The Lone Wolf Prepper Continued

The Lone Wolf Prepper versus Prepper Groups: Is There a Middle Ground Somewhere

Some of you may be under the impressions that if you are not in a Prepper group then you are considered a lone wolf Prepper. There is a middle ground, however. It is not an either or situation, and you do not have to choose, and frankly, you should thoroughly investigate any Prepper group you are considering joining.

This article is not advocating for or against any position, only you can decide.

The facts are that most people today cannot survive living alone for an extended period away from society, or away from others that have certain skill sets and training. You may have training in a particular field, you may even be a skilled surgeon, but this does not mean you know everything. Even skilled professionals need other professionals.

A lone wolf can be described as someone that shuns society and the company of others hence the name lone wolf. The generally accepted definition of a lone wolf is someone that once lived among others, but then left the pack, if you will, to survive on their own. In the animal kingdom once a wolf leaves the pack there is no going back, either the wolf survives or not, the pack has moved on.

Are You Occupying the Middle Ground?

You are a Prepper, you have a family, and everyone in the family pitches in. Your neighbors may or may not know you are a Prepper and you may not even call yourself one. You do what you do because it makes sense to be ready for anything. You have no desire to spend weekends dressing up in radiation suits to see how fast you can evacuate your home suited up. You really do not want everyone in town to know your business. 

You know you may need medical care, for example, during a crisis so you make a point of knowing who your neighbors are without letting them necessarily know whom you may be. You also know that money may not be acceptable currency at some point, so you have stockpiled goods for bartering.

You have some skills that can be traded for other skills. The dentist that lives down the block may need your help during a crisis, and you may need his or her help, so you prepare for this. You do not form a group however to try to gather certain professionals together, because they may gather now during the good times, but when disaster strikes the rules change.

You do know you will need others if the crisis is an extended one. Long-term planning is important, and yet you do it in such a way that you know whom to contact, but no one seemingly knows to contact you. You simply cannot have those that failed to prepare showing up on your doorstep begging for handouts. You and your family’s survival is the first priority.

If you are in a group then everyone knows your business. Regardless of promises made, once you join a group things change and certain people, the leaders in particular would get possessive. What is yours is everyone’s to share under certain circumstances.

Groups that band together for survival can become altruistic societies. This means that to benefit the group, as a whole, you, and others would have to give up something, and sacrifice for the betterment of the group. Some people may enjoy this lifestyle, one similar to a commune where everyone participates, gives back and does their fair share until some are convinced they are getting the short end too often.

However, in a life or death situation you need leaders that can make decisions for the group without consulting with everyone in the group. Prepper groups are a conundrum. There needs to be a well defined leadership chain, and yet everyone in the group would essentially have to give up their possessions for the groups’ use, because the main concern is the welfare of the group. You would be obligated to some extent to benefit others in the group and not act to benefit only yourself.

The lone wolf decides they do not need anyone so they find a place where they can be alone. This lifestyle may work for awhile, and for some it may work for the rest of their lives. For most people however, this would not work. People need doctors, help with crops, help with construction projects, help with animals, and if nothing else people would want the company of others.

If society were to collapse people would gather to form communities. You would not call this a Prepper group however, because people would have their own possessions and would guard them closely, people would live close to each other but not with each other. People would help others in the community but once the project was over everyone would go back to their shelters to work on their own projects away from prying eyes.

Would Prepper Groups Fail During a Crisis?

People in this country for the most part have never experienced a collapse of a society that would spawn Prepper groups.

There are Prepper groups of course that have formed, but the concept is untested. Baptism by fire, if you will, is the only true test and that has not happened, yet. Once disaster strikes people within the group will look to their own first, this is natural, and it cannot be denied. The groups’ needs would take a back seat during a true crisis. What member is going to stick with the group knowing they have elderly parents, other family, and even friends in need outside of the group?

Some might say then you would have to recruit certain people. This may work, but those people without ties to the community, without friends and relatives would not be loyal to the group. They would use the group to their own advantage, and when things got rough they too would abandon the group in all likelihood.

Is the Lone Wolf Doomed?

People right now may believe they can go it alone but they say this knowing they can call for an ambulance if their appendix happens to burst and people can even get rescued from a mountain top if their day of skiing or hiking went bad. Even those in remote cabins have communication with the outside world just in case.

Mick Dodge even has a support group to help him out when he needs it, and most would consider him a lone wolf.

Is The Middle Ground the Safest Ground?

There are no guarantees, each individual and each family will have to decide how much they are willing to participate in the betterment of those besides their families during a crisis. In the short-term most people will have all they can do to keep their loved ones fed and safe, let alone worrying about the welfare of a group of people?

Over time people will begin to gather so they can benefit from others. Doctors and engineers for example, will become known, and people will seek them out to trade services. In days past communities as a whole provided shelter and food for doctors, school teachers, sheriffs, ministers and so on because the community demanded theses services.

Overtime individuals paid the professionals for individual service instead of the village itself, because the skilled professionals demanded more than just shelter and food they wanted currency, gold and silver.

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Source: prepforshtf.com