# Communities vs. going it alone



## prepper (Dec 20, 2015)

in your opinion, which is more practical? why? which would you rather have in a SHTF situation? In my opinion, i see pros and cons to both, i would like to see what other people think! (my apologies if this has already been discussed and answering is like basically beating a dead horse for you.)


----------



## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Unless you are a jack of all trades such as food acquisition, storage and preservation, building, gardening, animal husbandry, security, first aid etc you can not do it alone. I however do believe in a small community of my family of four and two friends. We have all the bases covered between us. 

You should start learning some basic things such as gardening, cooking and first aid. By cooking I don't mean mac and cheese or any other add water and heat to eat. Can you look in the pantry and come up with a well balanced meal? Can you grow potatoes, tomatoes and squash? Can you do basic first aid, CPR, do you know the way to properly splint a broken arm?

Can you start a fire, split wood?

You need to tell us more about yourself and what you do know how to do.


----------



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

I'm part of a group that will be here. If you have independent pepole you can trust it's the only way. 
trust


----------



## Swedishsocialist (Jan 16, 2015)

Going at it alone might be a necessety but a community is what you should strive for. It all depends on your situation and what kind of shit that hits the fan I guess


----------



## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

^^Never shuts up. Likes to hear their own drivel.^^


----------



## XMULE (Nov 8, 2015)

I have a "community" I guess you could call it. If it actually came down to going back to Illinois, where my family and friends are, my GF and her kids would be fine on the farm. Probably like it, even the work, they aren't slackers. Her ex might have to go it alone. And as it relates to your question, he wouldn't be going it alone by choice. I don't want to just wander the wastes, and I have some useful skills, so yeah, I would go back home. I even have some stuff staged there. 

My GF's clan is up in Minnesota though. I would be torn. Tough choices sometimes.


----------



## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

Being a lone wolf will only get you so far. A community does increase your odds of surviving. The challenge is to find the right community.


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The soldier in me taught me a long time ago you do little alone. Had the Infantry not taught me that family would have. Even in so called normal life. Watching how darn near everything works because of a group effort. What one can't do another picks up the slack and takes care of.
Devotion to others is a strong driving force, most often stronger than self. Seen people do amazing things not for them self but because other depended on them. While no life of the party being alone sucks.
Division of labor, task to be done are more likely to get done when taken on by a group each doing their part. But like a marriage it takes members of the group truly dictated to the whole. 
Making it alone is some thing you maybe forced to do when getting back to your base, not a long term strategy.
Why would getting by in SHTF be much different than day to day life? Things must get done those task need to be spread out.


----------



## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Being part of group offers more protection and distributes the work load. Very few lone wolves will survive long in bad SHTF situation. Of course, as mentioned, finding the right people you can trust will be the key.


----------



## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

It will be communities that work toward rebuilding and recovering from the SHTF scenario. 

Hiding in a hole by yourself might keep you alive longer, but historically lone wolf do not contribute a darn thing to the greater good. They are typically narcisists without an exit strategy.


----------



## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Groups are probably a person's best bet, however ask yourself who's going to be calling the shots? Will you be willing to follow decisions made by someone else? Perhaps a loose knit group, whereas everyone makes his/her own basic decisions, but are held together by a common goal of survival? All I am trying to say is be aware of which wagon you hitch your horses to.


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Groups have advantages but watch for trust worthiness. Who has your back no matter what? Are they lazy or have a big mouth? Who makes decisions, grievance process? Can you co exist? Are they contributing or just leaches? What are they putting in the kitty? One wing ding can kill you and everyone else. Chose wisely. Where are you all to assemble?


----------



## Grim Reality (Mar 19, 2014)

For all the reasons mentioned above a community is the best answer. 

If you had 1 injury (twisted ankle? broken wrist?) a lone wolf may
be looking at the end of the game. Hang together with some others
of like mindset...and morality.

Grim


----------



## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I find it impossible to believe that a family of say 8 people could really do a good job of defending themselves if it really got that bad. I figure you'd need a group of about 30+ to do an adequate job. In the 30+ group you would need to have different skill sets such as medical, carpentry, electricians, communications, hunters, farmers, military experience for defense, mechanic, etc. Each person would have to come into the group with a similar set of supplies, equipment, ammo, etc. per person in his group. A governing system would have to be created ahead of time. Children would need to understand that if SHTF, they will have to work their butts off. No PS4 in the foreseeable future. New people to the group would need to be screened to make sure they are not bringing a bad guy into the fold. Family add on rules would have to be created as to whom can be added at the last minute, and how many and what supplies, etc. must come in with them. Decisions on how to handle refugees would need to be discussed and agreed to in advance. That young woman knocking on the door looking for a handout or shelter, could be a spy for a gang. Another point to agree on is what to do with people that decide to leave the group. They know who you are and where you are.
Decisions, decisions, decisions!
And you need to know if you can live with their rules. They could have a rules that no one enters after the SHTF. No relatives, period. maybe they will want to kill all refugees, because they could be a spy. Can you live with those rules?


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

prepper said:


> in your opinion, which is more practical? why? which would you rather have in a SHTF situation? In my opinion, i see pros and cons to both, i would like to see what other people think! (my apologies if this has already been discussed and answering is like basically beating a dead horse for you.)


I done answered this question a hundred times over but..here it is again. Some of us dont like to be around live people. They mostly piss me off or get boring fast and I got to make a break from the action. Its a dead horse. Get a grip.


----------



## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

I couldn't imagine going alone without my family. To me family is everything and the most important thing. You take care of your own including the ones that aren't up to snuff, blood is thicker than water.


----------



## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

At some point we all need someone. Its best to know who and what you get before you need them. Having a group of peeps around that you share ideas and thoughts with and, God forbid, shtf strategies on what to do under what scenario and how to communicate is actually a really good idea.


----------



## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

I feel that communities will be best and safest way to go "if you can trust everyone ". I don't he that option , at this point and time , but that can change when my daughter gets out of the Army in 2 years . that would give a group of five strong . In all I think a small group would be lots better he a lone wolf .


----------



## ReignMan (Nov 13, 2015)

I think that sometimes some people believe that in a SHTF situation people will suddenly become some other species. People are people. We are social creatures. We form communities for survival reasons present day right now, and in a SHTF situation, communities will become MORE important, not less. The lone survivor living off of his or her vast knowledge sounds good, but it's not realistic or practical. Unless you alone have the knowledge and expertise of a few hundred different people, you cannot survive very well alone. And even with the combined knowledge of a few hundred people, unless you somehow figure out how to also have the combined firepower of said few hundred people while all by yourself you'll eventually run in to something that your lone ass can't handle alone. Just my opinion.


----------



## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

alone = too many problems , no body to watch your back. lets face it may sound cool you vs. the world but the *world* *will win *hands down every time.
always choose companionship -always, small group or large community or nomad either way the odds are better for success.
never forget that.


----------



## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

people always ask yah group but whhhaaaaa who's going to call the shots -I say who cares make it work or die.


----------



## wesley762 (Oct 23, 2012)

The key to a good group is do things together now, spend time with each other. Train together, work together and get to know each other. Learn now how you will work together before they become your go to. build that trust now and you will not regret it later, worst case you find that they are either worth it or not.


----------



## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)

A community could be the way to go. Too many things can go wrong to be alone.


----------



## OctopusPrime (Dec 2, 2014)

Definitely a group in my opinion. One person can only do so much at a time. If you spend all your effort finding food or growing food how could you ever thrive? Significant advances could not be made and the will to live would diminish. At some point you would tire and give up if you were alone.


----------



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Unless you know everything and have infinite time, you need community. As many folks as possible. Some of the loner types will make it. But only if the dominant community allows it. For good or bad, the dominant group will win the survival game post shtf.


----------



## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Deleted


----------



## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

I agree with Smitty901. 

Besides I can tell you from growing up on a small farm, a cowboys work is just never done! There just aint enough hours in the day even if you have all the resources you need at hand and it takes you a ton of calories each and every day just to stay caught up enough to see light at the end of the tunnel. As a Lone Wolf you cant afford to get sick or take a few days off cause you got hurt, doing so might very well be the beginning of the end for you. As a community of a dozen or so, you can divide and conquer the never ending day to day chores and challenges you will face. The odds are already seriously stacked against you even as a group, as a Lone Wolf you just doubled down on all your bets!


----------



## gambit (Sep 14, 2015)

alarms on your own land can fail traps can also fail . dogs can be bribed with meat tainted with poison or sleeping pills. and then you do NEED sleep at some point and a guard to can doze off or sampling be naïve


----------



## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Lunatic, man it's good to see you.


----------



## GirlPrepMI (Dec 31, 2015)

I'm well aware that we would need a community to really survive and thrive, we still have A LOT to learn. 

I'm really hoping that moving to a more rural area will help us with this department. At the moment out hours is in the city, and our neighbors aren't the friendliest people despite us reaching out. The plan is to move in the spring to a smaller community of people that we have develop relationships with in the case the worst does happen.


----------

