...Why do they always relate preparedness to "survivalism" and TEOTWAWKI? Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization's collapse

Izzy,

Excellent post... My thoughts exactly! It is a shame that the principles we were brought up on... being prepared, now make us out to be weirdos.

John

I find myself in agreement with much of the article. Please note that the article does not say the only form of preparedness is survivalism. It specifically addresses TEOTWAWKI folks. This is the more newsworthy variety of preparedness. There indeed is a subculture, with a particular psychology, a particular view about how the collapse of society may come, etc.

Let's be honest: why would a reporter write an article on why you stock some flashlights and batteries for power outages? We don't have to feel bad just because a Reuters article misses out on people (like us) who practice common sense. Like everyone else, we just want to get through earthquakes, power outages, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, riots, etc. The only difference is that we think ahead, we are picky about our tools, and we like posting about our hobby. Oops, did I just use that word?

What I find interesting is not so much the rise of preparedness industry -- that makes sense -- but the rise of accessories for preparedness. You need a special bag to keep all your EDC tools organized, and you want it to be tactical, too? Maxpedition Pocket Organizer will help you out. You need a special shelf to keep your #10 cans and help you rotate the foods? Shelf Reliance to the rescue! Special cleaning tools for your tools? Go to CountyComm! Hey, how about some tactical bacon?



Note I do not mean to endorse any of the products mentioned above. The accessories seem to be an extension of the preparedness mindset. Everything has to be nicely organized, with purpose-built accessories.

This reminds me of the gun industry. Some companies sell "tactical" gadgets that no civilian will really need. Here's something for fun. Check out especially all the junk on his AR. The tactical beer bottle opener mounted on the rifle is probably the best thing ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES9QxE3sUaw

That article is hardly authoritative. And, besides, there has always been a fairly radical, pessimistic fringe that emphasizes the gloomy side of life. There are also lots of folks who are simply prudent.

When I got out on my own, I found myself working and living in some fairly isolated places where planning and stockpiling were very adaptive traits. I soon got in the habit of buying four to six weeks of groceries at a crack, as well as having a reserve, just in case the creek rose. Nothing I have experienced has convinced me otherwise and I tell a lot of stories where emergency stockpiles really paid off. If some journalist thanks that is kooky, he/she is welcome to their opinion

Short answer: The folks who write this stuff have most probably never stood in line for food, water, or the basic necessities following a disaster. Had they, their opinion would likely be different.
My parents and grandparents lived through the Great Depression and from that experience have taught me the lessons they learned. My info. came at no personal cost as theirs did, but I have learned the lessons well. Additionally, as a responder to several major disasters, I have witnessed first hand what a lack of individual preparedness creates, and it isn't pretty.
I think I will remain among the "subculture" for the foreseeable future and eagerly await the time when our classification changes to "sub-human" or some other demeaning title.

Some people are getting pretty defensive. Let me point out that the article is not about you. It's not about stocking food for a few weeks. It's about, as the title says, people who prepare for the collapse of civilization. The good thing about ETS is that it's not a survivalist forum.

Furthermore, I didn't see anything in the article that could be construed as an attack on survivalists. It just seems to try to report on the phenomenon, and attempts to make sense of it historically and socially.

As usual with such an article, the truly interesting part are the comments below it. In this case, there seem to be a lot of preppers responding to it. Cool.

-Blast

I agree that the article is not talking about anyone and everyone who prepares for unexpected circumstances.

This article is very similar to the kinds of articles you saw leading up to Y2K and the people getting ready for everything coming to a grinding halt when midnight, 2000 came around.

However, considering the kinds and frequency of events that happened after Y2K--9/11, the War on Terror, two devastating tsunamis, Katrina, massive wildfires in the West/Australia/Russia, the Dot Com/real estate/financial crashes, $147/barrel oil, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the H1N1 pandemic, and on and on--I don't think the readership reacts quite the same way to stories about the TEOTWAWKI crowd as they did before Y2K.

Instead of reading about these folks with amusement, a whole more people now are probably thinking, "I really should do something to be more prepared for the unexpected..."

The thing is - there is the macro unexpected - 9/11, etc. - and the micro unexpected - the very real emergencies that don't make the headlines. Either one can be a real problem and both require prep work if you don't want to be a headline.

Very true. I certainly think the popular conception regarding preparing for "macro" events is a lot different now than pre-Y2K.

The "micro" stuff? Not sure. However, we did not have the plethora of TV shows on survival back then like we do now, so maybe people are more interested? Then again, with the availability of cell phones, seems like more unprepared folks are relying on their phones to bail them out of tough situations out in the bush, so it's hard to say how the public's perception may have changed about "micro" preparations. It probably depends on the situation.

For example, I think more people are flying with just a carry-on because of baggage fees. Although not really a survival tactic per se, just the fact that you have everything with you will tend to make you more prepared for a common "micro" situation--getting your luggage lost by the airline. I don't know...just a random example that popped into my morning brain.