Just because someone is a ‘prepper’ (a scary bad word in the mainstream) does not mean that there is an expectation of, or preparedness for, ‘the end of the world’.
Unfortunately there is a stigma, a stain on the mainstream meaning of the word, ‘prepper’. I suspect that most non-preppers probably visualize a prepper as someone who is a societal misfit with a secret buried underground bunker filled with ‘assault weapons’, ammunition, and stacks of rice and beans – just waiting for the end of the world to transform into ‘Mad Max’… This stereotypical visualization couldn’t be farther from the truth for most actual preppers.
While many or most preppers likely have some number of firearms, ammunition, and rice & beans, the fact is that most of them are ordinary people living and working in today’s modern society who’s motivation is not necessarily that for ‘the end of the world’, but instead are more likely motivated by an internal drive to be more independent, self-reliant, and prepared for the uncertainties and risks inherent in our ‘modern world’.
You may have co-workers, friends, or other acquaintances who are themselves preppers and you don’t even know it. They are not kooks. They are not crazy. They are not social outcasts or misfits. They are living and working within the same system that you are, however they simply possess a set of insurances for ‘just in case’. Similar to having a homeowners insurance policy the prepper will have set aside some items (preps) and ‘know-how’ (skills) to keep them going during a time following an emergency, disaster, or worse…
Some preppers take it a little further and to varying degrees will implement a homestead lifestyle of greater self-reliance and sustainability (less reliance on external systems). This in itself can be rewarding and liberating while not necessarily doing it to be ready for ‘the end of the world’. It’s simply, ‘fun’… and ‘feels right’ knowing that you are more in control of YOU rather than reliant on so many others and other systems for your survival and well-being.
Like most anything, there are varying degrees. There are preppers who prep just a little, and there are preppers who go ‘way over the top’. The fact is that most are somewhere in between and are mostly ordinary people like anyone else.
Except there’s one big difference… the prepper recognizes that there is something to prepare for. They recognize (for example) that it is extremely logical to keep some decent amount of extra food in the house, whereas stunningly about 97% do not. That’s right, nearly every American is 100% blind to the inherent systemic risks within the system that’s keeping them alive. It’s remarkable really…
Another difference between preppers and non-preppers is the notion of independence. Preppers seem to have much more of an internal drive to be independent than do non-preppers. While the majority of non-preppers simply and unquestioningly go along with the apparent requirements, expectations, and controls of ‘the system’, the prepper on the other hand questions the logic thereof based upon their natural tendency towards independence, personal freedoms, and self-reliance.
This may also be a factor as to why the mainstream media (essentially an arm of .gov) despises the prepper. As most of you realize, the present system of .gov wants MORE people to be reliant (controlled) while preppers desire to be LESS reliant on, and LESS controlled by, .gov and the system. Independence. It’s something that has been under attack for a very long time whereas it used to be the normal way-of-life many years ago.
This is also likely part of the reason why nearly every and all ‘TV’ shows about preppers will portray them as those who are the kooks, the extreme, those who will most dramatically contrast with the average American. They purposely choose the outliers for better ratings – like a ‘freak show’ of sorts (at least that’s what they’re hoping for). While certainly not every such TV show portrays badly, it seems the majority do.
So there’s no real surprise that most non-preppers (the 97%) think that all preppers are preparing for the end of the world. While certainly many are, the fact is that most of those who are, are just ordinary people who you wouldn’t even recognize as a ‘prepper’. They are people who are taking more personal responsibility for themselves. That’s it…
Comments?
I think the number of people joining the Prepper Community increased when they realized that most Politicians in Washington will say anything to get elected but don’t have the character to follow through on their promises. Also blatant lies being told in order to get legislation passed that doesn’t represent the will of the majority of Americans, especially in the last 15 years. All this generated insecurity and a lack of faith in those that are supposed to represent us!! There’s a Revolution coming and it won’t be nice!!
This Gov. has been preparing for the Revolution and more and more Freedom loving American Patriots are preparing for this also!!
Darn! I want to be a social misfit!
Who wants to ‘fit in’ with the current social structure anyway?
Living where I live your just plain stupid to not have some form of preps, sadly theres a lotta dummies
Being conscience of the choices we make is the basic difference between those who “prep” and everyone else.
We chose to unplug the cable box 15 years ago…
Our kids and grandkids can have conversations…
We chose to garden and raise chickens…
Our family enjoys real tomatoes and canning…
We chose to become good campers…
Our family is fine without power for a week or more…
We are aware of daily choices that help us become more self reliant, and some that don’t… But they are our choices, not someone else’s.
Sad thing is, many don’t even know they HAVE choices.
Blessings.
We did much the same.
Our grandkids love it here for their breaks and summers. NO TV. They read, play board games, do puzzles, hike, ride horses, feed livestock and chickens, garden, fossil hunt, creek walk.
We cook and actually eat meals together. The kids talk to us, and each other. And, I find they are much more civilized here than I would have expected. Love them all!
Keep seeking the lifestyle folks…I promise it is simpler and waaaay more enjoyable!
Ken:
Keeping up with this Site is a good motivator.
Just by seeing what the other people here are doing, gets me more off my duff and more active keeping the old homestead humming.
More ideas to kick around. Never too old to learn something new!
I don’t think of myself as a ‘Prepper’ (Never was much for titles.), just trying to be as independent as humanly possible.
Good folks here to share info with.
@SeniorMan, thanks – yes it has been helpful to hear what others have to say – and I’m glad that the Saturday weekly open-forum post has been working out well for a repository of thoughts…
I too dislike such titles. Wherever possible I often use the term ‘preparedness-minded’ instead of ‘prepper’ đ
I am a prepper and proud of it. Here is why. The money ( and it is my earned money) I have spent on prepping will allow me to weather most any storm of nature, mankind or .gov. In time of crisis I do not have to go begging to anyone. I can sleep good at night. It gives me a realistic sense of self confidence – no worries. If the financial system collapses I can handle that. If there is a plague, I trained for it and I can handle that. If someone wants to take my preps, I will bury that problem. If someone wants to take my freedom I will be his worst nightmare. If someone wants to harm a fellow prepper then the $hit will really hit the fan.
If some one calls me weird for being a prepper then I smile because I have done my job right. I listen to others explain why they do not prep and I know who the stupid one in the room is. Most of all it is my hobby where I learn a lot and I can see the results of my work. Now , back to the garden. Good day to all.
You are so right, you may replace NRP with these works of wisdom, (just kidding NRP) but my dads saying is still true today, “You can’t argue with ignorance”
@icecathook
Your Father sounds like my kind of person⊠hehehe
My Father used the age old phrase,
âYou canât fix Stupidâ
And OMG we have a LOT of “stupid” running around now.
NRP
PS; I have NO problem with being âreplacedâ by someone with words like No Joke spells. I surely not the sharpest tool in the shedâŠ..
@ No Joke
âIf someone calls me weird for being a prepper then I smile because I have done my job right.â
You have that EXACTLY right my friend GREAT words of wisdom.
And I agree with the âhobbyâ analogy, but with me the âpreppingâ is has also gone beyond a hobby (and probably always has been), the word âprepperâ seems nowhere adequate enough for the involvement most of us here on MSB have, hence the Label I like more;
âLifestyleâ
NRP
@NRP,
Yep… a lifestyle. But also (at least for me) I am finding preparedness becoming more and more of a mindset. I find myself thinking about things in terms of “what would I do if” or things like the best/safest route (and back-ups) I could take if I had to walk home from the office by myself (about 20 miles).
Thankfully, I have not yet been one of those people who freezes up in an emergency. I tend to get through it, then deal with the emotions afterward. So, if I can imagine an emergency situation, I can set my mind to the first and best steps to take to survive/overcome – if possible.
Sadly, most people we know and love cannot even accept that a crisis could hit them (Ken’s normalcy bias). If someone believes there will never be a huge earthquake, or an epidemic, or food shortage of any kind then they will never think in terms of readiness. Most people seem to think that either the world will always be as it is now, or it will be completely obliterated and that there is nothing in between. I guess it is the middle ground between “normal” and total wipe-out that we all try to recognize and prepare for.
Now this is what I love to hear!
A self-reliant lifestyle is very rewarding in many ways . It is comforting to know that most of our food is grown by us . We can survive a very long time without going to the grocery store. We can get by pretty well without electricity . We have never used an ATM machine , ever ,we severed the cable TV service a few years ago and try to use cash as much as possible . We are completely out of debt .
The word ” prepper” has gotten a tin foil hat reputation , thanks to the MSM , so we seldom us the word . We prefer self reliance because that is really what it is . There are many facets to a self reliant lifestyle : water , gardening , meds , protection , food preservation and many more areas as well .
A disaster can come from any direction and being in a position to not depend on handouts from some government agency is comforting . Windstorm , flood , power outages , economic chaos , political disruption ,riots , food shortages , what ever the trials are , we should be prepared to go it alone without assistance .
Maintaining a network of like minded folks in your area is of great importance but can also be a difficult thing to do . It is something to work towards .
We find our greatest strength and comfort in Christ . That may not be your choice but it works for us and we rely heavily on Him . With Him we are never alone .
We wish you well as you become more self-reliant on your journey .
@ BLUESMAN
FYI, I really like my âtin foil hatâ, at times itâs very reassuring. đ
NRP
NRP,
FYI turn it upside down and it will hold a liquid of your choice , heh, heh .
Both of my parents grew up during the depression and my father always told us kids that, “during the depression if you had two dimes in your pocket, you were rich”. He had a Sunday paper route and he delivered 150 papers. Now my father grew up in Massachusetts and they have, what they call Three deckers, they are 3 bedroom apartments stacked one on top of the other 3 high. No elevator, you walked up and down stairs, that’s how he delivered papers.
A good old fashioned word for it is “farmer” đ
…and there aren’t too many farmers left. I believe that I read somewhere that the average age of today’s American farmer is 60.
Ken, is that the average age of your bloggers? Seems to me there are a lot of us in that age range here!
Maybe it’s time for another anonymous poll (the age range of our readers). I do believe that there are not too many ‘young’ preppers. Even the early to middle-aged people seem to be consumed in careers and ‘the system’ (and normalcy bias) so as not to recognize some of the systemic risks. I suppose the older and wiser that one becomes, the better the chances of actually being a prepper (more recognition of the ‘real’ world perhaps?)
I think a lot of it is that many people between 30 and 50 have neither the time, money, or energy to think about anything outside their own current concerns. They get past the raising-children-and-career stage and they have more energy to devote to long term survival. Possibly the same reason that so many people don’t save for retirement until they’re past that same age range.
It’s also possible that the prepared in that age range aren’t spending time following prepping sites online for the same reasons.
I think an anon poll of age range of readers would be interesting đ
Second that.
But how about a poll of actual age? It would be interesting to know the age of the youngest and oldest person who visits this site.
I am 72. I think that is pretty old to be prepping. After all, not many 72-year-olds live much longer once doctors and hospitals are no longer available. I wonder if I am the oldest.
@ DaisyK
Me Momâs 94 and still canning, has an extended supply of TP (LOL), âpreppingâ AND staying OUT of the hospitals. I bet that donât count tho??? hehehe
NRP
If you’re over 70, you need a good supply of tp
Trying my best to catch up, I’ll be 67 in Sept.
I’ll put a poll out tomorrow morning… should be fun and interesting.
DaisyK
I notice you wrote…
“After all, not many 72-year-olds live much longer once doctors and hospitals are no longer available”
honestly, from the folks I know, it seems to me that most folks live longer without doctors and hospitals…Seriously.
would it be prying to ask, do you yourself have much to do with Doctors/hospitals/pharmacies?
From reading your posts, I have always thought you did not have much to do with same?
Problem, as I have observed, seems that once you get one prescription, you soon need another to counteract side effects, and so on..
Anon,
No, I don’t like doctors and disapprove of most medications. I did need surgery a year and a half ago when I broke my leg. (It was displaced. I guess in the old days they would have just manipulated it back into position, buy in my case they insisted on surgery to realign it and they put in a titanium plate.)
I had a relative by marriage who became a Christian Scientist when she was 18. She went without doctors or medicine until her 100th birthday. On her 100th birthday, her 72-year-old son decided she shouldn’t be living alone any more, so he moved in with her. The first night he left his suitcase in the middle of the living room. She got up to use the bathroom, tripped over his suitcase and broke her hip. They took her to the hospital and she was so upset by that, and given drugs and surgery that she didn’t want, that she had one medical emergency after another. She died at 102, never getting out of the hospital after her birthday.
DaisyK
ah, thanks.
I suspected you had not much to do with these folks etc..
it is sad, about your relative by marriage, who manage so well/so long, and then (through good intentions, but a carelessly left suitcase) ended in hospital. It is very sad, but I have heard it more and more, once one starts, it never ends. And have heard way too often, once one is off to the hospital, often “thing” after “thing” happens..
glad you are free of this
Anon,
Yes you are right about medication. After my mother had her heart attack they prescribed medication then medication to counteract the effects of the medication…… After a while she was on a dozen medications.
Another incident: When I was first married, I got an eye infection. The doctor prescribed eye drops. Then different drops when the first ones didn’t work…… After about 5 different medications, I went to a different doctor. He asked me to bring all the eye drops to my appointment and when he saw me, the first thing he did was take all the eye drops away. Turned out I was allergic to them.
yes, it so often is one thing after another.
glad you finally go to the doctor who used common sense.
Another thing, which seems like a minor add on..
many folks take a med which upsets their stomach. Then, of course they take some sort of med to settle the stomach (OTC or prescription)
glad I have not used these, but noticed in past couple yrs, that these
stomach meds are strongly implicated in increased bone risk (breaks etc), and increased cardiac events.
and that is just a minor example
most of the add on meds end with many problems.
Meds like Prilosec have another side effect. They interfere with your calcium/magnesium balance. Made worse because they often also take Tums or other calcium supplement as well.
Too little magnesium can cause supra ventricular tachycardia — that is a too fast heart rate. My nephew visited me and was suffering from that and when I told him about the Prilosec, he immediately stopped taking it. Now, he has no more tachycardia and also no more excess stomach acid.
DaisyK
your nephew is lucky you knew.
and
there are so many examples of similar, and so many medical persons do not seem aware or …..
We are 77 years old, still prepping…been doing it most of our married life, living in a rural state, a person is often away from immediate services. Now I feel our habit of prepping not only will help us but our children. It is our opinion that we may see some devasting events before our time is up. It seems to be a popular opinion everywhere.
Hey Ken,There are a few in the younger age group.I have been busy helping some younger families get food storage and other supplies.
One of the sad/disturbing conversations that ALL 4 of these families have had with me is their FEAR of people their own age!All said they have friends(?) co-workers who would turn them in to the Gov. without a single thought of what would happen to them.The mindset from the indoctrination from the schools/colleges is indeed troubling. Fortunately, these 4 families will fall under the protection of my group and the 2 others in our area.
Needless to say OPSEC will not be a problem with them.They don’t dare speak their mind when they are around their peers.Sad perilous times for us all.
I would suggest to all that if you can Mentor some younger folks do so.There are some who will listen to your counsel.I was surprised how easily these young people saw the wisdom of having a plan for their families.I suspect many are concerned but are fearful of the naysayers who brow beat and berate ANY who go against their screwed up ideology…
BHJ,
I am close to 46, and dare not to speak in front of my age group or younger….for the same reasons, they would sell my soul for a penny or a gulp of water….:)
@ Texas
Hey yar backâŠ.. Was thinking you got deported from El-PasâŠ. Hehehehe
NRP
Lolol…I wish NRP, like deport me back home to Europe ( dreaming about that part for now ). Anyways, missed you all here on the blog…had some serious family health problems I needed to focus and take care of….
@pioneer woman
62, and still trying to figure out where all the time wentâŠâŠ.
AND!!! itâs going faster and faster
NRP
DH and I are right there with YOU NRP. Same age!
61 and 11/12ths! đ
I don’t talk to anyone but this blog! Nobody listens to me anyway.
Luv ya’ll Beach’n
@ Beach’n
HUH??? were ya saying something?
HAHAHA
NRP
@NRP đ
Each good old Farmer feeds about 175 individuals.
Iâm happy to be a prepper and I am not ashamed of it however, I donât admit to being a prepper except to other people who I know are also preppers and I can count them on one hand and not use all the fingers. When strangers, or people I know who are not preppers ask me if Iâm a prepper, I lie, and act dumb (that second part doesnât take much effort. đ I always ask them to explain what they mean by prepper, so I can determine what they think about preppers. Anyway, one time awhile back a checkout clerk asked me if I was a prepper and I asked her what a prepper was and she said it was someone who thinks the world is going to end and basically described what Ken said in paragraph two above. I was cordial and nice and smiled when I told her that I must not be a prepper since I donât have a bunker and my home is a gun free zone (I lied.) She seemed comforted by that notion and satisfied that I must be normal like her.
Ken or someone just pointed out that the average age of farmers is something like 60 and that many of the bloggers here are in the 60ish age range. Well, several years ago I did a google maps search in geo mode to see how many gardens I could find in a five to ten mile or so radius from my house. I forget the exact numbers but it was very low like 8 or 10 considering this is an agricultural area (lots of sugar cane, corn, soybeans and wheat grown here) The really weird part was that out of the 8-10 gardens I found (not including mine), I knew who 7 of them were and they were all my generation or older (65 â 80). Iâm 68 now.
CrabbeNebulae,
Good thoughts you posted…
I would estimate 6-7 households of all our friends and family (including extended) are planning or preparing/making efforts for sustainability on some level. (And two of them farm for a living! đ
@CrabbeNebulae,
I’ve run into a couple of chatty grocery clerks when I’ve bought a bunch of canned goods on sale. At one place a cashier gave me that questioning look – I told her we donate to a local food pantry (which we do, but these were not intended for that) and that stopped all questioning. I told another that I just like to buy some extra when there’s a good sale – she told me she was surprised more people don’t do that.
I change it up with my canned food buying – different stores so no one sees me buy too much too often – I don’t want to be memorable. And I like to shop at Smart & Final (not sure if that is national or regional) because you can buy in bulk, they have good sales and no club card or membership – no purchase habits tracked if you don’t use a cr card.
So Cal Gal
yes, those store clerks are often very interested…sigh..
we’ve used those comments in reply too…
and we too prefer to pay cash when possible.
someone on here had a good suggestion for reply when canned stuff is stupid cheap (as happened to me once), and they are VERY interested..
someone here suggested saying
“oh it is a competition to see who can get the most cans per dollar for the food bank”..
That time, we hit on canned mushrooms for ten cents each. We don’t usually eat a lot of canned mushrooms, but at that price….
Anon,
That’s a great reply – especially when loading upon a big sale item – thanks to you and whoever originally made the suggestion! : )
So Cal Gal
I loved it too (it was someone on here who suggested it…)
I have yet to use it, but surely keeping it in my “pocket” for the next ten cent sale.
What really shocked me..
there we were, buying cases of these mushrooms at ten cents a can..
and
there were the rest of the customers
one or two, three cans at most..
and they would say things like
“oh we would only use one or two cans in a week”
(hello…cans…grasp the concept..use them next year)
You Donât Need To Prepare For The End Of The World To Be A Prepper
Uh, with no food/water–it IS the end for me!!!
God bless all storing food, however you do it.:-)
Prepping is nothing new. Throughout time there have always been good times and bad times. The ones that survived the bad times were often those that set something aside during the good times.
I am not prepping for the end of the world. I prep to be ready for the hard times no matter what they may be. Famine, unemployment, illness, war, or a myriad of other possibilities.
God taught the Jews to be preppers back in Biblical times. They practiced food preservation, healthy habits, and other practices that allowed them to survive oppression, plagues, and hard times. They practiced sanitation behaviors that were centuries ahead of the rest of the world. I am not Jewish but they do have some practices that are worth investigating.
Yep, Noah was the first Old Testament big time prepper and he saved all of the animal kingdom along with mankind with his preps. Sure glad he prepped.
@Minnie Min
Yeah, but he left the dang playful Unicorn behind đ đ :_)
NRP
Interesting fact that I saw while I was on lunch today. Being that it is tax day you can get Cheeseburgers 1/2 off at sonic today so I thought good idea for my lunch,since they are lest than a mile from work. They were packed when I got there at 12:30 the part that got me was that no one was able to use credit or debit cards and it had to be cash only. The amount of business that I saw them loose because when the customers heard cash only they drove off. Then it kick into me that look at how many people could not even buy a $2.00 cheeseburger because they were not prepared. I always carry cash and have my little stash hidden on me also. How would they handle the banks closing and it was cash only to eat Completely. Just makes me want to go home after work and make sure my preps are in order.
Ken Great Blog always find the topics very interesting. and find a lot of useful tips from some of the regular readers.
Factfinder,
I see exactly what you are talking about with people walking around with no cash all the time. Almost everyone in line at the market pays with plastic, even for purchases under $5. When the lottery got really big our employees wanted to do a group ticket buy for $5 each, but we had to wait a day for everyone to have $5 in cash to put in – about 1/2 did not have $5 in cash on them. It just amazes me because almost all of them have commutes and if they had a breakdown or emergency they would be stranded with no cash.
I’ve had people tell me they feel safer not carrying cash and I’m really surprised. I’m not one to walk around with a wad of cash, but I always have cash on me – you just never know when you may need it.
As a Senior, I believe we relate better, because we remember ‘how it was’.
The younger generation just don’t know.
My granddaughter, just finishing her 1st year of college at a state university, was talking about one of her professors lecturing about ‘gun people’. (She’s really naive for her age.) When I told her that was what the 2nd Amendment was all about, she asked, “What’s that?”
Our education system today!
Unless your homeless everyone probably have some form of preps. How much toilet paper does your neighbor have? That’s a prepper for when SHTF.
âPrepperâ; just another Label that is put upon someone thatâs doing something slightly differently than the others, others that are unknowing and leaches upon the current system and itâs JIT supplies. Good luck with that. Heck I was called a âHippyâ for a long longggggg time LOL, still love that time of my lifeâŠâŠ
Am I a prepper because I donât like to go to the store every two-three days to purchase food and goods?
Because I keep a full medical kit stocked so I donât have to call 911 when I get a cut or a headache?
Because I keep a little extra fuel and cooking supplies around the home in case the power goes out?
Because I have 50,000 rounds of ammo; Just Kidding ok, donât call ATFE sheeeesh.
Because I have a Garden?
Or perhaps because I have a âdeep pantryâ that I can cook a yearâs+ meals out of and eat very very well.
I truly remember my Father buying a full beef every year, growing a HUGE Garden, buying corn by the gunny-sack, making root-beer by the gallon and making sure the cupboards were full. I remember my Mom AND the family shelling peas, cutting corn, and canning all weekend to âput up foodâ. Were we labeled a âprepperâ no, that was the life 40, and longer, years ago.
I believe people (sheeple) are being brainwashed to thinking this ânewâ movement is completely reflected by âDoomsday Prepperâ types, and are afraid of the âMad Maxâ syndrome. Why? Because of control. As long as there is control over food supplies and many many other things and there is the illusion of security in the thinking of âstores will always have foodâ or FEMA will help, then those of us that have a âdeep pantryâ and âprepareâ are the outsiders and the fools….. So be it.
Personally I really donât care what others think of my preps/lifestyle, and there are very very few that know of them. OPSEC; I believe/hope there will come a time when my preps are all sold at an estate auction and the money goes to a charity as directed in my Living Trust. But guess what, thatâs MY decision to live theâ Lifestyleâ NOT anyone elseâs to even judge what I do and how I chose to live. And honestly, no differently than some âpreppersâ judging the âsheepleâ, living as they do, it is their choice, and not ours to condemn them for. Just donât try to take mine IF something happens.
Do I prepare for the EOTWAWKI, well if as Kenâs picture depicts it, absolutely not (I canât afford that Condo on Mars), heck even Mad Max would not make it past thatâŠ.⊠But guess what, anything short of that, Iâm betting dollars to donuts Iâll do just fine. As will 99% of the rest of the, OMG should I say it, âPreppersâ.
NRP
I think as preppers, and I include myself in the in this, like to blame others for how we are perceived. We like to blame vague and amorphous entities like “the media”, “the government”, etc. for the way people perceive us.
The reality however is that we do it to ourselves. The media shows almost nothing about preppers, let alone try to vilify us. Aside from Doomsday Preppers, there is very little about it. Wilderness survival shows are extremely popular. The .govs all state that people should prepare and have a supply of food and water and a bug out bag.
The reason why most people think preppers are nuts is that while only a small portion of preppers take it to an extreme, they are the most vocal ones. Most popular prepper sites and blogs are comprised of about 60% posts about how society is about to collapse/some other conspiracy theory; 30% posts about how prepping is good, and how people who do not prepp are idiots (also referred to as sheeple and other derogatory terms); and 10% useful practical information about how to prepare.
If we do not reach out; if the preppers without the tin foil hats do not start being more vocal, then we can not blame the general public for thinking poorly of us.
Some time ago I was reading a blog and the subject was that some “seniors” kids/family didn’t like the idea of the ‘folks’ being preppers and gave the ‘seniors’ a bad time about it. The seniors changed it to ‘aging in place’ and said that it stopped the harassment.
aged 63 almost 64. Hunh!
I’m definitely not a prepper. I live like my grandparents did, cooking meals from scratch, repairing clothes, gardening and keeping a deep pantry. I’m not “different”, its sheeple who are “different”. Their development as mature human beings has been stunted by the media and our modern life. Heck, when I was working most of the people I worked with couldn’t do anything for themselves.
On Saturday I went to the grocery store to grab some stuff. Coming out of the store there were some girls handing out store coupons. They were for discounts if you bought on-line. Told them that I don’t shop (for groceries) via the internet. They mistook my meaning. They assumed that I didn’t know how. They went on to explain that it was really easy. Smiled at them and left. I’m sure they figured I was a lost cause. In a tough situation, I wouldn’t bet on them surviving long.
Last year, the federal government surveyed folks as to their preparedness. We chose to play stupid. Told them there was no need to keep a pantry since the stores were always stocked. I may be long in the tooth but I haven’t lost my mind yet. My kids disagree.
kk
“Iâm not âdifferentâ, its sheeple who are âdifferentâ. Their development as mature human beings has been stunted by the media and our modern life.”
…that’s a great way to put it!
KK The old saying is “You cannot argue with ignorance” it a saying that my parents used during the 30s depression they moved from the city to a 30 acre farm in the Midwest to survive, and instead thrived. People today are about to learn Oh My are they. We are listening to out internal awareness not the shepple howl. Your comments are ‘spot on’ keep them coming
Where I live, you’d pretty much have to be crazy to not be a prepper, at least a little. Summer storms that knock out power for many hours and winter storms that block roads for several days are basically a yearly occurrence, so you need to be prepared at least to go without power for a day and without going to the store for a week.
Interesting comments, and a good topic Ken.
The poll of age would be very interesting.
I was born a raised on a farm in central Illinois, we put up food, raised our own live stock and had a 1 acre garden .
3 years ago I had an accident at work, was put on Family Medical leave. And had to deal with Workers Compensation.
It was a trying time for my wife and I.
If I hadn’t been raised on a farm, and hadn’t continued to always have that deep panty. Our times through all of this would have been even more trying.
Prepping? I never really considered how I live as prepping. It was how I was raised, it’s a lifestyle.
Life has its ups and downs, now I’m on the upswing. And like the squirrel getting ready for winter, it’s time to pack that pantry.
I’m 58 along with my wife. We have recently decided to eliminate the last debit we have, by selling our current home and relocate to a rural area where we know like minded folks.
OTARN
Your are dead on with your comments:
Prepping? I never really considered how I live as prepping. It was how I was raised, itâs a lifestyle
I lived in mobile Al from 2001 to 2007 and worked from Baton Rouge LA to Destin Fl. year after year one hurricane after another you remember what your mom and dad taught you as a kid to be prepared for what ever happens. Help your neighbors your friends and family I saw the good and the bad in people during that time and I always wanted to make sure I had what my family and I needed to take care of us and to make sure we were safe and secure.
it seems to me, that having a Deep Pantry (or such), knowing a few skills, developing a mindset, is just a way of maintaining one’s confidence in one’s ability to “maintain” oneself. (so to speak).
to say one has to be preparing for the end of the world, if one is practicing skills/ saving/and yes prepping, seems to me that the only reason one would strive to get fit, is if one plans to enter the Decathlon in the Olympics.
(although that might be right good prepping……………..)
@ Anon
Lifestyle….I have said it a thousand times.
This is where you keep your pantry deep, your skills honed, a good supply of everything you might need for 90 days or more, and a strong sense of self reliance.
We are fortunate to be in the country….45 miles to anywhere small, and 150 miles to the nearest Big Box! Planning is essential. TOP skill of the rural lifestyle….planning!
My kids once “worried” about me, until they really started looking at what we were talking about. They are 30-42 and are really awake and paying attention. I am proud of them. It was an arduous journey to wake them up. Actually, I cheated, by enlisting THEIR children! LOL Now, though, we are ALL there.
Not preppers….lifestyle enthusiasts.
pioneer woman
“lifestyle enthusiasts”…gosh I like that.
your kids are lucky to have your example/you’se as a resource/your place to bug out to. your grandkids (if you have) too.
I missed a couple of words in that post
I meant to say
something to effect
that the
reason to get fit/active is not just to perform in the Olympics, it is to get fit and active and have self confidence etc…
so, if folks say,
preppers are only preparing for the end of the world, they must also think everyone who is getting fit and active is going to the Olympics
PW Kudos to you. as many of us are frustrated in getting anyone to listen, let alone join the “walk” in that journey, refreshing to hear a success story.
I can’t help but be a Dittohead here, –but I mostly prepared for a personal reason to never go hungry, be without skills, or be without emergency savings again for what may come. I have lived long enough to know one or the following will happen, including job loss, unexpected bills, power outages, high prices due to inflation, unable to travel due to blow downs and snow storms, unable to work from illnesses and injury, unexpected repairs and family crisis’s, death and taxes. Now that doesn’t sound like a Prepper, it sounds like a Stardust Insurance Policy to me.
Anyone watching the argument before the Supremes? Could VERY well lead to Texas secession from the United States. If the Supremes do what they are discussing, NO STATE will have the right to intervene in FEDERAL actions (especially Executive Orders). If this doesn’t kick off a revolution, then I guess I am too old to figure it out! NO STATE WILL HAVE ANY STANDING FOR ANYTHING!
Lock and Load…….
People, there are so many bad things that are in play. Earthquakes, volcanoes, asteroids, wars and rulers of wars,famine and diseases. It is the end of times. If the Yellowstone super volcano erupts, 2/3 of the country will be uninhabitable!!! Stay safe my friends its going to get uglier than we can imagine.
Anyone remember the Hank Williams Jr. song “A Country Boy Can Survive”? Even if you’re not living in “the country” right now, the same skills will serve you well. And in case I miss the up-coming age survey, I just turned 70.
“Like most anything, there are varying degrees. There are preppers who prep just a little, and there are preppers who go âway over the topâ. The fact is that most are somewhere in between and are mostly ordinary people like anyone else.”
Good statement, Ken.
I am one of those in between types.
I have been leading a very low key life, and am seldom exposed to other humans.
The people I come in contact with are usually clerks at grocery stores, hardwares, garden centers, estate sales, and guns/hunting supplies stores.
I have purchased stuff in quantities at all of them.
The only people to ask me anything about my hauls are the grocery baggers.
I tell them, real fast, if I eat X amount of X per year, why not buy it in bulk, on sale, to save a bunch of money?
Over the past 27 years I have trained people to keep their distance.
Even the Jehovah Witnesses give me a wide berth.
I donât know if people think I am a prepper.
I am pretty sure they think I am kinda âoffâ. My relatives definitely do.
I do not dwell on my preps, or the reasons I prep. I enjoy collecting stuff of value/use, love to save money, and love to cheat Kroger out of money with my gardening. (I ate my first asparagus of the season yesterday!) I HATE being hungry.
I enjoy the sharing of thoughts and ideas on this modernsurvivalblog.
Feeling prepared gives me the comfort to enjoy my life and family to the fullest each day.
afraid to hear ..but must be faced