Preppers have been given a bad rap by the mainstream media. They are painted as conspiracy loons hunkered in their basements, fantasizing about the impending apocalypse. In reality, preppers are simply a group of people who recognize that future disasters are imminent and make adequate preparations for those emergencies. Despite the widespread disdain for the survivalist community, the mainstream media is beginning to realize that, in the event of a disaster, preppers will have the last laugh.

The basic philosophy behind the prepper movement is self-reliance, the ability to provide for oneself and one’s family without government assistance. In preparing for a disaster, preppers recommend securing a reliable source of food, and minimizing reliance on technology. Some preppers even own vehicles built before 1980 which are more resistant to catastrophic events such as EMPs than modern vehicles. In the event of a disaster, a vehicle built before 1980 might also be easier to fix.⁽¹⁾

Better safe than sorry

Preppers are ready for a wide range of disasters, including hurricanes, floods, asteroids, earthquakes and economic collapse. These preparations are not grounded in irrational fear. Contrary to popular belief, preppers recognize that not every disaster they prepare for will come to pass. It is simply better to be safe than sorry.

In addition, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that people are unequipped to cope with and respond to disasters. According to the Mailman School of Public Health’s National Center for Disaster Prevention at Columbia University, more than half of the families polled in a survey did not have an emergency plan for an earthquake or disaster. They also lacked basic emergency supplies, such as food, water and batteries.⁽²⁾

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Other research shows that approximately 44 percent of Americans do not own first aid kits in their homes, an estimated 48 percent do not have emergency supplies, and a whopping 53 percent do not have three days’ worth of water and nonperishable food.⁽³⁾

Many Americans are under the false conviction that emergency help will arrive shortly during a major crisis, ranging anywhere from several hours to a day. In actuality, emergency centers are overwhelmed with phone calls during a crisis and are unable to respond to most situations for several days. Consequently, preppers recommend learning to fend for oneself rather than having to rely on emergency services.

Most American are not self-reliant

Furthermore, most Americans are unable to fend for themselves. Approximately half of the U.S. population is dependent upon government handouts. Also, the bulk of the world’s infrastructure is dependent upon the internet. People do not know how to fend for themselves without government assistance, or how to live for a week without the internet. For these reasons, it should be unsurprising that preppers would be the sole survivors in the event of a social collapse.

Although the mainstream media has long bashed preppers, they are starting to view the community in a new light. Hurricane Katrina and the 2014 Ebola scare revealed that most people are in no way prepared to cope with natural disasters, and that society could learn a thing or two from the prepper movement.

Their are plenty of things you can do to prepare for imminent disasters without being cast to the lunatic fringe. Practice water preparedness, stock up on food, have a plan for sanitation, be ready to defend your home, and learn survival skills that enable you to cope with the natural environment.⁽⁴⁾

Sources include:

(1) Mirror.co.uk

(2) HomeLandSecurityNewsWire.com

(3) EndofTheAmericanDream.com

(4) ReadyNutrition.com