Importance of Local Knowledge
Many people don't look further than their own home and "bug-out" location when it comes to prepping and in doing so get a severe case of tunnel vision. When prepping becomes your goal you need to recognize that compared to others you are a "newbie". Surviving an emergency in California is going to be a lot different than in New Jersey. The best place to start is by looking up your local prepping groups for your state and region. You'll find people that can guide you to the best sources of information such as best preps to gather water, what local plants can be gathered and stored for future use, regulations to make your home go "off-grid", etc.
All prepping groups are guarded and won't be thrilled with anyone excitedly asking to meet up or wanting preppers to give them anything besides guidance and help. Show respect to the people that you are getting this information from. They may have different views or they may go on angry rants but it costs you nothing to ignore and move on. After all you are looking to learn and in doing so survive an emergency and thrive after not win an argument.
Now you might find some people locally that you can really develop a friendship with and in doing so can build an in person community to rely on with each other which is great. Don't be so eager however that you jump into a group with people that end up not fitting in with your style.
That may sound harsh but consider this:
-Three months have gone by since a generic emergency has taken out the power gird, city water and gas, the situation has been determined by local emergency workers to not be fixable within six more months. You and your group decide it is better at this point if you all pool supplies and stay in one central location for safety because social order has broken down and desperate people are doing desperate things.
-You arrive at the location and after everyone settles into the roles you all decided on before hand a month goes by comfortably. One afternoon a group of 4 adults and 8 children show up to the gates and asks for help. Food, water, shelter, anything at all they'll take it. You can tell that the adults are starving and the children are very malnourished.
-What will your group do?
-You knew the people of your group for only 3 or 4 months before the Shit Hit the Fan and you could have sworn you all would have chosen the same way to act in this situation but that isn't the case.
-One third of the group thinks the strangers at the gate need to move on with absolutely nothing but a possible gun shot wound or two to get them moving faster.
-Another third think the strangers should be shot and buried with the logic that if they are allowed to leave they may bring in a bigger group of "scavengers" to come and take everything your group put together.
-You are part of the last third that think if you bring in the 4 adults and 8 children you can ration food differently but while doing so teach them how to help with the crops and upkeep to "pay" their way. Not to mention two of the adults have skills such as dentistry and electrician.
-In such groups a vote would be taken and you are in the group that won't win that vote. The vote is to not only say no to the group but it's decided the adults should be shot and the kids left to survive on their own because they aren't seen as much as a threat even though the likelihood of surviving by themselves is nil.
-You fight and argue and eventually you and the rest that don't agree with the decision are informed that you are now also a threat. You all either do as your told while being supervised constantly or you can have a bullet each just like the 4 adults at the gate.
-What now?
This situation may sound far fetched but between war, civil unrest, economic downfalls and natural disasters these types of scenarios have happened and people have found out just what kind of person they and their neighbors are.
Now this isn't to discourage you from finding prepper groups and people. This is to just make sure you know the importance of not jumping into the first group you think you like. Play the field as they say and find a match that fits. Finding these people are also another important step in using your local group forums, websites, etc.
You can use the internet to connect to people but a group you like eight states over won't be able to help you once the grid goes down.
Remember that the last thing you want to lose during an emergency is yourself.
-Bones
https://www.minds.com/LeftOfCenterPrepping
