If there was a social collapse what would be a good method to organize groups of similar thinking survivalists in your area.
How about SigForum member groups located through out the country.
The opposition seems to have multiple groups that can form quickly, and work in a organized unison.

Collapse with the internet intact or down ?

many years ago I went to a "prepper" meeting to meet some people. But a few spent to much time on infowars, so it fizzled out pretty quickly.

Making connections makes sense and could be very beneficial but I just don't have very many people I trust. I have a couple of friends and some family close that I would link up with but that is it

What skills do you bring to the group?

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At 75 All I could offer is eyes and ears and a safe place to harbor.

In other words, cannon fodder and I’m not meaning to be rude or mean.

If we get to the societal point of needing to group up to survive, then you have to bring something to the group that makes the group stronger. It has to be knowledge and/or ability. If you cannot literally carry your own weight, then you need to make a case for why others should do it for you. Possessions won’t count for much because they are easy to take.

Take a short term disaster like Katrina and extend it out. What happens to all those people in the Superdome? Where do you want to be when those people start moving? Apply the same thinking to any metropolitan area. Where is your best chance for survival?

I plan to be far away from those areas well before I need to. Hopefully they run out of fuel and ammo before they get to me.

In a previous neighborhood that was predominantly Mormon, the local church organized everyone. The same process could be applied by anyone in a neighborhood.

A known trusted person went to each home and asked them to fill out an emergency form to be kept in a secured office. Names and ages of people in each household. Phone number and email contacts. Any special tools or skills. e.g. chainsaw, proficient at plumbing, medical training, trauma counselor, has heavy construction equipment, etc. If a big storm takes down trees, they know who has the tools. If there's a need for medical expertise (injuries and illness), they know who has the skills.

Each home was issued colored cards to put in the window if there was a significant event such as earthquake or plague. Green means everyone is healthy and no help needed. Yellow means help of some sort needed, no immediate threat to life. Red means sick people in the house, which may mean stay away depending on what the disaster is. Black means one or more dead in the house.

This organization requires trust. Ideally from the top down and bottom everyone personally knows several layers and have full trust. Some residents will not fully or partially participate because of suspicion, but the more you can bring into the loop the better.

We were not asked to reveal specific preps like food, supplies, or guns.

The framework then allowed conversations which led to developing your own smaller group that you knew who was likely reliable. Additional prepping classes and networking grew from it.

It is potentially dangerous to discuss prepping because you reveal that you are a place to seek supplies to people who might be desperate in the future. Starting slow and shallow like our neighborhood did is a fairly safe start.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
At 75 All I could offer is eyes and ears ….

Without going more than an inch or two into this den, if we’re concerned about marauders, i.e., outlaws looking to get what we’ve got, how many of us can stay awake 24/7, or even be fully situationally aware all the time as we’ve involved in other activities? Eyes and ears can be critical, as any law enforcement tactical team or military force will attest. If someone doesn’t understand that fundamental operational truth, I can only wonder what else they don’t know.

Survival as someone alone in most scenarios would be highly unlikely.

Who do you really trust in your network of friends and neighbors? What skillsets do they offer? Figure that out NOW rather than waiting for something to happen.

How many people does it take to secure a rural property 24/7 ? 10? 12? 24?

Logistics and pre-planning would play a major role in surviving any type of catastrophe.

Survival does not always mean an apocalypse.
It could be as simple as "You are on a trip with your family or yourself and the car broke down, or the weather has caused flight delays for several days, etc."
I live in Chicago, located in the middle of the country, within 10 min drive of O'hare Airport.
I would offer safe harbor for a few days until a traveler could get there travel plans back on track.
If you lived hours away and needed to take a flight out of O'hare you could drop your car at my house and I could drive you to the airport, if your flight were canceled you could stay here until plans were settled.
If there was a major social emergency and you are stuck in my area I could again offer safe harbor.

I'm self sufficient as far as food, water and "other" things, I also worked as a Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor before retirement so I do have that skill.

My original thought was an organized network of SigForum members (with qualifications) that could offer similar service in there area.

What do you mean by “social collapse”? A vehicle breakdown didn’t cross my mind.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
My original thought was an organized network of SigForum members (with qualifications) that could offer similar service in there area.

A LOT of times, I’ve thought, “you know, the SIGforum bunch is such a good bunch of people, I believe that if I were in a pinch anywhere in the country there would be a member relatively nearby, willing and able to help.” And that’s a pretty cool thing.

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Exactly.

TRAPPER189
"What do you mean by “social collapse”? A vehicle breakdown didn’t cross my mind."

This is about survival, that comes in many forms.

9/11 was a good example, thousands of people were stranded far from home for extended amounts of time, Most were not prepared for this.
A entire family suddenly interrupted from there Air travel, Train travel etc. would probably consider this as a survival situation.

There are a couple of motorcycle organizations that seem to work very well. One is Bunk A Biker where people offer a free night or two lodging, and frequently offer garage space and tools for riders traveling. Another I don't recall the name at the moment is a rescue network if your bike breaks down and you need to get it repaired and possibly lodging.

For me, trust is paramount with letting someone into my home. I would gladly participate in a SigForum SOS network.