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Are you a Prepper? People are actually preparing for another Y2K in 2012

Updated on December 18, 2011

Not to be confused with Dr. Pepper, being a Prepper is one who is preparing to survive.


Many are going back-to-basics preparing for another Y2K fearing massive power outages, civil unrest and such thoughts of the world as we know it ending.

“Prepper” is a term that many use to describe their efforts in making plans, purchasing off-grid equipment and stockpiling food and products to prepare for long term power outages, or to survive wide spread panic and civil unrest.

To prepare for what you may ask? Depending on who you talk to and how radical certain people and groups may be on this topic, some believe that a solar imbalance will create wide spread blackouts in the coming years for electricity and communications, some believe the frequency and intensity of more damaging storms or earthquakes could disrupt the electric grids and infrastructures for extended periods, some are very concerned with the economy and the direction it is going in the US and worldwide are preparing for war like civil unrest, some are concerned of another but more wide spread terrorist attack targeting power plants and infrastructures or unleashing some type of magnetic bomb to disrupt normal communication frequencies, while others have strong beliefs that Armageddon as forecasted will begin in 2012.

Is it alarmist talk and people just trying to spread fear of another Y2K science fiction event, or just people who are nuts? Consider the facts, being without electricity for a few hours is possibly just a nuisance being without it for several days, into weeks and months has the real potential to create havoc for those who are not prepared with some basic emergency equipment, supplies, food and water.

So far the country has not really seen back to back natural disasters, but with the forecasted potential of more devastating storms across the Midwest, and then add the potential of more hurricanes or a serious earthquake, our environment as we know it is changing. Any of those events occurring in any combination all at the same time could cripple the infrastructure and the power grid for more than just a few days. Recent hurricanes and wide spread storms have already demonstrated power outages can occur for weeks and even into months.

Civil unrest is potentially already showing signs with the increased crimes of car jacking, armed robberies and home evasions by well organized groups. People have been without jobs and incomes for some time now seem to be turning toward more criminal activities.

There is a factor of people who will openly tell you they are prepping with ammo and guns to go take what ever they may need if the economy was to collapse, or a natural disaster occurred in their part of the world. These are not harden criminals, but currently average law abiding citizens that, if things become desperate they will use what ever force they need to feed and take care of their family. Then others are prepping to protect themselves and families from those who are coming to take what they have. This 2011 Black Friday showed guns and ammo as being one of the most purchased items nationwide.

In our highly technical electronic age, being without electricity or the ability to communicate from a natural disaster, solar storm or a terrorist attack targeting our infrastructure could have a huge impact on our already weak economy. Depending on the duration everything we know could grind to a complete halt, for a few hours a day a week or into months.

As we know Y2K was a way over the top highly publicized event that never materialized, costing the country wasted energy, manpower and dollars. People have for years claimed that the end of the world is coming and those dates pass without event. The sun always comes up and sets, and even though some solar storms have interfered with radio signals for short periods, no real wide spread outages have ever occurred.

It is a rather personal matter based on your personal beliefs, convictions, to make your own decisions. Some Prepping does make since based upon where you live, emergency kits, food, water and supplies to last through several days to extended durations without electricity is not at all is being extreme. Personal self protection makes since just with the increasing level of carjacking, home evasions, and armed robberies occurring in even upscale neighborhoods, stores and banks. Crimes like these are no longer just about being in the wrong area, but being in any area at the wrong time.

Prepping also makes since for those trying to become less dependent, on processed food and mass produced products. You see prepping is also about self-sufficient-sustainability-living, including going back-to-the-basics with home gardening, growing and making your own home based foods and products. People may be in fear of loosing a job, or are just concerned with a contaminated food chain are turning back to home gardening, or trying to reduce their personal carbon foot print to become less dependent of fossil fuels.

If you just believe people are overreacting, or are just paranoid alarmist, consider this; while we may not personally subscribe to the sky falling or the world ending, we do see the world and economy as we have known it to be changing and becoming more troubling.

Like it or not the one thing everyone needs to be concerned about is that our nation and the world is just so much on the edge, any small situation could be perceived as a threat and trigger many self fulfilling prophecies. People’s perceptions and actions could catch us in the middle of pure chaos before authorities could regain control and infrastructures could be rebuilt to calm the public perceptions.

Some additional longer term Prepping probably does need to be considered now, even if we are just prepared to ride out the longer term aftermaths from a hurricane, storm, other disaster, or from actions of those who think they need to over react to a situation.

For example; we are not directly on the Gulf Coast, but live 80 miles inland, and are not in a mandatory evacuation or board up zone. If a category three hurricane heads our way we are one of the few who are prepared to board up our windows. It is not as much about the brunt of the hurricane, but because of the people around who don’t take things serious to at least tie down their trash cans, and lawn chairs. These can become flying missiles in 100 mile per hour winds and crash through a window allowing the wind and water to enter our home. Does this make us alarmist or just good Preppers? It’s always better to prepare than wish you had of in the middle or the aftermath of unpredictable circumstances.

You can research more by typing in key word Preppers or Prepping into the search engines. Internet sites such as Cottage Craft Works at http://www.cottagecraftworks.com offer Prepper-back-to-basics non-electric-products to live-off-the-grid for self-sufficiency and emergency outages.

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