Emergency Preppers and How they Shaped Our Thoughts

Just in case you are wondering, prepper is from the word preparation. So, how did we come about emergency preppers? From the two words, these are folks who prepare for emergencies; that is, they envisage emergency situations and prepare to survive through them. It is for this reason that they are also called survivalists.

The world has always had its share of disasters and promises to keep having them. In fact, the future at times seems to promise total disaster. Preppers, having these in mind, are constantly thinking up ways, and preparing for how, to survive any disaster. You will find real instances here. Disaster might be personal like being stranded at sea, a sudden job loss, etc. It could be communal like experiencing an earthquake or a hurricane and it could also be national like in the event of a war.

The goal is to be always prepared in such a way as to survive whatever disaster. So preppers, aiming for survival, seek training in different forms of self-defense. They also seek medical training with regards to emergencies. Beyond these trainings, they aim for self-reliance; not just with regards to personal skills, but also with regards to provisions.

Therefore, these survivalists gather information on the most important items to stockpile in readiness for emergencies; and would actually be seen making such stockpile. In one sentence, preppers improve their knowledge and skills on the requirements for survival during emergencies and actually act on the information they have acquired. They go as far as building shelters underground and setting up retreats even in places such as woods. Most times, survivalists do not work alone but as a network.

A Historical Outcome

Many things have given rise to the existence of preppers and their mindset, beginning with religion which has often prophesied apocalyptic disasters that would lead to the end of the world. History is another reason that has provided support for this sort of mindset. In history, people have been made to flee into forests, deserts and such as they run from invading armies.

Natural disasters have happened that left few surviving and often, without leaving the society as they knew it. Epidemics have occurred that have wiped out entire populations, caused survivors to flee and left many stranded. Locusts have been known to invade communities without warning; leaving a trail of sorrow. In recent times, economic collapse – like the Great Depression of 1929 and the 2008 Mortgage Loans Crash – have wrecked many and left them stranded.

Epidemics like the Ebola virus, Swine flu, SARS, Coronavirus and such have left cities being put on emergency lockdown; with so many individuals and families unprepared. Labor groups have gone on strike, leaving people stranded at airports, resort centers, hospitals, and such. Terror groups have seen entire populations being displaced. During the Cold War era, the fear of a nuclear Armageddon was always lurking. The likelihood of an emergency situation seems to always stare us in the face. Preppers were at an all-time high with the commotion that accompanied fears of the Y2K bug.

Preppers are In Different Molds

So, with this background, we can see why it seems that some people are always preoccupied with how to survive a disaster if it happens. Added to the above historical realities, literature has helped to fan the fears of an impending catastrophe. Many books, and in recent times movies, are themed around global or local catastrophe. There are even reality TV shows built around the theme of survival; with folks going into the wild alone or in pairs to live.

Preppers, therefore, seek to make themselves ready to completely live alone in isolation if need be; and survive doing that. They ask themselves questions about what they may need if for instance they have to flee to the North Pole. These survivalists come in groups or camps. Some different groups are identified here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivalism.

Each camp has focused interest on a particular area. What one group might consider important and worth preparing for, another group may not consider it worth being described as an emergency; and would not see value in making any preparation for it.

Some areas different prepper groups lay emphasis on are: surviving the desert, surviving a tempest at sea, safety measures for biotic attacks, self-defense in case of attacks (this include learning martial arts and acquiring fire arms), surviving natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, and lots more), surviving economic downturns, and much more. In all these, survivalists think of how to survive these calamities. Stocking food and other supplies have been one means. Some others seek building remote retreats with possibility of growing food.

An Obsession, But Not a Pathological One

Preppers, of recent times have been held in popular opinion by some and have influenced society in quite some ways. Some others hold them as being pathological due to the seeming obsession to always keep a store for emergencies.

However, some like those in survivaltechie.com are quick to come to their defense saying if they must be viewed as pathological for preparing for emergencies, then those who take out insurance should equally be viewed as pathological.

If we take a critical look at these claims and considering recent happenings especially with the way the world was hit by Corona virus, we will find some truths therein and possibly begin to take more interest in prepping for surviving disasters and the like.

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