Being a prepper can be a lonely task. Many people nowadays are not interested in learning about what to do in an emergency, storing supplies, or learning survival skills. Many times this is looked upon as unnecessary and even being paranoid.
But when you find the right group of like-minded people, prepping can be a great learning experience that is shared with others and dare I say, even fun.
But how do you find that right group of people? Well, in this article I will go over some of the things you should be and shouldn’t be doing to find preppers in your area.
Hold on though. Before you go and find preppers, make sure to understand the type of prepper you are. Knowing that will really help you figure out what other types of preppers you should be on the lookout for.
SKIP AHEAD
What You Shouldn’t Do To Find Preppers
To get off to a good start I think that its best to lay out some of the things not to do.
Maintain Operational Security
Sometimes referred to as being “grey,” the idea here is to remain anonymous about your abilities and more importantly what you have. Generally speaking, preppers have firearms, ammo, other types of weapons, tools, food, water, medical supplies, fuel, etc.
In your attempt to find like-minded individuals it is easy to inadvertently make yourself a target by discussing your plans and what you have. Never fully divulge this information until you know that a person can be trusted. This includes posting pictures on social media.
Don’t Scare People Away
Preppers have had a bad rap for quite some time and they still do, though I think at the time of writing this article more and more people are starting to come around to the idea of it. When trying to get others on board with preparations it is best to keep the conversation light, otherwise, you risk scaring them off.
For example, do not start by saying, “Hey I wanted to talk to you about something. In the event of a nuclear holocaust or a coordinated EMP strike…” I guarantee if you start this way you will lose 9 times out of 10.
Instead, slip in small bits of information to the conversation. Like how you recently got into preserving food using a pressure cooker. You find it interesting; it saves excess vegetables from the garden and also saves money down the road. If they seem interested in the topic then continue, if they are not interested do not push the issue.
Don’t Be all Doom and Gloom
I will admit that I became wrapped up in this mentality for a short period. But in my opinion, it is a very unhealthy and unrealistic attitude to have.
It is unrealistic because the “doom and gloomers” tend to think of truly apocalyptic scenarios. Asteroid impacts, alien invasion, Yellowstone supervolcano erupting, etc. Are these plausible events? Absolutely. But they have either never happened or if they have they are not frequent occurrences. Look to history to see what disastrous events people have had to deal with over and over again. Number one on the list is dealing with mother nature and natural disasters. Hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods, etc.
If you come at it from this point of view people will have a better understanding of why you are doing what you are.
The doom and gloom perspective is unhealthy because it creates tunnel vision. You become so focused on all of the bad events that will or could happen, you forget that they are not happening now. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and remember to live your life now.
Don’t Get Frustrated
I should take my advice on this one. It is easy to become frustrated when you are passionate about something and others do not feel the same way. My best piece of advice is to try not to convince people to become preppers.
Trying to convince someone of something takes a lot of time, effort and doesn’t always work. People will not do anything until they are ready to do it. Give them the facts and information they are willing to listen to and allow them to make their own decision. This way when they are ready, they will come to you and will be more open to learning.
What You Should Do To Find Preppers In Your Area
Now that I have gone over some of the things you should not do when looking for other preppers, it is time to discuss some of the things that you should do.
Start With Family and Friends
Fair warning that this may not be easy and in my experience and from listening to others, this doesn’t always end well. Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly instances where friends and family are more than willing to get involved. But do not go into this endeavor expecting them to jump on board just because they are family and friends.
There are two reasons that I suggest taking this route at the beginning. The first is these are the people you love and trust the most in the world. So you want to do your best to protect them and if they say no, you usually will not have to worry about operational security issues with them.
The second is that when the SHTF these are the people closest in proximity to you. It would be helpful if they were on board and ready to go with supplies and having certain skillsets.
Remember, do your best not to become frustrated. This is particularly hard with this group of people because they mean the most to you. But emotional outbursts will only serve to push people away. Allow them to make up their minds and continue doing what you think is best.
Surf the Web
The internet is the largest resource of available information. A simple, specific search on emergency topics will result in far too many sites to count. It is on sites like these that you will have a good chance of finding like-minded individuals. After all the people that are visiting, commenting, or participating on these sites are probably just like you. A couple of sites to consider would be:
- SurvivalCache
- Nature Reliance School
- American Preppers Network
- Facebook Groups
Before leaving this category I would like to offer one word of caution. While the internet can be great it can also be not so great. Remember to be as safe as possible when conversing with individuals you do not know and do not freely give away personal information. I am not trying to scare you off from this method of meeting other preppers as I have met a few great friends in this manner but it took years to establish that friendship.
Community Involvement
Becoming more involved in your community is a way of meeting other preppers that most people do not think about. I like to think that most preppers have the desire to help others because they know by coming together, survival is much easier.
So it is logical to assume that there are a fair number of preppers in your community, they just may not be vocal about it. And just like family and friends, these are the people you will have to live around during a disaster.
Start by volunteering your time at fire stations, police stations, schools, food pantries, parks, hunting courses, etc. Through these experiences, you will establish relationships with people throughout the community and some of them may be just like you.
Wrapping it Up
There are several ways in which to meet preppers far and wide or close to home. The key thing to remember is to be safe, stay level headed, and continue learning to be self-reliant. Thank you for reading and I hope you find some good people to learn with.
