No, we are not crazy! I feel like saying to you right from the get-go of this article. But, as a professional writer/blogger, I can’t do that. Not without giving you my solid down-to-earth reasoning, at least.
So bear with me because I’m gonna prove to you that prepping is not at all crazy and whoever thinks so is just not aware of the information and the arguments below.
What’s a Prepper?
Just what is a prepper? That’s a good question and I’m happy to answer it if you’re new on this site and you don’t know the answer.
A prepper is someone who believes something bad is going to happen (to him, his family, his country, or the entire world) due to various reasons. Someone who has decided to prepare for potential disaster in order to minimize the impact of this future event on himself and his family.
What Kind of Things Do Preppers Think Will/Could Happen?
There’s a huge number of events that could happen but we can put them into three categories:
(1) natural events:
- earthquakes
- hurricanes
- flash floods
- avalanches
(2) man-made events:
- war
- nuclear war
- Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) event
(3) and small scale events:
- car accidents
- bike accidents
- electric shocks
- home invasions
- …and on and on.
And this brings me to my first argument why preppers are NOT crazy. Just look at the list of events above. Those are just a few of the things that could happen and most of them are already happening.
Putting the idea of a Zombie apocalypse aside, many of these events are happening every friggin’ year .
Some of these things are silly, yet they still injure or kill people. For example, did you know that 10,000 Americans are injured by fireworks each and every year? And 1,000 Americans die of electrocution every year (including capital punishments).
Ok, you may ask: what do these have to do with having a 1-year food stockpile or owning a gun? My answer is: it doesn’t!
Prepping is mostly about knowledge, about knowing what to do in a survival situation. It’s also about having the necessary reflexes to flee when death is just a few feet away. But most people don’t know that because all they see in their mind’s eye when they hear the word “prepper”, is…
What Are the Odds of Something Bad Ever Happening?
The math isn’t easy, but let’s look at it from another angle. What’s the likelihood of you getting into a car crash? It’s not that big, right, and you don’t go behind the wheel every time thinking you might die
And yet, you still pay auto insurance. If you don’t, your registration gets suspended and you won’t be able to drive at all.
Same thing with your house, you need insurance to protect yourself in case of a fire or other event.
Well, prepping is just like an insurance policy against all the other events that have more or less the same odds of affecting you. But because it’s optional, most people don’t do it. In fact, prepping is BETTER than insurance.
Insurance doesn’t protect you from damage really, it just gives you money to reimburse you in case something happens.
Prepping actually decreases your chances of getting injured or killed in a disaster or SHTF event.
Can I Take This Too Far?
Of course. Every niche, hobby, or whatever you want to call it, has a certain segment of people who take things to the extreme and make the whole thing look bad.
Business people have to deal with everyone thinking they’re greedy because of a few rich spoiled brats who like to show off.
People who work out at the gym every day are ridiculed for wanting to look pumped because of a few douche-bags who like to flex their biceps at the beach and wear tight undershirts everywhere they go.
Men who like do dress stylishly are mocked because of a few extremists who wear crazy colors and are cataloged as “parrots” or “gay”…
And on and on, you get the point.
You don’t have to be like that. You can’t stop protecting yourself simply because other people think it’s not cool.
This isn’t high school anymore. You have a responsibility to yourself and to your family.
Do I Need to Know All The Fancy Prepper Jargon?
Nope. It helps to know the terminology, but you can manage without it so you won’t inadvertently use it when talking to other people. The main thing is that you prepare – the rest is secondary.
Should I Tell Anyone About My Preps?
Preferably not, and this will save you a lot of headaches from people who don’t really care to know what prepping is really about. The less they know, the better, anyway.
Verdict: Are Preppers Crazy?
Ok, I guess now I’ve made my point so I can proudly conclude that no, we are not crazy! While I do think there’s a lot of hope for the human race, I still think prepping is essential.
People die every day and that’s all the proof I need to make little changes that, when the time comes, will have a huge impact and might make the difference between life and death.
Where Do I Start?
That’s a fantastic question. The best way to start prepping is on the prepping 101 page, and subscribe to the newsletter.
So, yeah, take a look around and, hopefully, you’re gonna get hooked and start prepping. And don’t hesitate to ask questions here on the site in the comments section below each article.
My dad was military. My grandfather was a cop. They served their country well. But I don’t like taking orders. I’m taking matters into my own hands so I’m not just preparing, I’m going to a friggin’ war to provide you the best of the best survival and preparedness content out there.