Preppers com in all shapes and sizes just like any group of people, most dont even agree on what they are prepping for, but all of them agree on a fews things one the best hand up you can get is one you give yourself. All of them refuse to be a prop in the backdrop money shot for some news achor showing them standing on a bridge waiting for FEMA to bring them a bottle of water, an MRE and a warm banket.
Most feel like Marcella that you either prepare to stand on your own beholden to no one or you end up becoming dependent on others to provide your basic needs and become thierserf.
For myself like Marcella I dont want to be beholden to anyone for providing what is needed for me and mine. I certainly dont want to have to kiss some gubberment third class bureaucratic butt to try and coax some help from them, I dont want some jack booted thug herding me in line and telling me where to stand, sit, eat or sleep.
And last but not least I dont want to be shut up in with a bunch of zombies and have to worry about not only trying to get basic necessities but having to fight to keep what I manage to get.
Thats what the heart of prepping is all about.
The light bulb of truth started with me in 1998. I thought why am I running around grabbing stuff for a coming hurricane when I could have that stored all the time? I went from that thinking to realizing if trucks stopped, I would die and I'm not high on the list for government to save.
After all these years of prepping, constantly changing preps as new products came about, I don't have to depend on anyone to live. The federal government can take a flying leap into chaos and I won't be there. AND NEITHER WILL YOU, my buddy prepper.