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Old 11-23-2014, 11:05 AM
 
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I'd say anyone who prepares things likely to happen in their area or nationally. But now days its the same type who bought shelters for coming nuclear attack they were sure was coming when I was a kid. I myself never wanted to survive a nuclear attack really and thought hiding under a desk was silly and when in army crawling into a depression and putting a poncho over you was only to save body bags.
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Old 11-23-2014, 01:14 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,249 posts, read 60,987,691 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisC View Post
...
Person A has three years worth of food and provisions in his/her basement. Person B practices backwoods survival techniques. Person C lives on a self-sufficient farm. Maybe Person D does all of the above. Going beyond which of them is "better off," aren't they all working toward either not being dependent on society/government in a crisis or living more independently in general?
Now you are addressing the subtle distinctions between: prepper, survivalist, and homesteader.

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Old 11-23-2014, 02:41 PM
 
Location: somewhere in the woods
16,880 posts, read 15,141,321 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MTSilvertip View Post
If you keep more than a day's worth of food, then the government will classify you as one of those wild-eyed dangerous extremist preppers that are planning on taking over the world with a violent revolution.

Having more than the government approved amount of food or having some water put by, or a generator, or a garden that supplies you with a little bit of food instead of just flowers, having a shotgun, prudently watching your spending and keeping your bills at a managable level, reducing debt and using vehicles that are paid off instead of buying new every year or every other year, I hate to say it, but you are a radical prepper!

Don't worry about it though, I'm a veteran and therefore a potential terrorist according to the current government. I'm pretty self sufficent, so an even greater threat.

There are generally 3 levels of preparedness aside from depending on FEMA to make sure you have food and water, (not a good plan if you want to live).

Basic level are preppers. A few days to a few weeks of food, either stored water or ability to purify water, shelter or ability to make shelter, some camping supplies like tents and sleeping bags, an idea of how to handle waste if the plumbing goes out, and usually a generator and some fuel in case the power goes out. A first aid kit, some flashlights, you're a prepper.

Self Sufficent - These are the folks that produce most or all of their food, usually have livestock or large gardens, can build their own houses, make tools, maintain mechanical equipment, make furniture, most will make their own power and sometimes fuel as well.
They're off grid, don't need a lot of support from society, they can take care of themselves.

Doomsdayers - These are the dream children of the government. The folks that not only plan for the collapse of society, they anticipate it with breathless glee.
These are the Zombie Appocolysers, the people with bunkers and gas masks, hundreds of weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition.
These are the folks that the government loves to portray as the normal prepper in their propaganda against people that want to provide for themselves and their family. While the Doomers are a small minority of what can euphamistically be called preppers, they are the poster children for those that want total government control of everything and every aspect of people's lives.

Some will also group in Survivalists as preppers, but I don't, as that group usually wants to go back to the stone age and a paleolithic tribal style of living. Usually loners, they are good hands in the backcountry, not so much in the social skills department. Personally, I don't see that as prepping for an incident or catastrophy, more of a rejection of society as a whole.

All you have to worry about is feeling that you can take care of yourself in an emergency, no matter what emergency worries you the most. If you fear a hurricane or flood, wildfire or winter storm, earthquake or martial law, it's completely up to you.
Having some stored food doesn't make you a radical, having a shotgun doesn't make you a terrorist, but by your description, you definately prep.

Good for you and welcome to the club of unapproved government activities!!!

the fed leo's think that anyone with more than 3 days of food and water is possible terrorist, even tho fema recommends 2 weeks at a minimum. I consider anyone a prepper to be anyone that seeks to supply themselves with food, water and knowledge to prepare themselves in case anything happens in their geographic area.
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Old 11-23-2014, 02:46 PM
 
Location: somewhere in the woods
16,880 posts, read 15,141,321 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Submariner View Post
I think of 'prepper' as a person who hoards stuff in the idea of being prepared.

They do not practice skills for survival, they are not food-producers.

then you would be wrong. people all the time stockpile, not hoard, as hoarding is buying items when the supply is low. stockpiling is done way before anything happens.

not everyone can be a food producer like it used to be in the earlier days of the USA, but being taught, people can be changed.
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Old 11-25-2014, 05:46 PM
 
Location: Ohio
24,624 posts, read 19,049,191 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuck's Dad View Post
What is the consensus on this board as to who is a "prepper?"
This poster nailed it....

Quote:
Originally Posted by cowdog View Post
"Preppers" don't have skills, they have supplies. People with skills are at a different level.
Preppers do not have a plan.

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

I tell you that as someone experienced in battalion/brigade S-3 Ops.

We develop the operational plan first, then sit down with S-4 and figure what logistics are needed to support the operational plan. I don't want to be standing out in the middle of Iraq with nothing but my John Thomas.

You can chunk it up into short-term, mid-term and long-term. I suggest using 3 days, 7 days, 10 days, 14 days (the supply chain for the army). You can modify that.

What's the plan for the first 72 hours, and what do you need to make that happen?

What's the plan for the next 7 days after that, and what do you need to make that happen?

And so on.

You might want to allow some flexibility.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuck's Dad View Post
Where on the spectrum of prepper would I fall, or do I not meet the threshold as a prepper?
Sounds to me you're nothing more than an ordinary person with a modicum of common sense.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuck's Dad View Post
Just interested in how the board members define the term "prepper."
They're wrapped a little too tightly for this World.

Operationally....


Mircea
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Old 11-25-2014, 05:51 PM
 
Location: Native of Any Beach/FL
35,371 posts, read 20,730,566 times
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I dont think I am a prep-er- but have some survival stuff around just in case. the typical tools- flashlight etc, rope- binoculars, weapon, fire starter, solar power thingy for phone etc, sterno- metal cookware- some candles, and I want a small drone with camera
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Old 11-25-2014, 06:27 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,249 posts, read 60,987,691 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by monkeywrenching View Post
then you would be wrong. people all the time stockpile, not hoard, as hoarding is buying items when the supply is low. stockpiling is done way before anything happens.

not everyone can be a food producer like it used to be in the earlier days of the USA, but being taught, people can be changed.
* Most of us can be food-producers if we choose to.

* - Noted exceptions being: felons incarcerated in prison, people living underwater, quadriplegics restricted to a bed, personnel living at McMurdo Station [Antarctic], and a few others.
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Old 11-25-2014, 07:13 PM
 
Location: Montana
1,829 posts, read 2,222,148 times
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I have not posted since starting the thread, but have been following the responses, and have found it very interesting how widely varied the term "prepper" is defined, even amongst those that consider themselves preppers.

Thanks for the responses and discussion - It has been fascinating to me.
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Old 02-17-2015, 09:42 AM
 
Location: rural south west UK
5,369 posts, read 3,547,229 times
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in the UK, a Prepper is someone who prepares for short term events, unemployment, illness, temporary power cut or a winter storm and anything else usually of a short time scale. Survivalists are people who are more concerned with long term events. we also have "hobby" and "armchair" preppers who never get off their backsides and don't store anything, they just talk about it.
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Old 02-17-2015, 10:54 AM
 
Location: Cody, WY
10,420 posts, read 14,525,239 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigpaul View Post
in the UK, a Prepper is someone who prepares for short term events, unemployment, illness, temporary power cut or a winter storm and anything else usually of a short time scale. Survivalists are people who are more concerned with long term events. we also have "hobby" and "armchair" preppers who never get off their backsides and don't store anything, they just talk about it.
In this country the term prepper is primarily those who are too timid to call themselves survivalists. When prepper was first used the people using it were the wimps who had believed the entertainment media's attacks on survivalists and survivalism.

It's interesting that forty years ago survivalism was primarily about financial considerations. Gold coins and bullion, gold mining stocks, and gold options and futures as well as the same in silver were the mark of a survivalist. Guns and collectibles of various sorts were very popular. We all had food stored, but that was easy to do. P.A. Luty was the best of the British survivallists and one of the best in the world. I just checked; the website is up. Given your location, you may wish to visit it using Tor.

I know that there are some good people in your country who are as stalwart as those who built the British Empire. I've seen some excellent websites and found some excellent books. I'd love to learn more about survivalists there and hope you will post about activities and attitudes.

The Home Gunsmith

https://www.torproject.org/
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