Five reasons why liberals are prepping

John AdamaStaff - August 2, 2017

Prepping is only for conservative, rural, gun-toting survivalists, right? Think John Goodman in the movie Cloverfield Lane, with an underground bunker
[See the full post at: Five reasons why liberals are prepping]

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Informative. Well-written and just a wee bit scary. Thanks for the tips!

 

Thanks! Alex did a good job. Wee bit scary indeed. I needed a drink and a hug after writing https://theprepared.com/gui…

 

Definetely a unique take on what is certain to be an essential part of things to come and most likely quickly.

 

These are all things that have been very much on my mind, but I think I’ve avoided getting more into it because of the association between being a prepper and conservative… knowing I’m not the only one on the other side of the spectrum makes me want to digging in things more. Glad to have come across this article (and the site).

 

Thanks Michele! That’s great to hear because it’s one of the core reasons we just launched The Prepared. There are a lot of people like us and they’re starting to be more open about it.

Any topics you’re particularly interested in?

You might like https://theprepared.com/gui…

 

I really enjoyed the Basics guide, but I’d like to know more about storage — e.g. how long can I store water? Can I keep it in unheated storage (it gets waaay below freezing here) or will that damage/degrade the plastic? Thanks!

 

I’m actually working on our short term water supply storage review today! To foreshadow, among any of the common containers, it’s probably never a good idea to keep your short term water in a place that will freeze. Even if the container was strong enough, you’d have to reduce the volume of water to allow expansion when it freezes.

Two weeks of water only takes up two cubic feet, so you can hopefully find a place to store it inside – even if it’s a basement that gets down into the 40s/50s.

 

Please don’t let the stigma that others place on being prepared stop you.
Being prepared is for everything from civil unrest coming from protests that get out of hand, to storms, earthquakes and hurricanes, to terrorism, to EMP or Solar Flare.

What started me on the track was the earthquakes in LA in 94, then the LA riots in 2001.
We moved to rural areas after that. But, then I became complacent (normalcy bias) until I learned about the 2012 solar flare that missed us by a hair.
I came to realize had that hit, I would have been up a creek (not the one in my backyard either-LOL) and with a disabled son to care for, I was very ill prepared for anything.

Might I suggest a quick read, if you havent done so already? “One Second After”. It may be about an EMP aftermath, but what it really showed me was how we rely on so many everyday things that are simple, but we take for granted. And how without them we are so not prepared to deal with basic life and how tragic that can be.
Good luck and happy prepping. 🙂

 

Well said. We also recommend One Second After in our best survival books list: https://theprepared.com/pre…

 

Interesting argument about the hippies in the 1960s-1970s. When Alex and I were talking about this post, we did talk about the relationship between liberal communes and prepping, but kept it higher level in #5.

 

http://www.thesanctumchiangmai.com
People think I am crazy, why? Because I want my house to be safe and secure?

 

Thank you for this article. As a severely left-wing writer who is interested in frontier and wilderness living as well as being prepared for disasters — I used to live in an area that was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina — I was longing for a community based around preparing that would feel welcoming, unlike many right-wing forums where the hostility toward progressives is palpable — even sadistically gleeful. You’ve provided a website where I can find such a welcoming community. Thanks again.

 

Thanks for the kind words Vaylon. You’re welcome here, as is everyone civil and sane. We want to remove politics from emergency preparedness. Feel free to share and comment on any articles and help get the community aspect rolling!

 

Being prepared is not a “Left, or Right” thing, Its a survival thing.

 

Totally agree. Even if our political system were functioning perfectly, there’d still be plenty to prepare for. We wrote this to counter the perception that all preppers are alt-right folks.

 

“Cities like Miami, Oakland, Charleston, and four of the five New York City boroughs will be gone.”

Um, yeah . . . no, they won’t. Good grief.

 

Can you please cite data that’s more compelling than the federal agencies and 25,000 scientists who say otherwise? Honest question.

 

And a fair question, as well. This just came in my email today: “Climate Alarmist Consensus—About to Shatter?” cornwallalliance(DOT)org/2018/04/climate-alarmist-consensus-about-to-shatter/

 

Great article! That’s me, the quintessential liberal prepper! Love this site, thanks for being here!
And don’t be afraid of those trolls, I go toe to toe with them everyday.

 

Thanks! I don’t mind the trolls, they are inevitable, worthless, and far outspoken by the support from folks like you!

 

More articles John! Get to writing! Subjects I’d like to see here: Precious metals, economic collapse stories, preparing for NBC warfare, pandemics, possibility of civil war ( I know that means politics, but it is a distinct possibility and we should prep for it). A well written article about this topic could avoid pointing fingers and calling names, and just stick with what to do in the event of civil disturbances, ya know?

 

Thanks! I’m actively working on getting TP to be more than just a one-man-band so I can get more/better content out quickly. Even just having someone to deal with trolls would help me go faster.

Thanks for the topic requests. NBC related: https://theprepared.com/gea…

I do plan on hitting precious metals soon. Recently did personal finance: https://theprepared.com/pre…

Pandemic, economic crisis, and civil unrest are on the planned list!

 

Serious question from the right: if leftists believe so strongly in the climate change claim, why do so few do anything about it at the personal/family level? The vast majority still drive cars, fly on planes, etc. I don’t think buying indulgences — I mean, carbon offsets — are proven to truly offset carbon use.

 

My personal read is that many recognize their individual actions don’t matter in the context of larger institutional inaction. So the cost of making personal changes is not worth it when you reasonably believe it won’t have an impact.

e.g. It sucks to voluntarily take public transportation on a hot day only to see the EPA roll back contamination regulations + our government withdraws from the Paris agreement (the only modern country in the world to do so).

Although that could seem hypocritical, I don’t think it crosses the line and is a fair argument.

The only way we can actually address climate change is through large, sweeping changes at a government level. Obviously one of the big underlying problems is that humans are really bad about making changes before it’s too late or costly. Especially Americans, who use more water and energy than their EU counterparts due to lifestyle inflation.

FWIW, it’s not “leftists” that believe in climate change — it’s 99% of scientists (particularly when you exclude those bankrolled by oil etc) and the majority of the educated public.

Thanks for the fair and sincere question.

 

This GQ article actually lays out the problem of personal responsibility vs. industrial level damage: https://www.gq.com/story/bi…

The TL;DR version is summed up in this sentence from the article: “The real impact comes on the industrial level, as more than 70 percent of global emissions come from just 100 companies.” It’s a good and fairly short read though, would recommend.

 

Love your website and have really found that the information I’ve read has eased a lot of my anxieties around the current pandemic situation. I went and joined that Liberal Preppers group on facebook since it was linked here and it pretty much is the opposite of your website’s goals – tin foil hats everywhere. I had to leave the group after just 3 days because most of the posts are paranoid, or unhelpful at the very least. I’d suggest adding a disclaimer that the link in your article is not a personal recommendation or endorsement. 😖

 

So glad it’s been helpful Jessica! FWIW, linking to a quote source generally isn’t considered an endorsement.

We’re launching a forum on this website in about a week, so you can get your convo on there! And/or if you want a Facebook group, try “The Liberal Prepper” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1206158592808501/ — the one that was referenced in this article has waned/stalled a bit since this was published in 2017.

 

Thank you for this well written article. I liked it very much, and so necessary to prepare for now, because it’ll get worse before it gets better. A bit scary, but I expected this. Thanks again. 👍👍 😷 😷

 

Wow!  FLASH BACK!  Your article brought back graphic memories from my childhood.

    I come from a long line of ‘Liberal Preppers,’ but we didn’t know it or call it that back then.  When I was very young I loved to explore my grandparents attic.  They escaped Germany after WWI and never forgot what it was like to be destitute.  There were shoes of all sorts, dress clothes never worn which could be sold if necessary – and certainly better garments than my grandparents would ever wear themselves – plus canned and packaged goods from everywhere!  Military and work clothes on racks and dusty firearms in the corners.  They sold candy from a side room, but acquiring a piece of that candy for free, was quite the coupe for me and my brother!

    I vividly remember my folks storing canned goods and rotating water jugs under the cellar stairs.  Teachers were leading us grade schoolers in evacuation drills into school basements, “Sit on the floor and cross your legs. Place your head down between your legs and cover the back of your neck with your interlaced fingers.”  I can relive, on command, the feel of the damp floor, the smell of mold filling my nostrils and sense the clammy atmosphere seeping into my clothing and moistening my skin within.  . . .all the while silently waiting in the dark basement for the town’s ‘All Clear’ siren to sound.

     Everyone pulled together.  Prepping was never considered a political ‘thing’ unless you considered the international ramifications of Cuba or other international aggression against ‘all’ Americans.

    My folks always had a Victory Garden, but it was many years before I realized what spawned every American to grow their own food.  The Victory Garden was essential to remain ‘independent’ TOGETHER, while collectively supporting our soldiers’ needs fighting abroad.

    Then, the enemy was outside our gates. . . . 

 

Thank you for sharing those fond memories with us.

Have you carried on the prepping traditions from your grandparents and parents?

 

Absolutely – well, less & more. Since I was always involved in outdoor activities we always had several weeks of backup food and camping supplies around the house. It wasn’t until I retired from the military that I had enough funds leftover, after household necessities, that I began building a Prepper lifestyle in earnest.

I started quietly, feeling a little ’embarrassed’ about what I was doing, until one social luncheon. We joined several career, very down to earth, sensible and responsible Warrant Officers at the table. These were the best in our field. Our spouses joined us. These are the type of W4s and W5s you expect to be so ground that ‘Prepper’ would not be in their vocabulary. After all, I served with them for years and no one EVER said a word.

The conversation started to lag and my wife blurts out, “Tom’s become quite a Prepper!” AWWWW! Noooo!!! I shrank with embarrassment!

Without missing a beat, the senior most respectable member’s wife said, “Oh my; Prepping?!? (name withheld) has .45 cal pistols hidden all over the house and talk about solar panels? We can power the County!” Everyone went on from there! Best food stuffs, heating options, wood cutting & hunting concerns so others would not hear, and more! All these closet liberal Warrant Officers were committed Preppers for years and proud of it. I had no idea!

So, yeah, I’m keeping up the family tradition and involving the grandkids as well.  Pretty nice to have company, huh?

 

That story made me laugh!

With covid this year, there has been an increase people interested in prepping. It is becoming a more common thing and people of all walks of life are doing just a little bit more like storing some extra food in their pantry.

 

Thanks for the kind comments!