Need a decent BOL? Do we need someone like you here with us?

[Jabba]

Hi preppers,

edit - removed, no longer require anyone

[bulldogeagle]

i think you may be a bit shortsighted in having an upper age limit of 55 many older people have knowledge and something called" life skills"!

[Jabba]

lol, I knew that might offend and there are plenty of able-bodied 60 year olds obviously. The thing is, we really need more man power than life experence (and bad backs/knees) at the moment - up to a point obviously because we also need skills .

I'm sure you can appreciate that was just a throw away comment of a youngster to indicate our emphasis - I retract it and apologise.

[bulldogeagle]

lol, I knew that might offend and there are plenty of able-bodied 60 year olds obviously. The thing is, we really need more man power than life experence (and bad backs/knees) at the moment - up to a point obviously because we also need skills .

I'm sure you can appreciate that was just a throw away comment of a youngster to indicate our emphasis - I retract it and apologise.

no offence taken but i know several 80 year olds who may have bad knees and backs but they have the experience and knowledge of that 80 years, something that younger people are lacking, unless its computer skills and they will be obsolete after"the fall".

[Carrot Cruncher]

That looks like a good offer Jabba

One thing though, and no offence intended, but you need to be careful who you give details of your place to. No offence to any members here either but I assume you don't yet know any of them that well so take a bit of time before giving anyone your address.

Also, the section this is posted in is viewable by guests as well as members so any replies to your email address could be from anyone browsing the site as a guest, not just members, so you need to be doubly carefull.

If you log out and view the site as a guest you will be able to see what sections non-members can view

CC

[Chef]

Looks like a great offer, somewhere safe to live with like-minded people, far away from the madding crowd all sharing their respective skills for the greater good and I think it'll actually work out for you if you make your vetting procedures strict yet fair enough.

I'd be up for something like that myself, I have an assortment of skills practical/defensive not just cooking lol, been about for quite a while, not the 80 yrs mentioned earlier but have more than been around the block.

The only problem is I like very few people and I trust a fraction of those I do like, I'm not anti-social I just don't like 'people' very much, too many hidden agendas, hidden pasts, lies, egos....

Hmmmm, I'll stick with me and my boy and if I can get to em, my other 3 kids, and wee un's who live up near their Mum, although I'm confident they'll do OK without me there.

Watch for all of those things when you vet people, and I reckon you'll do OK, I wish you well in your idylic retreat.

C

[Jabba]

Thanks for the positive responses.

Yes I will be careful and won't be giving out my addess to anyone without a number of background checks and extended communications.

I'm also irritated by egos and other charcater flaws (my own included), but I think it's just a matter of being very selective, as you mentioned. At the end of the day this is for when TSHHTF, so by that point the additional supplies and alliances/man power we have could make the difference between being the rabbit or the fox.

[TeeDee]

That looks like a good offer Jabba

One thing though, and no offence intended, but you need to be careful who you give details of your place to. No offence to any members here either but I assume you don't yet know any of them that well so take a bit of time before giving anyone your address.

CC

I second that suggestion and then some.

You really need to meet up with a lot of people ( preppers or otherwise ) to be able to < choosing my words carefully > 'grade' their suitability and match to you. I would suggest you join several RV and camping visits and gently probe and question people on their situation and what skills they have , although preppers are a secretive lot!

Great offer but you need to pick and select the right 'power' team that bring skills and the correct attitude with them

[Panther]

I must concur with bulldogeagle, don't rule out the over 55's just because of their age. Many times in my life I have been grateful for the wisdom and experience of people much older than myself; their knowledge, expertise and vision has often helped simplify what seemed quite complex, difficult tasks and has therefore saved me, and others, many hours of hard slog.
It's true, as you get older the back aches and the knees go, but I have seen some in their 60's - 70's working at a steady pace, far outstrip young 20 somethings who've gone at the task like a bull in a china shop and therefore completely knacker themselves within an hour or two!!
I also had a dear friend, who when his 80's was still the strongest person I have ever met, before or since.

In short, keep an open mind, don't prejudge, choose a cross-section of people with varying skills and attributes to join your group.

Good luck, Panther. (Dare I tell you I'm 63 years old !!!!!!!)

[Jabba]

I must concur with bulldogeagle, don't rule out the over 55's just because of their age. Many times in my life I have been grateful for the wisdom and experience of people much older than myself; their knowledge, expertise and vision has often helped simplify what seemed quite complex, difficult tasks and has therefore saved me, and others, many hours of hard slog.
It's true, as you get older the back aches and the knees go, but I have seen some in their 60's - 70's working at a steady pace, far outstrip young 20 somethings who've gone at the task like a bull in a china shop and therefore completely knacker themselves within an hour or two!!
I also had a dear friend, who when his 80's was still the strongest person I have ever met, before or since.

In short, keep an open mind, don't prejudge, choose a cross-section of people with varying skills and attributes to join your group.

Good luck, Panther. (Dare I tell you I'm 63 years old !!!!!!!)

No fair, I already retracted it! /chuckle

That said, I have invested a fair bit of time getting to grips with self-sufficency and I come from that kind of background, so I'm not your usual 33 year old London boy who's happier with Excel than a garden hoe or cleaver . My dad was a game butcher, so I grew up snaring, shooting, skinning, gutting, smoking and salting. Since then my interest in self-sufficency has continued and I make my own bread every day, I brew my own booze (nettle w/ ginger, elderflower champagne and plain ale). I'm happy enough to turn soured cream into butter and make cheese when the mood takes me. I have many of the skills that most people would assume are lacking in a young city lad and I have plenty of elderly neighbours who can cover whatever extensive gaps there are in my knowledge (I'm sure I'd gasp if I realised how little I actually knew ).

Basically, what I really want is people with very specific kinds of skills (like electricians and plumbers or engineers) who're able to double-up as strong defenders.

That's not to say that pretty much everyone out there doesn't have a good deal they could teach me (regardless of their age). It just so happens that I'm sitting on a temendous asset, so I have the luxury of being quite selective and although a bit of sage wisdom would never go amiss I have plenty of that with my neighbours. I really need people that can cover at least 3 of the big 4: be likeable and reasonable (essential), bring a skill or supplies to the equation, cope with a strenuous days work outside, and be a bit menacing in a conflict situation (I'm a pussy at only 5'8 and 10 stone).

I'm sure I would think I was being short-sighted if I were 65 and reading this and my old man would say the same at 70, but I can't help feeling like I'm more likely to have more in common with people who are a bit younger too.

/gulp, sorry if I offended anyone, just being honest