to tell or not to tell location

OPSEC (short for Operational Security). In my humble opinion you should NEVER disclose your exact location. I will give others I do not know, only the state or city I live in as my location. As you said, in the times to come, people could get desperate and come knocking on your door... or shooting through it to get to your supplies if they know your exact location. Even my best friends have no idea where my retreat group is located (most dont even know I am a prepper), and all the members of my group do the same. Better to be safe than sorry. If I go to meet others to discuss prepping, I meet at a public location, and they never know where my home is.

OPSEC (short for Operational Security). In my humble opinion you should NEVER disclose your exact location. I will give others I do not know, only the state or city I live in as my location. As you said, in the times to come, people could get desperate and come knocking on your door... or shooting through it to get to your supplies if they know your exact location. Even my best friends have no idea where my retreat group is located (most dont even know I am a prepper), and all the members of my group do the same. Better to be safe than sorry. If I go to meet others to discuss prepping, I meet at a public location, and they never know where my home is.

You are all so correct about trusting. You will know when you meet good sturdy trustful people. In your collective group you should consider, plumber, electrician, doctor or nurse, dentist, farmer/gardener, teachers, people trained in husbandry for goats, bees etc, crafts people - sewing, knitting etc. herbalist. lolol yeah sounds like a lot of people, but if each person then had a spouse and some kids, you could really have a great little community. Oh yeah, reloaders!!!! lol I have three outsiders that know. My kids have been instructed to NOT tell anybody what I'm up too. My son goes Why? Um sweetheart, it's like your bank account number, your pin number etc...... yeah he got it. The two families that know are in-laws. It's funny that both are LDS and I'm pagan. Yeah I don't care much what religion or political stance someone has, I either like them or I don't. The one friend I have works in YXD for the same company that I work in down here. She's from the Penetang area in Ontario and I'm original from Hamilton, Ontario. I DO LIKE SMART PEOPLE!!

OPSEC, smopsec. Think of your families. If nobody knows where you are it'd be sooo boring. After a meltdown there probably won't be any internet or cellphones. At least if everyone knows where you are, your sons may get the chance to practice their world of warcraft or call of duty skills. Your daughters may have the opportunity to practice their nursing skills and meet new guys. Nobody stops to think of the entertainment value if predators come calling.
Now where the heck did I put that tinfoil hat?

Yes, I know, I can be a sarcastic A#%*@&$.

OMG, "entertainment value" roflmao. I see your point. I am wearing my tinfoil hat, watching 2012 thank you very much....... heehee Sarcasm ROCKS!

Since I moved back here, the only people I have spent any time with are my family and Vanislemom ( friendship going back 15+ yrs or so? ) and I have 2 other girlfriends in other provinces with friendships going on 20+ years. I am somewhat social but just busy with my own life so while I greet my neighbors in a friendly way and would help them lug in their groceries or chat about the weather etc, it stops there. I have always been pretty busy whether due to work or whatever so I don't have a lot of casual acquaintances. I am not worried about anyone knowing what city I am from, good luck finding me when I can't even remember my own cell phone number or postal code half of the time ( too many moves the last 5 years, lol) The same goes for our claim-in-the-works, no one knows except immediate family and Vanislemom and I know she's not talking! 😀

My preps are tucked away and no one would be the wiser in my home, even for a smaller place, it is not heavily furnished and it just looks like a couple of artists live here ( and one of them has a book obsession! )
You'd have to really start prying into totes ( in the closets or spare room) and the back of cupboards etc to find stuff or the hikers pack(bob) stored in the coat closet with all the other miscellaneous... and if you are doing that and not family or Vanislemom, well then you are going to meet the business end of significant other's "ugly stick".

I'd meet up with other preppers, but somewhere neutral for coffee or something to discuss skills/preps/regional issues and related things, but I don't want nor expect to see theirs and don't plan to show mine either. But coffee somewhere or meeting up at a local event for a common interest? Game on! 😀

Hi, I will admit to being very private about folks coming out to the farm but I would be more then willing to meet for coffee and talk shop, I do know the folks that live around me but even there, I am friendly and will give a helping hand when its needed, but I sure don't go talking about all the things we have going, thankfully they just think of us as the "green" an "hippie" couple, which is just fine with me, if they think the reason I took the second well off power and put it on a hand pump is because I'm green, that's fine with me, the fact that this means that we have access to clean drinking water even when there is no power is just a bonus right?

Hi, I will admit to being very private about folks coming out to the farm but I would be more then willing to meet for coffee and talk shop, I do know the folks that live around me but even there, I am friendly and will give a helping hand when its needed, but I sure don't go talking about all the things we have going, thankfully they just think of us as the "green" an "hippie" couple, which is just fine with me, if they think the reason I took the second well off power and put it on a hand pump is because I'm green, that's fine with me, the fact that this means that we have access to clean drinking water even when there is no power is just a bonus right?

hey, ive got two well also....ones a surface well, but the others a drilled well, about 25 ft deep. just wondered how well that handpump works and where you purchased.

thanks, Paul.

three people know....two guys at work who do not have families and are good with guns...and, get this, my doctor...hes younger with two young children and i mentioned it in general conversation when he was talking about the state of things....turns out hes of a similar mind...told him i have an unused two bed apartment on the farm...food etc...in a shtf scenario hes going to use my place as his bug out....that will solve a few problems and his skillbase would be very much required...

Hi Paul

I got the local plumber to do the job, he charged me $140 for the pumpan install. I have now seen them available at TLC so you can do it yourself if you have the skills. It has held up well, we have had this one working for seven years, and I expect to get a number of more years out of it before needing to replace. Its downside is that it will not hold its prime between pumpings, its fine for when you are doing buckets etc holds it for about ten min or so, but we have to reprime it each time it gets used, so you have to remember to always keep about half a gallon or so to prime it, a bit less in spring.

ok, got it...ill have a look down at tsc...

ive actually hooked up a gas engine water pump to mine. i fill a 1800 gallon cistern in about 2 - 3 hours....but if i ever run out of gas...a hand pump would come in useful.

Paul

ok, got it...ill have a look down at tsc...

ive actually hooked up a gas engine water pump to mine. i fill a 1800 gallon cistern in about 2 - 3 hours....but if i ever run out of gas...a hand pump would come in useful.

Paul

Google the Water Well Helpline.

ok, got it...ill have a look down at tsc...

ive actually hooked up a gas engine water pump to mine. i fill a 1800 gallon cistern in about 2 - 3 hours....but if i ever run out of gas...a hand pump would come in useful.

Paul

Google the Water Well Helpline.

Go it...thx taz

I am sure most of you, many of you are nice folks and I would love to get to know you all and I am looking forward to learning and sharing info about just about anything and everything but, I doubt I would tell you where I live. I actually am not telling many people in my real life where I am going once I purchase my house and some land.
I don't want to sound selfish or harsh but, I have been working damn hard on this and I won't be giving into some psycho (or friend who is a total mooch) and thinks they can walk on to my land and just take whatever they please because they believe it is the New World Order. Ha! No way.

I have a plan, a handful of people are "invited" to the party if need be but, it will come at a price to them and me as well, so I have become very picky. I know who will work and participate, I also know who is lazy and won't want to.

And that is probably my greatest fear in all of this planning and prepping. I don't want someone stealing my work! I do not need someone taking what I have busted my butt to obtain for survival and unfortunately it may come to that. Hopefully not, but you have to be prepared for that scenario as well.

No one really knows what I have. My kids have a pretty good idea but, they don't know what is stashed and hidden from sight. Some people who shop with me know but they have no immediate way to get to where I am now let alone farther from the city. I have been blunt and made it quite clear that the door will not open for them if all hell breaks loose as my immediate and only concern is my children. Well, and those who I know will contribute.

Well said mamaizzy. I couldn't agree more.
Other than a select few who will join me (already informed and invited, of course) nobody knows the real reason I have my weekend cabin. None of the guests that occasionally come out, know about or ever see any of my food stores, ammo stocks, gear or preparations. As far as they know, the only food out there is what we bring for the weekend. Everything is kept out of sight and hidden.
Only those who are part of my group have any clue as to what's underneath the surface, their kids don't even know. Hell, my wife doesn't know everything I've done.
Other than my group, I haven't had a lot of people out there. Those outside of my group who have been out would be assets if TSHTF but until then they would think that I'm crazy so I've never told them. If it did go down though and they showed up, it would benefit the group to let them in. There are also a couple of people who haven't been out that I would call and invite if TSHTF.
Hopefully doing it this way means that my OPSEC is intact without isolating myself.