WHY PREP? Help me understand why? I dont get it.

[Dart]

After 14 years in the Army I am not, I repeat NOT storing any MRE's....

Lol I think anyone that has had to eat them instead of "oh let's try a few MREs for fun" will agree with you. Our chow hall got destroyed at one of the FOBs I was at and we had to eat MREs for 3 months straight. There's only so many times a man can eat pasta with meat sauce and BBQ burger. Don't even want to talk about our bathroom situation (or lack there of)

 

[Altani]

I think it comes down to everyone has their own definition of prepping. Some take it to extremes but many do not.
I was actually afraid before I began getting prepared. Now I don't worry. I don't think about it much and I don't spend much time on it. I have a strong background in historical research as a medieval re-creationist as well as nearly having a degree in Anthropology with emphasis in cultural ethnography and archaeology. History says crap happens. Every civilization falls. I don't feel that this may happen tomorrow but even if it happens one hundred years from now, my kids that I may have someday will know how to take care of themselves. I see it as an advantage for my everyday living. Solar power and self-sufficiency is good for my wallet as well as the earth (even if I am still on the fence about global warming, no one can argue that the McDonald's cup on the side of the road is good nor is using up resources faster than they are made...Just ask the Mayans...) I have fun learning how to cook in alternative ways and storing things without coolers because I do the medieval re-creationism and this helps on my annual two week trip to Pennsic. My gun and ammunition can get me food and, living well below the poverty level, this can help me not drain the already empty food pantries around here, rely on already stretched thin government resources, and help me make it without being a taxpayer's burden. It is practical in my daily life.
Before I started prepping I was afraid I wouldn't have enough to eat for my husband and me ON A REGULAR BASIS. This means I didn't have to wait for a disaster or something to happen for prepping to pay off. It is a part of my life because I am in college and my husband cannot find employment in this area. I had many situations where prepping would have been very helpful and wish I had done so back then. One such situation was 11 days without electricity after a very bad storm, after a tornado hit my house and the current landlord didn't put siding or fix a thing (including no heat) in negative degree weather, and when my life was being threatened by said landlord's drug dealing maintenance guy who was breaking into my house, stalking me, and actually attempted to kill us once. (Wish I had my gun then...)
Prepping can apply to everyday situations and not just the great big disasters. I'm not so naive to believe that the U.S. will never fall or that another tornado or flood couldn't happen here. Then these things will be useful. Do I trust the government? Heck no but that isn't my primary reason for prepping. My prepping is based on university level research which is founded very firmly in highly respected scholastic journals and widely accepted social theory and history.
We aren't just a bunch of crazies like the media hype likes to infer, however amusing the shows are. We are people like you.
Great topic, btw.

 

[Clyde]

Lol I think anyone that has had to eat them instead of "oh let's try a few MREs for fun" will agree with you. Our chow hall got destroyed at one of the FOBs I was at and we had to eat MREs for 3 months straight. There's only so many times a man can eat pasta with meat sauce and BBQ burger. Don't even want to talk about our bathroom situation (or lack there of)

You had a much better selection than I did in the late 80's..... Chicken A la King (looked more like baby puke), Hot dogs, aka 5 fingers of death, dehydrated beef and pork patties to name a few.

 

[Dart]

You had a much better selection than I did in the late 80's..... Chicken A la King (looked more like baby puke), Hot dogs, aka 5 fingers of death, dehydrated beef and pork patties to name a few.

Yikes, yea that sounds pretty bad, there is one thing ill always love in MREs, and that is when I can find the mint choc. Chip cookie, my lord those are delicious. Or mixing the pineapples with the pound cake.

After I got out I attempted to goto school to become a chef, where we learned about meat designations. And there I learned that the meat they served us even in the chow halls is also the same quality of meat they give animals makes a lot of sense now that I think about it.

 

[Clyde]

Yikes, yea that sounds pretty bad, there is one thing ill always love in MREs, and that is when I can find the mint choc. Chip cookie, my lord those are delicious. Or mixing the pineapples with the pound cake.

In our MRE's there used to also be packs of dehydrated fruit, but you had to bend the package before eating it. The reason for that was if you bent the package and you didn't feel or hear the dehydrated fruit crunch then the package had a leak and the fruit was no longer dehydrated. If you ate the bad package you would be in a world of atomic intestinal problems..... not a good time to be in the field. They also had a "chocolate bar" that would have better served as a candle.

After I got out I attempted to goto school to become a chef, where we learned about meat designations. And there I learned that the meat they served us even in the chow halls is also the same quality of meat they give animals makes a lot of sense now that I think about it.

I believe it.

 

[Hunter Valley Preppers]

It seems to me NW, that you have come here, not with an open mind to find answers to your question but with a closed mind, to start an argument and force your views onto us.

What right do you have, to join a "Preppers" forum and question what we do and why we do it, the way you have?

It seems to me you have watched to much Doomsday Preppers, a show you will find most of us actually laugh at.

 

[rudyc]

dont look at preppers as crazy people who have stock piled lots of everything, want to live under ground, have money, or gold/silver buried on their property. i consider myself a prepper because i am preparing for a hurricane, or tropical storm, to pass by houston tx again and leave us without electricity, running water, or access to food for a few days. i am not preparing for a zombie apocolypse. government take over. or financial collapse. i am preparing for a natural disaster, and so i dont have to depend on government aid for a day or two. when ever i have been through a hurricane/tropical storm, and we stay because we dont want to be stuck in traffic for a day or two like other people. we also dont want to rely on FEMA or Red Cross to come give us food, since it may be dificult to get to the locations to where they are stationed. Houston is a big city. 4th largest in the U.S. so many people here. so many bellies. i rather rely on myself as long as i can, and give others an oportunity to get help. preppers are every one that prepares for anything. not the kind of people you see on doomsday preppers. i dont have a bunker. i dont have a years supply of food. i dont have 10 guns. i dont have a farm, but i have enough to prepare for an event that may come.
do you have insurance?
extra light bulbs?
batteries?
spare tire?
jumper cables?
sure these are "common" things to have, but it is also a way to prepare for when you need them. so therefore you are a prepper. like the posts above, the white house has a bunker underneath it, that can withstand a nuclear blast, food and water to last a while. every agent has a gun, so, they are preppers? is that ok?

 

[Dart]

The original poster has obviously run off and won't be back when she was confronted with facts.

 

[Overlord]

Maybe to wreak havoc somewhere else. Am sure she is still reading this and enjoying the attention. Or a govt agent trying to sow discord here

am not a man to judge another but believe that what right does another person have to belittle another in their beliefs

 

[Clyde]

The original poster has obviously run off and won't be back when she was confronted with facts.

a Troll.....

 

[Roninsensei]

a Troll.....

looking for a bridge to hide under... lol

 

[Overlord]

looking for a bridge to hide under... lol

Searching for her next victim to come around...

 

[Gazrok]

Why prep?

Well, it isn't all for doom and gloom you know.
For one thing, it's nice being more self sufficient. I can't wait to be able to eat home-canned fruits and veggies that I grew. I like the fact that when the power goes out, we just light some oil lamps, throw some meat on the grill, and play a boardgame, while our friends in the city wonder what they are going to do until it's back on. Recently, I've had two events that made me dig into preps. One, I was laid off for a time. Having food stored really helped stretch the grocery bill. Two, we had a major water leak, and that took time and money to fix. Luckily, we had water barrels that made getting through that easier. Prepping doesn't have to be "for the future". Most of my preps also have to have a "right now" benefit, for me to justify the investment.

 

[Ally Oakley]

The fact is, nobody knows when they could lose their job or when a natural disaster could strike. It happens every single day in this country. Then there is the possiblities of tierany, government collapse or looting. I think preparing ourselves to be self sufficient is an incredibly honorable thing to do. It only takes one time of not knowing where your next meal is coming from or not being able to obtain medical care in an emergency to realize how dependent we are on our government and others. When bad things happen in our society, we become a number to the government agencies on a really long list of other numbers. I don't live in fear. I actually live with a sense of peace and well being knowing that I can take care of myself and my family in almost any circumstance. People like the original poster are sheeple that will want to run & hide behind people like us when SHTF. She better hope she finds a bleeding heart that will take care of her because she will be SOL.

 

[Gazrok]

My preps have helped me in ways I never thought I'd use them. From having food to help stretch money during unemployment, to having water when we had a leak, or having building materials onhand to make repairs or do projects, I found enough practical applications NOW to even get the wife onboard, when previously, she thought I was nuts.

 

[Shad393]

A very interesting discussion. In the country I live in, the SHTF every day. Terrorism, bomb blasts, kidnappings, power outages, floods, corruption, nepotism, mis-governance, etc. Yet people live on. life goes on, people still get married and still have babies. I know a very nice gentleman who lost his 20 something son in the WTC on 9/11. He also still lives on. The point I want to make is this; we want to have come semblance of control in our lives.

Some politicians thousands of miles away decide to favor General Electric or General Motors, or General Foods and we get screwed. Some Banker in NewYork or London sells junk securities and our homes lose half their value. Some nutcase in North Korea wants to to prove he is tougher than his dad so the Japanese start glowing in the dark (again). Some failed artist in Germany decides to blame his country's woes on a small minority and the Holocaust happens.

In these days we see the US government bailing out the very same banks that caused a global collapse but the poor suckers who lost their homes, who baled them out?

You work, you struggle, you take on debt, you pay your bills, you do your civic duty, and what do you have to show for it? A collapsing manufacturing sector, a rust belt, falling real wages, crumbling infrastructure, crumbling social services. And the rich getting richer, the paper pushers being paid 20 times what the heavy lifters are paid. The politicos laughing all the way to the bank.

Its all about control. The average Jane or Joe wants a degree of freedom about where she or he lives, works or plays, what they want to feed their kids. I remember that some time ago a Nobel Prize was awarded to economists who proved that Choice was the key to economic prosperity.

That's what prepping is about. To give one a choice, to not be forced into making a decision by default.

Lets see what I have in my emergency kit: a Victorinox, duck tape, WD40, 2 Duracells ...Oh crap!

--
Shad

 

[Ally Oakley]

A very interesting discussion. In the country I live in, the SHTF every day. Terrorism, bomb blasts, kidnappings, power outages, floods, corruption, nepotism, mis-governance, etc. Yet people live on. life goes on, people still get married and still have babies. I know a very nice gentleman who lost his 20 something son in the WTC on 9/11. He also still lives on. The point I want to make is this; we want to have come semblance of control in our lives.

Some politicians thousands of miles away decide to favor General Electric or General Motors, or General Foods and we get screwed. Some Banker in NewYork or London sells junk securities and our homes lose half their value. Some nutcase in North Korea wants to to prove he is tougher than his dad so the Japanese start glowing in the dark (again). Some failed artist in Germany decides to blame his country's woes on a small minority and the Holocaust happens.

In these days we see the US government bailing out the very same banks that caused a global collapse but the poor suckers who lost their homes, who baled them out?

You work, you struggle, you take on debt, you pay your bills, you do your civic duty, and what do you have to show for it? A collapsing manufacturing sector, a rust belt, falling real wages, crumbling infrastructure, crumbling social services. And the rich getting richer, the paper pushers being paid 20 times what the heavy lifters are paid. The politicos laughing all the way to the bank.

Its all about control. The average Jane or Joe wants a degree of freedom about where she or he lives, works or plays, what they want to feed their kids. I remember that some time ago a Nobel Prize was awarded to economists who proved that Choice was the key to economic prosperity.

That's what prepping is about. To give one a choice, to not be forced into making a decision by default.

Lets see what I have in my emergency kit: a Victorinox, duck tape, WD40, 2 Duracells ...Oh crap!

--
Shad

Well said. Choice + Control = Freedom.

 

[Gazrok]

Its all about control. The average Jane or Joe wants a degree of freedom about where she or he lives, works or plays, what they want to feed their kids. I remember that some time ago a Nobel Prize was awarded to economists who proved that Choice was the key to economic prosperity.

That's what prepping is about. To give one a choice, to not be forced into making a decision by default.

Wow. That is perhaps the most insightful, eloquent answer I've ever seen for this question. Oddly enough, I didn't even realize that yeah, this is the reason I prep. I want to feel some control again.

 

[Maverick]

prepping is giving one the freedom and Liberty to live without the need to rely on an oppressive government in times of trouble, if you rely on the government for your needs you are under their rules and constraints.

Remember in times of crises the government is oppressive otherwise it has no control over the masses.

simply put, 'we who are free chose to remain free'

 

[jimLE]

yeah..telling folks that you prep.is like signing your own death sentance..and thats why im very hush hush about it when it comes to my neighbours n family..and the so called government sure aint gonna help out in a time of need..

 

[MahoganyEclipse]

Hello NaughtyWombat, Im sorry you got a bad taste in your mouth about the idea of 'prepping' but in the first sentences you have pointed out exactly why I prep. And not just me, my whole family as well. I prep to ensure their comfort and survival. Its not depressing to me, its actually very liberating.
But I do have a few questions for you;

Respectfully, I just don’t understand why so many people are obsessed with prepping. If something catastrophic were to actually happen, I’m not sure I would want to survive the aftermath. True survival is pure agony and a post-apocalyptic world would be ruthless and unrelenting. Hording water, food and weapons would not change this.

and

There have always been murderers, rapist, genocide and terrorism. The only difference is that we are now more informed.

So, you would suggest that people do...nothing? I believe that storing water, food, and weapons will change the outcome.

The bottom line is If I lived every aspect of my life with the pessimism of a prepper , I would never try anything new and would avoid anything that involved any level of risk. I would wear a chain mail diving suit when swimming in ocean so I could be prepared for a shark attack, and I would construct a rubber room in my home so I would be protected from lighting strikes.

Since Ive started 'prepping' Ive learned a lot of new things. I've learned how to make soap and to can food. I decided to go to college in the medical field and prepping was one of the main pushes for me. I also do more hiking, walking and am saving up for a good bike so I can ride the mountain trails around here and I want to do horseback riding and get an ATV (all terrain vehicle, aka four wheeler) and get out there and explore, as well as my goal to eventually be apart of the local Search and Rescue teams. Physical fitness is a very important aspect for anyone regardless of being a 'prepper' or not but thats what gets me out the door.

It seems like an awful lot of preppers are playing out some sort or childhood fantasy. Just like with religious zealots, preppers seem to get off on the idea that they possess some sort of secret knowledge that the rest of the world is ignorant to..

Its true that there are some out there who are quite dedicated to their lifestyle but I see nothing wrong with it. Now if you've been watching stuff like Doomsday Preppers on National Geographic, I suppose I might see where you got this idea but you should know that everyone is different. I have friends of both types. You did mention earlier about fear being the main motivator and also noted what we were each 'prepping for'. So I ask you, do you think that fear and concerns should be ignored and I should stick my head in the sand, or should I do something about it? Yes, I do have a lot of concerns about the way things have been progressing in our country, I happen to like history and I've seen a pattern emerge in every single nation/kingdom that has ever formed. Some still exist after massive turmoil and others didnt survive. Just because I fear something doesnt mean Im running around, waving my arms about and screaming my head off.

I can’t predict the future and there is no sense in pretending like I can.To me, it’s all a waste of time.

I happen to be in a very good position where I work and I've been told on several occasions that I'm a valued employee. Does that mean I am secure for the rest of my life? Of course not. Just read about people who have dedicated 20+ years to their company only to get laid off with little or no notice. Its also a sense of false confidence for me to think that nothing 'big' could happen. I live right next to a fault line (where tectonic plates meet) that runs smack dab through Utah, so I also prep for earthquakes, which have a low probability but its still a possibility. As you co clearly stated, I cant predict the future, no one really can, but Im damned sure gonna be ready for it, whatever 'it' may be.

Life is too short to imprison myself in my own mind and if the disasters do come, I can only hope the damage from the volcanic eruption, nuclear bomb or solar flare is great enough to kill me instantly.

To be honest, thats really quite naive. Im not going to leave my fate to the possibility of 'hoping' that something kills me off instantly so that I dont have to suffer or watch the suffering of others.

 

[Wiredog8]

I prep because it is my job to protect my family from anything that threatens them. No matter what or who it is.

 

[Kenprep1979]

Respectfully, I just don’t understand why so many people are obsessed with prepping. If something catastrophic were to actually happen, I’m not sure I would want to survive the aftermath. True survival is pure agony and a post-apocalyptic world would be ruthless and unrelenting. Hording water, food and weapons would not change this. Furthermore, I don’t see the point in spending the productive years of my life worrying about what could happen. I would rather enjoy my life and if something horrible happens, then so be it. I can’t predict the future and there is no sense in pretending like I can.
Like most things, preparation is good in moderation. I prepare for a meeting at work, or an impending snow storm, but there is no sense in preparing for incidents of low probability. It’s not logical and I see it as an extremely negative and depressing way to exist. Although our world is flawed, some people exaggerate the moral decline of society and choose to view America as a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. We are fortunate enough to be witnesses to an age of information that has changed the way we perceive the world. There have always been murderers, rapist, genocide and terrorism. The only difference is that we are now more informed. The advent of new information mediums combined with politically motivated 24hr news networks, has resulted in paranoid and skewed perspective of reality.
The bottom line is If I lived every aspect of my life with the pessimism of a prepper , I would never try anything new and would avoid anything that involved any level of risk. I would wear a chain mail diving suit when swimming in ocean so I could be prepared for a shark attack, and I would construct a rubber room in my home so I would be protected from lighting strikes. It seems like an awful lot of preppers are playing out some sort or childhood fantasy. Just like with religious zealots, preppers seem to get off on the idea that they possess some sort of secret knowledge that the rest of the world is ignorant to. To me, it’s all a waste of time. Life is too short to imprison myself in my own mind and if the disasters do come, I can only hope the damage from the volcanic eruption, nuclear bomb or solar flare is great enough to kill me instantly.

were not saying you should prep for every waking minute of your spare time. nor should you prep for every possible scenario, just pick what disaster u think is more possible and prep for that! world war III is eminent we keep sticking our nose in other countries buisiness and they are getting fed up with it ! even our allies are not liking it too much, soon we will piss off the wrong country and it will be an all out war ! what follows war ? economy issues ,our resources wil be put towards the war effort and people here at home will feel the effects of it through poverty and starvation! this is something to prep for that is very possible. history has proven this time and time again.

 

[Kenprep1979]

were not saying you should prep for every waking minute of your spare time. nor should you prep for every possible scenario, just pick what disaster u think is more possible and prep for that! world war III is eminent we keep sticking our nose in other countries buisiness and they are getting fed up with it ! even our allies are not liking it too much, soon we will piss off the wrong country and it will be an all out war ! what follows war ? economy issues ,our resources wil be put towards the war effort and people here at home will feel the effects of it through poverty and starvation! this is something to prep for that is very possible. history has proven this time and time again.

One more thing if u dont beleive in prepping and have no place for it then why waste your time creating an account and becoming a member of a website that is based on prepping and survival??? if some part of you isnt worried about it a little?

 

[HarrySachs]

Good question, if sincere. A lot of good responses as well.

I hate buying insurance and warranties because my thought is
that ill never use it...THEN I ask myself.."what if I do?

That's why I got into "prepping" What ever the definition may be.

Nothing would please me more than during a neucluar attack, the bomb
just landed on my head. Then nothing I prepared for, or did in life would
matter right?
What if it doesn't, what if I survive it? I don't want to be sitting here
hungry and thirsty.
That's the most dramatic situation.
What about inflation? Im not a huge economic buff, I think as a people we
can survive that, BUT what if some things are hard to get because of it? Id
rather have "prepped" items I use everyday at todays prices, then trying to
get them when companies decide to jack prices so high, no low income person
can afford them.
Then there is mother nature. I can survive in my home for a long time if I get
snowed in, or if there is a heat wave that knocks out power for a week. etc etc
Also, not all of us can have a "job that will always be around" Many business
are not keeping up with times and not all of us can just go back to school and
get a new job. So if I lose my job, I know I can eat and wipe my bum for an
extended period of time, til I get back on my feet, if I ever do.
Sometimes when I buy preps I feel guilty for spending money I may or may not
have, but the only thing that saves me, is I know I DIDNT waster that money.
Not like the guilt you get for spending it on a TV or a bar tab
In the end, preppers aren't whack jobs hoping for the world to end, so they can
be the last man on earth. sure some are, but most are self sustaining people, who'd
rather be self sufficient than someone who'd rather rely on things that have
been handed to them over the last 100 years

 

[HarrySachs]

One more thing if u dont beleive in prepping and have no place for it then why waste your time creating an account and becoming a member of a website that is based on prepping and survival??? if some part of you isnt worried about it a little?

He could be a troll, but sin

One more thing if u dont beleive in prepping and have no place for it then why waste your time creating an account and becoming a member of a website that is based on prepping and survival??? if some part of you isnt worried about it a little?

He could be a troll, but my guess is that, since he had to take the time to create and account
and post here, he might be looking for answers, to justify why he might want OR not want to do

 

[HarrySachs]

I just wanna add that, being self sufficient shouldn't be a long lost skill.
Our species took thousands of years of being that way just to get where
we are now. There is no reason you cant have a garden, can your own food
and play an xbox.
Nothing is guaranteed and that includes your hungry mans frozen dinners

 

[Megib]

I suppose prepping means many different things to many different people. For me, prepping simply means being prepared for abnormal occurrences. I guess one example of this would be a failed power grid. Would I have an alternate plan to be able to eat, and have water to drink, at least for a short time period, should something like this happen. As some one who is somewhat experienced at hunting, camping, hiking and fishing, I think having a plan to be able to quickly respond to an abnormal occurrence, should the need arise, simply offers me more options to reach safety or "weather a storm".

 

[Colt 1911]

WHY PREP? Help me understand why? I dont get it.

You don't get it ? I get it, your stupid............

 

[jimLE]

having a good hair day are we? lol