Any specific "gear" you are referring to?
I've bought several fire extinguishers in my life. Haven't needed any of them.
Could've bought some Apple stock with that money. So that fire extinguisher money was wasted.
I have some firesteels. Won't need them unless my Bics and matches disappear or don't function. Have a fleece blanket in my car, chemical heat packs and a host of other stuff in case I were ever stranded.
Probably won't ever happen. Geico road service will come to the rescue before frostbite sets in.
I have a bunch of water stored that I'll probably never need and will someday dump out. Ditto for the Micropur tablets.
I have maybe three months of food on hand for peops and pup -- will eat most of it, eventually. The dog will eat her food.
I don't have an arsenal but I do have an art collection. The former at least has some utility and is fun for target practice. Well, the art collection could be fun for target practice, too.... but old milk jugs filled with water suffice.
We do have periodic power outages and we camp for recreation so the flashlights, headlamps, batteries and candle lanterns get used.
If it turns out you are not Nostradamus and "doomsday" happens in our lifetimes (which for some of the young'uns among us could be another 80 years) then the preppers will have seemed pretty shrewd.
In the meantime, it is a harmless hobby - if they have the money to spend.
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