Survival Groups

If you are looking for people with whom to share ideas, survival groups are an excellent resource. These groups include people who want to discuss techniques for surviving an apocalypse as well as provide mutual support. Different types of survivalist groups exist. Some may or may not work for you, depending on your needs.

The groups consist of people who refer to themselves as survivalists or preppers. These people are interested in learning the skills and gaining the resources necessary to survive any possible apocalypse scenario.

MAGs and Teams

A popular type of survival group is the MAG - Mutual Assuredness/Assistance Group. MAG groups are usually relatively large and are not very formal or structured. They are often easier to join than more formal groups but, since they are so large, can provide plenty of resources. Most people start out in MAGs and move to other kinds of groups if they feel they need to do so.

Another type of group is called a Team. Teams are smaller and more formal than MAGs. These survival groups are very structured with specific rules and assignments and may not be a good fit for many people.

Joining a Group

Pre-existing survival groups are often difficult to find. Once you find a group that you want to join, you may have difficulty convincing them to let you join. Some of these groups will interview you to see if you have any skills they need and make sure that you will not be a liability during a survival situation. They may also want to make sure that your personality mixes well with the current group members.

Other groups are less structured and in place simply to provide a support network and to share information. Some groups of survivalists are online only and are solely dedicated to sharing information and learning techniques that will help in an apocalypse. These groups require less commitment but are also less helpful in the event of an apocalypse.

Online Groups

Many websites are available to help you find groups either online or in person. Finding groups may take some time and effort, but some helpful websites include:

• PrepperGroups.com: Prepper Groups is a site dedicated to helping preppers find and meet with each other. The website is broken down into message boards for each state in the U.S. as well as certain other countries. Most of these message boards involve posts from people trying to start groups in their area but also includes links to interesting techniques and ideas for survival preparation.
• Yahoo Groups: Yahoo Groups is a website where anyone can create a group to focus on any topic they want. Hundreds of listed survivalist groups are available for you to join on Yahoo. These groups may have different feels and focuses depending on the members and the group creators.
• Meetup Groups: Several Meetup Groups exist for survivalists. Meetup is designed to help people meet other locals with similar interests, so this is a great place to check if you are looking for groups in your area that you can meet with in person.

If you plan to meet your online contacts in person, be very careful. Spend a significant amount of time talking with the person online and always be skeptical. Avoid exchanging personal information until you are absolutely sure that they are legitimate and always try to meet in a public place.

Creating a Group

Plenty of survival groups exist all over the world, but may be difficult to find or join. If you cannot find a group in your area, you may be able to create your own. If you do decide to create your own survival group, make sure to include only people you trust, such as friends and family.

Survival groups, while often difficult to find, can be extremely helpful in surviving both natural and manmade disasters. There's a saying that "two cords are stronger than one," and that is so true in a real survival situation, especially one involving a breakdown of society.

If something like that happens and lawlessness becomes more prevelant, the lone survivalist will have as much chance of surviving as did the lone settler in the wilderness, with Indians waiting to send him packing. It's difficult to garden, care for animals and even sleep if you must also keep watch for those wanting to take what you have.

Of course, even if you do not join a formal, structured group now, plenty of groups will provide interaction with like-minded individuals, and encourage you to gain knowledge and develop the skills necessary to have a better chance of surviving the apocalypse.

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