What Exactly is a Prepper?
Being a prepper does not mean owning lots of things that people talk about being a “survivalist.” That is definitely a part of it, but only one piece! Having these items or staying up to date on those items is important, but actually spending time as a prepper goes beyond that.
Prepping can be defined as having enough supplies to last for at least three months so you can survive without help from anyone else. Beyond that, though, it is about practicing skills and using them every day. These include survival knowledge, food preparation, first aid, and more.
Practicing these everyday will make your life in a crisis easier because you have done something – anything – to better yourself as a person who knows how to take care of themselves and their surroundings.
It also helps to know what resources are available to you so you do not waste money by buying useless junk. The same goes for knowing which stores sell quality products. Buying cheap goods with little content will only hurt you in a crisis.
Compelling Reasons You Should Be a Prepper
Being prepared for an emergency is not just something you should do, it’s something you must do if you want to survive in this world.
Prepping does not require a massive investment or lots of resources. On the contrary, there are many easy ways to get started. It can even become a fun way to spend your time.
By preparing for emergencies, you will give yourself a sense of security and control over your life. Not only that, but you’ll also be giving those around you a chance to live their lives without being stressed out constantly due to unforeseen circumstances.
There are several reasons why every person needs to prepare for at least some sort of disaster. Read on to learn more about what makes a good beginner prep item and how to choose one!
Preppers Embrace the Motto “Be Prepared”
Many people associate the term “prepping” with stocking up on food, ammunition, and supplies to survive a major disaster. However, that is only one part of what it means to be prepared.
Prepping also includes learning how to do basic repairs so you can fix your own home or car. You could even learn how to program computers or take computer classes in order to stay connected while everything else is down.
In addition to practical skills, being prepared requires having certain qualities such as patience, diligence, and motivation. It takes work to prepare for emergencies, but once done, you will feel more relaxed and confident in yourself.
Many individuals refer to themselves as preppers, but not all have the same definition of the word. That is why it is important to understand the basics of what defines a prepper.
Your Great Grandparents Were Preppers
Many people consider themselves to be prepping, but they don’t know what exactly that means. Having a supply of food and being able to survive without electricity are both considered part of the definition, but there is a lot more. Being a true prepared individual requires much more than just thinking about how you can stay alive for one week. It takes organization, knowledge, and most importantly, practice.
Most people who call themselves preppers have only limited supplies and little knowledge about how to use them. They may even not have enough to survive a small amount of time with their knowledge and gear. People with very elaborate setups probably wouldn’t describe themselves as “prepared,” because they believe they are already at the top of the ladder.
There is an increasingly large population of individuals who understand why it is important to prepare for bad times, but few take steps to do so. While some may spend days shopping for groceries, many never put together all the pieces of needed equipment. Others may have a nice collection of survival foods, but they may not keep up with changing government regulations or expiration dates.
Preppers Are Ready for Life’s Little Challenges
A lot of people call themselves preppers, but not all preppers are the same. Some prepare by stocking up on food, while others research ways to survive major disasters.
Some focus more on self-sufficiency than survival, whereas other prepare for both. There is no one definition that defines what it means to be a prepper.
It can mean different things to individual individuals.
However, there are some generalizations you can make about most preppers.
First, they are usually well prepared for something like a power outage or natural disaster.
Second, they have invested in foods that will last a long time. And third, they have supplies and equipment designed to help them rebuild or start over after the crisis is done.
All three of these qualities are important parts of being a prepper. It is always good to be prepared!
Prepping Makes Life Easier
Being prepared is not about having all the things that might break or run out, it is about having enough food, water, supplies to last you for at least two months!
Preppers organize their stockpiles by item type. For example, they may have one box of wheat berries for eating, one bottle of purified water for daily drinking, and another box of crackers for energy.
By organizing your stockpile by item type, you can quickly determine what items you need – just look up each item in the inventory!
Organizing your stockpile this way also helps keep track of what you have so you do not forget to bring an item when you go shopping. In fact, many online stores offer free stocking services to help you organize and update your supply list every time you place an order.
Another good tip is to only purchase a small amount of items at a time. This cuts down on spending because you will realize that you are running short on something as soon as you use it!
Preppers Build Relationships and Strengthen Communities
Being a prepper is more about educating yourself and helping others than preparing for an apocalypse or taking extra precautions against the end of the world. As we already discussed, being a prepper can make you feel good, but it also comes with the opportunity to connect with other people.
By offering your knowledge and services to others, you are bringing them into that education process and creating relationships. You may even inspire someone to start thinking about how they could be a bit more prepared as well.
Running food giveaways or holding first aid courses does not count as connecting with others. Only things like teaching beginner survival skills or organizing community meals qualify.
These types of connections are very important when it comes to preserving our communities. We need to stay connected with each other to trust one another and work together to meet our common goals. Surviving alone in a crisis is much easier if there are no bridges left between us.
Prepping Brings Peace
A prepper is not someone who has lots of supplies and food ready to use in case of an emergency, nor is he or she necessarily involved in disaster preparedness. Rather, a person who calls themselves a prepper studies how to improve their quality of life by gathering resources that help them feel more secure and self-sufficient.
Most people refer to this as survival preparation. Survival doesn’t mean going into a secluded area and waiting for rescue, it means developing skills that allow you to thrive even if there’s no outside help available.
By practicing these strategies, you’ll have something to do when crisis strikes. You’ll know what to do to satisfy your hunger, and you’ll be able to meet your physical needs.
You’ll also learn how to conserve energy so you won’t lose strength, and you’ll develop coping mechanisms and routines to reduce stress. In other words, you’ll prepare yourself — mentally and physically — for whatever may come.
I’ve listed several reasons why having some basic supplies is smart. But don’t think about buying unless you really want them, because they’re expensive! Buying too much can actually make things worse since you’ll probably store most of it under your bed or somewhere else not very accessible.
Avoid falling into the trap of thinking that just because you have a backpack full of food, clothes, and equipment does not make you a prepper. Being prepared is not about owning a lot of stuff, it
Preppers Can Do More with Less
Being prepared for an emergency doesn’t mean going to great lengths to be as expensive as everyone else. In fact, there are many ways you can save money by being a part of the preparedness community. You don’t have to go all-out in terms of supplies, but investing in some basic tools and products can help you achieve your goal more quickly.
There is no wrong way to prepare for disaster, which means you get to choose how you want to approach it. For example, do you want to invest heavily in food that will last a while or do you prefer buying quick/easy to find foods? It really comes down to what kind of person you are!