Prepping, not as taboo as it used to be. Odd isn’t it? (an observation)

Bill Masen - February 15, 2021

Isn’t it odd that,

Before 911 or 7/7  Preppers were ridiculed, mocked and abused, and our stockpiling was condemned as hoarding, our efforts at self reliance as “odd” and we were seen as selfish fear mongers.

After 911 or 7/7  The Establishment ( globally) sort of tolerated prepping and many governmental and NGO agencies started suggesting citizens to build their own Disaster Emergency Kits and store supplies to weather storms and disasters, but we were still looked down upon by the MSM and many establishment types as being radicals outside of civilised society.

But in this Covid 19 crisis we see NO ONE is mocking preppers any more, not even cynical governments or TV hosts, Almost every agency issues PLANS FOR CITIZENS to build Bobs and Caches and they open encourage everyone to BE PREPARED.. Articles in globally respected new papers state openly Preppers were right to get ready for the unforseen.

Now just about every celeb, dot.com billionaire and many of our ruling elites are now ardent preppers…. just like us.

I think that over the last 20 years we have proven our community and its beliefs to not only being RIGHT, but pretty darn essential in these strange times.

I dont want to say ” I told you so” but I am thinking it. BUT I also know NOW that I NEED to learn and interact with others on forums exactly like this one.

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I edited the title to hopefully make the point of the post clearer for other people. You’re welcome to edit it more.

The founder of The Prepared actually did an interview for the BBC not that long ago on how prepping is going mainstream. Here is a link to that.

And here’s a blog post all the way back in 2019 about how prepping isn’t as weird as it used to be.

I think it is great! As the more people that get prepared, the less of a demand that relief efforts will be on our governments, more lives will be saved, and hopefully the safety of my own preps and self will increase as people will have what they need and not come get mine in a disaster.

 

Brave guys, I’ve fended off a couple of approaches from the TV and media over the years, I’m to afraid for my opsec and my ego 🙂 to go public.

 

With the timeline I use, it’s not odd; just a delay to rehab the old Civil Defense personal knowledge and preparedness with supplies like the first aid kit and canteen.

Much of the (US) “culture” and environment leading up to my timeline base provided the stimulus for preppers to be viewed like medics and reserve police offices working for free.

Recall the costs and headaches of the 1968 – 71 riots in US – Vietnam War, assassination of Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, the White House “palace coup d’ “. Much more when adding in eg the oil embargoes.

My time line starts with “Y2K”, the national scare that the US would collapse due computers failing. In 1988 the US Government addressed this scare via FEMA.  Some wacko groups provoking the scare encompassed survivalists of various sorts. Some national religious leaders such as Reverend Jerry Falwell of Lynchburg, Virginia (His Liberty University location) talked in terms of apcalypse and he advised/preached to stock food and guns.  

The national environment was “hyper” and money was made by some selling everythin g from books, tapes, tent pegs, MREs, guns.

All this is occuring in a terrorist environment; Mir Anial Kasi murdering and wounding at road to CIA HQ, 1993 (executed in Virginia, winter 2002) the Beltway snipers, many more events.

WTC 911 had background events.  Don’t forget the anthrax scare.

The USG was already experiencing some economic problems.

Preppers were a safety valve to American society in general and USG in particular. Preppers took pressure off of the inadequate public sector.  We prepared under the FEMA doctrines as appropriate for one’s situation and locality.

Now that even the slow learners, acid heads and drunks realize that “In case of emergency, call 9-1-1” isn’t connected to several dozen 4X4 Land Rovers for rescues, we are accepted as premier citizens like the old time bucket brigades and related. 

Some prominent prepper groups are Guardian Angels, founded by Curtis Sliver of NYC and the Cajun Navy started in Louisiana.

 

One of the toughest things about prepping is having the tenacity to continue the acquisition, organization and maintenance of new preps. It means new skills must be practiced, mastered and remembered through physical and mental drills.

Prepping is endless hours of reading, seeking and planning.

It means sifting through what you know, believe or have planned to ensure your thoughts and plans hold true as the years pass. It means walking a high and fine tight-rope between caution and fear, between what you know is the best and the worst of humanity.

Prepping means a daily choice to go on, to find a way to go on, no matter what happens.

It means challenging oneself to continue after the immediate threat has passed. The stimulus may be gone, but the learning, practice, and maintenance goes on no matter how tired you are, or if you are the one in your family who is responsible for it all.

Prepping means accepting that you will make mistakes and hoping that any you do make won’t harm others or yourself.

Prepping means that we walk alone much of the time, hoping others join us on the path, hoping that they stay committed to prepping, to learning, to teaching others.

In this last year, when Covid numbers went down, our local Co-op had a surplus of flour and yeast on previously empty shelves. People went back to buying bread. They stopped baking.

Our provincial restrictions were recently loosened and all anyone could talk about in local chatter is “getting back to normal”.

They aren’t prepping. They were situationally involved in a crisis and as soon as that crisis is gone, they will be gone, too. There will be a glut of discarded baking supplies and other items in the thrift stores. 

The prepared will be here. Those of us for whom this is a way of life will go on, as we always do.

We need to be here for when the next crisis happens to help others find their way.

I so hope you are right, Bill. 

 

Best essay on the prepper theme at TP.com.

I hope it is positioned as a permanent feature here at masthead.

 

Do you have a link please Bob.

 

Bill, was referring to Ubique’s post immediately above my comment.

 

OK mate, my mistake

 

Yup and not a minute of your time was wasted, If you prepare for something but nothing happens you have lost nothing.  I have been prepping since 1979 and my preps have bailed me out of unemployment, power cuts, weeks long ice storms, lock downs, civil unrest, riots, attacks by criminals, food and fuel shortages and much more.    Regrets I have none.    Giving thanks… plenty.

 

I really can’t say there was a time when prepping was dissed, etc.  Perhaps it was because my parents were of the Depression ear (1930s); we always had a well stocked pantry.  Later, while in college and getting into hiking, caving, and climbing, I learned the value of planning for the unexpected and having a little it of extra on hand.  Still later, I worked in isolated locations, 50-100 miles to the nearest grocery;  I have always had plenty of food on hand.

I don’t ever recall being ridiculed or harassed because of my preps, then or now.  Of course, I am probably not too extreme – no 100 pound bags of rice in mylar bags or thousands of rounds of ammo (I only have three firearms).  I am working to use solar power as an alternative energy source.

Besides, I don’t really care what others may think as long as my activities and choices are legal and moral.  I will do what I think is prudent and reasonable.  And let’s face it, not everything suggested y “preppers’ meets that standard

 

hikermor, my parents were from the same era and that is exactly the term I use today: “a well-stocked pantry”. Everybody we knew on the farm lived that way, and I believe many city people did too, back then.

I prepare to avoid problems and as you said “prudent and reasonable” will never steer you wrong.

One compass I use to stay morally sound is:  Would my parent’s be ashamed of my actions?

 

To be fair, the government has had a section on it’s website for a long time about being prepared.

Preparing for Emergencies

It is left up to the individual to take it on board and do something about it.

I think the pandemic has been a wake up call for many people who were on the receiving end of the shortages. In my family a nephew has realised the usefulness of a well stocked pantry. In a Zoom call recently he took me on a virtual tour of his food store asking for tips and advice. He said he used to view my pantry as a mix between an Aladdin’s cave and an eccentricity. If he only knew! my stores are far more extensive than just the pantry.

So, it’s not all bad news, I do believe some people will continue to maintain more of a food store and I applaud them.

 

Well said, Linnet.

We do too, but as you say it is up to the individual to do something about it.

I suggested to our provincial government that they teach emergency preparedness in school. If children we taught a little bit every year, they would be better prepared.

It would be nice if they brought back “health class” in school and teach better hygiene practices also.