Activity ideas
 

Something else I've been thinking about, and that is how many people you know that you could count on in bad times.

OK, while I realise that everyone else will have similar problems, as well as being prepared for any downturn in society (I'm not really talking about increased crime-waves etc.), it's very important to have friends at ALL times (hmmm, couldn't really come up with a better way of stating the obvious, but I'm sure you know what I mean).

I've got a small circle of friends and family, but as I get more interested on what's going on in the world (peak oil, environmental and economic issues), I'm thinking that I don't really know THAT many people.

So I'm looking for any ideas really of social activities that I could join to meet new people... something worthwhile (e.g. good causes) as well as just something for fun.

e.g.
- Evening classes at colleges
- Joining environmental group (e.g. Friends of the Earth).
- Gym activities (although most of these seem to be individual activities, even if you're in a keep-fit class with others)

Most of the stuff I find tends to be either centred around students or the elderly folk... whereas I'm stuck in the middle of those age ranges.

Re: Activity ideas
 

Maybe outdoorsy stuff like hiking or climbing clubs? Also, see if you have a history center near you that could use volunteers. If you like history, you might also find a reenactment group to join. There's one for almost every period, though buckskinning/fur trade/long hunter stuff would probably offer the best opportunity to develop SHTF skills and meet folks with similar skills. I used to volunteer at a history center (1830s-1850s) and used to participate in a reenactment group. Those are great ways to learn SHTF skills with others who, if not into prepping, at least enjoy learning the skills and will have them if they need them. The history center work was very informative, and I learned a lot of very useful stuff about subsistence living in my area that I probably wouldn't have even thought a lot about before (the food crops and livestock that did best here before garden centers stacked the deck in our favor, the reasons for things like dirt yards and keeping kitchen supplies in a big wooden chest, etc.).

I'm thinking about taking some woodworking classes at a local store that offers classes in all kinds of woodworking skills. The store sells woodworking tools, including old-fashioned hand tools.