do you include neighbors?

[grenfell]

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!?

To go off at a slight tangent . Assuming we don't tell neighbours how should we react in the situation above. When a neighbour preps and then tells you, do you act cautiously or go full on with the "me too!!!" approach or some where in between or even completely ridicule him for being a sort of weird pessimist ?

[CynicalSurvival]

I'd agree that there are certain things you shouldn't tell others. You don't want your home to be the number 1 destination for looters!

OTOH, there are some potential situations - slower type crises, a 'great depression' type thing, where we don't see lots of looting or violence but just a gradual slide. In that case, having a strong community would be really valuable. So make links, figure out who in your village/suburb u can trust to trade with or for support - repairs, mechanic, medical - anything you can't do yourself. That is form of prepping too. But it doesn't need to be the people next door (especially if they are idiots)

As for informing people about the movement, I'd agree that a lot of ppl will just think 'nutter' so better to discuss the general world issues n risks and/or the very mild end of prepping e.g. storage for possible bad weather.

[Plymtom]

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!?

To go off at a slight tangent . Assuming we don't tell neighbours how should we react in the situation above. When a neighbour preps and then tells you, do you act cautiously or go full on with the "me too!!!" approach or some where in between or even completely ridicule him for being a sort of weird pessimist ?

Horses for courses, I'd sit on the fence, play devil's advocate, I do so here too, it makes for thought provoking conversation, which in turn helps build relationships and makes (me at any rate) target my priorities.

[cypher]

I've in a round about way brought up the topic in conversation with a few locals, not sharing the fact I do prep, just trying to find out their opinions on prepping/preppers, their responses being pretty much that they're (we're) a bunch of tin foil hat wearing nutbags , so I won't be sharing the fact I do prep with them.

There's also the fact that it would make me, Mrs Cypher and the junior Cyphers a target in a SHTF scenario.

I would however in the event of a less serious nature (water/power outage, food shortage etc) make sure my elderly neighbour is ok.

[Carefulnow]

The rural village I live in always gets snowed in during the winter. We have to pull together at winter else nothing would get done. our shop keeper always encourages people to get stocked up. Just about everyone has a chicken coop and a vegetable patch. We even have a bloke who has 20 green houses.

[Trawlerman]

My neighbours are complete arses. I wouldn't trust any of them as far I could throw them to be honest.

The old dear next is OK but she's just gone into a Nursing Home and it's unlikely she'll return. Shame really as she was decent.
As for the rest of the crowd. Neighbour two doors down is/was a notorious gang member in another city and was relocated here by the police for his own safety. Apparently he was involved in a gang who were into drugs and guns Needless to say, I stay well clear of him.

I keep myself to myself. There's just me and my old man now (wife booted me out ) and that's fine my me.

[PreppingPingu]

Building relationships, exchanging knowledge is good. Advertising you prep is not for all the reason's mentioned. But getting to know those around you is good whether you are just snowed in or at the mercy of some extreme SHTF scenario. By getting to know people you'll know of their skills, have a reasonable idea of what type of people they are (tho' as has been said that can all change in the blink of an eye,) and know who is around in your road. In some cases we don't even know how many people live in the house over there a few door up on the other side of the road. All that is useful even if the world is not actually ending!

[farnet]

My neighbours are always asking about the bunker and are insistant that they get first place if anything happened.

they still think I'm mad though.... which is a good sign

[Plymtom]

My neighbours are always asking about the bunker and are insistant that they get first place if anything happened.

they still think I'm mad though.... which is a good sign

Your neighbors are a fine example of why many preppers don't want to know about helping others, they wish to ridicule you and have one foot in the door of your life insurance policy, which is of course what you should tell them you are paying, working, going that extra mile for your peace of mind, you don't know for sure if the time will ever come and hope even after all that work that it does not, and yet if it ever does it'll be you thinking they're mad as you close the door

[StashCache]

I guess it would depend on what you are prepping for. I mean in the situation of power outage, hurricanes, flooding, getting snowed in etc, it's kind of a short term crisis and usually neighbours will band together and don't mind helping the vulnerable and elderly. In these kind of situations your neighbours are probably a little prepped for it too to some extent anyway and it might be good to talk about it to get people prepared and into a little prepping themselves. I wouldn't mind helping neighbours and including them in my preps for these scenarios.

But if you are prepping for complete financial collapse, no law and order, breakdown of society, or nuclear fallout, then all bets are off. I see a lot of people stocked with enough supplies for 12 months and I think if you are planning for something long term the last thing you want is to be aiding someone who hasn't prepped at all, eating into your supplies and possibly jeopardising your plans. In this case you really don't want people turning to you thinking "oh so and so is prepared for this lets give them a knock". If I'd been prepping for a major collapse of society and complete lawlessness, then i'm afraid to say it's every man for himself, and as much as I don't mind my neighbours I certainly would not be including them in my preps or letting them know I was prepping for it.