A prepper should trust no one. But what of your family. If you are stocking up supplies and your family wants to know why you are doing, do you trust that they will tell no one of your prepping? They could tell their best friends and tell them to tell no one . . . and in case of an emergency they will be lots of folks coming over to beg for food or something else. Should your family know about all your plans?
not something I've had to worry about, wife is a life long countrywoman and is in full agreement even telling me what I need next. sister in law and step family are a different matter, typical straights on the hamster wheel of life, not that they would think of coming here post SHTF, they don't keep in touch in the good times! which suits me fine!!
You can "TRUST" no one! No one local knows what I have except the loose group I am part of! but the many thousands of people within a few km of me have no idea! Wife was trusted until she turned! And here is a basic rule not fixed in concrete but almost! A "SECRET" to a man is something you know but is buried in the back file and not thought about or discussed with anyone even the one who told you! and you take it to your grave! A "SECRET" to a woman is something that is mulled over moralised over and discussed with the friends over its morality and is a weapon to be used at the first opportunity! Lessons learnt DO NOT TELL YOUR WIFE! DO NOT TELL YOUR MOTHER DO NOT TELL YOUR DAUGHTER EVER REGARDLESS of how much love affinity soulmates you feel! And becareful of anyone else you tell! Best bet is to keep any supplies secret other than just keeping a well stocked pantry! Most beginner preppers/survivalists preach and try to convert family. This is a huge mistake really huge! Tell none, convert none, By all means take up target shooting but never mention defence, stockpiling etc! your guns are purely for targetshooting or hunting whichever suits! Do not mention how much ammo you have or how they are defensive ammo! Just quietly buy whatever you need and keep it hidden under lock and key! Example a friend was stockpiling food and told the mrs everything and why! Ayear later when he went to rotate stock he found little left! several hundred kg gone! He asked the mrs! she informed him that the neighbour next doors husband had lost his job and she had been helping them out for months! Said unemployed husband was still drinking and smoking! and they were doing ok on benefits! Now I will not condem what she did as it was from the goodness of her heart and they had just so much excess! If the mrs don't know it is there she cant give it away! Even when it hits the fan you should only produce a little at a time and LIE as to where it came from!
Woah, in prepping it's important all participants are of the same frame of mind. If a spouse or child or friend who's a participant in the team thinks prepping is a waste of time, then the plan will go to the gutter. They might even sell away everything you've been stockpiling. At home our stock of food and necessities is an emergency stash that we don't touch unless we need to rotate or an actual emergency occurs. There's that much understanding among us. Even though most of the people on this house are not "preper"-minded anyway, we all respect the need for an emergency stash. I think the Mrs in the above story thought she could do away with all that food anyway. It baffles me why she didn't just buy these people new food, since she'd be doing the exact same amount of monetary spending, or even inform her husband that she wishes to donate the food in turn of rotation instead of cooking it for the family. How do people manage when one person saves and the other person just expends without feeling the need to inform of their actions at least. I bet the first thought that crossed that guy's mind was that he'd been robbed, that's what I would think at least. Although I'll have to agree, when it comes to ammo and money or gold stocks it's best you don't tell a soul. People might try to put a hand in those things even outside of an emergency.
I see no point in keeping it from your family, but IF they are not like minded, just DON'T make a big thing of it. Lots of people keep guns in the house, but does the family go round telling everyone about it? Mostly not I think. In a shtf situation there will be people knocking on your door anyway, some will be knocking the door down! If you are in town or city in a major shtf (other than flood or other natural disaster) then you need to get out anyway. If you live where there is regular flooding, cyclones etc, then everyone in the area should be prepared just like you & your family should be sensible enough to realise that this is an important part of living where you do. Keith.
Another story from another prepper friend! Father teach's son to shoot at another friends property son is 9yo! At school on Monday during show and tell son says he learnt to shoot a gun! Before school had finished dads place had been raided and all guns and ammo taken! Took him months to get them back! no charges laid and damaged safe not repaired! Nearly got done for letting a child under 12 handle a weapon! These things happen! Tell NO ONE! lest it bite you in the arse! One more story Friend in a suburb not far away went through a short but sharp storm, the whole suburb suffered with no power or water! Within hours people were turning up at his place for help! The mrs had been bragging to the local womans group how she was set if a storm came through as hubby had heaps of supplies! The women remembered it and nearly a hundred people turned up for help! Out numbered the food supplies were gone in hours ! After, no one repaid the aid and he was looked on as weird! He wanted to sell and move she not! He is now single and silent! and a damn sight wiser!
I think it depends. My close family consisting of my husband and kids are the ones who I live with and will notice what I would be up to. I probably still could hide it somehow. Then there are other family members who I am not close with and who I do not trust enough. Those family members who are close to me I can trust them but I would be worried that they would open their mouth at some point and then more unintentionally than intentionally put us in danger.
I would be worried that they would open their mouth at some point and then more unintentionally than intentionally put us in danger. This applies to everyone even you! Little things like a wall of shooting trophies screams "I GOT GUNS" empty ammo cans in the garbage Empty spam cartons in the bin. Beware the garbage you throw out, what will say about you!
I trust people way to easily. That is a problem of mine. I need someone's support and understanding. I don't do good solo. I need to find someone I can trust. Someone who can work with me and help me. I usually look to my immediate family and my boyfriend. I trust them a lot.
There is no way to answer this without sounding uncaring & callous, but you NEED to change your way of thinking, or it could get you killed. Not trusting anyone is a state of mind, you simply say to yourself, "I will never trust anyone again". I trust my wife & sons, but NOT to the extent that I believe they can not make a mistake. You trust your boyfriend totally, unquestionably? What if he makes a mistake? What if one time he is wrong? What then? Then you will need to step up & take control, you will need to be the one giving support. But if the mistake your boyfriend makes puts you in danger, you may not live to give that support. You NEED to start thinking for yourself, & you NEED to question everything of importance, even if only in your own mind. You can trust your family to always TRY & do the right thing, but it would be foolish & unrealistic for you to trust that they WILL always do the right thing. I too have trusted people in the past, & I have payed for it. Never again! Keith.
Put your trust in the most competent friend/relative you know! Trust yourself mostly but if there is someone much better give them a shot! I trusted my wife because she trusted me to do the right thing! Once she thought she knew better I could no longer trust her!
Not only when prepping, you should not trust anyone with information that can be used against you and even your plans for that matter. Most people have confidants and there is no secret that is too tight as not to leak to unintended destinations your survival plans can be shared with a close relation like a trusted brother or a close relation.
I have trusted people in the past and they have let me down, big time, never again. wife is on the same wavelength as me and knows not to trust others. in an emergency people will crawl over the backs of others to get what they want. I keep banging on about OPSEC, but its true, tell no one(outside of immediate family-and maybe not even then).
