Top 50 excuses for not being a prepper (houses, temperature, sustainable)

[PacificFlights]

Originally Posted by juneaubound

Many people make prepping out to be more involved than it is. It's not rocket science. Most people don't have unlimited amounts of time, space or money. Whatever you can realistically do to prepare, for whatever you think you might face, is better than nothing. You don't have to keep up with the Jones' down the street who have a sh**load of stuff. Just do the best you can with the resources you have available to you.

I think its because preparing has become more than it is.

It's no longer about having the skills, supplies, resoucres, and knowledge to survive the most likley reaslistically to occur events. No, it has turned into the far flung thinking of earth shattering scenerios regardless of how remote. It is nothing but an end in search of the means.

I have actually seen the well armed and fortified prepper who would be without toilet paper after a week. Had enough ammo to arm a small army, but did not even have the ability to haul more than a quart of water at a time. He could take aim in pitch black with his special scopes and kill you, but would be withiut fire if his zippo went dry. The mentality was that whatever happened was going to be a armed struggle and as a result their prepardeness was based only on that armed struggle. In his eyes, having a safehosue with a years worth of foood, water to last that year, sanitray systems, clothing, shelter, communications, friends for support or the ability to start a fire with no mechanical item, was unpreppared because their weapons stash was woefully inadequate for what will happen.

This is the common reason for so many not being preppared. The standard of prepardeness has been elevated to a level of such disproportion to the perceived and most likely threat. No longer are you preparing for the disasters, disruptions and disturbances that will likely make up 90% of the scenerios, NO, now unless you are preparing for that outragious unbelivable and high unlikely 10%, your not prepared. It has even gotten to the point where many have forsaken preparing for the 90% and only preparing for that 10%. The sexyness, the machoness, the rah-rah-rah and intesity of the scenerios has beome more important than what the heck will most likely happen this year and maybe even twice this year?

And we can no longer ignore that "preparing" has become a hip, I;m in the game fad. Ther actually have prepper convention and shows where you can buy your $20 a package specially prepared Chef Dedier freezed dried meals that is (insert latest health fad here) diet approved. You can shop that selection while sipping your double latte moccca frappahwattheheck. And you can also check out the latest aopps for your smartphone that enables you to press in your gps coordinates and it will tell you where the closest REI store is that takes the Prepper Rewards cards.

So I would not be surprised if many people are totally prepared for the most likely scenerios but has chooses to just not advertise that fact because they just dont want to be lumped in with the loonies or the fad seekers.

[PacificFlights]

Originally Posted by LuckyGem

I have an earthquake kit, that's about it. I should have some jugs of water stored and cans of food also. The quake in '94 should have taught me to plan ahead. I am thinking about it now that's for sure. I should store some canned food in a closet. There was a website I saw that had prep supplies. I should check it out.

OK earthquake kit. Great start.

Now before running out buying all sorts of supplies, ask yourself this. based on what you have exoperienced, seen and thinbk, what is the most likley scenerios of disaters disruptions or disturbances you will most likely experience? Is it another earthquake, some form of civil unrest, floods, fires, roads collapsing????? By identifying the threat, you can asses the needs. While you are identifying the threats, also examine the resources you know will be avauilbleand what won;t be available.

lets say that the treat is a fire in your place, to be prepared for that emergency, do you need:
1. A tent and sleeping bag
2. 5 gallon container of water
3. fire making kit
4. gold coins
5. handgun, shotgun, assault rifle and 500 rounds of ammo
6. a bunker in the country
7. CB, shortwave, radio/receivers
8. emergency generator with 25 gallons of fuel
9. Solar oven with water filtration system attached
10. A grab and go emergency bag with telephone numbers of all your friends, and emergency pay as you go cell phone, extra set keys, emergency credit card, copies of identification paperwork, a pants, shirt socks, sneakers and jacket. some snack foods, a bottle of water, hand wipes, the number of your insurance agent, and some cash.

I think under the proactical most likely threat of a fire, #10 is being prepared. They rest are just useless fluff.

Identify the real honsest to god likley emergency situations and from there you can figure out the real honest to god resources to be prepared to face that emeregcy.

Good luck.

[ovcatto]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

I don't think folks make excuses for not being preppers, it is more of a matter of them not believing the process is necessary nor provides any significant benefit.

And ultimately, the greatest preparedness resource is having a brain.

Frankly if Armegeddon, Auto-bots, or the second coming of Mao, Stalin and Hitler combined, I prefer mobility over having to defend my stash from the barbarian hordes.

[Gungnir]

YAWN!

Did someone say something profound yet...? Nope, AK-Cathy came close though...

You know what I find interesting...? Why does anyone care about whether someone else "preps" or not? Why does anyone care whether someone cares or not?

Look I do what I do, I don't need validation that I'm doing the right thing or an excuse that I might not be, I might need some information, but I've pretty much come to the conclusion what I'm doing is the right thing, regardless of whether the sky falls, the waters boil, and Lucifers Hammer falls into the central pacific, I'm doing the right thing for me. I couldn't give a crap about what someone else is doing to be quite frank, that's their business, just as I couldn't give a crap about what someone thinks about what I'm doing, because that's my business; and unless someone else's business gets in the way of my business their business is none of my business.

All I'm seeing in the vast majority of the postings on this is a bunch of people who are trying to "score points" because they do, or do not, "prep". Well good luck with that. I personally don't need an excuse for doing my own thing, nor do I need some validation for doing it. That's kind of herd speak, you know the same kind of speech that "the sheeple" are accused of, just there seems to be two groups of sheeple, one group that seems to want to "prep", and one that does not.

[monkeywrenching]

Originally Posted by LuckyGem

My excuse:

Living in an apartment, I don't have anywhere to store all that stuff.

If I rented a storage locker, who's to say I could get to my stuff first if a civil emergency happened?

that is still an excuse. I lived in an apartment with a girlfriend and 1 baby 12 years ago and still had 6 months pf supplies stoclpiled in my 2 bedroom apartment.

[monkeywrenching]

Originally Posted by Dude111

Thats along the lines of what I was gonna say for #1: "BEING IN DENIAL OF HOW BAD THINGS REALLY ARE"

you will not believe how many sheep believe that.

also remember that the US currency is also the worlds reserve currency. every country that has been a world reserve currency has lost that status in the past, and the USA will be no different. when that happens to the USA our currency will likely inflate or hyper inflate.

[juneaubound]

Originally Posted by Gungnir

YAWN!

All I'm seeing in the vast majority of the postings on this is a bunch of people who are trying to "score points" because they do, or do not, "prep". Well good luck with that.

Then why don't you just move along?

Look up. You will find the Entertainment, Non-Romantic Relationships and Weddings sections of the City Data forum. Maybe those folks won't be trying to score points and you'll be able to have real and enjoyable conversations.

[NYChistorygal]

Originally Posted by Mircea

Well, no, that would be quite silly, because once 100 Million Americans died of disease, illness, lack of medication, dehydration, starvation and accident, there'd only be 200 Million Americans left to "kill, maim, steal and rape."

I see you have an aversion to Reality.



[Sigh]

I don't suppose it ever donned on you that the Psychology of Armageddon is vastly different than the Psychology of Disaster.

In a disaster, people consciously and subconsciously know that the world is still there; that help is on its way; that things will get better.

In Armageddon, people consciously and subconsciously know that the world is not there; that no help is on the way; that they will never get any help; and that things will never get better.

People do not commit mass suicide in a disaster, but they do in Armageddon. In a natural disaster, you don't have religious freak running around killing people to make way for the arrival of Jesus, but you will in an Apocalypse.

Generally speaking, people do not normally engage in cannibalism in a natural disaster (there a few isolated instances) but they will be eating people/humans during Armageddon.

If you think another Carrington Event is gonna be like Katrina, then you're going to be in for a huge shock, right up to the moment someone kills you to eat you.

Realistically...

Mircea

Realistically, I'll be dead. So, I won't give a crap. Good luck to you and the other survivors.

[NYChistorygal]

Originally Posted by LuckyGem

My excuse:

Living in an apartment, I don't have anywhere to store all that stuff.

If I rented a storage locker, who's to say I could get to my stuff first if a civil emergency happened?

You won't be able to store tons, but you can still prep for the 'smaller' events. Make a BOB. It doesn't take up much room. Make room in a closet or two for extra water. Rule of thumb is 3 days, but more is better. Each time you grocery shop, but a bit extra. Think of proteins, such as beans, tuna, veggies and such. Make sure you have at least one extra manual can opener in your BOB and in your kitchen. Of course, don't forget to have plenty of flashlights and batteries.

An old prep for storms is to clean and fill your tub with water just before it hits. You can use it to flush the toilet. Also, fill all containers that you have with water for drinking and cooking. The stored water can be saved for when you run out of that.

[Gungnir]

Originally Posted by juneaubound

Then why don't you just move along?

Look up. You will find the Entertainment, Non-Romantic Relationships and Weddings sections of the City Data forum. Maybe those folks won't be trying to score points and you'll be able to have real and enjoyable conversations.

Wow... Interesting assumption...

Why do you assume I'm not what you might describe as a "prepper"?