Posted on 01/21/2012 9:20:17 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
When Patty Tegeler looks out the window of her home overlooking the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia, she sees trouble on the horizon.
"In an instant, anything can happen," she told Reuters. "And I firmly believe that you have to be prepared."
Tegeler is among a growing subculture of Americans who refer to themselves informally as "preppers." Some are driven by a fear of imminent societal collapse, others are worried about terrorism, and many have a vague concern that an escalating series of natural disasters is leading to some type of environmental cataclysm.
They are following in the footsteps of hippies in the 1960s who set up communes to separate themselves from what they saw as a materialistic society, and the survivalists in the 1990s who were hoping to escape the dictates of what they perceived as an increasingly secular and oppressive government.
Preppers, though are, worried about no government.
Tegeler, 57, has turned her home in rural Virginia into a "survival center," complete with a large generator, portable heaters, water tanks, and a two-year supply of freeze-dried food that her sister recently gave her as a birthday present. She says that in case of emergency, she could survive indefinitely in her home. And she thinks that emergency could come soon.
"I think this economy is about to fall apart," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
They seem to be dumbfounded by this? Have they not noticed that groceries cost 40% more this year than last year?Or what would happen if our fuel supply was cut off for an extended period how fast the grocery store shelves would be empty?Am sending hubby out to Kmart in a short while for a few more dozen canning jars.Kmart is having a sale this weekend that is 15% off of most items except those listed like electronics in case anyone wants anything.
***.... hippies in the 1960s who set up communes..... and the survivalists in the 1990s who were hoping to escape the dictates of ........... secular and oppressive government.***
Nonsense. The hippies were not survivalists. they wanted a place for Sex and drugs. Their communes did not last long.
SURVIVALISTS started under the gross incompetence of the Jimmy Carter administration when it was found survival would be every man for himself. Mel Tappan’s books and articles in GUNS and AMMO became popular at that time.
This is when assault style rifles became really popular and the survivalist books by Kurt Saxon were selling out.
Survivalism waned for a time under Reagan, then revived with the Y2K nonsense.
Now it is back again with the gross incompetence of Obama.
I’ve been in survivalist mode since 1960. I had hand written notebooks on survival and wood craft since I first found a copy of Ellsworth Jaegar’s book WILDWOOD WISDOM, which was the FIRST hardcover book I ever bought.
LOL I’m afraid those guys would be afraid to go into the woods....
We are essentially in a civil war over emancipating our children from debt slavery. The deficits really are that huge. http://www.futurnamics.com/civilwar.php
funny how easy it is to wipe out 40% of the population, as long as we get to decide which ;-)
“At least one out of the three will gladly and willingly trade herself for security.”
I detect a certain judgmentalism about that hypothetical “one out of three.”
That survival strategy is the natural order of things throughout the animal kingdom, and throughout the history of humans, who are a subset of that kingdom.
If the other two do not follow that strategy when society breaks down, whether gladly and willingly or not, they will not contribute to the gene pool, and their contribution to the biosphere will terminate as well.
“At least one out of the three will gladly and willingly trade herself for security.”
I detect a certain judgmentalism about that hypothetical “one out of three.”
That survival strategy is the natural order of things throughout the animal kingdom, and throughout the history of humans, who are a subset of that kingdom.
If the other two do not follow that strategy when society breaks down, whether gladly and willingly or not, they will not contribute to the gene pool, and their contribution to the biosphere, except as nutrients to be recycled, will terminate as well.
I would not judge them.
We saw that a few years ago when a really bad ice storm knocked out the power for several days.
People went into a panic. One woman was so unprepared she had to put her batteries in her radio in the day and use them in a flashlight at night.
Others were so stranded in their homes the National Guard was called out for rescue.
We lost power but did well on lanterns and oil lamps. Warm and snug as a bug in a rug.
The National guard made it to a cabin back in the woods and found a 90 year old woman doing just fine They made her leave her home anyway.
Then there was the deep snow last year. We could not get out but still did well. There is an erie quite that settled on this area as no one was going anywhere.
A good use of cloning I say!
I’m a prepper too and with three children and nine grandchildren....who are oblivious....
So I prep for them and for more reasons than discussed on any public forum.
;-)
Always be prepared no matter what society is up to,things can change in a heart beat.
I was just a kid in 1960 but I remember well the fallout shelter craze, CONELRAD, and the ethical debate over the problem of unprepared neighbors. Your perspective shows that survival preparation is nothing new.
Since we go back that far, you must be familiar with Pat Frank’s “Alas Babylon” and the survival manual he wrote later. Also at the time Earl Stanley Gardner of Perry Mason fame published “How to Survive” in several issues of Field & Stream magazine. His favorite survival firearm was a .22 caliber handgun.
My favorite Pat Frank quote: “The day may come when a pound of tobacco is worth more than a pound of gold.”
We would be better served if Reuters did a story about those who are causing civilization's collapse.
***My favorite Pat Frank quote: “The day may come when a pound of tobacco is worth more than a pound of gold.”***
I remember when Kurt Saxon was on the Phil Donahue show. When asked about buying gold, she said that in a collapse of civilization gold will do you no good. Invest in sewing needles, he said.
But then, he was expecting a complete collapse back to the stone age.
Most of my books are of the old Fur-Fish Game types from the 1930s. Hunting, trapping, living off the land, ect.
Good for you, I am doing want I can but unfortunately I live between Houston and Galveston, off the beaten trail but entirely to close to the Mega City. But I do have a working water well, a nice large garden, plenty of caned goods, wood stove for cooking etc. And best of all Galveston Bay is my front yard so sea food will be on my menu should things go south. My only real worry is tons of friends that are doing nothing and Houston, 30 miles up the road. Every time I go shopping I’ll spend 20 or 30 bucks on stuff I think I might need. Been going that for 2 or 3 years so I am in good shape as long as city folk don’t find me. But I much rather have a farm in the country like you do, that is very cool.
Re your picture: Are the three ladies on the left all the same person? They look like clones in different outfits.
Obama could suspend the elections due to a horrific economic collapse he caused. He is desperate enough.
Store what you eat, and eat what you store.
Prepare for when times get tough, or even if they don’t.
Words of wisdom from Jack Spirko of “The Survival Podcast”
The prepper movement is undeniably fascinating for media types and it’s an easy story.
I don’t know what will happen and pray/hope that somehow we will survive the seemingly inevitable economic collapse and disruption of services. Hyperinflation seems to be the most likely scenario given our weak leadership and penchant for printing money. Either scenario will result in chaos for an undetermined amount of time.
I think being prepared to survive any disruption is just common sense. I don’t think there is anything weird or strange about it, but I know lots of decent folks who think it’s weird. Our increasing reliance and trust of government gives people a false sense of security. We will not rely on anyone other than my myself, family, friends, and neighbors.
My choice, my money, my farm, and my time. If I am wrong I will be happy. The hobby farm is still a great lifestyle for my family and my kids will learn many skills that are more meaningful than videogames.
Got the answer in our neck of the woods in 2007, an ice storm crippled the State and the shelves in the city were empty in three days. Trucks couldn't get in because of the roads so people hit the stores like it was the end of the world. We got the last loaf of bread at Walmart. It was truly an eye opener.
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