‘People are worried’: the ‘prepper’ shops serving Britons who fear doomsday is coming

[Le Chat]

Article from today's Guardian/Observer:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/11/people-are-worried-the-prepper-shops-serving-britons-who-fear-doomsday-is-coming

[Lunesoleil]

it is a very fragile period for lonely people, the day before the New Moon, the night of the soul, fear is truly a calamity for humanity, it causes dangerous events, we must not feed fear, psychological suffering is like active thought forms that we find in news items in the news

[Matthew]

A few MRE and dried rations never killed anyone. Prepper shop stock is mostly mundane. You can get some expensive camping chairs and bowls

https://i.postimg.cc/1XKYmT4x/image.png
https://preppersshop.co.uk/petromax-set-of-2-enamel-bowls---white---small-67208-p.asp


Or this camping toaster?

https://i.postimg.cc/02cHhLLD/image.png
https://preppersshop.co.uk/coghlans-stainless-steel-camp-stove-toaster-49255-p.asp


Stocking up on semi-off-grid items is prudent. As well as dried rations, purification systems, a bug-out-bag, a few more dried rations and other military surplus stuff there's also things like seeds, a radio, gaffer/sniper tape, two knives, a compass, ...

Project Avalon has priority threads on these topics from 2010. Not sure it is as fear based as the Guardian/Observer paint it.

Edit add:
And coffee, but these guys have that covered.

[Mari]

Stocking up on semi-off-grid items is prudent. As well as dried rations, purification systems, a bug-out-bag, a few more dried rations and other military surplus stuff there's also things like seeds, a radio, gaffer/sniper tape, two knives, a compass, ...

Project Avalon has priority threads on these topics from 2010. Not sure it is as fear based as the Guardian/Observer paint it.



Nothing wrong in prudence, as you say, quite the thing to do in these times. But.....
You can bet your life (aka a sack of coffee beans) that any mention of 'Prepper' stuff as reported these days in msm, especially Guardian/Observer/Mail, is going to be fear-based, to scare the pants off and encourage more of the collective to follow suit. Hazmat suits....leave it out, please! They'd be as much use as a teabag on the head, in any conflagration, much less nuclear (which I firmly know will not be allowed to happen, but that's another story, not for here)
Charging £450 (or so) for a months supply of freeze dried food is fit only for the gullable and well-off, as this can be done for a fraction of the price if you're willing to put a bit of sweat in.
There's a killing to made from the collective fear that's being deliberately cultivated.

[Mari]

it is a very fragile period for lonely people, the day before the New Moon, the night of the soul, fear is truly a calamity for humanity, it causes dangerous events, we must not feed fear, psychological suffering is like active thought forms that we find in news items in the news


That's the sole reason there's so much negative reporting in the media (true and otherwise) Done of course to create chaos and provide Loosh. Turning off the news and most other programming will at least offer us a chance to get our equilibrium back. Glad to see therefore, that more and more people are doing it. The 'lonely' people you state will have a harder choice to make, as most have relied on the TV, radio, etc for their sustenance, so rather harder for them to turn their back on it. Getting out in the community and interacting with what is real will be the only hope for many of us.

[Bill Ryan]

For years now, the 'prepper' community has been laughed at by comedians and mocked by the media. (One might imagine what George Carlin might have done with all this! :)). But the tables are turning, and I suspect some in the media are now raising the subject simply because it's a real one.

The Guardian is of course a British platform, and recent severe weather events, combined with the real threat of power outages this coming winter and global issues generating supply chain breakages for just about everyone, have made the subject a public discussion topic.

It may not be a bad thing if 'prepping' becomes seriously raised by the mainstream. (I wonder if the BBC will be preparing a documentary feature? I'd bet it's being thought about.) Some will take advantage of the forewarning (while others won't!), and it has to be said that sensible prepping costs relatively little in money, time or energy and there's relatively little downside to taking a bunch of simple actions that could make quite a difference if certain events happen in the world.

[palehorse]

@Mari, just my 2 cents

Regarding the coffee beans you wrote above, I've been doing it for a while, I always buy the green coffee beans and then I store it in those cans of 1.5L, the can itself is made of stainless steel so it is safe to store coffee beans.

My mistake in the past, I was roasting the coffee and grounding it and then saving in pots (normal coffee pot), bad idea, very bad, because after roasting it, the aroma won't stick for too long, to be frank after 1 or 2 weeks the good smell already gonna.

My little protocol for saving coffee for long time is storing the green beans and only roast/ground before consumption, doing that you can save the green beans for many years. Have sure to store it well in the cans to avoid things like infestation with carcoma or termites that attack not only wood but all sort of grains.

1 week ago I went through my process of roasting and grounding it, I do every week or two so I have relatively fresh coffee all the time, it taste better in the first few days.

[Matthew]

...
There's a killing to made from the collective fear that's being deliberately cultivated.

My fellow prepper friends are pretty relaxed. Perhaps you know someone who's caught up in the fear though? I don't personally, at least not amongst people who prepare.

Having a little anxiety means I practice using my radio, and my prepper friends are the same. BTW for £450 you could get three months worth. If you can produce your own long life rations then that's great! Water purification systems can be dirt cheap, and that is probably more prudent than buying food since we can survive without air for 3 minuets, can survive without 3 days of water and we can survive 3 weeks without food. So water would to be where the real value is. The topic puts us face to face with a possible nasty truth that nobody wants to digest but that's different to saying 'preppers' are victims of deliberately cultivated collective fear. I find preppers are the most relaxed in the face of the worst potential.

[palehorse]

Despite where one is living, in order to keep it basic and cheap, make a stock of your favorite basic staples and learn how to cook obviously.

Get lots of grains, seeds, nuts and some root vegetables, basic stuffs like potatoes, cassava, corn, lentils, beans, rice, wheat, oat, etc.. all these things if stored well will last a decade or maybe more.

learn to preserve using the following methods:

- jars/cans
- dehydrating
- freezing (avoid this one - if the grid goes off energy scarcity will be a thing)
- fermentation (using salt or some other starter like whey or something else that works for you)
- alcohol (just like salt or sugar, alcohol will suck the water out of the food, so no bacteria growth - work with liquors)
- pickling (vinegar - I like pickles but I can't survive on it only, also be aware it turns food very acidic)
- oils (olive is the most common used, but it is possible to use things like coconut oil too)
- dry/freeze (it is a relatively new method, but it still too expensive, it is not your average home appliance)

we don't need trend/beautiful/fancy stuffs to prepare, just the knowledge of food preservation, storage, cooking, etc..

I had put myself through it since more or less 2 years ago and I am gradually learning a lot of cool stuffs, that is the only way, it is doing yourself, it is funny I guarantee :)

[Dennis Leahy]

Another reminder to buy 5 pounds of broccoli seeds, for sprouting or growing micro-greens. A stunning amount of nutrition (and the anti-cancer phytonutrient, sulforaphane) for about $50 US. You could sprout in a drinking glass or an old jar, with a piece of an old t-shirt and a rubber band to allow the seeds to be damp but not wet, but a Mason jar and a sprouting lid is pretty cheap and works great.

A reminder that many of the foods that we think of as long-storable "belly fillers" (grains and beans) contain "anti-nutrients" and undigestable and harmful lectin proteins: beans, and all grains except millet and sorghum. I'm not saying not to store these - they won't kill you (unless you eat red kidney beans raw - they can make you quite sick or theoretically even kill you!), if those are staples for you, but think about adding millet and sorghum to your stash.

When choosing dried fruits to store, check a list of fruits that are low in fructose and high in glucose. Your brain runs on glucose, but not fructose - and fructose goes right to the liver to be detoxified and adds no nutritional benefit. Unfortunately, in the process of drying fruits, some glucose gets converted to fructose. When dried, dates, pears, and raisins are high fructose; when dried, apricots, cherries, strawberries, pineapple, apples, peaches, and prunes are relatively lower in fructose.

True nuts are protein packed and nutritious. (Cashews and peanuts are not nuts, and are very high in anti-nutrients and lectins.) The oils in nuts will go rancid in a heated environment - I think walnuts may be the worst if allowed to sit in a heated environment. Best stored in a sealed container, refrigerated or at least in a cool place.

Cannabis ("hemp") seeds, shelled (usually sold as "hemp hearts") are packed with protein and omega 3 (the good one.) Omega 3 products get a "fishy" smell when they go rancid, so store cool and dry, like nuts.

Almost all seed oils are terrible, nutritionally. The good oils are olive, coconut, and avocado. I'd add hemp oil too, (ideal balance of omega 3 and 6) but in my experience, it smells fishy if used for cooking, due to the high omega 3 content, but maybe if refrigerated and used raw, such as in salad dressing, it will work.

Balsamic vinegar stores well, and sure makes delicious oil and vinegar dressing.

Almost all dried spices store well, and many are loaded with nutritious compounds, even to the point of being medicinal - and, bonus!, your millet and sorghum won't be boring if you add spices! Store black pepper as whole peppercorns, not ground, and grind it as needed.

Sea salt will not only supply needed sodium but also many trace minerals.

Knowing what we now know about vitamin D3 and immunity, from non-Pfizer-affiliated doctors and researchers' real world data with Covid-19, it would be wise to store a few bottles of vitamin D3. (I think the ones that also include vitamin K2 are even wiser.)

Oil of Oregano is a superb anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agent. Buy it in gel-capsules for ingestion, and you can also prick the capsule and squeeze out enough to treat cold sores to MRSA. (I have cured MRSA twice with Oil of Oregano - very powerful stuff.)

[thepainterdoug]

I know Im saying something now, I may not say later. However, I will only go so far in this preparation. Not interested in survival at al costs.
I have a ready to go bag with lots of stuff, have 50 cans of tuna, some grains and some cooking ability and some water.

And please all remember, a good manual can opener !. Like eye glasses , all else worthless without.

[Casey Claar]

@ Dennis

I would like to know where you get 5 pounds of broccoli sprouting seeds for $50.00. Thanks!!

[Lunesoleil]

That's the sole reason there's so much negative reporting in the media (true and otherwise) Done of course to create chaos and provide Loosh. Turning off the news and most other programming will at least offer us a chance to get our equilibrium back. Glad to see therefore, that more and more people are doing it. The 'lonely' people you state will have a harder choice to make, as most have relied on the TV, radio, etc for their sustenance, so rather harder for them to turn their back on it. Getting out in the community and interacting with what is real will be the only hope for many of us.

We can understand that fear makes you sell more?
Almost two years ago, we experienced the same reflex of fear of lack and many stocked up on food.
Before, there was a call to empty bank accounts for fear of bankruptcies.
Fear is as old as humanity, especially since on the eve of the New Old Moon today, fear can break records.
This phenomenon returns every month but today another has been added which accentuates the feeling of danger through psychological insecurity among people living in precarious conditions. The slightest alarmist news accentuates the psychological disorder. We are in a world where money reigns supreme. Is it the law of the strongest, the richest and the strongest prevails over the weakest, the poorest and the stupidest and the least cunning?

[grapevine]

I've added a book on foraging to my bug-out bag although I probably wouldn't be confident in picking any type of wild mushroom.

[Dennis Leahy]

@ Dennis

I would like to know where you get 5 pounds of broccoli sprouting seeds for $50.00. Thanks!!
I don't remember where on-line I bought my 5 pound bag, a couple of years ago. I don't think it was Amazon, but yes, you can get them on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Broccoli-Sprouting-Food-Live-Kosher/dp/B00A52TZ86?th=1) or Walmart (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Broccoli-Sprouting-Seeds-5-Pounds-Kosher-Sproutable-Raw-Vegan-by-Food-to-Live/189920883) online stores for about $47/5lbs. The best price I found searching just now is about $41 CoolBeansNSprouts (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1033117865/broccoli-seeds-for-sprouting-microgreens?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=broccoli+sprouting+seeds&ref=sr_gallery-1-4&frs=1&organic_search_click=1&variation0=2789996264) and for seeds labeled as non-GMO: $55/5lbs Country Creek Acres (https://www.organic-heirloom-seed.com/products/organic-non-gmo-broccoli-seeds-for-sprouting-sprouts-microgreens-4-oz-of-pure-seed-country-creek-llc-brand?variant=39513549275221)

You did get me wondering about whether some broccoli seeds are genetically modified... I have never heard of broccoli being GMO - they certainly couldn't withstand glyphosate, but you never know with the evil ones like Monsanto/Bayer. The 2 pests that I associate with being problematic to broccoli plants in an organic garden are cutworms (they bite through the stems of baby plants) and cabbage moth larvae (they eat the leaves and flowers.) The cabbage moths must either see the blue-green leaves or smell the sulfur compounds in brassica plants, so genetically modified only would make sense (to me) if they deterred cabbage moths. So, I don't see the point of making a GMO variety of broccoli - but I am speculating on that.

When last I read organic labeling laws, if something is certified as "organic" then it is also non-GMO. On the other hand, something can be labeled as non-GMO but not grown organically.
I searched to see if I could find a genetically modified variety of broccoli, but I couldn't find any. That leads me to believe: I suspect that the broccoli seeds that are available are all non-GMO, but most of the plants the seeds came from were not grown organically so the seeds are not certified organic, and that if you want the organic status to be certified, you pay twice as much.

I am scratching my head over the "Food to Live" brand, because they sell broccoli seeds for $47/5lbs (https://www.amazon.com/Broccoli-Sprouting-Food-Live-Kosher/dp/B00A52TZ86?th=1), and they also sell "organic non-GMO" broccoli seeds for $91/5lbs (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Organic-Broccoli-Sprouting-Seeds-5-Pounds-Non-GMO-Kosher-Sproutable-Raw-Vegan-by-Food-to-Live/285656140). Again, my guess is that they are all non-GMO, but you pay double if you want the certification that the plants that the seeds came from were grown organically, and the organic certification also certifies non-GMO.

These companies label their broccoli seeds as "non-GMO, but are about $65/5lbs: Urban Farmer Seeds ($65/5lbs) (https://www.ufseeds.com/product/broccoli-sprout-seeds---5-pounds/BSS-5lbs.html), EasyPeasyPlants ($64/5lbs) (https://www.easypeasyplants.com/products/broccoli-sprouting-seeds-non-gmo?variant=37621904277665). I found several companies that sell larger quantities of non-GMO seeds for about $10/lb, but that is for 25 pounds.

Hope this helps, Casey!

[Bruce G Charlton]

It is merely prudent to cover short term interruptions in essentials; but if collapse of any genuine seriousness happens (which is probably inevitable), prepping is - for the vast majority (especially the majority of urban dwellers, the elderly and infirm, those requiring medications or health services) - merely a matter of extending one's personal existence for a few weeks or months in a world of increasing chaos.

Infrastructural collapse, will lead to the traditional 'Horsemen' including mass starvation, disease, epidemics, and violence.

Since the Establishment have prepared the ground for collapse, they will not defend or support the populace but the opposite (except a very small proportion of themselves).

Those who run out of essentials will include plenty of violent gangs of armed young men (bandits, pirates) who will try to take whatever they want or need.

When these young men are from Establishment-favoured groups (and there are many such in all developed nations) this activity will be defended and coercively-supported by the state, media and police.

As I have said before; in general I regard materialist prepping beyond mere prudence as a displacement activity - delusionally distracting people from what they ought, instead, to be doing - but are not.

Furthermore, it seems evident to me that survival-motivated prepping is often corrupting of the spirit. Very close to the surface, or actually explicitly stated, are day-dream fantasies of surviving (smugly) when all around starve and die - and/or of slaughtering would-be looters with stocks of guns and ammo.

But if/ When real civilizational collapse comes, most people will die over a timespan of weeks or months; and our preparation for this ought to be spiritual - because that is where our civilization is more lethally deficient than any people in the history of the world.

[Bill Ryan]

We can understand that fear makes you sell more?No kidding. :facepalm:

Here's the YouTube video page of Canadian Prepper (https://www.youtube.com/@CanadianPrepper/videos) (Nate Polson), who also runs a large online prepping store. He sells a LOT of stuff to his followers.

I gave up on him a long while ago, as every daily video he published was screaming as loudly as possible that there was a desperate, life-threatening new emergency. The Wolf, Wolf !! principle definitely applies, but clearly he's not learned that yet. :ROFL:

https://avalonlibrary.net/Bill/Canasian_Prepper.jpg

[Matthew]

I know Im saying something now, I may not say later. However, I will only go so far in this preparation. Not interested in survival at al costs.
I have a ready to go bag with lots of stuff, have 50 cans of tuna, some grains and some cooking ability and some water.

And please all remember, a good manual can opener !. Like eye glasses , all else worthless without.

I pack one of these which lets me read small writing on MRE packets, tiny instructions for water purification tablets and everything else that isn't in 10 point size: Magnifier, Inspection, Eye Loupe, 5x, Spherical Lens. I don't have this specific model but they are much of a muchness.

https://uk.farnell.com/productimages/standard/en_GB/3579429-40.jpg

[Pam]

it is a very fragile period for lonely people, the day before the New Moon, the night of the soul, fear is truly a calamity for humanity, it causes dangerous events, we must not feed fear, psychological suffering is like active thought forms that we find in news items in the news

Lunesoleil, there is so much wisdom in your post. I am personally noticing that I must be much more diligent with what I allow to enter into my consciousness. There seems to be a quickening of the cause and effect phenomena,at least that is my personal experience. This really does seem essential to be as diligent with what we allow our consciousness to ponder and response in manifestation.That will be different for everyone.

Love, Pam

It seems very important to, as you stated to protect ourselves from dwelling on things we fear. I like to remember the things I have control of and the things I don't. At least on the material plane. If I can assist I will, if not, it is not of benefit to the plight of humans, animals and other life forms to dwell in fear and fortify and feed those that pull the strings behind the scenes.

It is a matter of practice and intent to stay in the moment. The ultimate, at least in my personal experience, is to stay in the moment with unconditional love. In this most blessed state the unconditional love does not need to be directed at anything in particular, it is not conditional, it permeates everything you come in contact with. If one can do this, it is very, very eye opening how subtle things begin to change. Mental clarity is greatly heightened, I could go on and on but this is about prepping and even those that held total belief in the safety of their world, that trusted the good will of authority figures are opening their eyes to the great inversion that is our reality.

How does this fit into prepping? Your greatest tool will be the condition of your consciousness. Acting in a fight or flight mode will not give you the best chance of dealing with disaster in the best way.

This is our time topple the inversion, that is our reality at the moment. We can do it independently or better yet tap into what Rupert Sheldrake calls the morphic field, which will happen at a collective level if enough people were to practice these simple principles.

Just my two cents....almost forgot, find gratitude even if it is the tiniest thing.

[grapevine]

It is merely prudent to cover short term interruptions in essentials; but if collapse of any genuine seriousness happens (which is probably inevitable), prepping is - for the vast majority (especially the majority of urban dwellers, the elderly and infirm, those requiring medications or health services) - merely a matter of extending one's personal existence for a few weeks or months in a world of increasing chaos.

Infrastructural collapse, will lead to the traditional 'Horsemen' including mass starvation, disease, epidemics, and violence.

Since the Establishment have prepared the ground for collapse, they will not defend or support the populace but the opposite (except a very small proportion of themselves).

Those who run out of essentials will include plenty of violent gangs of armed young men (bandits, pirates) who will try to take whatever they want or need.

When these young men are from Establishment-favoured groups (and there are many such in all developed nations) this activity will be defended and coercively-supported by the state, media and police.

As I have said before; in general I regard materialist prepping beyond mere prudence as a displacement activity - delusionally distracting people from what they ought, instead, to be doing - but are not.

Furthermore, it seems evident to me that survival-motivated prepping is often corrupting of the spirit. Very close to the surface, or actually explicitly stated, are day-dream fantasies of surviving (smugly) when all around starve and die - and/or of slaughtering would-be looters with stocks of guns and ammo.

But if/ When real civilizational collapse comes, most people will die over a timespan of weeks or months; and our preparation for this ought to be spiritual - because that is where our civilization is more lethally deficient than any people in the history of the world.

All of this is (rather depressingly) true, but fortunately - or unfortunately - the survival instinct is such a strong and innate force in human beings, it's likely to take over when the chips are down, and if you're prepped and ready to go/hunker down, then at least you have a plan to work with.

[Casey Claar]

@ Dennis

I would like to know where you get 5 pounds of broccoli sprouting seeds for $50.00. Thanks!!
I don't remember where on-line I bought my 5 pound bag, a couple of years ago. I don't think it was Amazon, but yes, you can get them on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Broccoli-Sprouting-Food-Live-Kosher/dp/B00A52TZ86?th=1) or Walmart (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Broccoli-Sprouting-Seeds-5-Pounds-Kosher-Sproutable-Raw-Vegan-by-Food-to-Live/189920883) online stores for about $47/5lbs. The best price I found searching just now is about $41 CoolBeansNSprouts (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1033117865/broccoli-seeds-for-sprouting-microgreens?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=broccoli+sprouting+seeds&ref=sr_gallery-1-4&frs=1&organic_search_click=1&variation0=2789996264) and for seeds labeled as non-GMO: $55/5lbs Country Creek Acres (https://www.organic-heirloom-seed.com/products/organic-non-gmo-broccoli-seeds-for-sprouting-sprouts-microgreens-4-oz-of-pure-seed-country-creek-llc-brand?variant=39513549275221)

You did get me wondering about whether some broccoli seeds are genetically modified... I have never heard of broccoli being GMO - they certainly couldn't withstand glyphosate, but you never know with the evil ones like Monsanto/Bayer. The 2 pests that I associate with being problematic to broccoli plants in an organic garden are cutworms (they bite through the stems of baby plants) and cabbage moth larvae (they eat the leaves and flowers.) The cabbage moths must either see the blue-green leaves or smell the sulfur compounds in brassica plants, so genetically modified only would make sense (to me) if they deterred cabbage moths. So, I don't see the point of making a GMO variety of broccoli - but I am speculating on that.

When last I read organic labeling laws, if something is certified as "organic" then it is also non-GMO. On the other hand, something can be labeled as non-GMO but not grown organically.
I searched to see if I could find a genetically modified variety of broccoli, but I couldn't find any. That leads me to believe: I suspect that the broccoli seeds that are available are all non-GMO, but most of the plants the seeds came from were not grown organically so the seeds are not certified organic, and that if you want the organic status to be certified, you pay twice as much.

I am scratching my head over the "Food to Live" brand, because they sell broccoli seeds for $47/5lbs (https://www.amazon.com/Broccoli-Sprouting-Food-Live-Kosher/dp/B00A52TZ86?th=1), and they also sell "organic non-GMO" broccoli seeds for $91/5lbs (https://www.walmart.com/ip/Organic-Broccoli-Sprouting-Seeds-5-Pounds-Non-GMO-Kosher-Sproutable-Raw-Vegan-by-Food-to-Live/285656140). Again, my guess is that they are all non-GMO, but you pay double if you want the certification that the plants that the seeds came from were grown organically, and the organic certification also certifies non-GMO.

These companies label their broccoli seeds as "non-GMO, but are about $65/5lbs: Urban Farmer Seeds ($65/5lbs) (https://www.ufseeds.com/product/broccoli-sprout-seeds---5-pounds/BSS-5lbs.html), EasyPeasyPlants ($64/5lbs) (https://www.easypeasyplants.com/products/broccoli-sprouting-seeds-non-gmo?variant=37621904277665). I found several companies that sell larger quantities of non-GMO seeds for about $10/lb, but that is for 25 pounds.

Hope this helps, Casey!

Dennis, yes!, thank you. In my search I got no hits at all on that price, even for non-organic ( which is a must especially in a seed ).

The cost is more, WAY more but I think I will go with my steady regular : Mountain Rose Herbs (https://mountainroseherbs.com/broccoli-sprouting-seed)

[Mari]

@Mari, just my 2 cents

Regarding the coffee beans you wrote above, I've been doing it for a while, I always buy the green coffee beans and then I store it in those cans of 1.5L, the can itself is made of stainless steel so it is safe to store coffee beans.

My mistake in the past, I was roasting the coffee and grounding it and then saving in pots (normal coffee pot), bad idea, very bad, because after roasting it, the aroma won't stick for too long, to be frank after 1 or 2 weeks the good smell already gonna.

My little protocol for saving coffee for long time is storing the green beans and only roast/ground before consumption, doing that you can save the green beans for many years. Have sure to store it well in the cans to avoid things like infestation with carcoma or termites that attack not only wood but all sort of grains.

1 week ago I went through my process of roasting and grounding it, I do every week or two so I have relatively fresh coffee all the time, it taste better in the first few days.


Thanks for that valuable info, Palehorse.

[Mari]

...
There's a killing to made from the collective fear that's being deliberately cultivated.

My fellow prepper friends are pretty relaxed. Perhaps you know someone who's caught up in the fear though? I don't personally, at least not amongst people who prepare.

Having a little anxiety means I practice using my radio, and my prepper friends are the same. BTW for £450 you could get three months worth. If you can produce your own long life rations then that's great! Water purification systems can be dirt cheap, and that is probably more prudent than buying food since we can survive without air for 3 minuets, can survive without 3 days of water and we can survive 3 weeks without food. So water would to be where the real value is. The topic puts us face to face with a possible nasty truth that nobody wants to digest but that's different to saying 'preppers' are victims of deliberately cultivated collective fear. I find preppers are the most relaxed in the face of the worst potential.

I agree with you, that Preppers with experience are quite laid-back, as they've garnered enough knowledge over the years and also get valuable advice from their fellow Prepperati.
I suppose I was referring to the newly-awakened - those new to the necessity of Prepping and the entailing jolt to their overall security.

[Dennis Leahy]

It is merely prudent to cover short term interruptions in essentials; but if collapse of any genuine seriousness happens (which is probably inevitable), prepping is - for the vast majority (especially the majority of urban dwellers, the elderly and infirm, those requiring medications or health services) - merely a matter of extending one's personal existence for a few weeks or months in a world of increasing chaos.

Infrastructural collapse, will lead to the traditional 'Horsemen' including mass starvation, disease, epidemics, and violence.

Since the Establishment have prepared the ground for collapse, they will not defend or support the populace but the opposite (except a very small proportion of themselves).

Those who run out of essentials will include plenty of violent gangs of armed young men (bandits, pirates) who will try to take whatever they want or need.

When these young men are from Establishment-favoured groups (and there are many such in all developed nations) this activity will be defended and coercively-supported by the state, media and police.

As I have said before; in general I regard materialist prepping beyond mere prudence as a displacement activity - delusionally distracting people from what they ought, instead, to be doing - but are not.

Furthermore, it seems evident to me that survival-motivated prepping is often corrupting of the spirit. Very close to the surface, or actually explicitly stated, are day-dream fantasies of surviving (smugly) when all around starve and die - and/or of slaughtering would-be looters with stocks of guns and ammo.

But if/ When real civilizational collapse comes, most people will die over a timespan of weeks or months; and our preparation for this ought to be spiritual - because that is where our civilization is more lethally deficient than any people in the history of the world.

Well, there is a spectrum of preparedness. In times past, we would have been considered as insane (or at least deadly foolish) if we did not store some of the fall harvest to make it through the winter. Having a can of gasoline in your garage so you could run your snowblower when the snowstorm hits is preparedness. Having working flashlights, a few gallons of water, a warm blanket, and some food in the cupboard is preparation for tornadoes and hurricanes where power might be out for a few days. It's quite a long leap to the other end of the spectrum where you have a fortified habitat, multiple guns and lots of ammo and the willingness to kill marauders or even neighbors to protect your stash of provisions and potable water access or stash that you could live off for a year or more.

You may be saying the same thing, labeling it as "mere prudence", but after about 3 days without water, it is a matter of survival, and a solar CME taking out electrical grids is considered somewhat likely, even without the possibility of an EMP attack on the same grid with the same consequence, or other major cause of peril for most of electricity-dependent humanity. I don't consider having 2 to 3 weeks, even a month's worth of water and provisions in the same way I see militarized, lethal, survive-at-all-cost preppers. If something happens where only the preppers with a fully-equipped bug-out bag, gun and ammo, and a place in the deep woods to escape to, are going to be the survivors, I'd prefer to die sharing my provisions with my neighbors anyway.

Even the spiritually aware who have no fear of death do "fear" (want to avoid, if possible) suffering while incarnated. What is your idea of spiritual preparation?

[Matthew]

I think the point I really want to make in this thread is that I had the Guardian/Observer as deliberately misrepresenting the scene here. When the Guardian/Observer talks about truthing or prepping, or any counter-mainstream scene, then they are not acting in good faith. I'd recommend mentally tagging it as likely propaganda against you and your values. Then using the report as a firelighter for your camping wood burning stove... not actually very good for a bugout bag because smoke is not stealthy, but great for camping! This is an off-topic point, but it's so cool look at this:

https://i.postimg.cc/wjsXpWRk/image.png

I suppose it might be on topic since prepping shops are really one-third army surplus shops, and one third camping shops.