Is being prepared the same as "prepping"?...

because most people think "preppers" are crazy.

and...

How far are you willing to go to be prepared for an emergency, be it weather, social unrest, or enemy attack?

Since I don't blog anonymously and can be quite easily found, I tend to self-monitor things I say here.

I don't generally advertise anything that I don't think the general public needs to know.  It's sort of like when people on Facebook announce to the world when they're going on vacation, how long they'll be gone, and practically give directions to their homes.  That always strikes me as just plain dumb.

While I realize even anonymous bloggers can be found, people who have ill intent are more likely to go after the low-hanging fruit.  My fruit is hanging so low it's hitting the ground, so I keep most things private.

What got me thinking about this is an article I just read over at SHTF blog by a guest blogger:

“I’ll Come To Your Place When SHTF” – No You Won’t 

Dear Friend:

I love my friends, but I will shoot you if I have to.  I’m serious.  Here’s why.
I tried to persuade you to prepare for what’s coming and, in the process, revealed that to you that I’m preparing.  You realized that I have food, guns, etc., and ended up saying, half kidding but half serious, “I’ll come to your place when SHTF.”

No you won’t.  I will shoot you.  If you threaten me and my family, I will use force to defend against any threat.  And showing up at my place hungry and unprepared is a threat to me.  You will eat my food and use up my medical supplies, generator, firewood, etc.  That’s less of these life-saving things for me and my family.  That’s a threat.

Is this greed on my part?  No.  I will take care of the truly needy – those who cannot take care of themselves.  But you are different.  Very different.  You had plenty of chances to prepare for yourself.
But what did you do?  You spent the weekends watching football, went on expensive vacations, and never made your spouse mad at you with your “crazy” ideas that something bad was happening.  You didn’t do shit because… you would just come to my place.  Problem solved, right?  You didn’t need to spend time, money, and create domestic strife because I did that all for you.

Not.  Why should I spend my time, money, and stress just so you can waltz into my place and live happily ever after?  I’m a nice guy, but – really? – I’m going to spend my (very limited) free time, disposable income, and domestic tranquility just so you can have a leisurely life and more material comforts pre-Collapse while I don’t?

Read the rest HERE and then come back and comment.  I'll wait right here.


We don't consider ourselves "preppers" in the sense the MSM would like you to think preppers are like.  You know the meme of crazy people building bunkers out in the piney woods, stockpiling 10 years worth of food, and having enough ammunition to start WWIII.   We sort of believe that if things get that bad, all that sort of prepping will not do you much good anyway.

We do, however, have some water put away, a nice pantry, a bit of freeze dried food, a wood stove for heat and cooking, and an adequate supply of defensive measures.  Blizzard coming?  Not a problem.  Electricity off?  Not a problem - at least for a few months.  After that?  Not good.

But, we also have great faith that some of the people of this country will reorganize quite quickly.  The rest will perish.  If you doubt this, harken back to Katrina and the vision of people who were crammed into a stadium defecating any and everywhere with not one person stepping up to help maintain any semblance of order.  

We're doing the things our parents did as a matter of routine.  Having a pantry and extra batteries, a hand crank radio, and some water is not extreme.  Could you survive for a year if a medical emergency hit your family?  My dad had a very serious neck surgery when I was just a baby, and was out of commission for a year.  I heard my mom often say that if it wasn't for her pantry they would have been in a world of hurt.

 We also have some neighbors who are prepared, which is a good thing.  Other neighbors are not at all prepared and not to be trusted in the event of an emergency, which is a bad thing. Would I do as the writer of the above article I linked?  I don't know.  Check back after a scary event and I'll let you know.

I started out with two questions, both of which I'm interested in hearing the answers to:

1. Is being prepared the same as prepping?
2. How far are you willing to go to be prepared for an emergency?

More:

Frank and Fern:  Wakey! Wakey! The Wolf Is At The Door

The Organic Prepper (Daisy Luther):  Forget Doom and Gloom: Preparedness is the Ultimate Act of Optimism

The Sleuth Journal (Daisy Luther):  How To Be A Prepper…But Not One Of Those Crazy Ones  (a must read!)