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Don’t Be Afraid to Call Yourself a Prepper
~~Don’t be afraid to call yourself a Prepper. You are doing yourself a grave injustice. The negative stigma that some of those draw around prepping should not interfere with your desire to take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Let us begin with what a Prepper is exactly. The word Prepper is a noun that comes from the noun preparation. Dictionary.com defines preparation as, “a proceeding, measure, or provision by which one prepares for something”. Using that definition, we are all in a sense Preppers. For example, do you a put into your company’s 401K? Do you have a budget or plan for paying your bills on payday? Do you make a grocery list before going to the store? Do you buy clothes and school supplies for your children before school starts each year? Do you fill up your tank with gas before you go on a trip or vacation? You get the point. Prepping is something we all do almost everyday whether it is at work, school, or home.
Preppers are not anti-government fanatics, or those expecting a zombie apocalypse. Certainly there are some of those people around, but the average Prepper is someone that wants to prevent a bad situation, or at a minimum be able to make it through a bad situation the best way they can. A Prepper is someone that wants to do all they can to protect themselves and the ones they love. Prepping can become a hobby and even an addiction but that is completely up to you. What I am talking about in this article is about what you make of it. So lets discard this negative perception of prepping and start looking at what you, the average person, can do to minimize your risk of being put in a bad situation.
The first thing every Prepper does is determines what risk or event that may come in their life that they have no control over yet want to be able to survive and even thrive during the event. Lets assess a few events that we have all been through to get you thinking in the right direction. We will start with the most basic of situations and begin discussing options to prepare for those events. This is to get you started and is not all inclusive. I will write more articles detailing specific situations.
1. Power outage: I do not know anyone that has never dealt with a power outage that has lasted a day or more. It is a simple inconvenience, however proper preparation for this event can make life a little easier. Obviously, the first thing we need or want during a power outage is lighting. It is a basic human need. Flashlights, candles and lanterns are an easy option that most of us already have, but do you have good batteries or a lighter? The small details make the difference. If your children are like mine, then they play video games and watch movies especially at night. So what are you going to do to occupy their time so that you don’t have to pull your hair out because they are bouncing off the walls? This would be a good time to break out a board game, puzzle or coloring books. All three of those can be done in dim lighting and can make an inconvenient situation a fun family night. As a final thought regarding power outages, what’s for dinner? Do you have food in the house that doesn’t need cooking or do you have an alternative way to cook available? A small 1 burner or 2 burner Coleman style stove used for camping can provide you more options to your meal plan.
2. Cold Weather/Snow: This year has seemed especially bad for snow and extreme cold weather across the country. This can become a serious situation fast. We hear of people dying every year from the extreme cold and snow. Simple preparation can greatly reduce the chance of you being one of those we hear about. We all have places to be whether it is work, school, or some other obligation regardless of the weather. Planning is everything here. If you are driving, is your car tuned up? Do you have tires with good tread? Do you have plenty of gas? Birmingham and Atlanta learned the hard way earlier this year about what snow and cold weather can do. Thousands of people were stranded on the interstate and other roads in their vehicles. Do you have blankets or warm clothing to keep you warm if you had to sleep in your car? What about at home if the power was out and the temp is subfreezing? Do you have an alternative heat source? Does anyone know the route you take to work so they can begin looking for you? You could write a book on survival and preparation tips for cold weather. I just want to get you to start thinking of the basics. Do you have enough blankets for everyone in the family? Try the thrift store. They sale used blankets for $5-10. The blankets may not be pretty but it is a relatively inexpensive way to make sure you have plenty of blankets at home and in the car for everyone. Remember that Coleman stove you bought for cooking when the power is out? That can be a source of heat in a pinch as well. Please make sure you have plenty of ventilation and nothing is around the open flame though. Safety first.
So the idea is to get you thinking “what if?”. Don’t get yourself overwhelmed and think that you have to buy all this stuff and spend all your money. Start by thinking of the events that have happened in your life, and what you could have done prior to them to have made the situation better. Also consider where you live. I live in Alabama so I am not too concerned about volcanoes, but I am very aware of tornadoes. Also start with the season. We are getting out of winter for the most part and are moving into the spring which tends to bring tornadoes here. By the time next winter rolls around you will have had plenty of time to slowly get the things you need. Make a list or find a list on the internet to help you stay focused on what you need and then what you may want. I highly recommend thrift stores, yard sales, and sales on after season items. A cheap flashlight is still better than no flashlight. Once you get the basics you can upgrade them to prevent Murphy’s Law from hitting.
Prepping is not solely for a catastrophic event; it is for everyday life events. Prepping is a state of mind. Would you rather be in the position to help someone else or be helped? Take away the negative stigma surrounding the word Prepper and start thinking about how you already are a Prepper.
Thank you for reading. I hope I have opened your eyes a little to the world of prepping and how prepping can benefit every person everyday and most importantly how prepping can protect you and your loved ones from disruptions to everyday life events. I appreciate any comments, suggestions or feedback. Share your story.
–Southern Prepper
