I got moved around by my job a lot, coast to coast. (Some of my colleagues got moved overseas, so at least I got to stay domestic.) I was always just by myself, a stranger in a new town. It was hard to develop ties with the community (work, neighbors, etc.) when everyone knew you'd be gone soon. So I realized I needed knowledge and technology, because I couldn't count on anyone but myself. So I made plans for situations like: what if I got so sick that I couldn't move? (Actually had to execute that plan a few times.) People who live with at last one other person probably don't think about the importance of having a supply of water, medicine, and sanitary stuff right next to them in bed.

The skillsets for survival weren't instilled from other parts of my life. Many people got into prepping as an extension of camping. But there is not much that intersects with any of my skills, professional or otherwise -- other than actually experiencing emergencies such as hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, medical stuff, etc. People who have those skills tend to come from a different world, a different culture. So my horizon has been broadened as a consequence, and I'm better for it.

Also, moving around means one gets chances to learn about new problems. Crime in the cities, having access to nothing out in a two-horse town, tornados in the Midwest/South, freezing cold in the Upper Midwest, fires/earthquake on the West Coast, hurricanes on the Gulf, etc.

I became interested in prepping because I study Bible prophecy and because of personal experiences.

Jeanette Isabelle

Yikes! The treatment chemicals for a hot tub are a potent brew. Fine for bathing -- and yet rinsing afterwards is SOP. But I would have grave reservations about ingesting this water in any amount, even boiled.

That said, I suspect the water could be reclaimed by a distilling process, which is not hard to scrounge together if you have a heat source.

Sodium Bicarbonate to raise the pH, Sodium Bisulfate to lower the pH, target pH is 7.2 - 7.8, Potassium Monopersulfate as a "shock oxidizer" (this I image is not good to eat, just by the ominous name of it!), Chlorine (probably dissipates with aeration?) and minerals. I think the minerals are to help stabilize pH and to create hardness, but I don't really know, nor do I know what the specific minerals used are. Then there's an ozone injection thingy and a quite extensive mechanical filtration system.

My wife wanted the hot tub, so I said she gets to be the chemist. I just do the soaking and relaxing myself!

The water looks as clear and fresh as a remote mountain stream. However, ... !!!

I prep because it is a natural extension of me being a DIY guy. Also, there really is no downside to doing a reasonable amount of prepping. It only adds value to my life. Besides being practical, prepping is a good mental exercise, forces self awareness, forces world awareness, etc.

I picked my name here deliberately. Much of what I carry, choose to learn, and so on comes from trying to learn from experience.

Experience is the reason I EDC the items that I carry. Experience is the reason I will from now on bring extra lip balm and aspirin when I'm on a trip. Experience is the reason I'm considering a folder (or box cutter) to EDC.

Jeanette Isabelle

Also, its kind of fun

the strange answer is...
For very dull events

I plan for rainstorms, floods, etc and so on. If its unlikely to happens around here, I don't worry about it.

so no TEOTWAWKI ( and I feel fine), no zombies, no EMP's

When someone cuts themselves and needs a band-aid or needs a piece of tape or a knife or something to light a fire I have always been that nerd who can simply pull out of his wallet or a pocket. Just today one of my coworkers needed a knife and everyone pointed in my direction at the same time “Macs got one for sure, he always carries a knife”

My reply was “why the hell doesn’t everyone else?”

Trying to be prepared for what life throws at you (simple or complex)seems like common sense to me.