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The Preppers Next Door[NYC Region]
The New York Times ^ | 27 Jan 2013 | ALAN FEUER

Posted on 01/26/2013 8:46:01 PM PST by Theoria

A couple of weeks ago, on a leisurely Sunday afternoon, 40 people gathered at a church in Washington Heights for a show-and-tell session sponsored by the New York City Preppers Network. One by one, they stood in front of the room and exhibited their “bug-out bags,” meticulously packed receptacles filled with equipment meant to see them through the collapse of civilization.

Onto a folding table came a breathtaking array of disaster swag: compasses and iodine pills, hand-cranked radios and solar-powered flashlights, magnesium fire-starters and a fully charged Kindle with digital road maps of the tristate region. Many of the items on display went far beyond the “10 Basic Pillars of Bug-Out Gear” that Jason Charles, the network’s leader, had passed out in advance through the Internet. A good number were tweaked to fit their owners’ needs and interests. A locksmith in the group had a lock-picking set. A vegetarian had a stash of homemade dehydrated lentils. One man had a condom designed to serve as an emergency canteen; another had a rat trap — to catch and eat the rats.

After showing off his own bag (parachute cord, a bivy sack, a two-week supply of Meals Ready to Eat), Mr. Charles, a New York City firefighter, told the group that he had just bought a dog. “So now I have to implement his plan, too,” he said a little worriedly. With a pause and a sheepish look, he added, “That’s weird, right?”

New York hardly seems like a natural location for what has become known as the prepper movement, but in fact the city’s prepping community is not only large and remarkably diverse, its leaders say, it’s also growing rapidly.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Outdoors; Society
KEYWORDS: newyork; newyorkcity; nyc; prepared; preparedness; prepper
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To: doorgunner69
"The EBT mob had not even had time to get hungry."

The Emperor's foot soldiers!

41 posted on 01/27/2013 10:44:01 AM PST by 45semi (A police state is always preceded by a nanny state...)
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To: bgill

One posiblity is just rent a mini storage unit. If you laid low it would give you a place to rest up as well as storing some preps.


42 posted on 01/27/2013 11:23:41 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: cherry
Dude, do you recall the mayhem of the 1977 NYC blackout?

Even Wikipedia mentions it...

43 posted on 01/27/2013 8:53:48 PM PST by Old Sarge (We are officially over the precipice, we just havent struck the ground yet...)
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To: 3Fingas
A customer was bashing preppers, and I kindly asked her if she thought about
what she would do if everything stopped cold. No fuel, no electricity and water.
She said, "That would never happen".

And lets not forget that the Gov are the biggest preppers of them all.
And have been since the beginning of the cold war (50's).

44 posted on 01/27/2013 9:20:36 PM PST by MaxMax
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To: AlexW
While I commend anyone who does basic prepping, many on the TV series are really going to drastic extremes to prepare for something that may not come even close to the actual disaster that might really require getting the H out of Dodge.

I have done my basic prepping by already doing just that. That is not to say that I am prepared for a car mowing me down as I ride my bicycle to the market in the next few minutes.


The scenarios people say they are prepping for are usually pretty silly. And single-focused. Although I would think the show producers are requiring that just to differentiate each prepper. Otherwise, most are prepping pretty much the same - and they will be ready for most other disasters as well. Except that car mowing down bicyclist one ;)
45 posted on 01/28/2013 12:29:00 PM PST by yorkiemom
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To: grumpygresh
Really, no one knows how the SHTF scenario will play out. Yes, it could be sudden with a war, financial collapse, or civil war. But, it could also play out very slowly as it did in Eastern Europe after WW2.

Or like the Weimar Republic - even with printing money as fast as their presses could go, they went on and on for over a decade. Maximizing the suffering.

That's why I don't feel that prepping is enough for my situation. I feel good about being able to last a year, maybe two. But I don't have the facilities to garden or raise animals, other than a small amount. I need to move to farm country! But the jobs there are scarce. Like many, I'm in a quandry - risking all to move and wait, and if nothing happens then I made a BIG financial mistake. Or staying put with a job and then being trapped if something happens quickly. I suppose if the collapse is slow, there will be time to act, if one is aware.
46 posted on 01/28/2013 12:37:40 PM PST by yorkiemom
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To: Old Sarge

“..consider a stash of cash...”

Perhaps Jesus’ parents were early “preppers”. In all seriousness - the VERY expensive gifts the wise men gave them would have helped greatly when they had to flee Israel and live in Egypt for awhile. It would have taken awhile (if ever?) for Joseph to build up his trade as a refugee.


47 posted on 01/28/2013 1:04:10 PM PST by 21twelve ("We've got the guns, and we got the numbers" adapted and revised from Jim M.)
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To: Theoria
I'm more of a "semi-prepper" than a prepper, but I don't watch the nat geo stuff. That's TV. I keep these things in mind.

1. If something like Yellowstone goes up at full blast, we're all likely dead anyway. I don't worry about that stuff. What I can see happening is massive energy shortages, skyrocketing shipping costs, and general scarcity.

2. I have an advantage over most if the SHTF. I'm from a good family that can rely on one another. The lone wolf John Rambo dies in real life. There's dozens of us who trust each other and will help out each other with expertise in different areas.

3. Our family has land in five counties with populations of 25000, 14000, 23000, and 10000. We're four counties away from the nearest "big" city. I have a place to go. I have a backup place to go.

I don't want to be if SHTF
A. In a big city or in a suburb. Desperate people are dangerous.
B. Without enough fuel to get up north.
C. Unarmed.

48 posted on 01/28/2013 1:22:26 PM PST by Darren McCarty (If most people were more than keyboard warriors, we might have won the election)
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