# Number 1 threat to Preppers



## Stephan1eMitchell

I am a newbie prepper. As in less than a week ago. So maybe this is a stupid question.

After a lot of pondering, I need someone to tell me if I am on the wrong track.

IMHO, the number 1 threat to non-Preppers, should doomsday ever come, is their lack of preps.

But the number 1 threat to Preppers is that their stash of food (and other stuff) could be stolen by marauders or a local gov't declaring martial law and confiscating your stuff for the good of society (ie, the nay sayers who didn't prepare).

In light of this revelation, finding a secure hiding place is very, very important and I should decide on where I'm hiding everything before running out and filling a shopping cart.

Or maybe I am way off.

Am I?


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## Auntie

Go ahead and fill up your shopping cart. You can find places to stash your items as you prepare for more things. Making a hiding place and having nothing to put in it will not do you much good. 

Being prepared is a multi level endeavor. One step at a time.


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## SGT E

#1 THREAT to PREPPERS

The US. Government !

Chances are their failed policies and crap will have us using our preps before it's over!


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## rstanek

Don't put all your eggs,(stash) in one basket, when one gets hit, you will have backup. Sometimes easier said then done, do your best....


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## tango

Buy your supplies, and, keep your mouth shut---OPSEC


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## Illini Warrior

what came first - the chicken or the egg? .... neither - you didn't prep ..... 

prepping is done best on a level basis across the main prep categories .... don't make the common newbie mistake of going deep into one category and ignoring or shorting another important requirement .... guns are all sexy and macho but they can't be ate or keep you warm - but you aren't going to keep squat or even stay alive without some defense ....


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## FLPrepper

Perfectly fine to go out and buy food, but always wisest to have a few hiding places. And get yourself a month of food first and then start buying everything else - keep it simple at first.


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## TacticalCanuck

Sadly preppers are considered extremists. Almost a given that everyone on the site has been heavily investigated. As crazy as it sounds the gov don't want anyone self reliant. Since that goes against there desires you get labeled. Stupidity at its finest.


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## Chipper

How will it ever get bad enough for the government to confiscate supplies?? If it gets to that point society and the rule of law is over. Think about it..


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## Stephan1eMitchell

Chipper said:


> How will it ever get bad enough for the government to confiscate supplies?? If it gets to that point society and the rule of law is over. Think about it..


Yup that's the scenario I'm concerned about, when the rule of law is over.

If it does NOT get that bad, I will have it made, with the amount of food, water purification and other stuff I'm going to stash.

I am reading the book "One Second After". A summary of the plot is available on wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Second_After

It describes the author's expectation as to what would happen after an EMP attack, specifically how towns and cities would handle each wave of die-offs of the population.

That may be an extremist position. But who among us here would not be considered extremist by the general population.

Having read the responses here, I don't think I'm way off the mark. I am taking my prepping to a new level and am planning first to stock my house, but after that, I am going to strive for many buried caches of vacuum packed food and other supplies. I hope it will all be a large waste of money and I will never need them.


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## ND_ponyexpress_

all depends on if you plan to bug out... or in...


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## New guy 101

To the heart of your question...ask yourself this...
What am I preparing for.... and what are my main concerns....
If your preparing for weather related incidents where your more concerned about surviving in place...then your preps should focus on that but with allowances that you might need to get to them or be forced to flee from them...(I.e. flood, hurricane, tornado, etc).

For concerns dealing with societal break down or mass casualty concerns then your two concerns (after just surviving the initial incident) is more of supply and demand....(your supply vs others demand)...there having a low profile stash as well as alternate places to go to would benefit you....you can't bug out with a years supply of food (or can you) in tow along with other things...generator, water, fuel, ammo...

Example: for me, I have a moderate supply for my family....x months, but I have supplies for gathering food as well if we should have to flee. I have ammo on hand for short term defense... I have ammo cached at 3 spots in different directions...along with some supplies to get me to where my 2nd location is. I have supplies there that I can use to start growing or trapping food, and purifying water...etc...and building what I need.

Nowhere do I have more than 6months of food stored for my family...because of seasonal moves I will make in a longer term situation. If the scenario lasts more than 12 months...I'm growing or hunting it....or I'm scavenging what's left... 

I sincerely doubt that any SHTF won't level out in one year...to be either a psudo government with communities...with trade, barter, and yes..banditry..or we will be in a sustained guerilla war environment where me and mine will be active on the correct side.
My 2 cents...


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## New guy 101

Chipper said:


> How will it ever get bad enough for the government to confiscate supplies?? If it gets to that point society and the rule of law is over. Think about it..


I Invision agencies such as the red cross, fema, etc..setup near you, needing to take immediate supplies to satisfy local demands of a refuge like camp...

If there is a case where transportation is restricted, or limited due to entirety of the event, I could see them querying the local populace for information on where to get supplies....by force depends on how bad they need it...for them the needs of the many out weigh your planning for your few.... always has...always will.

However I'd say your local Sam's club will be hit first...but food goes fast and people flock to known food sources.


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## Illini Warrior

New guy 101 said:


> I Invision agencies such as the red cross, fema, etc..setup near you, needing to take immediate supplies to satisfy local demands of a refuge like camp...
> 
> If there is a case where transportation is restricted, or limited due to entirety of the event, I could see them querying the local populace for information on where to get supplies....by force depends on how bad they need it...for them the needs of the many out weigh your planning for your few.... always has...always will.
> 
> However I'd say your local Sam's club will be hit first...but food goes fast and people flock to known food sources.


first off - don't count on that Cosco what-so-ever .... good chance that there'll be a run up to the SHTF and the sheeple with the $$$$ means will buy it empty - followed than by a curt looting and a fiery finish ....

the local gooberment won't have to query for supply info - if your OPSEC has been poor - someone will be turning you in for either juvenile revenge or a cut in the booty .... either way some kind of locally authorized posse will be coming - could be making a door-to-door anyway ....

don't worry about the Feds unless FEMA/Feds have time for a handbook planned metro evac - they'll be concentrating around the populous areas ... for the rural and outlying areas worry about the local authorities - they are sheeple just like the rest .... they'll fill up the schools and churches with refugees acting like it's a natural disaster and the Fed calvary will be riding over the hill to the rescue .... local resources will be spent by the authorities and the good hearted sheeple - until there's no more to share - that's when the more vicious entitled ones come out swinging ....


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## Maine-Marine

The biggest threat to preppers is that many of them only prep for short term issues like weather...

REALLY, if you do not have the ability to last until you can grow food and be self sufficient..all you are doing is just putting off until later your becoming a raider and forcing me or somebody else to kill you and put your head on a SLIPPY PIKE ™


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## Maine-Marine

New guy 101 said:


> I Invision agencies such as the red cross, fema, etc..setup near you, needing to take immediate supplies to satisfy local demands of a refuge like camp...
> 
> If there is a case where transportation is restricted, or limited due to entirety of the event, I could see them querying the local populace for information on where to get supplies....by force depends on how bad they need it...for them the needs of the many out weigh your planning for your few.... always has...always will.
> 
> However I'd say your local Sam's club will be hit first...but food goes fast and people flock to known food sources.


FEMA will be in / around larger areas...

In a major event, there will be no aid or fema camps... Pandemic, EMP, and other things... the government will collapse and all bets are off


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> FEMA will be in / around larger areas...
> 
> In a major event, there will be no aid or fema camps... Pandemic, EMP, and other things... the government will collapse and all bets are off


Is that when everyone will be trading silver coins for a bowl of soup, for example ? Trying to get my plan up to speed.


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> Is that when everyone will be trading silver coins for a bowl of soup, for example ? Trying to get my plan up to speed.


yes if you want to drag your sorry ass over to my house i will be glad to sell you a bowl of soup for 1 oz of silver.... I have 8 cases of tomato soup i got for 24¢ a can on sale with coupons.. heck i will even toss in a thick slice of home made bread and some butter


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> yes if you want to drag your sorry ass over to my house i will be glad to sell you a bowl of soup for 1 oz of silver.... I have 8 cases of tomato soup i got for 24¢ a can on sale with coupons.. heck i will even toss in a thick slice of home made bread and some butter


Sure, what's the address. I'll be sure to bring some friends. See how that works ? See you soon !! Lmao !


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> Sure, what's the address. I'll be sure to bring some friends. See how that works ? See you soon !! Lmao !


112 treasure lake
dubois, pa 15801

Make sure you bring WELL ARMED friends if your intentions are evil.. force will be met with force.... I doubt your friends or you will be showing up anytime soon.. and come SHTF I strongly doubt you would be showing up since i am sure you know that it would be a serious health issue for you

see how that works


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> 112 treasure lake
> dubois, pa 15801
> 
> Make sure you bring WELL ARMED friends if your intentions are evil.. force will be met with force.... I doubt your friends or you will be showing up anytime soon.. and come SHTF I strongly doubt you would be showing up since i am sure you know that it would be a serious health issue for you
> 
> see how that works


Even the best military in the world will conceal their location if at all possible. It's almos impossible to defend a location that can't resupply.

It's not a smart move to announce your location and that you take precious metals from starving/hungry people for food, and in short order you'd be over run. That's just my opinion of course.

That's how it works.


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> Even the best military in the world will conceal their location if at all possible. It's almos impossible to defend a location that can't resupply.
> 
> It's not a smart move to announce your location and that you take precious metals from starving/hungry people for food, and in short order you'd be over run. That's just my opinion of course.
> 
> That's how it works.


during rule of law.. nobody is showing up.. after the end of rule of law.... I will be a law unto myself... and anybody that would think about raiding me would know that there is lower hanging fruit.

The day after SHTF... I will be setting up things around my home that would make the average vietcong warrior scared (I learned from GySgts that served there)

so ya, I got silver and lots of food and other essentials.

anyway..back to the question.. what is the biggest threat to preppers... preppers that are not prepared for the long haul

and if you are so unprepared that you need to come to my house, you are in sad shape and you might as well just become some raiders house boy. and if you think telling unprepared people to come to my house is going to help you be left alone, LOL.


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## Coastie dad




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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> during rule of law.. nobody is showing up.. after the end of rule of law.... I will be a law unto myself... and anybody that would think about raiding me would know that there is lower hanging fruit.
> 
> The day after SHTF... I will be setting up things around my home that would make the average vietcong warrior scared (I learned from GySgts that served there)
> 
> so ya, I got silver and lots of food and other essentials.
> 
> anyway..back to the question.. what is the biggest threat to preppers... preppers that are not prepared for the long haul
> 
> and if you are so unprepared that you need to come to my house, you are in sad shape and you might as well just become some raiders house boy. and if you think telling unprepared people to come to my house is going to help you be left alone, LOL.


So your plan is to defend your home against raiders but also sell them soup for silver and they will know not to mess with you. I got u.......sounds like the plan my little nephew came up with, I've taken notes.

Personally I have enough silver and food/preps. I'll try to limit my contact with most people .........because people will be EVERYONES threat after the essentials, especially hungry desperate ones.


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> So your plan is to defend your home against raiders but also sell them soup for silver and they will know not to mess with you. I got u.......sounds like the plan my little nephew came up with, I've taken notes.
> 
> Personally I have enough silver and food/preps. I'll try to limit my contact with most people .........because people will be EVERYONES threat after the essentials, especially hungry desperate ones.


you must be a liberal at heart.. you make up things to say I said and then argue against them as IF you were some how morally superior and vastly more intelligent... I said I would sell you soup and I said I would trade for silver and I said lack of preps would mean you become a raider... Not sure how the HELL you came up with me trading with raiders... I know some of these threads go fast and it is hard for some people to keep up.. take your time read the posts a few times and then try to base your reply off of the OP or the actual post as opposed to what you think you read.

Speaking of your nephew, you might want to have him read the threads to you and clarify any points you might have missed.

So what do you think the biggest threat is to preppers , beside a bad case of butt hurt


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> you must be a liberal at heart.. you make up things to say I said and then argue against them as IF you were some how morally superior and vastly more intelligent... I said I would sell you soup and I said I would trade for silver and I said lack of preps would mean you become a raider... Not sure how the HELL you came up with me trading with raiders... I know some of these threads go fast and it is hard for some people to keep up.. take your time read the posts a few times and then try to base your reply off of the OP or the actual post as opposed to what you think you read.
> 
> Speaking of your nephew, you might want to have him read the threads to you and clarify any points you might have missed.
> 
> So what do you think the biggest threat is to preppers , beside a bad case of butt hurt


You said you'd trade soup for silver. How will you determine who is a raider and who isn't ?

If you would read my post you quoted, in the last paragraph I state that " hungry desperate people " will be a preppers biggest threat. People in general will not be able to be trusted.

I'm right on subject/topic and have been.


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> How will you determine who is a raider and who isn't ?


I doubt raiders will knock on the door and ask for anything.

most raiders will be wearing UN blue or FEMA Green... chances are they will not have little children with them

come SHTF it will be like boxing - PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES.. I am surprised I have to teach you that


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> I doubt raiders will knock on the door and ask for anything.
> 
> most raiders will be wearing UN blue or FEMA Green... chances are they will not have little children with them
> 
> come SHTF it will be like boxing - PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES.. I am surprised I have to teach you that


Well you said you're willing to trade me soup for an ounce of silver, so your advertising that is what I don't think you're understanding.

If you'll deal with me then I don't understand why you wouldn't conclude that I could be a raider or one of those Men in the blue helmets.

I'm surprised you haven't thought bout that while planning you're SHTF soup for silver restaurant.


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## Auntie

I can not decide if arrogance or complacency is the number 1 threat.


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> Well you said you're willing to trade me soup for an ounce of silver, so your advertising that is what I don't think you're understanding.
> 
> If you'll deal with me then I don't understand why you wouldn't conclude that I could be a raider or one of those Men in the blue helmets.
> 
> I'm surprised you haven't thought bout that while planning you're SHTF soup for silver restaurant.


I said I would sell YOU soup for 1 oz of silver. I figure you aren't the sharpest knife in the draw so i could maybe get some extra silver for a small piece of cake. The address i gave you was to a vacant home miles away so let me know when you want to meet and pick up your soup.. ha ha ha






or as foghorn would say... your a nice guy but about as sharp as a bag of wet mice


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## Maine-Marine

Auntie said:


> I can not decide if arrogance or complacency is the number 1 threat.


complacency...you can not eat dreams and hopes


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> I said I would sell YOU soup for 1 oz of silver. I figure you aren't the sharpest knife in the draw so i could maybe get some extra silver for a small piece of cake. The address i gave you was to a vacant home miles away so let me know when you want to meet and pick up your soup.. ha ha ha
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> or as foghorn would say... your a nice guy but about as sharp as a bag of wet mice


So when the truth comes out you're not going to be trading soup for silver ?

You just meant that you think I'm so stupid that you would offer me soup for my silver them posted up an address to a vacant house.

IMO you would be making a mistake for letting anyone know what you have in your area. Big mistake.

You need to refine your SHTF soup offering for silver plan.

Have a great weekend and think about that for a while !


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> complacency...you can not eat dreams and hopes


Arrogance.......you can not eat silver.


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> So when the truth comes out you're not going to be trading soup for silver ?


they go to the wrong house, so zero effect for me



Operator6 said:


> You just meant that you think I'm so stupid that you would offer me soup for my silver them posted up an address to a vacant house.


please correct sentence so it makes sense and then i will make fun of it



Operator6 said:


> IMO you would be making a mistake for letting anyone know what you have in your area. Big mistake.


thats the reason i posted a vacant house miles away



Operator6 said:


> You need to refine your SHTF soup offering for silver plan.


The SHTF soup plan was just for you, because I care enough to sell the very best



Operator6 said:


> Have a great weekend and think about that for a while !


think about what??


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## Maine-Marine

Operator6 said:


> Arrogance.......you can not eat silver.


and you can not eat arrogance


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## Operator6

Maine-Marine said:


> they go to the wrong house, so zero effect for me
> 
> please correct sentence so it makes sense and then i will make fun of it
> 
> thats the reason i posted a vacant house miles away
> 
> The SHTF soup plan was just for you, because I care enough to sell the very best
> 
> think about what??


Think about why you bothered to post a fake address and offered to sell me soup for silver. Think about why you would waste everyone's time with that. 


Maine-Marine said:


> and you can not eat arrogance


Exactly, so why be so arrogant in a SHTF scenario to start blabbing about trading food for silver when the wrong people would eventually find out.

Lesson : deal very little with people and limit their knowledge of what you may or may not have.

Have a great weekend.


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## Urinal Cake

The government is the #1 threat.
Ammo will get you anything you need wtshtf stock up!


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## Smitty901

Not being realistic . Prep for what you can no one gets it perfect. 10 tons of food and no way to protect it aint yours. 100 guns and ammo and no food you won't last long.


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## charito

Stephan1eMitchell said:


> I am a newbie prepper. As in less than a week ago. So maybe this is a stupid question.
> 
> After a lot of pondering, I need someone to tell me if I am on the wrong track.
> 
> IMHO, the number 1 threat to non-Preppers, should doomsday ever come, is their lack of preps.
> 
> But the number 1 threat to Preppers is that their stash of food (and other stuff) could be stolen by marauders or a local gov't declaring martial law and confiscating your stuff for the good of society (ie, the nay sayers who didn't prepare).
> 
> In light of this revelation, finding a secure hiding place is very, very important and I should decide on where I'm hiding everything before running out and filling a shopping cart.
> 
> Or maybe I am way off.
> 
> Am I?


*The #1 threat to preppers is the prepper himself, who can't keep his prepping to himself. * 
Each person we tell add to the danger of getting raided. People may be laughing at us now, or taking this lightly - but when that dreaded scenario comes, they'll remember who has some food.

Sometimes it makes me think if you shouldn't keep your prepping a secret, even to your close relatives. Relatives and friends have spouses and partners who in turn, have their own sets of relatives and friends too.

I'm prepping ready-to-eat foods for 6 months - and long-term foods for about a year's worth. If I'm not dead by then, we plan to scavenge and to plant, fish/hunt....maybe raise a few chickens and rabbits, etc., that wouldn't require much feeding from us. Rabbits multiply fast. At some point, we'll just have to roll with the punches since we can't always foretell what happens next.

I'm also aiming to prep extras for immediate relatives/close friends/close neighbors/church members that may come and join with us - since numbers is a good deterrant for small bands of raiders.

Talking about guns, and all the cache of ammo, multiplies that danger. 
Fire power gives power. Who wouldn't want to have power, especially in a lawless society? 
Who wouldn't want to have as many guns and ammo they can have? 
If the situation is so dire that people have nothing more to lose - they'll do anything.
I'm not saying don't collect fire power. I'm saying, _keep it quiet._

Btw, somebody already adviced me to refrain from going to survivalist forums, because they'll be most likely to be monitored by big brother.


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## FLPrepper

The biggest threat to preppers is trying to prep for everything and not focusing on what they feel is most important. You can ask 50 experienced preppers for advice as to how to start prepping and receive a large handful of different answers. None of these are necessarily correct, but they are great reference points. Eventually you have to choose for yourself what you feel is most important and hopefully the advice you receive here will be of great benefit.


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## MisterMills357

_OK, OK, I got this..._

My worst fears are:
1: a dozen of 'em show up, all at once, so I have to shoot 'em.
2: next worser, two dozens of 'em shows up, all at once... so I has to shoot 'em.
3: My plans really take a nose dive at three dozen.:vs_OMG: I may end up as an entree.


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## bigwheel

Good point. As Uncle Doug Macarthur was fond of saying..Loose lips sink ships. I have a casual chum who tells of having a small batch of illicit herbal meds growing in his garage. Wouldnt ya know he told one of his old pals about..and the dirty dog dropped a dime on him to Crimestoppers to get the thousand buck reward. The Ninja Turtels came took his cars..computers..guns..blah blah blah. It could make a grown man cry.


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## SAR-1L

#1 threat to America... Hillary Clinton


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## Annie

I think the biggest threat is despair. To stop doing a little each day, thinking baby steps won't cut it.


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## rstanek

Never put all your eggs in one basket. Instead of one big stash, have several smaller ones. Approximately one days hike on foot apart, stay off trails and roads.


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