This Is Why You Should Watch Your Neighbors Carefully

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

It’s been said that no one is an island, and that’s certainly true when times are tough. Having a sense of community during a natural disaster, a pandemic, or a SHTF situation can be critical to your survival.

Yet just because someone is your neighbor, doesn’t mean that they should blindly be considered a trusted resource. Ideally, you should know your neighbors well enough before the world goes sideways before accepting them into your network.

The Benefits of Community

Prepping creates an understandable sense of self-reliance. Yet even the most well-prepared person will inevitably find themselves in a situation where they need the help of others. It’s hard-wired into us by evolution to be a social species.

However, the benefits of this social component go far beyond having someone to chat with when you’re feeling deeply lonely.

Strength in Numbers

Being part of a community of well-prepared people gives you strength in numbers. In a disaster situation, knowing that your friends and neighbors have your back, definitely improves your safety.

A neighborhood watch program today can be reinforced when the world goes sideways. When outsiders come prowling through your neighborhood or community, they’re more likely to behave themselves when you present a unified front.

Related: The Dark Side of Being a Lone Wolf

Easier Bartering

In a disaster situation, “Stranger Danger” is a real thing. Yet there are going to be times when you need something unforeseen, and someone else will have it. If you have to go to a total stranger, even one across the street or down the road, tensions can run high for you both.

When you know your neighbors, and you’ve vetted in advance that they’re reasonably trustworthy, these tensions are diffused. You’re also more likely to negotiate a fair barter price for the things each of you needs.

Shared Labor

Switching over to a 100% sustainable lifestyle is a lot of work, rife with major projects. Trying to put up a new pole barn, or get your field tilled on your own is often too much for one person or family to do alone.

When you are part of a community neighborhood, many hands can make light work on these major projects.

You help them with their barn raising in the spring, they help you cut ice for the icehouse in the winter, and everyone saves time in the long run.

Less Dependence on Your Resources

A neighbor who isn’t informed or well-prepared before a disaster is likely to need more help from you when SHTF. When you know your neighbors in normal times, you can gently help them understand the benefits of being prepared.

Related: Survival Skills You Can Trade After SHTF

When something does go wrong in the world, they’ll be able to stand on their own two feet, without constantly knocking on your door. They might also have the skills and stocks to help you when something unforeseen comes along.

Discretely Assessing Your Neighbors

Determining how trustworthy and competent your neighbors are goes beyond the odd conversation over the back fence. Ideally, you should discreetly watch your neighbors for key signs of trustworthiness, or potential danger. There are a few ways to do this up close as well as in person.

Watch Their Recycling Bins

Your neighbors’ open-air recycling bins will tell you more than just how much they reuse, reduce, and recycle. They give you keen insights on how they live, and what their habits are.

Just to be clear here, we’re talking about open-air recycling bins and times when they take the garbage out.

I’m not talking about rutting around in your neighbor’s garbage like a rabid raccoon in the middle of the night.

If you see a lot of liquor bottles and beer cans, it likely means multiple people have a drinking problem. This is a red flag on its own, as alcoholics are prone to rash behavior. It also means that the other family members are enablers, who don’t have the coping skills to correct the behavior.

This is a sign of a family that’s prone to escalation in tense times. They’re also more likely to talk to others about what they know about you. I’m not saying you should cut them out of your neighborhood network, but it’s wise to keep them at arm’s length.

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