No, Preppers are Not Weird

No, Preppers are Not Weird

Let me take a wild guess: at some point you read or heard about the prepping movement, saw some ridiculous opinions of it, came to the conclusion that preppers are weird… and left it at that; you didn’t bother to dig further.

After all, who wants to be part of a community of angry old men and scared little old ladies who prepare for zombies, asteroids and think the Government is out to get them, right?

That’s how articles such as this one portray us. And you only have to look at the comments to see some of the excellent replies the author of this junk received. It makes me proud to be a part of such a community.

Sure, every group of people has plenty of bad apples, a bad stigma around it, and stereotypes that focus on the negative aspects. Men who like to dress fashionable are called “gay”, people who are in love with homesteading and crafts are called “old school” and “boring”, and people interested in personal development are called “weird”.

News flash: regardless of what hobbies or passions you have, you will be called weird… and that’s ok. What matters is that you get the best out of them and stop caring of what everyone else thinks.

Now, though I’ve been a prepper for a few years now, though I am biased, I firmly believe that prepping is by far the most important “hobby” you could get involved into… and the reason is, it takes care of your safety, one of the most basic human needs.

If you get into an accident or a fire, or if there’s an economic collapse, you won’t have the money, resources or mental health to think about money, relationships, to practice your other hobbies. So let me give you a few good reasons why you should start looking at survival and preparedness with different eyes…

Reason #1: danger is all around us. Seriously.

No, I’m not paranoid and neither should you be, but you have to know the stats and realize that even if there’s a small chance of something bad happening, you should take basic (and not so basic) precaution measures.

• Around 37,000 US citizens die in car crashes every year, with 2 million getting injured. Insurance protects you only after it happens but did you do anything to prevent?
• Carbon monoxide intoxications kill yearly 500..
• And 3,000 Americans die from food poisoning every year.

Then you’ve got:

• pedestrian deaths
• rabid dog attacks
• electrocutions
• rape and assault
• falling objects
• pickpocketing
• …and many, many more.

When you add them up, you realize the odds of getting into such accidents over a lifetime is almost guaranteed.

Reason #2: an economic collapse is likely.

I’m not saying it’s guaranteed, who can guarantee such an outcome in the unpredictable world we live in? But look no further than the 2009 crisis to see how fragile the financial world is. And when it happens and you get laid off, how will you pay your bills?

If you looked at Venezuela in recent years, you’ll see people eating dogs and cats, you’ll see an out-of-control inflation, and you’ll see a country in complete chaos.

Now, does this mean the US will end up like Venezuela? It most certainly won’t take the exact same path because it’s not a socialist country, but that doesn’t mean things can’t get ugly.

There’s nothing weird about preparing for tough economic times. You don’t need a bunker or a 5-year stockpile, you just need to use common sense.

Reason #3: you learn to become self-reliant.

I think by now it’s clear that nothing is handed to you. But the mistake most people make in thinking, is relying on the government to take care of them. What’s even more shocking is that we all know all politicians lie, we know all politicians follow their own interest first and foremost.

When this becomes apparent, some people, preppers included, decide to take fate into their own hands, and start becoming more self-sufficient. Things like growing your own vegetables, using solar panels to power up your gadgets or wood to heat your home, decrease dependence on the power grid. You eat healthier, save money and, should something like an economic collapse happen, you’re covered.

Heck, you may even start your own business, selling organic foods to people, you can eve start making your own alcohol. Most city folks don’t have relatives in the countryside and would pay big bucks for fresh veggies, eggs, maybe even for services such as woodworking or for tools such as DIY knives.

Still think prepping is weird?

I know I didn’t brig ALL my arguments to the table; I just hope the ones in this article got you thinking about what prepping really is and how you can benefit from it.  Whether you decide to join the movement or to completely ignore it… it won’t matter to the rest of the world.  The only people it will make a difference to is you and your family.

There’s just one catch: the sooner you get your basic preps ready, the better. Emergencies don’t wait for anyone to make up their minds.