Wouldn't You Like to be a Prepper Too

Chances are pretty good that a lot of people have never even considered the world of Prepping as a viable or even necessary option. Being a Prepper these days, is often equated with being a Conspiracy Theorist or even the ubiquitous “One of THOSE people!” … which generally comes just before the eye-roll and a concerted effort to get away from the Prepper. The very word “Prepper” is a derivative of “Prepared” … any Boy Scout or Girl Scout can tell you that being prepared is never a bad idea. A look at the world these days should be enough to change more than a few minds and help people to realize that maybe being prepared is not such a bad idea after all.

Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy left literally tens of thousands of people lacking even the most rudimentary basics of life. Wildfires ravaging California have left some of the most rich and famous people in the world lacking the most basic of necessities. (Not to mention all of the wineries that were tragically lost in these fires) Earthquakes, tornadoes and other natural disasters all together should be enough to convince people that being prepared is never a bad thing. If that is not enough to convince the readers that being a “Prepper” is as much common sense as it is a necessity, all one needs to do is to have a quick look at the global socio-political situation. The current tensions between the USA and China, Russia and even North Korea have convinced many news outlets to proclaim in bold headlines that war is inevitable and just around the corner. As if all of that is not enough, take into consideration the domestic social unrest currently so prevalent in the USA. Residents of Baltimore, New Orleans, Ferguson and other locations where riots have literally shut down vast swathes of the city leaving the residents lacking yet again. In short, being prepared is never a bad thing, no matter how many people tell you just how crazy it is to believe so.

While it may not be obvious at first glance, especially in regards to the natural disasters mentioned herein, it is relatively safe to say that most of the well-versed … and ultimately, well-prepared “preppers” were not phased in the least by any of these occurrences … even the raging wildfires currently burning through California. The purpose of this column is to teach the average person that being prepared is not only a wise and prudent move, but could very well be the difference between life and death, even without the proverbial “SHTF” (S**t Hits The Fan) Scenario ever coming to pass. Ultimately, many of the SHTF possibilities will be explored in these articles as well, if nothing more, as a hypothetical scenario that does merit more than passing consideration and to show just how easily social disruption could easily strike quite literally anywhere at any time. While the primary focus will be on “Prepping” in more rural and isolated sections of the countryside, there will be a great deal of information shared about survival in the cities as well.

Indeed, it may be possible that the need for “Prepping” is even more relevant in the inner cities and the suburbs than it is in more rural settings. People living in the inner cities can easily become complacent, thinking that each day will be the same as the last, with a hundred different options for coffee and donuts available on the way in to work each day. Yet realistically, a single solar flare could quite literally turn the cities into chaotic battlefields, ripe with crime, violence and challenges that most people are incapable of facing, unless they are already prepared for just such a scenario.

It may not be possible to be prepared for every disaster that could happen, but does that really preclude the need to prepare for any disaster? Prepping is not about being some crazy, old hoarder, chasing off the neighborhood kids and scaring all the decent people. Prepping is about nothing more than being prepared for disaster whenever disaster may strike … be it natural disaster or man-made. Are there some fringe lunatics in the world of preppers? Absolutely … as there are in almost any large group of people with even a limited interest in common. Still, being prepared is not in and of itself crazy at all, but rather merely an exercise of common sense. When everything is said and done, wouldn’t you like to be a prepper too?