The irony of prepping

People don't 'prep' for the best. People don't 'prep' for the things that they don't believe will happen. People 'prep' for the worst things that they are left to believe have, at least, possibility of occurring.
The worst thing that can happen is also the most likely thing that will happen. You are going to die. I submit that 'preppers' are the least prepared for the most likely and worst case scenario. It is my experience that 'preppers' are those least prepared to die.

 

wut?

yeah well, you continue to live in your city that is the homing coordinates of probably about 100 nuclear missiles from at least three countries, and the preppers will continue to keep their guns loaded and their bomb shelters filled with food, water, and gold coins in the flyover countries.

I really have no idea what you're on about, but it's not going to amount to a can of beans if the SHITF (and no, you can't have any). You'll die, leaving behind a posthumously decorated darwin award.

We will survive without you and your "gene pool".

 

If you consider this old rhubarb farm to be a "city", I would suggest that you need to get out more. We have thirty three acres between us and our nearest neighbor. We have two years of food. Our well is in our basement. Our home is a defendable position. You completely missed my point which, in a way, is my point. So, in that way, I thank you.

 

Now you want to come across like you're prepared for when the SHITF?

But you think preppers are the least prepared...

sorry, but I just don't get it.

 

Nothing wrong with having adequate food, water, fuel and ammunition on hand. Some people go crazy and start hoarding whole homes worth of junk.

Even just for natural disasters, food and water are a necessity. Looting occurred a lot in Katrina. Be modestly prepared.

 

A lot of preppers do that because they don't see much of a future for the government, but they have family.

The people who think preppers shouldn't prepare never explain just why the government isn't in danger. Personally, I think they're doing that in the hopes that their neighbors decide that maybe they don't need a gun. Then when the SHTF, they can just march over to his neighbor and steal whatever he owns.

What other reason can there be for these people telling preppers that maybe they're being paranoid? It's not like they're going over there with reasoned arguments. They're just saying "dude, before the SHTF, I think you're totally overprepared for this thing that is never going to happen, so just... you don't need that gun!!!"

 

All it would take to set off the zombie apocalypse is the power grid to go down for two weeks.

Once their bottles of perrier are depleted, folks in the vertical urban areas who have given over their liberty and security to government services will come swarming out to the country to pillage.

They outnumber us, but we're better armed because they are forced to outsource their security to others.

 

People are irrational. Second, they are particularly bad at assessing risk. For example, the risk of dying of heart disease is roughly one in four. Does that mean people would actually forgo the triple bypass burger or start exercising? No way. Instead, some stash their pantry with 1000s of cans and hoard guns and ammo, although the risk of dying after societal breakdown may be one in a million or less.

It is action based on feelings rather than numbers.

 

It does not have to be one or the other. You can prepare for both. However, how about similar preparations, but for more realistic situations.
We keep a smaller amount of food on hand because the electrical power can and does go out in ice storms and other natural catastrophes. It went out for ten days in an ice storm a few years ago. We could not leave the house.

We keep guns and ammo around for the very real possibility of a break in.

We also try to exercise, mainly walking, on a regular basis.

 

And what is it exactly that you people think you’re preparing for?

 

People are smart and over the ages humans have been far more successful than any other animal. There is a natural human tendency to hate a given loss much more than enjoying the same gain --that's because for survival our enjoyment of say, eating the leg of a wild beast could not be the same as letting some other wild beast eat our leg. So we evolve.

The world has good things and bad things happening, and the lazy stupid people complain about the bad things and the smart working people flourish w/ the good.

Judging by the fact that on average individual people's wealth doubles every thirty some years (each generation), the hard numbers show just how smart people truly have become.

Naturally, not everyone is as smart as the average person. On this very thread I honestly expect posters to argue w/ me trying to say that somehow wealth creation doesn't matter and like, the fact that we're all going to eventually be dead somehow outweighs the fact that we're alive and productive now.

 

I don't want to live in a world where I have to be on guard 24/7 with guns and ammo and where I have to store food because there will be no food found. So I'll just be prepared to die or be killed. Goodbye cruel world.

 

My view is be ready for an emergency based on the risks where you live in Florida hurricanes and tropical storms are a major issue so I prepare to be without power at home for two weeks with medicine, cash, weapons (a handgun and a retractable bo staff I'm good with) and ammo two boxes, first aid kit, my medicines and charged portable rechargers for my cell phone (two) and well a plan to leave if a major event happens with places to go.

When I move to Indianapolis tornados are one issue so will adjust for that.

Being disabled and needing things I need to stay in an urban setting so have no choice.

 

And, I doubt you will be disappointed. One of the natural characteristics of those people is myopia- vision that is very limited in scope.
Kind of like speeding down the freeway but only being able to see 50 ft ahead... and not worried about it.

 

Nature does have a way of weeding out the less fit....

 

Most "prepping" is just good old fashioned precautions. Never letting your gas get below half fuel. Keeping a few gallons of extra drinking water around. An extra bag of dry dog food. A small number of canned foods around (I'm partial to Vienna sausages). Some other basic items like matches, magnifying glass, some paper maps of areas you need to travel so you won't depend on your phone, maybe a good book to read.

While not required a good mid sized rifle (.243 or .270) is a good option as well.

 

If you buy prep stuff but don't go out for extended periods and harden yourself by living primitively in rough conditions in inclement weather and freezing cold, having the stuff for when the shat hits the fan won't help you a lot. Just having a strat won't make you a Clapton.

 

This is my view. You have to go sometime and if the world is now like "The Book of Eli" or even "The Day After" I really don't see it as worth the effort. My main preparation for disasters consists of keeping my car gassed up, my valuables inventoried and/or stored and my Insurances paid

 

Um... OK. Thanks.

 

Very much like those who scream for more gun control every time a few white kids are shot up.
Right?

 

Yep, 55% of Americans are on prescription drugs, probably more than that couldn't run a mile. Those folks have no business dreaming about the post civilized apocalypse. Yet, some do, because they delude themselves into thinking that owning a gun and having 1000 cans of beans in the pantry will make them a survivalist. LMAO!

 

Hahaha so true

 

I don't drive into any state without a Delorme Gazetteer & Atlas for the state. I'm a way back roads guy and that's where the Garmin tends to go nuts and puts you on a cow path. Delorme has never failed me.

Once Garmin took us to a bridge with about 4" on each side of the tires, no rails. My wife walked ahead and got me across real slow with riggers' signals.

 

I use off road maps. If it picks up a single file dirt bike trail it'll pick up any gravel you happen to drive on.

 

I got to look into that.