do you include neighbors?

[Rearfang]

I'm with Devonian on this z day happens one side will treated as zombies
Other side unless I need geek tech help they are the most unpractical couple I Dought they could wire a plug so would be a drain on my family's resources

[John Mat]

I was surprised by a neighbour asking me about how I prep. He put the hens away for me once or twice and there is little in that shed to give away that I prep. But he has prepper friends and is ex-millitary. He preps for 3months max and I just said I do some too! (no details) I'm still unsure how what made him ask! He is far more handy than me so probably a good neighbour to have!?

[i11matic1795]

I was surprised by a neighbour asking me about how I prep. He put the hens away for me once or twice and there is little in that shed to give away that I prep. But he has prepper friends and is ex-millitary. He preps for 3months max and I just said I do some too! (no details) I'm still unsure how what made him ask! He is far more handy than me so probably a good neighbour to have!?

Sounds like a good neighbour to have, perhaps don't give too much away yet but it sounds like it would be worth being friends with him.

[1234Alive]

I personally wouldn't tell any of my neighbors, but I would maybe invite some in (one family and a couple.. max) if anything did happen as I think if you are bugging in then the extra hands my be of some use.

[Stray2]

Sort of. They have no idea what my family and I get do re prepping, but I give thought to how the neighbours/community can be mobilized if the event ever happens to the betterment of the street. Something of an old school clan mentality perhaps!

[Lemony]

We've lived in our house for two and a half years. We are in a small village, but there's nothing 'central' like a pub or shop where we could meet people really. We say hi to the people in the house across the road, but have only spoken to our next door neighbours a handful of times. I wouldn't ever let on to them that I prep. There isn't really a strong sense of community here IMO.... Our lane flooded two years ago (we are at the top so weren't affected) but we could barely muster a nod of acknowledgement from the two guys dishing out sandbags outside our house - we'd have been more than happy to help, but they were really funny about it. I would imagine that if there was a serious situation, the people down the lane would all pitch in together while we'd be left to our own devices.

I've mentioned prepping briefly to my family, but mostly just to encourage them to have a think about doing it too

[Nicks19]

devonian is right dont tell your Neighbors nothing!!
I like my neighbors but lots of them are elderly and this is going to sound a bit evil but if the SHTF they going to be
the first to be attacked and that gives me and my family time to get our preps and home defense in place sorry if this offends anyone
Its just my way of thinking.

[Panther]

As much as I like and get on with my neighbours I am sure that in really difficult SHTF times, they too along with most other people, would become absolutely desperate for food, water etc; their basic instincts would take over and they would do almost anything to survive, including forcibly taking supplies from me or anyone else if they could. I have enough for me and my immediate family to survive for a while but there's no way it would stretch to feeding the rapidly growing numbers that would flock to my door if the word got around that, "the man at number 42 has a stock of supplies."

Don't tell anyone what preps you've made or what stocks you have.

I'm reminded of "The Twilight Zone - The Shelter" from 1961 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm6cMdePtMA
Quite amusing being so old, but it shows quite graphically how friends and neighbours might behave at such times.

[nzbred]

It is a tough question,to help neighbors or not.I like to think i would in times of need but in a survival situation,you have to look after your own,i think if the SreallyHTF,its a self preservation for yourself and family that would ultimately kick in.At the end of the day,we're all subjected to the same news and media of what is happening in this world,just because we have decided to take measures (that we are often ridiculed for) to ensure the survival and safety of ourselves and loved ones and those who live around us have not,the choice was always there for everyone to make. Being relatively new to the whole prepping scene myself,reading through some of the pages on this site,someone said the reason they got into prepping themselves is when they saw two people fighting over £15 worth of petrol during the fuel crises and i think there lies one of the most valid points and reasons to make yourself more self sufficient.People in times of panic,social disorder etc are willing to do anything to get what they need and the worst half of human nature gets exposed.So i have to say,those people who live around you,your neighbors,people you see everyday down the street,just like ourselves,have the potential to become monsters in times of need and by prepping for self sufficiency, i hope to limit the situations where i will expose myself to panic and alarm driven mob rule where people will be fighting for the last tin of beans on the shelf at tesco....

[Wulfshead]

I have sat in the pub from time to time, sometimes from opening time to closing time
I have broached the subject of prepping when the pub TV spews out the woes of the world which could hit us at some time.
The usual reaction is pee-taking from friends or myself being looked at like I am on day release from the loony bin.
The folk that live around me are already living in a state induced coma so I care little for them, they don't have the time of day for me.
My family live well within a 4 mile radius from me and they know we prep, hell my son and daughters plus the son-in-law all prep to some degree.
The only non-family people that know I prep are my best friend who I will cater for and members of an English folkish community I am a member of.
The problem with letting just one of the prepping un-washed know you have stored goods is that all of a sudden you would be introduced to the need of their own family post SHTF.
I mean I can well do without the woman next door telling me about her own daughter and her kids that have nothing, not my problem, remember I am the idiot that even thought about prepping !
When there is any SHTF scenario there will be lemmings running to the cliff edge, as preppers we should be sat on a rock munching our preps and watching the pee takers eating their own words.
I wont care.

Wulfshead