Shooting From The Hip - 49 - Doomsday Prepper Culture

1907, an English soldier Baden-Powell, created the Scouting motto: BE PREPARED -meant to be in a constant state of fitness in mind & body, to complete your duty (whatever life sends you).
Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell February 1857 – 8 January 1941: British Army officer, writer, founder & first Chief Scout of the world-wide Scout Movement, & founder, with his sister Agnes, of the world-wide Girl Guide/Girl Scout Movement

Doomsday Prepper:
-persons, people who gathers materials -plan in preparation for surviving, major disasters or cataclysms
-survivalists prepare for any disaster, large or small -events that will trigger either a full or in partial collapse of society: -such events: solar storm knocking out power grid, economic collapse, an attack involving weapons of mass destruction, war
prepper often used as synonym for survivalist
key differences of preppers, survivalists: is their approach to survival:
-Preppers plan, stockpiling resources, preparing for known threats
-Survivalists adapt, honing skills to survive in any situation, regardless of the specific threat
both require adequate water, food, medical supplies, security measures

-Prepping is not about daydreaming about doomsday scenarios, it is about being ready for probable & plausible threats

Survivalism is a social movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists, doomsday preppers) who proactively prepare for emergency

Prepper Checklist: 1.Build Foundation to Prep: stocking pile everyday essentials -water reserves, emergency food, first aid kits, hygiene products, sanitation supplies

2.Prep Home for weeks of self-reliance: food reserves will not last multiple weeks, plan to get more food - learn to hunt, fish, trap & forage for food -learn skills of self-reliance
3.Prep to be able leave home on a moment’s notice: evacuate efficiently -different survival necessities to stay fed, hydrated, generally more comfortable throughout your evacuation

4.Prep for emergencies: in vehicle A. Have a change of clothes just in case you are caught in your work attire. B. Prep a backup pair of comfortable shoes C. Consider alternate routes back to your home or bug-out location in case your main route is impassable D. Design a communication plan & plan of action in advance with family

5.Learn core survival skills & practice with your gear: have adequate supplies & having skills to use them effectively -this includes mental preparation -understand emergencies & disasters can be physically, mentally, emotionally draining experiences -Prep mentally, emotionally for this stress can make a difference Learn Skills: hunting, fishing, trapping, foraging: fire building: Survival shelter construction: Water collection & treatment: Orienteering to the ground

6.Network: Prepping for emergencies, disasters can feel like it, you against the world -create network, community of like-minded interested in self-reliant

Chris Ellis colonel, U.S. Army: who works on disaster preparedness & recovery & leading researcher into the prepper movement who tracked its growth to 20 million people based data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mar 9, 2024: Reuters

-almost 20 million Americans, or about 7% of households, identify as “preppers,” based on analysis of FEMA According to the results of last year's National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness, 57 percent of Americans had taken 3 or more steps to prepare for disaster. Jul 16, 2024: The New York Times - & they are part of a movement that began at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s when fear of nuclear attack was top of mind for most. Jan 4, 2024: according to Forbes

90.5% of preppers are urban preppers -majority are homeowners: 73.4% -54.7% Christians make up 38.1% of preppers -Jun 25, 2024: True Prepper

Prepping is big business, roughly 1/3 (29%) of adult population in USA Spent $11 billion in the last year on emergency preparedness: April, 11 2023 74 million

What is the average age of a prepper? -average age around 52.6 yrs old -25-34 year old are still the largest segment: -more growth among the older crowd during this period Nov 6, 2022 -USA Today report published last December found that “39% of millennials & 40% of Gen Z reported spending money on prepping -over last year Mar 27, 2024

What country has the most preppers? United States Of America -Americans embrace prepping lifestyle, reflecting anxieties linked to political polarization, social divide - According to Global Times: Editor's Note: Preppers are a group of people who believe a catastrophe or emergency might happen in the future Apr 16, 2024

Charles Darwin: It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt & adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself