Urban Survival Planning - Getting your Relatives and Friends to Prepare

I have wrote on this site many times about the likelihood of all of us Survival Preppers having to deal with straphangers at some point in time after the collapse. Some of these straphangers will be relatives,...some will be friends,...some will just be acquaintances,...and other will be strangers. I would say that most of us are going to take in without question any of our relatives and close friends. I think that as much as we plan in our heads and prepare on the ground to receive, assess, absorb or turn away strangers,...it will be much different than we plan for.

But for now I want to talk to our family and friends. How nice would it be that everyone we know was as prepared as we are. Well that just ain't going to happen for a variety of reasons,...religious, financial and political beliefs and practices will get in the way. For some it just may be the creeping entitlement mindset that Americans have been given in increasingly larger doses over the past decades.

In any event, a lot of your family and friends,...I would think the vast majority of them, simply have not considered a collapse of any kind and what it would take to survive.

So what do you do? Have a sit down talk about the virtues of preparedness? Probably not. This is a two edged sword - you are exposing yourself and the fact that you are most likely prepared. If these people don't prepare at all they'll be knocking on your door.

Better to use the "drip" concept. Maybe your having a conversation with your someone, and a news report on a disaster comes up. You say "I wonder if those families in that area have stockpiled food and water?". Your relative say's "Why would you say that?" You reply: "Well, it just seems like a good idea, having some food put away and generally being prepared if you live in a disaster area.
If you friend of relative looks at you like you have two heads - then cross them off the list.

On the other hand you can always send a massive e-mail out to all your friends and family in the local commuting distance and declare yourself to be a survivalist stocking guns, ammunition, gear, food, water, medical supplies and you won't be receiving any visitors after the collapse unless they are similar prepared or can contribute to the survival team they will be joining. If you do this, you will probably be removed from several Christmas card lists.

I having lunch with several, lets call them "mid level managers" where I work. The topic of the Television Survival guys came up. Then the topic shifted to surviving in a city during a period of anarchy. One of the guys said "You know, I've been hearing on the radio and television about Food Insurance and all this talk about buying Gold." I replied "Sure, since all the mainstream analysts are predicting an economic collapse, people are getting ready."

This same guys then asks: "Getting ready for what?" I reply: "Since this economy is going to collapse,...probably preceded by massive hyper inflation,.....since most people only have three to five days food supply,...no cash on hand or means of payment such as silver or gold,....and since grocery stores would be overwhelmed by mobs during any collapse significant enough to impede commodities shipments or the real probability of hyper inflation which would create large groups of people who could not afford food,...since all this is not only possible by probable, it makes good sense to have some food, water and means for protection on hand."

This guy kinda chuckles then say's "Do you have food stocked for a collapse?" I said "Of course I do,..don't you? If you don't then it's something to think about. Maybe buying some silver as well." This guy then say's with a laugh "Well, I guess I know where to go." And I end the conversation saying, "Sure, just don't come empty handed."

Anybody out there having a hard time strategizing about how to approach their friends and relatives?