Prepping is a lifestyle in my opinion, not a political or philosophical position. It’s not a job or the latest trend or buzzword. The people who identify themselves as Preppers come from all walks of life; all ages, races, political preferences, genders, education and nations are represented by readers of this blog, the Prepper Journal. It may be that the term prepping or prepper is American and it could be argued that the topic of Preparing for disasters in all forms has become more popular now than in the past. Some people equate what we used to call Survivalists with the newer term of Prepper and they both share common traits, but different philosophies I think. Sharing this lifestyle with people all over the planet doesn’t guarantee we all see eye to eye on everything by any stretch but despite the differences we have, Preppers all seem to be united in one belief or one motivating framework. This framework is the main reason I believe preppers do all of the things we do. Whether it is planning for a natural disaster or something man-made, preppers at their core want to live.
Prepping is another way to look at the term pro-life because in my case at least, the preparations I and my family make start with inconvenience on one end of the scale, but the threat of death on the other. I want my family to be as unaffected as possible should something bad happen. I certainly want them all to live for as long as possible and beyond just being alive, I want them to have a rich life full of experiences, joy, hope and security. I want the same opportunity for life for everyone really, but my first concern and my primary responsibility is my family. To keep them living as well as possible is my motivation for planning more so than inconvenience. I want to consider both of course and maybe that is how my thought process works when it comes to the way I developed my plan for preparing my family.
For instance, I have backup power options in case the power goes out due to a simple weather event. If the event isn’t simple and the power is out for a major storm, the level of our preparation scales as well so we are prepared to go without power for long periods of time if needed and we have means to create our own power. Unless you have lifesaving equipment or medicine that needs refrigeration usually power outages themselves don’t really pose any health problems. It isn’t the lack of power that causes problems, it’s what isn’t possible without power usually that causes injuries and death and on the inconvenience scale power would probably affect everyone in the most far reaching way.
Planning to have food stored up
Food on the other hand or the lack of food will easily kill you. My food storage plan is definitely motivated by my family. I don’t want to see them go without food and I certainly don’t want to see them starve. Looking at my pantry when it is fully stocked doesn’t give me a sense of pride or accomplishment so much as it gives me a sense of security. Knowing that I will be able to feed my family for a long time regardless of what happens to the grocery store gives me peace about that one area of life. My family will not go hungry for a while at least.
Planning for medical issues
In a grid down event, not being able to access medical care could cost you your life or the lives of someone you love so we stock up on medical supplies. My multiple levels of first aid equipment, reference materials that are printed so that I am not relying on Google are another way I am pro-life. I want my family to live if they get wounded or sick so as we continue making preparations, their health and physical medical needs are something else I plan for.
Planning for threats to your life
Going without food or injuries killing you are one thing. It is something else entirely when the threat is from another human who is trying to take your life or threatening the lives of people you care about. Having a plan for security from violence is another thing we talk about frequently on this blog. I recommend having a firearm because I think the benefit of having a tool like a handgun is simply a wise move. I even advocate for every responsible adult to legally carry a firearm for their safety but this is probably another thing that we all have different opinions on.
When people are desperate, hurting or scared they can do horrible things. This means that if the situation is dire enough you won’t just have to worry about the criminal element. You could face threats from friends and neighbors or people who are driven to desperate actions by circumstances. If you are faced with a father who has starving children and he has a gun, what will you have to protect the food you saved for your children?
For me and my family, I will do my best to keep them alive even if it means giving up my own life to accomplish this goal. That may sound counter-intuitive or even hypocritical coming from someone who started this article off by saying prepping is pro-life but I don’t think it is. By my actions as a prepper I am reinforcing that life is my goal. The life of my family and those closest to me is important and I want to do anything in my power to ensure they have life. My job as a parent and husband is to provide for and protect my family in a number of ways; essentially any way I need to. I consider laying down my life to protect theirs about as pro-life as any other interpretation.