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"Do you believe that preppers are a few cards short of a full deck? Do you assume that anyone that is "preparing for doomsday" does not have their elevator going all the way to the top floor? Well, you might want to read this first before you make a final decision that all preppers are crazy."
I think people who don't prepare are crazy - at least basic preparation. Or maybe they think that FEMA and Homeland Security are off their rockers, because they advise that you be prepared for an emergency with at least three days' worth of supplies. Hate the guvmint all you want, that's not bad advice.
DHS | Preparing Your Family (http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/citizens-preparedness.shtm - broken link)
"Protecting the United States from threats like terrorism, natural disasters, and infectious disease is a shared responsibility and everyone has an important role to play."
People act like it's going to be either total obliteration or sunshine & rainbows, so no need to prepare. There's a lot in between that can happen - that will happen eventually. Those will be the people who whine about the government not doing enough. Well, they warned you...
I've been a "prepper" for longer than the term has been in existence. It used to be called "stocking up" and is something I've done since becoming an adult.
Do I think "preppers" are crazy? Yes, SOME are.
SOME have crossed the line from common sense "stocking up" and being prepared for unforeseen circumstances to being paranoid, ammo stockpiling crazies who are afraid their neighbors will know they have ten years worth of dried food in their garage.
Seriously, I've followed some of these people on other boards and they are so paranoid about others finding out what they're doing that I have often wondered how they manage to function - how they are able to leave their homes to work at jobs or interact with others. Hell, I've wondered how some of them even manage to get out of bed in the mornings. I really do think there is a bit of a mental health issue with some preppers.
I have a freezer and two pantries full of food and I'm not afraid to let anyone know it.
I could do a little better with some other areas of prepping but at least my kid and I won't starve right away.
A few are. They have weird notions about the "end of days" or panic because of some silly media-inspired fear like Y2K or the current Mayan calendar baloney.
But I think most are wise to consider what, where, and how much will hold them over in an emergency situation.
The article makes a very solid point about the "JIT" (just in time) craze that overtook business in the mid-80s. Shelves being restocked just as the current stocks run out IS good business practice. And it works in our modern society as long as there is no serious disruption of any kind. Like the article states, if the trucks stop running (for whatever reason) your local supply of everything dries up almost overnight. Medicines, groceries, fuel, you name it.
To those who don't prep at all: you'll be OK as long as nothing happens. Problem is, stuff tends to happen, even if infrequently. If it's a local problem and you have the means to go elsewhere, then you'll probably be OK. If it's widespread, you may never get the chance to get out of town, due to congestion/panic/violence. If it's a nationwide situation, you won't have anywhere to go.
A few are. They have weird notions about the "end of days" or panic because of some silly media-inspired fear like Y2K or the current Mayan calendar baloney.
But I think most are wise to consider what, where, and how much will hold them over in an emergency situation.
The article makes a very solid point about the "JIT" (just in time) craze that overtook business in the mid-80s. Shelves being restocked just as the current stocks run out IS good business practice. And it works in our modern society as long as there is no serious disruption of any kind. Like the article states, if the trucks stop running (for whatever reason) your local supply of everything dries up almost overnight. Medicines, groceries, fuel, you name it.
To those who don't prep at all: you'll be OK as long as nothing happens. Problem is, stuff tends to happen, even if infrequently. If it's a local problem and you have the means to go elsewhere, then you'll probably be OK. If it's widespread, you may never get the chance to get out of town, due to congestion/panic/violence. If it's a nationwide situation, you won't have anywhere to go.
A good, albeit depressing book on this is "One Second After". A fictitious but plausible scenario about life in the USA following an EMP event.
Most of what I prep. for is the "in-between" times. For example: earlier this Spring my home was without running water x 48 hrs. because the city water dept. couldn't manage a triple water main break in a two block area. It was good to have water stored. Similarly several winters ago I was without power for nearly two weeks following a major ice storm. It was good to have alternative heating/light/cooking sources other than only relying on electricity. Both times my immediate neighbors chose to go to a hotel because they were "unprepared" and unwilling to be inconvenienced in their own homes.
Now I prep. for longer interruptions but I don't think that makes me crazy. Basically I just want to become more self-sufficient with a garden, process more of my own meat, and do my own canning/food preservation instead of being dependent upon the grocery store for most of my needs. I'll never be as self-sufficient as many in our forum because I've not spent a lifetime building those skills.
Last edited by lifelongMOgal; 04-03-2012 at 02:44 PM..
The article makes a very solid point about the "JIT" (just in time) craze that overtook business in the mid-80s. Shelves being restocked just as the current stocks run out IS good business practice. And it works in our modern society as long as there is no serious disruption of any kind. Like the article states, if the trucks stop running (for whatever reason) your local supply of everything dries up almost overnight. Medicines, groceries, fuel, you name it.
I think the problem has become bigger than just business running JIT, from what I've seen a lot of people run their households on an adaptation of JIT too. I don't entirely blame the consumers for this either. There's lots of incentive to run lean and mean from a consumer perspective in modern city living. From weekly fliers and coupons, to 24 hour availability so if you run out of Orville Redenbachers at 2:00am watching a movie, no problem just run down to your local grocery store to get some more (with your coupon), and some soda at the same time (and maybe another DVD to watch when the movie you're watching finishes). It's convenient, and it teaches everyone to have the expectation that most common staples are available 24x7 under fluorescent light.
I mention it's not entirely the consumers fault, because based on what I've seen the retailers are promoting this into their customers lifestyles. There are many sound business reasons to do so. It enables them to have even better control of their stocks and resupply schedules if they know that their customers are only restocking as they run out, and prevents unexpected runs on particular products, making them more efficient and even leaner and meaner. If you extend this into customer loyalty or membership cards too, then you can even pretty much predict when any specific customer will return to the store, and what products they're going to be buying (you didn't really think they weren't data mining this, did you?).
Of course the whole system relies on stability, without the resupply at any point in the chain then there's going to be problems, and the problems are at the individual level. Wal-Mart, Safeway, Albertsons, Carrs, Giant etc. will not starve, or die of thirst if they're not resupplied. They may lose profits but not die. So if there's a local problem then it affects locally, unless that locality happens to contain a regional distribution center, which may effect a much greater area than just that locality, if it contains a national distribution center, then it could have even greater impact (for instance the entire Eastern/Western Sea board. Midwest, Gulf). Unfortunately many of these distribution centers are located in the same areas, because they're placed there for operational logistics, and while they may be able to resupply from a different distribution center, it would take some time for them to resupply and reschedule to include those affected areas as that distribution center certainly doesn't handle the volume, and may not even normally supply those products.
Of course on a national level emergency, whatever stock is local is what you've got, and that may not be much. Something to bear in mind for those TEOTWAWKI scavenger types. You can't scavenge something that doesn't exist, or only exists as castings and bar stock, since JIT supply also applies to manufacturing both on consumables/components, and products.
My most common and immediate problem tends to be getting snowed in. I can usually count on being snowed in for at least a week - sometimes several different times - during the winter. Three years ago, I was snowed n for almost three weeks. Seriously snowed in, as in not going anywhere and no one else being able to get in. The highway below me is plowed frequently and I was able to get a few things brought in by my son, who parked down at the highway and carried it up the hill, and then had to climb over the gate across my driveway because the snow was too deep to get it open.
Last year, I was without water for eight days because of frozen and broken pipes and too much snow for the repairman to get up here. (Do you know how many buckets of snow you have to melt to get ONE freakin' bucket of water? )
And, as recently as a couple of weeks ago, I was without water for a couple of days because of a wiring problem to my well. (We completely ran new wiring, so hopefully that particular problem won't happen again.) Luckily, I do have a pond that we can use for water to flush the toilet. And I always have jugs of water for human use. I do run into problems with water for the animals, though - I don't particularly want to give the dogs, cats, and goats the same pond water the ducks have been swimming and crapping in and will only do so in an emergency.
I try to keep plenty of firewood on hand (I heat with wood) but I have purposefully let myself run out at the moment because I need to get my driveway ready for some gravel and I need to clean up all my wood storage areas first. I did just recently have six danger trees taken down, and my son thinned out some of the alder last summer, and once we get that all cut and split and stacked, I should be set for awhile.
Human food is never a problem. We could eat quite well for probably at least two months, probably more. I am going to be buying a second freezer soon, so that will help extend that time.
Stocking up with (and storing) enough animal food is a bit of a problem. Something I hope to resolve at some point as I get more outbuildings built.
I am planting a lot of things like fruit trees, blueberries, rhubarb, currants, etc. - stuff that I can count on to come back year after year.
I am quite a distance from any heavily populated area, so I don't worry about an "attack" affecting me too much, although it could definitely affect what the stores have on their shelves. Again, I should be ok in that department for awhile.
I guess my biggest immediate "issues" are just getting snowed in for a few months out of the year (it was snowing here today!). I guess earthquakes are always a possibility (hurricanes aren't an issue here, although small tornadoes aren't unheard of).
I do live almost directly between two active volcanoes though!
A good, albeit depressing book on this is "One Second After". A fictitious but plausible scenario about life in the USA following an EMP event.
I read that book a few months back and thought it was very realistically presented. Reality in that kind of situation would be depressing, indeed.
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Are Preppers Crazy People ?????
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