Doomsday Preppers don't seem that well prepared to me...

[theHandpuppet]

I've seen a number of episodes of the series but what really gets me (other than the near-hysterical paranoia) is that most of these folks don't seem very well prepared at all. Well, unless you're idea of preparing for some end-of-the-world scenario is to accumulate an arsenal worthy of some small nations. Rather than the tricked-out Hummers and huge stockpiles of weapons, I would think anyone truly worried about some societal collapse might invest their money in off-the-grid survival technology and techniques. You know, rather than buy twenty more assault rifles how about some solar panels or a small wind turbine? For a fraction of the cost of that Hummer you could plant one helluva orchard. Rather than dig a huge hole in which to place a bomb-proof bunker, how about creating and stocking a pond for fish, ducks and geese? What good will it do these folks if they spend 50,000 on guns and tanks and nary a dollar to dig a well? Will someone please offer these folks a subscription to Mother Earth News???
I suspect that what we'll really have to worry about, should there ever truly be a "doomsday" scenario, is the doomsday preppers themselves. That's what scares me.

[AverageJoe90]

1. I agree. And it's not just the teabaggers and militia wackos that would worry me, either............

So, too, would some of the loopier New Agers......which would likely include most of our resident climate doomers, I'd imagine.

Regardless of political leanings, any crazy person is going to be dangerous(though I'm more afraid of people like the Klan or the Aryan Nations at the moment, than Luddites with pick-axes and stink bombs)

[Arctic Dave]

2. That show is just a commercial to sell junk to nut cases.

I think they are more in love with the idea of,"going out in a hail of bullets with the gubmint" then actually survival.

But I do agree, grab a few subscription of MEN for some ideas of sustainable living.

[theHandpuppet]

8. Sure seems that way, doesn't it?

Of course, when they find out that you can't eat and drink bullets, they'll probably use those weapons to take from the people who did teach themselves how to live off the grid. There's the irony.

[kestrel91316]

11. When they talk among themselves, it's clear that

gun-oriented preppers intend to use their weapons to wreak vengeance on minorities and liberals, who they blame for all the world's problems. They'll take their preps and off-grid homes by force, of course, but that's just icing on the cake. They want TEOTWAWKI because they see it as the way they are going to get to the op of the dogpile and all be kings in their own little fiefdoms.

Don't ask me how I know.

[theHandpuppet]

15. What's TEOTWAWKI?

I'm obviously out of the know.

[LynnTTT]

18. The end of the world as we know it

[JaneyVee]

3. If those Doomsday Preppers are the only ones left after doomsday I'd rather be dead.

[Warpy]

17. That's my thought, too

Any collapse that bad is one I don't want to live through.

Most of those people are paranoid beyond belief with grandiose plans of building a family fortress but no plans for water, medication, or much of anything else, even knowing how to patch their shoes when they give out.

In a total collapse, basic skills will be a lot more important than firepower and since no one has the leisure time to perfect all the skills we'd need, pooling our lot with other people is the only way anyone will survive.

The idiots with the bunkers will just be triggered by some event that sensible people shrug at, dig themselves in, be afraid to sleep because the barbarian hordes are expected any minute, and go completely bonkers and kill the wife and kids instead.

[arcane1]

4. The preppers will be dead of hunger and dehydration within the first few weeks...

trying to trade Goldline coins for water.

They are the least of our problems

[hollysmom]

5. I have caught a couple of these shows and really wonder

what are they thinking - they seem obsessed about social break down meaning that people will try and take their "stuff" and physically attack them, not about the kind of world they want to live in. I am amazed that they let so much of their plans be filmed - people will know where to get their stuff from!!! it is a weird combination of naivety and paranoia.

One family was moving to Costa Rica and learning how to eat bugs. I wonder if anyone taught them how to catch these bugs they were eating - if they are planning to live among scorpions,they better learn how to look in their shoes - and who is paying for all this stuff! These people can't possibly hold jobs - are they bank robbers or something.

The whole show gives me a weird vibe of mocking these people, who think they are being looked toward as clever planners - I think the extreme coupon-ers are smarter. I did see one family where the kids seem to be mocking the parents as well - what a waste of what could have been good family time.

[theHandpuppet]

13. Yeah, I saw that one.

I also wondered how the hell they could afford to just pack up and move to Costa Rica.

[johnsolaris]

6. water

Hi,

Water, water, & more water. That is what you need to survive. Oh and a source for all the water & a purification system & an indoor greenhouse with lots of seeds. You also need what you said, solar panels & farm animals.

However, the real question is why anyone would want to be alive after the Apocalypse. Better to go to the great beyond or paradise or whatever you believe is the final destination.

[theHandpuppet]

12. Some of these folks can't see beyond the end of their rifle barrel

Whereas I kept expecting to see rain barrels or water catchment systems or hydroponic gardens rather than homemade flamethrowers.
If one of those channels really wanted to create a show about off-the-grid survival techniques, all they have to do is create a "Mother Earth News" type of show, I know I'd watch that. I watched a few episodes od "Preppers" and quickly got bored. Learned nothing other than there seem to be a lot of paranoids out there with massive stockpiles of weapons. Just what kind of "day after" society are they preparing for, anyway? Not one I'd want to live in, that's for sure.

[Aristus]

7. Ever see "The Road"?

The cannibal nut-cases were teabaggers. Before teabagging was, you know, a thing...

[krispos42]

9. Good points

Part of my plan after winning the Powerball is to have such a house.

Completely off the grid, if possible, and with enough food and water stored so that I could be trapped in the house for a couple of weeks and live off of what's in cans and bags and bottles. Solar panels, wind turbine, a water tower that can serve either as a power source or a water source. Maybe fence in the yard and keep a couple of sheep or goats, maybe a few chickens.

But total doomsday? Collapse of civilization sort of thing?

That's a tough one. I have a brown thumb, so me trying to survive on what I grow would basically be death by slow starvation.

Teaming up with others would be the only chance for survival.

[DirkGently]

10. It's fantasy, not preparation.

My impression is that most of these people, and most apocalypse obsessives in general (including the religious kind) feel unempowered in their present lives and hope to be reborn in some future existence where they have all the guns and food and fuel and shelter. It's become an industry and a hobby rather than anything utilitarian or meaningful.

[theHandpuppet]

14. Hadn't thought of it that way.

But you're probably right. Certainly seems to be the playing out of some fantasy rather than the acquiring of practical living skills.

[Javaman]

41. Exactly. I call it the "I'll show them!" mentality.

I look at that show and think it's the same type of weird compulsion that affects (or is it effects) the people on that hoarders show.

I love to quote the old song from the 1930's to describe these nuts, the title was, "Everyones wrong but me".



Cheers!

[Marr]

48. That is an insightful point.

It's almost a wealth fantasy, in a perverse way.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

16. Funny you should mention this. My boyfriend and I just flipped past "Doomsday Bunkers"

One of the featured "clients" buying a bunker was some former cop dude who also ran a training outfit called:

"88 Tactical"

88 is a favorite number for our Nazi friends - 88 as in Heil Hitler (H is the 8th number of the alphabet).

So TLC or Discovery or whatever channel it was on was featuring a Nazi skinhead former cop.

[DirkGently]

21. Wow. Big facepalm for that network. Good catch (nt).

[Kennah]

22. I caught a piece of an episode

Customer bought a bunker, but apparently they installed it in a poor location. It was flooded.

I looked at this and thought, so some asshole is down in their bunker, shooting at people saying "Stay away!", and all I need to do is look upstream for a creek or river to divert? Problem solved.

[Javaman]

43. That was a fairly common problem for most bomb shelters in the 1950-60's era of nuke

crazy-ness.

Most if not all the various nuke silo's around the country have water pumps installed for that reason.

Rain or a high water table did most of them in eventually.

[frylock]

25. found this on the web fwiw..

The name “88 Tactical” comes from “Signal 88?, a law enforcement code used in the State of Nebraska meaning, “situation secure”.

also found this on a nutter's forum:

They are local to me
don't know much about um
see guys with 88 tactical shirts and hats fairly often at work , gun shows , etc
talked to a few that have taken courses reviews were mixed

http://88tactical.com/

they are an offshoot of signal 88 security which has been around for years , and has no neo nazi links I am aware of

as for the name right off their website
In Nebraska police code, Signal 88 means "situation secure.”
http://www.signal88.com/about-us.aspx

[Hassin Bin Sober]

26. Yeah and it also means Heil Hitler to skinheads.

[frylock]

36. i know that, but i don't believe that to be the case in this situation

[Hassin Bin Sober]

42. Why because some gun-nut board says so?

Sorry but that 88 thing is the oldest too cute by half bullshit brought to us by our Nazi Skinhead friends.

We've even had those clowns sign up here when I was on MIRT. What who? Me? 88 is because I owned a Delta 88, 88 is my favorite number etc. etc

What a coincidence some skinhead (yes he is sporting a cue-ball haircut) former cop, who just happens to be a survivalist gun nut, just HAPPENS to find some other meaning for 88. Not to mention he is a "society is falling down around us and there will be civil unrest" brand of survivalist (as opposed to sun flares, mega-quake and nuclear war type nutso-facto). Gee, I wonder when he realized this? 1/20/09 ??

Seriously, ask yourself, why would a guy in HIS line of work in HIS area of the country "accidentally" use the Heil Hitler code. I mean, the guy is a former cop - don't you think he knows this stuff? Wouldn't this be something to avoid? You think maybe when he came up with this name maybe one of his skinhead survivalist buddies might have given him a clue?

Oh, BTW 10-88 means all kinds of things from suicide, overdose, maternity case to secure to return to HQ.

Not buying it. Take a look at the guy. Take a look a his insignia for the company. Not buying it on little bit.

eta: accidentally clicked on a stormfront link when I googled 88 Tactical. Yuck. They were discussing this. Which reminds me "stormfront" - i.e. gathering storm as in collapse of civil society. See: the nut we are discussing.

[frylock]

46. no, because the owner is a former cop from nebraska..

I've already posted the code that it references. you clearly have your mind set that they're Nazis. i'm not going to lose any sleep over your perceptions, nor am I going to engage you in further conversation in regard to this "issue."



is Dale, Jr. also a nazi?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

52. Is Dale Jr. building a bunker?

Does Dale Jr. sport a skinned head?

Does Dale Jr. think there is a gathering "stormfront" that will cause the collapse of society?

Does Dale Jr. use, as his logo, some third reich looking insignia (that the stormfront dudes happen to like, btw)?

Is Dale Jr. a former (hmm wonder why former) cop from Nebraska?

Ok there sport, you go on believin'

Good day to you, sir.

[Marr]

49. "88" has been a Nazi reference for years, too.

The fact that Signal 88 has "been around for years" doesn't actually mean anything.

[frylock]

50. yep, everyone's a nazi

[Marr]

54. I don't understand.

You don't believe that "88" is a neo-Nazi reference? It is-- this isn't paranoid. I've even met a couple of these guys myself-- one had an 88 tattooed on his skin. They definitely seemed to overlap with the militia/gun nut demographic, too.

What you posted there was silly.

[frylock]

55. i KNOW that it is. i also KNOW that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[Marr]

56. Of course. But considered in context, it seems less likely to be a pure coincidence, does it not?

Do you acknowledge that?

[frylock]

57. occums razor would point to the fact that a former nebraska cop in the security biz..

using a Nebraska State code for "situation secure" has no hidden meaning. I don't know this guy as I don't typically associate myself with gunfucker types. is it POSSIBLE that he's using the code as a double entendre? I suppose that it's not outside the realm of possibility. and quite frankly, I don't know why I even care. perhaps it's born from being accused of being a racist because I don't fawn over every little thing Obama sez or does, so I feel compelled to defend others when baseless accusations are raised. in any case, I've spent far too much time discussing an issue I really don't care about. I just poked my head in here last night to see what the doomsday nutters were up to.

[Marr]

58. Oh, 88 refers to "situation secure" in their code, huh?

That I was not aware of. That does cast a different shade on the whole thing.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

70. Yeah, and the death's-head and skull are from his grandmother's curio cabinet...

[Butterbean]

19. I don't want to survive a nuclear war/apocalypse/ball of fire hitting the earth.

I would like to die instead of being left to suffer in a world gone to shit, thank you very much.

FWIW, the two preppers I know personally (yes, really, I know 2) are not focused on guns or bomb shelter building. One is very focused on staying away from genetically modified foods, planting her own food, raising her own chickens, making her own cleaning supplies, living off the grid, etc.. The other is similarly focused, only she is more focused on survival in the wild by identifying edible and medicinal plants, and physical fitness. If they have bomb shelters, I don't know about them.

[bluestate10]

20. anyone that think they can shoot their way out of any situation is a damned fool.

But anyone that think they can farm with the world falling apart around them is not thinking clearly. I love the idea of sustainable energy production and sustainable farming, but I like the idea of keeping all of society working well better.

[Kennah]

23. I think the Hobbit House trend is much more in line with doomsday preparation

Sustainably built homes, natural materials, walkable community, land to farm. That's the kind of thing that would survive a medium to large sized descent of civilization.

[Warpy]

32. Yeah, and throw in a few artisans

like weavers and tanners and people who can make sandals and knit socks and they'd be all set.

[PD Turk]

24. Exactly

Water, food , warm clothing etc are much more essential to survival. My "doomsday arsenal"would include a good hunting rifle like a 30-30 lever action, a shotgun and a .22 rifle for small game. Of course I'd want to stock plenty of ammo for them, but a pile of high dollar semi auto rifles? Naw, not for me.

[Kennah]

69. Under a true collapse of civilization, I'm thinking a spear, a bow and arrow, and a sling

[PD Turk]

71. Yep

I have a couple good bows and a good cache of fishing gear too

[flvegan]

27. Laughable in general, this OP.

I challenge your premise, that you've "seen a number of episodes" and the FAIL that goes with the rest of it. I've watched a few episodes, comical as they are, and they don't remotely meet what you've seemingly hatefully said, gun obsession what it is, I guess.

Look, don't like what others are doing. That's okay. I'm no prepper, but I can still laugh at the obsession of others in the hate on them. Yeah, you mentioned "Hummer" twice without knowing what you were talking about.

[laundry_queen]

29. Last year I watched a whole day of a "Doomsday Prepper" marathon

In that one day, I saw at least half of the 'preppers' totally obsessed with their giant arsenal of weapons and most of the others had at least a few powerful guns. I also got to see a gun-obsessed prepper who went on and on about teaching kids gun safety shoot off his own thumb. In fact, it was so rare that there WEREN'T a shitload of guns, that I distinctly remember the ONE and only episode where the preppers decided to be friends to everyone in their community and protect themselves that way (by building a network) instead of with guns (done deliberately by the preppers).

The OP isn't the one with some kind of agenda in this thread.

[theHandpuppet]

37. And you, sir, are quite mistaken

I've seen about a dozen episodes and unless you're blind and deaf, the obsession with weaponry is a primary focus of this show. Also huge, reinforced "tricked out" vehicles that appear to fashioned in to what might call Hummers on steroids.

Don't like my OP? Tough, I guess.

[Marr]

51. Don't they actually grade them at one point on their arsenal?

I remember one episode with an older couple that had more of a cooperative approach to the whole thing. They'd organized their community around a rough plan of how to support themselves in an emergency. One family farmed a couple of items, one kept bees and learned to make other items... and they'd do it together. It was more about building a sustainable community, and they seemed to be having fun doing it.

When they were asked what they'd do if the infamous 'motorcycle marauders' came hunting them (lol), they were kind of confused at why they should worry about it. They said something to the effect of, we'd invite them to pitch in. And if they didn't want to... well, there were like 30 of these people. What did they have to worry about?

Anyway, the show gave them a low "score" specifically because they didn't have an arsenal and a fortified position. It was silly.

[HiPointDem]

28. i think all these shows are basically fake.

[pamela]

30. Most preppers have too narrow of a focus.

That's my problem with prepping: chances are the thing you are preparing for won't happen and the thing that rocks your world is something you never imagined. My home was pretty much destroyed two years ago by an earthquake. I lived in Maryland and was pretty prepared for blizzards, hurricanes, floods, but an earthquake? In Maryland? Two days before it happened I would have said you were insane if you told me to prepare for an earthquake.

I read a blog of a guy who is kind of a prepper although he doesn't talk about it much. He lives in a motorhome and works as a gate-guard in the oil-fields of Texas. Makes pretty good money. Sometimes he would allude to some prepping: buying guns, dehydrated food, land in Terlingua for an eventual homestead, etc. The other day, his motorhome was hit by a hailstorm and totaled and he doesn't have the money to replace it. He was prepared for, well hell, I actually don't know what he was prepping for but clearly not for Mother Nature's wrath. I feel bad for him but whenever I see someone prepping for some specific fantasy of their darkest imagination, I just shake my head.

There are homesteader preppers trying to live off-grid and raise their own food. That makes more sense but it's a hard life and I feel the same way about them as that guy I mentioned. They are only really prepared for a few specific things and not really prepared for what may actually happen to them. I guess I'm kind of cynical but my experience with the earthquake taught me that you just can't even fathom what might actually be about to happen to you.

[Javaman]

45. nail on head, especially about the earthquake part.

Having lived through the more glamorous part of L.A.'s history: earthquakes, floods, riots, and mudslides, I can completely agree that there is no way in hell anyone one person could ever hoped to be prepared for everything.

back in '08 when oil was surging in price there were tons of people here were I work asking me about gardening. (I have a fairly big garden), now? not a soul. I still garden.

simple rule of thumb if ever, god forbid, there is a general emergency and you need to survive: get to know your neighbors.

get friendly with them, have them over, share things, bring over extra produce from the garden, build a communal bond.

That will help anyone survive.

I live in tornado country and I do have a bug out bag for my gf and I but more importantly, I know my neighbors and help them out when I can and they they same in return.

It's all about community.

[marions ghost]

59. Yep

I've been in a life changing hurricane. You find out how weak our communities are. That's what needs working on.

[pamela]

67. That's such a good point.

I'm not very sociable but I've been trying to change since the earthquake fiasco. We felt so alone when that happened but that was our own fault as we had always kept to ourselves. We live and travel fulltime in a motorhome now, so it's hard to build community, but I'm trying to at least be a bit more sociable. Of course, from a prepping standpoint, our mobility has a lot of advantages.

[Nay]

62. It's hilarious that the 'prepper' working out of his RV didn't even have enough sense to 'prep' by

buying a simple RV insurance policy to replace his living space in case of emergency! It's not like that's hard to do!

[pamela]

64. Yeah, I actually thought that was a little fishy.

He's asking for donations and I thought it was odd his insurance wouldn't cover it. It's a vehicle, after all, so it seems like he would have to have insurance. I think he does have insurance but it's an older motorhome so he won't get much for it if they total it.

I feel kind of like a right-winger when I talk about this though. It bothers me a little that I'm being suspicious and not feeling more compassion. I actually do feel pretty bad for him and even thought about donating a little. He's a nice guy but I suspect a minor wingnut of the libertarian bent. Sometimes I hate the ugly thoughts I have about people like that.

[olddots]

31. The saddest thing about all these cheesy reality shows

is that they get backing from the scummy non reality they sell.Theres big bucks in building bunkers and supplying these goobers with their survival garbage .

The stupid storage locker shows that have actors find wonderful treasures in the made up lockers are backed by the storage places knowing that some jerk will pay lots of money for an abandoned pile of junk that costs more to throw away than what its worth.

Everyone one these shitty shows is just product placement and the so called good net work shows are lowering their standards to compete with non union -non thought out dreck you channel
surf through to find the lesser of evils. bla bla bla sorry

[Javaman]

47. +1 nt

[bvar22]

33. Doomsday Preppering IS a joke, and a marketing scam for useless junk.

If anyone is curious, there is an interesting First Person account of surviving The Argentine Economic Collapse of 2001 here:
http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/10.08/tshtf1.html

"Then we turned the page and saw the darned fourth pyramid. This one had arrows from the middle class dropping to the low, poor class.

What is this?" Some of us asked.

The teacher looked at us. "This is us"

"It's the collapsed country, a country that turns into 3rd world country like in pyramid five where there is almost no middle class to speak, one huge low, poor class , and a very small, very rich, top class."

"What are those arrows that go from the middle to the bottom of the pyramid?" Someone asked.

You could hear a pin drop. "That is middle class turning into poor".

I won't lie, no one cried, though people rubbed their faces, held their heads and their breath.

No one cried, but we all knew at that very moment that all we thought, all we took for granted, simply was not going to happen."

http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/10.08/tshtf3.html

In 2006, my Wife & I moved to The Woods of West Central Arkansas, surrounded by National Forest, NOT to "survive the collapse",
but to embrace a lifestyle of sustainability, independence, harmony, low carbon footprint, and produce healthy, non-toxic food.
We are old Hippies, and this lifestyle was our dream.

Unfortunately, there are "survivalists" in our area.
They fantasize about a time when it will be OK for them to shoot hungry people.
I overheard one bragging in Attwoods last week that he had stored 30,000 rounds and enough MREs for a year. He said, "Bring it on. I'm ready".

I wanted to ask him,
"How long do you think you can live in a hole and eat nothing but MREs?"
How long do you think you can stay awake?"
...but I didn't.
My Wife and I avoid them because they are crazy,
and we don't want "them" to know we grow food.

The only sane "prepping" would be to establish fruit trees, berries, protected veggie gardens, with healthy soil and recycled compost, chickens and livestock. It takes several YEARS to get something like that Up & Running.

A sensible collection of Carpenter's, Mechanic's, Plumber's, Electrician's Tools and the knowledge and skill to use them is absolutely essential. A comprehensive Med Kit and a broad knowledge of knowledge of Medical Procedures for both Humans and Animals would be worth more than gold.
Anyone who thinks they can run off to the country and live off the land at the last minute will face some very hungry and difficult times.

This part of the Ouachita Mountains is scattered with wonderful natural springs,
and we are lucky to have one. We drink straight from the spring and use it to irrigate our veggie garden. It has flowed righteously even during the record drought of last year.

If something happened, we would probably do OK,
but we pray it doesn't, since that would just make things harder on us too.
We LIKE life as easy as possible, and pray for the Economy to recover, Zero Unemployment, and good health, abundance and EZ Living for everyone.

If you're ever in the neighborhood,
drop in for Green Beans & Cornbread!

---bvar22 & Starkraven
Living Well on a Low "Taxable" Income
and stuff we learned in the 60s

[Raine1967]

44. +1

Especially this:

Anyone who thinks they can run off to the country and live off the land at the last minute will face some very hungry and difficult times.

survivalists, preppers etc., don't get this.

Sounds like you and your partner have a beautiful and fulfilling life.

[Ruby the Liberal]

34. The difference is in the paranoia. All that stuff you mentioned

would call attention to them and their "stash" and bring unprepared people to them. Prepping is about secretly hoarding stuff and planning "bug out bags" so that they and their weapons can escape to a new undisclosed location. Building power infrastructure, orchards, etc - would be seen as doing something for someone else once the SHTF and they need to gogogo.

[NickB79]

35. Far too many of them are in poor physical shape

I see the same thing with the really nutty gun owners who weigh 300 lb and can barely walk 50 ft without getting winded thinking they'll have to use their arsenal to fight off the government some day in a Red Dawn fantasy.

If they really believed what they espouse, they'd be exercising daily, learning how to grow a garden, learning how to forage for edible wild plants, and learning how to live off the land like people did 200 years ago.

Instead, they all seem to think that if they bunker down with enough bullets and cans of ravioli, they'll throw open the door one day and simply stroll out into a new Garden of Eden or something.

BTW: love the fact you mentioned Mother Earth News! If anyone really wanted to learn to be more self-sufficient and survive hard times, this is a great magazine for that.

[DCBob]

38. Yeah, their focus seems more on surviving in isolation rather than in cooperation with neighbors.

very dumb indeed. I think in a situation like that we need to help each other.

[bhikkhu]

40. Exactly - the rich guy with all the food, who'd kill you for looking in his direction

...that'll be the first one to go in a "doomsday" scenario. The one that everyone will be happy to see gone, and whose passing will be of the greatest benefit to the good people remaining.

The best defense is good neighbors, being a good person who values others and who is valued, the one that neighbors would run into a burning building to save. I can think of quite a few people I feel that way about in my community. Not one of them is even remotely a "prepper".

[Javaman]

39. I always ask one question every time I see one of these morons...

How well do they get along with their neighbors?

Probably not good at all.

if god forbid something awful happened, it would take the workings of a good neighborhood to help one another out.

the lone wolf mentality has proven time and time again to be a very skewed and failed logic.

[demwing]

53. They ARE preparing

to "re-appropriate" your crops, your canned goods, your solar, your turbine, and your stockpiles of everything else.

They are the thieves of a darker future. When the banks collapse, they will be the new breed of pirates.

[sadbear]

60. Goats.

My doomsday plans all depend on goats.

[Lizzie Poppet]

61. Real preparation is more about food than fighting.

If you're interested in preparing for disaster, concentrating on weapons beyond what you might need to survive the occasional rare violent encounter doesn't make sense. If you're getting into so many firefights that you need tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition, no matter how well equipped and trained you are, the odds WILL catch up with you, sooner rather than later. Anything other than planning to avoid violent conflict in such scenarios is a disastrously bad strategy.

Preparation for troubles should always acknowledge the odds, the probabilities. Getting through a few days to a few weeks of troubles following a natural disaster (the most likely "doomsday&quot should focus primarily on making sure you have enough food and potable water to get you through. Self defense is still relevant, but it won't matter in the least if you're starving to death.

[Buns_of_Fire]

63. The program rejected a segment about my preparations.

They didn't think that a machete, a Leatherman multitool, two rolls of duct tape, a can of WD-40, and a half-bottle of tequila were sufficient preparations for the collapse of society.

But on the plus side, all the "professionals" gave me a perfect 100 score in all categories, on the reasoning that I'd probably be dead within a half-hour and therefore wouldn't be a burden to any of them.

[pipi_k]

65. It never ceases to amaze

me how narrow their focus is on whatever "disaster" they're preparing for.

What if some other disaster strikes they never expected?

But the very worst thing, the thing that drives me nuts and makes me want to slap them upside the head, is how they manage to suck their family members in...specifically the kids.

One family was doing the decontamination thing and then bugging out. Parents...a couple of kids...and poor grandpa, who was being forced to don one of those stupid white hazmat suits and then do bug out drills. He clearly didn't want to do it, but was being bossed around by either his daughter or DIL. I found myself screaming at the TV to just leave the poor old man alone, FGS!!!

It's bad enough when people get into the crazy, but when they inflict it on others, I find it disgusting.

[baldguy]

66. They invest all that money hoping to survive The End Of The World

But give no thought to doing anything to improve it.

[Sissyk]

68. Isn't that a reality show?

They're all fake? Granted, I watch a couple reality shows but I really do know they are scripted. It's not real. It's entertainment.

Do you think they would put a show on the tube with real preppers so the world could see where they are and what they have?