Just wondered if any of you get accused of being paranoid, a fanatic, Chicken Little, etc. for being prepared. I always have a minimum of water and shelter with me everywhere I go. Normally I have means of self-defense, food, and other EDC items discussed ad nauseum here on the forum. This is all carried a laptop bag, back pack, or just in pockets if necessary. Usually the people criticizing are the ones left outside during a fire alarm drill without a coat, in flip-flops (with 6 inches of snow), and freezing to death. Some come to work dressed like that and have nothing additional in their cars--cars that are almost out of gas, and Utah has plenty of sudden snow storms that can leave you stranded on the freeway. Their reasoning for being so unprepared is, "I just want live life without being afraid of what might happen." I don't carry the stuff I carry because I'm afraid--quite the opposite. Having the stuff I have keeps me from worrying about a lot of the crap that can happen to you in today's world.

It's funny though-some of the people that are the most critical come to me whenever they need something. In addition, many of my friends don't carry anything now knowing that I'll have it if they need it. What's a "survival fanatic" like myself to do?