I’m a big believer in strength in numbers, and in a SHTF situation you may very well be better off being part of a team. Just being a part of a team, however, is not enough, as not all teams are created equally. What is best for one, may spell doom for another. If and when the time comes, how will you know who to let into your group? This is not a decision you want to put off until the last moment. It’s best to start thinking of this TODAY, and the sooner the better!
The first thing you’ll want to do when you are interviewing people about being in your group is to make sure they are on the same page you are. That is to say, make sure they share the same survival goals, they agree who or what you are preparing to survive, and that they plan to bring the same number of people into the group with them. For example, if you are alone, or you are part of a married couple, you might not want to bring in three other guys who each have five children.
It’s also a good idea to have something that functions like congress or senate (when they function, lol!) or an elder tribunal…whatever you want to call it is not important. What is important is that it creates a system of checks and balances so no one person in the group can become powerful at the expense of the others. It’s also helpful to assign each member of the group a tasks they are in charge of.
There are a number of factors you should consider before allowing someone to join your team. Things like group goals, number of family members, and your actual bug-in location will play large roles in deciding who gets admission to the group. Get everybody on the same page, and things will start off a lot smoother.
If you are parents, you might want to bring other parents into your group because you will have the shared priority of keeping your children safe. You can assign your children a task they are to master now so they can become skilled at it today, rather than waiting to teach them to learn in less-than-ideal circumstances.
Want your prepper group to be a success? Make sure you have group members who possess the following skills:
- Hunting and gathering
- communications
- Military training
- Survival training
- Medical training
And last but by no means least, you’ll need a strong leader who can coordinate efforts, smooth out difficulties, and bring the group together in even the most difficult circumstances.