remnantprep
Senior Member
People do not exist for the sake of governments!
Posts: 4,399 
Likes: 3,968
Email: remnant@ausprep.org
|
Post by remnantprep on Jul 8, 2014 10:07:10 GMT 10
Let the game begin!
You have your food storage in place, six months worth of food and water for you and your family. One of your friends comes knocking saying that his home has been ransacked, they have nothing but the clothes on their backs and they need a place to stay. Your friend has very few useful skills and taking them in would cut down your supply timeline in half. At this time there is no way you can replenish your supplies without risking your own life in one way or another. Would you open your home and your supplies to your friend and his family or wouldn't you? Why?
|
|
|
|
Post by StepfordRenegade on Jul 8, 2014 13:55:38 GMT 10
Okay, I'm going to be brave and start off  I'm going to against what I assume will be the majority will be (and probably throw my chances of winning out the window, but I would prefer to be honest) and say that I would most likely accept the extra family. I'm basing this on a few assumptions: 1. If we can't replenish our supplies without risking our lives, it must be pretty dangerous out there and so help is most likely not coming - we are going to have to fend for ourselves indefinitely, 2. If they made it to ours "with nothing but the clothes on their backs" then they made it here on foot, 3. The fact that they are coming to us asking for help means they weren't very prepared, and 4. The use of the word "family" implies kids, and doing the maths if they cut our supplies in half it would mean they would have roughly the same number of people as us. This is my reasoning: 1. Added protection - If they made it to our place on foot, their home and ours musn't be too far apart. This means that the area the looters are operating in could very well include our house. Also, if they aren't very prepared but are still going, there will probably be many other people out there on the edge of starvation getting more and more desperate. With just hubby, myself, 2 young kids (+ a pet cat & snake who I could theoretically throw at people if necessary - haha) we would be better able to defend ourselves with the extra people. Our home is relatively defendable but looters could eventually come in great enough numbers that just hubby and I would be overwhelmed. What good is 6 months worth of food if we get ransacked as well and it all gets stolen? 2. Information - the added family would be able to add extra information such as how things were looking in the local neighbourhood, areas to avoid etc. This info would help us on our eventual food scavenging trip. I doubt they'd be in a mood to supply this info if we were turning them away. 3. Moral - the addition of more people would be a moral booster, someone else to talk to etc. On the flip side I would be incredibly depressed with a fair amount of self loathing if I turned away another family. 4. Extra hands - if we can't replenish our supplies without risking our lives, our garden will have to go into overdrive to provide food. 3 months is enough to get certain seeds in and on their way to harvest stage. The extra hands for gardening will come in very useful. The fact that the friend has very few useful skills would definitely be a downer, but there will be lots of unskilled jobs that need doing around the house such as basic repairs, cooking, cleaning, child wrangling, some food preserving prep. 5. Personal morals/values - I could not justify turning away kids to starve on the street while I still had food and it didn't put my kids in immediate danger. I would struggle to punish the children for the fact that their parents could not protect them. If the food situation was more dire (e.g. 2wks down to 1) I would be more likely to compromise my values. 6. Two heads are better than one - if replenishing food is going to be so dangerous, more people for ideas on how to procure it is going to be better than just hubby and I trying to come up with a plan. 7. It will rain! Well, judging by the usual rainfall in my area, it will rain in 3 months so I can bump out our estimated minimum survival time by a little bit by using the rain gathered in our tank. 7. More people = less risk in food procurement - Eventually, we would have to go and get food (whether it be in 6 months or 3 months), and I would rather that the scenario be several adults at home with the kids and several adults out looking for food than just one of us at home with the kids, and one out getting food. If there is more than one person out looking for food their chances are greater at success, and if it does all go downhill and they don't come back, then there is still more than one adult at home to keep things going and protect the children. From a cold hearted perspective, if the food run didn't go well and they didn't come back, that would also mean less mouths to feed at home (and our supplies would again last longer). |
|
|
|
Post by graynomad on Jul 9, 2014 23:34:15 GMT 10
I'm struggling with this, still thinking.
|
|
Frank
VIP Member
APF Life Member
Posts: 1,864 
Likes: 2,739
Email: frank@ausprep.com
|
Post by Frank on Jul 10, 2014 21:11:24 GMT 10
Been thinking about this and will add my bit.
If they know that I prepare and have stores of food etc, I would let them in (although this would be done reluctantly). If they know of the food stores etc and they are turned away, then an enemy would be created. They could leave, meet a group of others with no where to go and return in numbers to gain control over my place through force. Not a situation I would like to be in.
If I did let them in, then I would try not to let on the full extent of my supplies for a start. I would evaluate how much use they will be, how much of a hindrance they will be and what they can bring to the table. If they are willing to pitch in, help out and are basically on the same page as me then they could stay and we could work together to rebuild/survive/or whatever. If they aren't willing to help out, learn new skills or are being an unnecessary burden then I would strongly suggest they move on to greener pastures.
All up its an awful position to be in.
|
|
AKM.
Senior Member
Posts: 146
Likes: 295
|
Post by AKM. on Jul 12, 2014 21:56:35 GMT 10
Making some assumptions. 1) They are a close friend.2) I am fairly certain of their strengths and weaknesses.3) This is THE SHTF; it's all gone boom sort of thing. Complete breakdown.
Would talk to my wife, and take them in if she agrees. Faster consumption of stores would I think be balanced out by extra hands to help; hopefully they could learn my limited skills fast.
Improved security. Running a night sentry between two adults, night after night, is damned hard. Even an extra two bods helps a heck of a lot, and even allows a split piquet roster, or maybe a roving sentry/ listening/observation post (oh the flashbacks....) Plus, opportunistic raiding by others would be less likely given more adults.
More numbers means better bargaining power with other groups.
Muscles. Extra backs to carry stuff when scrounging/scavenging.
Extra brains. Even broken clocks are right twice a day- and very few useful skills still means some useful skills that I/we may not possess.
Extra parents. If something happens to me and /or my wife, extra adults that I know and trust to be fallback parents for my kids is a vital necessity.
|
|
remnantprep
Senior Member
People do not exist for the sake of governments!
Posts: 4,399
Likes: 3,968
Email: remnant@ausprep.org
|
Post by remnantprep on Jul 15, 2014 19:44:17 GMT 10
Thank you to all those who have replied so far! Really looking forward to more answers.
|
|
|
|
Post by StepfordRenegade on Jul 15, 2014 20:02:25 GMT 10
Thank you to all those who have replied so far! Really looking forward to more answers. What's your take Rem? |
|
remnantprep
Senior Member
People do not exist for the sake of governments!
Posts: 4,399
Likes: 3,968
Email: remnant@ausprep.org
|
Post by remnantprep on Jul 16, 2014 7:43:04 GMT 10
Im admin so cant participate sorry!
|
|
sentinel
Senior Member
Posts: 463
Likes: 253
|
Post by sentinel on Jul 16, 2014 20:52:47 GMT 10
Thank you to all those who have replied so far! Really looking forward to more answers. When's the closing point again?? |
|
|
|
Post by pheniox17 on Jul 16, 2014 22:39:38 GMT 10
better late than never  so 6 months of stockpiles and the possibility of a another family to support the chances are liability... so based on info... the world has gone to absolute hell, no aid available??? based on this, first depends on the friend, can't help those can't help themselves second, I'm big on survival in numbers, and a level of trust I have a small number of friends that would bleed for my family, providing that I'm willing to do the same for theirs so there is a group of my friends I simply won't help to the friends I would help, I would let them in no question (the misses agrees/suggested it) the cost of supplies will be less due to extra manpower and security (allows risk to salvage forageables sp) it will also help with the mental game... there are a lot of bonuses to accepting the risk... and in a event that is that bad where I'm stuck with just my family (that's misses and kids) the extra bodies will increase me and mines survival, between security, to trade, to foraging, to fishing... to just someone to play monopoly with to kill time |
|
sentinel
Senior Member
Posts: 463
Likes: 253
|
Post by sentinel on Jul 17, 2014 0:35:05 GMT 10
-
|
|
remnantprep
Senior Member
People do not exist for the sake of governments!
Posts: 4,399
Likes: 3,968
Email: remnant@ausprep.org
|
Post by remnantprep on Jul 17, 2014 8:23:59 GMT 10
Thank you to all those who have replied so far! Really looking forward to more answers. When's the closing point again?? Another week and half or so! |
|
sentinel
Senior Member
Posts: 463
Likes: 253
|
Post by sentinel on Jul 17, 2014 8:49:07 GMT 10
When's the closing point again?? Another week and half or so! Thanks - I forgot the initial time frame that was mentioned. |
|
remnantprep
Senior Member
People do not exist for the sake of governments!
Posts: 4,399
Likes: 3,968
Email: remnant@ausprep.org
|
Post by remnantprep on Jul 17, 2014 8:53:56 GMT 10
Was three weeks from start date.
|
|
|
|
Post by You Must Enter A Name on Jul 22, 2014 18:50:53 GMT 10
I'm struggling with this, still thinking. That better not be your whole answer  |
|
|
|
Post by StepfordRenegade on Jul 22, 2014 18:58:13 GMT 10
I'm struggling with this, still thinking. That better not be your whole answer That better not be YOUR whole answer  Or do you have a 'get out of jail free card' because you're in the big chair now? |
|
|
|
Post by You Must Enter A Name on Jul 22, 2014 19:02:00 GMT 10
That better not be your whole answer That better not be YOUR whole answer Or do you have a 'get out of jail free card' because you're in the big chair now? Yes I do, and I was trying to discreetly remind him that time is running out. |
|
myrrph
VIP Member
trying to figure out how to change my nick :P
Posts: 1,075
Likes: 1,232
|
Post by myrrph on Jul 22, 2014 19:20:00 GMT 10
For me, it will be very simple. The people who fit into this criteria are not many. And those who do, I will lay my life for them.
So my reply is. Keep them. I have space in the house for the them and if they have useful skills and we all know, to survive, you need _some_ numbers and those you can trust.
If there is a need to forage food and risk our lives doing so, my friend and I will do so. If there is a need to grow plants and fish. We or our spouses will do so. My wife knows how to do both, I have taught her quite well.
We'll make it through, together.
|
|
|
|
Post by graynomad on Jul 25, 2014 12:32:41 GMT 10
What happened to Sentinel's post, I was going to say "What Sentinel said", now I have to think for myself Bottom line, you have to be a hard arse and that may or may not mean turning them away. There are too many variables but here are two extremes, both assume that SHTF is long term with no expectation that ROL and Gov will return any time soon. #1, my group is 2 people, new group is 2 adults, a 2- and a 3-year old, mum is a beautician and dad is an overweight career payroll clerk. These people bring nothing to the table and will drain resources, probably by 60%. I act like we have nothing, throw them a bottle of water, a can of spam and politely tell them to leave while quoting rule 308. Meanwhile my wife is covering them from a nearby spider hole with orders to shoot if I scratch my arse. #2, my group is 30 people, newcomers are 2 people, he is SAS on leave when SHTF, she is an ER nurse, they were preppers but got blindsided by a so-called mate and barely got away with the clothes on their back. They have survived in the bush so far because of his bushcraft skills. Now these people would be very useful and only drain resources by a small amount. But what to do with them? Quarantine. We have a spare camper, that is wheeled down to the gate as is a 44 drum of water, a month's worth of MREs, a porta potti, and a packet of cards. An area is taped off and they are told to live there for a month and not leave the taped area. They are not aware of the spider hole or that they are always covered. The main compound is 500 metres away through the bush and around a winding track so they cannot see what or who is there, at this point apart from assuming that there are at least a couple of people around they have no idea of how many or what facilities we have so there is not a huge OPSEC issue. Most days I go down to talk with them (maybe instead of MREs I bring food, that's a good excuse for a chat) from a safe distance. Same orders to the sentry in the spider hole re scratching my arse (ok, may have to have a signal I'm less likely to do without thinking ). Over the course of 20-30 chats it's pretty sure I can get a feel for them, they have not tried to leave the taped area and although they found the planted knife in the camper there was no attempt to use it on me on the days I went down with no weapon. Also we have a wireless camera/mic in the camper so we know what they are talking about. So we think they are OK but let's try another test. Four of our blokes exit the property at the rear, flank them and approach from the road. They are "marauders" and they make it clear they take whatever they want and in general are not good guys. They ask about the area and if there's anything worth taking. The questions would have to be carefully crafted and at this point I haven't thought about that, maybe they "let slip" that they have a well-organised group and are looking for recruits and "you look like a fit bloke, what abut it?". Basically the future of the couple depends on their answers and actions at this point, although you have to be careful as they may say what they think the marauders want to hear just for self-preservation, after all the bad guys are stood right there with guns. This is why this needs to be well thought out. If at the end of 30 days they seem kosher we welcome them, if not I really don't know, in this example he would not be someone you want hanging around if he's not on your side and in this case if rejected he would certainly have a grudge. I'm leave this for another day. |
|
|
|
Post by Ausprep on Jul 25, 2014 15:03:28 GMT 10
sentinel, any reason you have removed your post?
|
|
Or do you have a 'get out of jail free card' because you're in the big chair now?
