Everyone's responses here are great!
I can see that everyone has his own views. Also, I can see that everyone is at least a little skeptical. That's good, too.

Don't get me wrong, working as a community is ideal. But my community, at least initially, will be made of people who have already earned my trust over time. I think most of my potential group would be made up of couples. Couples who I know I can trust, have guns, supplies and are resourceful.
Maybe once things calm down a little we could consider letting others in to our group. But it would be a decision made by all, not just one.

To be an effective and productive community it is important that everyone be on the same page and work together. It is equally important that everyone trusts each other fully.
I just can't have that kind of trust for a person I just met. That's why I am doing everything I can to be sure my family will not have to depend on strangers to eat, live and be safe.

Good response, prep4SHTF. I was getting a bit concerned that you might take all this as that we were ganging up on you and make you feel unwelcome. You are welcome. This has been a good discussion. I think it has been good for all of us in that it has brought up that a large reason for many of us being here is to MEET others. There have been a few "Peak Moments" on this board. Denob putting his foot down and saying, No more conspiracy theories, politics or religious posts. Discussions about the dangers of "The Brass Hoard" or gun preppers that are not really prepared at all and a danger to those of us that are. And a really ugly smack down over prejudice in prepping. I think this might just be one of those peak moments. A bunch of us are saying, openly, "We really need alliances....and that is why we are hear". I hope we can keep this topic repeated and ask ourselves "Whats the best way to team up...wile weeding out the not so trustworthy"

Now I will prove myself untrustworthy 😀 by completely duplicitous self promotion and reminding anyone in the Maritimes that we are looking for people.
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4352

I would be interested in hearing how other single preppers feel or what they think about this topic of
finding trustworthy preppers.

Being a single prepper myself, I think it makes me feel the need to be even more
secretive and wary of whom to trust.

Really, can I ask why?

We have singles in our close group, hopefully other singles will come forward to talk about it, we have all ages from 20's to 60's, from singles to couplies, to multigeneration families..

You either click or you don't..

If you are a "single" prepper with all the equipment and supplies, ( or attempting to become a
fully stocked prepper) , you are an easy target. It just naturally makes me more wary as to
who I tell what I have or what I do. So I wonder if other single preppers feel this same way.

Not sure I am explaining it correctly.

I too feel this particular thread has been a great conversation and a bit of an air clearing.
I tend to always be the lone wolf in the woods, mostly because of my lifestyle, I have a virtually impossible time getting to any of the group meet ups, have only managed to make it to 1 in Bieseker a fair time ago. I met several people there that I would really like to know better, but I work a long ways away from my homes and work all the time my total days off in a year only add up to about 40 (demands of job not workaholic)and 1/2 of those days off are ate up travelling. I am prepping locations in multiple places across 2 provinces, because I never know where I maybe if / when SHTF so I always need to be ready from wherever I am. Prepping is not a hobby it is a way of life for me.
Anyway my point is I absolutely see the want and need for other companions of stout heart, but have almost zero time to meet anyone other than in this type of group. I am a serious Doubting Thomas, who has been burned many times so I am becoming a sceptic of trust but believe it is what we must have to make community, no one is perfect, so we need to proceed with all caution but proceed we must for the sake of our humanity.

well said alberta born.

I like Farmgal's comparison to on line dating and taking it slow. The is an old "joke" about a guy saying to his buddies after her got married that he had no idea that his new wife could fart. In other words it doesn't always matter how long you have known some people, they will try to hide their true selves.

Goldie, I get the fear thing about the "stuff". I know a woman that had a lot of money, a lot of things and some jerk played her until he got everything he could out of her. Some times it is hard to tell a player from the good people.

No one can make it alone. I think part of trust is finding those people that have the same mind set/share the same interests and are close to the same place in prepping. There is a lot to be said for the "put up or shut up". All talk and no action make me nervous now.

I have been thinking about the single prepper thing, if you found folks that are prepping as well, and you get to know them, if they have land, prepping tools, prepping lifestyle, and they are building their place, farm or bug out homestead into that, I still don't get why as a single prepper, you would fear them..

My hubby and I talked about it, unless we have NO choice, at this point, we are a bug in plan, with ideally a few place's that would welcome us if we had to bug out locally, with folks that I would trust that they would take us in, just as I know if they showed up, they would be taken in..

Now, for those that I consider in the inner circle, if they showed up barehanded, I would still take them in, because I know them and I know that they would be worth their weight in gold on skills, and would work for it..

But if they showed up with a truckfull of their own gear, that just makes them a bit more, but it does not change the bottom fact, "stuff" can be lost, burnt, stolen, break or need to be left behind.. The skills, knowledge, and talents of the folks in the group to me are the real gold, not the stuff..

I know that as preppers we buy stuff, we work with stuff, we plan with stuff, and I am all for that.. (I mean you are talking to the lady, who stockpiles nails and screws) because its one of those things that she took a "fun" course on making at a local blacksmith shop years ago.. I never! want to have to make those suckers for a bigger project, I would much, much rather have a ten or twenty year supply on the farm, plus I happen to think they are good barter items.

My point though is I am not looking at trustworth preppers based on their stuff (their stuff just mean's that they are willing to put their money, time and effort where their mouth is) I am looking at the person themselves and what they can offer.. Stuff comes and goes, the core value of a person is made of is much more long lasting

I have been thinking about the single prepper thing, if you found folks that are prepping as well, and you get to know them, if they have land, prepping tools, prepping lifestyle, and they are building their place, farm or bug out homestead into that, I still don't get why as a single prepper, you would fear them..

My point though is I am not looking at trustworth preppers based on their stuff (their stuff just mean's that they are willing to put their money, time and effort where their mouth is) I am looking at the person themselves and what they can offer.. Stuff comes and goes, the core value of a person is made of is much more long lasting

'

You are one of the few good hearted people.

I have met several over the last few years that in no uncertain terms they plan on taking what they want and the only "prepping" that they are doing is how to shoot. Then there are those that I have met that are all talk, meaning they have read tons of books, have strong ideas on how things are to be done but no practical experience. It is one thing to read about it, it is another to do it. It took me far too long to realize that although these people were great to talk to and it appeared that I had a lot in common with them, we were not a fit and nor could I trust them completely.

When shit really does hit the fan; your neighbors will become your enemies. So who's to say that a fellow prepper, who you have no true friendship or blood ties with, won't eventually be just as dangerous?
I guess all I am saying here is be careful who you trust.
...... But when it comes down to the 'where' and the 'who', it's simple. I only trust my family and closest friends.

It is comments like these that make me more wary. Agreed, Prep4SHTF has brought up a good topic.

And other comments by others such as: " I have met several over the last few years that in no uncertain terms they plan on taking what they want and the only "prepping" that they are doing is how to shoot. "

So with comments of looting and taking what they want , and other comments of doing whatever for survival of their family, finding easy targets would be top on their list.
Being a single prepper just seems all the more reason to be careful.

Taking all the supplies and equipment from a single prepper is like turning them into a single "non" prepper. It would be very difficult for a single prepper to make it without their gear and supplies,
just as it would a single non-prepper to make it who has not prepared.

And what about couples that might lose their partner due to death ? They are now a single prepper.

So yes there is the need to find other preppers, but there is also the big problem of who you can trust for the long term.
I myself have already been burnt numerous times making me realize that you might still have to do it all yourself as a single,
when a situation arises, even if you do find some preppers along the way.

I think most of my potential group would be made up of couples. Couples who I know I can trust, have guns, supplies and are resourceful.

Why only couples ?

Very simply put, 1 person can be prey to two people. 1 family is prey to two.

I consider "Other People" as the single most important prep without which, every other prep is a waist of time.

Yes this very concept makes it even more reason to find others but even more reason to be very cautious.

A bunch of us are saying, openly, "We really need alliances....and that is why we are hear". I hope we can keep this topic repeated and ask ourselves "Whats the best way to team up...wile weeding out the not so trustworthy"

Agreed

I have been reading this thread with the utmost interest, and I must say very interesting.... The Canadian Emergency preparedness group started out with 6 of us in a parking lot west of Calgary on a chilly sunday afternoon Almost 2 years ago.... and it has taken that long to build the trust that we have within our core group.....And it is fragile at best..trusting a complete stranger with even what you fear and the reasons you prepare can be a huge step...

Besides my wife, I have one true friend and He is the only one I would trust my life with....

And this is by no means a slight to my Friends in my Emergency preparedness group, its just He and I have gone through some things together and we trust each other immensely..

Come to our meeting/seminar in Calgary and we will be discussing this very Topic " How to build a Pod " as we call it....

The problem you have to consider is everyone reacts different in High pressure situations, the calm/coolest person you know, can become the biggest panic ridden Jackass in a pressure situation...

One thing myself and a couple of folks in our group have learned and agree on is the One's that talk a big game usually turn out to be the worst and least trusting....Just our opinion and observations.....

One other thing that was written and I have to agree on was " organizing preppers"..{ I really dislike useing that word "preppers"}.. is like herding Cats...couldnt agree more......

You have to consider what you are dealing with, " A bunch of ALPHA'S " you cant control them, you cant boss them, and you better not try to manipulate or bully them.... all you can do is bring them together and delicately steer them, and keep the topic focused, because believe you me discussions in any Emergency preparedness group can head out into left field and of the reservation real fast....

But back to the main Question, of who can you trust...YOU TRUST NOW ONE....."and build from there".....that's been mine and our group consensus, and so far it has worked pretty well....

Hope that helps, and remember it's just my, and some of our group opinions....