Complete Strangers Who Know I’m a Prepper

I’ll just go down the short list of complete strangers who have to know that I’m a prepper, and then I’ll tell you why it doesn’t bother me as much as it probably should.

The UPS/FedEx/USPS guys.  With the amount of packages that have been delivered over the years they have to know what’s going on.  Ammunition comes in small but very heavy boxes, food buckets which are clearly labeled, large quantities of #10 cans in various boxes and the list goes on.

The HVAC guy.  I’ve had my furnace and A/C unit worked on a couple times over the last few years and this required access to my basement.  While I don’t have all of my preps in the basement you’d have to be a blind man to not realize what was going on down there.  Or maybe the nicely lined shelves of food and supplies and blue 55 gallon water barrels are just for decoration?

The Plumber.  Same reason as the HVAC guy.

The Handyman.   Same reason as the Plumber.

Why I tend not to worry that much.

Let’s imagine a SHTF scenario in which things got so bad one of these guys (or a group of them) were to actually attempt to find their way back to my home in order to take what I have.  Keep in mind they too have families, and they too would be weighing the pros and cons of leaving their loved ones behind in order to travel 10, 20, 30 miles to come find me and my “stash.”  I’m thinking that alone would have them contemplating their odds and electing to stay put, a smart move for certain.

Yet let’s take this a step further, maybe an EMP strike (grid down scenario) or some other disaster (economic collapse) during which law and order was not maintained took place.  If that happens and my family and I are not home or simply cannot get home, kudos to the looters for having the cojones and logistical support necessary to drag all of my supplies out of the basement and into their vehicle.  Take it all (if you can get past my neighbors, 3 of which are gun loving cops) you’ve earned it.  However it’s more likely that my family and I would be home during this type of event in which case a few dudes trying to navigate through the chaotic streets in order to find their way back to my (most likely) already defended neighborhood do not worry me that much.

Here’s the thing, I don’t advertise that I’m a Prepper.  My neighbors don’t know, my friends don’t know (unless they watch my vids) and most of my family doesn’t know.  Yet there are times in life when necessities like getting the A/C fixed or unavoidable circumstances (someone has to deliver the mail) mean that others will be exposed to my lifestyle.  It’s a compromise and risk that I’m willing to live with and something I’m actually forced to deal with since I do not have a sweet underground lair stocked with 5 years worth of goodies in the redoubt.  Before you comment that I could have all of my worldly possessions listed under a New Mexico LLC and have my mail delivered to a 3rd party I did briefly explore that route but determined it was too cumbersome.  Honestly if one of those service/repairmen guys were to ask if I was a Prepper I’d tell them I was, no need to attempt to hide something that’s painfully obvious.  If they did have any amount of common sense they would also realize that all of those boxes of ammo that were delivered and the gun safe(s) that they might have passed by weren’t just  for decoration.

Here’s the bottom line.  It’s all about common sense and acting like you’ve been there before.  Someone comes down to your basement and your stash is in the open, just shoot the breeze and pretend it isn’t there.  If they do ask about it say something funny like “yea man, all of this stuff was for the end of the world on Dec 21, 2012 but since that didn’t happen I’ll probably donate it to charity.  Crazy huh!”