The Preparedness Lifestyle 

Welcome to Typical Prepping. The podcast for those who would like to start their own disaster preparedness plan, or those who have gotten started, but are not quite sure where or how to take the next steps.

Each week I'll present a disaster preparedness topic with actionable tips and strategies that you can implement to start or grow your personal disaster preparations. Thanks for stopping by to listen today.

Hi, I'm Keith, and welcome to typical prepping!

In this episode, we’ll explore what it means to be a prepper and living a lifestyle of preparedness, and attempt to dispel some of the myths surrounding Preppers. 

The preparedness lifestyle is living a life anchored to preparing for unforeseen destructions and disasters. Every prepper has a different reason why they choose to be one. And, there is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to prepping.

   The level of preparedness one chooses also differentiates preppers from one another; for instance, you may choose to prepare for possible disasters known to your area ( ie, floods, thunderstorms, power outages, etc), where others may choose to be prepared for catastrophic or even apocalyptic events. The kind of prepper a person decides to become may also depend on the place they live in; for instance, preppers in Tornado-prone areas mold themselves to be ready when a tornado comes.

In this episode, we’ll explore what it means to be a prepper and living a lifestyle of preparedness.

What It Means To Be A Prepper

What does it mean to be a prepper?

Being a prepper or becoming a prepper doesn’t mean you have to prepare for Doomsday or The End Of The World As We Know It. It does mean that you are prepared to care for and take responsibility for the basic needs of yourself and your family for an extended period of time should disaster disrupt your normal way of living.

     Preparation is a significant part of surviving unforeseen emergencies. Can't predict the future, but you can feel confident in your ability to face it. Some Preppers May indeed be preparing themselves for the end of the world; most are simply taking steps to reduce their dependence on infrastructures that won't last forever.

    No matter where you live, you should know what you can do in emergency situations and how you can arm yourself mentally and physically for disaster. Survival and emergency preparedness skills will assist in any situation from Power failures and the breakdown of Public Services to devastating hurricanes and government collapse. 

Volcanic eruptions, Super Storms, tsunamis, tornadoes this is the world we live in, but different areas are prone to different risk factors. Look up your area's flood history, seismological data, and other geological information, and prioritize the events in crisis you most need to prepare for. Take stock of the threats to your area and take action.

   Being prepared for a disaster means knowing the possibilities. Sometimes a full-blown state of emergency is just a more extreme version of the minor inconveniences you faced once (or many times) before. 

 There are a lot of emergencies we can prepare for, ranging from events with a higher likelihood of occurring, such as unemployment or illness in the family, natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes to rare but extremely catastrophic events like a terrorist attack or pandemic. Whether you're making preparations for a short-term or long-term emergency, the initial steps toward those goals are the same.

Think of scenarios of disasters that you may face in your area. During this process, you may find that some scenarios make you feel uncomfortable. This is totally acceptable. Not everyone is an expert in everything and you should not expect yourself to be an expert in every aspect of survival. When possible, involve outside family members and Neighbors in your planning and preparations. Involving others in a group setting will help to maximize your survivability as you add others who have different skill sets.  This may also be a sign that you may need to sharpen some of your skills in the areas that caused you to feel uncomfortable.

Think of it this way, it is better to feel uncomfortable while planning and preparing for disaster than to allow fear and anxiety to take over should an actual disaster happen, placing you and your family at a higher risk of survivability. 

   Even if you are starting from the beginning, with no emergency supplies at all, once you get started with the prepping process, you will soon start seeing positive results. As you build on these simple steps, you will become more confident in your efforts and be rewarded with the confidence that you have done the best you can to protect your family from disaster.

Are you ready to become a prepper?

If you’re ready to get organized and are committed to building your short-term and/or long-term inventory of goods and supplies, then the prepper lifestyle is something you’d find to be a good fit.

Being ready to become totally self-sufficient is a good clue that you’re ready for a life change. If you’re ready to learn about self-protection and first aid and how to take care of yourself and your family through anything, then you’re ready.

Becoming a prepper is not for the faint of heart. There's more to becoming a prepper than just gathering supplies and goods. You must also be prepared mentally and emotionally for the hardships of life. This means you should be prepared for such events as job loss or unemployment, illness or death in the family, The possibility of loneliness and isolation that may come from being separated from others, or the loss of Technology and Communications.

You’re not ready if there are certain things in your life that you feel you absolutely can’t give up – such as a daily trip to the local delicatessen or that expensive cup of coffee. You’re not ready and the lifestyle is not for you if you set aside money for supplies but then spend it on going out to eat or shopping for a new pair of shoes or the latest video game.

You’re not ready if you have a deep attachment to the conveniences of life and rely too heavily on technology. If You can’t imagine your life without modern technology, this is a sign you’re not ready.

Don't take what I just said the wrong way. I'm all for technology and the conveniences of life. However, in the event of an emergency or catastrophic event chances are greater that technology and modern conveniences such as the local corner store or even cell phone service can become disrupted or completely wiped out. I just feel that it's important to be prepared for such disruptions than to be caught blindsided and unable to care for and provide the basic needs for myself and my family. Ultimately, like it or not, you need to take this responsibility upon yourself!  It is not wise to depend upon someone else to provide for your basic needs. 

Myths about Prepping

Many people are deterred from prepping because of the bad publicity we generally receive which lead to some pretty horrific myths like the following;

1. Preppers are selfish; they hoard supplies like food, water, and other necessities.

Expert preppers do not hoard goods. The truth is they only stock and store the things they need. They believe that storing stuff for just having supplies will cause them more harm than good if the resources are not beneficial. 

Preppers continually add minor additions to their stockpile, and they do not buy in bulk. If you come to think of it, it’s the non-preppers who do the panic buying.

2. Preppers want something terrible to happen.

Preppers only understand that major catastrophic events and crises in society are hard to evade and that people must grow awareness and readiness in themselves. Wherever you live, it is normal to experience natural and human-made disasters.

  I might also add here that most people are oblivious to the amount and frequency at which many hazardous materials are driven down US highways, through cities and towns, and even through neighborhoods without most people having an inkling that such dangers lurk so closely.

3. Preppers are heavily armed.

Some of the preppers indeed have guns and other firearms, but not all. Guns can not always protect your family, especially if you don’t know how to use them. Some preppers prefer to put their money on the overall security of their homes, like quality security cameras, locks, and doors. In times of crisis, it is more acceptable to look harmless and weak to stay safe than someone who uses heavy firearms to gain authority.

I’ll also add here that in some communities having firearms can help provide food for the table during lean times or during disasters.

All in all, The prepping lifestyle is grooming oneself to survive in a world full of unwanted surprises. Some people mocked and scrutinized Preppers until the Covid-19 pandemic happened. Preppers were able to then show how planning and preparation can aid in alleviating the effects of a disastrous event.

Now that you have an idea of what the prepping lifestyle is, remember that you cannot become a prepper in just a snap. The transition from a non-prepper to a prepper is a step-by-step process that requires patience and discipline. However, if you think about the skills learned and the worthwhile experience gained, excitement and enthusiasm will fuel your desire to pursue this lifestyle.

If you have an unwillingness to learn how to prepare for the future or aren’t interested in sustainable living, then you’re not ready for the prepper lifestyle. But most people can envision a day when the worst-case scenario happens, and if it happens to you, you’ll have to deal with it – ready or not.

 Well, folks, that's gonna do it for this week. Thanks for listening and join me next week for another preparedness topic and Until then, stay safe and be prepared! 

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 Until next time, stay safe and be prepared!