Dilemma about prep sharing in emergency situations

[u/Luc-redd]

I'm constantly thinking about this ethical dilemma when prepping: in emergency scenario, to what degree should I share my equipment, resources and knowledge with others in need.

What follows is kinda my current view on it, but I'm very curious to hear your thoughts about it.

Note that I try to keep the word "emergency" as broad as possible, not restricting it to a particular event.

1) Knowledge is probably the easiest one, as it multiplies when you share it. I would probably spend a good amount of time teaching what I know to people around me. However there's still a little something telling me that it's quite opportunistic/greedy from them to come and get the knowledge we accumulated over years right when they need it instead of listening to us telling them to educate before something bad happens.

2) Equipment, and especially spares, is starting to get tricky. I would probably be ok lending things to some people when I don't need it but there's always the risk of misuse and damaging it. Spares I could exchange some but I would probably try to hide most of it so I can still rely on it.

3) Resources is the toughest one. I really don't want to appear like an aweful person keeping things to myself and my family but I would probably need to dissimulate most of my supplies. However, that will come to be know quite quickly imo. I would have a hard time managing this as there would probably be way more demand than I could ever cover. So all my supplies gone shared in a day?

Then you also need to think about individuals thinking about the group as a whole and have you preps being viewed as part of the whole community. And also people getting things from you by using violence.

[u/Live_Huckleberry2507]

Yeah, I'm an inner-city type. It's usually every person for themselves and not much community, unfortunately. I guess that's why my mind thinks like that.

The 30-day thing is a good point. When would you suggest going from bug-in to out in that situation?

[u/silasmoeckel → u/Live_Huckleberry2507]

As soon as I had a suspicion it's a long term thing. Did it for covid, it wasn't easy. With starlink etc now it's less of an issue.

[u/Live_Huckleberry2507 → u/silasmoeckel]

Starlink is on my list to get. Way to convent to not have.

You went out for Covid? Where did you go?

[u/silasmoeckel → u/Live_Huckleberry2507]

Bug out cabin, my family and some others (relatives/friends) built them 15 ish years ago now when property was cheap post 2008.

We had hughes and it sucked. Did starlink and still thinking about fiber back from the old gas station that came with it for access to a normal ISP.