Preppers & Apocalypse Readiness

Have we talked about Preppers lately? No? Ok, then let's do it!

According to a recent Today Show report, there are over 3 million families in the US alone that are preparing for "the end of the world as we know it" by stockpiling food, medical supplies, and other survival essentials. FEMA recommends having a 72 Hour Kit handy (this is a portable kit with three days of food and water for one person) in case of disaster (natural or otherwise), but Preppers go much further, sometimes even changing their current lifestyle in order to be more prepared.

Prepper essentials may include:

- the previously mentioned 72 Hour Kit
- a portable "bug out bag" (contains some food & water but also tools for attaining more)
- get home bag (similar to the bug out bag, but usually stored in your car so that you can get home from wherever you are when disaster strikes)
- a gun and ammo plus lessons at a shooting range to defend yourself and your family
- a fully stocked food pantry (canned goods, rice, bottled water, MREs)
- a fully stocked supply closet (flashlights, blankets, etc)
- 3-6 month supply of all necessary medications
- acquiring non-electric kitchen gadgets for food prep
- a full tank of gas for every vehicle (at least)



More radical measures may include:

- moving to a place that is more than one tank of gas away from the nearest city
- cultivating a green house, a fish pond, a bee colony and/or raising your own livestock
- building a bomb shelter/ emergency accommodations
- going off the electricity grid: using solar panels and/or getting an emergency power generator
- acquiring gas masks & biohazard suits

How prepared are you for the "end of the world as we know it"?

2 comments:

Alyssa said...

I bet tons of those "prepper" families are LDS! We're pretty big on food storage and staying prepared... :)

- Alyssa
redheadheroines.blogspot.com

Lenore Appelhans said...

Alyssa - That's what I've heard! There was an LDS family I knew who maintained an underground pantry/supply closet in Utah even though they were stationed in Germany. Every time they went back, they rotated out the older cans and donated them to charity.