What is a Prepper and what makes them different than a normal citizen?
The term 'Prepper' comes from the word prepared and the word prepared embodies the mindset of a typical Prepper.
Prepared for what?
Prepared for anything they may encounter as society faces difficult times. Prepared for disaster, chaos and anarchy. Prepared for unexpected events that could leave themselves and their families in dire straits.
The word responsibility comes to mind and as a leader of my own household this pattern of thinking is both logical and responsible. I remember the saying, 'its better to have it and not need it than to not have it at all.'
Preppers aren't always anarchists but they certainly believe in the possibility that anything is possible and they are prepared for that possibility through diligent planning and the implementation of their plans.
The following are segments I found interesting from an article found in the New York Times entitled 'The Preppers Next Door'
One by one, they stood in front of the room and exhibited their “bug-out bags,” meticulously packed receptacles filled with equipment meant to see them through the collapse of civilization.
The technology of the prepared citizenry is quite advanced when compared to people living and trying to do the same thing a century ago would have had available:
Onto a folding table came a breathtaking array of disaster swag: compasses and iodine pills, hand-cranked radios and solar-powered flashlights, magnesium fire-starters and a fully charged Kindle with digital road maps of the tristate region. Many of the items on display went far beyond the “10 Basic Pillars of Bug-Out Gear” that Jason Charles, the network’s leader, had passed out in advance through the Internet. A good number were tweaked to fit their owners’ needs and interests. A locksmith in the group had a lock-picking set. A vegetarian had a stash of homemade dehydrated lentils. One man had a condom designed to serve as an emergency canteen; another had a rat trap — to catch and eat the rats.
Anyone who is prepared to catch and eat rats during the collapse of society certainly deserves to survive in my opinion based on Darwin's ideas and proposal that humanity has evolved on the principal of 'survival of the fittest.'
Furthermore the article goes on to describe the nature of prepping and the conclusion that most Preppers have come to which is explained beautifully in the following paragraph:
PREPPING IS THE BIG SHORT: a bet not just against a city, or a country or a government, but against the whole idea of sustainable civilization. For that reason, it chafes against one of polite society’s last remaining taboos — that the way we live is not simply plagued by certain problems, but is itself insolubly problematic.
Techblogger Wrap Up
I would say that certainly there is a fine line between prepping and paranoia. Being prepared is a responsible behavior for people living in society. If we are prepared to help ourselves we are better prepared to help others around us as well. At the end of the day we are all in this together and we should act upon our instincts in order to protect our families and our loved ones.
There are many different types of 'Preppers' and the spectrum is quite large:
“On one end is mindless complacency. On the other is paranoia. The challenge is to find that place in the middle where you understand that bad things can happen, but it doesn’t consume your life.”
We must find the middle ground and return to roots of sustainability and community planning in order to face the problems that are certain and on the horizon in society.
I'd love to get a discussion going on this topic, please leave your thoughts, comments and feedback below!
Be prepared or be square.
Thanks for reading!
Sources:
National Geographic
The New York Times - 'The Preppers Next Door'
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Anyone who prepares is by definition a prepper. I mentioned on another post to @kp128 that I have never met a prepper who was paranoid. Quite the opposite actually. Every one that I've met have all had a pretty sound peace of mind by being prepared. Paranoia is what happens leading up to or after a disaster to the people who did not prepare.
Yes, it is true that people can get obsessive and excessive about it. Y2k comes to mind. Too many people went out and bought thousands of dollars worth of spam and MRE's. Basically food that they don't normally eat. A rule of thumb for any prepper is to store what you eat and eat what you store and follow that FIFO method. Buy food when it's on sale or with coupons, discounts, or wholesale clubs and you can always get extra food for storage while still saving on your food bill. It's important to rotate and consume it all so nothing goes to waste. Doing this method you can easily build up a year supply worth of food without any of it going to waste.
I think calling people paranoid is sort of a slight to their intelligence. Those same people may find themselves completely unprepared for unexpected events and may even have some sort of 'I told you so' experience. Thanks for your ideas.
You are right that calling people who prepare paranoid is definitely a slight. I prepare for all kinds of things. Making sure I have my usual tools with me when I go for a motor-bike ride or going to other areas of concern, having a spare propane tank for the b-b-q. Nothing is worse than running out when the steaks are on. Any way, I don't think I am being paranoid, I like to think I am being smart.
Gene aka 'Hummer'
I guess it depends on your point of view.
Where I live, prepping means being prepared for an earthquake, flooding etc. So you have water for three days and some food.
You might take a comfy pair of shoes to work in case you have to walk home.
You make a plan on what to do if you are separated from your family during an emergency.
In the US prepping seems to be about which guns you have and how willing you are to use them on the neighbors to stop them stealing your stuff.
I live in a helpful society. When things go bad we muck in and help out, as we have seen in recent years with various natural disasters.
The US is a predatory society where the goal is to amass as much resource as possible and hoard it. Or conversely, go out and take what you want by force.
I would suggest the best prep for surviving a disaster, and continuing to survive and recover afterwards, is a healthy, friendly society.
No matter how good your prep are, they will only hep you survive. To recover you need a community, and no amount of ammo will build a good community.
I completely agree. It seems the first step is simply planning for the normal events that may happen in life. Losing a job, a fire, an earthquake. I am strongly in favor of people in society using their brains more and planning for events that are likely to happen in their lifetimes. As their planning and preperations become more advanced preparing for less likely events is a good effort as well. Communities are the keystone of a good plan and I agree with you strongly on that point as well. The people we surround ourselves with are just as important or more so than the material ways in which we prepare for the future. Great thoughts on this!
Thanks for your response. The other thing that I prep with - is skills and knowledge. They take up no room, can't be stolen and are easy to carry.
And they make you very valuable in an emergency, and in the recovery phase.
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Very good post @techblogger always have to be prepared I'm in Venezuela and right now the whole population should have a "bug-out bags".
I prepare. I prepare for everyday emergencies. Just like people have a spare tire...just in case...I prepare for things that have a high probability of occurring in my area by having items that would be needed in those situations.
Examples:Tornadoes, wildfires, flat tires, medical emergencies, job loss, electricity going out due to a variety of storms/weather.
Not all preppers are preparing for an apocalyptic scenario. Most just prepare for events likely to occur.
The more self-reliant we become the less crippling an emergency situation becomes (for most situations).
Acquiring knowledge and skills and supplies is key to being prepared.
I have prepping friends who range on the full spectrum of prepping. The way I see it... It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I agree. Being prepared is just something every intelligent human being should appreciate and aspire to be. Better to have it than not have it and need it!
Most definitely! 😉
Indeed a great post!!!
One of the things a prepper may need is to have the ability to generate his own power source, anywhere on the planet. Actually there are lots of backyard experimenter's who are also preppers themselves who had made very good strides, and as a prepper myself, I am on my way of bringing such good ideas here.
Very nice to find same-minded people here, may you find me in my first post.