and a 12-month creek on property. There are five toilets and three showers hooked to a septic system along with a pit latrine. Read up on sanitation as practiced by the Romans or colonial Brits who knew this was a make or break situation.

Our acreage includes good bottomlands for crops, but it may all have to be worked by hand. At present, agriculture is hired out to a specialized company. We don’t farm ourselves, only garden and preserve. There are two fireplaces, a brick oven, a couple of chimineas, and a large campfire ring with appropriate grilling equipment.

We have some solar ability. There is a wood lot on the property to last generations. Hunting is good, but I repeat, feeding people and sanitation will be priorities.

Items They Have
You might be surprised by some items I’m asking the non-prepped to bring, such as knives, multitools, flashlights, steripens, life straws, and water purification tabs. They have them, I know, because those items have filled their Christmas stockings over the years.

Nothing Gets Wasted
Food brought to our place has several options for use: preserve and put up, feed people, feed dogs or chickens or other livestock or compost. Nothing gets wasted.

Your Letter To Family Specific To Your People and What You Know
Remember, this list is for my own family whom I know well. Your list will look different. If you feel an item is omitted, perhaps that’s because there is no chance that my people own it or we already have plenty at our place. Your letter to family will be specific to your people and what you know about them.

The future may be full of great tribulation. Life might be harsh. But the great happiness to hold onto is that God wins in the end.

Get ready. Be ready. Be hopeful. Revelation 1-22"

 

[hiwall]

Any time that more than two people have to live in close proximity, especially under trying times you can expect issues to quickly emerge. Before anyone takes their suitcase out of their car it would be best to go over the ground rules Again. And to really stress the fact that there is ONE boss.

 

[Weedygarden]

Any time that more than two people have to live in close proximity, especially under trying times you can expect issues to quickly emerge. Before anyone takes their suitcase out of their car it would be best to go over the ground rules Again. And to really stress the fact that there is ONE boss.

Yes!
In my experiences, people will listen to my spiel, my idea, and agree, and then want to change that. I have upset a few people by standing my ground when they want to change it up after the show is on the road.

 

[The Lazy L]

The ones I don't want or need? Steer a conversation around to this direction. When they say, they are planning coming to my house I'll look them seriously and surprised in the face to say, "I will not be home! I'm planning on coming to your house!"

 

[TMT Tactical]

I simply do not invite anybody other than the immediate family, no in-laws, no friends , no guests. I also point out the compound is a dictatorship. The rules and responsibility to follow the rules apply to all. Everybody that is invited, will know the rules and what is expected. Many family members that would be invited will not agree to the rules and they will be left to fend for themselves. You are either ALL IN or ALL OUT. There will not be any middle ground. Harsh, you bet but we are not talking about a summer camp out.

 

[Terri9630]

I have one couple that always says that. After we bought the mtn place we started telling them to go ahead, we need someone to guard the house. It confuses them because they don't know about the mtn place.

 

[joel]

I agree & Thank you for the post.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have one couple that always says that. After we bought the mtn place we started telling them to go ahead, we need someone to guard the house. It confuses them because they don't know about the mtn place.

I think putting the information together from this article would be great to put into a letter and give to them.

 

[SheepDog]

Mostly I think directions to the other side of the county are in order...
If they can't be bothered to do the work to be prepared then they need to take the responsibility for those decisions.
That way I don't have to feed them while they learn their lesson.

 

[Terri9630]

I think putting the information together from this article would be great to put into a letter and give to them.

They would just throw it away. They only think of now, heck they won't even eat any meat, veggies or eggs we (used to) give them because they aren't USDA "approved". They would throw everything away after we left.

 

[hiwall]

Mostly I think directions to the other side of the county are in order...
If they can't be bothered to do the work to be prepared then they need to take the responsibility for those decisions.
That way I don't have to feed them while they learn their lesson.

While part of me agrees with you, we are talking about family. My family would be welcome here. Just family though with no "extras". My family is scattered around the USA so most would likely have a tough time getting here. My kids would come here and too bad for anyone who tried to get in their way. None of my family are preppers. My kids know I have planned for them to be here and they have read all my books so they know what could happen. They are well prepped with weapons of many kinds and they have a wide range of useful knowledge that would mesh with what my wife and I have to add.
Two of my brothers have just visited here at my new place so they could find their way back but one has 1800 miles to come and the other about 1100 miles. My kids have only about 300 rural miles. They could make it I think and they would bring everything they could with them.

 

[ssonb]

One of my basic SA (smart azz) replies to someone who was "holeing up" at my place and is trying to run things will be....
Why should we care what you think cause your type of thinkin couldn't keep your home !

 

[Sewingcreations15]

No family on either side complications here fortunately as we are happy self proclaimed orphans, ie neither of us talk to our families as they have more problems than the Simpson family.

Having said that we are in a rental but if we shelter in place and probably would we would not invite any here apart from 1 we have in mind who has useful skills. If we have to bug out to a more remote location we have a number of properties we could go to and have been invited to and the ground rules are set. We have a lot of valuable skills to contribute as well and are not worried about getting dirty.

Most of our friends have children who wear designer tights on gardening service projects and have no practical skills whatsoever and many families and acquaintances don't prep at all either. We have had a few say they would come here and we said not if you don't have 12 months of your own supplies and are willing to work, never heard that again from them .

 

[Country Living]

We know we should have put some food and supplies aside for times like this; however, we just didn't get around to it.... we have bills to pay..... we have the new truck payments and everyone in the family had to get new IPhones. We always ate out so there hasn't been any need to keep extra food in the house. We'll pay you back for everything we use. We'll pay you double. We go to the same church. We work together. Our children/families are friends. The Bible says (insert several out of context quotes). This won't last but just a few days so I don't see the problem with us staying with you. We have no place to go so you have to take us in.

They don't get it that all they are is just another mouth to feed.

An acquaintance of ours (he's done some work for us at the ranch) recently told me if anything happened he was coming out here. My emphatic reply was "absolutely not.... we can't feed you." He seemed surprised that I wouldn't welcome him and his family with open arms. Hopefully the encounter got him thinking about stashing food and supplies. Probably not...... I wonder how he would feel if I walked into his house and demanded half of everything he had, including money in the bank.

 

[hiwall]

When people say "If something happens, I and my family are coming to your house" and you politely tell them "No you are not", means you have just created an enemy. Neither party may realize that until something does happen but if/when it does the one turned away will remember what you said and while suffering think about how his suffering is all your fault.
That is just one reason why anyone who has prepped better include an emphasis on security .

 

[Meerkat]

We know we should have put some food and supplies aside for times like this; however, we just didn't get around to it.... we have bills to pay..... we have the new truck payments and everyone in the family had to get new IPhones. We always ate out so there hasn't been any need to keep extra food in the house. We'll pay you back for everything we use. We'll pay you double. We go to the same church. We work together. Our children/families are friends. The Bible says (insert several out of context quotes). This won't last but just a few days so I don't see the problem with us staying with you. We have no place to go so you have to take us in.

They don't get it that all they are is just another mouth to feed.

An acquaintance of ours (he's done some work for us at the ranch) recently told me if anything happened he was coming out here. My emphatic reply was "absolutely not.... we can't feed you." He seemed surprised that I wouldn't welcome him and his family with open arms. Hopefully the encounter got him thinking about stashing food and supplies. Probably not...... I wonder how he would feel if I walked into his house and demanded half of everything he had, including money in the bank.

Good post and example of how stupid people can be. We have had a couple say ' they will just come here '. No they won't.

 

[Meerkat]

We had a neighborhood watch meeting a few years ago and to our surprise almost all our neighbors showed up.
15 years ago we had n-hood watch and shtf was brought up. All said we would protect our n-hood and nobody including long lost friends and relatives would be welcomed.
We hear guns going off here all the time ,plus local gun club has 3 year waiting list last I heard. Now we also know that some could become a problem. We wave to each other but don't visit or congregate at all. Yet if somebody is in trouble they show up. Or we call each other if storms or whatever to see after they are ok.

 

[The Lazy L]

... We have had a few say they would come here and we said not if you don't have 12 months of your own supplies and are willing to work, never heard that again from them .

But when SHTF and they are hungry, wet and wondering what to do to. They will remember you and you will hear from them again.

 

[SheepDog]

By the time non-preppers realize they are in trouble it will be too late. The cities will be crawling with human vermin and the routes most traveled will be blocked and heavy with hidden attackers waiting for the next victim. If they make it out of the city alive they will face the small town guards at every entrance to towns along the route. Unless they are doctors or pulling a trailer full of salt and wheat they will be turned around and forced to go some place else.

 

[Country Living]

Your Friends is an excellent article on SurvivalBlog that addresses the "If anything happens, I know where I'm going..." scenario. It's much too long to copy in here; however, it is an excellent read and worth the ten or so minutes of your time. I printed it, keep it in our disaster preparedness book, and read it at least once a year as a reminder of the importance of OpSec.

 

[Country Living]

Why I won't be charitable when SHTF
OCTOBER 13, 2013 | CHRIS CARRINGTON | THE DAILY SHEEPLE | 810 VIEWS

I have learned a great deal since I came on board here at The Daily Sheeple. I have read and listened to the opinions of many who are far further down the line of preparedness than I am, and although it may make me unpopular, I disagree with a some of what they say.

Of course agreeing or disagreeing with someone is purely personal choice. I am not saying they are wrong, just that I disagree with them.

Take for instance the charity aspect of prepping.

Many of the big names in prepping advocate that we should show solid Christian values in times of crisis and lay aside some essential items to give away to those that pass through who are less fortunate that ourselves.

NOT A CHANCE.

It has nothing to do with the fact that I have prepared, that I have scrimped and saved, and they possibly have not. It has nothing to do with greed on my part and to hell with all others. It has to do with the survival of my family.

A great deal is made on all prepping sites about OPSEC. Keeping low and not attracting attention, and this is where the trouble starts.

I know for a fact that if I had been given food, water and maybe a few other essential items by someone I passed along the way I would remember them.

I know that if the survival of my children was at stake and I couldn’t provide for them I would revisit the person that had assisted me in the hope of getting more supplies.

I know I would do anything I had to do to feed my kids, to keep them alive. Now if I could trade something, work for the food I would certainly do so. What happens though if the answer is no, we’re fine thanks, off you go?

Think about this. Put yourself in the position of the people you helped. You know this family had enough food to give some away. It’s unlikely you are the only people who have happened by. To a desperate man with starving children the logical conclusion would be that the family who helped you out had food to spare.

This is a situation that’s going to get ugly very fast.

Moving a little further into our imagined scenario. You helped the passers by as best you could. You are well armed and willing to defend your family and your supplies. The passers by you assisted know this, they know they couldn’t take you alone. So they come back with a mob. A mob of cold, hungry and armed people who want what you have got.

Once again it will get ugly very fast.

So, I will learn from those who know more than me, and I’m extremely grateful that they share their knowledge, but for me, charity really does begin at home if we are in a SHTF situation.

I will not risk blowing my OPSEC. I will not risk the lives of myself and my family in order to be charitable, it just isn’t going to happen. Every morsel of food I give away could keep my kids going for another day. Every item of clothing I give away could have kept my kids warm in the winter, could have wrapped my future grandchildren, could get passed on to the next generation who may have no access to new clothing.

We all know it’s not a case of if the SHTF, it’s a case of when. Be it a natural or man made disaster, there’s no reason to think we are the immune generation, that it won’t happen to us. We are not special in the grand scheme of things, we are no different to other generations that have faced war or famine or pandemic. The list of what can and does go wrong on this planet of ours is long, very long. Should one of these events occur, all of us, no matter how well prepared, are going to struggle to survive. Many of us won’t make it for one reason or another.

To attempt to survive, and even thrive after a catastrophic event is normal, it’s human nature, and while I pity those who have nothing I will not assist them with food, water or material items that could hasten the demise of me and mine.

There are many who will read this and decide I have no Christian values, I accept that , and I won’t argue with them, they are fully entitled to their opinion. What I will say is God gave me a brain and the ability to use it and that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Opening my door and handing out charity parcels when the grid is down or the food supply chain has snapped, when people are cold, hungry and desperate is to me akin to going to an ATM in a rough part of town and announcing loudly that you are taking out $1000 from an account that has $1,000,000 in it.

You just wouldn’t do it would you? You wouldn’t announce to every mugger in the neighborhood that you had a $1000 on you and there was plenty more where that came from.

In a collapse scenario your preps are worth more than that $1000. They are worth more than $1,000,000 in a situation where no amount of money can buy you what you need.

Think about this…how far would you go to protect you and yours?

I know for a fact I would do whatever I had to, including stealing from others. It’s not something I like to admit to, but it is the truth. Thinking this way also makes you realize you may not survive the encounter of taking from others and where would your family be then?

This is why I prep. To provide for myself and my family in times of trouble. To make sure they have enough water, food and clothing to see them through for as long as possible. To have enough seeds stored, and enough gardening knowhow that we can supplement our diets making our canned and dehydrated supplies last longer, far longer than they would have done otherwise.

It’s why we’ve opened up fireplaces and brought dynamo flashlights. It’s why the nieces and nephews join our own kids for ‘craft’ sessions where they are taught to knit, sew and fix things up with hammers and nails. they think this is so cool as none of their friends get to do it.

They make bread and pick produce they have grown. They are learning what they can and cannot eat from the hedgerows.

All of this is why I prep and I’ll be damned if I am going to risk all that because I give a bottle of water and a couple of cans of beans to passing strangers.

Delivered by The Daily Sheeple

Contributed by Chris Carrington of The Daily Sheeple.

Chris Carrington is a writer, researcher and lecturer with a background in science, technology and environmental studies. Chris is an editor for The Daily Sheeple. Wake the flock up!