Copyright Paul Williams 2018

Preppers vs. Survivalists

‘Preppers versus Survivalists’ – imagine the awesome TV series that would follow if these two groups had to fight it out – and who would win? :-) Actually, no, 90% of both of these groups would prefer to keep a low profile and go undetected rather than invite unnecessary risks into their lives. For all the posturing and bluster that might go on, both types of people are smart enough to focus on taking care of themselves and not others.

There are two main and similar-sounding (but quite distinctly different) labels that are given to those people (who can be found among any population, yours too) who like to be prepared for situations that disrupt their normal day-to-day living. Things like disasters, crises, SHTF (S*** Hits The Fan) and even worse, TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It).

But before we find out who and what they are, we need to face up to the fact that… you are probably already one of them.

That’s right, you. In fact me, you - all of us are.

Think about it.

See how many you can tick on the following checklist of survivalist/prepper tendencies:

• [ ] Do you have a cupboard at home where you’ve got a few extra tins and packets of food?

• [ ] Do you have insurance for a couple of different things (your house, your car, your smartphone, your computer) so that you are covered in case something goes wrong?

• [ ] Do you have any money in the bank? Maybe you have a savings account, or some kind of investment that you pay into each month?

• [ ] Do you pay into some kind of pension scheme each month?

• [ ] Do you make backups of important documents and information?

• [ ] If you see a special offer on at the store, do you buy one or two extra and put them in the freezer or the cupboard for use at a later date?

• [ ] If you think that it might rain, do you take a coat and an umbrella with you just in case?

• [ ] Have you ever grown your own herb, vegetable, or fruit plant?

• [ ] At work, do you have a building evacuation plan in case of accident or fire? Do you practice it every so often in a drill?

Any one of the above makes you a prepper and survivalist of some kind. Go you!

Now, you may have previously believed that preppers and survivalists hid out in the remote hills and mountains, or have secret cellars and bunkers stashed full of guns and equipment to go wrestle with bears. But now that you realise that you are both a prepper and survivalist, welcome to the reality that most preppers and survivalists just have the same facilities that you do, the same budgets, and the same worries and concerns.

OK, so what’s the difference, you want to know now. Which one is a prepper, and which one is a survivalist?

Survivalists

Well, loosely speaking, one group is usually known as survivalists and the other group is usually known as preppers because of the way that each group likes to focus on dealing with any problems that might come their way. (But whatever happens, you can be sure that both groups like to be ready for whatever happens.)

So a survivalist is someone who, out of personal preference, leans more toward making sure that they have the knowledge to survive a short-term situation. They make sure as heck that they know exactly what to do if disaster hits, and what areas they need to head to in the event that their workplace is a no-go zone or their home is no longer habitable.

Survivalists have usually prepared for a bad situation by making sure they have some kind of backup provision ready to be used at the drop of a hat. So for example, a survivalist may have already prepared a couple of backpacks ready and waiting for themselves and their family, with at least three days’ worth of food, water, clothing and the means to provide or make a temporary shelter.

They will also have their bug out vehicle fueled and ready to hit the road. Many survivalists plan around the belief that the disaster situation will be temporary and that normal order will be restored in their world. It may take awhile and they might be prepared to hide out and survive for more than a few days.

The types of situation that survivalists prepare to be ready for include dramatic things such as terrorist attack, civil disorder, contagious disease pandemics and invasion or war; but also include more straightforward situations such as an extreme weather event (tornado, flood), an out of control bush or forest fire, an earthquake or volcanic eruption, a nuclear accident or radiation leak, a pollution incident, etc.

Survivalists believe that the best response to most of these situations is a swift exit to a safe location using pre-prepared routes and equipment. Survivalists will spend a long time preparing, planning and even rehearsing these evacuations to make sure that they have thought of every eventuality possible.

Preppers

Which leaves us with preppers. A prepper therefore likes to be even more prepared, and to go beyond just short-term survival. Their goal isn’t always survival by avoiding the situation, but self-reliance so that they can outlast it. Ideally they want to be as free from the needs of society as possible so that if a disaster does occur, it’s like any other day for them – their life goes on as usual despite whatever is happening in society at large.

Preppers are the type of folk who want to be prepared so that they can survive for any length of time. They believe that regardless of how short or long a time it takes for their world to get back on an even keel, they need to be able to take care of themselves and their families in the interim.

Often from bitter personal experience, preppers know that the only ones they can count on in a crisis for long-term survival are themselves, so they spend all their time and resources getting themselves ready for this eventuality. What they essentially do to get ready, is they prepare to be self-sufficient. They cut down on all unnecessary dependencies, sourcing alternatives that they can swap in to replace things that might make the vulnerable or too reliant on others. For example, many of them begin homesteading or at least starting to grow more of their own food.

Preppers use self-sufficiency as their way of dealing with things to avoid finding themselves in situations where they need something to carry on but critically do not have access to it. By using this method, they mitigate any future risks so that in the event the local, regional or even world system is shaken up or interrupted, it won’t really affect their lives at all, except for perhaps some minor inconveniences. For example, by making sure that their food source is self-contained, preppers can avoid a crisis if panic-buying clears out all the local stores of essential supplies.

Rather than relying on a mere 3 days’ worth of emergency food supplies that come in prepackaged containers, preppers will prefer to have at the very least a garden that will sustain their family, and they will prepare further by having seeds in safe, dry storage somewhere so that they can continually replenish that garden. Where possible, preppers will cultivate areas larger than just a garden, for even longer-term sustainability.

Preppers will usually also make sure that they use animals wisely and efficiently to provide for their own and their family’s needs. For example, they might choose to get their milk supply from cows that they rear and graze on their own land, and eggs from chickens that they look after and feed using corn mix made from harvests in their own crop fields. Preppers will use their animals to meet their other needs as well. They might keep goats for cheese (and use the males for meat) and some of them might also raise sheep for the fleece that they then turn around and use to make into clothing items.

They would usually put a proportion of the food that they’ve grown themselves into storage, usually by using one or more traditional methods of preserving the foods. So essentially what preppers have actually done is to look at the way that life was lived long ago and they’ve seen how those people managed to live off the land and survive quiet well, and they basically emulate that.

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So which one do you think you are? Prepper, or Survivalist?