I have been studying this subject myself for many years and have a paper that I've made up a paper that I show to my friends that don’t think that I‘m crazy. Basically it lists what can happen, and what I would do to restart a community. The trades of people that would be required to be a stand alone community and the books (big, big factor) needed to train our legacies. Mechanics, doctors, herbalists, farmers, veterinarians, weavers and the list goes on. I myself am on the lookout for the tools that don’t need power, the information to create power and the older books that show us how. That is why we, Preppers need to start getting together, to help each other to plan, to pass the wisdom of the masses, before we need them the most.
Remember “We Prep to live after a down fall, Not just to survive it” (JT)

My buddy started putting together large drives of info everything from kindergarten to college level info. I’m not sure what all he has on those files, but he filled a 2T hard drive for me with 56,000 books! And a couple hundred movies lol. So he’s planning to pass on knowledge as well. My library is mostly for things I feel I need to know and of course that means others around me. But I haven’t planned to run schools. Maybe I need to rethink that when I have some time off.

. Not even Rambo family could stop threats 24/7 for weeks on end.

I met a guy ( since passed away) was an old Vietnam special forces vet. This guy was hard core. But had a smile that would melt a heart too. He was known for saying “when the time comes, heads on spikes will keep a lot of people away” and if things looked bad he’s pipe up and say “maybe it’s time to sharpen those pikes”. He’d laugh it off, but I don’t believe there was anything this guy wouldn’t do to keep it family and friends alive. Sounds nutty but he’s be a good guy on your side, and the last enemy you wanted.

Overall, I am leaning 70% lone/ my wife and children. If I can snag son in law who is playing in the sandbox, I will be in very decent shape indeed. The other 30% will be made up of local friends within the community and at large. I know some of the homes nearby with trouble living within so after them, it’s as they come, but there will be issues with known bad actors

Love to have a MAG, but it’s always a chore finding actual prepper types, versus the LARPers.

Love to have a MAG, but it’s always a chore finding actual prepper types, versus the LARPers.

LARPers?

I think a like minded and spirited group of close , medium or occasional friends and associates is ideal. Multiple skill sets and of course temperaments and political leanings are all part of it. I have friends who are full spectrum in political leanings but one thing in common, is respect for each other, we know our preferences but so far have kept them in check for greater peace. Said it in other posts, I know muslims who I would trust more then some white Anglo Saxon dude. NOT on any anti this or that group rant, just saying I know many types and I don’t give a flying fig their race, religion sexual preference or like of potatoe chip. Good people is good people.

Have to say we are all A type personalities so that can be a hoot to watch when trying to set a time...for a family event or figure out a solution to a task hilarious to watch unfold.

Some electrical, plumbing,gardening or farm craft, intel, medical, “woods-“person” 😆 types. Mixed ages for experience, strength etc is all good to have.

Have to say, I have kept my ideas pretty close per say. Friends know I take life/ things pretty seriously and we all get along. Only one real person I am in touch with locally who I am delicately trying to feel out. Pretty sure he and she are on board and have told them they have a place to come to if in neeed. Good skill set people and one is in my profession. Others are just local hunting and farming friends and neighbors who I know we could help each other in time of need. “I think”. Never sure till one is truly tested. Talks cheap.

...Never sure till one is truly tested. Talks cheap.

How true. You take a chance if you put yourself and your family in this position...

...Never sure till one is truly tested. Talks cheap.

How true. You take a chance if you put yourself and your family in this position...

And I like my family so trust is vital

LARPers?

Yes, LARPers

Live
Action
Role
Players

Kind of like the types who do civil war reenactments, medieval mock battles, and think/debate on which character in "The Walking Dead" they are.
AKA Mall ninjas, wannabes, etc. Generally use it as an escape from the drudgery of everyday life, or personal issues.

I have met many types, from one end of the spectrum to the other. ie One who was afraid to get a 10/22 for hunting because of what his family thought of guns, to one who had dozens of guns and had never been to the range, let alone disassembled and serviced what they have.

I have seen ones who talk about how they revel in the thought of supply chain interruptions, yet haven't thought of how they will deal with their addictions to pain killers, booze, smokes, etc after 30 days without.

These same people have yet to take a First aid course, store more than a dozen cans of beans, or done much other than chat online.

I talk about minimal input farming, backup power supplies, water storage and procurement, food forests, and using plants to deter burglars, and I get confused looks.

Yes, LARPers I have met plenty of. Honest to goodness preparedness-minded, focused, and legit contributors to a MAG I have met few of, especially locally. For now, it's my family, and maybe a guy or two. Desperately in need of more. I have 5 acres (Backing onto millions of empty ones behind me.) to cache stuff on, and so far have yet to see someone local even think of it.

I thought I would try to put this in perspective for people that think they can do it alone aka (lone wolf) or maybe with just family. First of we will start with firewood. Now if shtf odds are fuel will be far from few. So now it comes to manual labor. Axe let for just the hell of it cut down trees and split it. Remember average is 5 cords to get threw a winter. That 4x4x8 ft per cord. That doesn't even cover gardening on top of that. Plus hunting for meat. My son said to me that's not a issue. He young and strong and just turn 18 as of today. So for a life lesson I said to him I guess your smarter then me or maybe stronger. So go cut 5 cords by axe last summer. He started in April by August he had almost 6 cords cut for winter. But you have to remember also you need wood to cook with and heat water with all summer too. I estimate he did 10 cords in total. But that's all he did ever day all by himself. At the end of it he said he would never ever do it by hand like that again. Now we are talking about a 6ft 2 inches boy in his prime. He has worked with me off and on all his life in construction building houses from ground up and helped out in basement and garages to get ready for concert. Now we do everything manually. No cranes or zoom boom. All done by man power. Pulling trusses up 2 stores by rope. Yes it's long post but had to try and give you a picture of how hard it is with out a chainsaw for wood. Fucker can pick a fridge up and haul it by himself and put it in the back of a truck with out breaking a sweat. Not a tiny boy or weak. Now I'm not saying a big ass mag group to join. But I hope you all have at least have a group of people to help each other out if shtf. I'm blessed with a son that can out do me now and most people I personally know. Plus he is always willing to come help. Remember I live off grid with my gi now for 3 or 4 yrs now. You loose track of time and even what month or day it is sometimes. When your busy from 8 am to 8 PM every day. I do try and take weekends off. But normally that's when I go help my mother and step dad out. Around there place. She has fucked lungs and on oxygen 24/7 and he just lost both his legs 8 months ago. Do to infection he put off till it was to bad. Just something for you people to think about. New yr I'm looking at possible doing a bug out project where who invested in it has a spot and also owns there spot. Just started looking into it with a lawyer and shopping around for a piece of property a hr south of Edmonton. But we will see on this project. Getting up there in age. Plus now have helped set up 4 mag locations. With others. Now it's time to find a permanent spot to retire. Yes I have a spot at all spots I helped do. But 2.5 hrs drive to work one way is getting old.

Don't even know where to begin here. But hopefully the basic point gets across. Yes had a few adult pops lol. But I personally see this issue over and over with white people. Don't get me wrong at pointing at white people. I'm white myself. See I have a wide circle fro all cultures. I see how they are. Some cultures work more to get a head. Where I see white people do it alone. We have a issue on trusting others maybe or it might be how we are taught. Not sure and still trying to figure it out. But my point is on mainly this (LONE WOLF) shit. I'm ex military and some times I really look at shit from some fucked up angles. Yes live combat I have seen in a few places around the world. But from all the people I personally know that are none white seem to stick together threw allot of shit. They work together to get a head. Don't get me wrong they have ups and downs. I have personally work for none white. They try and nickle and dime you as much as they can. But they also are smart as fuck. They don't do it alone. They will have like 10 people live in one house. They pay off one house and oldest one get that then they move to a new house till its payed off. Ever one pays till ever one gets a house. Most keep going even in business and so on. Just makes me think why us white people don't do that. At least from my experience. Don't get me wrong my kids are set for life they both have a place that's payed off and they 19 and 18. But I see it everywhere with white people. Even some of the mag group projects I have done. Instead of working as a unit they only mainly worry about there self's. When I was in the military we as a unit always understood that we are only as strong as are weakest link. So we would make that link as strong as we could. Because that made us stronger as a unit. I still chat with everyone left in my old unit and people I have trained all over the world. But I still shake my head on lone wolf thinking. Only real way to get ahead and survive is as a team. But agree you have to pick the right people to get there. Any way that's my rant. I know I don't post much but I do try and read everything weekly if possible. Lots of good information on this site.

Don't even know where to begin here. But hopefully the basic point gets across. Yes had a few adult pops lol. But I personally see this issue over and over with white people. Don't get me wrong at pointing at white people. I'm white myself. See I have a wide circle fro all cultures. I see how they are. Some cultures work more to get a head. Where I see white people do it alone. We have a issue on trusting others maybe or it might be how we are taught. Not sure and still trying to figure it out. But my point is on mainly this (LONE WOLF) shit. I'm ex military and some times I really look at shit from some fucked up angles. Yes live combat I have seen in a few places around the world. But from all the people I personally know that are none white seem to stick together threw allot of shit. They work together to get a head. Don't get me wrong they have ups and downs. I have personally work for none white. They try and nickle and dime you as much as they can. But they also are smart as fuck. They don't do it alone. They will have like 10 people live in one house. They pay off one house and oldest one get that then they move to a new house till its payed off. Ever one pays till ever one gets a house. Most keep going even in business and so on. Just makes me think why us white people don't do that. At least from my experience. Don't get me wrong my kids are set for life they both have a place that's payed off and they 19 and 18. But I see it everywhere with white people. Even some of the mag group projects I have done. Instead of working as a unit they only mainly worry about there self's. When I was in the military we as a unit always understood that we are only as strong as are weakest link. So we would make that link as strong as we could. Because that made us stronger as a unit. I still chat with everyone left in my old unit and people I have trained all over the world. But I still shake my head on lone wolf thinking. Only real way to get ahead and survive is as a team. But agree you have to pick the right people to get there. Any way that's my rant. I know I don't post much but I do try and read everything weekly if possible. Lots of good information on this site.

In the interest of always trying to learn more about the human condition, I have been watching university courses on psychology and human biology, I just so happened to have seen one on the topic you mention, not relating to skin pigment as the cause, but rather culture...I will go and see if I can find it for you

Cant really find the one I am thinking of, though if you watch the entire series from this guy, 20 some parts, you will get a better understanding of cooperation or the lack of. A lot to watch but well worth it. Try this one, start at 1hr and 19 minutes in to get a taste of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqP4_4kr7-0

LARPers?

Yes, LARPers

Live
Action
Role
Players

Kind of like the types who do civil war reenactments, medieval mock battles, and think/debate on which character in "The Walking Dead" they are.
AKA Mall ninjas, wannabes, etc. Generally use it as an escape from the drudgery of everyday life, or personal issues.

I have met many types, from one end of the spectrum to the other. ie One who was afraid to get a 10/22 for hunting because of what his family thought of guns, to one who had dozens of guns and had never been to the range, let alone disassembled and serviced what they have.

I have seen ones who talk about how they revel in the thought of supply chain interruptions, yet haven't thought of how they will deal with their addictions to pain killers, booze, smokes, etc after 30 days without.

These same people have yet to take a First aid course, store more than a dozen cans of beans, or done much other than chat online.

I talk about minimal input farming, backup power supplies, water storage and procurement, food forests, and using plants to deter burglars, and I get confused looks.

Yes, LARPers I have met plenty of. Honest to goodness preparedness-minded, focused, and legit contributors to a MAG I have met few of, especially locally. For now, it's my family, and maybe a guy or two. Desperately in need of more. I have 5 acres (Backing onto millions of empty ones behind me.) to cache stuff on, and so far have yet to see someone local even think of it.

Thanks jonesy.
Truth is, very, very few people could even start a fire on a sunny day in July with a match and a dry newspaper, let alone during a freezing rain event in January at midnight. TV and movies make survival look so easy and heck, it only lasts for an hour and that’s with commercial breaks :ugeek:

People also want to be part of something and can’t admit they are clueless. I was chatting with a childhood friend of mine and he sort of knows about my life. He was trying to tell me he had food for six months. But he lives in burbs near Toronto. Has a wood fireplace but maybe a cord of wood, no solar system... so after a day, his freezer with his meats will be of little value... he has three children who live nearby and they have boyfriends. I asked him, what about them? Your supposed 6 months of food (bs) will now last how long with 8 mouths to feed! He’s in sales, so has practiced the art of a poker face, but it was obvious, I had called his hand.

Strong man and jogs, so could walk for some time and he does have camping gear, but in Toronto area, he would have a good long walk to any area he could even begin to call bush. Not sure what he would do with his kids and their friends boyfriends! Not exactly a weekend trip to provincial park.

Nope, many weekend campers or larpers, think they will be just fine but we all know they, while lasting maybe a few weeks longer then others, will still be up snot creek without a paddle.

My same friend has started hunting with me but is to cheap to spend the money on ammo and practice on the range/ my land. Give a man a gun and in his mind, he is an Instant John Wayne or a trained military killer. Again, movies and male genetics in play. One good thing is, we will likely have access to lots of guns when we raid a house where occupants are all deceased, just hope we have the ammo that fits with all the nice new guns that never really got used 😆 I should recommend he leave his rifles here, that way I can get ammo for them and make use of myself.

Would I want my best and longest friend to be part of my group? He has muscle power and can wield an axe or saw but boy, there would be some serious ego adjustments that would need to occur. Admitably, mine and his. Beyond his and his wife’s physical strength and extra hands or eyes, they would bring little else. No ammo, food... maybe after a few weeks it would be ok, but BS and bravado don’t last long in dangerous times. I think it would work but not as easy as many think.

I thought I would try to put this in perspective for people that think they can do it alone aka (lone wolf) or maybe with just family. First of we will start with firewood. Now if shtf odds are fuel will be far from few. So now it comes to manual labor. Axe let for just the hell of it cut down trees and split it. Remember average is 5 cords to get threw a winter. That 4x4x8 ft per cord. That doesn't even cover gardening on top of that. Plus hunting for meat. My son said to me that's not a issue. He young and strong and just turn 18 as of today. So for a life lesson I said to him I guess your smarter then me or maybe stronger. So go cut 5 cords by axe last summer. He started in April by August he had almost 6 cords cut for winter. But you have to remember also you need wood to cook with and heat water with all summer too. I estimate he did 10 cords in total. But that's all he did ever day all by himself. At the end of it he said he would never ever do it by hand like that again. Now we are talking about a 6ft 2 inches boy in his prime. He has worked with me off and on all his life in construction building houses from ground up and helped out in basement and garages to get ready for concert. Now we do everything manually. No cranes or zoom boom. All done by man power. Pulling trusses up 2 stores by rope. Yes it's long post but had to try and give you a picture of how hard it is with out a chainsaw for wood. Fucker can pick a fridge up and haul it by himself and put it in the back of a truck with out breaking a sweat. Not a tiny boy or weak. Now I'm not saying a big ass mag group to join. But I hope you all have at least have a group of people to help each other out if shtf. I'm blessed with a son that can out do me now and most people I personally know. Plus he is always willing to come help. Remember I live off grid with my gi now for 3 or 4 yrs now. You loose track of time and even what month or day it is sometimes. When your busy from 8 am to 8 PM every day. I do try and take weekends off. But normally that's when I go help my mother and step dad out. Around there place. She has fucked lungs and on oxygen 24/7 and he just lost both his legs 8 months ago. Do to infection he put off till it was to bad. Just something for you people to think about. New yr I'm looking at possible doing a bug out project where who invested in it has a spot and also owns there spot. Just started looking into it with a lawyer and shopping around for a piece of property a hr south of Edmonton. But we will see on this project. Getting up there in age. Plus now have helped set up 4 mag locations. With others. Now it's time to find a permanent spot to retire. Yes I have a spot at all spots I helped do. But 2.5 hrs drive to work one way is getting old.

Well your one busy son of a gun! Yep, cutting wood by hand is a ton of work, exposes one to broken bones, cuts, weakens you AND requires lots of food to keep that internal engine we call our body working! Calorie intake will go up, way up!

Good network is handy and I am going to be delicately probing for such folks this winter.

I thought I would try to put this in perspective for people that think they can do it alone aka (lone wolf) or maybe with just family...

I suppose it really depends on the family. In addition to my abilities I have three hyper-fit sons (ironman/ marathon participants/fitness trainers) all ex or current military (ages 30-33, 6'1" to 6'3"), two are police officers (one civilian, one military). So I'm not so much worried about wood getting chopped. If further help was required, I'd tap into police and military friends who've served with us and can be trusted. These include ex-combat veterans and current and past members of police tactical teams, but family resources should be enough.

Spouses include an emergency physician and a fitness instructor. My wife is completely capable and is more mentally tough that most men I've met. Grand children include two girls (one and five) and two boys (nine and thirteen). My wife's a teacher.

There are however some shortcomings of skills that I'd have to address. So trading of skillsets (medical/security/survival/carpentry skills) for extra produce, etc. would likely be required in the long term. Cooperative efforts with others outside of the group would always be welcome.

I don't however see the need for inviting others who are unknown elements into the group. Experience has taught me that this isn't likely to be successful...