More Americans Are Becoming Preppers, According To New Report [Op-Ed]
COMMENTARY | More Americans are becoming preppers, according to a CBS News study. The massive storm in July that left hundreds of thousands without power, and Hurricane Sandy, are credited with adding to the prepper ranks. The divisive battle between gun control vs. gun rights and the potential for civil unrest over the controversial issue is also reportedly sending more folks into gun stores and ordering buckets of food online.
A recent North Carolina Readiness Seminar attracted approximately 2,000 residents eager to learn how they can better protect their families should a man-made or natural disaster strike. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, concerns over a solar flare peak in 2013 also has a plethora of citizens Googling how to build a Faraday Cage.
As with any group or organization, negative stereotypes can emerge. The typical American prepper is not a rural hermit sitting at the ready for a zombie apocalypse. Watching the attractive actors of The Walking Dead run around Georgia fighting for their lives is an enjoyable way to spend an hour on Sunday evening, but really does not accurately depict why Jon and Jane Doe are mindful of how many cans of soup are on their shelves.
Regardless of the specific reasons why each prepper believes there is cause for concern, the overall consensus of such individuals revolves around increasing stability for themselves and their loved ones. Prepping is often regarded as a “green” activity.
During an interview with CBS, Joel Henderson, co-owner of Green Gold Filters, had this to say about the eco-friendly connection to prepping:
“It’s very environmental, very green, takes us off of fossil fuels, and is very easy to do. If anybody has a diesel engine, truck, tractor, or generator, you can use used cooking oil as an alternative diesel fuel or motor oil.”
Tim Ralston, an Arizona prepper and owner of GearUpCenter.com called prepping apocalypse insurance, according to Business Opportunities. Ralston had this to say about his decision to stockpile and sell food and other necessary items:
“There’s a lot of different things that could happen. For me, I look at prepping as kind of like insurance. You have car insurance, health insurance, life insurance.”
Perhaps another indicator of the mainstreaming of the prepper lifestyle is the increasing presence of long-term storage food, water purification tablets, and other extreme camping type gear at Walmart across the nation.
Doomsday Preppers is currently the highest rated show on the National Geographic network. While some viewers might tune in to laugh at the preppers, much in the same way reality series fans do with their guilty pleasures shows, others use the episodes to garner tips about keeping their families safe.
Summer storms, winter storms, and Hurricane Sandy all remind us just how powerful Mother Nature is, and how reliant we are on electricity and grocery stores for our very existence. Should disaster strike, would you rather be at the mercy of FEMA for life saving aid, or able to rely on yourself to feed and protect your family?
