First, here's to hoping that you never have to find out.
Second, if it comes down to it, hopefully, your "best" scenerio develops.
Third, don't forget to lock and load.

Troy

And don't keep all your stuff in one place.

Sue

My closer friends know I'm equipped, as are many (but not all) of them. Often they jokingly say that if the SHTF they'll come over here and eat and drink MY stuff with me. I have two standard replies:

Reply #1: You're a good friend, and your family is welcome to anything I have... after I make sure there is sufficient for my family. Unfortunately, that may take several weeks.

Reply #2: Please come on over. Gutted, cut into strips, and sun dried you look like you'd provide us with around 50-60# of jerky. So please do come over.

I guess the balance goes to how far you trust your fellow man.

You asked how many (if any friends and family know about my "preparedness")? Not any immediate neighbors. My wife and her family. The "what to do when" scenarios have been discussed among us. As for friends, there are some with whom these discussions have taken place, but most have not. It doesn't take very long to find out how most people feel about "preparedness". If they don't think about it or don't prepare, I don't waste my time. I am not the Shepperd.

I don't make a point or a big deal about being "equipped." I deploy my gear or first aid items when necessary. Word of mouth takes care of the rest.

-- Craig

So we are back to the Twilight Zone episodes again.

Here's my conclusion after seeing how the average Iraqi fared when TSHTF:

You can acquire all the items you think you will need to survive during hard times. You will get to keep said items so long as you can prevent others from taking them from you, either by clandestiny, or by force. There were no exceptions.

If you plan on being equipped to survive in a community environment, you'd better include a suitable means of defense. Sooner or later, someone in need is bound to discover that you are doing better than they, and will want to do something about it.

One day I was out hiking with some friends and when we got back to the trucks I opened my tool box to get something out and the guys noticed all my gear that I had stored in it. My truck immediately took on the nickname of a "urban tactical vehicle" and they tease me about it often. however I have recently noticed the guys have started carrying alot of the same things i do......LOL funny how that works...

The only ones that know I'm prepared are my close friends and family. I made the mistake of talking to a couple of my employees about being prepared, they just shrugged it off and said if anything ever happens they will just come to my house,I said "NO your NOT" and they acted surprised, I explained to them that I just told them they needed to be prepared and how to prepare and that their response was :we'll come to your house" The jokes on them. Tell only those that you are prepared to help.

My neighbors are the last people who will know that I'm a closet preparedness addict. The thing is, it's Southern California -- everyone should be prepared for big earthquakes and wildfires. Many just take it a day at a time.

Close friends know.

Example:
We were just on a week-long beach house vacation with three other families. At some point, in the middle of the night, one of the moms knocked on our door and asked if they could have some ibuprofin. There was no question that I'd have several analgesics (in fact I have aspirin, ibuprofin, naproxin sodium and acetometiphin in the pharma section of the large FAK).

Later, on the beach, the question was "can we have some string?" not "do you have any string".

As we left, one car had a dead battery. Straight to me they came...can we use your jump-starter battery?