My Dad is on the NatGEO "Doomsday Preppers". And I'm proud of him!

I work in the outdoor and survival industry and most of these idiots that claim you don't talk about fight club are sooooooooooooo wrong.

There are 310 million people in this country, if they think they and a small group of people can stand against that tidal wave of desperation, they have a harsh lesson coming. They are not super stealth ninjas when you buy food,supplies and build fortifications people notice.

The best thing you can possibly do for yourself is to spread the word. The more people that are prepared the better the situation will be. You can't teach people by talking about zombies and that nonsense you teach them by showing what you did and why.

The reality is America was formed and survives because of the strength of the collective. When we try to live on our own islands you have division, civil war and opportunity for foreign invasion.

You only need to look at the last serious time in our history the great depression to prove that point - united we stand divided we fall.

And if the whole world is screwed up I can promise you all of asia is going to come streaming across the sea - what are the preppers going to do then ?

Also the ironic thing is people claim that your stupid if you talk about your preparations, but then where did they learn from ? are all the people that host shows, write books and teach classes morons - and if I am not to listen to people who talk about it then I guess they are idiots too.

haha I saw the preview for this last night and the first thing that came to mind was I wonder how many people from ATS will be on this show.. Looking forward to watching this!

Originally posted by A-Dub
A little over the top and expensive for most people but cool none the less.

I dont mean this offensively but if your dad is so bent on bug out scenarios, shouldnt he realise the most important aspect of survival besides supplies is being healthy and in shape? If you end up having to walk miles and miles, slowing down the group or getting injured is a death sentence.


Too bad the government will label him a terrorist now for having all of that

edit on 3-2-2012 by A-Dub because: (no reason given)

Not sure what you mean? He has actually been working really hard on his health. He has lost about forty pounds since the filming. Even before that that he could hike for miles and miles without stopping. Soo, what at you basing your idea of his not keeping in shape on? He does have some weight on him but that is mostly his body type. I think he does good for a fellow past retirement, don't you?

Not arguing About being healthy, but you could be a marathon runner, and if the end comes and your not prepared, your still up a creek without a paddle.

Another thought. Think about all your family and friends, if the end came, and you all had to bug out. What are the odds that all will be healthy and be able to hike at that exact time. Not good. In my family, it's pretty good size, there is always somebody with a cold or flu or sports injury or whatever. The odds are not good that every body is going to be ready to hike and hike to get somewhere safe. So would you leave them behind if they were unable to keep up with the pack? Would you leave your wife or a child behind if they were not physically up to the challenge? Would you be willing to say, sorry honey, but since you cannot walk with us without slowing us down, we will have to leave you behind to die...
I say no.
That is one of the reasons he, Paul, likes the idea of school buses. They are durable, and you can fit lots of stuff and people in them. That is also why I daily drive an ancient Volvo wagon. It is very very durable, I can drive it daily to work, it is vintage and cool, and if the shtf, it is a tank. It has storage and room, and a roof rack. I could plow through a lot and it would keep going. It is old school tech, and is not susceptible to EMP. Yu can pull the engine and rebuild it in a day, I have done it. With my tank, my family can all go together to safety. Even if one of them is having medical issues or not healthy for whatever reason.

seriously i loved the show OP!

you must very proud of them

tell them not to forget heineken though!!!

Originally posted by circuitsports
I work in the outdoor and survival industry and most of these idiots that claim you don't talk about fight club are sooooooooooooo wrong.

There are 310 million people in this country, if they think they and a small group of people can stand against that tidal wave of desperation, they have a harsh lesson coming. They are not super stealth ninjas when you buy food,supplies and build fortifications people notice.

The best thing you can possibly do for yourself is to spread the word. The more people that are prepared the better the situation will be. You can't teach people by talking about zombies and that nonsense you teach them by showing what you did and why.

The reality is America was formed and survives because of the strength of the collective. When we try to live on our own islands you have division, civil war and opportunity for foreign invasion.

You only need to look at the last serious time in our history the great depression to prove that point - united we stand divided we fall.

And if the whole world is screwed up I can promise you all of asia is going to come streaming across the sea - what are the preppers going to do then ?

Also the ironic thing is people claim that your stupid if you talk about your preparations, but then where did they learn from ? are all the people that host shows, write books and teach classes morons - and if I am not to listen to people who talk about it then I guess they are idiots too.

edit on 3-2-2012 by circuitsports because: (no reason given)

edit on 3-2-2012 by circuitsports because: (no reason given)

edit on 3-2-2012 by circuitsports because: (no reason given)

Thank you for this...
I think logically, those who are secretive will be discovered and taken out by a hoard of those who do not have. I think those who educate allot of others, and have many friends who are also educated and prepared will fair better. They will band together as friends family and fellow peppers, then they can help each other. Then when the have nots arrive in hards there will be enough people and supplies to help them, or fight them off if circumstances require it.

I look forward to watching this show. I think it is always a good idea to have a plan for any type of emergency in place.

However, being a wee bit jaded with 'reality tv' I hope NatGeo does a good job with the editing. Lets face it, it is all about the ratings and usually not about the substance.
OP thank you for sharing this, I look forward to watching it.

reply to post by remyrange


Good for you and also good for your dad, I saw some of the ads looks like it might be interesting, but of course its something we don't get on xfinity.
I have been stocking for a shtf scenario as much as possible with a shoestring budget. I believe its going to happen as to when, I couldn't say.
I don't understand how they're propping the stockmarket up, can understand a little bit about the lies they're telling about unemployment and how they're not being honest with the count. You're only a statistic if you have unemployment compensation. Many like a friend of mine has exhausted it, and me never qualified for it so naturally I don't count.
But I do know they can only prop the system up for so long before it breaks.Now Berneke says he's not raising interest rates for fear of inflation? What universe is he in, food prices keep going up at the minimum Give me a break we're not all sheeple.
Good luck there forewarned is forearmed!

reply to post by remyrange


Thats good to hear. Not saying he was morbidly obese or anything but if hes lost 40lbs since the video that should put him in a much better spot.

You definitely dont want to be skinny, you wont survive long without fat, but more weight on your body increases chances of leg/ankle injury and possibly back problems. also, if one were to get injured, the more you weigh the harder it is for the people around you to help you if you are not able to move yourself . They said he was a veteran though so im sure he knows all of this already. I know he said they ideally would plan on trying to stay put, but you can only do that for so long unless you get some agriculture setup quickly or have an area plentiful with food to scavenge.

Nobody would want to leave anyone behind ever, but it really depends on the situation. If you had a batallion of soldiers on your tail (or zombies ) you definitely couldnt stop or you all might be dead. You dont have to be marathon runners, but ideally everyone would be in moderate health and shape if possible.

I do like your choices in vehicles, ive always thought the same thing, however you have to assume gas will be the first supply to run out in a crisis situation (people frenzy for it, or lose electricity and no more gas pumps) so that will only take you so far. I also dont know if any car can be EMP proof unless its so old that you start it with a crank. I think an EMP would fry any battery, unless left in a lead box or maybe a big safe, I dont know if it would actually damage the battery beyond function or just lose its charge, but you can always try to clutch jump it back to life if its a manual.

That compound is pretty cool, but if everyone had the money you should look into going underground or maybe a spot dug into the side of a nearby mountain/hill, some place that nobody will notice unless they walked right up to the door.

Keep it up though its good to see people prepare, the more the better. I wish I could do more but I dont have the extra cash flow right now for those sorts of things, so if SHTF like a nuclear attack I hope im at ground zero and get vaporized before I know what happened

okay so when we have a nuclear winter that last a couple decades, where will this get you?

seems like a whole lot of work for nothing. imagine if these people put their time and resources towards ensuring the world was a better place and didnt need a "bugout"

the whole mentality seems defeatists.

I feel that a lot of these "doomsday preppers" are obsessive compulsive people. Its kinda sad that they are so worried about armageddon that they cant live normal lives... Nevertheless props to you for being proud of your father, its always good to have postive feelings towards a family member, and I gotta say you do have a unique dad who has a VERY interesting hobby... Can I call it a hobby or would I call it a way of life?

Good for your dad, watched the video and your folks seem totally cool to me, not freaks or kooks or whatever.

I live in the middle of a major city but have my emergency backpack prepared to flee at a moments notice to the wilderness a few hours from here.

reply to post by dirtyclean


*Laughs* that is what I said:

And if any ATSers are on the show, fess up! ;p

www.abovetopsecret.com...


That is very cool your dad is on there and I look forward to the show. Will we see you on there at all?

I havent seen the show (YET) and might watch later, but...for me this is something "only you Americans" are even considering...and this is also my first time ever i heard the terms "preppers".

I want to remind you that in my PERSONAL opinion, i think this is "cute"....being European which meant i was born/raised with he constant fear of cold war between East/West.....CONSTANT fear of Russia attacking or nuclear bombs dropping on us. Let alone the chaos which happened when Chernobyl blew and all the radioactive fallout from it came down over Europe

This is why i think YOU guys are "cute"....alone the term "the world ends" is silly already.

Not that i think the "world ends"...even in a nuclear war the world "would not end"...but you are aware that there is no such thing as a wilderness which is safe once a few nuclear bombs went off?

Maybe you should look into and read up on radioactivity, fallout, half-life etc...to realize how CUTE your attempt is to think you have a chance surviving a global, nuclear war. (Unless you dig yourself in for a few thousand years, that is...)

To those commenting that revealing this info is dangerous to the op's family:

Prepping isn't just about self-preservation, but also about continuity of species and way of life.
Showing people how to prepare isn't dangerous, it only shows others what they need to do for themselves in order to make it. There are always going to be scavengers and marauders, they exist here and now without a shtf scenario. You can't avoid them, and they will find you no matter what.
This guy did a good job in discussing his level of preparedness, as well as revealing that he and his party will be armed, but without giving away his final destination.

All in all, good op.

I would say that they should park their buses and trucks in a trianglular shape, instead of a square, leaving only 3 watch points instead of four. This will also keep the camp area smaller and easier to heat. The fourth vehicle can be placed tightly behind the other truck, back to back. Just a suggestion.

It's interesting that you claim that he's your father but then later in the post you call them "Paul and Gloria"

I NEVER call my father "Peter", even in reference with a post.

Just saying.

Originally posted by FugitiveSoul
To those commenting that revealing this info is dangerous to the op's family:

Prepping isn't just about self-preservation, but also about continuity of species and way of life.
Showing people how to prepare isn't dangerous, it only shows others what they need to do for themselves in order to make it. There are always going to be scavengers and marauders, they exist here and now without a shtf scenario. You can't avoid them, and they will find you no matter what.
This guy did a good job in discussing his level of preparedness, as well as revealing that he and his party will be armed, but without giving away his final destination.

All in all, good op.

I would say that they should park their buses and trucks in a trianglular shape, instead of a square, leaving only 3 watch points instead of four. This will also keep the camp area smaller and easier to heat. The fourth vehicle can be placed tightly behind the other truck, back to back. Just a suggestion.

edit on 3-2-2012 by FugitiveSoul because: (no reason given)

It's arrogant to assume that you'll survive the initial cataclysm that will wipe out most of humankind.

Originally posted by babybunnies

It's arrogant to assume that you'll survive the initial cataclysm that will wipe out most of humankind.

It goes against human nature not to try. That's the point of preparation. You don't wait till your car has run out of gas before you fill up your tank. You don't wait until you're being robbed to buy a lock for your front door.

Even in the event of a major cataclysmic event, it likely won't strike the entire planet at once, even if it's a large asteroid or nuclear war. You'll have days or weeks to get to that cave or bunker you know about, depending on location and windspeed. In the event of a pandemic, the best idea will be to stay in place, unless your area becomes extremely hostile. Very few things, short of being at ground zero, will kill you instantly. Most of the world will survive the initial shock. Those that do make it will only survive further by the knowledge and supplies they put aside.
Those who carry a "you won't survive" attitude will die off very quickly (days), or be killed changing their minds at the last minute (through panicked looting and such).

There's no difference between putting some food and tools aside, and making evacuation plans, than there is in being in a movie theater and finding the exits in case of a fire, or planning an alternate route out of your town in case of flooding or evacuation. You wouldn't sit there and get burned alive, would you, thinking "I'll never get out of here. There's a fire, and everyone knows fire = death."?

My point is; with 7 billion people on this planet strewn across 7 continents, to be at ground zero during a major disaster is basically the worst lottery win ever. Your chances are going to be pretty good. The further in-land and the furthest away from urban areas you live, the better your chance of surviving.

Originally posted by VonDoomen
okay so when we have a nuclear winter that last a couple decades, where will this get you?

seems like a whole lot of work for nothing. imagine if these people put their time and resources towards ensuring the world was a better place and didnt need a "bugout"

the whole mentality seems defeatists.

Not prepping at all IS defeatist. Many people who have been through disasters, natural or otherwise can appreciate prepping. A disaster can be any one of the following: loss of employment, flooding, fire, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, those are the most common. There are many others. Many of those who have not experienced days or weeks of lack of food and provisions can only surmise of a disasterous event. In a SHTF situation, aid will be slow in coming, if at all. Just ask the victims of hurricane Katrina. It's a responsible act to prep, even if it's only for a week or two, it's better than nothing.

Wow major s&f flag here

Your dad is amazing
with an amazing familly
can i be adopted ? ahaha
looks to be a very interesting way to live

You have a percentage of surviving higher then most people .. i do agree
but there is always a big chance to be completely surprise by a catastrophe
and all this preparations would have been in vain..

but they can be very usefull to others who have really survived something that most didnt
can use the food supply ..you and your familly would have saved them all
Watch the movie The Road for the bunker part .. to understand that part
things can get literally really ugly like in the movie .. hope not

You didnt waste time doing this .. most people should also make reserves of food and water supply
i have around 500 hundred bottle and i live on the third floor on purpose .. in case of inondation
we always have to say... we never know when... the SRHTF

2012 will be a heavy yrs for everyone
the date when it finish and start will be the 21 december
but it will be a heavy ride till that date
protect the familly and others around you at all cost... animals included if possible
be safe and keep your soul intact .. it is critical that we do that
expecially at this moment in time

ps: love the car
do you repair it often ?
just curious

Originally posted by BohemianBrim
great idea... put that much effort into something, then expose it on national tv for everyone to see.

you should ask your dad for me, what was the point?

it obviously wasnt about staying safe, because he just ruined that chance.

so im guessing it was more about "doing something" and once he had done it.. now its about bragging and showing off.

it doesnt make sense to me that someone could perceive the threat that something may happen that he should be prepared for, and yet still be entirely brainwashed into the cult of "everything i do should be broadcast to the whole world"...

does he also have a facebook page for this compound? does he tweet about its progress??

really?

Or maybe if you find out something that is a good idea wouldn't you want to share it with everyone else too.

So you could , you know, help others.