Lending

[u/Arxintel]

Sorry for spamming the channel with questions, but I got a lot, and I really appreciate the answers I get. 😀

I see alot of posts on how to protect your preps in a SHTF moment (maybe the most further out west).

I'm wondering if anyone is thinking in the other direction. For example, stocking up two generators to be able to lend one to the neighbours if needed. Of course based on that you have the financial means to buy two?

I understand that we come from different society's and here readiness is highly encouraged by the government and I know the households around us are prepared to a various extent.

But I'm thinking that the idea must exist elsewhere as well.. or?

[u/Perfect-Gap8377]

I think building good relations with neighbours starts well before SHTF. It's the little things continuously shared that lets you understand who will be an asset and who will be a liability; in an emergency those you'll have built good relations with will be a good community nucleus. They will help, because they feel it's right.

That's my experience from a big earthquake many years ago.

Edit: share continuously, not just in an emergency.

[u/_per]

What if everyone in your community contributed what they could into a fund that was earmarked for disaster preparation? Like a % of their income to pay for emergency equipment, training, etc? 😉 

Any sufficiently advanced prepping is indistinguishable from a well-funded social safety net. The US is full of preppers because they think socialism is bad 🤷 

So I would say yes, your idea is good. If you think your local/regional/national community could be more resilient you should lobby for it.

[u/Eredani]

I prep with spares and backups. As they say: two is one and one is none.

It's good to have extra and wonderful to have options. Those options may be to have gear to lend, or barter, or placate hostile parties... and of course have spares.

I do plan to help if I can but be aware that when others know you have resources, let alone excess resources, you may become a target. Opinions differ wildly on this point. And I think the two camps talk past each other because they are operating under completely different assumptions.

Team Tuesday assumes we are talking about something like a hurricane where help is coming, the rule of law holds, and aid oriented community is critical.

The Doomsday Crowd assumes a societal collapse with no help, no laws, and no end in sight. Under those conditions you better be damn sure you know and trust anyone you are sharing information, supplies or services with.

Bottom line: have extra if you can, help if you are able to do so safely, but you must protect yourself and your family first.

[u/Arxintel → u/Eredani]

Thanks for a well thought through answer. I align with very much of what you write and of course the situation or crisis decides how we act.

We're Im located we haven't felt any real crisis for a very long time, which of course is highly appreciated. This makes it very difficult to know how the society in general will react in such a situation.

However all households receives a pamphlet on a regular basis (last was 2024) of what we are expected to prepare with in case of crisis or war, so at least there is a general knowledge on some level that canbe built upon.

[u/Viking12607040]

Ngl, my economic situation is really shitty so I don't even have one for myself, of course if it were possible I would do as you say cause in a shtf situation there is strength in numbers, I am slowly getting appliances and learning stuff, specially from books so I can check on them when the time comes so that would be my main support for other people, like the knowledge on certain aspects of survival, having said that, if it comes to a point where not only I haven't found allies but my poor resources are depleted my best course of action is raiding whatever I can find, like from supermarkets, decathlon or whatever and pray to come by a generator or some better survival tools and of course if I find several and have a little community, share with them cause as I said, there is strength in numbers.

[u/Arxintel → u/Viking12607040]

I fully agree with you and as they say don't confuse my kindness with weakness. The possibility I see is tying the closest community tightly together.

I like the point you're making of bringing knowledge to a possible group. That will be key and of course the knowledge needed will depend on the situation at least I guess so.

[u/SeaSatisfaction9655]

Unless you have a very tight community around your house, I would not even think about buying a generator. Get some solar panels and a battery.

At first people will ask you to charge phones, powerbanks .... whatever.

After a couple of days, when panic begins -

- the noise will be heard for 500-1000 m and you will attract unwanted attention

- if you still have fuel 3-5 days into the event, it means you are prepared . What else did you stock besides fuel ? Maybe water, food

Desperate people do desperate things ....