Any "preparedness enthusiasts" on the board?

I'm far from a Prepper, but I like to be prepared for normal things - blizzards, floods, virus pandemics, etc.  I have food in the freezer and a generator to keep it cold, a 4x4 van to drive over the zombies, and a small supply of yeast culture I can grow to make beer.  During the pandemic, I wouldn't have needed to leave the house for about 6 months.  I'm used to being without internet, TV, and phone service, but never lost any of those luxuries.  I have rain barrels, health insurance, and skills.  

I like to be prepared as an extension of my fabrication and building hobby, but I'm not inferring that an apocalypse is on the horizon.  Using my skills to be prepared is not only fun, but it could save me a lot of money and headache during a real emergency.   If something big hits another part of the world, I want some of my resources to go and help people who really need it instead of stocking up on my first-world resources.  The way I see it.... If I'm prepping and the apocalypse hits, I'll be the first target of all the non-preppers when they realize I have all the canned food and guns.  Meh, not my style.  I'll start a garden, build a windmill that drives an old alternator, and get water from the river.  Y'all are invited for a squirrel and asparagus dinner with roasted rosemary potatoes and hand-churned rosewater ice cream.

Kudos to the preppers, but I'm not nearly that fearful.  Even if the big apocalypse hits, I can make it without painting a big target on my back.

In reply to Opti :

Thanks for the lengthy explanations!

I've done some more thinking about this I'm my idle time over the last day or so.

Random thoughts:

1. Psycological preparedness or training seems like a major thing that could be done but is often missed or skipped. Learning how to stay in control of your own self during extreme emotional or physical duress seems like it applies favorably to promote growth and survival in nearly any future imaginable. 

2. Self-sufficiency is a noble goal, but it has a couple drawbacks. First, it isn't truly achievable at an individual level. Maybe possible as a small group of humans. Second is efficiency - if everyone ran a household generator instead of getting electricity from the grid, the individual system would have more downtime, cost more, cause more emissions, etc. And this can be applied to just about anything. I'm not trying to say someone shouldn't be able to grow some of their own food (I'd actually encourage the opposite), but I am saying if we each had to grow ALL our own food, we wouldn't have time for anything else.

bobzilla said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

There are a lot of misconceptions on what being prepared for life actually is. It's become a derogatory term/phrase lately and I don't understand why.

I mean it is probably because most preppers I have met are like vegans or people in crossfit. It is their entire personality is based around prepping for the end of the world and their crazy theories about it. I am pretty sure that is who Robbie is talking about not being reasonably prepared for natural disasters and the like. 

93EXCivic said:

bobzilla said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

There are a lot of misconceptions on what being prepared for life actually is. It's become a derogatory term/phrase lately and I don't understand why.

I mean it is probably because most preppers I have met are like vegans or people in crossfit. It is their entire personality is based around prepping for the end of the world and their crazy theories about it. I am pretty sure that is who Robbie is talking about not being reasonably prepared for natural disasters and the like. 

This. I have enough supplies to get through a week or two in case of a natural disaster etc, I probably "prep" more than the average Joe because I keep spares for vehicles/computers/equipment, but I wouldn't think of myself or describe myself as a "preparedness enthusiast." Those are the people building bug-out compounds in the woods, storing months or years of supplies for everything at all times, and often worried about very specific scenarios that will lead to the end of civilization.

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

Self-sustainability can work at the individual level - who was that guy in Maine(?) that lived in the woods for years without being caught? But that requires a significantly higher level of restraint & sacrifice. I'm not sure it would last very long once you bring in more people though. 

93EXCivic said:

bobzilla said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

There are a lot of misconceptions on what being prepared for life actually is. It's become a derogatory term/phrase lately and I don't understand why.

I mean it is probably because most preppers I have met are like vegans or people in crossfit. It is their entire personality is based around prepping for the end of the world and their crazy theories about it. I am pretty sure that is who Robbie is talking about not being reasonably prepared for natural disasters and the like. 

I honestly have never met one like that. I hear stories that they're out there and there are the stupid YouTubers but IRL? Nope. I even spend time on local gun boards and can't say I've seen much of that. 

I have property here, a generator, chickens, bees, and at least 1 car with points and carbs. If the USA goes to E36 M3, I have a house on an island. If that's not enough, I don't want to be one of the survivors anyway. Prepper or not, if you have the space for chickens, I highly recommend them, the eggs are the best, same with bees, low effort, good reward. 

93EXCivic said:

bobzilla said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

There are a lot of misconceptions on what being prepared for life actually is. It's become a derogatory term/phrase lately and I don't understand why.

I mean it is probably because most preppers I have met are like vegans or people in crossfit. It is their entire personality is based around prepping for the end of the world and their crazy theories about it. I am pretty sure that is who Robbie is talking about not being reasonably prepared for natural disasters and the like. 

I imagine like vegans, crossfitters, and atheists, you actually have met more than you think.  Its just the ones that have made it their entire personality that tell you about it right away.

In reply to ProDarwin :

bobzilla said:

93EXCivic said:

bobzilla said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

There are a lot of misconceptions on what being prepared for life actually is. It's become a derogatory term/phrase lately and I don't understand why.

I mean it is probably because most preppers I have met are like vegans or people in crossfit. It is their entire personality is based around prepping for the end of the world and their crazy theories about it. I am pretty sure that is who Robbie is talking about not being reasonably prepared for natural disasters and the like. 

I honestly have never met one like that. I hear stories that they're out there and there are the stupid YouTubers but IRL? Nope. I even spend time on local gun boards and can't say I've seen much of that. 

Yeah I know a couple. One through when I used to go shoot guns with friends and one a brother of one of grooms men in wedding. Both of them started with something fairly mild (guns and libertianism) and just being prepared for more minor things (like you should be) and they just went down a worm hole of conspiracy theories (like QAnnon with one and chemtrails and full blown anti vaxxer (not just talking about the current one)) and prepping for some end of the world by building cabins in the woods, stock up with guns and all that E36 M3. It is kind of sad to see cause in my friend's case it has really caused a major rift in his family which was really close.

Back when y2k was a thing, my boss was freaking out and trying to buy a generator because the world was ending. 

Apparently telling him "you'll be able to buy a used one cheaper in the new year" wasn't helping.

ShawnG said:

Back when y2k was a thing, my boss was freaking out and trying to buy a generator because the world was ending. 

Apparently telling him "you'll be able to buy a used one cheaper in the new year" wasn't helping.

My boss did that too. He really went to town laying in water and other supplies, spent a mint on a big whole-house generator, the whole enchilada.

In reply to ShawnG :

This is where a moderate amount of preparedness makes all the difference in the world. You aren't the one scrambling to get ready for the latest disaster, media scare, or the end of the world. Being prepared is the norm, not the exception. I get to sit back and laugh at everyone scrambling for the last of the TP or milk and paying premium prices for generators. 

Right after the Egyptian coup a few years ago I read an article about what it takes to survive in that kind of mess. The gist I remember is 1. medical supplies/training and 2. neighbors, such as blockading neighborhoods and doing security checks. They said that loners out in the sticks were the most vulnerable.

That said, for a localized crash in goods availability, I'm digging the suggestions for food, water and portable heat. There are some good resources out there in the form of low-tech aid sent to people in need in other countries, too, like basically trash can water purifiers. 

In reply to P3PPY :

For water, you can buy a Sawyer camping water filter for under $20. They will filter something like 100000 gallons of water. There is no reason to not have one in a drawer somewhere. 

In reply to Toyman! :

No, I get it, I have a generator,  fresh water and basic supplies to last me a while.

This was just the first time I had seen someone go into full on panic and hoarding because the world was coming to an end.

He was visibly shaken and stressed out over it.

In reply to ShawnG :

I have been that stressed out guy before.

I was 22 when Hurricane Hugo pretty much flattened the town I was living in. At that time, I was living about 2 miles from the ocean at ground zero. I had basically nothing in the way of supplies. Few canned foods, no generator, no gas, no water, pretty much nothing. Worse, I had no money to buy much in the way of supplies. I had a one burner Coleman stove, a cheap cooler, and a flashlight. That's about it. 

Luckily, my wife was working at Pizza Hut and they brought in truck loads of canned goods, supplies, and ice for their employees. I was working for a utility company and was working 10-14 hour days and eating breakfast and lunch with the National Guard. It was weeks of misery. Cold showers, cold food or warmed over canned foods, and what seemed like perpetual darkness. The cold showers and lack of basic amenities left an indelible mark on me and I've been prepared for just about anything ever since. I have backup food, power, stoves, water heaters, AC units, and heaters. We buy basic essentials by the case. We also moved 20 miles inland. My family will not go through that again for something as simple as a really, really, bad thunderstorm. 

As a bonus, if the AC at the house pukes, it's not an emergency. The portable units get installed and we call the AC guy and have it fixed. No rush, no coughing up premium money for a repair after hours or an emergency unit replacement. It's no big deal.  Likewise the heat. Roof damage? Tarps are in the shop as well as the supplies and knowledge to install them. Fridge quit? Not an issue. I have coolers and 12v refrigerators to take up the load as well as an ice machine to keep the coolers stocked with ice. Car dies? I've got spares. Almost nothing in life is an emergency when you have the materials and a plan in place to deal with it. 

After rereading that, I guess I am kind of enthusiastic about being prepared. Not necessarily for the end of the world situations, but for day to day situations. 

I get being stressed when a hurricane flattens your town.

Not when a hyped up bogeyman is coming for you.

Here we are chatting about preparedness and I'm just pleasantly surprised that my milk frother survived the move.

Guess I'm doomed. lol.

In reply to Toyman! :

I was in Cainhoy when Hugo hit.  While I do some basic preparing I think I came away a little different.  I came away realizing how little modern conveniences I needed.  Food and water and basic shelter is all I need.

In reply to Stampie :

If I'm winter camping, I have a heated tent. If I'm summer camping I'm taking the RV. 

While I can survive discomfort, there is no reason to be uncomfortable when, with a little preplanning, I don't have to be. 

I wouldn't have thought I was a "preparation enthusiast" but my daughter did a quick declutter of the freezer this week and it turns out I might be preparing for an aporkalypse in the way of packages of bacon.

J/K...I just buy one when I'm at the store and sometimes don't keep track of how many we still have.  

I like the discussion here and have learned a few things and seen some different viewpoints.

I'll go forward NOT assuming that the alt-prep crowd is the norm (but rather kind of a high-vis minority). 

In the same way that people don't actually rush to the store before a winter storm to buy bread and milk, specifically (they're actually buying EVERYTHING they'll want in an effort to be prepared for not being able to drive around at will for the next few days)...not everyone who wants to be reasonably prepared for realistic disasters has a shipping container full of MREs and Perrier.

Toyman's experience hits home as well.  Being prepared for an actual emergency (particularly one you know is likely) makes it much less of an emergency when the emergency emerges.  Not being stressed out about the lower couple layers or so of "Maslow's Triangular Heirarchy of Stuff We All Want" seems healthy and safe.

For me...I'd like to be a little more prepared for a week or two without electricity/water than I am right now, but I've honestly never experienced that (involuntarily) in my life.  I'd like to make sure I'm ready to prep my own drinking water and run a refrigerator while we recover from the (likely natural) disaster that leaves us without.

For a long term poxi-clypse I don't think any amount of hoarding of materials will do much good.  As mentioned earlier, working together with neighbors, friends, community...society is the only real hope at that point.  Skills and ingenuity will be the currency that helps folks keep on.  "Bugging out" and "getting away from society" seems...well, I'll just say it, asinine.  And yes...I fall into the fantasy of it from time to time but when it comes down to it I need and want community more than I want to simply survive.  But I hope we never have to deal with this sort of thing.  If we do...my life so far has been all the preparation one could hope for, lol.

ClemSparks said:

For a long term poxi-clypse I don't think any amount of hoarding of materials will do much good.  As mentioned earlier, working together with neighbors, friends, community...society is the only real hope at that point.  Skills and ingenuity will be the currency that helps folks keep on.  "Bugging out" and "getting away from society" seems...well, I'll just say it, asinine.  And yes...I fall into the fantasy of it from time to time but when it comes down to it I need and want community more than I want to simply survive.  But I hope we never have to deal with this sort of thing.  If we do...my life so far has been all the preparation one could hope for, lol.

I really should track down some accounts of Germany in the Great Depression that I read when I was a kid.  The rural areas people want to bug out to were not good places.  I remember wildlife was hunted heavily enough for food that it was getting hard to come by in some areas, and people from villages and cities would raid farms for their livestock.  Being armed could probably protect you a bit, but when the raiders were also armed, and outnumbered you, I am guessing it was safer to just hand over cows and pigs than it was to fight.

We like being in control of some things ourselves. Drinking water is one of them.

I just did some maintenance on our system in my farm build thread: Here

We can't drink city tap water anymore, it tastes funny.