The "I know were I'm going" comment

[clodhopper]

I also agree with clodhopper... OPSEC. But, there are a lot of things that people just key in on. People are really good at noticing that you are not the same as everyone else. OPSEC only goes so far.

Opsec prevents you becoming a topic of general conversation. Low profile in everything that is different from the Joneses. For the things that stand out, develop a few cover stories, like my "too many kids" and "canning is a hobby" examples. Keep them handy and use them enough that they roll out of you smoothly and believably. You would be surprised how quickly most public aspects of prepping are quickly overlooked when the observer classifies you as a bumpkin with possibly a low level of education. Most people have a strong desire to be better/smarter/whatever than the next guy, and when you let them think they have that over you, they pat you on the head and explain, "aren't you so sweet".

I have no problem with someone I don't know (and consequently don't care about) thinking I am a simpleton.

Understand, I am "that guy" in my neighborhood. I have a lot of hobbies like 4x4ing (jeeping) and such. It is common for me to be welding in my garage, building a chicken coop out back, building a stone wall/patio, whatever. It explains why I have lots of tools and am always bringing home supplies. My neighbors have never thought that I may be a prepper. They may think I am warped in the head, but not specifically that I prep. Works for me. Course when something needs fixed, I am the one most of them ask how to do it. Most of my neighbors would be shocked to find out my education level and what I do for a living. And I am fine with that. I prefer to exude the "I have nothing you could want" atmosphere.

[clodhopper]

Oh, and if you store your preps in the garage where the world can see them when the garage door is open..... you just might be a dumbass.

Attic, basement, rental storage unit not far from home, whatever, go figure something out other than the garage.

[rbeau30]

I probably should try doing what you are saying better than I am. Recently it is much easier to write off the general public and anyone new that I encounter. At work it is harder... I actually like those folks, so sometimes it comes out with a few like-minded individuals.

The kids on the other hand have no interest in any of it, so they are kept in the dark about it only given limited info as well. Especially now that my two have been with mom full time. Outside the circle I guess you can call it.

[brutal]

There's a member here, whose handle escapes me at the moment, that says, "Sure, bring your daughter."

[clodhopper]

I probably should try doing what you are saying better than I am. Recently it is much easier to write off the general public and anyone new that I encounter. At work it is harder... I actually like those folks, so sometimes it comes out with a few like-minded individuals.

The kids on the other hand have no interest in any of it, so they are kept in the dark about it as well. Especially now that my two have been with mom full time. Outside the circle I guess you can call it.

I get you on the work thing. Fortunately, I work with a few very libertarian types, and the rest are not long out of college and generally overlook anything other than I-phones and such. I have spent considerable time honing an "old codger" atmosphere. Co-workers generally see me as a hunting type who does things "old school" cause I am too old to do otherwise. I am not that old, but it works for me. It explains why I tend to always have a knife on me, and why my daily backpack seems to always have just the right thing in it. "Why you ask? Oh just old habits from being a hunter I guess."

Seriously. If you really are a prepper, you will NOT fit in with the normal dopes in life. You are typically looking at things differently and have different interests. I know it sounds a bit CIA-ish, but developing a cover story (or stories) for your habits will significantly reduce the number of inquiries in the habits you keep. If you are confident and proud to be just enough different, most will leave you alone as our PC society tends to shy away from confrontation.

Study the people you interact with on a daily, or even less than daily, basis. What people would you expect to go to a gun store and buy a case of ammo and you wouldn't think twice about it? Who would go into a grocery store and buy 72 cans of black beans at one time and it wouldn't even rank a second thought from you? These are the types of people to emulate.

I imagine my UPS driver has a better idea of my prep habits than anyone else, but I doubt he cares in the least. Impersonal on-line purchases can help keeping things on the down-low. Unless you are concerned with paper trails. It is hard to buy from Amazon with cash. Just decisions you have to make.

[clodhopper]

When I say be different, I am referring to redneck, hunter, backwoods explorer, traditional blue-collar machinist (non-techie), or similar. Not a moly-webbed, tacticool guy. I avoid military everything whenever possible.

[asmo]

As the line goes...

Great. Bring your daughters.

[buffalobo]

I have two replies for that statement.

Your welcome, don't forget your supplies, your welcome runs out at the same time your supplies run out.

Or

Your welcome but if you don't work, you don't eat. I have two job openings, zombie bait and canon fodder.

[clodhopper]

The kids on the other hand have no interest in any of it, so they are kept in the dark about it only given limited info as well. Especially now that my two have been with mom full time. Outside the circle I guess you can call it.

Kids can be tough. Prepping is more a way of life for my sons, so it isn't anything special to them. And why talk about boring stuff to your friends, right? It has a lot to do with their mindset. My boys have also been years in Boy Scouts, so the concept of be prepared is well understood. One method is to get them on board to prep for a weather disaster, but you continue to prep for whatever you are prepping for. Then they are at least doing something and you are not dragging them through it.

If they are as anti-prep as your wife, there may be nothing you can do. Just accept the fact and prep for yourself as best you can. Get yourself mentally centered and let the criticism roll off your duck's back. Maybe start exploring hobbies and activities that you can interest your kids in that require equipment that doubles as preps. Camping is a common one. But fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities are good. Cooking, canning, gardening? Woodwork, fabrication, welding, machining? Automotive?

Are your kids interested in engineering? Start doing Saturday fun projects (there are tons on youtube) and blend into prep related challenges. For example, lets assume all the power went out, how many things in our house can be operate with alternative energy? Ya know, go green and all that? Once they get into learning and do those kind of things, you can start working them into more prep focused projects. You get prep, they get knowledge, you both have fun doing it. I spend more time teaching my boys skills, and learning new ones with them, than I do acquiring stuff. Creative, innovative and capable means more than a case of beans and a lantern.

[cofi]

Oh, and those people that suggest that "they know where they're going" when the SHTF that are NOT in the pre-approved group? I tell them we're going to be long gone by that time, and we're taking all our stuff with us. Wyoming. The Black Hills. The mountains. Whatever comes to mind first.

this is going to be my new response to my friends that don't prep. It's a much nicer way of saying get lost