Closet Prepper or Out and Proud?

Original Article

from Suburban Preparedness and Suburban Survival by Suburban Prepper

 

So you got 2 years of food stored, 2,000 rounds of ammo, an arsenal that would make a 3rd world country proud and enough medical supplies to support an inner-city hospital … do you hide it or flaunt it?  There are pros and cons of being a vocal and known prepper in your neighborhood or town.

Keep it in the basement and let no one see!

The benefit of being a closet prepper is that you can lay low during the next disaster and not pop up on the starving neighbors’ radar when they run out of food.  In my humble opinion, closet prepping is the best way to go.  If you are known as the crazy survivalist of your neighborhood or town you are exposing yourself to unwanted attention.  There are going to be a lot of people without food and water and the LAST thing you want is those folks at your door because they know you got what they desperately need!

They will come to you for food/medicine/ammo and at first it will start off as a request.  After you deny them then their tone will turn more desperate and they will try to appeal to your sense of charity and goodwill.  After that it will get nasty.  They’re starving and pissed off and you have what they don’t … SO “F” YOU!  People will turn to animals real fast.  If they know you have it, you are a target.   They will do whatever they have to to get it.  (You know, I can’t blame them.  If I was facing a situation where my kids were starving then I would be desperate too!)

Check the video on the left called “Old Friends”to get an idea of what you might be dealing with in your neighborhood.  (originally posted by Rangerman at SHTFblog.com.)

After the SHTF as a closet prepper, you will need to reduce your rations so you start losing weight like everyone else.  When people start congregating out in the neighborhood and complaining about the lack of food and how tough times are … you agree with them.  Talk about how hungry the kids are and how much this sucks.  Misery loves company… don’t forget it!  No one likes people richer or happier than they are!  If you don’t believe me (I know you do, but humor me for a second) the next time people are talking about their mortgages (if you are lucky enough to still have one) mention that you don’t have a mortgage and watch the expression on their face.  They will hate you because they think you have a house that is paid for and they don’t.  I bet you the rumor flies through the neighborhood too.

You will have trouble convincing people you are struggling and hungry if you spent the last five years bragging about your food stores and medical stash.  I promise you that the neighborhood WILL turn against you if they think that you have what they don’t. 

If you got it flaunt it!

So, are there ANY benefits to flaunting your preps?  Flaunting, no.  Gently broaching the subject to judge your neighbors’ response, yes.  If no one knows your prepared mindset then you are never going to build a “group” or “militia” for when the times get tough.  Doubling or tripling up is an excellent way to increase your chances of surviving a SHTF scenario.  I don’t need to go into the benefits of doubling up, go over to Rawles’ site, he has volumes on it.  But what you need to remember is that you need to trust these people with your life, and more importantly, the lives of your children.  You can’t find these people on internet!  You need people in your neighborhood that you have known for years and that you can trust.  If you are a known prepper then you have a chance of bringing the neighborhood together or at least getting together with a few of the families when the need arises.

Other pros to being out-in-the-open … you get to invite all your prepper buds over when you get a new pair of night vision goggles or handgun.  The girls can commiserate about the best wheat grinder and share ideas for sprucing up Mountain House prepared food.  Camaraderie will aid your quest for self-sufficiency.  Be sure to go about it in tactful way.  Once people know you are a prepper … that is it.  You can’t un-ring the bell!

Thanks To My Readers!

The comments and emails about the blog have been overwhelmingly positive!  Many people have commented that as suburbanites, no one is focusing on them and the unique prep needs they (we) face.  Think about the last major SHTF scenario, it was Katrina in New Orleans.  People were on their own, without food, water or electricity.  Those weren’t wilderness retreats being flooded, those were neighborhoods … suburban neighborhoods!!

ALSO: A big thanks to Jim over at Bison Survival Blog for sending a bunch of traffic my way.  In my opinion it is the ultimate blogger compliment to have another blogger take off on your idea with thoughts of their own. 

Thanks Champ!
-SP