I'm all about being a good neighbor, but I might have to start being a jerk. Lending out tools to people who don't care about tools is a quick way to get my pressure up. I lent out some wire cutters. They weren't that expensive. However, when I don't get them back, that forces me to replace that tool when the neighbor should have been the one to buy the tool in the first place.

Anybody else not lend out their tools anymore?

I never lend out tools.

I rarely borrow thing to others, if I do I often come with it.

It's ridiculous how many people don't know which tool to use for a job. Even when the proper tool is in the toolbox, they grab the wrong one and try to (ab)use those.

People how do know tools, generally also have them.

Only to those I KNOW, who i know they KNOW what they are doing. These are the people who have shown they will return things in the same or better shape. If something didn't come back then they don't get a second chance (unless there is an exceptional reason).

I consider it part of being neighbourly to lend cheaper tools even if the odd item is misused or lost. Best to "play it safe" in case of ever needing a favour from them.
Many on these forums prepare in relatively elaborate and expensive ways for various sorts of doom, indeed discussion of such preps is arguably the main purpose of these forums.
IMHO, a vital and sometimes neglected part of such preps is to be on good terms with neighbours whose assistance you may need in an emergency.
In my view it is foolish to spend perhaps thousands of £/$ on supplies and equipment and yet to risk being on poor terms with a neighbour for want of lending them a £10 tool.

I am rather more reluctant to lend anything expensive or that requires special care in its use, or that is particularly dangerous if not used correctly.

Things to lend readily, screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, wire cutters, basic flashlight, mole grips, hex keys, spanners, cheap hacksaw or bow saw, extension cord, garden hose, and similar items that are cheap to replace and/or not easily broken.

Things not normally lent, power tools, axe, chainsaw, anything that needs special care in use, anything no longer manufactured and therefore not readily replaced, anything expensive.
I would also be very reluctant to lend anything specifically "doom prep related" since I believe in keeping such matters private.

Just curious, what kind of items are you talking about?

Geiger counters, gas mask, bulk chlorine tablets, Katadyn water filters, combat knife, crossbow, two way radios, lock picking equipment, breaking and entering equipment.

Being on good terms with your neighbors is always an excellent idea. However, I'm not sure a neighbor who borrows my tools and never returns them is a person I could rely on in any sort of emergency.

Agree entirely.
But firstly they might well turn out to a thoroughly reliable person who DOES return the items borrowed. You wont know until you try it, some posters suggested not lending things in case.
And secondly whilst someone who omits to return borrowed items is indeed not someone to rely on during an emergency, still better an unreliable friend than a potential enemy.

I see 'adam2' includes lockpicking gear in his survival kit. The Black Scout' survival site has lots of this for sale. But I've never understoodd why. What is the purpose of including it?
That is the crime of 'going equipped to steal' in Britain, so not an option. Is it recommended for US surival kits?

as regards lending there's the Old Irish Saying:

'It's better to give than to lend - and it costs the same' :-).

In the USA, possession of lockpicks by people who are not licensed locksmiths varies by jurisdiction (see http://toool.us/laws.html). Most places it's legal unless the state can prove intent to commit a crime with them.

One might legitimately include lockpicks in a kit to open a lock where the key is lost or to preserve life. Obviously, if you don't learn and practice, having the picks with you is unlikely to be helpful. Practice and train only on locks you own!

For me, the raw cost of the tool is not the big issue. It's more about the relative value to me. My wire cutter/stipper is a tool I use quite often. I'd rather lend out my circular saw, which I haven't used in about 10 years. The simple wire cutter/stripper is one of those tools that's on my quick rack. When it's not there, it's almost like not having a pair of crappy shoes if I have no other shoes. The crappy shoes are basically worthless to my neighbor, but are high value to me. Him failing to return the tool causes a bigger rift than me failing to lend the tool in the first place. I mean I'll get it over it (lol). I'm just saying this tool is worth a lot more to me than to him, and on top of that is the lack of consideration.

This is why I said "tools", as opposed to gear. To me, a tool is in a higher category of value than gear. For example, a Philips screw driver, simple as it is, is basically irreplacable with something else. In contrast, if I lend you a $500 empty tool rack, I can still get the job done if you don't return it.

This goes beyond tools but I've had to get in the habit of writing on a wall calendar when I expect to have something returned. And if I haven't gotten it back then I ask for it back.

So often I've forgotten that I've loaned something and whoever I loaned it to has forgotten they borrowed it and it is just sitting around somewhere.

I'm less likely to lend a power tool and won't lend anything with a blade because in my experience others -- including treasured friends -- don't take as good a care of my things as I do.

And I have not been a perfect borrower. I, too, have forgotten that I've borrowed something.

I'd get a pink set from the home store; bright pink. use those as your lenders.

Good thinking!
I go for pink in small items; men don't steal pink things.
qjs


> I'd get a pink set from the home store; bright pink. use those > as your lenders.

Carrying lock picking equipment, or other burglars tools in the street would indeed be "going equipped to steal" unless one had some VERY good reason.
To possess such equipment, safely stored away with other tools at home is most unlikely to attract any unwelcome attention.
Whilst times are normal I would never use lock picks (except for practice purposes on locks that I own). However I feel it prudent to be prepared for a possible TEOTWAWKI situation when circumstances would be very different. Under conditions of serious emergency actions that would otherwise be a serious crime might be justified.

Definatly not things to lend to neighbours though !

occasionally a third party will be a non malicious but unthinking actor... after the first storm of the 04 hurricane season with 9 days without electricity, I added a new third bulk propane cylinder... which was purged, filled and kept in reserve... a year or so later, a fellow teacher and coach borrowed the cylinder for a team cookout... he asked one of the parents to get the cylinder refilled, and what I got back was a rusted "Blue Rhino" exchange cylinder.. it is now my "loaner"

In an emergency when I might need entry quickly,I will just bust the lock or door using a sledge or similar general purpose, adaptable tools- quicker and easier....

If you were my neighbor, I wouldn't have to worry about you borrowing tools, since you could just pick the lock and help yourself.

Can't but help thinking there is a dark side to your plans..., bu I am probably just being picky

Your fellow teacher/coach owes you a new propane cylinder.

I will probably get flamed for saying this, but in my opinion carrying lock picks is more about being "Tacti-cool" than for any practical survival value.

As hikermor suggests, in a true TEOTWAWKI scenario, just using an ordinary crow bar to break into a locked space is quicker and less hassle than lock picks. My 12 gauge pump gun with slugs would probably also do the job nicely. Brute force methods also have the advantage that they work on keypad locks or various other high security locks which don't lend themselves to picking.

In non-TEOTWAWKI situation, just find the person with the key to let you in. If they don't want to let you in, you probably don't belong there anyway.

To clarify, I do not carry lock picks with me, so doing is of doubtful legality and unlikely to be of any lawful use whilst times are normal.

I do however have such items stored away for use in any serious long term emergency.
I only mentioned this as an example of something that I would not loan out.

I'm reluctant to say any particular tool can only be used for bad. I figure if a bad guy has certain tools, then at least some good guys should have the same tools. (That's an uncomfortable reality of this world.) At a minimum, being an expert on breaking-and-entering equipment naturally makes the person an expert on how to counteract such equipment. The first step to being such an expert is to own or have access to the breaking-and-entering equipment.

Anyway, I can imagine at least one other acceptable use for breaking-and-entering equipment. Imagine somebody stole your stuff and put it inside a locked building on their property. You went through all the legal channels to try to get your stuff back. (Or if it's TEOTWAWKI, there are no institutional legal channels available.) In such a situation, I'd rather use breaking-and-entering equipment than use brute force.

Another use is if you or a neighbor no longer has keys to the particular lock for whatever reason (key is lost, stolen, damaged, etc.). Brute force may cause more damage or commotion than you're willing to allow.

Further, a shotgun or crowbar is still breaking-and-entering equipment. It just falsely puts you on a moral high ground, and you may not be using the best tool on top of that. Always try to use the best tool.

(By the way, I don't own any equipment that is specifically for breaking-and-entering.)

Lockpicks are lighter, smaller, and make less noise. With that said if I could only carry a crowbar or a set of picks, I would choose the crowbar. Ditto shotgun although for other reasons.



In one case, my key to a padlock was lost (for good) and it was much quicker and easier to pick the lock than to cut it. In another, friends bought some property upon which was a trailer where the key was lost; I was able to quickly and non-destructively open it for them. In neither case was there the least bit of ambiguity as to the propriety or legality of my actions. These are certainly edge cases, and at least for the trailer a locksmith could have been paid to open it.

My interest in lockpicking is as a hobbyist; I am not a professional nor a survivalist. I seriously doubt I would ever be in a TEOTWAWKI situation, much less one where lockpicks would be useful. I also agree that in almost all cases if you don't have the key or the person with the key, you shouldn't pick the lock.

Would I spend the time and effort to learn how to pick locks for prepping purposes? No. Since I spent the time and effort to learn how for other reasons, do I have them? Yes.