I am not a prepper.

[forefathersrback]

Today my son and I met with an older couple to bid some work to be done on their home. (Not that I'm a spring chicken) We got to talking about food storage, he and his wife mentioned that they buy their food in bulk. They also mentioned that they do a lot of canning. At that point he said sternly " We are not preppers".
I smiled to myself thinking yes you are. We got to talking about canning. I told them that my wife also cans. I then mentioned that I could remember when I was young, everyones grandparents canned. Quite a few of our parents canned also. It was considered normal then. I also mentioned that there is more than food issues that people need to prep for. Also protecting what one has. He then mentioned lightheartedly about firearms, but promptly back peddled, which at that point I knew they were very well prepped. We left our meeting, and discussed how unprepared we are. We go to the store several times a week buying items that we should have already stored up. My son being a little more prepped than I am, should have been born 100 yrs ago. Times have changed. Seems like now people are more demonized for prepping, which not so many years ago it was the norm.

What are your thoughts?

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[AMProducts]

I'm not a prepper, I'm a rock star. If you have to pick a label for yourself, at least pick a good one, not one conjured by the mass media to make people who have food, guns and live in the country look like a pack of nutbags.

 

[Mark W.]

I'm a ding a ling

 

[forefathersrback]

I'm not a prepper, I'm a rock star. If you have to pick a label for yourself, at least pick a good one, not one conjured by the mass media to make people who have food, guns and live in the country look like a pack of nutbags.

You're absolutely correct. The media has a tendency to spin things that we all should be doing naturally, into something negative. A true prepper is not a nutbag....they store nut bags. It amazes me that for thousands of years people stored food, it was a common practice until now. Reflecting back on our conversation it was clear to us, that this gentleman was not wanting to be labeled as a prepper either. Prepper No, smart Yes.

 

[Miyamoto Musashi]

I find it funny myself that something that mankind did for thousands of years is now treated as a joke! They had it right it's a matter of common sense, end of story. Just from a financial point of view buying in bulk of most products almost always nets you more. I try to think of money in a year to year point of view. I think if more people thought this way the U.S would have a better savings rate. Hopefully people don't get hit by jumping on this bandwagon (the prepper hating). For most a simple back injury that puts them out of work for three week, means there's no food on the table. Bet they be wishing they had gotten on the common sense express then.

 

[forefathersrback]

I find it funny myself that something that mankind did for thousands of years is now treated as a joke! They had it right it's a matter of common sense, end of story. Just from a financial point of view buying in bulk of most products almost always nets you more. I try to think of money in a year to year point of view. I think if more people thought this way the U.S would have a better savings rate. Hopefully people don't get hit by jumping on this bandwagon (the prepper hating). For most a simple back injury that puts them out of work for three week, means there's no food on the table. Bet they be wishing they had gotten on the common sense express then.

True, funny thing is some people can put millions in the bank. (Nobody that I know.) Yet they are respected. Then you have somebody that's just trying to take care of themselves, and their future with some common sense of what should naturally be done, and yet they are labeled as a joke.

 

[AMProducts]

"I don't care what people think, after all they don't do it very often"

The above quote seems to apply best.

 

[Siglvr]

HAHA! Great point. It's interesting how a label can make folks think. In reality, most of our grandparents were "preppers" who spent a good lot of their time preparing for in inevitable issues that life would be bringing forth. They canned, saved, squirreled all kinds of thing that they didn't need right then but "might" need someday, and learned skills that most of us have lost. I have a hatchet that my grandfather made during the depression in my basement that demonstrates some real interesting skills and utilization of strange materials. (riveted rubber from what must have been a tire to pad out the handle).

 

[pokerace]

A week or less of the trucks NOT running and people will wish the had stocked up on food..

 

[Grunwald]

Oh, a prepper, I thought you said you were not a pepper and I would have chimed in that I am not a pepper too.
Never liked Dr, Pepper.

 

[orygun]

I find it funny myself that something that mankind did for thousands of years is now treated as a joke!

Like self protection?

 

[Mikej]

HAHA! Great point. It's interesting how a label can make folks think. In reality, most of our grandparents were "preppers" who spent a good lot of their time preparing for in inevitable issues that life would be bringing forth. They canned, saved, squirreled all kinds of thing that they didn't need right then but "might" need someday, and learned skills that most of us have lost. I have a hatchet that my grandfather made during the depression in my basement that demonstrates some real interesting skills and utilization of strange materials. (riveted rubber from what must have been a tire to pad out the handle).

It's tough for people to comprehend what it was like during the depression, even for me. I had/have depression era parents, the stories.....Those people weren't preppers like we talk of today , they just lived through times with nothing and had to scrimp for everything they had. They didn't choose to learn those skills, they were force into it, or perish.

My mother still has the mentality, she won't throw anything away, scraps of paper, an old pair of rubber boots....The tops rotted away, so trim them off and keep the bottoms for walking in the wet grass, etc, etc.

Dad, RIP, was born in 1920 and was in the Navy toward the end of the war. He always said there was no such thing as the "Good Old Days"

 

[JackD]

Everyone is a prepper. It is only a matter of degree.

 

[ROC]

The label prepper serves to marginalize people. I don't think there is any sort of conspiracy behind it, although it does serve the interest of promoting dependence. People don't like having the systems they depend on questioned, and that I believe in a horrible possibility enough to act on it triggers their need for some emotional defense.

The people I talk to that identify with the term seem to be new to the practice.

 

[Nwcid]

Everyone is a prepper. It is only a matter of degree.

No they are NOT. I had a GF that more then once ran her car out of gas. I always asked why she didn't fill up when she had half a tank (a normal thing for me to do). Her answer always was because there is a gas station "5" blocks away......

Just one of many daily items she would run out of with the excuse "the store is just down the street".


I generally do my best to have one "spare" of most things I commonly use. When the one I am using runs out, I get the "spare" and use it. I then replace the "spare" with a new one. Often if I know my "main" is getting low I will get that replacement sooner if it is convenient.

 

[forefathersrback]

It's tough for people to comprehend what it was like during the depression, even for me. I had/have depression era parents, the stories.....Those people weren't preppers like we talk of today , they just lived through times with nothing and had to scrimp for everything they had. They didn't choose to learn those skills, they were force into it, or perish.

My mother still has the mentality, she won't throw anything away, scraps of paper, an old pair of rubber boots....The tops rotted away, so trim them off and keep the bottoms for walking in the wet grass, etc, etc.

Dad, RIP, was born in 1920 and was in the Navy toward the end of the war. He always said there was no such thing as the "Good Old Days"

People from that era were the ultimate survivalist, tough as nails too. That's way back when men were men, and so were women.

 

[JackD]

No they are NOT. I had a GF that more then once ran her car out of gas. I always asked why she didn't fill up when she had half a tank (a normal thing for me to do). Her answer always was because there is a gas station "5" blocks away......

Just one of many daily items she would run out of with the excuse "the store is just down the street".

At least she was prepared to go as far as the remaining gas would take her.

 

[The B]

I don't stockpile food... I just keep a list of all you guys.

:-D

 

[rick benjamin]

Wise man, foolish man
Ant, Grasshopper
Home Survivalist, Maurader, Retreater
Prepper

Then, there was Grandma
"LittleRichie, if you spend all your money, you won't have anything when you really need it!"

 

[forefathersrback]

I don't stockpile food... I just keep a list of all you guys.

:-D

Ben, I would bet that you have more food storage than all of us put together. So, if SHTF, we will be coming to your house. Probably for some of that New York steak & Lobster you have hidden away. MMMMM. Lol. I can remember a friend of my fathers that made that same comment to him, and the old man told him " Just remember that for every case of food I buy, I buy an extra box of ammo to go along with it." I still laugh about it to this day.

P.s. I like my steak well done.