8 ms·

'Videos for the prepper will “explore apocalyptic scenarios and how to “prepare” for them.”' Interesting that it seems to suggest that preppers aren't /truly/

'Videos for the prepper will “explore apocalyptic scenarios and how to “prepare” for them.”' Interesting that it seems to suggest that preppers aren't /truly/ prepping for these scenarios, or that the scenarios aren't real. If anything, it seems like Covid-19 has proved a surprising number of preppers right in some sense. It may not be a zombie situation where people need large stores of ammo, but the modern world can fall apart to such a degree that the ability to survive outside of dependence on normal systems is an advantage.

mantap 6y ago
I don't know. Most of the prepper material I read before the pandemic predicted a breakdown in civilisation type situation. Even through the stress of this pandemic, the world has remained remarkably intact. A pandemic was consistently predicted as one of the biggest risks to the world by people like Bill Gates. But the preppers were not super interested.
- kiba 6y ago
  We would all probably be better off if we prepped a little bit for 'everyday' or 'common' emergency situation such ad adverse weathers, with the government prepping for outside-the-norm emergencies. Also, prepping channels seems to be a bit obsessed with things as opposed to skills.
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
    Things are easier to acquire than skills.
    - dharmab 6y ago
      I disagree- the time and money spent on things could be spent on a weekend long (possibly free online) course in first aid, cooking, hygiene and other basic home skills.
      - bluGill 6y ago
        First aid skills without bandaid isn't useful. Cooking skills without food isn't useful. Hygiene skills without soap isn't useful. You need to prep by having the skills, and having the materials. It may be a good idea to know how to make the materials, but that assumes time which means you need a supply
        dharmab 6y ago
        You can stock a 2-year first aid kit and many months or years of food at your local grocery store very cheaply. If you want to last longer, befriend your local farmer's market where you can buy food and soap.
dharmab 6y ago
I feel like the preppers were not prepared. Too much ammo and MREs, not enough pasta and hygienic supplies.
- Zhyl 6y ago
  There was a great Cracked podcast about this recently. Preppers are basically preparing for some Hollywood doomsday scenario where the hero overcomes challenges by putting himself first and (sometimes violently) surviving by a series of physically demanding challenges that depends on his canny and his wits. The real life pandemic scenario is 'solved' (in the same sense) by listening to Government advice, being considerate of others and staying at home and watching TV.
  - pps43 6y ago
    > by listening to Government advice I beg to differ. The CDC insisted masks don't work until April, the WHO until June.
    - Aengeuad 6y ago
      The Twitter account for the British Prime Minister said that you can both exercise in parks and that visiting parks put lives in danger on the same day. Of course this should be expected from a populist government that needs to put forward multiple ideas to gauge public opinion before implementing policy but then any advice from the (English) government just comes across as contradictory and hypocritical especially when the politicians themselves don't follow the advice. We had the whole 'masks don't work' song and dance too and by all accounts England is one of the worst countries for mask adoption rates despite a decent majority of the country thinking that they work, adoption rates might change a little when masks become mandatory in shops in a little over a week but for most people it's after the strict lockdown has ended and well past the point of being necessary. So I'd agree with you here, it has been very hard to take the official advice seriously and it's a real shame that a government is muddying the waters for political reasons. https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1246779210410143746 https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/12467792104101437... https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1246807303975620609 https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/12468073039756206...
pps43 6y ago
There are commonalities. I had some N95 masks since 9/11 and bought more after California fires. I did not anticipate COVID-19, but that stash still turned out to be useful.
heavyset_go 6y ago
> If anything, it seems like Covid-19 has proved a surprising number of preppers right in some sense. Most preppers I've run into are preparing for scenarios in which they finally get to shoot people that they don't like, and expect that people who don't like them will try to take their stuff and kill them, too. A lot of them are preparing for fantasy situations that they're strangely excited about. Through that lens, prepping isn't very different than live action role-playing.
jedimastert 6y ago
> it seems like Covid-19 has proved a surprising number of preppers right in some sense Right in some senses, wrong in others. The world went a little crazy, but there wasn't a total collapse of society. Grocery stores still have food in them, the world still turns.

mantap 6y ago

I don't know. Most of the prepper material I read before the pandemic predicted a breakdown in civilisation type situation. Even through the stress of this pandemic, the world has remained remarkably intact. A pandemic was consistently predicted as one of the biggest risks to the world by people like Bill Gates. But the preppers were not super interested.

kiba 6y ago
We would all probably be better off if we prepped a little bit for 'everyday' or 'common' emergency situation such ad adverse weathers, with the government prepping for outside-the-norm emergencies. Also, prepping channels seems to be a bit obsessed with things as opposed to skills.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y ago
  Things are easier to acquire than skills.
  - dharmab 6y ago
    I disagree- the time and money spent on things could be spent on a weekend long (possibly free online) course in first aid, cooking, hygiene and other basic home skills.
    - bluGill 6y ago
      First aid skills without bandaid isn't useful. Cooking skills without food isn't useful. Hygiene skills without soap isn't useful. You need to prep by having the skills, and having the materials. It may be a good idea to know how to make the materials, but that assumes time which means you need a supply
      - dharmab 6y ago
        You can stock a 2-year first aid kit and many months or years of food at your local grocery store very cheaply. If you want to last longer, befriend your local farmer's market where you can buy food and soap.

dharmab 6y ago

I feel like the preppers were not prepared. Too much ammo and MREs, not enough pasta and hygienic supplies.

Zhyl 6y ago
There was a great Cracked podcast about this recently. Preppers are basically preparing for some Hollywood doomsday scenario where the hero overcomes challenges by putting himself first and (sometimes violently) surviving by a series of physically demanding challenges that depends on his canny and his wits. The real life pandemic scenario is 'solved' (in the same sense) by listening to Government advice, being considerate of others and staying at home and watching TV.
- pps43 6y ago
  > by listening to Government advice I beg to differ. The CDC insisted masks don't work until April, the WHO until June.
  - Aengeuad 6y ago
    The Twitter account for the British Prime Minister said that you can both exercise in parks and that visiting parks put lives in danger on the same day. Of course this should be expected from a populist government that needs to put forward multiple ideas to gauge public opinion before implementing policy but then any advice from the (English) government just comes across as contradictory and hypocritical especially when the politicians themselves don't follow the advice. We had the whole 'masks don't work' song and dance too and by all accounts England is one of the worst countries for mask adoption rates despite a decent majority of the country thinking that they work, adoption rates might change a little when masks become mandatory in shops in a little over a week but for most people it's after the strict lockdown has ended and well past the point of being necessary. So I'd agree with you here, it has been very hard to take the official advice seriously and it's a real shame that a government is muddying the waters for political reasons. https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1246779210410143746 https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/12467792104101437... https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1246807303975620609 https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/12468073039756206...

pps43 6y ago

There are commonalities. I had some N95 masks since 9/11 and bought more after California fires. I did not anticipate COVID-19, but that stash still turned out to be useful.

heavyset_go 6y ago

> If anything, it seems like Covid-19 has proved a surprising number of preppers right in some sense. Most preppers I've run into are preparing for scenarios in which they finally get to shoot people that they don't like, and expect that people who don't like them will try to take their stuff and kill them, too. A lot of them are preparing for fantasy situations that they're strangely excited about. Through that lens, prepping isn't very different than live action role-playing.

jedimastert 6y ago

> it seems like Covid-19 has proved a surprising number of preppers right in some sense Right in some senses, wrong in others. The world went a little crazy, but there wasn't a total collapse of society. Grocery stores still have food in them, the world still turns.