Doomsday Preppers ; the newest religion ?

Originally posted by poloblack
There's nothing wrong with prepping. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Piss poor analogy comparing prepping with religion.

True. Besides, even if the zombie apocalypse does not come, that prep would make one able to hold out during more likely STHF scenarios such as floods, tornados, hurricaines, eathquakes, etc.

Originally posted by jed001
i just feel bad when they pull their kids into it when all the kids want to do is lead a "normal" life

Why feel bad? They are just doing what they feel they must in order to protect their families. No different than locking your doors at night or making your kids wear a seatbelt in the car. Most of the kids today get their definition of what a "normal" life is from television, which couldn't be further from the truth. There is nothing "normal" about what is happening to this country today.

Originally posted by jed001
i am just trying to get a feel for the level of prepper on this site , and it seems to lean more to what i consider normal prepping instead of doomsday preppers . but as someone mentioned earlier , a true hardcore prepper would not let you know what they had in case you wanted to take it when TSHT

90% of being "prepared" is mental. The rest is just stuff, and learning how to use it. But ask yourself, are you truly prepared to take someone's life if you need to? Are you prepared to do it with your bare hands if there is no ammo left? What if it's a woman threatening you and your family? Is your mind ready to do what it takes to defend, up to and possibly including taking her life?

Most people don't even bother to consider these things because it's too difficult. The same goes for everyday emergencies like car wrecks and such. People don't know what to do and they freeze with fear and indecision. It is the mentally prepared person that reacts and rushes in to break the window and rescue the person from the burning vehicle.

Improvise, adapt & overcome. You don't necessarily need expensive underground bunkers or 10 years worth of rice & beans. Just a soldier's mentality to survive no matter what it takes. Acquire that, and you are pretty much prepared. A good EDC / BOB, a plan, & some training is bonus on top.

reply to post by ProjectAlice


I can only star you once.

I am hooked on the show but it is fun when my kids watch it with me and we make fun of the people on the show, especially the kids...

I really like the ones afraid of earth quakes with thousands of glass jars sitting on shelves...

Also prepping can be very fattening... and cause people to become selfish and self serving.

reply to post by Gazrok


And the worst part of Katrina (I strongly recall being here on ats through the whole ordeal) was when the prepared and good citizens were forced from their homes and guns confiscated long after the waters receded. That was horrifying to me.

reply to post by ProjectAlice


It's funny, but I've had the fortune/misfortune?, to be put in situations that tested me like that before. I've saved a few lives through either first aid and/or calling 911, or getting people out of harmful situations, etc. I've also had my share of dicey situations, where I or a loved one was threatened. Luckily, I've never had to actually go the full nine yards, (though when young, I did unload a pellet gun in a guy's face, who accosted me while I was in my car). I never did know what happened to him, as I drove off (I kept telling him to back off, I was armed). Guess he was ok, or it would have been in the news.

Normally, I'm a pretty quiet and softspoken guy, but in any kind of emergency, I become some weird, decisive drill sergeant. I have NO idea where it comes from, but I'm glad to know I have the ability to do what needs to be done.

reply to post by ProjectAlice


i feel bad for the kids because the kids just want to be normal and live normal lives and the level of prepping they depict on this show; in my opinion; is religious fanaticism . they don't go on vacation because they think a solar flare is going to knock out the power grid. would i kill someone to defend my family; i have always said " if my alarm goes off in the middle of the night that is the only warning you get; after that it is my word against.... well just my side of the story"

Originally posted by antar
reply to post by Gazrok

 

And the worst part of Katrina (I strongly recall being here on ats through the whole ordeal) was when the prepared and good citizens were forced from their homes and guns confiscated long after the waters receded. That was horrifying to me.

i remember katrina and thought to myself " i would have been one of the people that listened to the warnings and left" if a hurricane that big was coming straight at me; why would i stay . in my opinion that was a bug out situation not a bug in

Originally posted by NavyDoc

Originally posted by poloblack
There's nothing wrong with prepping. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Piss poor analogy comparing prepping with religion.

True. Besides, even if the zombie apocalypse does not come, that prep would make one able to hold out during more likely STHF scenarios such as floods, tornados, hurricaines, eathquakes, etc.

i never get the zombie apocalypse ; all the zombies i have seen are slow; as long as i can maintain a brisk walk i should be good

I think that it is common sense to prepare for the type of disaster that you can find in your area.

Having food and water available for enough time to get through a natural event isn't that big a deal.

We tend to buy in bulk when things are on sale. Sometimes we do have four or 5 cases of canned goods in our hallway but in the long run, we only buy what we eat and if you're a good shopper you can easily save %50 on your canned goods.

I thin the people they pick to be on TV don't seem like the best and brightest, but they don seem to approach prepping with a religious zeal. If they were true preppers, they'd keep a lower profile.

Having said that, I do see the possibility of a financial depression. The US is 17 trillion dollars in debt and congress can't identify a single item to cut in their spending plans. That's not a recipe for prosperity.

I have watched the show quite a few episodes their opsec sucks what distrubs me the most is way too many people think survivalism is buying a bunch of things, they coined a new name for themselves preppers and it went mainstream.

Survivalists and preppers are two entirely different things.

It may be a religion to some, but it is a religion to think government is going to come save them.

Tornados,,Earthquakes,hurricanes and other natural disasters do happen, man made disasters do happen.

Never hurts to have a few preps on hand for just in case, as stated they can be use for the here and now.

i took the "test" on that website for the show.

i scored like 8 months survival time. even with my menial stock of tools/equipment/food/water i KNOW i could live at least 2 years.
i think its all a ploy to make people think its pointless to prep.

even with no supplies i know i have a better chance of survival then the average person. they dont test your knowledge :p

reply to post by jed001


Survivalism in any extent isn't a religion. It's a way of life. I don't worship my preps, I rely on them. Although I understand what you were trying to say, you missed the mark by a mile. Thanks for playing though.

I don't really understand preppers, most of them prepare for a particular event they believe is going to happen, while ignoring the rest. I think people should be enjoying life while they can... Sucks when someone has been prepping their whole life and die without anything ever happening, and they lived a miserable life.

I'm not saying I'm against prepping, I just think people should prepare for a combination of things, not obsess and prep for one single thing.

It's certainly my new Religion!

Bow down to the almighty AK and his son Glock40. Perform the ritual of cleaning the Gods with the holy cloth and anoint them with Hoppes.

Come and get some....

reply to post by jed001


i'm not the prepper and don't want to be)))

i feel bad for the kids because the kids just want to be normal and live normal lives and the level of prepping they depict on this show; in my opinion; is religious fanaticism

It's a valid comparison in that sense. Very few of the kids share the zeal of their parent though...in doing this.

As for zombies being slow...the most likely scenario for a zombie apocalypse is a mutated version of rabies. In this case, you'd see something more like 28 Days Later, and its "Rage" virus...so "quick zombies", infected people, not walking dead. Just Google rabies...I dare you. Only like 5 people, in ALL of history, have survived the virus untreated. That's an insane mortality rate for ANY virus. If a mutated version of this (immune to current vaccines, and airborne) were created and unleashed, we'd be in some serious trouble.... Luckily, the mutation would likely result in a lower mortality rate, but those immune would be facing off against hordes of "quick zombies"....not exactly a fun prospect.

reply to post by ProjectAlice

Notice how no matter how extensive they may have prepped, even with $100,000 underground missile silos and years worth of food and water and weapons, multiple bug-out plans, almost none of them ever get a score above around 60 out of 100. They then are told they have 4-5 months of survival time, as if to suggest prepping is a waste of time.

Great observation on that! I had never really considered how the rather sad scores for even the more insane extremes for prepping would work on the average viewer that way. You're right though. If people see that and take the meaning of the words to be that even with a concrete safe house to run to or a missile silo to hide in, it only gives months of survival time (I hate how they term that too...It's so misleading in itself) then it would be terribly discouraging to even bother trying.

What a devious little hook that carries .... I've always been of a general prepare ahead mindset so I never thought of it that way. Someone deciding whether to even start could easily be put off when prepping means tough decisions on budgets and such to make it happen.

reply to post by neo96


i agree with you , i am prepared for local natural disasters, we have had a few in the northeast over the past few years. but i can't make the leap of faith to prep for a world wide pandemic

Originally posted by Auricom
reply to post by jed001

 

Survivalism in any extent isn't a religion. It's a way of life. I don't worship my preps, I rely on them. Although I understand what you were trying to say, you missed the mark by a mile. Thanks for playing though.

maybe i can add to the discussion to make my point more clear. there is a lot of faith in religion and in my opinion there is a lot of faith in doomsday preppers . for example people believe in God and Heaven but have never seen or been there. doomsday preppers ; some have been prepping for years; believe there end of the world scenario is going to happen within their lifetime or why would they prep in the first place. the last big SHTF situation was either WWII or the depression anything else has been a short term local event. i am prepared for a short term local event , but being a logical thinking person; i can not make the leap of faith to invest that much time money and effort into a doomsday event that will probably not happen

Originally posted by olaru12


It's certainly my new Religion!

Bow down to the almighty AK and his son Glock40. Perform the ritual of cleaning the Gods with the holy cloth and anoint them with Hoppes.

Come and get some....

good for you ; you protect your stuff and i will protect mine , walk in my house at three in the morning and the alarm is the first and last waring you get